Since it doesn’t seem to be gathering much attention :
In November, a three-judge federal court panel ruled that the state unconstitutionally drew the boundary lines after the 2010 census to benefit Democrats. That panel banned the map from being used in future elections.
This state is in the same status as North Carolina and Ohio.
Martin O’Malley is now saying that he was only trying to wipe republicans completely off the Maryland map because they were doing it first. Now he’s a “do as I say, not as I do” kinda guy and only complaining about republican gerrymandering.
Is gerrymandering ok in some cases?
Does anyone believe O’Malley will criticize his own map? I don’t believe it for a second.
Here’s an article about how they did it and how screwy the districts are. I particularly like the third.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/beta.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/03/28/how-maryland-democrats-pulled-off-their-aggressive-gerrymander/%3FoutputType%3Damp
It shouldn’t have happened. They were wrong. It needs to be fixed.
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Those districts are insane.
Fair representation shouldn’t be a partisan issue.
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Gerrymandering for political advantage is wrong regardless of whatever side is doing it. This practice needs to stop. If you can’t win based on your ideas you shouldn’t cheat to win.
Looks like the SCOTUS will decide this case before the end of June. Thank you for making a thread about it now so we can discuss this issue. I wonder if any of the Libs will be in here defending how Maryland is currently broken up.
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What about the Maryland Democrats?
In Annapolis, meanwhile, Democrats have defended their map and blocked attempts by Maryland’s current governor, [Republican Larry Hogan] to advance the kinds of redistricting reforms that Democrats champion in other (often Republican-controlled) states.
When the president of the Maryland Senate, a Democrat, gave his own deposition in the case, he plead ignorance.
“Did partisan factors play a role in the Maryland Senate consideration of the 2011 congressional map?” the lawyers asked.
The state Senate leader replied, “I don’t believe so.”
Partisans don’t want to cede power. This is why partisans should not be in charge of redistricting. Let’s make redistricting a bipartisan/nonpartisan endeavor.
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Yeah, that would never happen. That’s why democrats are fighting the Maryland challenge with all they have.
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They are wrong to do so.
Are you looking for some blind loyalty? It seems that many Dems on here have condemned it.
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Well democrats are so entrenched in Maryland now that I don’t see anything changing.
I agree. Cheating by gerrymandering is one of the worst things politicians do. It’s basically stealing the people’s voice.
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The SCOTUS will smack down the democrats.
Hopefully.
Although some of the conservative Justices kind of made it seem like they didn’t want to get involved. This gives me pause.
They’ll say some mean words to them, but what will the democrats do? My guess is nothing. Nothing will change.
You think the SCOTUS will make a ruling that won’t have any teeth? That would be pointless.
If that happens I would like to see some kind of legislation come out of Congress to put an end this this horrible practice. It’s not okay for Maryland to gerrymander it’s districts just because they feel other states do it too. I’m sure that a bill to put an end to partisan gerrymandering would pass nearly unanimously through the House and Senate.
I just don’t see democrats changing anything in Maryland.
We’re currently waiting on a ruling from the SCOTUS. Patience grasshopper.
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And if I’m reading correctly, the blood spatter third district isn’t even under consideration for change.
Being a resident of Maryland, I totally agree that this is wrong. Gerrymandering no matter which party is doing it is wrong and should be against the law.
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I hate gerrymandering when Dems do it. I hate gerrymandering when Republicans do it.
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I hope Mountain_soldier have the same attitude toward gerrymandering in North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Ohio and a few other states in this country. The practice should be outlawed altogether.
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