Gerrymandering Makes Takeover Tough in Michigan

[Bozita]

I found this article over in LBN and reposted it here for local consumption. My thanks to NVMojo for his LBN post.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-elect/2006/oct/28/102804681.html

Today: October 28, 2006 at 9:50:11 PDT

Gerrymandering Makes Takeover Tough

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
ASSOCIATED PRESS


WASHINGTON (AP) - Michigan's economy is in bad shape, one reason why the governor faces a tougher than expected re-election campaign this year. But good luck finding competitive races among the state's congressional delegation, even in the eight House districts that rank among the worst in the country in terms of declining income, rising poverty and surging unemployment.

If people truly voted their pocketbook, the lawmakers who represent those districts - four Democrats and four Republicans - ought to be nervous heading into the Nov. 7 elections. But seven of those incumbents are virtually assured of another term. The other lost a Republican primary in a safe GOP district.

So why the lack of competitive House races in a politically balanced state that ranks at or near the bottom in so many economic categories?

"The Republicans did a whale of a good gerrymandering job," says John R. Chamberlin, a University of Michigan political scientist.

more...

[roamer65]

1. In 2011, we'll lose another CD so I say the district

we eliminate in redistricting is McCotter's MI-11. He a do-nothing, useless bag of $%#@.