Let's talk about Trump’s Texas Dummymander....

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Belle of the Ranch 3 min 1 speaker 5 chapters transcribed 1 month ago
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What is the Trump‑backed “Texas Dummymander” and why does it matter?

Belle of the Ranch 0:01
Well, howdy there internet people it spell again. So today we're going to talk about Trump's Texas Dummymander. Trump pushed for a drastic gerrymander in Texas and in other states. Because he believes Republicans will lose the independent vote due to how much the Republican Party has damaged the working class in this country. But he also believes that partisan Republicans will continue to vote against their own interests simply because the candidates have an R after their name. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen.

How could Republican gerrymandering create a “dummymander” in Texas?

Belle of the Ranch 0:42
But one thing we discussed as a possibility early on in the redistricting process was the likelihood of Republicans going too far in their gerrymandering attempt and creating a dummymander. This seemed incredibly likely in Texas. Because the Republican maps certainly appear to count on retaining the newfound support they obtained from Hispanic voters in twenty twenty four. In completely unrelated news. Trump's popularity among Hispanic voters has absolutely plummeted, according to an AP NORC Center for Public Affairs research poll. The poll found that twenty five percent of Hispanic adults have a somewhat or very favorable view of Trump.

Why have Hispanic voters’ opinions of Trump dropped dramatically?

Belle of the Ranch 1:33
It was forty four percent just before Trump took office. That's a remarkable slide politically. But completely unsurprising when you actually look at the policies Trump has instituted and the rhetoric coming from the very White House. Given how Republicans in Texas redrew the maps and how thin the margins are, just that shift is likely to make some of the districts they redrew more competitive than they were before, and might even shift the map as a whole. But wait, there's more. In September of twenty twenty four, the AP NORC poll showed eighty three percent of Hispanic Republicans viewed Trump favorably.

How might the new Texas maps affect competitiveness in upcoming elections?

Belle of the Ranch 2:20
In the recent poll, that number has also fallen almost 20 points to 65% of Hispanic Republicans. That shows a consistent trend that even exists inside the Republican Party as well. Those Republicans aren't really likely to vote Democrat, but during a midterm election, they might be more inclined to just sit at home. This is especially true given Republican rhetoric about being active at polling places. With everything going on and the harassment that Hispanic Republicans have talked about facing due to Trump's policies, the They may just not want to put up with it.

What should Democrats do to counter the gerrymandered districts in Texas?

Belle of the Ranch 3:03
The key element here is that the gerrymandered maps appear to have been drawn using data that is now obsolete. Politics isn't static. Demographic voting blocks react to the policies of those in power, and if you're redrawing maps, you probably want to keep those demographics happy. Now, we're still a year out. But the Trump administration has shown indications of making this trend worse, not better. The data makes one thing clear. The Democratic Party needs to be running a massive get out the vote campaign in Texas. They need to view every district as up for grabs. Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.

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