"There are ten states that give primary responsibility for redistricting to such a commission." and most of them are blue. Wake up. American democracy is at war with the GOP and its Russian backers
Forgive my ignorance but if the supreme court isn't willing to rule on this or basically says that gerrymandering is legal, why can't Biden write an executive order to stop it from happening? What's the point of Democrats winning the presidency if they don't use it to pass any meaningful legislation? It seems like trump flouted every law and precedent in the book to push his agenda but now Democrats and Biden aren't willing to do the same? I don't understand how we 'won' the presidency and control the house but still can't get anything done. What am I missing here?
Biden and the Democrats aren't willing to do the same as tr*mp because they respect both the law and democracy. The primary difference between Republicans and Democrats today is the degree of respect for facts and the law. Republicans claim to be the law and order party, but only care about the law if it gives them an advantage. Republicans will deny facts they find inconvenient and even lie to cover themselves; for example, check the claims that the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol was (choose one) [an FBI operation | BLM | antifa | a visit by friendly tourists].
- nominate and, with Senate consent, appoint senior diplomats, cabinet members, and senior government officials;
- issue pardons, except in the case of impeachment.
The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, but can't declare war; only Congress can do that. Any other powers beyond those listed above are delegated by Congress. That trump was allowed to do what he did reflects not only on him, but on the Congress that allowed it.
Second, the Senate has baked-in advantages for the residents of smaller states. This didn't use to matter until Americans essentially separated themselves along urban-rural lines. Now, those 50 Republican Senators only represent 43% of the population. Coupled with the extreme gerrymandering from 2010, Republicans were able to lose the overall popular vote for President, House, and Senate in 2016, but still gain control of all three. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/advantage-gop/
I said years ago that the Republicans were trying to legislate the Democrats right out of existence. They haven't quite succeeded in that goal (YET), but they are coming increasingly close with the gerrymandering and voter suppression laws.
Thank you for your well-researched postings that keep us informed and aware. Enjoy your well-deserved time away.
"There are ten states that give primary responsibility for redistricting to such a commission." and most of them are blue. Wake up. American democracy is at war with the GOP and its Russian backers
Forgive my ignorance but if the supreme court isn't willing to rule on this or basically says that gerrymandering is legal, why can't Biden write an executive order to stop it from happening? What's the point of Democrats winning the presidency if they don't use it to pass any meaningful legislation? It seems like trump flouted every law and precedent in the book to push his agenda but now Democrats and Biden aren't willing to do the same? I don't understand how we 'won' the presidency and control the house but still can't get anything done. What am I missing here?
Biden and the Democrats aren't willing to do the same as tr*mp because they respect both the law and democracy. The primary difference between Republicans and Democrats today is the degree of respect for facts and the law. Republicans claim to be the law and order party, but only care about the law if it gives them an advantage. Republicans will deny facts they find inconvenient and even lie to cover themselves; for example, check the claims that the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol was (choose one) [an FBI operation | BLM | antifa | a visit by friendly tourists].
There are also legal limitations.
First, the President doesn't really have a lot of power. The Constitution (https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleii#section2) only really gives the President the power to:
- negotiate treaties;
- nominate and, with Senate consent, appoint senior diplomats, cabinet members, and senior government officials;
- issue pardons, except in the case of impeachment.
The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, but can't declare war; only Congress can do that. Any other powers beyond those listed above are delegated by Congress. That trump was allowed to do what he did reflects not only on him, but on the Congress that allowed it.
Second, the Senate has baked-in advantages for the residents of smaller states. This didn't use to matter until Americans essentially separated themselves along urban-rural lines. Now, those 50 Republican Senators only represent 43% of the population. Coupled with the extreme gerrymandering from 2010, Republicans were able to lose the overall popular vote for President, House, and Senate in 2016, but still gain control of all three. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/advantage-gop/
Enjoy the vacation/time off!
I said years ago that the Republicans were trying to legislate the Democrats right out of existence. They haven't quite succeeded in that goal (YET), but they are coming increasingly close with the gerrymandering and voter suppression laws.
Since I just took two weeks off (life happened), I won't begrudge you two weeks off. Enjoy your vacation.
What impact does the fact that a handful of gerrymandered states from the 2010s now have Democratic governors or independent commissions have now?
I'm thinking Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc. How much is that going to level the playing field compared to 2010?
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