What do Republicans have to do to become relevant again?

[Spectral]

They control the House because of gerrymandering. Democrats got more votes.

''

That doesn't magically make them irrelevant, and it doesn't decrease their power. I see no reason to believe gerrymandering is going away. If anything, it's increased in effectiveness.

We'll see in the next few elections, but I'm predicting that the Democrats are winning the next few cycles. The Republican party needs to change -now- to remain relevant, and I don't see it happening.

I don't really know what this is based on, other than wishful thinking. I suppose you could point to demographics, but previous evidence suggests that Obama's an outlier when it comes to receiving this degree of the Asian vote, and Latinos likely voted heavily against Romney on a one-issue (immigration) vote. Ultimately, candidates matter much more than characteristics of the electorate; Obama was a good candidate and both McCain and Romney were historically weak.

[oblivionx]

to him. no of course they didn't. but unlike his ignorance the rest of us have facts and the real world to go off of.

Feel free to prove it true, because otherwise it's just another crazy conspiracy.

[Spectral]

I wouldn't really say they are controlling the house legitimately though. Considering how much they have to change the districts to stay in power.

That thought might comfort you, but it doesn't change reality; Democrats have to win the overall vote by a lot to take control of the House. There's no reason to expect that to happen particularly soon, and apportionment won't be changing again until after the next census.

[Orbitus]

Redistricting always occurs, generally in the years following a census. I'm saying your conspiracy theory that somehow the evil republicans in their black suvs drove up and stole the house is nonsense that you can't prove past insults.

Really? Because when they change 17 states to help keep the house then they are obviously doing something that is questionable. I am not saying the Dems don't do it but they certainly don't do it to the extent of the Republicans. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-for-a-decade/

[Kraenen]

Redistricting always occurs, generally in the years following a census. I'm saying your conspiracy theory that somehow the evil republicans in their black suvs drove up and stole the house is nonsense that you can't prove past insults.

could you get me the quote of him saying exactly "evil republicans in their black suvs"?

[Uennie]

Yes they are. Even the US census bureau doesn't consider it a separate ethnicity:


Source

"White" people are people of European ancestry, which obviously includes Spain. How would you define caucasian anyway? I'll get some popcorn, this should be entertaining.

Latinos are descendants of Spanish reproducing with Native peoples (Mayans/Incans/Aztecs). They are not white. They are effectively their own ethnic group.

[Grizzly Willy]

Feel free to prove it true, because otherwise it's just another crazy conspiracy.

Sweet, I take it you're dropping the Obamaphone nonsense as well then?

[Deadvolcanoes]

The cake is obviously the lie. But so is the "republicans cheated to take the house" conspiracy drivel.

It's only half true. Redistricting ended up costing the Democrats a few seats, but not enough to gain a majority.

It's also true that Democrats won more votes than the Republicans in the totality of the House election. It doesn't really matter, since that's not how these elections work, but it's an interesting factoid considering the Republicans have a 33 seat majority.

[Sky High]

Feel free to prove it true, because otherwise it's just another crazy conspiracy.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...election-chart
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/20..._majority.html
feel free to ignore.

[Orbitus]

could you get me the quote of him saying exactly "evil republicans in their black suvs"?

Obviously he thinks that I think every Republican is bad. Not true. At least there are some that care about the state they are in or country they are in like Chris Christie.

[oblivionx]

Really? Because when they change 17 states to help keep the house then they are obviously doing something that is questionable. I am not saying the Dems don't do it but they certainly don't do it to the extent of the Republicans. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-for-a-decade/

Hey I hope their ombudsman read that one.

Oh wait, they recently let him go.

[Spectral]

But so is the "republicans cheated to take the house" conspiracy drivel.

That's not so much a "conspiracy" as it is an obvious historical fact. Sam Wang chronicles it nicely in this post and the ensuing posts. One big punchline:

Therefore the disenfranchisement due to partisan-controlled redistricting was a total of 4.4 million voters from both parties. Democrats were disenfranchised more than Republicans, at a ratio of 10:1.

[oblivionx]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...election-chart
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/20..._majority.html
feel free to ignore.

So hard to ignore obviously unbiased reporting.

[Sky High]

could you get me the quote of him saying exactly "evil republicans in their black suvs"?

no one. and no ones was insulting anyone. but to defy the great oblivonx is to be insulting.

[Orbitus]

Hey I hope their ombudsman read that one.

Oh wait, they recently let him go.

And again you deny the fact they are doing it.

[oblivionx]

That's not so much a "conspiracy" as it is an obvious historical fact. Sam Wang chronicles it nicely in this post and the ensuing posts. One big punchline:

Both parties used gerrymandering. All of the sudden one of them is the only one that ever did it to win elections?

[Spectral]

It's also true that Democrats won more votes than the Republicans in the totality of the House election. It doesn't really matter, since that's not how these elections work, but it's an interesting factoid considering the Republicans have a 33 seat majority.

Indeed, we're not going to go to proportional representation anytime soon - it robs politicians that rather enjoy power of their fiefdoms.

[Grizzly Willy]

So hard to ignore obviously unbiased reporting.

The Mother Jones link actually covers both Democrat and Republican cases of gerrymandering.

[Wells]

They need to lose the social conservatism and drop the far right wing rhetoric.

[Orbitus]

no one. and no ones was insulting anyone. but to defy the great oblivonx is to be insulting.

I like the fact he got so butthurt that you got infracted for it. So typical. Don't like the argument go crying to mommy admin. Won't be surprised if I get reported too. Even though we have provided facts and no bullshit talking.

Infracted: Please refrain from claiming other users are "butthurt". This leads the discussion nowhere and is only a belligerent, derogatory and unconstructive way of posting.