Thread by @kazweida

This #SundayMorning we're asking how the Republican party, who seems to represent a minority of Americans, controls every branch of both national and a majority of state governments.

It's a tale of dysfunction, gerrymandering, corporate interests & anemic voter turnout

(THREAD)

(2) Let's start with the Presidency.

In the White House, for the 2nd time in 2 decades, sits a president who didn't win the popular vote. That's thanks to a dysfunctional, partisan electoral college that no longer functions the way the founders intended.

vox.com/policy-and-pol…

(3) The Senate also has a GOP majority, largely because the Senate is designed to weight the interests of the 40 million in CA equally with the less than one million residents of AK. The Senate by default gives the rural minority a voice in Congress.

ctpost.com/opinion/articl…

(4) While the balance of the Senate may have been a fair compromise given American's roots, in modern times it heavily dilutes the votes of urban Americans, who are more likely to be people of color.

The Senate, in some ways, cements white minority rule.

https://twitter.com/davidshor/status/957812251800621056

(5) Because the Senate confirms judges, this white minority rule trickles down to our judicial branch. For instance, despite an overwhelming majority of Americans who support Roe V. Wade, we now have a SCOTUS stacked with religious, conservative judges.

chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/con…

(6) Republicans gained control of the House in 2012, winning a 33-seat majority while still losing the popular vote. How on earth did that happen?

Many experts believe this was due to a toxic mix of voter suppression & racial and partisan gerrymandering.

concordmonitor.com/A-fight-for-de…

(7) Which brings us to our state and local governments. Currently, there are 34 states that have a trifecta of party control, meaning that one party controls both legislative and executive offices. Out of those 34 trifectas, a whopping 26 are Republican.

ballotpedia.org/State_governme…

(8) When you control a state, you control district maps. Which is what the GOP did after the 2010 census. It's part of the reason they swept the House in 2012, despite getting a minority of votes.

Historically, we haven't seen this level of one-party control since 1952.

(9) If it feels like you're living under minority rule in America, it's because you are. Corporate interests, who heavily funded the GOP's campaign to control government, have played a central role in cementing Republican minority rule.

America no longer belongs to the people.

(10) We are a democracy in decline.

Because despite the rhetoric of a "leftist mob rule," American politics does not suffer from an excess of majority rule. It suffers from an excess of minority rule.

There's only one way to fix it.
VOTE.
vox.com/2018/9/12/1785…

(11) Part of what enables these rigged systems to work against the majority is that the majority doesn't turn out to vote.

Our voter turnout in a Presidential election hovers around 60%.
Midterm elections it falls to 40%.

pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018…

(12) You are the MAJORITY. You are the MOB.
On November 6th, show up in numbers too big to ignore.

In America, voters don't pick their politicians.
Politicians pick their voters.
And that's not a democracy

GOP rule is minority rule
And it's time to end their reign
#VoteThemOut

(13) Thanks to @russell_zyla for the #SundayMorning thread suggestion. I hope it gave you some #SundayMotivation to power through your weekend and stay involved in supporting candidates ahead of the midterms.

As always, I'm delighted you stopped by. Come back again soon!