2020 Census and Redistricting Thread: New Jersey

[Antonio the Sixth]

The fact that after seeing a popular Democratic incumbent barely win reelection by 2-3 points, people seem to unironically think drawing a 10-2 map wouldn't massively blow up in Democrats' face is. Truly Atlas wisdom and foresight at its finest.

[Antonio the Sixth]

If Dems had any brains, Gottheimer is the North Jersey incumbent they should dump. He's been nothing but trouble for the party.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Does the legislation spell out that the tiebreaker must have a certain type of rationale for picking the map? I mean it would be fair if so, but I didn't know that was the case. Did that come up in 2010 at all?

[Antonio the Sixth]

So is his argument that hypothetically if there were a 50-50 race in New Jersey, the Democratic map would be fairer than the Republican one? This shouldn't fly, because while that is a fair thing to consider, the map could then be unfair at the realistic levels of partisan support for elections in New Jersey. Proportionality should be part of partisan fairness too, so that voters of the opposite party in safe states are not under-represented.

No, proportionality is an absurd criterion to apply to SMD maps, which when enforced tends to lead to objectively awful maps. Didn't we go over this in another thread recently?

[Antonio the Sixth]

This whole process does seem hopelessly broken and corrupt, and should really be reformed. I'm still not sure it was uniquely broken and corrupt this time compared to previous cycles.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I have to say, I don't know about the merits of this particular case, but the whole process is in need a serious overhaul. Give NJ a real nonpartisan commission, like in CA or MI.