Ah, redistricting. That time when the political parties begin to dream of the potential constituents that redrawing congressional district boundaries will bring to their loyal base. In many states, the main responsibility of redrawing the lines falls to the state legislature. There are states that wouldn’t trust their state legislatures to order lunch and they create a non-partisan body to do the dirty work for them. Throughout the history of this process, epic battles for territory have erupted and the news media, hungry for political blood and scandalous stories of nefarious activities, have welcomed the carnage.
Redistricting takes place every ten years – after the U.S. Census is complete. The goal is to review population growth or decline within the districts and endeavor to create equal, contiguous, districts without an incumbent or partisan advantage. The lofty goal of making everyone politically happy is not shared with the two-party system. Rather, redistricting becomes the object used to court, control and enslave for selfish purposes. Let’s say it together: gerrymandering. Preparations to influence the decision makers charged with the weighty responsibility of making political friends or enemies is already underway—the Democrats aren’t taking any chances this time.
Still smarting from the smackdown delivered by the Republicans in November 2016, the Democrats have formed an unholy alliance. The mission: try to turn the tides in 2020, wrest away any and all power from conservatives, and reclaim every elected office — from dogcatcher to President — in the next four years and, well, throughout eternity. The warriors are Former Attorney General Eric Holder, Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Politico provided the feed:
“Together, we will rebuild from the ground up outside of Washington — and give voters a more representative government,” Holder said.
Holder chairs the new National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) and tapped term limited McAuliffe, who is soon to be unemployed, and Pelosi as his fundraisers for the cause.
The NDRC plans to target select statehouse races in key states, raising Democratic attention around them and consolidating outside groups’ spending and work in the hopes of flipping seats to combat the Republican advantage in setting maps after the next census. They’re also getting active in governors’ races, and prospecting for new lawsuits that could challenge existing maps.
Noticeably not on the letterhead is former President Barack Obama, who is still skulking around D.C. and working diligently on setting up his own foundation.
Obama is expected to do fundraising for the group eventually, though no events have been scheduled. In the meantime, in private conversations, he’s been pointing donors and others asking him how to get involved to the NDRC.
“The American people deserve confidence in their democracy,” Pelosi said, calling the NDRC an “important effort to undo Republican gerrymandering and build a fairer map for the decade to come.”
Prepare to hear the word ‘gerrymandering’ for the next four years as desperate efforts to unseat the people that Americans chose to represent the People are creatively executed. Judging by how well the Democrats worked together in 2016 to put another Clinton into the office of president, this evil axis may not have the teeth – or the respect – to do much damage. Didn’t they learn anything last year?
