"Did you know that while Democrats won 1.1 million more votes in Congressional races in 2012

[Starry Messenger]

Republicans ended up with 33 more seats?"

I feel like with all the discussion about this "come to Jesus" moment the Democratic Party supposedly needs (and I'm not saying there shouldn't be discussions of policy and changes...) people are still not very well informed about just HOW MESSED UP our districts are. We've lost seats, but not simply because people are not voting for Democrats.

CA adopted a fair districting system years ago, and the result? The GOP is only 30% of the vote, and the elections reflect the actual electorate. It's a Democratic majority state, to the point where we can be picky about which left candidate we'd rather have. We passed a millionaires tax, for god's sake. Twice.

John Oliver devoted a granular 20 minutes to just this issue this month. Please watch it:

Eric Holder started an org to work for fairer redistricting. Sign up today!

https://democraticredistricting.com/about/

"Republican gerrymandered districts after the 2010 Census have put Democrats at a massive structural disadvantage. That’s why the most important turning point for the future of the Democratic Party will take place in 2021: when states redraw their Congressional and state legislative lines.

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) is an organization of Democratic leaders enacting a comprehensive, multi-cycle Democratic Party redistricting strategy over the next 5 years and beyond."

[Cha]

1. I had read something about that awhile ago

but had forgotten.. Thank you for the stark reminder, Starry!

Dems aren't as unpopular as some people like to push.. the system is fubar

Mahalo, Eric Holder!

[Starry Messenger]

4. Thanks Cha!

I had a super-frustrating (and insult-laden) exchange on a thread on FB this week, on a Guardian story, where I tried to talk about this, so I had to get this off my chest!

(People here are more productive than most social media randos anyway, so I figured DUers could use the information as needed.)

[Cha]

8. We can definitely use the info!

I garbled my previous post but it's all fixed now.

Thank you!

[gratuitous]

2. Isn't it amazing?

I had a Facebook knucklehead try to pull that "both sides" bullshit about gerrymandering and voter caging, complaining about the court decision against Texas' latest attempt to screw over the Democrats by confining as many Democratic votes into as few proposed districts as possible. It's been days, and he hasn't responded. No surprise there.

But yeah, the disparity in votes cast for Democratic candidates and the number of seats they win makes any "both sides" argument about gerrymandering complete nonsense. This is also a very important point to keep in mind when very concerned people say that the key to a resurgence in Democratic fortunes is to cozy up to Republican positions. NO! We're getting millions more votes than Republicans; we need to restore fairness to state districting, and that starts with winning state legislatures.

[Starry Messenger]

6. 1000x NO! Totally agree!

But yeah, the disparity in votes cast for Democratic candidates and the number of seats they win makes any "both sides" argument about gerrymandering complete nonsense. This is also a very important point to keep in mind when very concerned people say that the key to a resurgence in Democratic fortunes is to cozy up to Republican positions. NO! We're getting millions more votes than Republicans; we need to restore fairness to state districting, and that starts with winning state legislatures.

I knew posting this here would make me feel better!

[octoberlib]

3. Same thing for NC and a bunch of other gerrymandered state legislatures.

The radical right took over the NC General Assembly in 2010 and would have been kicked out on their asses in 2012 because Dems got more votes but weren't due to gerrymandering.

[Starry Messenger]

7. Rev. Barber is a hero of mine, so I have been following NC's electoral fortunes a bit.

It's insanity. This needs fixing.

[blm]

5. Some Dems let corporate media convince them that gerrymandering, voter purges, restricted voting

have NOTHING to do with the outcomes of elections. See…it's all the fault of Dems who just need to win by more than 6 million votes if they want to share power with Republicans in DC.

[Starry Messenger]

9. Right??

See…it's all the fault of Dems who just need to win by more than 6 million votes if they want to share power with Republicans in DC.

And do it with teh VRA crippled too. And we don't, declare us in utter ruin and a failure.

[Vesper]

36. If the goal is to simply attack the party and Democratic leaders and candidates, one

cannot let facts interfere. That new book that people were so excited about sure didn't! (No wonder Breitbart loved it so.)

[nikibatts]

10. Our side just doesn't do a good job of explaining gerrymandering to the masses in order to get them

out to vote for their state and local officials. The GOP just merely slap an R in front of their candidates' names and the steeple vote for them. We are too busy laying back for the Presidential election because...well because a lot of our base just doesn't understand basic civics how their own state and local governments work AND THERE IS LITTLE FOCUS ON EXPLAINING THIS TO THEM.

I have sent many tweets and messages to Perez to ask him to start this movement.

[octoberlib]

12. +1 million .It's all about the mid-terms.

We'd be looking at a very different America, if we could just get Dems to vote in the mid-terms.

[Starry Messenger]

13. Good point on asking Perez to start this movement.

I'll do that too. He ran on helping to fix voting issues, I recall.

I wish there was a way to boil down the information in John Oliver's video--it's very informative, but we need like a doorstep pitch.

[Vesper]

37. Can't we use viral video to help spread that message?

[Starry Messenger]

40. We can, it's just that many folks who aren't nerdy like us might not devote 20 minutes.

But if people will watch for that long, it is great! It might be good for house parties with discussions after.

[Vesper]

41. But it's John Oliver!!!

[Starry Messenger]

42. It is! He does make the subject accessible.

I've been with my teenage students all day, and they have spring fever and won't listen beyond 15 seconds, so it may be I am just tired and not thinking adult humans will have a better attention span. o.O

[former9thward]

11. Republican got 3 million more votes in 2016 in House elections.

They got 52% of the vote and 57% of the seats.

https://www.thenation.com/article/republicans-only-got-52-percent-vote-house-races/

The main reason for this is not gerrymandering however. Its the fact that Democrats live closely together in urban areas and Republicans are spread out.

[Amishman]

45. This. Gerrymandering is real but we have a huge geography problem as well

Even with fair districting, the high concentration of our base in city cores will be a problem. The centers of Major cities vote 90%+ Democrat. Most 'red' rural districts are still only 60-80% Republican.

There are zero positions in the US that are a nationwide popular vote, so geography always matters.

We also need to start winning votes outside our current strongholds

[dsc]

14. NC is even worse

In 2012, NC Congressional Democratic candidates got a majority of the two party vote while the GOP got 9 seats to our 4. We also won the majority of the two party vote for the General Assembly and the GOP got veto proof (3/5) majorities in both houses.

[Starry Messenger]

15. I can't even imagine how that must feel.

How does that affect voter morale? That would just hurt to watch.

[dsc]

18. believe it or not

it should have been 10 to 3 in 2012 but we had one incumbent Democrat win the closest race in the entire country (he won by like 500 votes). We won a redistricting case at the local level but a stay has been issued. I think at this point our best hope is the NC Supreme Court ruling the gerrymander is unconstitutional.

[demmiblue]

16. K&R

[L. Coyote]

17. Yes.

[Starry Messenger]

19. Great graphic! xo

[William769]

20. kick & recommended.

[Starry Messenger]

21. Thank you, friend! xo

[William769]

22. Anytime.

[csziggy]

23. I got caught in the redistricting last time around here in Florida

I used to be in District 2 which at the time was held by Gwen Graham, former Gov. & Sen. Bob Graham's daughter. During the re-do of the redistricting that was ordered by the court, a tendril of District 5 worked its way into Leon County all the way into the middle of Tallahassee and cut out a significant portion of Democratic voters from District 5. It also puts the FSU and FAMU campuses into District 2 which is deeply red and dilutes the progressive votes in Leon County.

District 5 had been held by Corrine Brown who sued over the change and lost. A state representative from Tallahassee, Al Lawson ran against her in the primaries and won the seat in the general election so District 5 is still in Democratic hands.

Gwen Graham decided not to run for re-election in District 2 and that seat went back to the Republicans.

I object to the change mostly because where I live has little in common with the rest of District 5 - which runs all the way to Jacksonville. Although I am a Florida native I can count the number of times I have been to Jacksonville on the fingers of one hand. On the other hand I have in laws in Panama City and visit on a regular basis. I also object to solid blue Leon County and our blue neighbors in Gadsden and Jefferson being carved up so our votes count for less than they used to.

Here is what District 2 used to look like:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_2nd_congressional_district

Here is what District 2 and five look like now:

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/186391-in-wake-of-historic-redistricting-decision-here-are-maps-maps-maps-detailing-the-possible-changes

[Starry Messenger]

24. Whoa!

Thank you for the instructive post and illustrations. I'll be bookmarking for when people need to see a vivid look at just how dramatic this is.

[csziggy]

28. It also makes campaigning difficult

Last fall no one was really sure where the lines were since the court case went on for so long the updated maps were no available until very close to the elections. People who live across the street from each other and who had worked on campaigns together in the past found that this time around they were voting in to different districts. Sure, they could ignore the lines to volunteer for a campaign, but it made it much more complicated for everyone working in the congressional campaigns.

The ONLY way I knew which district I was in was when I called into my supervisor of elections office days before the primaries.

Oh - and here is why Corrine Brown sued - this is what District 5 USED to look like:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_5th_congressional_district#2014

[retrowire]

25. Damn we need to restructure how this all works.

The system is clearly not meant to favor the majority in all cases.

Seems so damn counterintuitive.

[Starry Messenger]

27. Ironically some of the gridlock in Congress was self-inflicted by the GOP.

They got cocky and thought they could redistrict their way to a longterm advantage to themselves.

But with the new districts, they got challenged from the right, and now we have the Freedom Caucus and other Teabaggerati in power.

Tiny hope they might rethink the grabby gerrymandering they indulged in and help bring things back to a balance.

[oasis]

26. Only free and fair elections will "Make America Great Again".

Deplorables can wave the flag till their arms fall off, but they really don't believe in an inclusive democracy.

[SunSeeker]

29. K & R for exposure.

[NurseJackie]

30. I thought it was because of DWS.

[NurseJackie]

31. I thought it was because of Dems failing to connect.

[NurseJackie]

32. I thought it was because of not earning the vote.

[zentrum]

33. They should have been

....on this two decades ago when it started. Now the hurdles are profound.

[brer cat]

34. This is our future here.

If we can't fix it, we will lose no matter how good our candidates are. I hope that Holder and President Obama are able to make some inroads, and Perez as well.

[Ligyron]

35. Yes, let's hope it isn't all talk.

Obama will step up I bet.

[Starry Messenger]

43. I hope so too.

I can't really see any other way forward.

[brer cat]

44. Without DOJ it will be a long uphill slog.

I live in GA which is one of, if not the most, gerrymandered state. The republicans started a new round just after the 2016 elections to move more people of color out of districts that were starting to look a little too diverse for their comfort level. They don't even pretend to have a legitimate reason; it is racism pure and simple, and totally illegal. Anyone think that Sessions cares?

Holder and PBO know the law and the system, and they care about democratic rule. If there is a work-around Sessions, they will find it. Even with total republican control of the GA legislature and paperless voting machines, trump won by only 5%, which probably means he actually lost. Jon Ossoff has them pissing in their pants. I hope Perez is watching and learning.

[obamanut2012]

38. Gerrymandering is what ruined NC

More DEM vote than GOP votes there.... gerrymandering has fucked it up BAD.

[Starry Messenger]

39. It is so evil--it isn't democracy.

I hope NC wins its legal battles!