Nervous Nets Fear Census ‘Power Shift’ to Republican States

April 27th, 2021 12:57 PM

The sense of liberal media disappointment over the 2020 Census results was palpable Tuesday morning as Democratic Party shills on ABC, CBS, and NBC all openly lamented a “power shift” in congressional representation away from blue states like California and New York toward red states like Texas and Florida. ABC’s coverage even suggested the Trump administration somehow manipulated the count.

“Now to the high-stakes political power shift from the results of the 2020 Census,” co-host Robin Roberts announced on ABC’s Good Morning America. She warned that “Some states are set to gain congressional seats while others will lose seats.” In the report that followed, chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega began by casting doubt on the data: “This was one of the most complicated head counts ever, given the pandemic and the Trump administration’s push to not have undocumented immigrants counted.”

 

 

The reporter delivered the bad news for Democrats:

The big impact, red states are basically gonna pick up several seats. Democrats, blue states, could potentially lose some. And ultimately, this could impact the midterm elections. I want to show you another map, take a look a look at it right here. Texas, you’ll see it there, is gonna pick up two seats in the House. Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, Montana, they’ll get one more seat. On the flip side there, though, for the first time in history, California loses a seat. New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, those important rust belt states, are all going to drop a seat as well.

Vega particularly bemoaned: “Now, New York, listen to this, if just 89 more residents had responded to the Census, they would not be losing that seat.”  

Without presenting a shred of evidence, she wrapped up the segment by accusing the Trump administration of intimidation tactics to skew the numbers: “Robin, there are big questions this morning about whether Latinos accurately participated in this census by the Trump administration, some concerns they may have been scared off by the political ramifications there.”

On CBS This Morning, co-host Tony Dokoupil proclaimed: “The numbers also show that our population and political power continue to shift to the south and western part of the country....The Census has consequences...” Correspondent Ed O’Keefe informed viewers: “Seven states experienced very little population growth or lost residents over the last decade. Because of that, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, New York, and California are all losing one seat in the House of Representatives.”

Like Vega, O’Keefe also whined over a certain blue state falling short: “New York, listen to this, just barely lost one of those seats. If they’d counted just 89 more people in the Empire State, they would have held on to that extra Electoral College vote.” He then lectured: “You got to fill out your Census forms, folks.”

Adding to the media horror, O’Keefe explained: “Now, attention shifts to how states will redraw their congressional districts ahead of next year’s midterm elections....Republicans have a huge advantage in this regard. Observers note that they’re set to control congressional redistricting in 18 states, compared to the Democrats’ seven.” He promised: “This will be one of the bigger partisan fights going into next year.”

“Power shift, the first results of the latest census changing the nation’s political landscape,” co-host Kotb declared at the top of NBC’s Today show. Minutes later, fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie stressed: “Also this morning, the first numbers from the 2020 Census are out and they show the nation’s political center shifting farther to the Republican-led south and west.”

Co-host Craig Melvin noted that “states in the south and west are growing the fastest, which seem to give Republicans the upper hand,” before acknowledging: “Some Democratic strongholds will lose a seat.” He further warned: “This could eventually impact who holds the House of Representatives, where Democrats of course right now have a slim majority.”

Like his ABC and CBS colleagues, Melvin mourned the closest loss: “One interesting note here, if New York had tallied just 89 more people in its population, it would not have lost a seat in this latest count.”  

The fact that the press could not conceal their bitter disappointment at Democrats losing political ground just shows how heavily invested they are in leftists continually being in power.

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Here is a full transcript of the April 27 report on ABC’s GMA:

7:13 AM ET

ROBIN ROBERTS: Now to the high-stakes political power shift from the results of the 2020 Census. Some states are set to gain congressional seats while others will lose seats. Our chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega has those details for us, she’s at the White House. Good morning, Cecilia.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Political Power Shift; Winners & Losers From 2020 Census]

CECILIA VEGA: Hi, Robin, good morning to you. This was one of the most complicated head counts ever, given the pandemic and the Trump administration’s push to not have undocumented immigrants counted. The reason these numbers are so important is that they’ll end up determining how more than a trillion federal dollars gets allocated and how you saw those congressional maps get drawn.

The big impact, red states are basically gonna pick up several seats. Democrats, blue states, could potentially lose some. And ultimately, this could impact the midterm elections. I want to show you another map, take a look a look at it right here. Texas, you’ll see it there, is gonna pick up two seats in the House. Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, Montana, they’ll get one more seat. On the flip side there, though, for the first time in history, California loses a seat. New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, those important rust belt states, are all going to drop a seat as well.

Now, New York, listen to this, if just 89 more residents had responded to the Census, they would not be losing that seat. Robin, there are big questions this morning about whether Latinos accurately participated in this census by the Trump administration, some concerns they may have been scared off by the political ramifications there.

ROBERTS: Quite a shift. Alright, Cecilia, thank you.

Here is a full transcript of report on CBS This Morning:

7:12 AM ET

TONY DOKOUPIL: The U.S. population is growing at its slowest rate since the Great Depression. Just 7.4 percent since 2010. That’s according to the new Census data. The bureau estimates that overall the U.S. has 331 million people living here. The numbers also show that our population and political power continue to shift to the south and western part of the country. Senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe joins us now. Ed, elections have consequences, we’re used to saying that. The Census has consequences too, doesn’t it?

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: U.S. Population Growth Slowing; What Census Data Reveals & Impact on Congressional Seats]

ED O’KEEFE: Oh, it sure does. Just ask the state of New York, we’ll get to that in a second. Seven states experienced very little population growth or lost residents over the last decade. Because of that, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, New York, and California are all losing one seat in the House of Representatives. New York, listen to this, just barely lost one of those seats. If they’d counted just 89 more people in the Empire State, they would have held on to that extra Electoral College vote. You got to fill out your Census forms, folks.

Instead, Minnesota would have lost the seat. California actually added more than two million new residents but it just didn’t grow at as fast a rate as some of those other states. This is the first time the Golden State will lose a congressional seat in its history. The states that are picking up representation, North Carolina, Florida, Oregon, Montana, and Colorado. Texas is picking up two congressional seats and will now have a whopping 40 Electoral College votes. These states grew the fastest over the last decade. Four of those six states voted last year for Donald Trump.

Now, attention shifts to how states will redraw their congressional districts ahead of next year’s midterm elections. More data expected to come later this year that will help state officials do that. Republicans have a huge advantage in this regard. Observers note that they’re set to control congressional redistricting in 18 states, compared to the Democrats’ seven. This will be one of the bigger partisan fights going into next year, Anthony.  

MASON: Yeah, some significant shifts there, Ed, thank you.

Here is a full transcript of the report on NBC’s Today show:

7:01 AM ET TEASE

HODA KOTB: Power shift, the first results of the latest census changing the nation’s political landscape. Straight ahead, which states will gain and lose seats in Congress, and why one state’s fate was decided by just 89 people.

7:15 AM ET SEGMENT

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Also this morning, the first numbers from the 2020 Census are out and they show the nation’s political center shifting farther to the Republican-led south and west. Craig joins us with a closer look at that and what it means. Craig, good morning.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Census Bureau Releases First 2020 Results; States In the South and West Gain House Seats]

CRAIG MELVIN: Hey, Savannah, good morning. Good morning to you as well. The Census count has far-reaching implications for the country on many levels, including potentially tipping the balance of power between political parties. It decides how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets.

Right now, states in the south and west are growing the fastest, which seem to give Republicans the upper hand. Texas will gain two congressional seats. Others, including Florida and North Carolina, picked up one. Some Democratic strongholds will lose a seat. Seven states total, notably California and New York.

This could eventually impact who holds the House of Representatives, where Democrats of course right now have a slim majority.

One interesting note here, if New York had tallied just 89 more people in its population, it would not have lost a seat in this latest count, Savannah.

GUTHRIE: Alright, Craig, thank you.