Former President Barack Obama is putting his considerable prestige behind an effort, led by his former Attorney General Eric Holder, to stop extreme gerrymandering and support independent and bipartisan processes for redrawing congressional district lines.
In a video appeal, Obama speaks soberly to the camera, explaining the problem of extreme gerrymandering and encouraging support for the group Holder chairs, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Then the former president makes a pitch for NDRC, detailing a multi-prong strategy including advocating for new redistricting policies, back candidates who support redistricting reform, and litigating gerrymandered maps in the courts.
Underneath Obama's even keel, one can't help noticing a lingering grievance with how gerrymandering contributed to Republican congressional victories during his presidency, stifling his ability to enact legislation.
In a video appeal, Obama speaks soberly to the camera, explaining the problem of extreme gerrymandering and encouraging support for the group Holder chairs, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Obama Touts the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Obama argues that "technology lets the party in power precision-draw the map in a way that packs the other party's supporters into as few congressional districts as possible. It's why your district might be shaped like a corkscrew. But it's also how a party gains more seats while winning fewer votes."Then the former president makes a pitch for NDRC, detailing a multi-prong strategy including advocating for new redistricting policies, back candidates who support redistricting reform, and litigating gerrymandered maps in the courts.
Obama Hasn't Forgotten How Gerrymandering Impacted His Presidency
Obama tries to avoid arguing that redistricting reform is a way to help Democrats. He frames reform as a way to encourage centrist policy-making by encouraging more competitive House races: "That moves our debate from the rational, reasonable middle ... to the extremes. And that makes common sense policies that most Americans support less likely." But he still stresses that Republican-led gerrymandering in 2010 "locked in structural advantages that would eventually determine every future election," making "special interests" happy."Underneath Obama's even keel, one can't help noticing a lingering grievance with how gerrymandering contributed to Republican congressional victories during his presidency, stifling his ability to enact legislation.