Why John Boehner Has Gerrymandering to Thank for His Majority

[Judi Lynn]

Why John Boehner Has Gerrymandering to Thank for His Majority
—By Nick Baumann

| Thu Nov. 8, 2012 3:03 AM PST

In November 2010, I reported that GOP control of all elements of state government in key swing states—including but not limited to Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania—could ensure a "Republican decade" in control of the House of Representatives. The Democrats' massive 2010 losses couldn't have come at a worse time for the party. Because the census was taken in 2010, GOP control of state legislatures and governors mansions around the country gave Republicans the power to draw congressional district lines largely as they chose. They seized that chance, aggressively gerrymandering so as to protect Republican incumbents and endanger any remaining Democrats. The Dems would have done the same thing, of course, had they won control of these crucial states in 2010. But they didn't.

On Tuesday, the GOP cartographers' hard work paid off. Despite sweeping wins for Democrats in US Senate races and a broad electoral college victory for President Barack Obama, it was clear early in the night that Republicans would hold on to the House. As Slate's Dave Weigel noted, "ridiculous gerrymanders saved the House Republican majority." In many states the president won convincingly, Democrats elected a minority of the House delegation. Here are the numbers for states that Obama won or came close and where Republicans drew the congressional map:

■North Carolina, which Obama lost by around 2 percentage points: 9-4 GOP
■Florida, which Obama won by around half a percentage point: 17-10 GOP
■Ohio, which Obama won by nearly 2 percentage points: 10-4 GOP
■Virginia, which Obama won by around 3 percentage points: 8-3 GOP
■Pennsylvania, which Obama won by nearly 5 percentage points: 8-5 GOP
■Wisconsin, which Obama won by 6 percentage points: 5-3 GOP
■Michigan, which Obama won by 8 percentage points: 9-5 GOP

More:
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/11/boehner-gerrymandering-gop-majority-mandate

[FarPoint]

1. John Boehner ran unopposed.

Yes, the gerrymandering helped with this .....

[liberal N proud]

3. The rest of Ohio was so badly gerrymandered giving it to the GOP

The GOP state legislature had things cut up that we lost several good Democrats in this election. Dennis Kucinich was gerrymandered out of congress pitting him against another outstanding Democrat. In the primary, the majority of the new district was in Kaptures (D) district and Kucinich lost.

Betty Sutton was gerrymandered into a very republican district and lost.

There are others and the list could be analyzed straight down the list in each state. Yes gerrymandering gave Bonehead his majority.

[FarPoint]

4. An Issue 1 got snubbed as well.

This Issue was designed to prevent such abuse by our red elected officials. We lost there.

[liberal N proud]

5. You are thinking of Issue 2 I believe

And yes it got beat because supporters did not get the message out and the language on the ballot was totally confusing.

Issue 1 was to rewrite the states constitution and was also defeated.

We had a line trying to inform people: No on 1, yes on 2. But as I stood outside of one polling location on Election day just before the polls closed, I heard people saying they just didn't understand Issue 2 and simply voted no.

It would have gotten this thing out of the hands of those who benefit from the gerrymandering.

[FarPoint]

9. The language on the ballot confused even me!

I was stunned....and I knew the issues.

[sunwyn]

7. He almost always runs unopposed.

I live in his district and the ignorance about this man is rampant. I have talked to voters in this rural area of Preble County that respond to queries about this man with, "We vote however John Boehner tells us". Frustrating to say the least.

[Island Blue]

2. Yup. As mentioned in the article,

that's part of the reason NC went the way it did in 2012. Mid-term elections have consequences.

[unblock]

6. yup. governorships, legislatures, and increasingly, secretaries of state matter.

[JackN415]

8. It's a much bigger problem nation-wide...

GOP-controlled state houses every were better at this game than Dem, and they have been doing this for decades. That's why we still have GOP houses, which is more of the norm than aberration - unless Dem have large turnout at mid-term election.