BBC Radio 4 has just run a programme about Gerrymandering in the US. The blurb says: In the past five years, the practice of redrawing electoral districts for political advantage has expanded out of control in the United States. What does this mean for democracy? If politicians even hinted that they be allowed to redraw political boundaries over here, there would almost certainly be massive demonstrations and probably riots. The impression from the broadcast is that many American voters do not even know it is going on even if they understood what was meant by the word. Can this really be true? I would be interested to know from US Catters is if these boundary changes have any bearing on the forthcoming Presidential election. Seems to me that if they did Kerry might as well throw in the towel now. The creation of the "Strip of Bacon in Texas" would be hilarious if it wasn't for the repercussions on the democratic process. Is anyone seriously suggesting that this is the model of democracy that America is proposing for the Middle East? Anyone who gives a toss can hear it again: link at "Editors Choice" 'Gerrymandering' Radio 4 home page
|