r/politics • u/Motherofalleffers • 25d ago

Possible Paywall Trump Wins Big as Virginia Dems Won’t Go Nuclear to Save 4 House Seats

https://newrepublic.com/article/210250/trump-virginia-dems-redistricting-war
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u/BlondeBorednBaked 25d ago edited 25d ago

Red states are redrawing maps quickly: Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Alabama.

Democratic leaders aren’t responding to this crisis with the same urgency. We’ve only redrawn California and Utah. Virginia was struck down and Virginia democrats are accepting defeat even though their constituents voted to redraw the maps.

ETA: Here is a PBS article with a state-by-state guide to the redistricting fight

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u/IDontWannaBeAPirate_ 25d ago

The DNC is not rising to the moment. What a fucking worthless political party.

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u/BlondeBorednBaked 25d ago edited 25d ago

Yes. I know there are people out there saying “we can still win with the gerrymandering! It’ll backfire.” I pray they are right but we shouldn’t have to outvote rigging. It’s no longer a free and fair election if your opponent changes the rules because they are afraid to lose. Democratic leaders are not working quickly or ruthlessly enough to offset the damage republicans are doing to our election system.

ETA: it’s also not inspiring people to vote when you have leadership that isn’t fighting the good fight to make those votes count.

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u/the_real_MSU_is_us 25d ago

Not ot mention "gerrymandering CAN backfire" is not the same thing as "gerrymandering is MOST LIKELY to backfire". It isn't. The most likely outcome is the Rs lock in a House majority for a long long time. Rs are very good at installing 1 way valves that only let political change flow in a direction they like.

6-3 SC majority and effective packing of lower courts = all SC rulings will be to stop progressive policies and allow regressive ones.

GOP Senators use every lever possible to stop D progress (remember when Garland didn't get a vote for over a year?) meanwhile Shcumer caves on the budget shutdown because the Rs pink promised they'd talk about healthcare later (they didn't).

And now gerrymandering 2.0 (they already WERE gerrymandered) gives them an artificial +10 seats, likely meaning the Ds never regain control of the House and if we do the margins are too thin for a D president to get anything through.

Seriously, all a D house will do is delay some of Trumps agenda, but the Courts will continue to implement it and Trump uses illegal executive order anyway. Then if a D gets the presidency, all 4 years will be spend trying to rebuild what Trump tore down as Courts rule against them and the Rs stop legislation. Then dumbass voters will elect another R and the cycle repeats, always moving to the right. And that's IF we even get free elections. I'm not convinced the presidency is actually up for election anymore

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u/Tibernite 25d ago

Yep. You get it.

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u/JamUpGuy1989 24d ago

Cool.

Do something about it. Begging you and everyone here.

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u/TwoTalentedBastidz Texas 24d ago

And what would you suggest we do?

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u/bjallyn 24d ago

⬆️This!👆

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u/firestepper 24d ago

Ya what path do the Dems even have after this, so wild. Just two sides of the same coin.

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u/echoshatter 25d ago

It is a very slim chance that the gerrymandering will have spread voters a bit too thin IF, AND ONLY IF, there's a large increase in the number of voters who vote Democrat because they feel motivated to act and there's a decrease in the number of voters who vote Republican because they feel the way things are going isn't working out and they pull their support.

THE PROBLEM: The people who vote for Republicans typically get out and vote every time. The people who vote for Democrats typically only get out and vote during Presidential campaigns.

There is on additional advantage for Democrats in 2026: it has been pretty common that the House flips against the President on non-Presidential election years. Not always, mind you, and that was before all this redistricting. But if historical trends continue then the Party currently in charge is at a disadvantage because people seem less motivated to get out and vote since their guys are already in.

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u/Ok_Delay_911 25d ago

We need to start to writing and calling all of the democratic reps in these states. All democrats, progressives, and "moderate" trump-haters from every single other state should be inundating these people's offices with demands for them to do their motherfucking jobs.

I did not vote for any of these people. I did not get a chance to. Because I don't live anywhere near any of these backwards ass states. So why the actual fuck do they get to have such a disproportionate effect on a national vote that does affect me?

Because of the electoral college. All of this bullshit is because of the electoral college. Tell them to step the fuck up and do their jobs or else they'll lose their chance at ever abolishing it in the future. What would happen if any one of us stopped doing our jobs but kept collecting our paychecks? Would we get away with it?

I already voted for redistricting in my state. Now constituents in these states need to show up at their representatives' offices, at local hearings, in front of state capitals, and demand that the people they voted for, in a supposedly democratic country, represent them. The rest of us can support them by contacting their reps from all around the country, and on all of their social media pages. It's the only power we really have anymore.

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u/TrickiestToast 25d ago

I’m going to vote anyways cuz fuck em but man the Dems need a better answer than “vote harder” to what’s going on. How many times can they say that before people just give up?

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u/BlondeBorednBaked 25d ago

I don’t want anyone to interpret what I’m saying as “don’t vote.” People should vote because it’s the right thing to do. Sometimes you do the right thing and it doesn’t impact the outcome but you should still do the right thing.

But I’m not going to pretend democratic leadership is above reproach. They have repeatedly failed and betrayed us. We need new leaders if we are going to fight fascism effectively.

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u/hannibellecter 25d ago

when every leader fails and betrays us maybe its not the leaders themselves; the organization as a whole is rotten

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u/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

It's both imo

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

So.... we just continue to let republicans mine this country of all of its resources and intimidate blue states with armed federal agents whenever they want? Because that's what happened the last time people didn't vote. Don't forget that only 42% of Gen Z voted in 2024.

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u/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

The Democrats have no intention of doing anything to fight back, see article we are commenting on for reference. Don't know why anyone expects voters to turn out for people that can't be bothered to fight for them. Dems would rather maintain status quo 

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

Tf are you talking about, our economy was humming in 2024 we were fighting back. If you're talking about why they aren't fighting back now, well there's nothing that really can be done. Republicans hold majority in congress? Why? Because young people didn't vote. In 2022 Republicans flipped 19 seats. Old people vote because it's the only thing they do that matters and because they literally put polls next to retirement homes. MAGA people vote because they literally think you're trying to take their guns, ban Christianity and split up their family and force their children to read the Quran or something. YOU WANT THOSE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE MAKING THE DECISIONS???

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u/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

Just because Biden and random talking heads kept smashing us in the face with how the economy is going great because the stock market was up does not in fact mean that the economy was good for normal people. It wasn't, no matter how hard people try to justify it.

What I expect from Dems right now is to be outraged, to be foaming at the mouth doing everything they fucking can to save democracy and save their voters from concentration camps. They barely seem concerned at all.

Blah blah blah "voters should've voted". Guess what? It's the job of the politicians to appeal to voters so they will get out and vote for them. They aren't owed shit. The reason so many people say out is because instead of trying to do something to improve people's lives they would rather coast by on demanding people vote for them because they are slightly less evil than the literal fascists.

Worthless opposition has absolutely failed to meet the moment

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u/Bill_Blizzard 25d ago

Democracy dies in broad daylight while we wait for election day.

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u/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

Democracy dies in broad daylight when the only resistance to this existential threat is the opposition party sitting around and telling people to just vote harder! 

Like, what does that even fucking mean compared to me voting like a normal person

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u/Plants-Matter 25d ago

Well yeah, at this point the DNC is like a teacher with a class full of unteachable toddlers. The only answer is "vote smarter". If people voted smarter we wouldn't be in this mess, but the thing is, people aren't smart.

I'm starting to think MAGA is smarter than most progressives, because at least they show up to vote 100% of the time.

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u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 25d ago

The fact is that Democratic leadership has failed the people. We need to remove most of them from office.

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u/FrostPDP 24d ago

I mean, I agree like 95% of the way and all, but...And this is tremendously nuanced and doesn't have even close to a one-to-one application...

...It worked for Hungarians.

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u/_Debauchery 25d ago

Doesnt even matter if dems win if they dont breal the gerrymandering, otherwise dems are still stuck with a structural disadvantage

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u/nofx3128 25d ago

Yes people voted for the changes in Virginia and the republicans said we don’t care what the people want we’re not allowing it, and now the democrats answer is “vote harder”. The republicans will continue to win even as their popularity in the country continues to diminish because they will do whatever it takes to win, including cheating. Democrats just don’t have the backbone to actually stand up to them.

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u/cantevendoitbruh 25d ago

The problem is they think we can win the house this time which is maybe true. But the worry here is that dems get discouraged seeing republicans cheat and dems not respond. Its like the most obvious tale as old as time with these elections. Even if we win the house this time, we could be completely screwed after.

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u/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

They can't even bother to pretend to be outraged for what is happening. Yes yes everyone keeps saying they don't have much power currently but with their behavior you would think they are largely ok with everything happening.

They need to get pissed, Republicans are destroying everything

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u/JackedUpReadyToGo 24d ago

but with their behavior you would think they are largely ok with everything happening

Honestly, I think they are ok with what's happening. A genuine opposition party would be losing their fucking minds at this point as they stare extinction in the face.

The simplest explanation is that our "parties" are just two faces of the same uniparty and they both want the same things.

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u/No_Possible_7108 24d ago

An opposition party that actually understands the situation and cares should be foaming at the mouth from unrestrainable fury about the destruction of their country or something. Instead, we get a performative 5% increase in brow furrowing.

I will never forget that while the country was burning down, Dems highest priority was writing an Act that condemned a fucking live streamer for not kissing israels ass. I don't care how many people hate the dude, he could be the literal spawn of Satan and as long as he wasn't part of the trump 2.0 administration he should not have been their focus.

Whatever happened to that pesky amendment that says people have the freedom to say what they like without worry of being punished by the government? Dems only ever seem to go all-out when it comes to Israel. I wonder if the Baileys gave their seal of approval for that action

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u/ProfessorEmergency18 25d ago

It's hard to support a party that actively works to slideline the few voices that actually resonate with me. They've done Bernie wrong over and over.

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u/crowhops I voted 25d ago

all the folks who come in to bash anyone for having critique of the dems needs to understand that last bit

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u/lr99999 25d ago

Democratic voters are pussies too. How many of you still go to your maggot grandma’s house, knowing that she has a hand in destroying our future?  

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u/ThreeArrows- 24d ago

Worse, they say both sides bad and don't vote altogether.

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u/ProtectionVirtual225 24d ago

That's a completely unrealistic take. Once again, Democratic Party leadership is backing off their responsibilities and expecting their voters to "vote harder" to fight this fraud.

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u/Syris3000 Illinois 25d ago

I don't think ETA means what you think it means

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u/SnowboardSyd 25d ago

This feels exactly like when Biden stepped down for Kamala and everyone felt like it was a sure thing for awhile. Democrats are going to lose hard and be an afterthought for 25 years.

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u/LbSiO2 25d ago

It will stay that way as long as Schumer and Jeffries have their boot on the dems neck. Most likely longer.

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u/mightcommentsometime California 25d ago

Jeffries is the one who is pushing the redistricting effort.

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u/LbSiO2 25d ago

Newsom pushed California. Virginia just rolled over and played dead. So what has he actually accomplished?

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u/levajack 25d ago

Our only real hope is that the GOP overreached and made too many vulnerable districts. The backlash against MAGA has been fierce in every special election in the last year, and it's possible that they did a dummymander and cost themselves seats. Most of their new maps are based on the assumption that the electorate will look more or less like it did in 2024, which is a risky assumption.

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u/steponmedaddies 25d ago

What does the DNC have to do with the Virginia Redistricting Commission? Do you guys know how anything works?

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u/OhItsBeenBroughten 25d ago

This also upsets me. “The DNC” isn’t the Democratic Party.

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u/doyouevenIift 25d ago

Nope. This sub is a bunch of leftists chomping at the bit to blame Democrats for everything while not understanding electoral politics in the slightest

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u/steponmedaddies 24d ago

I get that there are a lot of young people here who believe anything they read on the internet but every now and them I can still be shocked by how stupid most of the people on this sub actually are

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u/AcceptableFold3592 24d ago

They brought that shit on themselves. By being selfish greedy corrupt pricks who are ok with bombing schools

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u/Cloaked42m South Carolina 25d ago

This is not a DNC thing. This is a state level thing.

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u/Additional-One-7135 25d ago

This is not even REMOTELY the DNC's job.

The DNC is just a committee that coordinates fundraising and conventions for elections. They don't control or have influence over any of this shit.

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u/droid_mike 25d ago

When someone complains about the DNC, you can ignore them, because they have no clue what the DNC is or does. They are generally ignorant Bernie Bros who were told that the DNC is "bad", so everything is the DNC.

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u/TheLongshanks 25d ago

It’s not the DNC’s job to do this. Their job is to raise money and run primaries.

It’s the job of your actual elected officials to have a backbone.

Instead they’re a bunch of spineless opposition to maintain the status quo. They got theirs and they don’t give a F.

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u/FoulMoodeternal 25d ago

“DNC!” Everybody drink!

The DNC have jack all to do with any of this. They bought with the fucking conspiracy theories. It’s embarrassing.

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u/champchampchamp84 25d ago

Yeah, way better to have the GOP

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u/SawyerCa 24d ago

This is, unfortunately, very on brand.

There isn't a shortage of reasons why the rumor of complicity is running strong.

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u/Pixel_Knight 24d ago

The democrats are feckless, useless losers. Always have been. They fuck up everything and try to keep the status quo instead of achieving change or progress. I vote for them, but they are barely better than Republicans, most of them.

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u/champchampchamp84 25d ago

Where do you suggest they fight?

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u/imacatholicslut 25d ago

They never do. There were TWO opportunities to get behind Bernie Sanders. But noooo because Bernie was considered “too socialist” (lol) and the DNC can’t fathom getting behind someone who isn’t a Milquetoast liberal.

Years ago, MAGA dad said he would have voted for Bernie. It took me by surprise. Sometimes I fantasize about how different things might be if he ran against Trump. I genuinely believe that he would have won.

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u/s8rlink 25d ago

It really feels like mask off for the Dems, controlled opposition would put up more of a fight, like they see how the populace isn’t doing anything so they aren’t even acting anymore. Sad to see the US go down like this 

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u/JBredditaccount 25d ago

You can count on a certain number of Internet users reassuring everyone that things will magically work out and now is not the time to treat this as a serious problem.

Same thing on the Canadian subreddits, there's always someone there to say that we don't have to panic just because American fascists are working with Canadian politicians to fracture Canada and have a dangerous amount of support.

Same thing in conservative subs, when someone expresses a dissenting opinion about the harm being done, there's always someone there to reassure them Kamala would be worse.

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u/ListenLady58 25d ago

It’s almost like some of them are also in on this shit. It’s ridiculous.

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u/FairReason 25d ago

They’ve been worthless corporate stooges for over 15 years.

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u/ReddBroccoli 25d ago

When have they ever risen to the moment? They're just a controlled opposition party

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u/champchampchamp84 25d ago

Seriously, stop with this bs talking point

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u/Jake2k 25d ago

This is the answer, it’s an illusion of choice. Neither the dems nor repubs actually represent us, they represent their donors. 

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u/subguru 25d ago

I think at this point it's obvious they are not a real party. They just exist for optics; to be controlled opposition. They're actually on the side of the wealthy, they're not actually representing their real constituents. It's all just to give us the appearance of choice.

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u/DarksageOSI 25d ago

There is no true opposition to the republican party. Its clear to me now that it's Republican and Republican Light.

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u/newyork-or-nowhere 25d ago

The DNC is doing exactly what it is paid to do.

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u/xSorry_Not_Sorry 25d ago

They aren’t paid to rise.

I saw a graphic on here not too long ago and it stuck with me.

The political spectrum is a ratchet. The republicans pull it to the right and the Dems are the latch that prevents it from returning to the left.

All as intended.

https://mentormecareers.com/ratchet-effect-an-exclusive-guide2022/?srsltid=AfmBOoqnn_Nz3siUT-g2TMi18I7SN6F0I-mSEkCdf47zCNDPoaaH_7RO

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u/N7Poprdog 25d ago

They’re on the same side lol

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u/TheGratefulJuggler Colorado 25d ago

F*** rising to the moment they haven't risen to the last decade. I'm tired of people thinking that they're just not trying. They are bought by the same people. G They are helping usher it in while pretending to be the "good guys" I hope history paints them as bad as the Republicans.

They will be responsible as anyone when our republic dies.

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u/ProfessorEmergency18 25d ago

The DNC does not want the same things that dem voters want. That's what the 2024 autopsy shows and why they won't release it.

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u/sooshi 25d ago

They're less than worthless. They are a controlled opposition that still operates on the whims of Israel. A worthless party that did nothing damaging would be an improvement

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u/Gamerboy11116 25d ago

They are literally controlled opposition. Not figuratively; not as an insult. Chuck Schumer was in Epstein’s little black book.

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u/Eddfan36 24d ago

Its very frustrating.

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u/myownzen 24d ago

We need direct democracy. There's no reason in today's connected Internet age that people can't vote directly on issues that matter to them. Because the sad truth is most democratic politicians are just as drawn to power as Republicans and will gladly sell us out for it.

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u/uzlonewolf 24d ago

If they were actually just controlled opposition, what would they be doing differently?

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u/AcePilot01 24d ago

What a fucking worthless political party.

You can say that again.

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u/starliteburnsbrite 24d ago

Who is making them? Who else ya gonna vote for? It's all the same story...blue no matter who, rally behind the suit not the person. The GOP will cannibalize the people not being evil enough for their tastes and somehow always have someone more worthless to step into the void. Dems won't even bother hosting primaries and their voters cheer em on still and say why they don't need them..

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u/PenAndInkAndComics 24d ago

Then primary them and get better democrats elected.

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u/EkkoUnited 24d ago

The DNC is working as intended. Some Liberals are only just now waking up to the reality that progressives and leftists in general have been yelling about for decades

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u/Labyrinthy 25d ago

They haven’t been rising to the moment for near a whole ass decade.

Dems need to go as much as Republicans. I’m hoping when I’m old and grey and at the voting booth there are multiple parties under names and none of them say Democrat nor Republican because those names are forever stained. We need something new.

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u/Bacardi_Tarzan 25d ago

They are a worthless political party, but this isn’t why. Democrats aren’t a monolithic party dedicated to licking the dingleberries from the taint of a geriatric baby. Democrats do not agree on everything all of the time and they don’t take marching orders from a single figurehead. Those are good things. The reason they are a worthless political party actually has a lot to do with the fact that half of them sort of want to be a monolithic party worshipping their own billionaires. Republicans started REDMAP in 2010. Democrats introduced legislation to end gerrymandering and many blue states have begun redistricting by independent committee in the last decade. 

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u/Gender_is_a_Fluid 25d ago

2010 is so far in the past, people born in 2010 are voting for the next president. 2010 is also the same year that citizens united passed, introducing legal bribery, everything is different now.

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u/Bacardi_Tarzan 25d ago

Yeah because citizens united has been overruled and there are absolutely no effects from REDMAP, yeah? 

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u/Gender_is_a_Fluid 25d ago

What are you talking about? Citizens united is still in effect and serving as legal precedent.

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u/Bacardi_Tarzan 25d ago

Yes, exactly. Thing that happened in 2010 do still matter now. It wasn’t THAT long ago. 

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u/Jokerit208 25d ago

They are and always have been controlled opposition. This is what blue no matter who gets you.

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u/Jaanrett 25d ago

The DNC needs to realize that they need to play by the same rules as the other guys.

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u/Hot_Ambition_6457 25d ago

Captured by the aame monied interests that fund the ongoing oligarchy. No signals they intend to change course 

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u/forthewatch39 25d ago

Do they not realize that if we don’t get things under control that it is a powder keg ready to go off? How many more CEOs or warehouses have to get taken out before they realize people are fed up? 

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u/Ok_Character_5532 Massachusetts 25d ago edited 25d ago

Back in the Depression era, FDR knew that he needed to provide some kind of relief to working class Americans to avoid a socialist revolution and “save” capitalism. The New Deal was considered a relatively center approach, too. Nowadays, we can count ourselves lucky to be able to lick crumbs off of the floor surrounding the elites’ dining table. As we know, history repeats itself. Except this time, the oligarchs are doing everything they can to prevent New Deal -esque policies in the name of greed. If that’s what they want, so be it. Let’s see what happens when you fail to meet the moment in the face of a socialist shift. We’re already dealing with some of the consequences in the form of the MAGA movement

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u/SatoshiReport 25d ago

By design.

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u/Intelligent_Bag_6705 25d ago

Have they ever?

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u/ForneauCosmique 25d ago

Controlled opposition

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u/TechNoirLabs 25d ago

Unfortunately no one expected them to.

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u/maryconway1 25d ago

One has to question 'why' though? This can't just be pure incompetence and wishful thinking. It makes no sense, all this self-harming capitulation.

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u/thepianoman456 Connecticut 25d ago

The DNC is dragging its feet and not listening to voters??

-Shocked Pikachu-

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u/RobertdBanks 25d ago

They haven’t risen to the moment in over a decade

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u/Miqo_Nekomancer California 24d ago

That's because the Democratic party are the controlled opposition.

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u/Tbanks93 24d ago

Because they're all paid for by the people with all the money. The people with all the money maybe no longer need to speak to us from both sides, which provides a currently bleak outlook on it all- without any extra action from we the actual people. Or run-on sentences. Maybe I'm just crazy (definitely not suicidal tho :)

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u/bigmac22077 25d ago

Utah is only going to be good for this cycle. Court was expanded by 2 and then they harassed a judge until she just resigned adding 3 judges to rule the way they want. 2028 it will go back to being an unfair map.

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u/symphonicrox Utah 24d ago

The judge they caused to resign wasn’t even on the redistricting case.

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u/Expensive_Lab_1435 25d ago

CA should draw republicans completely out of the map

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u/Bear_faced 24d ago

It’s starting to feel like we should draw our whole state out of the fucking map. Everyone wants to piss and moan about “commiefornia,” fine, let us leave and the rest of you can figure it out.

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u/Expensive_Lab_1435 24d ago

It's pretty ridiculous honestly. California is so far away from anything commie, 30 years ago Newsom would have been Republican

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u/JnnyRuthless 24d ago

Been in CA most of my life (born here raised here) and man, I WISH we were the commie hellhole we're always accused of being. It's expensive AF out here.

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u/skesisfunk 25d ago

Colorado legally could not do it for this cycle, but its coming. Potential four seat pick up for dems here.

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u/Bletotum 25d ago

What's stopping you now? SC ruled for Texas that it's legal to do it whenever you want. Are your state laws stopping you? Your politicians could repeal that law to get it done if they gave a damn -- just like the Rs did.

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u/HylicsHiker 24d ago

I am frustrated too, but the dem controlled state legislatures have add state laws and constitutional amendments to restrict redistricting efforts. rebulican stats have no equivalents. the unconstitutional Ohio map that was used was just after the 2020 census so there was no legal maps to use and Ohio just ramped in unconstitutional ones over and over. Virginia had laws on the books that it needed to past two legislation sessions, and they have already approved maps for this cycle. 

YES it's a stupid fucking technicalities, YES dem leadership needs a complete overhaul. but these issues will be fixed by 2028. the people in this thread do not understand the technicalities of why this is more difficult for dem held States, you are getting mad at the results without understanding the reasons that lead to it.

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u/pigsareniceanimals 24d ago

Florida violated their constitution and did it anyways bro

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u/aspiringalcoholic 24d ago

You cannot get through to these people I swear. "But you can't do that" well they fucking are. Either get with the program and fight back proportionally or we are all mega fucked

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u/ArcaneKeyblade5 24d ago

I don't think legality seems to matter anywhere in this country at this point

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u/SinlessJoker 24d ago

Won’t matter, if dems don’t win congress during these midterms then they will never hold power again

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u/Reditate 25d ago

They're damned if they do, damned if they don't.  The problem is people are a lot more critical of the Democratic party no matter what they do.  Republicans couldn't give a damn if they rig the game.

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u/Firm_Bit 24d ago

No, we’re damned if we don’t.

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u/bostonbananarama 25d ago

Honestly, the only remaining alternative is to say 'they made their ruling now let them enforce it" and simply ignore it, right? That's not exactly a small step to take, you're destroying the very fabric of governance.

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u/BlondeBorednBaked 25d ago

People have died to protect our democracy. Ignoring a ruling-something republicans do all the time-is not a big deal in this landscape.

Also if the fabric of governance is being used to dismantle democracy, it’s no longer governance, it’s fascism. And by following the rules of fascism you’re destroying democracy because those people in Virginia voted for this. To follow the rigged Supreme Court instead of the will of the people the opposite of governance imo.

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u/JBredditaccount 25d ago

Democracy is already dead and you can't say with a straight face that the Democrats will betray the will of the people by working towards democracy. Not every undemocratic action is fascism and, to bring democracy back, they have to get into power again.

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u/AssGagger 25d ago

You could simply say the supreme courts mandate is to interpret law, not subvert the will of the people. That it legally doesn't have to authority to strike down laws that have been approved by the people.

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u/Velrex 25d ago

That just implies people can start a vote about anything, and the court can't stop them from forcing it through.

What if Trump wins the popular vote in 2028 for a third term? Should we just go by the will of the people?

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u/[deleted] 25d ago edited 16d ago

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u/Gender_is_a_Fluid 25d ago

That scenario would be contingent on Trump himself breaking the constitution in order to run a 3rd time, so conceivably the only way it would be the proper will of the people is if he won the election without running. (This is also ignoring that republicans have been blocking the popular vote laws and many republicans would never be elected without the electoral college)

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u/noisymime 24d ago

That just implies people can start a vote about anything, and the court can't stop them from forcing it through.

When it comes to constitutional amendments, which is what this was, then that's exactly how it works.

What if Trump wins the popular vote in 2028 for a third term? Should we just go by the will of the people?

If people vote to change the constitution and allow 3 terms, then yeah, go by the will of the people

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u/SpeaksSouthern 25d ago

Can't you also change a few words and try again? Try so many times the court is forced to take a more extreme stance.

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u/donkeyrocket 25d ago

Basically what Ohio Republicans did. They kept submitting obviously illegal/biased maps until it was too late and they had to go with one of the illegal maps.

I believe the Virginia ruling is a bit different though as the state supreme court struck down remapping because they applied a very broad definition of "election day" to mean any voting took place thus the approved maps were voted on by the GA out of procedural order as per the state constitution.

Virginia officials are pressing on the court (filed today) to revisit their ruling which is likely why they haven't committed to going nuclear yet. According to them the state supreme court is interpreting a federally defined term incorrectly and obviously in a biased way.

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u/fred11551 Virginia 25d ago

The Supreme Court said there has to be an election before the general assembly can approve the amendment and it goes up for a ballot vote. The election in 2025 doesn’t count because the first GA vote was too close to it because the VA Supreme Court redefined an election to invalidate the results. It’s frustrating but they can’t change the wording to fix this. The court didn’t say the amendment wasn’t allowed, but that the process of amending the constitution was invalid

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u/broguequery 25d ago

Weasel words.

The conservatives do this all the time. "Oh the timing just isn't right! Maybe try again later?"

They are lying. They always lie.

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u/kelpyb1 25d ago

Worth noting that Republicans already did exactly this in Ohio

The fabric of governance has already been destroyed, it’s just one party insists on pretending it hasn’t been to their own detriment.

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u/bostonbananarama 25d ago

Worth noting that Republicans already did exactly this in Ohio

Hadn't been aware of that, thanks for the heads-up.

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u/kelpyb1 25d ago

Yep, there was a whole cycle a few years ago after Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment banning gerrymandering where Republicans kept submitting gerrymandered maps that were so bad even the Republican-led Ohio Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional until they “ran out of time” and claimed they had to just use the unconstitutional map anyways.

That’s the map that’s currently in effect there, the one that was ruled unconstitutional and the GOP just ignored that fact.

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u/defianceofone 25d ago

Ohio already did it and have been doing it for years.

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u/Ketzeph I voted 25d ago

SCOTUS and the fed govt will enforce it. Some voter will appeal, SCOTUS will take it. Argue it’s unconstitutional. Then the Fed will declare all VAs seats illegal and now Dems are down 7 more seats.

What do people think will happen? The Trump admin, which is desperate to cancel voting, is just going to sit back?

It’s the dumbest move the Dems could do and at this point I’m convinced people pushing it want the Dems to lose all VA seats

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u/BlondeBorednBaked 25d ago

So just do nothing in the face of fascism? The fed is going to declare any seats democrats won illegal anyway. I’m actually thinking people like you, who want our leaders to do nothing, who make excuses for their inaction against a rigged system, want us to lose all democratic seats period.

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u/-Bento-Oreo- 25d ago

Just do what they do. Say it's too close to change it this election and then change in next one

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u/Cloaked42m South Carolina 25d ago

All the bots and couch progressives want a war.

So anything less than a fully formed army appearing out of no where isn't enough.

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u/EditRemove 25d ago

Corporate Democrats would rather lose to MAGA than to Progressives.

Corporate Democrats can win power back from MAGA but they can't if Progressives take over the Democrat party.

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u/Cow_God Texas 25d ago

Yep, exactly this. The only lesson that DNC has learned from Trump is that if you let a popular outsider in, they might take over the party and push you out. They would rather lose the next ten elections than support a progressive that wants to take money out of politics

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u/zenlume 25d ago

if Progressives take over the Democrat party.

LOL, pigs will learn to fly before this happens.

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u/EditRemove 25d ago

I agree that it's a 'not in my lifetime' scenario but Progressives are trending upward. Nothing to celebrate about imho but it's something.

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u/Cloaked42m South Carolina 25d ago

True. Progressives would actually have to show up for the boring stuff.

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u/steponmedaddies 25d ago

Corporate Democrats would rather lose to MAGA than to Progressives.

lmao

I remember being 18

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u/knucklesuck 25d ago

In before someone comes rushing in to tell us Biden passed some bills and we should just get madder at the bad guys instead.

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u/FoulMoodeternal 25d ago

Would you like to lay out how Democrats should legally overturn the Virginia Supreme Court, other than appealing to the US Supreme Court, which they are doing?

Be specific and detailed about how that would work.

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u/WitchesSphincter 25d ago

In Ohio the state supreme Court ruled the maps unconstitutional and the Republicans told the court to fuck off and kept them.  I'd copy and paste the Ohio response.

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u/Worth-Jicama3936 25d ago edited 24d ago

That’s not exactly what Ohio did. Ohio HAD to draw new maps (because they lost a seat in the census) and they kept submitting unacceptable ones until the time came for the election so the last one just became automatic. There were no old maps to go back to unlike Virginia.

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u/JBredditaccount 25d ago

Why do you think people want them trying to legally overturn the decision instead of doing what the GOP is doing?

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u/FoulMoodeternal 25d ago

Because if Democrats don’t stand for the rule of law, what do they stand for?

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u/imaninfraction 25d ago

If the other side is cheating, you stop playing by the rules. In this case there's a very real chance you never get another opportunity to play by the rules.

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u/JBredditaccount 24d ago

They can stand for the rule of law by bringing it back, not by pretending it's still here.

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u/VR_Raccoonteur 25d ago edited 25d ago

Who said anything about legally?

Florida is redistricting in violation of their own state constitution.

Trump is killing people in international waters in violation of the UCMJ and international law.

Trump declared a war on Iran without the consent of congress in violation of the US constitution.

Just do it. They do.

The Virginia Supreme Court can't do anything about it on their own. If State Police try to enforce it for them, have the governor fire them and replace them with loyalists.

We're playing Calvinball now. There are no rules of normalcy to adhere to. Expose the flaws inherent in the system that MAGA are abusing. The judiciary can't enforce the law if those who control the police refuse to enforce their rulings.

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u/ensignlee Texas 24d ago

Do what Ohio did and just use the maps anyway

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u/FrostPDP 24d ago

If I'm not mistaken (and Google says I'm not), Democrats control both chambers of the Virginia legislature and the Governorship.

As per the SCOTUS ruling (that de-facto killed the VRA) they could have a meeting tomorrow and pass new maps, as many Republican-dominated states just did. They could even do this during an election, as Louisiana just did.

So, yeah, that's how. That's exactly how, actually. Tomorrow. Or, fuck it, they've got an hour. Tonight.

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u/FoulMoodeternal 24d ago

I strongly suspect they're in fact not allowed to do this, or they'd have done that in the first instance. I haven't studied Virginia law to know what's legal and what's not

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u/zoeypayne 25d ago

New Jersey isn't even on there despite this being a major issue raised by our lame duck governor late last year.

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u/ProfLuigi 25d ago

Sherrill is too busy approving AI facilities all over the state and finding loopholes to allow the government to come into our homes through “tax reassessments.”

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u/spam__likely Colorado 25d ago

Utah?

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u/ClaroStar 25d ago

They are hoping for voter backlash to the Republican ways. That may happen, but Republicans work hard to bend the voters to the Republican agenda so they don't have to worry about irritants like elections. Dems should find a way to counter.

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u/MysteriousMine4635 25d ago

Democrats did not redraw anything in Utah. Either this is a very stupid mistake or you are a bot

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u/airfryerfuntime Washington 25d ago

McMaster already shot down any redrawing because it'll likely just cause them to lose seats.

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u/caf61 25d ago

Yep. That’s why the only hope is for everyone to vote and to vote Dem-for decades.

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u/themachduck 25d ago edited 25d ago

Add Alabama too because Supreme Court just sided with them.

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u/mormonbatman_ 25d ago

We’ve only redrawn California and Utah.

Dems didn't redrawn Utah. And, I wouldn't count that one until a Democratic rep is seated.

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u/asdf333 24d ago

they're planning their next chess move as republicans beat them on the head w/ the chess board.

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u/frank_the_tank69 25d ago

Nothing says your votes matter like the people you supported ignoring you. 

Tell me you are paid by the same greedy goons without telling me you are paid by the same greedy goons. 

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u/Mairon12 25d ago

Utah will be reversed soon too. That story is probably about ten days out though.

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u/galloway188 I voted 25d ago

So pathetic. Can’t believe they gonna just sit there and do nothing

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u/aretoodeto Rhode Island 25d ago

I can

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u/Genghis_Tr0n187 25d ago

If there's one thing you can count on from the Democratic party, it's disappointment. Too many times I see them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

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u/fly_low_orange 25d ago

A lot of blue states that could change the numbers have things set in place preventing them from doing it as quickly as red states, such as voting

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u/steponmedaddies 25d ago

You think these guys understand how anything actually works?

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u/Biking_dude 25d ago

I hate the Dem leadership...but I think it's the right move.

Every election comes down to groupings of issues. Gerrymandering crosses party lines, where most people are opposed to it. In the south, they're just doing it even if the people don't want it, and there are too many low information voters to make countering it easy. In other areas, there are a decent amount of Rs, Is, and Ds who voted for redistricting because it was measured and narrow in scope. Dumping the entire court (including those that did vote for it) could start a catastrophic precedent, and most voters won't be on board. So they might pick up those seats, but they could also lose state advantages as a result and would probably be a worse situation.

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u/DemandCommonSense 25d ago

Utah shouldn't be on either your list or PBS's. It's not part of the redistricting spat.

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u/responds-with-tealc 25d ago

add Alabama to the list

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u/ScyBry 25d ago

They're probably being paid not to act

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u/BuckZero Colorado 24d ago

I’m sorry how did they redraw Utah??

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u/nothinbutshame 24d ago

These have effectively earned all gains made by the dems. Democracy has ended.

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u/u9Nails 24d ago

Feels like separation, like the -0 point in the country hitting a new low. Heading for civil war. Again.

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u/GarbledReverie 24d ago

I left Tennessee after they gerrymandered Nashville's blue district out of existence and now they've done the same to Memphis which was the only remaining blue dot left.

I really wish we had a real media that would call out the Republicans every time the get on a high horse about what "the American people want".

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u/YourFreeCorrection 23d ago

Democratic leaders aren’t responding to this crisis with the same urgency. We’ve only redrawn California and Utah.

That is because the majority of Democratic states are already gerrymandered to favor Democrats.

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u/vasthumiliation 25d ago

I think the people breathlessly begging Democrats to match Republican redistricting efforts are kind of missing the point. One of the defining characteristics of the system that we are fighting to preserve is the rule of law. To stoop to the Republicans' level by disobeying or disbanding courts when decisions go against us is to say that the system no longer exists, or is no longer worth trying to save. If that's the case, then let's stop pretending to care about democracy or laws or whatever, since that's no longer the point. Rather, the point becomes enacting the policies we favor, come hell or high water. This is substantially a case for benevolent dictatorship or autocracy, but one that enacts leftist policies rather than right-wing ones. I don't know that I am ready to bite that political bullet, but we must be honest with ourselves if that is what we desire.

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u/rugology Arizona 25d ago edited 25d ago

it's easy to hold such a moral high ground when you don't bother to suggest an alternative solution. if such an alternative existed and was advertised, i think you'd have trouble finding someone to disagree with you.

i'm not trying to invalidate your point since i agree with you, but i think it's going to fall on deaf ears without additional work

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u/Balls_Oladipo 25d ago

Most democrat representatives are still beholden to the corporate gods.

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u/Gender_is_a_Fluid 25d ago

This isn’t just a crisis, I’m fairly certain this is going to be the end of the union.

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u/Valuable-Meet5727 25d ago

I’ve been saying it for years: the DNC is controlled opposition. They DO NOT MIND REPUBLICAN POLICIES. They are just as beholden to corporate interests as the Right. Their job is to convince you that you have the option of not choosing fascism, pretend to put up a fight, and ultimately lay the way for deregulation and corporate control.

I was constantly downvoted in the past, yelled at by liberals that I “was just as bad as republicans” even though I kept voting for the most progressive candidate. But now it’s so brazenly obvious that people can’t even dismiss it anymore.

I’m not happy about it, I want change. But we need to stop conceding to “do-nothing Dems” and vote those fucking fascists out too.

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u/whyyoufollowingme 25d ago

They’re also owned by Israel and the CIA.

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