SCOTUS: Partisan Gerrymandering is a Non-Justiciable Political Question

[Virginiá]

Honestly, this is what I was expecting.

Pretty much. It's hugely disappointing to me but the writing was on the wall long ago, once Kennedy left.

Doesn't mean the door is shut for good though, but at least until conservatives lose their majority.

[Virginiá]

While I obviously disagree with the decision on principle, this is actually on balance good for Democrats. The North Carolina map will likely be struck down by the state Supreme Court now, while the Maryland map is safe.

Maybe in the short-term. The long-term would have been much better for Democrats if partisan gerrymandering everywhere was reigned in. Although tbh it's debatable how much, because even a favorable decision here probably would have only curtailed the more extreme maps.

edit: Actually, maybe not. Not sure how Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina's cases would have gone, but if all 3 had to be redrawn, that would have better for Democrats (even if MI doesn't change much).

[Virginiá]

It was disappointing, but completely expected based on the oral arguments and the current composition of this Court. One of the biggest problems I had with the decision was the notion that there is always a remedy through the political process. That is completely untrue. In North Carolina, there is no mechanism to undo gerrymandering other than through the gerrymandered legislature. The issue in that case is also one of entrenchment, which the Supreme Court failed to address.

Basically, Roberts is either an idiot or dishonest. For example, when talking about how voters vote:

https://twitter.com/leedrutman/status/1144343051567030273

Even a cursory glance at voting patterns of the past 10 years would show a massive and enduring collapse of split-ticket voting. This makes elections a lot more predictable, and gerrymanders more effective. But as usual, he just ignores that in favor of what he wanted to do all along.