GOP RedMap project's ill gotten gains
Not only is Year-round, locally based precinct organizing essential for moving the Democratic Party leftward, it also stops the GOP in their tracks, and would have stymied the GOP's long planned massive 2010 census year gerrymander aka the RedMap project.
Some of the links posted are a couple of years old for a purpose. The tactic used by the republican to gain more legislative seats nation wide with much fewer people actually voting for them than voted for Dems is very much still in play, and it began quietly years before it was put into play. They called it the RedMap project. A redistricting coup planned long before the 2010 US census to act as a firewall blocking the democratic process. The GOP is planning to hide behind this Dark Money fueled gambit they successfully used to seize control of the now "firewalled" state legislatures, to take apart the electoral college system (where applicable) to avoid competing for control of the Whitehouse in 2016 What got me thinking of this is Daily Kos election/map expert, Jeff Singer's analysis of the advantage locked in and firewalled by the party unwilling to win by earning it fairly - the GOP:
Just how strong are the GOP's gerrymanders? Daily Kos Elections' median district scores explain
by Jeff Singer | July 3, 2015 It isn't pretty. The Maps yes, and very informative, but the outlook for Dems, (as much as my limited knowledge of these things allows),..not all that good Rachel Maddow and team dug into this back in 2013 and got hold of a republican memorandum bragging of their sabotaging the democratic process and the resulting disenfranchisement of the voters will (the GOP has since scrubbed the linked memo btw):
The GOP’s ‘REDMAP’ memo
In November, Democratic candidates for Congress collectively got 1.1 million more votes than their Republican opponents, but the House speaker is a Republican, with a 33-seat Republican majority. That’s not just us calculating it. That’s the Republican State Leadership Committee touting the effects of its Redistricting Majority Project, or REDMAP. They write:
President Obama won reelection in 2012 by nearly 3 points nationally, and banked 126 more electoral votes than Governor Mitt Romney. Democratic candidates for the U.S. House won 1.1 million more votes than their Republican opponents. But the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is a Republican and presides over a 33-seat House Republican majority during the 113th Congress. How? One needs to look no farther than four states that voted Democratic on a statewide level in 2012, yet elected a strong Republican delegation to represent them in Congress: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. … [T]he Republican firewall at the state legislative and congressional level held.
ProPublica detailed exactly how REDMAP worked:
How Dark Money Helped Republicans Hold the House and Hurt Voters
The GOP control of the House came despite more votes for Democrats. Republicans used dark money to control redistricting in many states, aided by other supposedly nonpartisan groups that leaned heavily to Republicans.
Republicans are now planning to use Red Map firewall for more rigging; to change how electoral votes are apportioned. Playing with the idea of manipulating the electoral college or getting around it in some way. Karl Roves dream; permanent republican dominance of the electoral process and outcomes. Iow's, zeroing out democracy - One of those "burdensome liberal regulations" called the right to vote The voters that the republican have so far failed in their efforts to purge of their right to vote are marginalized (short ad - sorry)
More recently Rachel Maddow and team tracked down one of the lead architects of the GOP's RedMap project. Former RLSC president Chris Jankowski. This video interview is very illuminating. No, it is actually more than that. RedMap architect Chris Jankowski explains precisely how RedMap worked. How the RNC spent money, where they spent it. Who they targeted. How the money was bundled. What type of on-the-ground local organizers they had, etc. This video segment @ the link directly below is so worth a look see:
How Republicans set up a decade-long advantage over Democrats
March 2, 2015
Chris Jankowski former president of the Republican State Leadership Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the Republican implementation of "Project RedMap" to win state legislatures for greater control of the electoral process
Backing up a bit just for a second: In this next video segment Rachel Maddow speaks with the director of the DLCC SuperPAC Mark Schauer.
How Republicans turn fewer votes into more legislative seats
February 19, 2015
Mark Schauer, director of the DLCC SuperPAC, Advantage 2020, explains to Rachel Maddow how Democrats plan to take back state legislatures in time to have influence over redistricting following the 2020 census, to cut back the outsized GOP advantage.
Some good ideas; creating fair districts with a superpac to invest at the state level, but it seems like starting at the very bottom at the precinct level should be the first thing on the list. "state by state" is still aiming at the wrong target - or rather; too broad and unfocused a target. The GOP targeted $ many local and precinct level races that caught the Dems by surprise until it was too late. Also; Too many important issues can't wait for 2020 to roll around. Long term planning is a good thing, but a timeline that begins in 2020, waiting for an advantage (until the 2020 census), emulating the same gambit used by the party that never waits to take advantage (and admits is a one time strategy made possible in a census year that won't necessarily work twice) doesn't cut it - imo Dems should not wait until then. The DLCC should build now and spend what is needed locally, foundation first, and spread it around where $ it's most needed and will do the most good The bottom up strategy part of the RedMap is a good one, and one that wouldn't have worked for the GOP if Dems had built and financed local and state apparatus permanently in place as opposed to the temporary 7 state strategy that is a basic method of shutting down the grassroots electoral infrastructure when the election is over. That temporary thinking cost the Dems dearly.
And back to the present: Over the lightening bolt is just how RedMap worked -> The element of surprise was a key component, according to one of the lead architects
Rachel asks lead architect of RedMap Chris Jankowski about how RedMap worked and how prepared Dems were to deal with it (@ minute 13:45 of the same RedMap advantage video):
Rachel interjects with a question to clarify: "..and blindsided not just Democrats in those individual races but Democrats nationwide who are trying to come up with a RedMap answer for 2020? They [Dems] were doing nothing like this in 2010."
Chris Jankowski (R - Red Map) answers, that it won't work twice if Dems are properly prepared:
"..well, I will say there's as shelf life to these [gerrymandered] lines.." [...] "They'll [Dems] will be ready next time. It'll be a 'Donny BrooK' "
Red Map would not have worked for the GOP if the Dems/DNC had invested in and maintained a permanent grassroots level infrastructure where organizers and other campaign workers could keep an eye on things year round. Even the most unannounced elections would be covered. We didn't and got our asses kicked. Let's make building a year-round grassroots foundation a high priority starting immediately if not sooner
This:
navajo said it without a word
Time to turn in. I lost one of two 110 AC legs so half the outlets went dead. Just rewired and swapped into the live half of the breakers for the bare essentials; refrigerator and the internet so I could keep the food cold and the internet hot to post this diary. I hope the recent road (culvert) work didn't cut one of the underground lines part way and it just now burnt through - arggh - Best wishes this holiday weekend everyone ♫♪♫ - Thank you for stopping by
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