(THREAD) Gerrymandering is a tricky piece of business that has served R’s well in recent elections, but it’s also a big gamble and here’s some reasons why...
GMing uses two main strategies: “packing” and “cracking”. States have a certain number of districts based on population and obviously you want the biggest number because representative democracy
3/ “Packing” attempts to draw lines so that all of your opposition is loaded into a small number of districts leaving you free to take the rest. “Cracking” is the opposite, trying to spread opposition out over districts so that they don’t hold a majority anywhere
4/ Typically, both are used in concert. Pack as many opposition voters into districts where you can, and spread out the rest among districts to dilute their power.
5/ problem here is fairly obvious: you’re fighting the tide. Demographics are changing and liberalism is growing in strength by sheer numbers. Minorities demos are growing and MOST, GENERALLY vote dem.
6/ by gerrymandering, you’re automatically conceding some districts so you HAVE TO win the ones you gerrymandered for you. But I’m doing this you’ve also given SOME power to your opposition in those districts. So if you assume your base is larger than it is...
7/ or you piss off the moderates who may be in “your” demo, you can lose them, and once you do, this house of cards collapses.
P.S. RT if you found this helpful. Correct me if I’m wrong on anything.
