I'm sure Steve's right about gerrrymandering by Democrats, (but not on this scale?)    Historically, if they cheat it's to involve more voters, not less.   Lower poll standards, driving people to polls, using unions to strong arm members to stay in rank with Democrats.   But they also provided voting rights denied to blacks for over a century and they did it in a territory that caused them great loss in voting.   The segregationist south, long held by Dixiecrats has moved steadily to Republicans.     At least the Democrats, even with their corrupted political proffesionals sought inclusion, not exclusions.

I'm a independent, but that doesn't mean that I don't look for differences in the two parties.  I will have no viable independent candidate, due in part to the machinations of both Democrats and Republicans to exclude any candidate outside of their tidy twosome, in a closed private primary system.   I'll cast a vote, but it doesn't look like I'll do it with enthusiasm.