The pundits at CNN are still attacking GOP redistricting in Texas while ignoring gerrymandering taking place in Democrat-controlled states across the country. On Tuesday, Newsroom host Ana Cabrera took up the crusade by calling Texas’ new congressional map “a Republican power grab.”
Cabrera was joined by correspondent Tom Foreman, and the two panicked over the possibility of continued Republican dominance in a state that voted for Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020:
ANA CABRERA: Tom, explain why Democrats are sounding the alarm in Texas.
TOM FOREMAN: Because they see this as a fundamental undercutting of democracy. Take a look at what's happened here in Texas under the Republicans' control right now…there is a massive advantage being given to the white majority districts which will tend to vote more Republican compared to all the other districts.
Foreman and Cabrera then used Texas as proof that more voting rights legislation should be passed through Congress. Foreman lobbied:
I will point out, Ana, there are states who have gotten around the gerrymander problem. There are states that have had both parties come together and say, we should have fair, democratic elections, both parties benefit from it. But in Texas, where the Republicans are losing influence in the state that's always been red, they are not about to let that happen, at least that's the evidence of this latest gerrymander.
When Republicans redistrict, CNN lambasts their partisanship, but when Democrats gerrymander? Radio silence. Last week, John Avlon accused Texas Republicans of crafting a “blatantly partisan, pro-white map,” while ignoring the proposed Illinois congressional map giving even more power to Democrats; the map, according to FiveThirtyEight, would add one Democratic seat and subtract two Republican seats. This would leave only 3 out of 17 House seats to Republicans (17.6% of seats), despite 40% of Illinois citizens voting for Trump in 2020.
Similarly, since CNN hosts are so concerned about drawing districts proportionate to state demographics, they should probably take a look at Maryland, where Republicans currently hold 1/8 (12.5%) of House seats. 32.4% of Maryland residents voted for Donald Trump in 2020.
Democrats also stand poised to wreak havoc on districting in New York: Dave Wasserman laid out in a tweet how the Democrat-controlled redistricting process could transform a 19D-8R map into a 23D-3R map.
Foreman concluded the segment with a dramatic appeal to "democracy," meaning whatever is best for the Democratic Party: “Right now, as I said in Texas, it's the Republicans taking that ball and running with it and of course Democrats are saying, hey, this is not democracy, to cut people out. Democracy means bringing them in.”
If only CNN would stop turning a blind eye to the undermining of democracy taking place by the Democrats.
This segment was sponsored by Best Western and Google.
Read the full transcript of the segment below by clicking Expand:
CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera
10/26/21
1:48:54 PMANA CABRERA: We're back with a Republican power grab in Texas as the GOP hopes to consolidate control with a new congressional map. The once a decade redistricting process is now complete, and opponents say the gerrymandered map shows why Congress needs to pass new voting rights legislation. Let's go to CNN's Tom Foreman at the magic wall to break it all down. Tom, explain why Democrats are sounding the alarm in Texas.
TOM FOREMAN: Because they see this as a fundamental undercutting of democracy. Take a look at what's happened here in Texas under the Republicans' control right now. Over the past ten years, 95% of Texas' population growth has been among people of color who are more inclined, as a group, to vote Democratic. 95%. Let's look at a little more specific numbers here. Right now, the white population of Texas is about 40%, the Hispanic or Latino population, about 39%, so they're virtually even. Yet look at what this new redistricting does. Under this formula, the white majority districts, 23. Hispanic majority districts, 7. So there is a massive advantage being given to the white majority districts which will tend to vote more Republican compared to all the other districts. The Hispanic majority -- Hispanics in the state, the people of color in the state, are the reason they got more congressional seats, but the reward for this is their influence politically is being diminished in the state by the Republicans who can benefit from those extra seats, Ana.
CABRERA: And Democrats have tried to pass a couple of voting rights bills. If those had made it through the Senate, would they have stopped this from happening?
FOREMAN: They very well might have. Let's take a look at the history of what's been happening in Texas. For many years, the map changes, they are required -- the Department of Justice or federal court to preclear those, to basically say, okay, we think you're not trying to cut out groups of people of color and make them less powerful politically. You're not doing that. It had to be precleared. But then in 2013, the Supreme Court basically gutted the Voting Rights Act and said, eh, it doesn't have to happen that way anymore. And many people back then said this is what's going to happen and now these are the results that you seem to get. And so if you look forward, what do we have coming up next? Well, you're going to have court fights over what has already been done. The question is timing. Can those happen fast enough to affect the next election? Those who are raising them will want them to happen fast but that's not always the case. And there will be a fight to pass new legislation, some idea of saying you shouldn't let this happen. I will point out, Ana, there are states who have gotten around the gerrymander problem. There are states that have had both parties come together and say, we should have fair, democratic elections, both parties benefit from it. But in Texas, where the Republicans are losing influence in the state that's always been red, they are not about to let that happen, at least that's the evidence of this latest gerrymander.
CABRERA: Makes you wonder why they wouldn't make more effort to court those voters, those Hispanic voters.
FOREMAN: Well, you could argue that about both parties all the time. Why don't they just do a little bit more to answer to their voters and to draw other people to their party and so often that doesn't seem to be the case. Right now, as I said in Texas, it's the Republicans taking that ball and running with it and of course Democrats are saying, hey, this is not democracy, to cut people out. Democracy means bringing them in.
CABRERA: Tom Foreman, thank you for making it so, you know, right there in front of us, so black and white, for lack of a better term. Appreciate it.
