How quickly we forget. Between 1941 and 2001, Democrats controlled the redistricting process in the entire country (practically). And they gerrymandered (pronounced gary-mandered) everywhere. In 1991, Democrats controlled the Governorship and both houses of the Texas Legislature, but they were losing control of the state, as Republicans gained support, in fact, getting 47% of the statewide vote. The Democrat controlled state then enacted a congressional district plan that was called by the Supreme Court as the “shrewdest gerrymander of the 1990s.” It was so bad that in 2000, Republicans got 59% of the vote, but only 13 of the state’s Congressional seat. The Congressional seat fight in Texas continued in 2001, when the Democrats controlled the House, but the Republicans controlled the Governor and the Senate. Democrats still tried to protect their 1991 gerrymander by refusing to agree to a Congressional map in 2001.
Did we hear any Democrats cry about the gerrymandering process they perpetrated in Texas through 2001? No. In fact, between 1940 and 2000 the highly partisan maps drawn in the 25 to 30 states controlled by the Democrats were never challenged by the press, and those who felt these highly partisan acts were unfair, and filed lawsuits against them, found no relief in the courts.
Then, in 2010, Republicans took over the redistricting process in 29 states, and the Democrats, who had been gerrymandering for years cried foul. In 2011 and 2021, Republicans took control of the redistricting process in a majority of the states, and the Democrats filed lawsuits. The courts, that had been ignoring Republican claims of unfairness for 60 years, finally started taking notice, and stepping in and trying to draw maps on their own.
Now Gavin Newsom, the dictator who calls himself Governor, claims he has to protect democracy, so he proposes a Congressional map that disenfranchises over 90 percent of the Republicans in the state. Never mind that his “independent redistricting commission” which was supposed to be “bi-partisan” has already disenfranchised 79% of the Republicans (California is 34% Republican, but only has 21% of the Congressional seats), Newsom thinks that if he takes away 5 more districts from the Republicans (giving the Democrats 48 seats, and leaving the Republicans with 4, so that Republicans only have 8% of the Congressional seats in California), he is protecting democracy. That claim is preposterous. Democrats, in 14 states have already virtually eliminated Republicans from any representation in Congress without any shame or self consciousness. Does Newsom complain about that gerrymandering?
No.
He is a hypocrite. This is not about protecting democracy. Newsom is an authoritarian, not a small d democrat. This is about taking his authoritarian proclivities to Washington by appealing to the worst emotions of the nation’s left. Even his own rhetoric demonstrates that he doesn’t believe this is the right thing to do, he is engaging in complete partisan posturing and typical left wing hysteria.
I am sad that my tax dollars will go to to promoting the personal political agenda of this partisan, self-indulgent political hack. No Democrat in the Legislature has the moral fortitude to stand up to Newsom’s agenda. This is what it has been like in history to live in every authoritarian regime. The elected flunkies in the Legislature kowtow to the political demands of the dictator without question, and the citizens of the regime suffer.
Newsom, be honest and straightforward with us. Tell us you want to be President, and this effort is an attempt to advance your political ambitions with the left wing of the Democrat party. You are not trying to protect democracy. You just wish to exploit the political operations of this state for your own political ambitions. That is how a dictator acts. You have no right to call yourself a small d democrat.