GOP legislators weren’t trying to draw 13 compact CDs; they were trying to draw 10 GOP CDs. And I think they accomplished that. And it did so without completely redrawing the basic shapes of the current CDs.
Is it perfect? Of course not. I would have placed some counties from the NC-11 in the NC-05 to make things even harder on Shuler without having to decrease the GOP percentage in the NC-10 that much; I would have placed all Mecklenberg precincts not in the NC-12 in the NC-09 (which would also make the NC-08 more comfortably Republican); and maybe I would have tried to get more black precincts SW of Fayetteville in the NC-04. But you can’t fault the redistricters from placing half of Robeson County in a CD with counties far away—they want to defeat McIntyre, and keeping Robeson whole plays into McIntyre’s hands. And GOP parts of NE Wake County *had* to be connected to Alamance County, etc. (although perhaps not Mount Airy) because they are separated from GOP precincts in south and west Wake by the Dem precincts in Raleigh. And making the NC-12 a black-majority CD means that even if Dems get control of redistricting at some point they’d still have to draw two black-majority CDs in the state.
I have to tip my hat to NC Republican legislators for having the gonads to draw 10 GOP districts that gave President Bush 59%+ in 2004.
They would serve the public interest better by drawing more compact districts and giving greater deference to existing political boundaries.
And it did so without completely redrawing the basic shapes of the current CDs.
I have no idea why this should be a consideration. Draw the districts right, regardless of what was done in the past -- as we know, the past maps were a result of gerrymandering.
The map isn't terrible. But.
And GOP parts of NE Wake County *had* to be connected to Alamance County, etc. (although perhaps not Mount Airy) because they are separated from GOP precincts in south and west Wake by the Dem precincts in Raleigh.
Not true. Wake could have been split between one GOP-leaning CD and VRA CD1. No reason for CD4 to dip into Raleigh. As long as they're gerrymandering to Fayetteville, might as well include Robeson in CD4. But that does cut the population up in an unworkable way.
Riddle me this, though: why is Carteret County split? Randolph doesn't need to be split.
Why is Catawba County split? (looks like Hickory, formerly the center of the district, has been ripped out and put into CD5). That appears to be a direct result of Republican unhappiness with empty suit Rep. Patrick McHenry -- by taking out Hickory, he dramatically cuts down the chance of a successful primary challenge. Catawba County has never been crazy about him, and now by chopping it up this career politician scumbag gets a free ride every cycle.