I've been Gerrymandered!!!
GERRYMANDER, Michigan -- The Democratic takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives would have been even more impressive if not for the ridiculously shaped 15 House districts in Michigan.
I did some quick math on the Nov. 7 election. It comes out to this: Democratic House candidates in Michigan received 1,741,259 votes, compared to 1,625,118 for Republican candidates.
But due to the districts drawn by a Republican state legislature in 2000, NOT ONE House race in the state was competitive. The GOP, outpolled, still won NINE of the state's 15 House districts.
Map of Michigan's U.S. House districts
Of COURSE this is outrageous.
The Supreme Court ruling on Texas redistricting seems to open the door for redrawing the lines before 2011.
And with 23 state legislatures in Democratic control, perhaps it should be considered, given that Republicans certainly don't hesitate to play that game.
If House districts across the country weren't so blatantly gerrymandered, the Democrats could have picked up 60 seats Nov. 7, rather than half that total.
The GOP gerrymandering of Michigan was masterful. Not ONE competitive race this year!
They have bottled up the Democratic strongholds in a few districts in Detroit and the Flint/Saginaw area, and wrapped GOP districts around the suburbs.