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We need to find a better way to construct voting districts. It will never be perfect, but the system we have is corrupt.

And the six conservative justices on the Supreme Court have their heads up their asses.

Look at the map Tennessee Republicans just drew. You know they had this locked and loaded and were just waiting for the SC to give them the green light to disenfranchise black voters.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/05/08/us/...

You know they had this locked and loaded and were just waiting for the SC to give them the green light to disenfranchise black voters.

These are the kinds of things that make me want to go back and investing the end of Reconstruction in the 1800s. There was a time when (freed) blacks were able to vote, many held office, some towns had black sheriffs, mayors, there was even some modest representation in the state and national legislatures.

And then … nothing.

Blacks disappeared from voting roles. Black office holders became as scarce as teeth in moonshiners’ mouths. Total segregation became the law of the land in the South, and defacto in large parts of the North.

I am afraid we are seeing the beginning of the same kind of rollbacks. (Well, obviously we are, my concern is how far it can go; it is possible that it shrinks all the way back to a semblance of what we had from the 1900s to the 1950s?) I hope not, but given the eagerness I see among those who can, and the insistence of the USSC (or six of them, anyway) that “it’s over and there’s nothing to worry about”, I can’t help but fear for how far it can go.

Honestly, it looks to me that the old district lines are even more manipulated to put all the goal and end result is to dilute the black votes among multiple districts, thereby eliminating a democratic representative.

But the full district map shows that 5, 8 and 9 are quite elongated compared to the other districts. (See https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/pa/imag...)

So, yes, district lines have to be drawn more fairly...somehow.

Honestly, it looks to me that the old district lines are even more manipulated to put all the goal and end result is to dilute the black votes among multiple districts, thereby eliminating a democratic representative.

Well, that got "mutilized"...

What I meant:

"Honestly, it looks to me like the old district lines are even more manipulated to put all the blacks into a single district than the new lines! But I know that the goal and end result of the new district lines is to dilute the black votes among multiple districts, thereby eliminating a democratic representative."

"Honestly, it looks to me like the old district lines are even more manipulated to put all the blacks into a single district than the new lines!

Seems that was the objective, so that minorities would have some voice in government. So the SCOTUS ruled there was no racism to remedy, so the racial gerrymander became illegal. With districts designed to leave only a trivially small minority in each district, then the GOP and the Dems can both run white supremacists, in every district. In fact, with the GOP running a white supremacist, the Dems will be forced to run a white supremacist to be competitive, because the anti-white supremacist vote would be too small to win.

We old phartz remember when southern Dems were more racist than the GOP. I remember Mike Huckabee, some years ago, talking about being a young Republican in Arkansas, when a meeting of all the Republicans in the county, could be held in the living room of a member's house. The Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act both passed with much stronger GOP support in Congress, than Dem support. Nixon started the GOP embrace of racism. Then racism and religions fanaticism became the GOP rule under Saint Reagan. Remember the "Boll Weevil Caucus"? Those were southern Dems, who allied themselves with Reagan, attracted by the racism and religious fanaticism.

Steve

We need to find a better way to construct voting districts.

Do we need to find something like that? I mean, we kind of know how to do it. It's not that big a mystery. Give the power to construct voting district to an independent, non-partisan panel with instructions to draw the districts with various non-partisan criteria (uniform population, compactness, try to match geographic and county/municipal boundaries) and don't let them use data on things you want to keep out of the process (like party registration). Easy-peasy. You can use an algorithm, or a commission of bipartisan elections experts, or whatever.

The obstacle isn't finding a way to do that, it's that you can't force anyone to do that. For the most part, having an independent panel constructing voting districts ends up disfavoring the people in charge, who would rather have that power for themselves. And in our system, the national government doesn't set the rules for elections and districts - the states do.

For the most part, having an independent panel constructing voting districts ends up disfavoring the people in charge, who would rather have that power for themselves.

As noted before, Michigan runs purple on state wide votes. Redistricting was done by the state legislature. The GOP leveraged it's majority to impose a gerrymandered (a court said "gerrymandered to a historic degree") map that cemented their majority for 40 years, regardless how state wide votes for Gov, SecState, AG, and US Senator went.

In 2018, "we the people" had had enough, and voted, by a landslide, to amend the state constitution to hand redistricting to a bipartisan commission.

The GOP quickly organized a lame duck session to try to unwind the clear decision of the people.

from the net sifter:

In late 2018, Michigan Republican lawmakers used a lame-duck session to propose legislation aimed at restricting the newly approved Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Bills aimed to limit commissioner qualifications, impose strict partisan affiliation rules, and alter funding, though most of these efforts ultimately failed to pass

Key 2018 Lame Duck Actions & Context:

Targeting the Commission: Senate Bill 1254 was introduced to alter the voter-approved (61-39%) amendment that created the 13-person commission, aiming to add restrictions on who could serve, including limiting those with ties to political parties.

Result: The most stringent restrictions on the commission died in committee before the session ended, largely because of intense public pushback and legal doubts.

Broader Strategy: The efforts were part of a wider lame-duck strategy to limit the power of incoming Democratic officials, including the Secretary of State, who oversees the commission.

Budgetary Threats: Lawmakers also considered not fully funding the commission's implementation, aiming to hinder its function.

Background Information:

Michigan voters passed Proposal 2 in November 2018, which officially moved the power to draw district lines away from the legislature and to an independent commission.

The 2018 lame-duck session was characterized by observers as a "train wreck" or "disaster" due to the high volume of controversial, last-minute legislation, a common trend in Michigan's post-election periods

In my life, I have signed one petition. I was walking in to a car show in Ypsilanti, and passed a guy collecting petition signatures. I normally blow signature collectors off. I don't recall if it was a sign he had, or something he said, that caused me to twig it was about breaking the GOP gerrymander. When I did twig, my immediate response was "He!! yeah, I'll sign".

Currently, Dems hold the majority in one house in Lansing. The GOP has a majority in the other house. Both by narrow margins, more accurately reflecting the purple state.

Steve

You helped put those people in positions of authority ;) Over and over again.

You helped put those people in positions of authority ;) Over and over again.

The power of gerrymandering.

The Michigan House, in 2016, before redistricting was taken over by the bipartisan commission:

Republican: 63 seats, on 49.2% of votes.

Dem: 47 seats, on 49.13% of votes.

Michigan Senate in 2016:

Repub: 27 seats

Dem 11 seats.

US House: Repub 9 seats on 48.03% of the vote. Dem: 5 seats on 46.97% of the vote.


Current composition, after redistricting by the bipartisan commission:

Senate: Dems 19 seats, Repubs 18 seats.

House: Repubs 58 seats, on 51.04% of the vote. Dems 52 seats on 48.52% of the vote.

US House: Repub 7 seats. on 48.75% pf the vote. Dems 6 seats on 47.97% of the vote.

Under the GOP map, people in Dem leaning districts were, essentially, disenfranchised, because both chambers were so skewed in favor of outstate Republicans, even though the votes were actually very close.

If you are really dedicated to democratic principles, the results of the commission's redistricting are preferable, even when Repubs win the majority, because the results accurately reflect the will of the people in this purple state.

Steve

If you are really dedicated to democratic principles, the results of the commission's redistricting are preferable, even when Repubs win the majority, because the results accurately reflect the will of the people in this purple state.

Both parties gerrymander, but the Dems have made greater efforts to have fairly formed districts. The Republicans want to win at any cost. Since Trump has demanded the GOP do more extreme gerrymandering and since SCOTUS has made it much easier to disenfranchise black voters, the GOP is all in on cheating their way to victory.

SCOTUS has made it much easier to disenfranchise black voters, the GOP is all in on cheating their way to victory.

Some time ago, SCOTUS held that there is no federal remedy for a partisan gerrymander. As the court has decided there is not racism, there is no such thing as a racist gerrymander.

Basically, if you don't want racist, Christian fundy, rule, and the exclusion of everyone else, in a state where a GOP legislature controls redistricting, you are frelled.

So, when does the Federal government take over all Federal elections, to impose racist, Christian nutter, rule on states that are more fairly districted, like Michigan? Lord Trump the Magnificent has already been talking about "federalizing" elections.

Steve

"You helped put those people in positions of authority ;) Over and over again." - LOL Jedi

No. Dumbasses like you helped put them into positions of authority by failing to do your diligence as a voter.

Do better because your ignorance is destroying America.

You were wrong about the Iraq invasion. You were wrong about Trump. Educate yourself. Become a better person then just maybe you will get better results.

Hi Umm....

You have been. HUGE help.

First you helped us elect Bush twice- even a botched war -- you came thru.

Now, Trump - twice.

Even shitting on the Capitol - you came thru again.

Keep calling "dumbass" and "deplorable"

I'm goad your shitty civil liberties and bill of rights - are gonna be shit ;)

Haha

Now run along kid - pay the trillions in debt .

Trumps Great-grand-kids need more billions from you. Haha

Steven in my previous life when I gave a shit - a argued loudly *against* such practices.

I said that "safe seats" are one of the biggest threats to democracy - -- and - -one of the greatest ingredients towards self perpetuating tribalism and castes.

You're intelligent enough - look around.

;)

They lost.

Haha


I'm good either way - part of me would be happy to see the Constitutional way of life survive longer. But yeah, part of me its enjoying every day watching their shit hit the fan.

I'm good either way. One is a whopper with cheese. The other is a Bscon Angus King.

:) My politics -is happier than it's ever been and I still feel more fun is coming.

One week ago:

Gerrymandering is awesome! We'll show the GOP who the experts at it are!!!!</tt?

Today:

Gerrymandering is the worst thing on the planet! Our democracy is totally dead!!!

Meanwhile, New England votes 40% Republican and has zero GOP seats in Congress. Let's pretend that doesn't exist.

No, the democrats have had a built-in structural advantage for 50 years. That structural advantage is now gone. All those seats in the south? Will likely be filled by black Republicans. What will the dems say then?

They will degrade Black Republicans.

The way White Liberal 401K toting racists ---always have done.

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