Schwarzenegger Blasts Gerrymandering, Congress

Movie star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took to Facebook to share a video in which he asserted that the U.S. Congress is less popular than hemorrhoids, herpes, cockroaches and Nickelback.

The data Schwarzenegger referred to came from a 2013 Public Policy Polling survey that directly measured the popularity of Congress against a series of unpopular things. 

In the video, produced by media company ATTN:, Schwarzenegger argued that redistricting is the main reason for the widespread public disapproval of elected government officials.

“Gerrymandering has created an absurd reality where politicians now pick their voters, instead of the voters picking their politicians,” explained Schwarzenegger in the Feb. 14 video.

The former governor bemoaned the effect of the practice: “Using gerrymandering, our politicians drew their district lines so safely that even while congressional approval ratings went sometimes down into the single digits, they couldn’t lose.”

Schwarzenegger pointed out that only one of 53 California congressional districts crossed party lines in the eight years between 2002 and 2010.

“The Soviet Politburo had more turnover than California politics,” said Schwarzenegger.

Referring to California’s move in 2010 and making a reference to his most iconic role, Schwarzenegger concluded: “We took the power of drawing the district lines away from the politicians and gave it back to the people, where it belongs. We’ve proven that gerrymandering can be permanently terminated.”

A few other politicians have made additional efforts to dismantle the practice of gerrymandering, primarily as a way to disrupt establishment politics.

The Republican governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, has called for legislation that would effectively end the practice of gerrymandering in his state, one which is exemplary of the unusual redistricting that results when politicians have the power to map their own districts. The Democratic ex-governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, has also argued that such redistricting has negative effects on political divisions.

Sources: ATTN:/Facebook, The Hill, Fox News, Public Policy Polling, The Washington Post / Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr