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Americans didn't intend to elect a Republican majority to the House

14 points by willvarfar 14y ago

tzs 14y ago
It makes little sense to compare total popular vote by party for the House, because each House district has its own slate of candidates. The Democrat candidate in a deeply conservative district might be farther to the right than the Republican candidate in a deeply liberal district.
Stealthvoodoo 14y ago
I didnt realize I was following a political blog. I also like how you failed to mention that this is a constitutional process that democrats exploit just as frequently as republicans.
- willvarfar 14y ago
  whose blog? you follow motherjones blog? Or you think HN is a blog? And when you say "you", who do you mean? PG? Me? Motherjones?
foo32 14y ago
Of course, according to the article, gerrymandering only helps the reds. The blues must not have any of their own gerrymandered districts (see Maryland for a case in point).
teilo 14y ago
Oh, please. Stop saying "Americans" as if we are each just a part of a collective with nothing but a collective will. That is the core tenet of Fascism: that the individual does not for all political or practical purposes exist, just the collective. Every person who voted for a Republican intended to elect that Republican. Every person who voted for a Democrat intended to elect that Democrat.
isaachawley 14y ago
The more suburban/rural party gaining an edge over the more urban party is a natural result of any kind of geographical based representation. Plus the Dems play the same game when they can: http://www.propublica.org/article/in-california-democrats-redistricting-strategy-paid-off http://www.propublica.org/article/in-california-democrats-re... Do you have an alternative strategy? Should it matter at all which district you live in? What would be the consequences of representatives coming straight from population breakdown? Worse schools in districts with smaller populations?
romnempire 14y ago
stopped listening when he said NC. NC already has two damn gerrymandered democratic districts, it doesn't need to gerrymander any more.

14 points by willvarfar 14y ago

tzs 14y ago

It makes little sense to compare total popular vote by party for the House, because each House district has its own slate of candidates. The Democrat candidate in a deeply conservative district might be farther to the right than the Republican candidate in a deeply liberal district.

Stealthvoodoo 14y ago

I didnt realize I was following a political blog. I also like how you failed to mention that this is a constitutional process that democrats exploit just as frequently as republicans.

willvarfar 14y ago
whose blog? you follow motherjones blog? Or you think HN is a blog? And when you say "you", who do you mean? PG? Me? Motherjones?

foo32 14y ago

Of course, according to the article, gerrymandering only helps the reds. The blues must not have any of their own gerrymandered districts (see Maryland for a case in point).

teilo 14y ago

Oh, please. Stop saying "Americans" as if we are each just a part of a collective with nothing but a collective will. That is the core tenet of Fascism: that the individual does not for all political or practical purposes exist, just the collective. Every person who voted for a Republican intended to elect that Republican. Every person who voted for a Democrat intended to elect that Democrat.

isaachawley 14y ago

The more suburban/rural party gaining an edge over the more urban party is a natural result of any kind of geographical based representation. Plus the Dems play the same game when they can: http://www.propublica.org/article/in-california-democrats-redistricting-strategy-paid-off http://www.propublica.org/article/in-california-democrats-re... Do you have an alternative strategy? Should it matter at all which district you live in? What would be the consequences of representatives coming straight from population breakdown? Worse schools in districts with smaller populations?

romnempire 14y ago

stopped listening when he said NC. NC already has two damn gerrymandered democratic districts, it doesn't need to gerrymander any more.