Thank you for this article, Ms. Kirkland.
Arizona has long been held up as a model of how to create fair, representative electoral maps largely free from partisan bias. But a Republican proposal to overhaul the independent commission that draws the state’s maps threatens that reputation.
To call these people losers is an insult to losers. They don’t even dare to play (by rules that are fair). They know that change is coming, so naturally they do anything possible to cling to power, no matter how transparently dishonorable the act.
There is an old story about an English king, Canute, who, it is said, tried arrogantly to turn back the tide. The story is wrong in three ways: While he was king and did rule England, he was a Dane and his name was Knud. And far from being arrogant, he was known to be a most graceful leader. What he did on that distant shore was to graphically remind his power-mad courtiers that even a king cannot always have his way.
If only King Knud were alive today, we could ask him to take our Republicans down to the shore, to teach them a thing or two about humility, and acceptance, and dignity.
This needs to be broadcast widely… The fact that a “fairly drawn” map is not acceptable to the GOP proves that they only care about party, not country… WAKE THE FUCK UP America.
we are woke, but we’re battle damaged with PTSD and outrage fatigue.
It’s a never ending stream of outrageous bullshit.
Well of course they would.
How else will they get the expected results
A 50/50 vote split = 2/3rds of the seats
Republican Math
You Democrats are such chumps
You Wanna win -Cheat!
Sounds like how Republicans in Wisconsin reorganized the election and ethics agency because it called them out one too many times.
“GOP Power Play Would Move This State Backward On Gerrymandering”
GOP Power Play Would Move This Backward State Backward On Gerrymandering
FIFYArizona has long been held up as a model of how to create fair, representative electoral maps largely free from partisan bias.
…
By whom might I ask? This sentence, in my humble opinion and as someone who has spent 50 years this year living as a resident of Arizona, was written by someone who does not know my state. The fact is the two state leg. chambers (our House and Senate) have been in GOP hands since 1969.
Allow me to emphasize that point. Forty nine years of one party legislature is not healthy for a democracy. Yes, our governorship has changed parties over those near 5 decades but currently it’s in the hands of a very reactionary guy, Doug Ducey. We are and have been hard core red. And let me say that it has been heavy lifting to get anything reasonable done here. But change is coming. The demographics say we will be blue within a decade and the GOP knows it. And its about damned time. I want Arizona to be blue before I die.
Let me offer one anectdote that tells what our legislature is… goofy. Two weeks after my Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, was severely wounded by Jared Loughner, the AZ Legislature declared the Colt .45 “Peace Maker” the state pistol. And not long after passed a law allowing folks to open carry guns into places where alcohol is served.
And this state is held up as a model of how to form Congressional districts? It’s already gerrymandered.
As a lifelong resident, I was gonna say that yeah, it’s true, we’re that fucked up and we aren’t actually gerrymandered in the traditional sense. We are, however, squeezed to death between the rednecks in the rural areas and the blue hairs in all of the retirement cities. Now that governor Douchebag has stacked the state supreme court by adding extra seats and filling them with conservatives, we are being strangled by the conservatives who currently run things. But we aren’t gerrymandered.
So they’ve got a majority already, and that’s not enough?
My district (AZ 2nd) is designed to include the foothills of Tucson where the GOPers live. I make it into the district only by one block. Across the street out my front window is Raul Grijalva’s deep blue district. Too bad the districts were redrawn in 2013.
A lifelong resident of AZ is a rare thing. I’m only what’s called, a “semi-native”. But then one branch of the darr family is onto their 4th generation living here…“here” being Scottsdale.
edit
And allow me to further to state that in this particular case I do not mind my state being cast as “backward”… considering the stranglehold the GOP has here.
Divest from Arizona.
Ds will likely have significant gerrymandering opportunities in the next 3 years. Put me down in the camp that would fully and unapologetically push to take full advantage.
It’s tempting, but we don’t really need to. All we need to do is make the outcomes reflect the vote totals.
GOP criminals steal, cheat, and lie.
How surprising…
AZ will elect two US Senators in November, with all due respect to Sen McCain.
Right now it’s 5-4 in a state the GOP won as President. I don’t think that’s out of whack (not like Pennsylvania for sure). Did I read the article wrong?
Rigging the 2018 election begins in earnest…