Republican gains in statehouses during Obama’s first midterm produced a priceless advantage when House districts were redrawn after the 2010 census, and AP has quantified that in a fascinating way:
“Republicans [last year] won as many as 22 additional U.S. House seats over what would have been expected based on the average vote share in congressional districts across the country. That helped provide the GOP with a comfortable majority over Democrats instead of a narrow one.”
That’s the most striking finding of a project the AP has been planning with members for weeks, “Redrawing America: Imbalance of Power … how gerrymandering benefited GOP in 2016,” by David Lieb:
It is such a odd occurrence within politics, the people looking to correct the problems. will change the make up of the government. Going Blue one time then red another. Then of course the next election it goes the other way. We do not seem to stay one way or the other. When the end desire it to be in the middle I think. Of course the hot button issues always get us to sway like laundry on the clothes line in the wind. A few of us seem to stay where we are. Not always that comfortable places at times.
Joyce writes: Rick is out of surgery all went well, they went through the wrist so cant use right hand today at all no lifting more the 5lb for a week so cant use his mega mug and what he is thrilled about cant do dishes for a week going home in 30 min
Thanks for the update – and thanks for posting things like this. WE are a family here at PPP. Politics and blogging brought us together – but I think I can speak for everyone in our blog family – we all truly and sincerely care about each other.
Rick – if you’re reading this – rest up for the coming week and remember at least one thing – dishes can wait – or just use paper plates. 🙂
LOL I still have the left wrist to use to pick up and hold my mug! Yes it is full and setting beside me at the computer…. Has anyone told you I can be a bit strong willed and hard headed?
Trump’s average approval rating over the past six months is at or above 50% for only 17 states, per Gallup.
Notably, the three states (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania) that gave Trump the key 78,000-vote margin that set his path to victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election hold an unfavorable view (below 50% approval) of Trump.
Why it matters: As The Washington Post’s Philip Bump writes, “If Trump were to win only states where he had at least 50 percent approval in the first six months of this year, he’d end up with 99 electoral votes out of the 270 needed to win the presidency.” And although not exact, reelection results tend to track with approval polls.
It is amazing to me at times. Just how it seems daily that things seem to be falling apart for him. I suspect it is hard on him since for so long it is he was the king. Never having people question his decisions or contradicting him. Now suddenly his every choose and statement is questioned and picked apart. Somehow being king is not the way he envisioned it I imagine.
===
Take special note to the paragraph in this article where it states Trump started off his 35-minute speech talking about his crowd size – and then he went on to bash former President Obama and then attacked Hillary Clinton.
What the hell is wrong with a 71-yr-old man who is obsessed about the size of his crowds?
Mitch McConnell is said to be bringing the GOP health care bill back to a vote today. Well – some kind of GOP Health care bill – the news is nobody knows what bill they will be voting on.
Who in their right mind would be willing to vote for a bill that is not even a ‘real’ bill or one that is not even written yet?
The other news is the expected return of John McCain to the Senate today. Will McCain vote for this GOP health care bill – that may or may not exist?
And what will be the reaction of Americans who watch as McCain returns to cast his vote to possibly take away health care insurance from millions of Americans – knowing that McCain is the recipient of taxpayer-provided health car insurance and recent treatment for his blood clot and now the diagnosis of brain cancer?
What publicity would that bring the Republicans? I guess heath care paid for by taxpayers is a right for the Senator McCain but the mere thought of average Americans having the right to even buy health insurance is repulsive to the Republicans?
BTW – I heard on the CBS News this morning that House Republican Leader Scarlise called his fellow Republicans yesterday and he is starting rehabilitation .
Again – Republican is the recipient of taxpayer-provided health care insurance and all the costs for this guy’s hospital and now rehabilitation is not a problem? But the same Republicans taking away health care insurance from millions of average Americans is okay?
I don’t know. Just wanted to point out that the vote today was procedural, i.e., voting to allow debate on any bill brought to the floor, regardless of what said bill might provide.
The GOP isn’t going to give up on ACA repeal, which is and has been, no surprise. Until this is accomplished, if ever, it is my personal opinion there will be no impeachment vote in the House, as #45 is needed to distract the public from what nefarious acts are being committed in the Congress.
I wonder how many people know that yesterday’s vote was simply procedural and not any actual health care bill that was passed? I also wonder if Trump and his Trumpublicans realize the way Mitch McConnell got this vote through (even then , it took V.P. Pence to break the tie) – the Democrats can now offer their amendments – so this health care fight is far from over.
Hell – I wonder if Trump knows how the government works – apparently not.
What do you think about John McCain’s speech about how the need to get back to the protocol and rules of the Senate. I took special note when McCain talked about how this idea of winning without the other side is getting us nowhere.
This is one time I agreed with McCain 100%
And then I thought – if history had taken a different path and McCain had won the Presidency in 2008 – the country would be different but would we be talking about McCain the way we are talking about Trump today?
I don’t think so.. McCain – even with his penchant for going to war (IMHO) – is far superior to Trump. At least McCain understands and knows factual history. McCain also knows why our government needs procedures and rules.
I would have hoped everyone would have known. Seriously. As you know, there have been “healthcare” (two) bills since said procedural vote which have gone down to defeat. Get familiar with the term “skinny repeal”, as that’s going to be a topic in the news and punditry over the next few days (as I understand, “skinny repeal” is repealing parts of the ACA without repealing the law in toto.
As we have discussed many times before on this blog – the average Americans do not seem too concerned about how our government works – or do they even know how our government is structured ?
American and World History – plus Civics Government were required courses in my high school.
I wonder – are they still required courses – or has Social Media 101 become the all-consuming and most important class in school?
I commented last week (or the week before?) that I watched the movie ‘Good Night and Good Luck’ – George Clooney’s movie,
When I told my grown kids I found that movie at the local Goodwill store – they had heard of Edward R Murrow – but they did not remember the details about what this true journalist did in the 1950’s when he took on Sen. McCarthy.
But then – that movie was not just about McCarthyism – it was also about the power and influence of television (which back in the 1950’s, t.v. was just a newborn baby in the media world.
What would Murrow think of today’s media – filled with entertainers posing as political journalists?
BTW – that Skinny Repeal (from what I have seen so far) is to repeal certain parts of the ACA – aka the mandate to buy health care insurance.
Hmmm…let’s see…..if that mandate goes bye-bye – then wouldn’t all these health insurance companies really want to get out of the business – knowing that healthy young people (probably the majority which want the mandate to go away) – are not going to be contributing to the profits pot – then why bother being in the health insurance business?
The heroic Senator with severe cancer who interrupted treatment to vote… NO
She got no standing ovation. She got no mainstream media lauds for her heroism. She got no kudos for leaving home, a much longer journey than that other senator, the one from Arizona, to get to DC, and there are no mainstream media stories on it that I can find… I only found out from a friend who spotted it on Twitter.
She didn’t do it for publicity.
Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii was just doing her job as a good politician, voting not to repeal the ACA so as to protect her constituents. She has Stage Four kidney cancer — that means scarce chances of survival — is recovering from a second surgery to remove part of a rib, and made sure she got to her seat in the Senate Chamber to vote “no” to whatever Republican wealth-care crap was thrown at her.
But you’ll only find out about it on social media. Because she’s not a pale male, maybe?
Trump is playing to his core base with this latest ban?
OK – if Conservatives don’t want to pay for transgender surgeries for military personnel – then why pay for Viagra, penis pumps or penis enlargement surgeries or any other male health care treatment?
Just asking…
BTW – if transgenders are not good enough for military service – then when do these rapists, p____y gropers, sexual assault perpetrators and child molesters get kicked out of the military – and then prosecuted and sent to prison – where they belong?
My grandson informed me last night that Trump is our 45th President.
To which this old grammie interjected – and if Trump gets himself impeached the first year – Trump will be known as 45 and 1/4th. That’s about the size of Trump’s presidential quality in my opinion – 1/4th.
Not big enough to even swat away….But I don’t want Trump impeached – just keep his political hands tied and keep those crowd sizes smaller and smaller.
Trump’s massive and obsessive ego will do the rest…IMHO
But I do think All Americans should start demanding every candidate for elected office (especially President, Vice President, Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader) be required to undergo and pass psychiatric assessment and random drug testing.
I hadn’t heard about this one. I am inclined to agree with that person who asked if this letter had been mailed to the WH – since it appears it has never been folded.
Hmm…..John Barron – aka alter ego – strikes again?
So- Pastor Sammy has finally landed himself a federal WH cushy job?
Take special note of Brownback’s own words about how our first freedom is ‘the choice of what you do with your own soul’.
And I agree 100% – that is my right.
But how long will it take before Sammy and his fellow Bible Thumpers start shoving their own version of Christianity down our throats by changing every law on the books?
Threatening to withhold federal money and/or programs from a certain state due to their Senator not voting the way the president wants her to vote smacks of how that infamous Washington Swamp Critter might behave – isn’t it?
Playing politics is the name of the game – but to tell your Interior Secretary to threaten the two Senators is taking things to the level of the Godfather movie plot – an offer they can’t refuse…
Trump will never be anything more than a reality t.v. star and former pro wrestling promoter who thinks he can push anybody and everybody around and still has his adoring fans lapping up his every word as if it is Jesus-flavored cotton candy.
What was it that Sam Brownback said about religious freedom? Oh yeah – it’s my choice to do what I want with my own soul.
So – Trumpublican FAKE Christians – BACK OFF – and sit down and STFU
6176- as you posted yesterday – look for the phrase ‘skinny repeal’ to be thrown about – a lot.
Hey – here’s an idea that I have never seen proposed.
If we want real competition to bring down health costs – then allow foreign countries to come into the U.S. and set up with their own hospitals and health clinics and even their own health insurance companies.
The German-owned grocery store Aldi is a good example. Aldi is poised to become the third largest grocery retailer in the next few years.
LET the Germans come in here and let’s have some real competition.
OR – at the very least – allow Americans to buy prescription drugs from foreign countries. I suspect Canada would be more than happy to get a big piece of the prescription drug market in the USA.
If Trump and TRumpublicans really want to transform our health care system and bring down costs – then allow REAL competition to get in to this party.
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Gerrymandering gives GOP huge structural advantage
Republican gains in statehouses during Obama’s first midterm produced a priceless advantage when House districts were redrawn after the 2010 census, and AP has quantified that in a fascinating way:
“Republicans [last year] won as many as 22 additional U.S. House seats over what would have been expected based on the average vote share in congressional districts across the country. That helped provide the GOP with a comfortable majority over Democrats instead of a narrow one.”
That’s the most striking finding of a project the AP has been planning with members for weeks, “Redrawing America: Imbalance of Power … how gerrymandering benefited GOP in 2016,” by David Lieb:
https://www.axios.com/gerrymandering-gives-gop-huge-structural-advantage-2447889907.html
It is such a odd occurrence within politics, the people looking to correct the problems. will change the make up of the government. Going Blue one time then red another. Then of course the next election it goes the other way. We do not seem to stay one way or the other. When the end desire it to be in the middle I think. Of course the hot button issues always get us to sway like laundry on the clothes line in the wind. A few of us seem to stay where we are. Not always that comfortable places at times.
Joyce writes: Rick is out of surgery all went well, they went through the wrist so cant use right hand today at all no lifting more the 5lb for a week so cant use his mega mug and what he is thrilled about cant do dishes for a week going home in 30 min
Thanks for the update – and thanks for posting things like this. WE are a family here at PPP. Politics and blogging brought us together – but I think I can speak for everyone in our blog family – we all truly and sincerely care about each other.
Rick – if you’re reading this – rest up for the coming week and remember at least one thing – dishes can wait – or just use paper plates. 🙂
Yes! We are family and we care a lot!
LOL I still have the left wrist to use to pick up and hold my mug! Yes it is full and setting beside me at the computer…. Has anyone told you I can be a bit strong willed and hard headed?
The 17 states that still approve of Trump
Trump’s average approval rating over the past six months is at or above 50% for only 17 states, per Gallup.
Notably, the three states (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania) that gave Trump the key 78,000-vote margin that set his path to victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election hold an unfavorable view (below 50% approval) of Trump.
Why it matters: As The Washington Post’s Philip Bump writes, “If Trump were to win only states where he had at least 50 percent approval in the first six months of this year, he’d end up with 99 electoral votes out of the 270 needed to win the presidency.” And although not exact, reelection results tend to track with approval polls.
https://www.axios.com/the-17-states-that-still-approve-of-trump-2464729607.html
It is amazing to me at times. Just how it seems daily that things seem to be falling apart for him. I suspect it is hard on him since for so long it is he was the king. Never having people question his decisions or contradicting him. Now suddenly his every choose and statement is questioned and picked apart. Somehow being king is not the way he envisioned it I imagine.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/here-are-the-5-most-and-least-popular-governors-in-america-according-to-their-constituents/ss-AAoAVgu?li=BBnbcA1#image=11
====
Look at who made the Unpopular Governors list……our very own Pastor Sammy
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump%e2%80%99s-boy-scouts-speech-broke-with-80-years-of-presidential-tradition/ar-AAoOa88?li=BBnb7Kz
===
Take special note to the paragraph in this article where it states Trump started off his 35-minute speech talking about his crowd size – and then he went on to bash former President Obama and then attacked Hillary Clinton.
What the hell is wrong with a 71-yr-old man who is obsessed about the size of his crowds?
Is it just me that thinks this is totally NUTS?
Serious question –
Mitch McConnell is said to be bringing the GOP health care bill back to a vote today. Well – some kind of GOP Health care bill – the news is nobody knows what bill they will be voting on.
Who in their right mind would be willing to vote for a bill that is not even a ‘real’ bill or one that is not even written yet?
The other news is the expected return of John McCain to the Senate today. Will McCain vote for this GOP health care bill – that may or may not exist?
And what will be the reaction of Americans who watch as McCain returns to cast his vote to possibly take away health care insurance from millions of Americans – knowing that McCain is the recipient of taxpayer-provided health car insurance and recent treatment for his blood clot and now the diagnosis of brain cancer?
What publicity would that bring the Republicans? I guess heath care paid for by taxpayers is a right for the Senator McCain but the mere thought of average Americans having the right to even buy health insurance is repulsive to the Republicans?
BTW – I heard on the CBS News this morning that House Republican Leader Scarlise called his fellow Republicans yesterday and he is starting rehabilitation .
Again – Republican is the recipient of taxpayer-provided health care insurance and all the costs for this guy’s hospital and now rehabilitation is not a problem? But the same Republicans taking away health care insurance from millions of average Americans is okay?
How is all of this going to play out??
I don’t know. Just wanted to point out that the vote today was procedural, i.e., voting to allow debate on any bill brought to the floor, regardless of what said bill might provide.
The GOP isn’t going to give up on ACA repeal, which is and has been, no surprise. Until this is accomplished, if ever, it is my personal opinion there will be no impeachment vote in the House, as #45 is needed to distract the public from what nefarious acts are being committed in the Congress.
I wonder how many people know that yesterday’s vote was simply procedural and not any actual health care bill that was passed? I also wonder if Trump and his Trumpublicans realize the way Mitch McConnell got this vote through (even then , it took V.P. Pence to break the tie) – the Democrats can now offer their amendments – so this health care fight is far from over.
Hell – I wonder if Trump knows how the government works – apparently not.
What do you think about John McCain’s speech about how the need to get back to the protocol and rules of the Senate. I took special note when McCain talked about how this idea of winning without the other side is getting us nowhere.
This is one time I agreed with McCain 100%
And then I thought – if history had taken a different path and McCain had won the Presidency in 2008 – the country would be different but would we be talking about McCain the way we are talking about Trump today?
I don’t think so.. McCain – even with his penchant for going to war (IMHO) – is far superior to Trump. At least McCain understands and knows factual history. McCain also knows why our government needs procedures and rules.
I would have hoped everyone would have known. Seriously. As you know, there have been “healthcare” (two) bills since said procedural vote which have gone down to defeat. Get familiar with the term “skinny repeal”, as that’s going to be a topic in the news and punditry over the next few days (as I understand, “skinny repeal” is repealing parts of the ACA without repealing the law in toto.
As we have discussed many times before on this blog – the average Americans do not seem too concerned about how our government works – or do they even know how our government is structured ?
American and World History – plus Civics Government were required courses in my high school.
I wonder – are they still required courses – or has Social Media 101 become the all-consuming and most important class in school?
I commented last week (or the week before?) that I watched the movie ‘Good Night and Good Luck’ – George Clooney’s movie,
When I told my grown kids I found that movie at the local Goodwill store – they had heard of Edward R Murrow – but they did not remember the details about what this true journalist did in the 1950’s when he took on Sen. McCarthy.
But then – that movie was not just about McCarthyism – it was also about the power and influence of television (which back in the 1950’s, t.v. was just a newborn baby in the media world.
What would Murrow think of today’s media – filled with entertainers posing as political journalists?
BTW – that Skinny Repeal (from what I have seen so far) is to repeal certain parts of the ACA – aka the mandate to buy health care insurance.
Hmmm…let’s see…..if that mandate goes bye-bye – then wouldn’t all these health insurance companies really want to get out of the business – knowing that healthy young people (probably the majority which want the mandate to go away) – are not going to be contributing to the profits pot – then why bother being in the health insurance business?
The heroic Senator with severe cancer who interrupted treatment to vote… NO
She got no standing ovation. She got no mainstream media lauds for her heroism. She got no kudos for leaving home, a much longer journey than that other senator, the one from Arizona, to get to DC, and there are no mainstream media stories on it that I can find… I only found out from a friend who spotted it on Twitter.
She didn’t do it for publicity.
Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii was just doing her job as a good politician, voting not to repeal the ACA so as to protect her constituents. She has Stage Four kidney cancer — that means scarce chances of survival — is recovering from a second surgery to remove part of a rib, and made sure she got to her seat in the Senate Chamber to vote “no” to whatever Republican wealth-care crap was thrown at her.
But you’ll only find out about it on social media. Because she’s not a pale male, maybe?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/7/26/1684231/-The-heroic-Senator-with-severe-cancer-who-interrupted-her-treatment-to-vote-NO
thanks for posting this link – I had not heard about this brave woman.
So – when I am wondering how all our Social Media is influencing Americans (see my latest comment above) – perhaps my pessimism is not warranted?
But – social media is just like everything else in life – it can be used for good or evil.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/border-wall-tied-to-trump-transgender-ban-report/ar-AAoSxVS?li=BBnb7Kz
—–
Trump is playing to his core base with this latest ban?
OK – if Conservatives don’t want to pay for transgender surgeries for military personnel – then why pay for Viagra, penis pumps or penis enlargement surgeries or any other male health care treatment?
Just asking…
BTW – if transgenders are not good enough for military service – then when do these rapists, p____y gropers, sexual assault perpetrators and child molesters get kicked out of the military – and then prosecuted and sent to prison – where they belong?
My grandson informed me last night that Trump is our 45th President.
To which this old grammie interjected – and if Trump gets himself impeached the first year – Trump will be known as 45 and 1/4th. That’s about the size of Trump’s presidential quality in my opinion – 1/4th.
Not big enough to even swat away….But I don’t want Trump impeached – just keep his political hands tied and keep those crowd sizes smaller and smaller.
Trump’s massive and obsessive ego will do the rest…IMHO
But I do think All Americans should start demanding every candidate for elected office (especially President, Vice President, Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader) be required to undergo and pass psychiatric assessment and random drug testing.
Trump is the devil we know – Pence is the devil we don’t want to have to get to know – IMHO
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/twitter-is-skeptical-about-letter-to-trump-from-9-year-old-fan-%e2%80%98pickle-truthers%e2%80%99-emerge/ar-AAoSSRz?li=BBnb7Kz
=======
I hadn’t heard about this one. I am inclined to agree with that person who asked if this letter had been mailed to the WH – since it appears it has never been folded.
Hmm…..John Barron – aka alter ego – strikes again?
I wonder if Scaramucci has discovered the leaker in the WH yet? Perhaps this Pickle dude can help the Mooch uncover the biggest leaker of them all?
http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Brownback-appointed-as-US-ambassador-436843423.html
===
So- Pastor Sammy has finally landed himself a federal WH cushy job?
Take special note of Brownback’s own words about how our first freedom is ‘the choice of what you do with your own soul’.
And I agree 100% – that is my right.
But how long will it take before Sammy and his fellow Bible Thumpers start shoving their own version of Christianity down our throats by changing every law on the books?
Just asking..
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/report-trump-admin-threatens-retaliation-against-alaska-for-obamacare-repeal-opposition/ar-AAoUDU0?li=BBnb7Kz
—
Threatening to withhold federal money and/or programs from a certain state due to their Senator not voting the way the president wants her to vote smacks of how that infamous Washington Swamp Critter might behave – isn’t it?
Playing politics is the name of the game – but to tell your Interior Secretary to threaten the two Senators is taking things to the level of the Godfather movie plot – an offer they can’t refuse…
Trump will never be anything more than a reality t.v. star and former pro wrestling promoter who thinks he can push anybody and everybody around and still has his adoring fans lapping up his every word as if it is Jesus-flavored cotton candy.
What was it that Sam Brownback said about religious freedom? Oh yeah – it’s my choice to do what I want with my own soul.
So – Trumpublican FAKE Christians – BACK OFF – and sit down and STFU
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/10-governors-including-republicans-come-out-against-obamacare-skinny-repeal/ar-AAoSWCo?li=BBnb7Kz
===
6176- as you posted yesterday – look for the phrase ‘skinny repeal’ to be thrown about – a lot.
Hey – here’s an idea that I have never seen proposed.
If we want real competition to bring down health costs – then allow foreign countries to come into the U.S. and set up with their own hospitals and health clinics and even their own health insurance companies.
The German-owned grocery store Aldi is a good example. Aldi is poised to become the third largest grocery retailer in the next few years.
LET the Germans come in here and let’s have some real competition.
OR – at the very least – allow Americans to buy prescription drugs from foreign countries. I suspect Canada would be more than happy to get a big piece of the prescription drug market in the USA.
If Trump and TRumpublicans really want to transform our health care system and bring down costs – then allow REAL competition to get in to this party.