Fair districts. No funny map stuff. Only problem is for the Philly districts, you may run into the "majority-minority" issue with CD 1. I personally think it's dumb and in actuality benefits the GOP ironically.
I agree. The VRA requirements are harmful to Democrats because all the Democratic votes are packed into one district. I also think it perpetuates the ugliness of racial politics.
I have a feeling they'll move CD 2 farther east into some of the more African American and Latino parts of North Philadelphia to be represented by Fattah and snake CD 1 along the Delaware River so Bob Brady can represent the primarily white Northeast and South Philly and the "river Wards." CD 1 would basically be full of working class whites and maybe a few uppity Center Ctiy folks. Again, both cases would pack a lot of Democrats and make Schwartz and Murphy more vulnerable by making them fight for more exurban/rural territory. Upper Montco and Bucks are still very conservative both fiscally AND socially. Actually, it looks like Sestak will be safer under this scenario however.
Know this could sound stereotypical, but as a Democrat, I would try to give Schwartz Montco and some of the more Jewish parts of NE Philly which are primarily west of Roosevelt Blvd. and give Pat Murphy some more working class ethnic whites primarily east of Roosevelt Blvd. to protect him.
