The district that ate Georgia
Apparently our state legislature is not proud of the new Congressional districting map they've just inflicted on us: It passed in September, but it's taken me this long to find it on the web. Thank the House Republican Caucus for the map: Thank the Democrats for the district lines.

This is obscene. (Here's a closeup of the Atlanta metro area, with highways and county lines for reference.) The rest of the map is borderline acceptable (barely), but the 11th and the 13th should never have gotten out of committee. As Stuart Rothenberg put it, "Even if Georgia's new lines pass constitutional muster, they don't pass the laugh test."

Counties still matter. Geographical continuity still matters.

If demographic representation is really so important that a travesty like this is justified, try this: Elect all Congressional representatives at-large. Everybody runs statewide, and the top thirteen vote-getters get in. Pick the constituency you want, and campaign there: If enough of 'em vote for you, you're in!

I'm sure you can pick a few problems with that plan: I can, myself. But it's better than the current map.