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2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumAssociated Press -Catastrophe 2014: How the GOP gerrymandered its way to Congressional invincibility
2012 was just a preview: Even if the GOP loses at the ballot box, it'll still likely come away with the House.STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Even if Democrats recruit great candidates, raise gobs of money and run smart campaigns, they face an uphill fight to retake control of the House in this years congressional elections, regardless of the political climate in November.
The reason? Republican strategists spent years developing a plan to take advantage of the 2010 Census, first by winning state legislatures and then redrawing House districts to tilt the playing field in their favor. Their success was unprecedented.
In states like Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina, Republicans were able to shape congressional maps to pack as many Democratic voters as possible into the fewest House districts. The practice is called gerrymandering, and it left fertile ground elsewhere in each state to spread Republican voters among more districts, increasing the GOPs chances of winning more seats.
Geography helped in some states. Democratic voters are more likely to live in densely populated urban areas, making it easier to pack them into fewer districts.
The first payoff came in 2012, when Republicans kept control of the House despite a Democratic wave that swept President Barack Obama to a second term. The next payoff is likely to come this fall when candidates once again compete in House districts drawn by Republican legislators in key states.
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http://www.salon.com/2014/03/31/catastrophe_2014_how_the_gop_gerrymandered_its_way_to_congressional_invincibility/
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Associated Press -Catastrophe 2014: How the GOP gerrymandered its way to Congressional invincibility (Original Post)
DonViejo
Mar 2014
OP
And no one seems to be doing anything about it. If the repugs win using this method and have more
jwirr
Mar 2014
#1
It's crazy really - voters are supposed to choose politicians to represent them...
polichick
Mar 2014
#4
Sometimes is does seem that Dems give all their money and attention to national elections,
Jake Stern
Mar 2014
#6
jwirr
(39,215 posts)1. And no one seems to be doing anything about it. If the repugs win using this method and have more
years to make it worse we will not have another Democratic House or Senate and probably not the WH in a long time even though the majority of the people are not in favor of it.
This is not Democracy. What are Holder and Obama doing about this? It is their civil rights issue today.
polichick
(37,152 posts)2. This wouldn't be legal in a democracy.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)3. I believe you are correct.
polichick
(37,152 posts)4. It's crazy really - voters are supposed to choose politicians to represent them...
but with this system politicians choose the voters.
pinto
(106,886 posts)5. Kick. Well done piece and overview.
Thanks for the snag.
Jake Stern
(3,145 posts)6. Sometimes is does seem that Dems give all their money and attention to national elections,
overlooking state legislative races. .
"Republican strategists spent years developing a plan to take advantage of the 2010 Census, first by winning state legislatures and then redrawing House districts to tilt the playing field in their favor."
Guess what? We can do it too!
otohara
(24,135 posts)7. They Couldn't Have Done It w/o Help From
the millions of Dems who chose not to vote in 2010.