The other day, we eulogized the political career of the great Jasmine Crockett of Texas. She lost her bid to be the Democrats\u2019 nominee in the Senate primary \u2014 a race she felt compelled to join because Republicans gerrymandered her congressional district away. <\/span><\/p>\n In other words, because Republicans redrew the congressional map, Jasmine Crockett had to choose between running for a totally new congressional seat or running for the Senate. (You can\u2019t run for both seats at the same time.) She chose the Senate and lost. And as a result, her political career is likely over.<\/span><\/p>\n As tragic as Jasmine\u2019s defeat is, she was by far the most entertaining member of Congress who can barely speak English. But there\u2019s a bigger story here. Jasmine Crockett\u2019s defeat is part of a major shift in American politics, and it really doesn\u2019t get enough attention. For decades since the Civil Rights Era, Democrats have been allowed to draw \u2014 and re-draw \u2014 congressional maps in order to boost black representation in Congress. So if a district was 80% white, Democrats could redraw the district, in absurd ways, so that more black people \u2014 who overwhelmingly vote Democrat \u2014 were included. <\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s what happened in Louisiana, to give just one example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Source: Democracy Docket<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A federal court forced Louisiana to draw a district across the entire length of the state, solely to include more black people. This is what happens in many different states. Essentially, Democrats have been allowed to dilute the white vote, knowing full well that non-white voters tend to side with Democrats. This is cheating, of course. But under the guise of \u201cracial equity,\u201d courts have allowed it.<\/span><\/p>\n But that\u2019s ending now. All over the country, because of federal court decisions and Supreme Court rulings, Republicans are being allowed to redraw congressional districts that have been rigged for years. This is called gerrymandering \u2014 and yes, Republicans are explicitly drawing the districts in order to maximize their political advantage. There\u2019s nothing unusual about that. Both parties do it. The difference is that, for the first time in 50 years, Democrats don\u2019t get to scream \u201cracism\u201d and stop Republicans from gerrymandering. A bigger Supreme Court ruling on this issue is pending, and if it goes the way we think it will, Democrats stand to lose around two dozen seats in Congress. It\u2019s a very big deal.<\/span><\/p>\n But already, the impact is being felt. Jasmine Crockett is done. And the man who defeated her in the Democrat U.S. Senate primary, James Talarico, is now being doubted as a \u201cmoderate\u201d Democrat who has a real chance of flipping the state of Texas. No Democrat has won a Senate race in Texas in nearly 50 years, but according to Stephen Colbert and the DNC and MSNBC and everyone else in the mainstream Left, Talarico can do it. <\/span><\/p>\n And that\u2019s because, as NBC reminded us yesterday, Talarico is supposedly a moderate candidate who will win over \u201cindependents\u201d and non-political voters. He\u2019s so sane and normal and moderate that he\u2019s a \u201cbig tent\u201d candidate, we\u2019re told. <\/span><\/p>\n Watch:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Democracy](\"https:\/\/www.democracydocket.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/LA-New-Cong-Map-2-1-1024x885.png\")
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