Now imagine that you’re a GOP legislator leader in a state Donald Trump won in 2020. Imagine that you are a GOP legislative leader in that state and that you have an almost three-to-1 advantage in each chamber of the legislature. You also have a conservative governor. Imagine that you’re the GOP leader in this deeply red state and are confronted with blue states who heavily gerrymander in order to keep the House of Representatives intact in 2022.
If you had the opportunity to be in this position, what would you do? You’d fight fire with fire because the stakes are just too high, right?
Unfortunately, that willingness to do what it takes to win isn’t prevalent among Missouri’s Republican legislative leadership. Instead, they’ve introduced a map that could actually eliminate a Republican seat and add a Democrat one.
While the MO Republican legislative leaders had proposed a map which could remove a R seat in Congress and add a new D seat next door, in Illinois, Democrat legislative leaders have just approved a chart to dissolve 2 Republican congressional districts. #moleg pic.twitter.com/LYrsdodVTP
— Senator Denny Hoskins, CPA (@DLHoskins) January 2, 2022
Just when you think the Republican Party can’t figure out another way to fail, we’ve now got multiple states, including Missouri, not going to the mat to pick up much-needed GOP seats. Democrats have been gerrymandering states like California and New Mexico.
Maryland has, for instance, introduced a 7-1 map. The one GOP district will now be highly contested. California’s “independent” commission is also looking to eliminate multiple GOP districts. In Illinois, two GOP-held seats were taken away by the “independent” commission. It is one of the most egregious gerrymanders US history. Democrats didn’t even bother to preserve Adam Kinzinger’s seat, a Republican who has spent the last five years sucking up to them.
Missouri Republican leaders respond to this reality by creating a 5-3 R-to-D map. That’s absolute insanity, especially when Missouri could easily be drawn as a 7-1 R to D map. It is not the time for friendly negotiations. There is no reason to protect Democrat seats that could be eliminated. You will not win in 2022 — nor long-term — lacking that kind of killer instinct.
Missouri GOP members are standing up against this surrender attempt.
IMO the legislative leaders’ proposed map is a 5.5-2.5 map at the moment and a 5R-3D future map. We can do better. #moleg https://t.co/jA06SaYDa5
— Senator Denny Hoskins, CPA (@DLHoskins) January 2, 2022
This is precisely why Missouri’s supermajority Republicans should not try to please Democrats. If we want to win, then we must show strength and determination. @mogopWants to support the country by 2022. #7-1 #noMOrinos https://t.co/InkVVRzJ0S
— William Eigel (@BillEigel) January 2, 2022
Hopefully, enough noise will be made that this map doesn’t gain the support it needs to pass. Missouri’s decision to stop redistricting would prove political suicide. To stop the Democrat assault that has decimated the country, the GOP must have all its hands in each state it controls. This isn’t a game, and it’s no time to play inside baseball with the opposing party.
Lastly, if Republicans want to motivate voters going into 2022, handing Democrats House seats they could be deprived of before the voting even starts isn’t how to do it. The GOP could be smarter, please.
About Post Author
