Why do you guys think the country is so divided?

[adios]

I think a lot of that is media sensationalism. And I think there was a lot of bad blood after the 2000 elections. Hopefully we'll move beyond that now.

During the campaign I read several articles with the theme of "if you think the 2004 election is especially rancorous check out this U.S. presidential election" indicating a previous election that was more rancorous. I'll try and dig up the articles.

[Taxman]

You are correct in that you did not explicitly say Bush was a unifying force, though I would hesitate to believe you don't hold that view based on what I have read. Feel free to set me strait.

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Did I say he did? I was refuting Cracka's criteria that he used for showing that Bush is solely responsible for dividing the country during his administration. What's your criteria?

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Criteria for what? I have not said that Bush has either united or divised the country, just that increasing vote totals does not neccessitate an increase in unity.

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Nope I don't think Texas elected any new Senators.

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Sorry, I had the senate on the mind. I meant representatives of course.

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I assume your talking about Texas congressional districts. I'll bet you don't know a thing about how they were redrawn and that you don't know a thing about the House Democrats from Texas.

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Do you? Lets look at some quotes...

USA Today:

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It's part of a larger Texas bloodletting engineered by the state's most powerful Republican congressman, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. His controversial plan to redraw the state's congressional districts has put five Democrats, including two 26-year veterans, in districts drawn to aid Republicans.

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CNN:
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GOP candidates picked up seven Democratic seats -- five of them in Texas, where a controversial redistricting plan pushed by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay redrew the state's map to make it more Republican-friendly.

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Fox news:
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Despite out-raising Sessions, launching several attack ads and 13 terms of service, Frost could not reverse his politicaher House Democrats — by decimating his previous district during redistricting forced in an off-year. But Frost challenged Sessions in Dallas-area District 32, tailor-made for a Republican.

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or, also from Fox:
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The Democrats — Chet Edwards, Martin Frost, Nick Lampson, Max Sandlin and Charlie Stenholm — seek re-election in overwhelmingly Republican districts. The districts were altered last year in a redistricting plan engineered by Sugar Land Republican and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay who hopes to widen the GOP's control of the U.S. House.

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It appears even the most fair and balanced of stations is strait on the motives behind the redrawn district lines. I admit I do not know too much about the policies of the Texas Democratic representatives, but I find it hard to believe that any are especially liberal. Texas is not a state to tolerate the left.

[adios]

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Criteria for what? I have not said that Bush has either united or divised the country, just that increasing vote totals does not neccessitate an increase in unity.


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That Cracka's criteria that I was refuting how many times do I have to repeat that.

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It appears even the most fair and balanced of stations is strait on the motives behind the redrawn district lines. I admit I do not know too much about the policies of the Texas Democratic representatives, but I find it hard to believe that any are especially liberal. Texas is not a state to tolerate the left.

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C'mon there are plenty of people on the left in Texas, that's just plain dumb.

[theBruiser500]

LOL @ Bush being the "great uniter" who had a history of "bringing people together."

[Taxman]

I know you said you were refuting Cracka's criteria, but then you asked my what mine were, and I wasn't really clear what you were referring to.

Ok, I am sorry if I overgeneralized. There obviously are plenty of liberals in Texas. But given it's overabundance of conservative laws/government officials, it seems pretty clear who makes up the majority. It's just plain dumb to claim that Texas is not a clearly conservative state, along with the rest of the deep south.

While not exactly related to my point, I found this article both sad and amusing:

Just to catch everyone up on current events here, apparently 51 Texas State democrats didn't like the idea of voting on re-districting because they knew they were going to lose. So they tuck tail and run away to Oklahoma dooming many bills with their departure. That's a typical liberal for you, can't win, so we'll just break the law and claim it was the law's fault. After all they had no choice right? If a majority of voters stock the state house with republicans it must mean they want certain agenda. You don't see conservatives in Massachusetts running every time there is vote that they know won't go their way do you. And do you know why? Morals! It's that easy boys and girls, Moral. Most republicans have them, almost all Liberals don't! This is just another case of crybaby democrats wanting to be in the spotlight. And doing just about anything to get and stay there. The people of Texas put you into office to do their bidding. If 25% of Texans don't want something to happen and 75% do, should the 25% leave the state and not come back until the majority caves into them? You spoiled rotten liberal make me sick! When I had heard that 17 people died in a trailer in Texas I was saddened to find out it wasn't democrats. If being a gutless coward is what it takes to be a liberal I think the Texas dumbocrats should receive some sort of recognition for it.

I guess they are pretty liberal after all. Nothing to be addressed in the name of unity either...

[adios]

What's your point here? Is this supposed to prove that people on the left in Texas are few and far between?

[adios]

Here's an article from a Socialist web site discussing he redistricting in Texas. Note that the Republicans gained control of the Texas state legislature for the fist time in 130 friggen years. Note prominent minority Democrats supported the redisticting. Both parties are guilty of Gerrymandering, the question becomes what should the breakdown of districts be in Texas. It would seem that an increase in Republican congressional seats is warrented by the mere fact that more people are voting Republican as evidenced by the make up of the Texas state legislature.

The issues in the Texas redistricting

[Taxman]

No, just that people from the far left are few and far between. In an overwhelmingly conservative state, it seems improbable that there would be any district willing to elect a John Kerry type liberal to the house. Given how easy redrawing the district lines to favor Republicans seemed to be, there must have been plenty of conservatives right next door to the "liberals." Also, why weren't Democrats then elected in whichever districts gained the extra liberal constituents? Probably because they weren't really that liberal, or because there were not enough of them. Is my argument bulletproof? No, but you haven't offered any alternatives and it seems pretty reasonable to me.

[Bubbagump]

I think it's definately contributing factor. But by no means is it the only thing that has led to the polarization we are seeing now.

Bubbagump

[Bubbagump]

You should post your paper here when you're finished with it.

Bubbagump