1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,640 this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon 3 00:00:09,679 --> 00:00:12,519 to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,679 want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,239 my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,600 go to vpekclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,160 subscribe button. Get every episode for free right to your 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,719 smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so much for 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,200 your support. All right so over at RedState dot com. 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:38,039 Our pal Stacy Matthews aka Sister Toldja writing a couple 11 00:00:38,079 --> 00:00:39,960 of pieces here that we're going to talk with her 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,359 about in a moment. With early voting already underway, with 13 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,320 less than a month left before California voters take to 14 00:00:46,359 --> 00:00:50,359 the polls on election day, proponents and opponents of the 15 00:00:50,399 --> 00:00:56,079 controversial Proposition fifty redistricting proposal continue to make their pitches 16 00:00:56,119 --> 00:00:59,479 to voters, with Governor Gavin Newsom using the usual scare 17 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,520 tactics and his critics surging voters to pump the brakes 18 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,879 on his jerry mandering scheme. We have her now, okay, Stacey, 19 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,040 welcome to the program. Hello Stacey, how. 20 00:01:08,879 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: Are you hey, Pete, how's it going? 21 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:15,079 Speaker 1: All right? All right? So all right, let's talk about 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:20,519 the redistricting case here in California, and I actually have 23 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,840 I've got some stuff here as well, because a lot 24 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,239 is being made about the comparison to Texas and that 25 00:01:27,359 --> 00:01:29,959 California is only doing this because Texas is doing this. 26 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,519 But there's some backstory on the Texas front. So give 27 00:01:33,599 --> 00:01:37,560 us the update, like on where California is and then 28 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,159 the general landscape as I guess, the redistricting wars are 29 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:43,159 starting to heat up. 30 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:48,879 Speaker 2: Well Texas, I mean, they didn't really initiate, like you said, 31 00:01:48,879 --> 00:01:53,159 there's a backstory there. But in response to Texas, you know, 32 00:01:53,239 --> 00:01:56,879 announcing in I think it was in early July that 33 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,000 they were going to proceed with doing a mid decade 34 00:02:00,319 --> 00:02:04,000 redistricting for their state, Gavin Newsom, you know, pushed back 35 00:02:04,079 --> 00:02:09,520 and eventually it led to the passage of fifty legislation, 36 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,879 which is going to be taken to the voters for 37 00:02:13,759 --> 00:02:17,000 their decision, and that's going to be in less than 38 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,680 a month. Election day there is I think it's November 39 00:02:19,719 --> 00:02:22,639 the fourth, and there's already early voting going on for 40 00:02:22,719 --> 00:02:26,520 Prop fifty and Gavin Newsom is basically saying he's doing 41 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,039 this as a temporary solution for California to the wart 42 00:02:31,479 --> 00:02:37,199 the GOP trying to expand their majority with mid decade redistricting. Again, 43 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,080 like you said, there's some backstory that I'm sure that 44 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,439 we'll get to. But in response to Gavin Newsom doing that, 45 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,400 which is basically it's going to revolve around I think 46 00:02:45,439 --> 00:02:48,800 five seats or so that potentially could go back to Democrats. 47 00:02:49,439 --> 00:02:52,240 Other states have gotten into the mixed red states and 48 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,560 blue states. You've had Missouri, You've had Indiana at New 49 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,240 York talking about it. In North Carolina has now entered 50 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,800 the chat. Phil Berger and Destin Hall noted a couple 51 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,280 of days ago they're entering the chat now and they 52 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,680 are going to be redrawing maps that will presumably be 53 00:03:09,759 --> 00:03:13,680 voted on as early as next week that potentially could 54 00:03:13,759 --> 00:03:17,240 net the GOP another seat next year, which would be 55 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,159 the seat currently held most likely be the seat being 56 00:03:20,159 --> 00:03:22,879 held by Don Davis and District one. 57 00:03:23,159 --> 00:03:25,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I covered this, I guess on Monday when 58 00:03:25,759 --> 00:03:29,400 the announcement was made. We went like way in depth 59 00:03:29,479 --> 00:03:31,479 on sort of the politics of it, and you know 60 00:03:31,599 --> 00:03:35,520 the potential downside that Republicans could have if they mess 61 00:03:35,599 --> 00:03:39,759 up on the lines basically and make District three two 62 00:03:39,759 --> 00:03:42,360 competitive and you get a lot of Democrat turnout, you 63 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,759 could actually lose both of those seats. The Texas backstory 64 00:03:47,639 --> 00:03:50,719 I found pretty interesting a constitutional an election law attorney 65 00:03:50,759 --> 00:03:53,560 with Dylon Law Group Harmeie Dylon's law group guy by 66 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,479 the name of Mark Muser, and he pointed out that 67 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,439 Texas was actually forced to read district because the Biden 68 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:07,639 DOJ sued Galveston County and lost, which then changed the law, 69 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:13,000 thus making four Texas congressional districts unconstitutional. And he goes 70 00:04:13,039 --> 00:04:15,759 over the entire timeline here. But the bottom line is 71 00:04:15,759 --> 00:04:19,160 that the reason why you hear Gavin Newsom or the 72 00:04:19,199 --> 00:04:22,720 reason why Gavin Newsom is wrong and he's talking about 73 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,279 jerrymandering all this, but he is, he is wrong. Texas 74 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,560 didn't didn't ought to do this on their own. The 75 00:04:29,639 --> 00:04:32,560 reason they had to redraw the congressional districts is because 76 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:37,560 they got sued by Biden's DOJ who lost. And like 77 00:04:37,639 --> 00:04:39,720 that's it's a very I'm going to go into it 78 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:41,160 after we let you go, But like there's a whole 79 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,680 backstory here. So now we got these redistricting wars heating up, 80 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,600 and now we've got the Supreme Court they heard oral 81 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,279 arguments today. Democrats are very upset about what might happen 82 00:04:51,319 --> 00:04:58,160 if this this decision goes the way that conservatives wanted 83 00:04:58,199 --> 00:05:01,600 to go. It could end up swinging another dozen districts 84 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:06,399 as well based on voter rights at rules. So, and 85 00:05:06,439 --> 00:05:09,800 I'm gonna circle back to all of that too. Another 86 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:15,480 election that matters up in Virginia, and this people usually 87 00:05:15,519 --> 00:05:18,399 point to Virginia as sort of the as a bell 88 00:05:18,439 --> 00:05:23,560 weather for where like the the midterms might go because it's, 89 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,519 you know, an off year election. They are in early 90 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,480 voting as well for governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor. We 91 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,279 covered I guess it was last week. The text mess Yeah, 92 00:05:36,319 --> 00:05:40,439 the text messages by Jay Jones, this guy running for 93 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,199 attorney general where he fantasized about, you know, murdering a 94 00:05:44,319 --> 00:05:48,800 Republican Speaker of the House and his two kids, murdering 95 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:50,680 his two kids in front of his family so they 96 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,959 would see that children die in order to get them 97 00:05:54,000 --> 00:06:00,360 to change their positions on on policy and nobody. Democrats 98 00:06:00,399 --> 00:06:03,000 don't seem to be distancing themselves from him. They're not 99 00:06:03,079 --> 00:06:06,199 saying he should drop out, and I suspect that's because 100 00:06:06,199 --> 00:06:08,639 we are in early voting. They can't replace him on 101 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,519 the ballot, so they're just going to have to ride 102 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,560 or die with this guy. Maybe not the best phrase 103 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:18,000 to use there, but what do we see now? How 104 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:22,600 is this impacting voter perception of Jay Jones and the 105 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,680 other candidates that are running, including the good natorial race. 106 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,959 Speaker 2: Shortly after the texting scandal with j Jones broke, his 107 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,360 own campaign released internal polling that's about three or four 108 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:39,319 days after the texting scandal work, and it showed him 109 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:44,279 only ahead by Jason Mayara of Jason Maris like one point, 110 00:06:44,319 --> 00:06:47,000 which is a statistical tie. And as we all know, 111 00:06:47,079 --> 00:06:51,199 internal polling typically tries to make the candidate that the 112 00:06:51,199 --> 00:06:53,480 poll is being conducted on behalf of looks better than 113 00:06:53,519 --> 00:06:57,519 they actually are, So he was probably already behind by 114 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:02,680 that point. But a release by Trafalgar earlier this week 115 00:07:03,199 --> 00:07:07,399 actually Saturday, showed that not only had had the script 116 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:11,399 flipped and my rs is now ahead of Jones in 117 00:07:11,439 --> 00:07:14,879 that race but I think six points, but also it's 118 00:07:14,959 --> 00:07:19,199 also changed the trajectory presumably in the governor's race, in 119 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,279 the lieutenant governor's race, because when some fears the lieutenant 120 00:07:23,279 --> 00:07:26,759 governor who has taken on Abigail Spandrover, the Democrat nominee, 121 00:07:27,439 --> 00:07:31,399 she is now in a statistical pie with Abigail Spanberger, 122 00:07:31,439 --> 00:07:35,000 and that this this scandal is having a it's not 123 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,519 a down ballot effect, it's actually an up ballot effect 124 00:07:37,519 --> 00:07:41,560 because my rs is the attorney general and you know, 125 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,959 this is impacting the lieutenant governor's race and the gubernatorial race. 126 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,600 And this this kind of reminds me a little bit 127 00:07:48,639 --> 00:07:51,639 of what happened with Terry mccauliff in twenty twenty one, 128 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,120 where he seemed to kind of be coasting on to 129 00:07:55,519 --> 00:07:59,079 another time as governor there, but then he you know, 130 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,839 made that epic some would calling a mistake, I would say, 131 00:08:03,839 --> 00:08:05,959 say in the quiet part out loud about saying what 132 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,839 he thought about how parents shouldn't be advising teachers on 133 00:08:09,879 --> 00:08:14,319 what they should teach children. And so, you know, after 134 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,639 that happened, his campaign just absolutely imploded. He didn't do 135 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:19,879 himself any favors by how he responded to it, and 136 00:08:19,879 --> 00:08:22,360 the rest is history. It helped all the other candidates 137 00:08:22,399 --> 00:08:25,120 as well, in addition to Glenn Youngkin. So I'm seeing 138 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,240 that kind of play out here, because if the poll 139 00:08:28,319 --> 00:08:31,000 that I'm referring to there was a there was a 140 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,879 poll by this same polling group for Fogger about a 141 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:36,799 week before the scandal broke, and it showed, you know, 142 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,320 that Jones was kind of in a comfortable lead, and 143 00:08:40,519 --> 00:08:44,919 Spamberger and the lieutenant governor candidate apologized for not remember 144 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:50,480 the person's name. They the Democrat candidates were ahead, uh, 145 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:55,639 outside of the statistical margin this margin of error, and 146 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,679 now and now they're both everything is either tied or 147 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,840 in my rs case, he's actually ahead. And we've got 148 00:09:02,879 --> 00:09:06,279 what three weeks to go before they vote there, and 149 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:10,320 again early voting is already taking place there as well. 150 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,799 So I do believe we've had a shift here. And 151 00:09:13,159 --> 00:09:15,720 we have also had a gubernatorial debate, the only one 152 00:09:15,759 --> 00:09:18,799 that they had this election cycle, and Spamberger had an 153 00:09:18,879 --> 00:09:23,399 awful debate when some sears she really hammered her on 154 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,679 the issue of boys and girls locker rooms and also 155 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,200 the j Jones issue in the as she put out, 156 00:09:29,639 --> 00:09:33,519 and this is not hyperbole, they were brutal against Spamberger. 157 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,919 I mean, they really made her look like she was 158 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:40,039 cold and indifferent to somebody on her ticket talking about 159 00:09:40,159 --> 00:09:46,000 murdering another GEO, former GOP colleague. So it just this 160 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,240 has just totally changed the dynamic. It's just almost like 161 00:09:49,519 --> 00:09:52,840 all three candidates are in a free fall because Spamberger 162 00:09:52,919 --> 00:09:56,440 won't respond like she should to the Jones scandal. And 163 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:00,720 that's having a having a down ballot and an up ballot. 164 00:10:00,799 --> 00:10:04,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a blast Yeah, it's a blast zone around 165 00:10:04,279 --> 00:10:07,440 Jay Jones and everybody is getting hit. All of his 166 00:10:07,759 --> 00:10:10,799 fellow Democrats are getting hit by that. And uh yeah, 167 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,799 and and as you mentioned that debate performance, she was awful. 168 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,879 I'm sure she was coached and told like, don't look 169 00:10:17,919 --> 00:10:20,840 at Winsome Sears, don't look at her, don't respond to 170 00:10:20,879 --> 00:10:25,200 her whatever. But the way it came across was just cold, 171 00:10:26,039 --> 00:10:30,840 icy and uh, sort of like looking down on her, 172 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,840 like you, I don't even need to respond to you, 173 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,639 like I'm on such a higher level. Just really arrogant 174 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:40,279 and condescending kind of vibe going on. And it was 175 00:10:40,399 --> 00:10:44,000 just and just socially awkward, just staring straight ahead at 176 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,200 the moderators rather than answer the questions that were being 177 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,759 thrown at her by Sears. She just seemed detached and weird. Ye, 178 00:10:52,919 --> 00:10:55,120 So yeah, I mean couldn't happen to a better candidate 179 00:10:55,639 --> 00:10:57,000 that you know, candidate's matty. 180 00:10:57,799 --> 00:10:59,399 Speaker 2: Let me let me let me add something real quick. 181 00:10:59,399 --> 00:11:02,440 You talked about the backstory to what was going on 182 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,279 in Texas. There's actually a backstory to the backstory, and 183 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,919 you're probably aware of it. But the twenty twenty census, 184 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:11,519 I believe the DOJ. I forget who it was that 185 00:11:11,639 --> 00:11:16,440 discovered that actually there was some undercounting done in some 186 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:19,159 of the red states and there was overcounting done in 187 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:23,080 some of the Blue states. So and even though Blue 188 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,320 states lost some congressional seats after the twenty twenty census, 189 00:11:27,399 --> 00:11:31,159 they actually should have lost more and Republicans should Red 190 00:11:31,159 --> 00:11:32,600 states should have gained more. 191 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: Correct So, yeah, I think it was like it was 192 00:11:35,039 --> 00:11:38,960 like over a dozen states that had problems with the counts, 193 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,600 and when you broke them down, it was like half 194 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:46,360 were overcounted, half were undercounted. And in those cohorts, like 195 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,799 five of the six undercounts were Republican states and five 196 00:11:50,879 --> 00:11:53,919 of the six overcounts were Democrat states. 197 00:11:54,519 --> 00:11:56,759 Speaker 2: That's why people when they hear about you know, North 198 00:11:56,759 --> 00:12:00,799 Carolina jumping into this battle and some other restates, don't 199 00:12:00,799 --> 00:12:04,600 look at it as cheating because basically they're doing what 200 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,399 should have been They're doing the correction now that probably 201 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,559 should have been done three or four years ago when 202 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,200 this problem with the census was discovered. So I don't 203 00:12:13,279 --> 00:12:16,919 view this as cheating. I view it as something that 204 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,000 should have been corrected a long time ago. So that's 205 00:12:20,039 --> 00:12:22,240 another thing that people need to keep in mind when 206 00:12:22,279 --> 00:12:25,039 they hear about these red states that are kind of 207 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,600 jumping into the phrase that, well, you know, blue state's 208 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:29,159 had it common. 209 00:12:29,879 --> 00:12:34,279 Speaker 1: So yeah, hey, I appreciate the time as always, Stacy Matthews, 210 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,960 you can reader work at RedState dot com. Thanks Stacy, 211 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,360 We'll talk to you next month. Thank you, all right, 212 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,919 take care at Stacy Matthews writes under the nom dipnume 213 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,720 sister told you at RedState dot com. Here's a great idea. 214 00:12:46,879 --> 00:12:49,639 How about making an escape to a really special and 215 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:52,879 secluded getaway in western North Carolina? 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So I'm mention 236 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,600 this fellow Mark Muser, constitutional and election law attorney with 237 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,440 the Dylan Law Group. He also ran for US Senate 238 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:13,480 in California in twenty twenty two, and he took to 239 00:14:13,519 --> 00:14:19,519 the Twitter machine formerly known as x and he said 240 00:14:19,559 --> 00:14:24,200 he's tired of hearing that California is redistricting to combat 241 00:14:24,279 --> 00:14:29,879 President Trump and Texas redistricting efforts. He goes through a 242 00:14:29,919 --> 00:14:32,879 timeline here he says Texas was forced to redistrict because 243 00:14:32,919 --> 00:14:37,720 the Biden DOJ sued Galveston County and lost. When Texas 244 00:14:37,799 --> 00:14:41,639 drew its congressional districts back in twenty twenty one, they 245 00:14:41,679 --> 00:14:47,440 created four congressional districts where they combined two minority communities 246 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:54,759 to create a minority majority district. Okay. Then in twenty 247 00:14:54,799 --> 00:15:00,279 twenty two, the Biden DOJ sued Galveston County commissioners because 248 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,960 Galveston did not draw a coalition minority district for the 249 00:15:04,039 --> 00:15:09,240 black and Latino populations. On October thirteenth, twenty twenty three, 250 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,639 a federal judge agreed with Biden's DOJ and found that 251 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:18,399 Galveston was required to draw a commissioner seat by combining 252 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:23,799 two minority communities. The next month, a three judge panel 253 00:15:23,799 --> 00:15:27,720 of the Fifth Circuit Federal Court found that combining two 254 00:15:27,879 --> 00:15:32,519 minority groups to create a minority majority district was unconstitutional, 255 00:15:32,879 --> 00:15:37,039 and thus asked for an n Bank panel to review 256 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:42,320 the issue to overturn prior precedents. August twenty four, the 257 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,799 n Bank panel of the Fifth Circuit concluded that the 258 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:49,080 coalition claims do not comport with Section two statutory language 259 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,279 or with Supreme Court cases. The Fifth Circuit ruled coalition 260 00:15:53,399 --> 00:15:57,200 minority districts are unconstitutional, which, by the way, this is 261 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,799 what's being argued at the US Supreme Court in this case, 262 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,919 but in a Louisiana case, it's the same issue at 263 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:05,960 the US Supreme Court. 264 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:06,279 Speaker 2: Today. 265 00:16:07,639 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: July this year, Trump's DOJ sent the letter to Texas 266 00:16:12,159 --> 00:16:15,600 highlighting the Fifth Circuit order, pointing out that there are 267 00:16:15,679 --> 00:16:21,039 four coalition minority congressional districts that are now deemed unconstitutional 268 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:26,159 and Texas needs to fix the problem. Texas made a 269 00:16:26,159 --> 00:16:29,919 prudent choice to redraw the congressional districts so as to 270 00:16:30,039 --> 00:16:34,799 save their taxpayers the expense of litigating the losing case 271 00:16:35,879 --> 00:16:40,440 in trying to defend minority coalition districts. Texas did not 272 00:16:40,639 --> 00:16:44,039 have to redraw four minority or they did not have 273 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:48,440 to redraw four minority coalition districts because of Trump. Texas 274 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:53,159 had to redraw the lines because Biden sued Galveston and 275 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,840 the law was clarified that these minority districts, these coalition 276 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:05,519 minority districts, were uncomm constitutional. That's what prompted this. Since 277 00:17:05,599 --> 00:17:09,559 Texas law requires the legislature to draw the congressional districts, 278 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:16,319 the legislature followed the law California. Bit of a different story. 279 00:17:16,519 --> 00:17:19,640 So when I was a kid, my grandpa died with Alzheimer's, 280 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:21,880 and before he died, my mom and my dad took 281 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,160 care of him as he got worse. Forty years ago, 282 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,319 there were no treatments and not much support for caregivers 283 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:29,920 and family. But things are different today because of the 284 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,119 work of so many people, including the Alzheimer's Association of 285 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,759 Western Carolina. It's a great organization with awesome people with 286 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,720 huge hearts. I've been a supporter for twenty five years. 287 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,000 This cause means a lot to me. I participate in 288 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:45,920 the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's and I'm leading a 289 00:17:46,039 --> 00:17:49,119 Charlotte team again this year, and it's called once Again 290 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,599 Pete's Pack. You can sign up and you can join 291 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,480 the team and walk with us. It's on October eighteenth, 292 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,920 that truest field sign up at alz dot org slash walk, 293 00:17:59,079 --> 00:18:01,000 and then you could search for or my team name, 294 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:04,519 Pete's Pack. There's also a link at thepetepod dot com. 295 00:18:04,559 --> 00:18:07,279 There's also a link in the description of this podcast. Also, 296 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,960 I'll be am seeing the Gastonia Walk on October eleventh, 297 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,839 and so you can make a team and join that 298 00:18:12,839 --> 00:18:15,160 one too, or make a donation and help me hit 299 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,440 my goal of five thousand dollars. If you do, I 300 00:18:17,559 --> 00:18:19,920 really appreciate it. There are a bunch of other walks 301 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,640 all over the Carolinas. You can go to alz dot 302 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,720 org slash walk for all the dates and locations. We're 303 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,599 closer than ever to stopping Alzheimer's. Can you help us 304 00:18:28,599 --> 00:18:30,960 get there? Will you walk with me? For a different future, 305 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,799 for families, for more time for treatments. This is why 306 00:18:34,839 --> 00:18:35,279 we walk. 307 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 2: So. 308 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: The US Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in a 309 00:18:40,759 --> 00:18:46,720 case called Louisiana versus Calais No Relation, a case that 310 00:18:46,799 --> 00:18:51,680 could effectively eliminate Section two of the Voting Rights Act, 311 00:18:52,039 --> 00:18:59,119 the nation's central safeguard against racially discriminatory redistricting. This is 312 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,599 a piece atl dot com that is a leftist rag 313 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:10,000 written by Max Fluggrath flugraph flo Grath. I don't know 314 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,680 how he pronounces it. Here's the argument as I understood 315 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,640 it after listening to the oral arguments this morning before 316 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:24,759 the show, Democrats went to the US Supreme Court to 317 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:30,920 argue that their voters are racist. That was their case. Okay, 318 00:19:32,079 --> 00:19:35,640 I mean it was an interesting strategy. We'll see how 319 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:40,440 it works for them, because the argument is that they 320 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,680 need to be able to pack black voters into one 321 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:50,720 district or multiple districts in order to ensure that they 322 00:19:50,799 --> 00:19:58,480 win election to the House of Representatives, and that this 323 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:03,240 is allowable under the Section two of the Voting Rights Act. Now, 324 00:20:03,279 --> 00:20:08,039 if you kind of think through how this actually works, right, 325 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:16,000 Democrat primaries are the first hurdle that a black candidate 326 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,279 would need to clear in order to make it to 327 00:20:18,319 --> 00:20:24,160 a general election. Right, So by drawing a district that is, 328 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:29,720 you know, fifty percent plus one black, the idea is 329 00:20:29,759 --> 00:20:34,400 that a black candidate would be ensured or has at 330 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,359 least a much greater opportunity to win that race over 331 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:46,279 a white candidate. But again, this is in a Democrat primary, right, Like, 332 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,680 that's the idea. You have to be able to clear 333 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:53,640 the Democrat primary, and so embedded in this argument is 334 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,640 that if you don't pack black voters into a single district, 335 00:20:58,839 --> 00:21:01,359 then you will not be able to elect a black 336 00:21:01,839 --> 00:21:06,000 candidate through the primary because if you're just drawing the 337 00:21:06,079 --> 00:21:11,200 districts for partisan gain, which, as you know, the North 338 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,359 Carolina saga with all of our redistricting going all the 339 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,160 way to the US Supreme Court multiple times. They were 340 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:21,119 cited as well with the Rucho case that's named after 341 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:27,440 Bob Rucho, former state lawmaker. So they said that the 342 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:34,200 US Constitution is silent on using partisan affiliation or trying 343 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,839 to you know, draw districts for partisan benefit. And so 344 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,599 if states want to prohibit that, the states can do so, 345 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:47,079 but there's no prohibition from the from the Feds. So 346 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,279 if you're sitting down to draw a district and you're 347 00:21:49,319 --> 00:21:53,240 a Republican map maker, right, just again, think this through. 348 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,680 How would this how this works? If you are the 349 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,039 Republican legislature and you want to draw maps that were 350 00:21:59,039 --> 00:22:01,839 down to your benefit, you don't need to look at race, 351 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,400 You're just looking at partisan affiliation, and then you go 352 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,799 about drawing districts to make it more likely that more 353 00:22:08,839 --> 00:22:12,079 Republicans will win more seats, and so you're just looking 354 00:22:12,079 --> 00:22:17,519 at party affiliation. But Democrats say, no, you got to 355 00:22:17,519 --> 00:22:21,480 look at race otherwise a black candidate will never win. Well, 356 00:22:21,519 --> 00:22:24,759 wait a minute. If I draw in North Carolina, for example, 357 00:22:24,799 --> 00:22:28,920 I've got fourteen districts. If I were to draw like 358 00:22:29,079 --> 00:22:32,640 we currently have a map that has ten safe Republican 359 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:37,880 seats and four safe Democrat seats, then a black Democrat 360 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:42,559 could win in a black Democrat or a black Democrat 361 00:22:42,599 --> 00:22:47,319 could win in a Democrat district. Right in the general election, 362 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:50,880 you put a Democrat black or white, you put them 363 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:55,160 up against a Republican in a Democrat heavy district, that 364 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,480 that Democrat's going to win that seat. Right, So this 365 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,920 isn't about the general election. This is about the primaries. 366 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,839 And what they're arguing is that Democrat white voters won't 367 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:10,079 vote for a black Democrat. That's their argument. I mean, 368 00:23:10,079 --> 00:23:13,279 they don't make that argument explicitly, but that's their argument. 369 00:23:16,599 --> 00:23:20,599 You can draw for partisanship. And one of the arguments 370 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:25,279 from the State of Louisiana was that there's no logical 371 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:30,960 endpoint to racial discrimination under Section two. And so the 372 00:23:31,039 --> 00:23:34,160 louis State of Louisiana, and we saw this with the 373 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,480 North Carolina cases as well, is that the courts just 374 00:23:37,559 --> 00:23:40,200 tell you what you can't do, and the states are 375 00:23:40,279 --> 00:23:44,319 asking for clarity, like, we will draw the maps. However 376 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,680 the law requires us to draw the maps. We will 377 00:23:46,759 --> 00:23:49,720 follow the law. But you can't keep telling us, Oh, 378 00:23:49,759 --> 00:23:52,359 you can't draw a map like that. Okay, Well, what 379 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,240 should I use? We can't tell you, what's a better map? 380 00:23:55,279 --> 00:23:58,240 What are the criteria I can use? Can't say? And 381 00:23:58,279 --> 00:24:00,880 then you get sued, and then you go through this 382 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,799 long court process and you get even more confounded by 383 00:24:06,039 --> 00:24:09,880 even less clarity. By the way, they were referring to 384 00:24:10,039 --> 00:24:22,119 majority minority districts as opportunity districts. Okay, So the argument 385 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,599 was that you can't use race when you're drawing these 386 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,799 districts except to correct for racial discrimination. That was essentially 387 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,839 what the liberal justices were saying. That's what Section two 388 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:38,319 is about. Like, we're not saying you should discriminate, We're 389 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:41,559 saying because one of the one of the judges kept 390 00:24:41,559 --> 00:24:44,240 asking that question. I think it was I think it 391 00:24:44,279 --> 00:24:48,000 was a leido, can you use discrimination? Can you discriminate 392 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:54,200 when drawing a remedy to discrimination? And the lawyer for 393 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:58,759 the naacp who praised the deceased cop killer the other day. 394 00:24:59,079 --> 00:25:01,799 But that's a difference. But she was arguing like she 395 00:25:01,839 --> 00:25:03,839 didn't want to say discrimination. But that is what we're 396 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:08,960 talking about. That if Louisiana has this history of discriminatory behavior, 397 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,480 which it does, then you will never be able to 398 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:15,440 get out from underneath that history. So therefore we have 399 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:19,519 to use discrimination now, which is Ibra mex Kendy's argument, 400 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:24,079 critical race theory, anti racism stuff, which is the solution 401 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:30,240 to past discrimination, is current discrimination, that's their argument. You know, 402 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:32,839 stories are powerful. They help us make sense of things, 403 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,319 to understand experiences. Stories connect us to the people of 404 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,680 our past while transcending generations. They help us process the 405 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:43,160 meaning of life and art. Stories are told through images 406 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,000 and videos. Preserve your stories with Creative Video. Started in 407 00:25:47,079 --> 00:25:49,960 nineteen ninety seven and Minhill, North Carolina. It was the 408 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,920 first company to provide this valuable service, converting images, photos 409 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:58,160 and videos into high quality produced slide shows, videos and albums. 410 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,720 The trusted, talented and dedical team at Creative Video will 411 00:26:01,759 --> 00:26:03,759 go over all of the details with you to create 412 00:26:03,839 --> 00:26:07,680 a perfect project. Satisfaction guaranteed. Drop them off in person 413 00:26:07,759 --> 00:26:09,519 or mail them. They'll be ready in a week or two. 414 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:14,920 Memorial videos for your loved ones, videos for rehearsal, dinners, weddings, graduations, Christmas, 415 00:26:15,079 --> 00:26:19,240 family vacations, birthdays, or just your family stories, all told 416 00:26:19,279 --> 00:26:23,000 through images. That's what your photos and videos are. They 417 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,839 are your life told through the eyes of everyone around 418 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,160 you and all who came before you, and they will 419 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,519 tell others to come who you are, visit creative video 420 00:26:31,759 --> 00:26:36,640 dot com. So this is Eric Daugherty over on Twitter 421 00:26:37,039 --> 00:26:40,160 commenting on the oral arguments, and I heard this as well, 422 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:45,680 Clarence Thomas making the point that in Louisiana, the quote 423 00:26:45,759 --> 00:26:49,599 unquote black district that was drawn, the second district that 424 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:54,440 was drawn to ensure a black candidate would win, that 425 00:26:54,519 --> 00:26:58,119 it would not exist unless Louisiana was forced by the 426 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:02,599 courts to consider race. And that's the problem is that 427 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:08,319 you're using race to draw the lines. And they're like, well, 428 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:12,359 and the liberals were like, well, that's just the remedy. Yeah, 429 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:17,400 but it doesn't speak to the candidacy of the individuals 430 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:22,160 running for the offices. And again, the only way that 431 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:27,000 you would believe that a black Democrat cannot possibly win 432 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:32,359 in a Democrat majority district is to believe that white 433 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:37,960 Democrats won't vote for a black Democrat. That's what you're 434 00:27:38,039 --> 00:27:44,720 telling us. That's the argument. And by the way, just 435 00:27:44,759 --> 00:27:48,440 not for nothing. I would point out Mark Robinson won 436 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:52,279 the lieutenant governor nomination. He won the lieutenant governor race, 437 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,160 he won the governor nomination. He did not win the 438 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:01,599 governor's race. But Mark Robinson, black Republican win. Some seers 439 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:07,119 in Virginia, black Republican right, Black Republicans win, They win 440 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,720 their primaries, you know, not, I mean, not all of them, 441 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:14,640 but they do tend to do well. So this seems 442 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:18,880 to be Democrat on Democrat action going on here. Now 443 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:24,279 back to Max Flugraf at Slate again left this publication. 444 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:30,599 Louisiana versus Calais. This case began with a simple act 445 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,680 of compliance. After a federal court found the state's congressional 446 00:28:33,759 --> 00:28:37,240 map violated the Voting Rights Act by weakening black voters power. 447 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:43,640 Louisiana Republican lawmakers were ordered to draw a second majority 448 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:49,400 black district. Okay, because they've got six districts and black 449 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:53,039 residents make up a third of Louisiana's population, air go, 450 00:28:53,839 --> 00:28:58,720 there should be two blacks in Congress. That's the argument. 451 00:28:59,359 --> 00:29:03,400 But the district, they only had one black majority district 452 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:08,680 air go Blacks can only win one seat, that's the thinking. 453 00:29:09,039 --> 00:29:13,680 That's the explanation. So lawmakers followed through on the court's 454 00:29:13,839 --> 00:29:16,920 order to do a new map, and then they got 455 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,519 sued again, this time by a group of white voters 456 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:25,599 who claimed that preventing proven discrimination was in was itself 457 00:29:25,799 --> 00:29:31,920 racial discrimination, because it is. That's exactly what occurred. He 458 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,880 goes on to then say this is how democracy is erode. 459 00:29:36,559 --> 00:29:38,640 So you get the gist of his piece here. And 460 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:43,599 what they're really really worried about is if you eliminate 461 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:48,119 Section two of the Voting Rights Act, it could actually 462 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:53,279 redound to Republicans benefits all across the country, to the 463 00:29:53,319 --> 00:29:56,440 tune of somewhere in the neighborhood of maybe two dozen 464 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:02,960 additional congressional seats, maybe more like up the twenty seven 465 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:09,000 seats could swing to Republicans. And that's on top of 466 00:30:09,039 --> 00:30:12,119 the ones that the states are looking to redistrict right now, 467 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:17,599 So you would you could see a massive shift. This 468 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,720 is what has the Republicans or Democrats rather freaking out. 469 00:30:21,799 --> 00:30:26,039 So mister Flugrath offers the path forward he says, it's narrow, 470 00:30:26,119 --> 00:30:30,720 but it exists and demands urgency. Democrats must act decisively 471 00:30:30,759 --> 00:30:36,519 on two fronts. First, redraw maps aggressively wherever possible. So 472 00:30:36,599 --> 00:30:40,519 what is he saying we have to jerrymander? People get 473 00:30:40,559 --> 00:30:45,960 to more jerrymandering. The houses at state focus relentlessly on 474 00:30:46,039 --> 00:30:50,559 retaking Congress. The Senate's steeper climb, but every seat matters. 475 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,480 The stakes are this high. That's what I mean. They're 476 00:30:55,519 --> 00:30:59,400 not opposed to gerrymandering, they're just opposed to Republicans doing it. 477 00:31:00,279 --> 00:31:02,559 All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you 478 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:04,640 so much for listening. I could not do the show 479 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,160 without your support and the support of the businesses that 480 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,319 advertise on the podcast, so if you'd like, please support 481 00:31:10,359 --> 00:31:12,039 them too and tell them you heard it here. You 482 00:31:12,039 --> 00:31:14,680 can also become a patron at my Patreon page or 483 00:31:14,759 --> 00:31:18,359 go to thepetecleanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much 484 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:24,839 for listening, and don't break anything while I'm gone.