The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Redistricting

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The Washington Post reports on a Republican push to take back state legislatures. That is fine, except the article quotes Ed Gillespie as saying the main purpose is to control redistricting and gain back Congressional seats. He says,

"Targeting 35 to 40 state legislative races this cycle could translate into 25 to 32 U.S. House seats over the next five cycles," Gillespie said. "It makes a lot of sense to get this right."

This is a big problem. Gerrymandering every ten years to create politically safe seats for one party or the other is a big part of what repels most Americans from politics. Such incumbents don’t have to worry about reelection so they stop listening to the people.

Ending gerrymandering is more important than term limits. There are models for how it can be done, especially in Iowa.

I hope the grassroots Tea Parties and other efforts will pay attention to this and reject such manipulations from the GOP as well as from the Dems.

View all comments (5) | Leave a comment

wbfrank| 1.25.10 @ 12:16PM

If A.C.O.R.N. is to run the census this year: I am not going to participate!
wbf

Ken (Old Texican)| 1.25.10 @ 12:32PM

wbfrank,
I'm with you, bub. I will answer perhaps two questions...only...on my front porch. Every other question...I shall take the "fifth amendment" not to incriminate myself.

All of you must do likewise.

Hank Archer| 1.25.10 @ 2:40PM

California passed a proposition to make redistricting "non-political" effective for the 2010 census. Any comments on how that might effect things there?

Roy| 1.25.10 @ 4:43PM

I just have no idea what that means, and am afraid it means "to be done by non-democratically accountable members of the Democrat party, rather than (semi)-accountable members". Kinda like how the Supreme Court is "non-political".