Busting the "both sides do it" myth

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I hate to say it, but BSB has a point. You can't say that Maryland "deserves" a 7-1 map that it would be denied under a fairly drawn map because of how it's laid out, but Massachusetts is OK with a 9-0 map because how it's laid out. The article's points are pretty good otherwise though.

In regards to Texas and especially Arizona, the main factor there is "rotten boroughs", the turnout in Democratic Hispanic areas is FAR below in Republican areas. Especially in Arizona, where Ed Pastor's district has some of the worst turnout in the country, and is both the most Democratic district in Arizona (in percentage) and least Democratic (in raw votes). But it elects just as many representatives as a high turnout Republican district does. I haven't looked at the numbers for the Hispanic districts in Texas, but similar ones wouldn't surprise me.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

In regards to if a McCain seat in Massachusetts is possible, the answer is "well sort of". This district voted for McCain by about 600 votes, but obviously wouldn't be legal because of how it divides the rest of the state into uneven pieces, making even population districts impossible.