Comments on: Why local elections may become less and less competitive http://themoderatevoice.com/19530/why-local-elections-may-become-less-and-less-competitive/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:27:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: pacatrue http://themoderatevoice.com/19530/why-local-elections-may-become-less-and-less-competitive/comment-page-1/#comment-129135 pacatrue Sun, 11 May 2008 20:25:04 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/redistricting/19530/why-local-elections-may-become-less-and-less-competitive/#comment-129135 I have to wonder how much the free access to a broad range of information sources also contributes to this. If I'm liberal-leaning now, I can spend my entire day only reading liberal news sources and getting few opinions other than the ones I already think are correct. I have to wonder how much the free access to a broad range of information sources also contributes to this. If I'm liberal-leaning now, I can spend my entire day only reading liberal news sources and getting few opinions other than the ones I already think are correct.

]]> By: runasim http://themoderatevoice.com/19530/why-local-elections-may-become-less-and-less-competitive/comment-page-1/#comment-129128 runasim Sun, 11 May 2008 19:53:04 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/redistricting/19530/why-local-elections-may-become-less-and-less-competitive/#comment-129128 The 'birds of a feather' tendency is a major motivator in all aspects of society.<br>It's as natural as rain.<br>It can be quite benign, and even enriching, in terms of preserving a wide array in terms of cultural heritage <br><br>Homogenous groups, however, can also produce very dull people who lack intellectual inqusitiveness. about the outside world and a dispassionate understanding of their own.,<br><br>When there is disproportionality in power among the groups, the wrost kind of divisivess occurs. The winners have no incentive to acknoledge their own role in <br>producing negative results. They cling to their power advantage. no matter what, and in the face of any amount of evidence that this divided state of affairs serves no one well in the long run.<br><br>It's easy to see, then, why safe seats come about, and why gerrymandered districts are not the only cause of the problem.<br>That doesn't in any way reduce the severity of the problem, however.<br><br>I wouldn't dismiss gerrymandering as an issue just because ficxng that isn't a miracle cure for everything.<br><br>I would be much happier if everyone could just agree that it's a problem for everyone, winners and losers alike. Then we would be free to search for better fixes instead of getiing stuck in hostile power struggles. <br><br>.. The 'birds of a feather' tendency is a major motivator in all aspects of society.
It's as natural as rain.
It can be quite benign, and even enriching, in terms of preserving a wide array in terms of cultural heritage

Homogenous groups, however, can also produce very dull people who lack intellectual inqusitiveness. about the outside world and a dispassionate understanding of their own.,

When there is disproportionality in power among the groups, the wrost kind of divisivess occurs. The winners have no incentive to acknoledge their own role in
producing negative results. They cling to their power advantage. no matter what, and in the face of any amount of evidence that this divided state of affairs serves no one well in the long run.

It's easy to see, then, why safe seats come about, and why gerrymandered districts are not the only cause of the problem.
That doesn't in any way reduce the severity of the problem, however.

I wouldn't dismiss gerrymandering as an issue just because ficxng that isn't a miracle cure for everything.

I would be much happier if everyone could just agree that it's a problem for everyone, winners and losers alike. Then we would be free to search for better fixes instead of getiing stuck in hostile power struggles.

..

]]> By: superdestroyer http://themoderatevoice.com/19530/why-local-elections-may-become-less-and-less-competitive/comment-page-1/#comment-129127 superdestroyer Sun, 11 May 2008 16:33:33 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/redistricting/19530/why-local-elections-may-become-less-and-less-competitive/#comment-129127 Once again, political correctness forces liberal researchers to skip over the ethnic and racial component of the uniformity. To find the Democratic landslide counties that the authors references, just look at the percentages of the public school at is white. In a place like Chicago where the public school is 9% white, the Republicans have no chance of winning. If you look at places like Northern Virginia that have gone from Republican to Democratic, it tracks very well with the delclining number of white students in the public schools. Once again, political correctness forces liberal researchers to skip over the ethnic and racial component of the uniformity. To find the Democratic landslide counties that the authors references, just look at the percentages of the public school at is white. In a place like Chicago where the public school is 9% white, the Republicans have no chance of winning. If you look at places like Northern Virginia that have gone from Republican to Democratic, it tracks very well with the delclining number of white students in the public schools.

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