The idea that you can manipulate the vote by creating Congressional districts with like-minded voters didn’t begin in Texas. But California Governor Gavin Newsom sees it as a rallying cry for Democrats who have been hearing from the resistance that they needed to get off their asses and do something to stop the authoritarian takeover of America.
“We are in Los Angeles. The most diverse city in the most diverse county in the most diverse state in the world's most diverse democracy. And I've long believed that the world looks to us, to all of you, to see it as possible to live together and advance together and prosper together across every conceivable and imaginable difference. What makes LA great, what makes California great, and what makes The United States Of America great is at our best, we don't tolerate our diversity. We celebrate our diversity.
And it's a point of pride because we're all in this together.”
In an interview with historian Heather Cox Richardson, Newsom said the location of his announcement that his state would do it’s own redistricting for Democrats was no accident.
“I'm in Little Tokyo. I'm at the democracy center. I'm at the center of what occurred in the nineteen forties where people were quite literally picked up right behind me, a few feet away, Japanese were interned. As we started our press conference with senators, U.S. senators, members of congress, community leaders, everybody assembled, Border patrol was sent right here to the exact site where people were picked up and interned in the nineteen forties. I just hope people pause and think about that, that they were directed clearly by the White House as a political operation to make a point.
And that means we didn't have to make much of a point ourselves.”
Governor Newsom says that action by the Trump regime was just an example of things to come.
“Yeah. Look. There's no doubt in my mind that, and I said this a few months ago, when we saw 4,000 of our national guard federalized. We saw 700 United States Marines sent to an American city. The first time Donald Trump ever deployed the US military.
Never did it overseas. Did it into The United States Of America, into Los Angeles. I said this is a preview of things to come. I don't know what more evidence we need than what happened in Washington DC. And you're gonna see this all across The United States.
What we saw just a moment ago with border patrol is a preview of things to come at voting booths and polling places all across this country. These guys aren't screwing around. Wake up. Donald Trump is not screwing around. He called Greg Abbott.
He said he was entitled to five seats. He's trying to rig the next election in the midterms. There's a reason members of the Trump team sent me a Trump 2028 hat with a note that they're not screwing around. And we can no longer screw around either.”
Former President Barack Obama praised Texas Democrats who walked out denying Republicans an easy vote on redrawing the lines in five legislative districts.
“Because of your actions, because of your courage, what you've seen is California responding, other states looking at what they can do to offset this mid decade gerrymandering that is highly irregular and is not what we should be doing to balance out the maps for this upcoming election.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom also received praise from Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke who worries about the return of Nazi Germany.
“And I know this shit doesn't repeat, but it sure as hell rhymes. And and we gotta be listening to that right now and acting with the urgency that the moment demands from us. And again, I gotta tell you, I see you doing that right now. I wish there were more who were doing that. I love what JB Pritzker is doing in in Illinois.
You know, Kathy Hochul has made some some noise in New York that they're gonna use that power they have there to redistrict. But I think they know they need to use it. I mean, right now, we're just just, forget the talking. It's not about press. I love those.
It's time to move. You gotta move. I mean, you get enough. It's not I mean, we I we're all saying the right thing. Now we gotta do the right thing.“
And “the Right thing” is not always easy to do but in this case it’s absolutely necessary.
Music out:
Then I'll make the choice
To hear that voice
And do the next right thing
I’m Mike Turner
Thank you for listening.
