The Best Way to Steal an Election
We’ve heard a lot about stolen votes – but here’s the best way to steal an election: Redraw a congressional district, take out the voters you don’t like, put in more voters do you like. If you stuff the district with Republicans, the Republican wins. If you stuff it with Democrats, the Democrat wins. The election’s over before it starts. The general election doesn’t matter.
I watched Democrat state legislators draw districts to elect Democrats for years. Republicans howled that was dirty politics…until the moment they got their hands on the power to stuff districts themselves. Now Democrats are the ones howling ‘dirty politics.’
If you’re running for president, senator, or governor, you have to run statewide in a swing state. Trump squeaked by. We elected two Republican Senators and, at the same time, a Democrat Governor and Lt. Governor. But that only happens in statewide elections – where politicians don’t get to draw districts.
But look down the ballot at races for Congress: We have 14 Congressmen – 13 run in districts where the general election doesn’t matter. 10 of those districts are drawn to elect Republicans. Three to elect Democrats. Only one district – in 14 – could swing either way.
So in 13 districts the only election Congressmen have to worry about is their party’s primary – where 80% of the people don’t vote. The voters they have to make happy are their party’s primary voters – because the general election doesn’t matter.
What’s worse, the folks who scream about stolen elections don’t give a toot about redistricting. Did you ever hear, say, a MAGA Republican say, I’m going to vote against him because he rigged 13 elections? Nope. Rigged elections have become a way of life.
But, of course, they cut the heart right out of democracy.
*******
Telling stories, in his memoir Carter Wrenn follows The Trail of the Serpent twisting and turning through politics from Reagan to Trump. Order his book from Amazon.
The Best Way to Steal an Election
We’ve heard a lot about stolen votes – but here’s the best way to steal an election: Redraw a congressional district, take out the voters you don’t like, put in more voters do you like. If you stuff the district with Republicans, the Republican wins. If you stuff it with Democrats, the Democrat wins. The election’s over before it starts. The general election doesn’t matter.
I watched Democrat state legislators draw districts to elect Democrats for years. Republicans howled that was dirty politics…until the moment they got their hands on the power to stuff districts themselves. Now Democrats are the ones howling ‘dirty politics.’
If you’re running for president, senator, or governor, you have to run statewide in a swing state. Trump squeaked by. We elected two Republican Senators and, at the same time, a Democrat Governor and Lt. Governor. But that only happens in statewide elections – where politicians don’t get to draw districts.
But look down the ballot at races for Congress: We have 14 Congressmen – 13 run in districts where the general election doesn’t matter. 10 of those districts are drawn to elect Republicans. Three to elect Democrats. Only one district – in 14 – could swing either way.
So in 13 districts the only election Congressmen have to worry about is their party’s primary – where 80% of the people don’t vote. The voters they have to make happy are their party’s primary voters – because the general election doesn’t matter.
What’s worse, the folks who scream about stolen elections don’t give a toot about redistricting. Did you ever hear, say, a MAGA Republican say, I’m going to vote against him because he rigged 13 elections? Nope. Rigged elections have become a way of life.
But, of course, they cut the heart right out of democracy.
*******
Telling stories, in his memoir Carter Wrenn follows The Trail of the Serpent twisting and turning through politics from Reagan to Trump. Order his book from Amazon.