Thank gerrymandering for Trump's staunchest defenders in Congress

[mysteryowl]

They’re President Trump’s first line of defense against impeachment: US Representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows, both former chairmen of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, now ubiquitous bulldogs on cable news, the Sunday morning shows, Capitol Hill hallway press availabilities, even a tag-team road show in Texas.

It makes compelling television. Meadows and Jordan shed congressional politesse and speak the language of thriller novels. They’ve argued that impeachment represents a “coup” and have offered dire warnings of “deep state” conspiracies to “take down this president”.

Jordan’s district, the Ohio fourth, is 90% white and carefully sandwiched between the outskirts of Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo – collecting suburban Republicans and rural conservatives, while surgically avoiding any urban Democrats. The seat was drawn in 2011 by Republican consultants who disappeared into what they called “the Bunker” to draw the state’s congressional map, making last-second changes to please national Republicans and campaign donors.

That map, as designed, has produced a reliably 12-4 Republican delegation ever since, draining this competitive state of competitive congressional elections for an entire decade. Jordan won re-election in 2018 with over 65% of the vote, despite a lingering scandal over what he knew about a team doctor sexually abusing collegiate wrestlers when he coached at Ohio State.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/22/congress-gerrymandering-trump-republicans-jim-jordan-mark-meadows

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[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. Republicans despise democracy

Russiapublicans hate it even more.

The GOP prefers to select their voters rather than allow voters to select their representatives.

[oasis]

2. Slimy rats.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Yup. Gerrymandering is evil. Must have independent districting commissions. . . . nt

[usaf-vet]

4. Thank gerrymandering for Trump's newest mouthpiece on CNN. Former Rep. Sean Duffy WI-07

The jury IMO is still out on winning Wisconsin in 2016. We still don't know the full ramification of the Russian influence on the 2016 election.

[usaf-vet]

7. This is what CNN has to look forward to. Thanks but no thanks for bring that into my living room.

SEAN DUFFY (CNN CONTRIBUTOR): So hold on a second. So we spent two years on a Russia investigation, right, and Democrats and the media were all about what happened in the 2016 election. What Mick Mulvaney said was Donald Trump said let’s look and say let's get the server. This is the DNC server that had everything to do with the Russian investigation in general.
PSAKI: This is the disputed crowd absurd conspiracy theory that you’re talking about right now.
DUFFY: It may be,.... but he says I’m investigating the 2016 election and the DNC server.

It continues:
TAPPER: The only thing I’ll say about this is Tom Bossert, the former homeland security adviser for President Trump has said that this whole thing is a debunked conspiracy theory, this is a former Trump aide saying that.
DUFFY: But it may be but Donald Trump could still legitimately go back and say I'm looking at 2016.
CARPENTER: Do you think that is a waste of taxpayer money?
DUFFY: No I don’t. Not at all.

Watch the entire dialog below:
https://www.mediamatters.org/sean-duffy/cnn-contributor-sean-duffy-trump-should-still-push-ukraine-investigation-spite-may-be

[CousinIT]

5. If they were female and talked that way, they'd be called "hysterical", and

"Drama queens" with their screaming about a "coup" when it's just plain old impeachment under the Constitution and telling thriller novels about the "deeeep staaaate".

I call them that anyway. Hysterical, screaming drama queens.

The media should call them that too.

Treat them like GOP treats women: demean them. Minimize what they say. Laugh at them.

That would probably shut them up.

[Scarsdale]

6. Well, gerymandering obviously

draws the very lowest of the low. With any REAL competition, these guys would not be in office. Gym Jordan is a joke, in his shirt sleeves. What is he trying to prove? I have seen him on TV, and he is no Einstein. Sort of dumb, actually. Does not "think on his feet" and gets tongue tied often. So this is the best the district could do? Sad, BIGLY sad.

[uponit7771]

8. K&R, But I'm still ... MOSTLY ... sticking with they're taking Russian money. The media has FAILED

... on this front relative to Clinton Emails that were front and center too damn much in 16.