It's also worth noting that the Democratic gerrymanders in CA and VA were put before voters while the Republican ones were passed by their gerrymandered state legislatures without voter input.
Wow democracy over fascism is a real thorn in their side. They'd rather sell lies that both sides are the same and Ds are worse than do what it takes to save our country. Take your both sides shit and shove back up your corrupt morally bankrupt asses. Does anyone have any emotional IQ?
As I understand it, the Democrats have successfully brought a court case to overturn the illegal pro-Republican gerrymandered map in Utah. The Utah Republicans denied Salt Lake City representation by pushing the SLC population into a bunch of random rural districts whose politicians didn't represent them. Now SLC citizens can elect who they want, likely giving Utah one Democratic seat instead of zero.
I suspect -- have suspected (or imagined) for a long, long time -- that deep in the bowels of The New York Times lives a real "Grey Lady." Just like the picture of Dorian Gray, the Times person in charge of article slants is the real Susan Collins, and her doppelganger is the "very concerned" hypocrite from Maine.
Oregon is true Blue and cannot get any bluer. In fact Progressives are trying the waters for the State elections. I'm all for gerrymandering until the last Reb dies strangled by the guts of the last techbro.
Most of my life was spent in upstate NY, but 3 1/2 years ago uniting with my long-distance partner brought me to Culpeper County in Northern VA. For the last month we have been AWASH in Republican propaganda to vote NO on redistricting. I haven’t been able to turn on the TV or open my mailbox without being confronted by dire and disingenuous warnings about the “liberal power grab”. I say disingenuous, because I don’t for a minute believe that these Republican PACs have any concerns about gerrymandering in states where conservatives control the governments!
There seems to be two distinct flavors of propaganda:
The first is the typical straw-man stuff. One TV ad in particular really gets under my skin. If you wanted to try to parody a Republican political ad, I don’t think you could make one more ridiculous. Every point made is presented as terrible threat, and is factually wrong. Old white guy in hunter’s camouflage and a pronounced hillbilly drawl warns us about the liberals in the state capital making shady, back room deals (FACT: The Democratic Party is openly promoting this referendum which has been made subject to public approval.) so that they can raise our taxes to give welfare to illegal aliens (FACT: Undocumented immigrants are not, and never have been, eligible for tax-funded welfare programs.), seize our guns (FACT: While stricter gun regulation is certainly part of the Democratic platform, there is no plan to seize legally purchased firearms from law-abiding owners.), and even put boys in girls’ sports (FACT: Trans girls are not boys. Also, of all the horrible problems we have, THIS is what you’re scared of???). UGH.
The second type of propaganda is more insidious and more blatantly racist. They are cherry-picking out of context quotes from Barack Obama and other black leaders (sometimes from ten years ago or more) to make the claim that redistricting will take away the black community’s influence in state government, as well as the more general argument that gerrymandering is wrong. That second point is sheer hypocrisy, as I said above, these folks LOVE gerrymandering in Republican-run states! But the first point is a clear attempt to muddy the waters and confuse progressive voters enough that a NO vote will seem like a principled one.
To be fair, I have discussed this issue on other forums and received some pushback. Some folks on the left think gerrymandering is wrong, period, and we shouldn’t sink to the Republicans’ level. To be honest, I can understand and accept this attitude. But I was convinced to vote YES. This is why:
Republicans were the first to break the (very sensible) norm of redistricting only taking place every ten years following a census to determine populations. Trump demanded gerrymandering mid-decade. This is a TEMPORARY redistricting, with the traditional system slated to return in 4 years following the next census. As stated elsewhere in these comments, our Democratic leadership has brought this referendum up for public approval, not merely OK’d it and shoved it down voters’ throats. But mainly, we are on the cusp of a fascist takeover of the United States, and must do everything possible to prevent it. There will not be a next time. Unlike the past, Democrats are actually taking the fight right back to the Republicans, rather than roll over and expecting niceties and norms to protect us. They haven’t, and they won’t. I’m happy to join the fight.
So yeah, the conservative BS machine is pushing this one HARD. My hope is that this onslaught of Republican lies has a boomerang effect, making other liberal voters as angry as I am, and motivating them to vote YES.
Polling so far looks good, but I will be on pins and needles until all those votes are counted.
(An aside: imagine if all the money spent on stuffing mailboxes and polluting the airwaves had been on something to actually benefit society?)
Right by you, I guess! I grew up in Stormville, spent some years in Westchester County, then ended up back in Duchess. Millbrook was the last place I lived before moving to VA.
I lived on Rushmore Road in Stormville, right at the edge of the Carmel school district. (Graduated CHS in ‘94). As a matter of fact, if you lived on one side of Rushmore Road’s midpoint, you went to Carmel High School. Kids who lived less than a mile away on the other side went to John Jay!
Actually, those school districts are not so different than those weirdly shaped gerrymandered congressional districts. I have no idea how they were drawn up. One particular oddity was a condominium complex that went to Brewster, located directly across the street from Carmel’s George Fischer Middle School!
It's also worth noting that the Democratic gerrymanders in CA and VA were put before voters while the Republican ones were passed by their gerrymandered state legislatures without voter input.
A friend of mine worked at the Times for several years. I was so proud of her. Then she quit in a fit of rage, and I was even prouder.
Wow democracy over fascism is a real thorn in their side. They'd rather sell lies that both sides are the same and Ds are worse than do what it takes to save our country. Take your both sides shit and shove back up your corrupt morally bankrupt asses. Does anyone have any emotional IQ?
I still think that Tejas gerrymandered three Republicans out of the house.
Your words to Dog's ears. I watched some of the proceedings (two in person) and am still angry at what I saw.
Maybe he would have won Viet Nam if he ever went, but he didn't, so we'll never know.
Now THAT needs to be an NYT op ed headline
I'm in California and I can confirm that yes redistricting was animated by "animus"...
Same. Trump absolutely started it and we wouldn't have had Prop 50 otherwise, but it passed because we hate that fucker.
As I understand it, the Democrats have successfully brought a court case to overturn the illegal pro-Republican gerrymandered map in Utah. The Utah Republicans denied Salt Lake City representation by pushing the SLC population into a bunch of random rural districts whose politicians didn't represent them. Now SLC citizens can elect who they want, likely giving Utah one Democratic seat instead of zero.
I suspect -- have suspected (or imagined) for a long, long time -- that deep in the bowels of The New York Times lives a real "Grey Lady." Just like the picture of Dorian Gray, the Times person in charge of article slants is the real Susan Collins, and her doppelganger is the "very concerned" hypocrite from Maine.
It's a dude
Just like Dorian Grey
A lady would have better sense
They call it that to throw everyone off
And also as a bit of patriarchal dominance, like they call Navy vessels "she"
Oregon is true Blue and cannot get any bluer. In fact Progressives are trying the waters for the State elections. I'm all for gerrymandering until the last Reb dies strangled by the guts of the last techbro.
Ta, Dok.
The race was called. YES won, but it was a squeaker: 50.7% to 49.3%.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/live-results-virginia-redistricting-special-election
the final numbers were higher than that, but YES ! yes won.....
Thanks for the link.
I was a lifelong Democrat until the Democrats pushed for gerrymandering, and then I . . . Well I stayed a lifelong Democrat because fuck Republicans.
You'll appreciate this
https://youtu.be/YgMSs_aMP84?si=pwTxkLQUHSO74_rI
Most of my life was spent in upstate NY, but 3 1/2 years ago uniting with my long-distance partner brought me to Culpeper County in Northern VA. For the last month we have been AWASH in Republican propaganda to vote NO on redistricting. I haven’t been able to turn on the TV or open my mailbox without being confronted by dire and disingenuous warnings about the “liberal power grab”. I say disingenuous, because I don’t for a minute believe that these Republican PACs have any concerns about gerrymandering in states where conservatives control the governments!
There seems to be two distinct flavors of propaganda:
The first is the typical straw-man stuff. One TV ad in particular really gets under my skin. If you wanted to try to parody a Republican political ad, I don’t think you could make one more ridiculous. Every point made is presented as terrible threat, and is factually wrong. Old white guy in hunter’s camouflage and a pronounced hillbilly drawl warns us about the liberals in the state capital making shady, back room deals (FACT: The Democratic Party is openly promoting this referendum which has been made subject to public approval.) so that they can raise our taxes to give welfare to illegal aliens (FACT: Undocumented immigrants are not, and never have been, eligible for tax-funded welfare programs.), seize our guns (FACT: While stricter gun regulation is certainly part of the Democratic platform, there is no plan to seize legally purchased firearms from law-abiding owners.), and even put boys in girls’ sports (FACT: Trans girls are not boys. Also, of all the horrible problems we have, THIS is what you’re scared of???). UGH.
The second type of propaganda is more insidious and more blatantly racist. They are cherry-picking out of context quotes from Barack Obama and other black leaders (sometimes from ten years ago or more) to make the claim that redistricting will take away the black community’s influence in state government, as well as the more general argument that gerrymandering is wrong. That second point is sheer hypocrisy, as I said above, these folks LOVE gerrymandering in Republican-run states! But the first point is a clear attempt to muddy the waters and confuse progressive voters enough that a NO vote will seem like a principled one.
To be fair, I have discussed this issue on other forums and received some pushback. Some folks on the left think gerrymandering is wrong, period, and we shouldn’t sink to the Republicans’ level. To be honest, I can understand and accept this attitude. But I was convinced to vote YES. This is why:
Republicans were the first to break the (very sensible) norm of redistricting only taking place every ten years following a census to determine populations. Trump demanded gerrymandering mid-decade. This is a TEMPORARY redistricting, with the traditional system slated to return in 4 years following the next census. As stated elsewhere in these comments, our Democratic leadership has brought this referendum up for public approval, not merely OK’d it and shoved it down voters’ throats. But mainly, we are on the cusp of a fascist takeover of the United States, and must do everything possible to prevent it. There will not be a next time. Unlike the past, Democrats are actually taking the fight right back to the Republicans, rather than roll over and expecting niceties and norms to protect us. They haven’t, and they won’t. I’m happy to join the fight.
So yeah, the conservative BS machine is pushing this one HARD. My hope is that this onslaught of Republican lies has a boomerang effect, making other liberal voters as angry as I am, and motivating them to vote YES.
Polling so far looks good, but I will be on pins and needles until all those votes are counted.
(An aside: imagine if all the money spent on stuffing mailboxes and polluting the airwaves had been on something to actually benefit society?)
Roland Martin warned about the blatantly racist stuff
https://www.youtube.com/live/KLbncDKCYKU?si=b4Sz87n-6eaWdOdY
The real question is: ACTUAL upstate NY (say, Rochester, Massena), or like where I live, ALLEGEDLY "upstate" NY (Dutchess Co.)?
Right by you, I guess! I grew up in Stormville, spent some years in Westchester County, then ended up back in Duchess. Millbrook was the last place I lived before moving to VA.
Right by me, indeed. At least my HS, John Jay '83...and in the midst of crazy Greenhaven COs. :)
I lived on Rushmore Road in Stormville, right at the edge of the Carmel school district. (Graduated CHS in ‘94). As a matter of fact, if you lived on one side of Rushmore Road’s midpoint, you went to Carmel High School. Kids who lived less than a mile away on the other side went to John Jay!
How funny - I lived right on the line of Jay and Ketcham. Everyone I went to junior high with went off to RCK. Me and ONE other person went on to Jay.
Actually, those school districts are not so different than those weirdly shaped gerrymandered congressional districts. I have no idea how they were drawn up. One particular oddity was a condominium complex that went to Brewster, located directly across the street from Carmel’s George Fischer Middle School!
What's that saying? Oh, yes, "FUCK THE NYT."
And we wonder why print is dead.
Whar the NYT think piece on Republicans being suddenly against gerrymandering?
*crickets*
GO VIRGINIA GO!
"Do not do as I do say", I think is the bromide.
I dunno, Nick Corasaniti's book "Neville Chamberlain was right" isn't THAT bad a read