Comments on: TEXAS PLAN UPHELD

By: Director Mitch

Director Mitch — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

You should probably get some history on it before thinking it is a "terrible precedent". It sounds like you bought hook, line and sinker that this is a "mid decade" redistricting, when all this is is the 2000 redistricting finally getting settled.

Or are you one of those people who think that a republican dominated state should be dominated by democrats?

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

The districts were gerrymandered more or less fair and square when the Democrats controlled the state legislature. Granted, under court order. But even George Will thought it a bad precedent to open redistricting up after the initial pass.

By: Norbizness

Norbizness — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Rather than rehash the same arguments I've been going over for months, I'd rather link to a summary of the testimony of the (former) redistricting consultant to the Texas Republicans:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2298076

In short: the GOP could have won 20 out of 32 seats under the 2001, but had 5 poorly run campaigns in districts that elected conservative Democrats. The new map is worse than anything previously seen; for instance, I'm in East Austin, and would now be in the same district as someone in Rio Grande City, nearly 250 miles away.

---