US House Redistricting 2012: plan to lump Rockville/Gaithersburg in with western MD

[tdt91]

This is just criminal, but I knew it was coming many months ago. There is a chance for a lawsuit because it's a Fed congressional seat.

 

[one-star]

This is just criminal, but I knew it was coming many months ago. There is a chance for a lawsuit because it's a Fed congressional seat.

Not unless you can show it "dilutes" minority voting rights...otherwise no such luck.

Both sides play at the game...the Republicans did the same in Texas, but to their advantage.

Mostly its done 1st. to protect incumbents and then 2nd. for party advantage.....voters and that rabble come in dead last

"He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. "

just sayin...

 

[sim1776]

Not unless you can show it "dilutes" minority voting rights...otherwise no such luck.

Both sides play at the game...the Republicans did the same in Texas, but to their advantage.

I listened to "Week in Review" on WBAL Friday. According to State Sen. EJ Pipkin, the Governor's map does remove some minority "rights." He was claiming the Republican version would have 3 minority majority districts whereas the Governor's version keeps the current two. It's probably just not blatant enough to win in court.

 

[montoya32]

The whole redistricting thing is nothing more than a sham. They do not want the system to work the way it was intended. All party affiliations should be done away with and the electoral college wiped out. When manipulations like this occur, it leaves the frustrated no other recourse than force. There is no point in making your opinion known with your vote, because your vote doesn't count, literally. How are we to make changes if we are already being beaten by the minority? Only one way I know of.

 

[lotofpez]

Its official. Maryland has just screwed themselves.

 

[Kimerazor]

No. Maryland Dems screwed us & the system by gerrymandering.

 

[boricuamaximus]

Donna Edwards was complaining about this because it takes "minoritie's votes".

So are conservatives getting hit with it or is it the Dems?

 

[Kimerazor]

I can guarantee you that the controlling party, Democrats, didn't do this because it hurt them.

 

[Onthedecline]

Ms. Edwards is having a fit because she lost all of her liberal Montgomery County territory to the new 6th and 8th. She agreed to take a big chunk of more conservative Anne Arundel County into her 4th district to make the plan work. She was untouchable before, and still probably safe now, but she is also....

smart enough to see that the Governor's plan isn't a slame dunk to put a Dem in the 6th, which would mean about a large number of liberal minority voters may be represented by Mr. Bartlett, or another GOP Rep.

What is funny is that it was Edwards that was pushing hard to get Roscoe out rather than Harris in the 1st. I guess she didn't think her idea would mean she would lose all of her liberal constituats in Montgomery County, or that the "plan" wouldn't be fool proof enough to guarantee the 7-1 split.

Sadly, either way someone will get screwed. Either the GOP heavy part of the 6th will have to put up with a Montgomery County liberal, or a big chunk of one of the most liberal juristictions in the country will have to put up with a Republican. Bad voodoo all the way around, I think.

 

[BondJamesBond]

Any way to stop this?

No. Elections have consequences and to the victor goes the spoils. You live in a blue state where Parris Glendenning taught us a very important lesson in 1994.

"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers."

 

[Baumer]

Does it really matter? I cant think of a single instance where a politician has ever done squat for me, republican or democrat.

 

[BondJamesBond]

The whole redistricting thing is nothing more than a sham. They do not want the system to work the way it was intended. All party affiliations should be done away with and the electoral college wiped out. When manipulations like this occur, it leaves the frustrated no other recourse than force. There is no point in making your opinion known with your vote, because your vote doesn't count, literally. How are we to make changes if we are already being beaten by the minority? Only one way I know of.

All you have to do is contact your congressperson and have them sponsor an amendment for direct election of President. Of course, as you surely know, electors for President are chosen in a matter to be determined by the State Legislatures. The Maryland General Assembly would be within their constitutional rights to declare the winner of the Maryland electoral votes to be decided by the results of the popular vote for President. Get back to me when this happens.

"When manipulations like this occur, it leaves the frustrated no other recourse than force."

Rhetoric like this is why gun owners are held in such great respect by the media.

"How are we to make changes if we are already being beaten by the minority?"

Democrats in Maryland are FAR from the minority.

 

[dblas]

One look at Steny Hoyer should tell you all you need to know about Maryland politics, he's been "voted" into congress since 1981 and before that he was in the Maryland Senate since 1966. He's the very definition of a carreer politician and the last thing America needs at this point.
Also, registered independents are not even allowed to vote in any primaries in Maryland and I'm sure that's no accident.

There is no such as an Independant in MD anymore, as per the state election board, if you did not pick one of the "recognized" parties last year, then you are considered unaffiliated.

So not only am I unaffiliated, There might be a sliver of light for me in PG given that Edwards lost a good chunk of her base.

 

[aray]

There is pressure from DC Dems on MD to flip a red seat to blue. They don't have many opportunities elsewhere in the country to do that. MOM will give them what they want. He wants to be President MOM someday.

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Ab_Normal]

"When manipulations like this occur, it leaves the frustrated no other recourse than force."

Rhetoric like this is why gun owners are held in such great respect by the media.

I think you need to brush up on your history a little.

Respect is a four letter word for the media.

 

[28Shooter]

I recently spoke to a (D) delegate (not my own) and ask why they couldn't leave Roscoe alone. I was given a song and dance that the redistricting was justified because the Ag Preserve in MoCo is "very similar" to the farms in Western Maryland...do they really think that the citizenry is that dumb? Comparing the farms in Western Maryland to the MoCo Ag Preserve is like comparing polo ponies to draught horses, both fine animals but hardly similar. The legislature and the governor did it to get another democrat in congress - they know it, we know it, and if they try to tell you otherwise, please ask them to stop insulting your intellegience.

 

[hodgepodge]

After a vigorous debate in both the Senate and the House, this was approved.

Shameful.

 

[Kimerazor]

After a vigorous debate in both the Senate and the House, this was approved.

Shameful.

It went like this ... Dems were at lunch & Repubs were speaking loudly. When the Repubs were done the Dems returned & passed it, as they could care less what the opposition thought.

 

[Hopalong]

TERM LIMITS! The politicians spend 90% of their time trying to stay in office v. doing the right thing.

This. It'll never happen though because the people we need to put term limits on are the very people who's terms we would be limiting. Nobody in politics ever wants to voluntarily reduce their own influence.

Pity.

 

[lotofpez]

I don't even know what to say. I love Maryland but I think it is starting to hate me back.