Democrats suppress Republican votes in Maryland

[True Dough]

That is the claim behind this article in The Atlantic. If accurate, it's just more reason to by cynical about politics as a whole. It doesn't make Democrats "just as bad" as Republicans in every way, but it reinforces that we should not stoop to their level when given the opportunity. Two wrongs don't make a right.


How Democrats Gerrymandered Their Way to Victory in Maryland

New documents show how when given the opportunity, the Democratic Party was as ruthless as their GOP counterparts in trying to redistrict their rivals out of existence

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/how-deep-blue-maryland-shows-redistricting-is-broken/531492/?utm_source=atlfb

[AJT]

1. This is why this should be a non-partisan issue.

[Amishman]

3. Districting should be done by computer formula

With the solution being the most compact / regular shaped districts.

I'd do it by measuring the total perimeter of all districts. The ideal solution would have the lowest total, meaning the tightest possible map. No stringy noodle maps to carve out favorites by anyone.

[meow2u3]

2. The misleading headline omitted the Republican gerrymanders that suppressed Democratic votes

in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

This article -- or at least the headline -- makes it sound as if only Democrats gerrymandered districts and Republicans were squeaky clean when in fact the repunks manipulated far more districts so that Dems couldn't win no matter how hard they tried.

[maxrandb]

13. Perfect example of the bias

See, when ReTrumplicans gerrymander districts so that they can get 50.4% of the total vote, but 60% of the seats, that's "brilliant strategy". The media will hammer how that the gerrymandering was done "in accordance with the laws"

But, when Democrats do the same, the media will highlight how "unfair and damaging to our Democracy" it is.

You can try this experiment on any number of issues.

- Republicans get millions in campaign contributions from a handful of billionaires, and it's "crickets" from the media, or they will praise them for their astute fundraising. Dems get contributions from a few liberal billionaires and it's "OMG, look at the corruption".

The difference in how Democrats and Republicans are treated in the media is the equivalent of the difference between law enforcement for crack or cocaine, or how we coddle opioid abusers, but lock up people of color that do drugs.

[hadEnuf]

4. With all of the gerrymandering the Repigs have done

this is a non-issue.

Fighting back against the criminal right is not "two wrongs don't make a right", IMO.

[Bradical79]

8. Yup. GOP voters decided this is fair game

Have to do this when we can until the process can be changed everywhere. Losing more ground simply isn't acceptable. Feeling some moral supperiority over not taking advantage of a legal process isn't helping anybody considering the threat.

[hadEnuf]

12. Unfortunately not taking advantage of things that help our side

is seen as weakness and we are savaged for it.

Screw what the Right thinks of us.

[leftstreet]

5. Good n/t

[elleng]

6. Well isn't that sweet,

pic of Governor O'Malley pretending he's the conqueror. Let's have MORE dissing him.

'“Yes,” said O’Malley, in a deposition. “Part of my intent was to create a map that, all things being legal and equal, would, nonetheless, be more likely to elect more Democrats rather than less.”'

I'm very glad Bartlett is gone, even tho I've moved from his home-base to a 'safer' part of the state.

[Bradical79]

7. Do what needs done

Unless we can change the process, you have to do this when given the oppourtunity. Two wrongs sometimes do make a right, or help make up some ground when facing overwhelming odds. This idea of morrally pure heroes winning victories over corrupt villians has rarely been the case. Also, I don't neccesarily agree that it's wrong when the voters being "gerrymandered out of existance" unilaterally have decided this is the way our Republic picks its reps.

[yallerdawg]

9. As long as redistricting is done every 10 years by political operatives...

"to the victor go the spoils."

To change this is to begin dismantling our form of government, and THAT gets very worrisome!

[Blue_true]

10. We should be vicious.

Why should we put our hands behind our backs when we have control when the other side won't remotely consider that?

[flotsam]

11. Gerrymandering does not "suppress" votes

That said it certainly can change outcomes. But words have meaning and no votes were suppressed...

[bigtree]

14. until the law is changed

...we should take every opportunity.

There's no virtue in sitting on principle and letting republicans dominate the electoral map.