The real reason Trump’s Indiana redistricting plan failed

Politicians are mostly self-interested, and while they would like their party and ideology to succeed, they are primarily interested in their own re-elections. While you can revise lines to crack and pack Democrats, the flipside is you’re also doing it to Republicans at the same time.

Redistricting to maximize seats for Republicans, means that safe Republican seats become less safe. And that is not just a theoretical possibility. It’s the nature of adjusting the lines. Politicians don’t want their own seats to become less safe, as especially in a potential wave year it could mean they could loose and be voted out of office. You have no power when you’re out of office. And even if you don’t loose, a close election means an expensive uphill battle campaigning, with all the rubber chicken dinners, hand shaking, ralleys and going door-to-door which can be reduced by keeping a relatively safe seat as it is.

Moreover, redistricting opens a real wildcard to politics. Every election has different demographics that vote, the turn out of voters in a mid-term are fundamentally different then Presidental election. Many Presidential voters don’t necessarily come out on mid-terms, and aren’t inclined to fill out down ballot races, being disinterested or uniformed about the candidates further down the ballot. Just because you make a seat look good in a Presidential year, for a Presidential candidate is little comfort for a Congressman down ballot.