BALANCING INPUT

AND OUTCOME

In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal noted that former Attorney General Eric Holder of Takoma Park, Montgomery County’s ultra-liberal enclave, had been spearheading efforts to get state courts to redraw election maps he finds unfair.

“Unfair” by his definition is when Democrats win fewer congressional seats than their percentage of the statewide popular vote. Curiously, it’s a definition that was originally applied by the New York Times following the 2012 Maryland elections, the first to reflect a Democratic gerrymander which still applies to the state.

The Times observed back then that “In Maryland, Republicans won 35% of the votes but just 13% of the seats.” So, surely, Mr. Holder must have put Maryland high on his list of offenders to be challenged in court. But actually, it was not on his list at all, nor was any other state where Democrats benefited from gerrymandering. How coincidental.

2030 will be the occasion for the next decennial census which in turn will be the basis for redistricting and, as such, will influence elections for a decade to come.

It has been proposed that redistricting be done by an independent, non-partisan commission but Democrats won’t commit. After all, who knows who might win how many seats in such a scenario.