Posted on 02/27/2017 11:13:48 AM PST by Mozilla
Former President Barack Obama and other top Democrats are focused on winning majorities in state legislatures by fighting the reconfiguration of voting districts known as gerrymandering in an effort to win nationwide in 2020.
Fox News reported Obama is working with national committees like the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee to conduct his new venture since leaving office.
Where he [Obama] will be most politically engaged will be at the state legislative level, with an eye on redistricting after 2020, said former White House political director David Simas, speaking on Obamas plans late last year.
Gerrymandering refers to the reconfiguring of voting districts. Voting districts are redrawn after a federal Census to reflect changes in population and other demographics.
Because gerrymandering is controlled by the majority party, state legislative districts that were once thought to be safe-Democrat will be at risk of yielding to Republican control.
Prior to leaving office in October 2016, former Attorney General Eric Holder unveiled a plan to start an advocacy group focused on eliminating gerrymandering to retain current Congressional districts held strongly by Democrat representatives. Obama endorsed Holders group.
The NDRC went full steam ahead with funding from top Democrat donors, many of whom were pitched by the committee during the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee serves as a coordinating organization with the NDRC.
A coordinated effort among Democrats to prevent another round of GOP gerrymandering is Republicans worst nightmare for the long-term health of their party, says Carolyn Fiddler, communications director of the DLCC.
The concerted efforts of top Democrats is a direct response to the election of President Donald Trump last November.
Much of the work done by these groups attempts to resist Trump-ism and any pro-GOP political efforts, in terms of state legislative races and gerrymandering.
Over 32 state legislatures are controlled by Republicans, with 17 of those with veto-proof majorities. Twelve other states have Democratic-controlled legislatures while six have split legislatures.
Given the plan Obama and Holders groups will execute, the committees will focus on winning Democrat majorities in split legislatures in states like Colorado, Alaska, New York, and Maine, among others.
The DLCC is a 527 political committee with major donors including Wal-Mart and the National Education Association. NDRC is also a 527 political committee, also known as a Super PAC.
Gerrymandering has been around with us for over 200 years. It is part of the American political process. To the victor belong the spoils.
Gerrymandering was a liberal Democrat creation. Both sides do it, but liberals have been far, far more egregious in their execution solely for political gain.
ONLY *WE* CAN DO THAT!!!!!!!!!
I hope they gerrymander the crap out of the entire country
He lost the vast majority of state legislatures and governors, so how praytell are you going to change the gerrymandering if you have no power? I guess from the federal judges that you’ve installed?
“Gerrymandering was a liberal Democrat creation. Both sides do it, but liberals have been far, far more egregious in their execution solely for political gain.”
In Georgia, the Republicans and black Democrats get together to carve out three “safe” Congressional districts for the latter, leaving the remainder of the Congressional districts for Republicans.
It’s sad (but expected) to see a former presiden lower himself to the Jesse Jackson level.
First the voters have to Un-Gerrymand what the Tats created.
That is a thing in ILL politics also..
Private Citizen(LOL) Obama plans to do more damage to the US than he did as President
I am pretty sure the Jesse Jackson level is up for Obama.
SorozNazi still finds Obammy to be “useful”
he will continue to screw us .. as much as he possibly can...
until such time as he is finally imprisoned (Guantanamo will do just fine) or at least deported back to Krapistan
best to take care of Soroznazi at same time...you cure a bad weed in your garden....at its roots
Yep. Get rid of gerrymandering and you might have only one or two 'safe' districts, or none. It works both ways.
Where do they Gerrymander GOP districts? In the south, the gerrymandered districts are always created to turn a House seat black. And Democrat.
First of all, to me, a former president would worry about bigger picture things than how state legislatures hack up districts. I would think he would jet around fighting hunger like Bono or some such noble-sounding (but not particularly practical) task. But I guess raw political power is what this guy is all about.
Anyway, gerrymandering is not so easy to “correct”. Concentrating demographics to create safe districts for one party also tends to make the other party’s districts safer for them. And if the Dems aim to create more districts than can compete in, that will likely reduce the number of safe Democrat districts. Practically speaking, since GOP-controlled legislatures will not listen to them, I guess they are talking about more litigation. But I think even liberal judges have a hard time figuring out what kind of gerrymandering works out “best” for the Leftist grievance groups.
Gerrymandering is implied to be an ugly word. But absent a square-shaped state with a completely homogeneous population spread evenly so the state can be divided into neat little squares, drawing the lines for legislative districts is necessarily a political process.
Gerrymandering is raw corruption. Both teams play the game.
It’s cheating. The gentleman’s way.
When you have a skinny needle of a district stretching for miles, You. Are. An. Eggsucking. Mongrel. Tick-toting. Mange-scratching. Worm-infested. Stray. Three-legged. Dog.
SCOTUS signed it’s death knell by approving this idea of redistricting by “bipartisan commissions”. Yeah, bipartisan my arse. We all see where this is heading.
Hey hussein let’s talk about the “gerrymandering” done here in Massachusetts.
“Hey hussein lets talk about the gerrymandering done here in Massachusetts.”
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Barney Frank’s old district looked like something put together by drunks————and maybe it was.:-)
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