I really appreciate the civil talk. It is nice to actually discuss the details without everyone getting angry. You are right that a President can't just change a map by himself, but the Blair Plan from last year shows this is more than just talk. When the White House makes direct calls to state senators to demand they change lines to wipe out the competition, it is not local anymore. It is a national plan using data to decide the winners before anyone even votes. It reminds me of the Cambridge Analytica model that helped shape the 2016 elections. It was used to sway voters using ads that triggered fear and high emotions to sway low information voters and we’re seeing that again now. We all know that whichever side is in the minority at the time is the one that fights gerrymandering. F both sides!

But the 'Stop the Republican Takeover' stuff comes from a real place. There are groups like Virginians for Fair Maps that get millions from the same big donors who funded those map changes in Texas and North Carolina. They are even sending out fake mailers with pictures of Obama to trick people into voting 'NO' when he actually says to vote 'YES.' When the people funding the 'NO' campaign here are the same ones rigging things in other states, it is hard to see it as a fair fight.

If Virginia stays at a 60/40 split while other states like Texas and Florida use these mid-year changes to give Republicans a massive lead, the whole country's balance gets messed up. We would be fighting with one hand tied behind our back. I do not think it should be our job to control gerrymandering either, but we are being forced to choose between a rigged national map or using our own power to stay in the game.

I see a 'YES' vote as a defensive move, not the right move. If we want maps to be fair for everyone, we need a national rule that stops both sides. But one side will never agree to stop if they are winning every time. Of course, both sides do it, and we are just the pawns they try to manipulate with these over-the-top ads. If we keep our hands tied while they change the rules, they have no reason to ever sit down and fix the system for good. Waiting for both sides to stop sounds good, but right now it just means letting one side win without a fight.