The Dems Redistricting Nightmare

[Shady]

Looks like this November's election will have serious ramifications beyond the house and senate.

The biggest danger to the Democrats comes from the losses that they are poised to endure in the Governor's races. These losses are likely to be massive, and illustrate the size of the impending voter revolt.

RCP

Here's the worst part for the Dems...

Combined with likely statehouse gains, they threaten to put Republicans in charge of redistricting for the first time in several generations.

If the Republicans win just the Governor's races in which they are presently leading, and flip the chambers that are close, Republicans would control redistricting for 214 House seats, and have a say in another 149. Democrats, on the other hand, would control redistricting for only 33 House seats, and have a say in the same 149. The remainders are either single-district states like Delaware, or are governed by non-partisan redistricting commissions. This could have brutal consequences for the Democratic Party for the next decade.

RCP

I'd really just like to thank Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. To which none of this would be possible without their support and agenda!

[Jack Weber]

Shady....

Are you an American citizen?

[bloodyminded]

Shady....

Are you an American citizen?

A wannabe.

[Shady]

Shady....

Are you an American citizen?

Why thank you for asking Jack!

No, I'm not currently an American citizen, but I do have American relatives in Michigan and California.

[August1991]

Shady, this quote in your OP caught my attention:

Combined with likely statehouse gains, they threaten to put Republicans in charge of redistricting for the first time in several generations.

So, I went and read (very quickly) the RealClearPolitics article.

For many reasons (notably the US Civil War), the Democrats have dominated State politics in teh US, particularly in the South. (I have been reading Rove's book over the past few days - ebook version) and teh dominance of the Democrats in Texas is something to behold (and Bush Jnr's victory as a Governor to be respected).

So, the world after a few decades is returning to a natural balance. Republicans can now get elected in the South. But does that really change anything? The Southern Democrats were once known as Boll Weevils.

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Redistricting and reapportioning. It just seems to me that the American method is a lousy way to run a political system. Why do I think that? Well, imagine if State or County lines were subject to political negotiation every ten years or so? (Provincial borders in Canada are considered sacrosanct, when they are not suggested as an argument for or against Quebec independance.)

Gerrymandering is an unfortunate aspect of US democratic politics. It leads to sinecures, politicians spending their time looking at maps rather than representing their constituents and ruses to get just enough of "your" voters into a district so that you win safely - but you don't "waste" the votes.

I found this link:

The redistricting process in the United States can be distinguished from redistricting elsewhere in the world in at least two very fundamental ways: the extent to which the process is overtly and acceptably political – legislators still have the responsibility for drawing electoral districts in most states – and the degree to which the American courts have intervened in the process. These two characteristics of the process are interconnected and have meant that redistricting is often contentious and that the result may be biased in favor of one political party over the other party.