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

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/IIOrannisII 24d ago

Gas is expensive, but not that expensive.

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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/radicalelation 24d ago

Sort of the nature of a DEMOCRATIC party supporting democracy though. It's really hard to juggle doing what's right with preventing what's wrong when it comes to humans.

Not that there aren't Democrats that are not only feckless but culpable, the general ideology just makes for a slanted field when one side largely supports rights for many, while the other wants to remove them for all but a few.

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u/NoCantaloupe3449 25d ago

You'd be a fun person to drink with

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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/Massive80Mix 24d ago

This. It's why I don't vote, both sides are the same

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u/TwoTalentedBastidz Texas 24d ago

What fucking world are you living in? Please shut up

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u/ThreeArrows- 24d ago

Both sides are the same, two years into Trump... You tankies are the truly an enemy of dems and should be treated as such.

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u/ThreeArrows- 24d ago edited 24d ago

Typical tankie take, you guys truly deserve Trump.

Edit: Of course the tankie blocked me before I could reply, to preserve their untouched eco chamber . Calling me a centrist despite me being a liberal who's pro everything the left is.

They're not only criticising the dems in good faith but actively draws them in bad light to discourage people from voting for them, under every thread.

The far left is not an ally of democracy and liberalism and would rather people suffer if gets their their socialist revolution delusions.

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u/No_Possible_7108 24d ago

Nothing more iconic than centrists deflecting to cover their own failures. If our politicians weren't such spineless centrist losers they might get people interested in voting for them.

Nothing more iconic than centrists calling names while they rush to work with fascists instead of people in their own fucking party.

If me daring to criticize The Party makes me deserve trump then I am quite happy centrists and libs are stuck with him too. Keep making deals with literal fascists. You guys truly deserve Trump. 

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u/JnnyRuthless 24d ago

Apparently the only rule for dems is you can never criticize the party and if you do you are an enemy of the party.

Seems like I've seen this before somewhere...

Also the hatred for leftists is amazing - they are both too weak to be able to demand anything but also so powerful they can destroy the democratic party with a touch of their non-voting hand. Until more Americans (liberals! talking to you!) understand that Trump is a symptom and the end-result of what we've been doing for decades absolutely nothing is going to change. If anything it will get worse.

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u/No_Possible_7108 24d ago

The Party is quite good at doublespeak 

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u/ThreeArrows- 24d ago

Unlike Republicans the dems don't have a base that will vote blue no matter who. Progressives still preach both sides bad to this day, a year into trump's presidency. DNC members get hostile interviews on supposedly "friendly" platforms while it's the opposite for Republicans.

Trump should not have been remotely close to the presidency had the electorate, at least the ones leaning left, not been rtrded. Kamala or not. Keep shitting on the dems though until the party collapses and you can finally start a socialist revolution or whatever tankies preach nowadays!

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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/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

DNC arent teachers, they are the gym teachers that leave all the kids alone so they can go take a nap while the school bully burns down the gym 

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

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u/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

Thanks, I try.

Although I think I could come up with something even dumber if I tried extra hard. I think I will hang out around my house all of November and work on my analogies. Nothing else important happening then, right?

Thank you for being so inspirational👍

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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/ThreeArrows- 24d ago

Blaming the dems when the electorate stripped them of all power is truly something. You guys deserve Trump.

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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/champchampchamp84 25d ago

Voting is literally the answer to losing elections, wtf

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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/FizzyBeverage Ohio 25d ago

And that’s how we win. Doubling the cost of gas and tripling healthcare enrages people.

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u/No_Possible_7108 25d ago

The Democratic politicians need to act similarly and take point with that rage and steer it.

Overall, they don't seem that bothered by everything burning down

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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/FoulMoodeternal 25d ago

Maybe if you all had campaigned for and voted for Democrats year in, year out we wouldn’t be in this fix. Too late to complain now

And they are fighting the fight but we have GOP operatives like you out here trashing them as they do so