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Election results for Virginia and Kentucky

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  • #16
    Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
    I believe the reverse is true considering the history racial gerrymandering by Republicans.

    Source: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/11/virginia-democrats-victory-after-killing-racial-gerrymander.html



    On Tuesday, that Republican lost his seat, one of six that Democrats flipped to capture a majority the House of Delegates. Democratic candidates appear to have won the overall House vote once again–but this time, they gained a 55–45 majority. (They also won over the state Senate, 21–19, which holds elections every four years.) This turn of fortune reveals the impact of fair maps. In 2017, Democrats were severely disadvantaged by a Republican-drawn racial gerrymander that trapped a huge number of black voters in a handful of noncompetitive districts for nearly a decade. By 2019, that gerrymander was dead, killed off by the courts. And its demise has allowed Virginia Democrats to translate their votes into fair representation in the General Assembly, gaining full control of the state government for the first time since 1994.

    Virginia’s gerrymander had its roots in the 2009 election. Republicans swept the state that year, winning both chambers of the Legislature as well as the governorship. (The election presaged the GOP conquest of state legislatures in time for the next redistricting cycle, masterminded by Virginia’s Ed Gillespie.) After the 2010 census, the GOP-controlled General Assembly passed—and Gov. Bob McDonnell approved—maps that divvied up the state on the basis of race. Most minority voters were packed into heavily black Democratic districts; the rest were scattered through predominantly white Republican districts. The House map was the worse of the two, blatantly relying upon “blue sinks” to siphon off votes from districts that might otherwise have proved competitive.

    In 2014, Virginia voters filed a lawsuit alleging that 12 House districts had been drawn along racial lines, in violation of the equal protection clause. Four years later, a federal district court invalidated 11 of the 12 districts, agreeing that they amounted to an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The court appointed a special master to redraw the illegal districts. But, of course, fixing a handful of districts creates a ripple effect that requires more lines to be redrawn to maintain equal population. The court wound up adopting a remedial map that altered 25 districts, eliminating several safe GOP seats and generating more competitive races. Attorney General Mark Herring declined to appeal the decision, leaving the House to step in—but in June, the Supreme Court ruled that the House lacked standing to represent the state. The new maps won out.

    The problem was illicit redistricting.

    Democrats took full advantage of the level playing field, raking in buckets of cash to finance aggressive campaigns against Republican incumbents. They flipped several key districts that were redrawn this year to clinch their House majority. Democrats also exploited the GOP’s gerrymander rot: Suburban districts have swung left under Donald Trump, leaving Virginia Republicans scrambling to dissociate themselves with the president. These developments translated into a resounding victory for progressives.

    There is very little doubt that Democrats would’ve taken control of the Virginia House in 2017 if Republicans’ racial gerrymander had fallen in time. Tuesday’s blowout demonstrates that there’s no mysterious or insurmountable hurdle that organically prevents Democrats from translating a landslide (in overall votes) into a majority in the General Assembly. The problem was not that Democratic voters tend to cluster in urban regions, as some Republicans have long claimed. The problem was illicit redistricting.

    Now the chief question facing Virginia Democrats is whether they will engage in tit-for-tat gerrymandering after the 2020 census, capitalizing upon their power to entrench Republicans in the minority. (While racial gerrymandering is forbidden, the Supreme Court has declined to prohibit partisan gerrymandering.) In February, the Legislature passed a constitutional amendment that would create a bipartisan commission to draw district lines in the future. But the measure will not take effect unless the incoming Legislature passes it once more and voters approve it. Democratic legislators will soon need to decide if they want to entrench their majority through undemocratic means—or enact reforms that take politics out of Virginia redistricting for good.

    © Copyright Original Source

    This begs the entire question of the purpose of districts in the first place. They were intended to group like people with like interests and needs together to vote. This was the purpose of districting cities as whole units. That minorities congregated in cities was not the issue, although the Dems used the existing racial tensions to get their own redistricting plan put in place. And as I cited above, this redistricting accounted for almost all of the flipped seats, not any suburban drift to the left. I live in one of those suburban districts that got gerrymandered this year, but our Republican rep won
    That's what
    - She

    Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
    - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

    I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
    - Stephen R. Donaldson

    Comment


    • #17
      Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
      By your logic only the Native Americans are Virginians.


      I was born in Maryland and lived in both Maryland and Virginia when I was young. Part of my family's tree and flower Nursery was South of Arlington. My sister graduated from University of Richmond.
      You do not live here.
      That's what
      - She

      Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
      - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

      I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
      - Stephen R. Donaldson

      Comment


      • #18
        The Republicans won the popular vote in Va

        https://www.washingtonpost.com/elect.../state-senate/

        808,633 Democratic votes, 843,652 Republican votes and 112,897 votes for other candidates have been counted statewide for all contested state Senate races
        That's what
        - She

        Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
        - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

        I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
        - Stephen R. Donaldson

        Comment


        • #19
          Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
          Like I told seer, it's only wrong when Republicans do it.
          When Republicans in North Carolina and Virginia both redistricted areas for isolating predominante black districts from dominantly white Republican Districts to reduce the influence of Blacks in representation in elected office that were rejected by the courts, Yes.
          Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
          Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
          But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

          go with the flow the river knows . . .

          Frank

          I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
            When Republicans in North Carolina and Virginia both redistricted areas for isolating predominante black districts from dominantly white Republican Districts to reduce the influence of Blacks in representation in elected office that were rejected by the courts, Yes.
            Well as we can see by the turnout numbers, the Dem redistricting effort swung the pendulum to the other direction, and the representation of the popular vote does not reflect the new makeup of either chamber.
            That's what
            - She

            Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
            - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

            I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
            - Stephen R. Donaldson

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by Bill the Cat View Post
              Well as we can see by the turnout numbers, the Dem redistricting effort swung the pendulum to the other direction, and the representation of the popular vote does not reflect the new makeup of either chamber.
              It gave a more ballanced representation approved by the courts. The previous Republican redistricting in both states isolated black representation in only a few districts, and rejected by the courts.
              Last edited by shunyadragon; 11-07-2019, 06:30 PM.
              Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
              Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
              But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

              go with the flow the river knows . . .

              Frank

              I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

              Comment


              • #22
                Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
                IT gave a more ballanced representation approved by the courts. The previous Republican redistricting in both states isolated black representation in only a few districts, and rejected by the courts.
                No it didn't, obviously. The numbers bear that out. More Republicans voted than Dems. So why are there more Dem representatives now?
                That's what
                - She

                Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
                - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

                I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
                - Stephen R. Donaldson

                Comment


                • #23
                  Originally posted by Bill the Cat View Post
                  No it didn't, obviously. The numbers bear that out. More Republicans voted than Dems. So why are there more Dem representatives now?
                  The facts are facts that the Republicans in North Carolina and Virginia lumped most blacks in a few districts to preserve Republican white districts, and the courts rejected this gerrymandered districts. The number of districts are not relevant. One factor is that increased population over time has resulted in more district in all states where there are population increases, and the population has significantly increased in Virginia.

                  In both North Carolina and Virginia many districts remain 70-90% white Republicans. In North Carolina more Democrats voted, but the State Legislature is still controled by Republicans,
                  Last edited by shunyadragon; 11-08-2019, 06:38 AM.
                  Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
                  Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
                  But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

                  go with the flow the river knows . . .

                  Frank

                  I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
                    The facts are facts that the Republicans in North Carolina and Virginia lumped most blacks in a few districts to preserve Republican white districts, and the courts rejected this gerrymandered districts. The number of districts are not relevant. One factor is that increased population over time has resulted in more district in all states where there are population increases, and the population has significantly increased in Virginia.

                    In both North Carolina and Virginia many districts remain 70-90% white Republicans. In North Carolina more Democrats voted, but the State Legislature is still controled by Republicans,
                    Right. Like I keep saying, it's only wrong when Republicans do it.
                    Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                    But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                    Than a fool in the eyes of God


                    From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
                      The facts are facts that the Republicans in North Carolina and Virginia lumped most blacks in a few districts to preserve Republican white districts, and the courts rejected this gerrymandered districts. The number of districts are not relevant. One factor is that increased population over time has resulted in more district in all states where there are population increases, and the population has significantly increased in Virginia.

                      In both North Carolina and Virginia many districts remain 70-90% white Republicans. In North Carolina more Democrats voted, but the State Legislature is still controled by Republicans,
                      The facts are facts that more Republicans voted. Sticking with the leftist mantra of "Popular vote", you should be outraged that the winners of the popular vote in t he state are not in power.
                      That's what
                      - She

                      Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
                      - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

                      I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
                      - Stephen R. Donaldson

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by Bill the Cat View Post
                        The facts are facts that more Republicans voted. Sticking with the leftist mantra of "Popular vote", you should be outraged that the winners of the popular vote in t he state are not in power.
                        Worthy of note the governor elected for the whole state was a Democrat. Disproportionate gerrymandering is the issue. Republicans vote at a higher percentage as Democrats, which is unfortunate, but which is the case in many districts in the state which are 70-90% Republican particularly in Western Virginia.
                        Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
                        Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
                        But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

                        go with the flow the river knows . . .

                        Frank

                        I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by shunyadragon View Post
                          Worthy of note the governor elected for the whole state was a Democrat.
                          3 years ago. Different election.

                          Disproportionate gerrymandering is the issue.
                          No it isn't. Allowing people in Newport News to share a district with people in New Kent is the issue. Cities and farmland have little to nothing in common, so they shouldn't share a delegate.

                          Republicans vote at a higher percentage as Democrats, which is unfortunate,
                          No it isn't.

                          but which is the case in many districts in the state which are 70-90% Republican particularly in Western Virginia.
                          Again, it stands to reason that districts should share interests.
                          That's what
                          - She

                          Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
                          - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

                          I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
                          - Stephen R. Donaldson

                          Comment

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