GOP Gerrymandering in Michigan

[Foolmewunz]

It's really kind of silly, the funny shaped districts are all in the metro Detroit area. The 9th, 11th, 12th, 13, and 14th.

4 of the 5 are strongly Democrat representatives. The five districts (in the same order as i listed above ) are CPVI of D+4, R+4, D+14, D+30, and D+31

If the Republicans are gerrymandering, they are doing it wrong.

Actually the optimal solution for gerrymandering is to pack the Democrats into a very few districts, and then make all the other districts moderately Republican. This means in ordinary times that the GOP gets the most seats, but of course it does run the risk of a blue wave wiping out everybody. Which is why sitting Republicans generally prefer to go for a less optimal solution in favor of relative safety.

Don't expect the sitting Democrats to be grateful for unpacking their districts, and you can especially expect to hear howls when some of the majority-minority districts become less minority.

It's called "carve up the cities". Particularly the smaller cities. Wouldn't Lansing, in most people's minds, with a metro population of 450,000 be a logical center for a district? Not according to the conveniently red district map. They manage to work four districts through Lansing and its environs, each conveniently creating 60/40 Republican margins. Because a Lansing District would be Democratic. As would a Grand Rapids district. They're not going to be dark blue like Detroit but they'd vote blue. Grand Rapids is also parceled into four seats instead of one.

Similarly, take a look at the Ohio GOP Cookbook under "How to Roast and Carve a Cincinnati". They, too, manage to not draw a district from the city center outwards, but carve the area into four separate but equal(Republican Equal, that is) parts. If the city is big enough and might cost you some of those seats you suddenly learn how to draw a district outwards from the heaviest population. See Columbus. Pack 'em! You get one safe Dem seat while if you went Crack 'em Creative you might get two or three.

The lovely Ohio 9th is one of my all time favorites. Well, the folks on the shore have more in common with each other. Yeah, all the way from Cleveland to Toledo, fer crissake! What they have in common is that they vote Democrat so rather than them bleeding into those pretty red districts and taking some seats, let's give 'em one big ol' district of their own.

 

[thaiboxerken]

In basketball, players on both sides commit fouls. The refs call those fouls to keep the game fair and ensure both sides are playing by the same rules. Today, the GOP has essentially removed the refs and are fouling like there are no rules but Democrats are still committing fouls at the same rate as if there were still refs while complaining that the refs aren't doing a thing. Here is another problem, the GOP are up so many points that they have made it very hard for Democrats to even commit fouls that could make a difference AND the GOP will cry foul if the Democrats even try.

 

[Aridas]

Isn't that just the "Packing" part of "Packing and Cracking"?

Yup. Drewbot is showing off either his ignorance or his trolling skills. Hard to tell which in this day and age where the GOP seems intent on putting the Onion out of business.

https://www.votersnotpoliticians.com/

We have a ballot issue pending to take the politics out of the process in Michigan. The state AG, who is a Republican running for governor, is trying to stop it even though they have turned in enough signatures.

Hardly a surprise there, given the GOP's frequently outright illegal shenanigans in that state.

Don't expect the sitting Democrats to be grateful for unpacking their districts, and you can especially expect to hear howls when some of the majority-minority districts become less minority.

Sounds like propaganda that's par for the course from the GOP. Assume that all Democrats are just as bad as the GOP keeps showing itself to be or worse, regardless of evidence, and proceed from there.

In basketball, players on both sides commit fouls. The refs call those fouls to keep the game fair and ensure both sides are playing by the same rules. Today, the GOP has essentially removed the refs and are fouling like there are no rules but Democrats are still committing fouls at the same rate as if there were still refs while complaining that the refs aren't doing a thing. Here is another problem, the GOP are up so many points that they have made it very hard for Democrats to even commit fouls that could make a difference AND the GOP will cry foul if the Democrats even try.

That.... sounds about right, really. Not all the refs, yet, but they're working pretty hard on the judicial system, too.