pacino wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

mozartpc27 wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

mozartpc27 wrote:It's frustrating how the system is rigged in this country... in both PA and WI, for example (and I'm sure this pattern holds in lots of mid-west states), Dems do very well state-wide, but because the state legislatures and the federal congressional seats are skewed towards the rural areas (in that, each stupid little rural area with 12 people and a cow gets a rep in the state legislature), Republicans control the states that really are solidly blue. Letting low-population areas punch so much above their weight is really frigging aggravating. Liberals in each state need to spread out more. Have to convince my friends to move with me to Schuylkill county or something.

How are legislative and congressional seats skewed toward rural areas?

It could be that I'm just exhausted, but it seems as if Republican areas of the state are over-represented in the state legislature relative to their actual populations. You know, how like the U.S. Senate gives as many senators to #$!&@ Wyoming as it does California.

It's just you

actually, rural areas are completely overrepresented because of how democratic votes are lumped together in the state.

How does that make them over represented?

He's talking about gerrymandering.

CalvinBall wrote:Heard interesting insight into Dick Morris tonight. An older couple I know are very good friends with Morris' sister in law. They see each other at parties and whatnot.

Didn't know he used to work for Clinton and at the 96 convention the whole cheating thing came out while he was in the VIP suite of the arena.

Anyways. Said he's a real creep and these people are staunch republicans.

You have just shaken my worldview.

Are you making fun of me?

jerseyhoya wrote:

pacino wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

mozartpc27 wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

mozartpc27 wrote:It's frustrating how the system is rigged in this country... in both PA and WI, for example (and I'm sure this pattern holds in lots of mid-west states), Dems do very well state-wide, but because the state legislatures and the federal congressional seats are skewed towards the rural areas (in that, each stupid little rural area with 12 people and a cow gets a rep in the state legislature), Republicans control the states that really are solidly blue. Letting low-population areas punch so much above their weight is really frigging aggravating. Liberals in each state need to spread out more. Have to convince my friends to move with me to Schuylkill county or something.

How are legislative and congressional seats skewed toward rural areas?

It could be that I'm just exhausted, but it seems as if Republican areas of the state are over-represented in the state legislature relative to their actual populations. You know, how like the U.S. Senate gives as many senators to #$!&@ Wyoming as it does California.

It's just you

actually, rural areas are completely overrepresented because of how democratic votes are lumped together in the state.

How does that make them over represented?

are you purposely acting dense? 5 democratic reps to 13 republican reps when every statewide race goes democratic...the pa house and senate stay plenty republican. if you look at hte votes, it's because of 2000 and 2010 redistricting.

CalvinBall wrote:Are you making fun of me?

Are you really unaware of how creepy Dick Morris is? Google Dick+Morris+toe+sucking+prostitute

phdave wrote:

CalvinBall wrote:Are you making fun of me?

Are you really unaware of how creepy Dick Morris is? Google Dick+Morris+toe+sucking+prostitute

I was yeah. Don't really dive into the histories of conservative pundits. Sorry.

TenuredVulture wrote:Ok, in addition to Obama winning, pundits being called out on their bs, the third thing I'm really happy about is how all those rich people gave all that money to Superpacs and squandered it almost as certainly as if those rich people have given their money to Madoff.



Rich people...how do they work?

So, if I have a superpac, and I have money left over now that the election is over, what do I do with it? Give it back to whoever gave it to me (hahaha)? Pay myself an enormous "exit" bonus? Really, I have the same question about campaign funds, though I sense the official campaigns rarely if ever wind up in the black.

pacino wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

pacino wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

mozartpc27 wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

mozartpc27 wrote:It's frustrating how the system is rigged in this country... in both PA and WI, for example (and I'm sure this pattern holds in lots of mid-west states), Dems do very well state-wide, but because the state legislatures and the federal congressional seats are skewed towards the rural areas (in that, each stupid little rural area with 12 people and a cow gets a rep in the state legislature), Republicans control the states that really are solidly blue. Letting low-population areas punch so much above their weight is really frigging aggravating. Liberals in each state need to spread out more. Have to convince my friends to move with me to Schuylkill county or something.

How are legislative and congressional seats skewed toward rural areas?

It could be that I'm just exhausted, but it seems as if Republican areas of the state are over-represented in the state legislature relative to their actual populations. You know, how like the U.S. Senate gives as many senators to #$!&@ Wyoming as it does California.

It's just you

actually, rural areas are completely overrepresented because of how democratic votes are lumped together in the state.

How does that make them over represented?

are you purposely acting dense? 5 democratic reps to 13 republican reps when every statewide race goes democratic...the pa house and senate stay plenty republican. if you look at hte votes, it's because of 2000 and 2010 redistricting.

I don't really think gerrymandering can be used to describe rural voters as being being underrepresented or overrepresented - all the districts are the same size.

Democrats have a few major problems problems at the House level. First off, Democratic areas tend to be more Democratic than Republican areas are Republican. For example, in 2008, Obama won 23% of the vote in his worst Congressional district. McCain won 23% or worse of the vote in 40! Congressional districts. So about 1/6 districts Obama won were more Democratic than the most Republican district was Republican at the Presidential level. Second, related to the first reason (and the third), are majority-minority districts. These districts MUST be drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act in many situations. You end up with funky looking districts (look at NC-12 and FL-05 and VA-03) that end up swallowing up all the black voters in a region so all the districts around them can be Republican. These are required to be drawn under federal law. Then third, Democrats are at a disadvantage in a few states GOPers won in 2010 - PA, MI, OH, NC foremost among them. Democrats had a major advantage in IL and CA (nonpartisan redistricting). Republican success in 2010 did mean they had more states to gerrymander than Democrats did. The first two factors mean even if 'fair' districts were drawn in PA, Republicans would overperform their statewide #s in the state.

PA is not under that, though.

pacino wrote:PA is not under that, though.

I don't think you're allowed to undo majority minority districts once drawn even if you're not in a state subject to Section 5 of the VRA.

Even if I'm off on that, Philly is a) the size of two Congressional districts and b) only 37% non Hispanic white. One would have to split the city into quite a few pieces to avoid at least one such district.

So how many electoral votes and % of overall votes did Obama end up getting? I've looked over about 5 article about the win and none of them mention the final totals.

jerseyhoya wrote:

pacino wrote:PA is not under that, though.

I don't think you're allowed to undo majority minority districts once drawn even if you're not in a state subject to Section 5 of the VRA.

Even if I'm off on that, Philly is a) the size of two Congressional districts and b) only 37% non Hispanic white. One would have to split the city into quite a few pieces to avoid at least one such district.

it is 3 districts size

pacino wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

pacino wrote:PA is not under that, though.

I don't think you're allowed to undo majority minority districts once drawn even if you're not in a state subject to Section 5 of the VRA.

Even if I'm off on that, Philly is a) the size of two Congressional districts and b) only 37% non Hispanic white. One would have to split the city into quite a few pieces to avoid at least one such district.

it is 3 districts size

Average CD nationally is 710,767 as of the redistricting. In PA it was 707,494. Philadelphia's population 1,526,006. Philly is 2.156915 congressional districts. I rounded that down to two.

Long been predisposed to dislike Chris Matthews because he went to LaSalle, but I would hit him in the face with a baseball bat without any qualms at all. What a fucking cap on an embarrassing 5 year run for him.

he's in our alumni HOF along with such greats as Tom Gola and Paul Arizin

jerseyhoya wrote:Long been predisposed to dislike Chris Matthews because he went to LaSalle, but I would hit him in the face with a baseball bat without any qualms at all. What a fucking cap on an embarrassing 5 year run for him.

he's an entertainer

meanwhile felonious sociopaths like rick scott GOVERN AMERICAN STATES

but they're fine; they're on your team

drsmooth wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:Long been predisposed to dislike Chris Matthews because he went to LaSalle, but I would hit him in the face with a baseball bat without any qualms at all. What a fucking cap on an embarrassing 5 year run for him.

he's an entertainer

meanwhile felonious sociopaths like rick scott GOVERN AMERICAN STATES

but they're fine; they're on your team

One is elected by his people, and the other is an ass hat who long ago went off the deep end. I cannot stand Gov. Scott, his actions are downright reprehensible, but he's an easier pill to swallow due to being elected. "Entertainers" like Matthews and Limbaugh are the true threats since they speak to the malleable masses.

Do we know the total D/R national vote count for the House?

jerseyhoya wrote:

pacino wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

pacino wrote:PA is not under that, though.

I don't think you're allowed to undo majority minority districts once drawn even if you're not in a state subject to Section 5 of the VRA.

Even if I'm off on that, Philly is a) the size of two Congressional districts and b) only 37% non Hispanic white. One would have to split the city into quite a few pieces to avoid at least one such district.

it is 3 districts size

Average CD nationally is 710,767 as of the redistricting. In PA it was 707,494. Philadelphia's population 1,526,006. Philly is 2.156915 congressional districts. I rounded that down to two.

OK, I meant that 3 represent it, to the point that they were lumped together (Schwartz, Brady, Fattah). They could easily cut it that Montco, Delco and Bucks and Philly are distributed so that it's fairer.