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[calimary]

45. Gerrymandering takes place when the bad guys own most of it at the state level.

Because if THEY'RE in charge in the years immediately after the census is taken and the results are presented, then THEY get to reapportion the congressional districts. THEIR secretary of state certifies it, and THEIR governor formally approves it.

SOMEHOW we have to figure out how to flip enough of 'em that WE start prevailing at the state level again.

And yet, I'm also reminded about the Kansas district that was up for grabs a few weeks ago. We lost (again). But we lost by a remarkably small margin, considering how easy a free pass all things republi-CON had enjoyed there in the past. The DNC didn't bother with that one, either. What if they had? I've heard the speculation that if there'd been greater and more prominent support there, and the DNC had made it a priority, we could have narrowed that already surprisingly narrow gap all the way to the winner's circle.

There are FAR too many districts and even states - where the Dems haven't bothered to put up even a small fight. Just wrote it off, from the get-go. Without even blinking. Howard Dean complained about that before he was DNC chair. He talked repeatedly about visiting some of these districts in enemy territory and hearing from Democrats who were, politically-speaking, starving. STARVING! Starving for support, attention, ANY kind of assistance or backing. They were abandoned. And he described how they complained to him - they'd asked, begged, called, sent and left messages, pleaded - for some support. They'd tell him "Hey! We're here too! We've got Democrats here. Right HERE! NEEDING your help! PLEASE!!! We could even win this if we ONLY had some support! We NEED the resources!!! PLEASE!!!" And these people were just ignored. Their needs and their pleas just blown off. No, we have to focus on the "battleground states."

Well, SCREW THAT!!! That's SPECTACULARLY IDIOTIC! EVERY state is a battleground state. And Democrats should run somebody in EVERY election! How many of those seats in the state legislatures and even Congress - where no Democrats bothered even trying to run? The CON ran unopposed. Or maybe a Peace & Freedom party ran or some such odd-man-out. But there were no Democrats on the ballot. Those Democrats in those places didn't even have a choice! They weren't just not represented, they didn't even have anybody in the running to TRY to represent them, or at least bring THEIR concerns into the campaign and then the voting booth!

THAT'S what has to stop. THAT'S what I hope is changing. It is a political mortal sin to leave seats and opposing party candidates unopposed. A MORTAL SIN! It is a political mortal sin NOT to run SOMEBODY in there. To embrace defeat before it's even time to start a campaign. That is freakin' UNTHINKABLE! And UNFORGETTABLE! Or it SHOULD be!