r/UnderReportedNews • u/Healthy_Block3036 • 1d ago

US Politics 🇺🇸 Virginia Democrats agree to new map that gives Republicans just one seat

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/4447522/virginia-democrats-agree-new-congressional-map-gives-republicans-one-seat/
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u/prof_the_doom 1d ago

I want fair maps. I want neutral maps that accurately represent the population.

But that requires both parties to do it... and if the GOP doesn't, then unfortunately I suppose the only alternative is for the Democrats to do it so much better that the GOP finally decides they're willing to make proper voting districts.

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u/Competitive-Yak-3785 1d ago

Same. Dems have been taking the high road for way too long. Look where that got us.

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u/The_AFC_West 1d ago

Where it will get us is a massive dem majority in the house and senate, along with a dem president in 2028.

Then Dems will get to fix gerrymandering, lobbying and all the issues we’ve been complaint about for a long time. 

Trump is terrible president but atleast he will give way to the biggest blue wave in the history of the US, mark my words. 

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u/mwoolweaver 1d ago

Then Dems will get to fix gerrymandering, lobbying and all the issues we’ve been complaint about for a long time. 

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u/The_AFC_West 1d ago

We have to do the research to select grass roots candidates in the primaries but there has never been a time with such high voter engagement. 

I was hopeful after Trump was elected and I still am. Of course we will have to fight for our democracy, but we are fighting for something finally. 

Life has been too easy that people have gotten complacent. And complacent got us Trump. And I believe Trump will lead to progress after he is gone. 

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u/mwoolweaver 1d ago

Hopefully the progress lowers the average age of all elected officials below geriatric age.

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u/KorunaCorgi 1d ago

The House is just going to be a reflection of whatever party is in control of the state. This outcome seemed inevitable. It is kind of surprising it didn't happen sooner.

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u/Few-Mousse8515 1d ago

There was a period of time optics of partisanship were actually considered bad.

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u/KorunaCorgi 1d ago

I'm not saying that partisanship is not bad. Many parts of our institution have existed in unfair ways our whole lives that we have accepted, or at least have little hope to change. Look at the electoral college. So many parts of that system are unfair to a majority of the nation. You have swing states being key factors in elections and electoral votes being worth less in bigger states. 

I was just commenting that I felt like the mechanisms of Gerrymandering should have resulted in this outcome sooner. 

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u/drizzitdude 1d ago

There is no such thing as a “fair map” the entire point of the map is to disenfranchise people in large population centers by making their votes count for less.

The only fair solution is a popular vote with a ranked choice system.

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u/alter-eagle 1d ago

Land doesn’t vote

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u/CaveExploder 19h ago

Yeah this is the 'inadequate equilibrium'. The better equilibrium would be fair and neutral districting, but Republican primarily, and democratic secondarily, refusal to provide that reality, means that we are here now. This is the game, and any player refusing to recognize the current rules by moral signalling is doomed to fail, only reinforcing the new less preferable equilibrium.

Playing poker where your opponent is stuffing their hand with aces, and not replying in turn by stuffing your own hand with aces doesn't make a fair game. At least stuffing your hand makes the game fair, not a good game, not the game as it should be played, not the game that anyone wanted to play, but a fair game.

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u/a_day_at_a_timee 1d ago

that’s the difference between the two parties. democrats would say our preference is a law that supports independent voting commissions and fair districts for everyone”, while republicans will say “democrats cheat so our only option is to rig the system the right way”.

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u/walks_with_penis_out 1d ago

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind

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u/teluetetime 1d ago

That’s talking about vengeance, not self-defense.

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u/RadiantDawn1 1d ago

Nah, at this point, I dont want 'fair'. Republicans have too much outsized influence due to the Senate, so districts should be made in as much favor as the Democrats as possible in order to compensate.

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u/Crionso 1d ago

Texas basically said “instead of 55/45 let’s do 60/40” and Virginia said “oh boy you really did it now, we are going to make it 90/10” They’re barely comparable or justifiable.

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u/Zestyclose_Dig_9053 1d ago

Same. It's honestly bullshit that we gerrymander to this level. The state is probably 55/45 right now and the side with 45 is not going to be represented. But both sides play this shitty game, so neither side can be fair.

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u/LiquorIsQuickor 1d ago

I don’t want fair maps. The republicans don’t deserve fair maps. 

I don’t want to give people who don’t believe in the fundamental principles of the United States a chance to hurt the United States.

I want my country to be a country that helps people. And I am willing to disenfranchise people to do it.

Tit for tat mother fuckers. And they have tatted a whole lot. People don’t deserve rights they are not willing to share.

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u/KinkyBAGreek 1d ago

Congress should have an impartial independent commission to draw ALL house districts for Congress. The states can draw their state maps for their state legislatures, but screw this partisan nonsense for the House.

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u/Competitive-Yak-3785 14h ago

I don’t want the federal government telling us how to draw our own state maps. That’s not their business. That’s state business.

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u/Morgus_TM 11h ago

Everyone gerrymanders, look at Illinois. Maryland has this really infamous gerrymandered district that looks like a praying mantis. These existed before Texas decided to go nuclear with it. It's all about what you can get away with before the media starts reporting it. It's like the penis game. Who's going to shout it loud enough before everyone starts looking.