[Magdalen] Gerrymandering was Canada's election

[Jim Guthrie]

Jim O wrote:

>>That's the case with my district in New York.

New York has a uniquely New York gerrymandering system:

It's designed by and for incumbents, whether Democrats or Republicans. There's 
no other ulterior motive, including creating Congressional Districts. That's why 
the State Senate has been controlled by Republicans for many years, and the 
State Assembly by Democrats. And together, they divvy up the spoils and approve 
each others' district lines every ten years.

Congressional Districts are drawn so as to maintain the status quo-- mostly 
Democrats in and around NY City (save for Staten Island and a small Republican 
enclave in Brooklyn); Long Island;ds districts swap Democrats and Republicans 
with the net always the same, and upstate is mostly drawn to benefit Republicans 
unless they really need to isolate some enclaves of Democrats.

Unlike the South, these lines are definitely not drawn on racial lines, unless 
you count the West Indian Districts and the African American Districts in NY 
City <g>.

Cheers,
Jim