Why you should vote YES on 11. [View All]

[Xithras]

I present to you California Congresional District 19, Home of George Radanovich, the guy who wanted to bulldoze the Sierra Club's lodge in Yosemite and once proposed privatizing the national park system. He's also my representative. This is the most gerrymandered and solidly Republican districts in the state, and one which is designed specifically to disenfranchise tens of thousands of Democratic voters in the Central Valley. When TJ Cox ran against Radanovich several years ago, one commenter stated bluntly: "Cox could spend $10 million, and Pelosi could spend another $10 million and Radanovich would still win in a landslide". That's tragic, since the 19th was a DEMOCRATIC district until it was gerrymandered into a "Republican Safe" seat in 1992. He's up for re-election in just a few days here, and nobody even bothered to run against him this time. There's no point in doing so. Because of that, one of the most evil Republicans in Congress will get to serve another term, and tens of thousands of angry Democrats here in the Valley will get to leave that spot blank once again. I personally know Democrats who completely skip elections because it seems like we've been abandoned by the party around here.

I've seen several posts here from people saying that they won't support 11 because it MIGHT make some gerrymandered "Democrat Safe" seats competitive, and they don't want to run that risk. Keep in mind that the gerrymandering blade swings both ways, and that in many areas we will pick up additional Democratic voters which will swing Republican seats back our way.

A vote AGAINST 11 is a vote FOR disenfranchisement. A vote AGAINST 11 is a vote AGAINST your fellow Democratic voters who simply want an opportunity to swing our state further to the left.