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I wouldn't argue if the district was drawn that way, but the way it is drawn now is one of the two least egregious districts in the state. True, it was drawn to be a "safe GOP district" but unless you divide up the Eastern Shore, it is really hard to create a map that doesn't have at least one GOP friendly seat. I am pretty sure the goal of creating a Majority-Minority district #7 and protecting Dutch in #2 is why so much of greater Baltimore isn't part of District #1. Undo those horrible gerrymanders, and maybe your map becomes possible.
But again, I will repeat that the idea of redrawing a state-level map for the express purpose of unseating one guy you find unlikable isn't the way this system should work. It is bad enough, IMO, to create maps to unseat one party or the other, but going after an individual is a further step in the wrong direction.
The goal with the 2012-2020 map was to have a 7-1 divide that very greatly favored democrats instead of a 6-2 divide only somewhat greatly favoring democrats. In the 2002-2010 map you even had Pasadena in Anne Arundel lumped together with the 1st district (via very thin strips of uninhabited coast connecting it via the bay bridge) in order to take conservatives out of what would've otherwise been in the 2nd and 3rd districts, which made those noncompetitive. The goal of Gerrymandering is to make lumps that are uncompetitive either way, but to do so in a way that greatly favors the party currently in power. Compare Maryland's districts to a state like Iowa if you want to see it done right.
I would argue that the current proposal for 2022-2030 (which brings back the "mountain" district as well as keeping the Eastern Shore district relatively as-is) is more fair than what was done with the 2012-2020 redistricting that lumped a geographically tiny but populous portion of Montgomery county in with Garrett, Allegheny, and Fredrick. It completely disenfranchised Western Marylanders.
Still, I'd also argue that a lot of Southern Marylanders in St. Mary's, Calvert and most of Anne Arundel are getting a hard deal. Is a map that ends up with a 5-3 divide unfair so long as it accurately represents regional interests? Not everyone in Maryland is an urban or dense-suburban dweller.
I know a lot of people claim that Maryland has something like 2/3rds registered Democrat voters, but how much of that is just independents and mild conservatives wanting to vote in the primaries given that we are not an open-primary state? There are still a lot of conservatives in Maryland, and given the poor performance of the current administration in the White House, and the failings of Brandon Scott and the Moesby's in Baltimore you'd think people are starting to walk away from the Democratic party (I did about a decade ago, the could just no longer represent me).
The goal with the 2012-2020 map was to have a 7-1 divide that very greatly favored democrats instead of a 6-2 divide only somewhat greatly favoring democrats. In the 2002-2010 map you even had Pasadena in Anne Arundel lumped together with the 1st district (via very thin strips of uninhabited coast connecting it via the bay bridge) in order to take conservatives out of what would've otherwise been in the 2nd and 3rd districts, which made those noncompetitive. The goal of Gerrymandering is to make lumps that are uncompetitive either way, but to do so in a way that greatly favors the party currently in power. Compare Maryland's districts to a state like Iowa if you want to see it done right.
I would argue that the current proposal for 2022-2030 (which brings back the "mountain" district as well as keeping the Eastern Shore district relatively as-is) is more fair than what was done with the 2012-2020 redistricting that lumped a geographically tiny but populous portion of Montgomery county in with Garrett, Allegheny, and Fredrick. It completely disenfranchised Western Marylanders.
Still, I'd also argue that a lot of Southern Marylanders in St. Mary's, Calvert and most of Anne Arundel are getting a hard deal. Is a map that ends up with a 5-3 divide unfair so long as it accurately represents regional interests? Not everyone in Maryland is an urban or dense-suburban dweller.
I know a lot of people claim that Maryland has something like 2/3rds registered Democrat voters, but how much of that is just independents and mild conservatives wanting to vote in the primaries given that we are not an open-primary state? There are still a lot of conservatives in Maryland, and given the poor performance of the current administration in the White House, and the failings of Brandon Scott and the Moesby's in Baltimore you'd think people are starting to walk away from the Democratic party (I did about a decade ago, the could just no longer represent me).
None of these redistricting maps are done in isolation. If one side does the honorable thing, and the other not, enough times, you eventually redistrict yourself out of control of Congress.
Interesting piece on the sausage-making that left Harris with a reduced chance, as opposed to wiped out.
Quote:
But two Democratic members within the delegation were uncomfortable pursuing this most aggressive path. They were Baltimore-area members who came from different perspectives, but arrived at the same end.
Democrats and their perpetual quest to high road themselves right into oblivion. Pathetic.
Keep in mind that Harris now lives nowhere near the 1st district. He doesn't have to live there to run for elected office as the 1st District Rep., but short-medium term this becomes a campaign problem as no doubt there are Eastern Shore and Anne Arundle based Republicans who can campaign on the rather simple issue of "I live here, Andy has to drive over an hour from his house to find a constitute to pose with, a baby to kiss, a ribbon to cut. "
I used to live in Maryland before returning home to Louisiana but there was a lot of injustice in the redistricting last time especially about how Western Maryland is now voiceless and had their districts combined with portions of Montgomery County. That way they have nobody in Congress to represent their interests given that's now a Democrat district, when there used to be a clearly Republican districts based solely in Western Maryland.
For example, Western Maryland residents need a Republican in Congress who supports coal mining and natural gas drilling, which will help their interests, but with their district now based in Montgomery County that will never happen because this would offend the liberal sensibilities of voters in the DC suburbs. Its in Western Maryland's interests for more transportation funds to go toward highway construction vs mass transit but now they have a Democrat who supports more mass transit because of the Montgomery County voters. Likewise Western Marylanders are more Christian but their pro-life views are not being reflected by their Congressman. Western Maryland no longer has someone in Congress who supports farm subsidies which will benefit agriculture in that area.
Here in Louisiana my area is very well represented by our very conservative Congressman Garrett Graves. He supports oil and gas and stands up constantly against the EPA and government overregulation, he is pro-life and pro-gun and supports lower taxes and less government, and has helped direct a lot of transportation funding to our area to upgrade our roads and bridges and expand our highways, though more can always be done in this regard. There is no public transpiration at all anywhere in my congressional district in South Louisiana (and the development patterns in this district is such that mass transit won't make sense to build) so I expect my Congressman to block efforts to send my tax money to the major cities to fund mass transit, and I expect him to support our oil and gas jobs and gun rights. Neither the people of Cumberland, Maryland or Livingston, Louisiana should be paying for the DC Metrorail. Montgomery County needs to raise its local taxes and Metro needs to increase its fares to the level where Metro can pay for itself, same with the NY Subway, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.
The one Democrats Louisiana sends to Congress has a district based in New Orleans and it makes sense that he supports urban issues including mass transit and gun control. This is why communities should not be split apart by redistricting because we need people to represents the interests of our community, regardless of race or color.
Last edited by Tom Lennox 70; 12-19-2021 at 11:10 AM..
I used to live in Maryland before returning home to Louisiana but there was a lot of injustice in the redistricting last time especially about how Western Maryland is now voiceless and had their districts combined with portions of Montgomery County. That way they have nobody in Congress to represent their interests given that's now a Democrat district, when there used to be a clearly Republican districts based solely in Western Maryland.
For example, Western Maryland residents need a Republican in Congress who supports coal mining and natural gas drilling, which will help their interests, but with their district now based in Montgomery County that will never happen because this would offend the liberal sensibilities of voters in the DC suburbs. Its in Western Maryland's interests for more transportation funds to go toward highway construction vs mass transit but now they have a Democrat who supports more mass transit because of the Montgomery County voters. Likewise Western Marylanders are more Christian but their pro-life views are not being reflected by their Congressman. Western Maryland no longer has someone in Congress who supports farm subsidies which will benefit agriculture in that area.
Here in Louisiana my area is very well represented by our very conservative Congressman Garrett Graves. He supports oil and gas and stands up constantly against the EPA and government overregulation, he is pro-life and pro-gun and supports lower taxes and less government, and has helped direct a lot of transportation funding to our area to upgrade our roads and bridges and expand our highways, though more can always be done in this regard. There is no public transpiration at all anywhere in my congressional district in South Louisiana (and the development patterns in this district is such that mass transit won't make sense to build) so I expect my Congressman to block efforts to send my tax money to the major cities to fund mass transit, and I expect him to support our oil and gas jobs and gun rights. Neither the people of Cumberland, Maryland or Livingston, Louisiana should be paying for the DC Metrorail. Montgomery County needs to raise its local taxes and Metro needs to increase its fares to the level where Metro can pay for itself, same with the NY Subway, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.
The one Democrats Louisiana sends to Congress has a district based in New Orleans and it makes sense that he supports urban issues including mass transit and gun control. This is why communities should not be split apart by redistricting because we need people to represents the interests of our community, regardless of race or color.
Add up the populations of Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties, and you fall about 60,000 short of the population of the average district, both in Md and nationally. They need help and since MoCo, the next most westerly county has 300K people to spare.......
As for drilling for natural gas..............the latest is that there's now this thing called climate change that people are getting all bent out of shape over......
Since you will apparently take no regard of race or color, but will for Christianity, I'd be curious to know what else is on your in/out list?
This is why communities should not be split apart by redistricting because we need people to represents the interests of our community, regardless of race or color.
This is an absolutely hilarious take coming from a conservative in Louisiana. I have to assume it's tongue-in-cheek. Or they legitimately don't follow their own history of racial gerrymandering or the ongoing redistricting process in the state.
This is an absolutely hilarious take coming from a conservative in Louisiana. I have to assume it's tongue-in-cheek. Or they legitimately don't follow their own history of racial gerrymandering or the ongoing redistricting process in the state.
Yes Louisiana has gerrymandering but its based on partisan politics not race. Yes it does so happen that the vast majority of blacks here are Democrat and the vast majority of non-blacks are Republican but the gerrymandering is motivated by political NOT racial factors. If all the Democrats here were white I would still support the Louisiana GOP gerrymandering in a way to minimize their clout. Not everything is about race and Republicans do try to reach out to the black community.
Above all its about local interests and rural vs urban issues. A Congressman from Montgomery County would support mass transit over highway construction, and would be against natural gas and coal mining because that would offend the liberal sensibilities of Montgomery voters. A district forcing Western Maryland to be together with them makes Western Maryland voters powerless. Western MD sits atop the Marchellus Shale with countless natural gas reserves yet their Congressman won't support fracking. Things like transit oriented development benefits the DC suburbs but hurts growth in Western Maryland since high density development makes zero sense in smaller towns.
This is an absolutely hilarious take coming from a conservative in Louisiana. I have to assume it's tongue-in-cheek. Or they legitimately don't follow their own history of racial gerrymandering or the ongoing redistricting process in the state.
Its you who is obsessed with race. A white person from Cumberland has far more interests in common with a black person from Cumberland than a white yuppie from Bethesda. A rural black person in Cumberland working in natural gas drilling has far more interests in common with a white person from Cumberland than with a black person in a low income slum in PG County or Baltimore City. When Western Maryland is combined into the same district as the DC suburbs, rural interests are not represented. There are now no entirely rural districts in Maryland. The Eastern Shore is combined with some of the Baltimore suburbs, and though that seat is Republican, if the Congressperson is not from the Shore they won't truly fight for increased farm subsidies, land use freedoms, reducing government overregulation of agriculture, etc, they won't understand the importance of cheap gas prices and utilities, etc.
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