Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: Why Democrats (not candidates) need to STOP ignoring and/or demonizing rural voters... [View all]Bettie
(16,069 posts)On its face the Senate seems egalitarian, but when you look at population distribution and the number of people represented by the majority, it is problematic.
This is compounded by the fact that the current majority leader (McConnell) is a dishonest nutcase and likely a treasonous one at that.
Then there is the issue of the House.
The cap on the number of representatives causes it to be wildly unequal in terms of representation. California, the most populous state in the nation is likely to lose representatives in the next census, as other states have grown their populations more.
In any case, my state, your state, and others with lower populations have a disproportionate influence as their representatives, even when there is only one, represent a much, much smaller number than anyone in a more populous state. Gerrymandering (high tech now) adds to this unequal representation significantly. The number of representatives needs to be increased.
There's also the point that it is WAY easier to buy a senatorial election in a smaller media market and a smaller state (in terms of population).
Joni Ernst comes to mind as a prime example of this. She could not be elected in a larger state, larger media market, but ad buys are cheap in Iowa and the Koch brothers knew she was a bargain. It is way harder to pump enough money into a major market to move the election in a specific direction.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided