Can we EVER kill gerrymandering?

@no1marauder said
Do you have phones where you live? If I want to contact my Congressman, I can just call his outreach number.

I haven't been able to talk to our actual congressman, just his or her staff. You can't know when he or she will be in town since they have to show up in DC a lot.

@sonhouse said
I haven't been able to talk to our actual congressman, just his or her staff. You can't know when he or she will be in town since they have to show up in DC a lot.

Of course, you'll get a staff person first but if you really want to talk to your Congressman and aren't a raving lunatic, they usually will accommodate you.

@no1marauder said
Of course, you'll get a staff person first but if you really want to talk to your Congressman and aren't a raving lunatic, they usually will accommodate you.

That falls rather short from ‘being obliged to speak to your constituant.’

@sonhouse said
It seems that even in the midterms, the popular vote went to dems, like 10 million or so but republicans have bent the slate so much that democrats have to win by 10 more points than they would have had if gerrymandering wasn't so prevalent in the US.
That seems to be the ONLY way repubs have won in the last 30 years.

They will do everything in their power to KEEP it th ...[text shortened]... still owning SCOTUS and the senate it seems like there will be no way to break this republican hold.

you mean like this?

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/7/federal-court-tosses-marylands-congressional-map/

@no1marauder said
Of course, you'll get a staff person first but if you really want to talk to your Congressman and aren't a raving lunatic, they usually will accommodate you.

So walking in with a huge 'I hate Jews sign' and sporting an AK47 might get one kicked out?

@mott-the-hoople said
you mean like this?

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/7/federal-court-tosses-marylands-congressional-map/

Even the courts can see the most obvious ones. So why is not SCOTUS involved and just say it is illegal in every state? One case in Maryland is not exactly a huge victory.

@sonhouse said
Even the courts can see the most obvious ones. So why is not SCOTUS involved and just say it is illegal in every state? One case in Maryland is not exactly a huge victory.

They will eventually get a gerrymandering case once a proper group that has standing challenges a gerrymandered map. Previous challenges have been stymied by procedural issues: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/18/supreme-partisan-gerrymandering-cases-650879

@sonhouse said
Voting districts are a hold back to the 18th century when nobody could drive 100 miles to vote or vote absentee or whatever. It is the frigging 21st century for gods sake, we need upgrades to voting. Republicans have had decades of restrictive voting and we need to end that NOW.

This isn't true at all.

Voting districts should theoretically be based along the same lines that the votign districts exist for state representatives.

Just as how a state like California will represent very diverse interests when it comes to representing places like Monterey, Carmel, San Francisco, Chico, etc., it makes sense that each district also has a representative represneting their specific brand at the House.

@vivify said
I think the point of districts electing officials is to have someone fight for the issues of a specific community.

Nothing stopping people from voting for someone who fights for the issues of their community without voting districts, and people who don't care about those particular issues can vote for someone else.

@no1marauder said
Do you have phones where you live? If I want to contact my Congressman, I can just call his outreach number.

I think there are even still some telegraphs left.

@sonhouse said
It seems that even in the midterms, the popular vote went to dems, like 10 million or so but republicans have bent the slate so much that democrats have to win by 10 more points than they would have had if gerrymandering wasn't so prevalent in the US.
That seems to be the ONLY way repubs have won in the last 30 years.

They will do everything in their power to KEEP it th ...[text shortened]... still owning SCOTUS and the senate it seems like there will be no way to break this republican hold.

After two years of republicans pushing through everything they wanted because they had enough votes, with no compromise and only sham hearings, after they cynically blocked Merrick Garland and flat out admitted they would keep the seat empty if Clinton won, Nancy Pelosi promised bipartisanship and common ground just the other day.

So no. Democrats are incompetent, republicans are sociopaths. Unless you replace the majority of democrats with justice democrats, get money out of politics, get rid of this idiotic two party system, you won't ever have real change. And you deserve what you get.

@sonhouse said
Even the courts can see the most obvious ones. So why is not SCOTUS involved and just say it is illegal in every state? One case in Maryland is not exactly a huge victory.

the fact is , both sides do it...you are concerned with only one. Believe it or not...it is their job to try to further their cause. the issue here is your hypocrisy.

@mott-the-hoople said
the fact is , both sides do it...you are concerned with only one. Believe it or not...it is their job to try to further their cause. the issue here is your hypocrisy.

The practice is unconstitutional no matter who does it though it is beyond question that it is Republicans who have reaped the most benefit from it since 2010. When your ideas are as unpopular as the GOP's are you have to do something to thwart the will of the People and gerrymandering and voter suppression are now two main pillars of right wing political strategy.

@no1marauder said
The practice is unconstitutional no matter who does it though it is beyond question that it is Republicans who have reaped the most benefit from it since 2010. When your ideas are as unpopular as the GOP's are you have to do something to thwart the will of the People and gerrymandering and voter suppression are now two main pillars of right wing political strategy.

What he said.

@no1marauder said
The practice is unconstitutional no matter who does it though it is beyond question that it is Republicans who have reaped the most benefit from it since 2010. When your ideas are as unpopular as the GOP's are you have to do something to thwart the will of the People and gerrymandering and voter suppression are now two main pillars of right wing political strategy.

LOL...cant wait to hear you tell where in the constitution this is...Ill wait.