Mad Libs: Jain v. Piper

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Welcome to Mad Libs. This is an irregular debate column where our columnists, contributors, and staff writers (or even you, dear reader) can duke it out over the big ideas we’re discussing in the metaphorical pages of this magazine.

Today’s Mad Libs was inspired by The Argument staff writer — and California resident — Kelsey Piper’s recent article “Newsom got his gerrymander. Now what?” in which she works through her worries about escalating electoral manipulation. Lakshya Jain, The Argument’s director of political data, is much less worried. They work it out below. -Jerusalem

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Lakshya Jain, The Argument staff writer

In Kelsey Piper’s recent piece lamenting the gerrymandering race to the bottom, she challenges those of us happy about the success of Proposition 50 to explain ourselves: “No one is articulating a plan for how gerrymandering a few seats in California can save democracy.” But I can articulate one: There’s a very real world in which retaliatory gerrymandering is the only thing that allows Democrats a fair shot at flipping the House.

Piper’s end goal is admirable: to protect the votes of citizens through making it harder for politicians to pick their own voters. I share these goals. But retaliatory redraws are necessary for citizens to be able to pick their own politicians.

Don’t believe me? Let’s game it out.