Concerning gerrymandering...?

[kentuck]

Why is it that once the Repubs took control they were able to gerrymander the districts which made it impossible to have Congressional landslides like they did before and including 1994? Why couldn't the Democrats have done it before and if they did, how did they manage to lose their majority? Just curious...

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Maybe Because Rethugs Are Really Stupid?

I live in the original Gerrymander - now Barney Frank's turf. Seems like the Dems have been able to hold on to this district for ages.

[LeftCoast]

2. Redistricting is controlled by the states

Republicans gained control of state legislatures and then heavily gerrymandered as many states as they could. Democrats were not as aggressive about gerrymandering. For example, here in CA the Dems could have gerrymandered a number or repubs out, but instead they cut a deal and just made safe seats for everybody. Some states have tried to de-game the process by having non-partisan committees draw the lines with varying degrees of success.

Between gerrymandering and campaign contributions, the US is drifting far from it's ideal vision of democracy.

[acmejack]

3. Mapping software became much more sophisticated.

As did metrics collection. They are able to plot such things down to the voter now, quite literally. Lloyd Doggett's new district was famously gerrymandered in Texas's Tom Delay inspired mid-Census redistricting to actually cross the street simply to exclude only the Congressman's house. He actually had to move to retain his district.