[KB] Missing Mathematical "Recalcitrance" + Representative Anecdote

[wessr at onid.orst.edu]

One example of the gerrymandering Ed calls to our attention (see  
below) might serve as a "representative anecdote" for the lot.

I learned about this, by the way, on Stewart's Daily Show, which I  
watch not just for the comedy but for real news. That show, I believe,  
gives you more real news per minute than the news networks, which fill  
so much of their time with talking heads.

The example: In Texas, Austin is democratic territory. It is now  
chopped up into six pieces, each in a different congressional  
district. The result: Austin is represented in the House by five  
Republicans and one Democrat.

No doubt this is an extreme example. Does that make it less  
"representative" of today's gerrymandering? Or more? More  
representative because it amounts to an entelechial perfecting of  
gerrymandering? What is Burke's criterion of "representativeness"?

Bob

Quoting Edward C Appel <edwardcappel at frontier.com>:

> Burkophiles,
>
> We've all been hearing---EVERYWHERE, on Fox, CNN, MSNBC, the  
> broadcast news programs, mewspapers, etc.--about the 'shellacking'  
> the Democrats suffered in the Congressional elections earlier this  
> month.  Some "recalcitrant" numbers are in order:
>
> In Michigan, 2014, Democrats won 50.9 percent of the House votes.   
> Republicans "won" 64.3 percent of the House seats, 9 to 5.
>
> In Michigan, 2012, Democrats won 52.7 percent of the House votes.   
> Republiocans "won" 64.3 percent of the House seats, 9 to 5.
>
> In Pennsylvania, 2014, Republicans won 55.7 percent of the House  
> votes.  Republicans "won" 72 percent of the House seats, 13 to 5.
>
> In Pennsylvania, 2012, Democrats won 50.8 percent of the House  
> votes.  Republicans "won" 72 percent of the House seats, 13 to 5.
>
> In Ohio, 2014, Republicans won 60.3 percent of the House votes.   
> Republicans "won" 75 percent of the House seats, 12 TO 4.
>
> In Ohio, 2012, Republicans won 52.4 percent of the House votes.   
> Republicans "won" 75 percent of the House seats, 12 TO 4.
>
> The total number of votes for the House of Representatives is not in  
> yet for 2014, I do not believe.  But in 2012, although Republicans  
> overwhelmingly "won" the House in terms of seats occupied, Democrats  
> won the actual total vote nationwide by about 1.4 million.
>
> The U.S. House of Represntatives is grossly gerrymandered for  
> Republican "victories" no matter what the vote.  The Senate of the  
> United States is grossly gerrymandered in favor of conservatives by  
> the Constitution.  Most of the small states are red.  Voters in  
> Wyoming, for instance, have 66 times the power of voters in  
> California, when picking a Senator.
>
> See TalkingPointsMemo.com, November 7. 2014, for the raw numbers.
>
> The unfairness of it all is an outrage.  Even more outrageous is the  
> failure of the U.S. media to report the mathematical facts of the  
> past election to the USAmerican people.
>
>
>
> Ed
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> KB mailing list
> KB at kbjournal.org
> http://kbjournal.org/mailman/listinfo/kb_kbjournal.org
>