'Unlawful': Reaction to Alabama GOP's push to eliminate black-majority district
Democrats are fighting Republican efforts to eliminate a Black-majority district in Alabama, part of a nationwide redistricting war. MS NOW Senior Legal Reporter Lisa Rubin, Co-host of MS NOW's "The Weekend: Primetime" and former aide to President George W. Bush, Elise Jordan, and former Political Director for Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign Rebecca Pearcey join Chris Jansing to break down the impact.
MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.
» Subscribe to MS NOW: 
/ @msnow
» Subscribe to MS NOW’s We the People Newsletter for exclusive content from your favorite MS NOW anchors. Sign up now for free at https://ms.now/joinus
MS NOW is the go-to destination for domestic and international breaking news, and best-in-class opinion journalism. For more context and news coverage of the most important stories of our day click here: https://www.ms.now/
#trump #politics #midterms
/ @msnow
» Subscribe to MS NOW’s We the People Newsletter for exclusive content from your favorite MS NOW anchors. Sign up now for free at https://ms.now/joinus
MS NOW is the go-to destination for domestic and international breaking news, and best-in-class opinion journalism. For more context and news coverage of the most important stories of our day click here: https://www.ms.now/
#trump #politics #midtermsTranscript
Follow along using the transcript.
2 seconds
political
power in the south is playing out in Alabama Democrats are fighting
Republican efforts to eliminate a black majority district10 seconds
a
move black voters fear will erase their voice they have until this
afternoon to make their argument clear to the U s Supreme Court18 seconds
but
the stakes are intensifying because we're just eight days away from
that state's primary elections joining us now Rebecca Peercy a
Democratic strategist26 seconds
and
former political director and senior advisor to Senator Elizabeth
Warren's presidential campaign Lisa Rubin is MSNOW senior legal reporter
and Elise Jordan is a former aide to George W.38 seconds
Bush's White House and State Department and co-host of MSNOW's The Weekend Prime Time so Lisa what is at stake here for voters46 seconds
and the candidates well I think first of all what Alabama is trying to do is basically change what the playing field looks53 seconds
like
very very close in time to Alabama's own primary now that's not that
different than what we're already experiencing with Louisiana which is
as a result1 minute, 2 seconds
of
the Supreme Court's decision earlier this month Governor Landry in
Louisiana has postponed that state's primary and there is already1 minute, 10 seconds
litigation
about whether it is permissible for him to do so so I would say what's
at stake right now Chris is not only the timing of the primaries but
what the playing field1 minute, 19 seconds
looks
like where voters are actually going to vote what district they're
going to be funneled into and what choices they have depending1 minute, 26 seconds
on which of these maps the Supreme Court tells Alabama it is or is not permitted to use.1 minute, 31 seconds
Very
confusing so Rebecca during a town hall last week democratic state
lawmakers and civil rights advocates warn that hard-fought political
representation1 minute, 39 seconds
for black voters could be undone if this map is enacted.1 minute, 45 seconds
We must be reminded that civil rights is never secured permanently.1 minute, 53 seconds
I feel like you're ready to put me back in that cotton field again.1 minute, 57 seconds
Now, if I can't own the cotton field, I ain't trying to go back there. I'm sick and tired of messing it with us.2 minutes, 3 seconds
I'm
tired of them messing with us, whether it's DEI or whether we're
talking about affirmative action, all of these pieces to undermine the
community.2 minutes, 13 seconds
You
can hear the exhaustion, black voters in Alabama spent years fighting
for a second district where they could have a meaningful voice in
elections.2 minutes, 22 seconds
Are the gains that are made at stake here, could they go away? Yeah, I think absolutely.2 minutes, 30 seconds
I think Alabama is trying to return to a map that was struck because it diluted black, black voting power.2 minutes, 35 seconds
And it shouldn't be understood very plainly that an attempt to roll back these meaningful representations is unlawful. The key.2 minutes, 43 seconds
The
key thing here is not just that there's litigation, it's that the state
is testing how far it can go after the Supreme Court weakened a key
part of the VRA landscape.2 minutes, 52 seconds
So I want to make clear like this is not just a technical map dispute.2 minutes, 56 seconds
It's a civil rights fight dressed in legal language.3 minutes
And
if the map leaves black voters with less opportunity to elect
candidates of their choice and that look like them, that's not a neutral
outcome.3 minutes, 7 seconds
That's the injury on its own.3 minutes, 10 seconds
So
Alabama's black voters are still fighting systems designed to silence
them, and the state's voting rules don't just create hurdles.3 minutes, 18 seconds
They preserve old power structures So the disenfranchisement in Alabama is the modern version of an old idea.3 minutes, 25 seconds
Keep black political power contained, and you can't call it democracy if access is still shaped by race3 minutes, 32 seconds
and MONEY AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, PUNISHMENT FOR BLACK VOTERS IN ALABAMA.3 minutes, 37 seconds
AND WE HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ALABAMA COMES ON THE HEELS OF WHAT WE SAW THE SUPREME COURT DO IN LOUISIANA,3 minutes, 44 seconds
WHICH IS A RULING ON ON A CONGRESSIONAL MAP THAT LIMITED THE USE OF RACE IN REDISTRICTING.3 minutes, 49 seconds
HERE'S WHAT THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR HAD TO SAY ABOUT TALKING ABOUT THAT.3 minutes, 54 seconds
WHAT
A FAILED NARRATIVE IS ACTUALLY THAT PEOPLE IN LOUISIANA ARE RACIST,
THAT BASICALLY WE WON'T ELECT BLACK I MEAN, I DISAGREE WITH THAT.4 minutes, 4 seconds
HERE WE ARE, AFTER ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CASES, AFTER ALL OF THE RECTIFICATION4 minutes, 12 seconds
OF
THE SINS OF THE PAST, WHICH CERTAINLY NO ONE HAS DENIED, AND YET WE'RE
STILL TRYING TO FIND SOME SLIVER OF DISCRIMINATION IN RACE.4 minutes, 22 seconds
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO FIND IT, IT'S THERE.4 minutes, 26 seconds
I WOULD SAY THAT YOU YOU FIND THAT IT WOULD RESID IN PEOPLE'S HEARTS, NOT IN THEIR LAWS.4 minutes, 31 seconds
WELL, HERE'S ONE ARGUMENT. LOUISIANA HAS NOT HAD A SINCE RECONSTRUCTION, RIGHT?4 minutes, 41 seconds
SO CAN YOU REALLY SEPARATE, PARTICULARLY I THINK IN CERTAIN STATES, MANY OF THEM IN THE DEEP SOUTH.4 minutes, 48 seconds
CAN YOU I DON'T THINK YOU CAN WHEN YOU4 minutes, 55 seconds
HAVE THE VOTING BEING SO POLARIZED ALONG RACIAL LINES ESSENTIALLY.5 minutes, 1 second
AND YOU HAVE THE DEMOCRATS IN THE SOUTH THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WHITE DIXIE CRATS UNTIL THEY BECAME REPUBLICANS.5 minutes, 8 seconds
AND
THEN YOU HAVE BLACK VOTERS WHO CONSISTENTLY VOTE FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY
AND SO YOU LOOK AT HOW THE REPRESENTATION FOLDS OUT AND LOUISIANA IS A
THIRD BLACK.5 minutes, 18 seconds
SO IT'S NOT QUITE ENOUGH FOR A MAJORITY.5 minutes, 21 seconds
IT'S NOT QUITE ENOUGH IN MISSISSIPPI WHICH I THINK THE SUPREME COURT CAN ARGUE THAT5 minutes, 31 seconds
THERE
ARE JIM CROW PER SE LAWS AND MINORITIES AREN'T BEING PREVENTED FROM
VOTING I THINK IT IS A QUESTION OF IS THERE EQUAL REPRESENTATION.5 minutes, 41 seconds
AND
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WITH THIS FIGHT RIGHT NOW IS HOW YOU CAN
LITERALLY UPEND A PRIMARY WHEN ABSENTEE BALLOTS MIGHT HAVE ALREADY BEEN
STARTED.5 minutes, 51 seconds
ALL
OF THESE DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE, YOU KNOW, BALLOT ACCESS, ALL OF THESE
IN-DEPTH MINUTHIA THAT GOES INTO THESE LOCAL ELECTIONS AND THE LAW.5 minutes, 59 seconds
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HOW IT CAN BE DONE THIS QUICKLY BEFORE MIDTERMS. WELL, THE TIMING IS A KEY QUESTION, LISA.6 minutes, 6 seconds
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY DAYS FROM SOME of these folks going to the polls.6 minutes, 12 seconds
I mean, do the courts take that into consideration?6 minutes, 14 seconds
They absolutely do and not necessarily in a way that benefits the folks that would like to advance the cause.6 minutes, 21 seconds
that
would like to advance the IT IS A CAUSE OF BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS AND THE
RIGHTS OF BLACK TO CHOOSE REPRESENTATIVES OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.6 minutes, 28 seconds
THAT'S
BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT HAS SOMETHING CALLED the Purcell Principle,
and it essentially stands for the idea that courts shouldn't intervene6 minutes, 35 seconds
in elections and in electoral rules too close in time to an election.6 minutes, 40 seconds
Now here where Alabama THE COURT IS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE EXISTING MAP IS ONE THAT FAVORS MAJORITY MINORITY DISTRICTS,6 minutes, 47 seconds
THE
COURT NOT INTERVENING HERE AND FOLLOWING ITS PRECEDENT WOULD BE A GOOD
THING, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO HONOR THEIR PAST PRECEDENT.6 minutes, 56 seconds
THAT
SHOULD BE ENOUGH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'VE ALSO JUST TOLD US THAT
USING RACE AND REDISTRICTING EXCEPT IN THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE TO7 minutes, 4 seconds
TO MEET CIRCUMSTANCES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN AND OF ITSELF.7 minutes, 8 seconds
SO YOU'VE GOT SORT OF TWO THREADS OF SUPREME COURT LAW AT IN A COLLISION COURSE, CHRIS, WITH EACH OTHER.7 minutes, 14 seconds
ONE, THE COURT SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO INTERFERE WITH ELECTORAL RULES LATE IN the game.7 minutes, 18 seconds
And
two, the court just very, very recently saying race in redistricting is
really not something that we can permit unless the people who want to7 minutes, 26 seconds
create
more opportunity can show that they can draw alternative maps that
don't use race as a factor and meet every other criterion7 minutes, 34 seconds
that the existing map papers have used, including party and protecting incumbents.7 minutes, 40 seconds
That is a herculean, if not impossible task for any group of black voters in any of these states7 minutes, 47 seconds
that want to ensure that black voters have an opportunity to fully and fairly participate in these elections.7 minutes, 53 seconds
And we do see, Lisa, in this redistricting, right?7 minutes, 56 seconds
That there is PARTICULARLY, AND I THINK IT'S AN UPENDING OF A LONG TIME PRACTICE, HAPPENED EVERY 10 YEARS.8 minutes, 1 second
DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN WHENEVER ONE PARTY OR THE OTHER THOUGHT, OKAY, THIS WILL BE TO MY8 minutes, 12 seconds
DEMOCRATS ARE PROPOSING GETTING RID OF THE STATE'S JUNGLE PRIMARY.8 minutes, 16 seconds
THEY'RE
WORRIED NOW THAT IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE THERE COULD THERE WOULD BE TWO
REPUBLICANS AND NO DEMOCRATS, THAT CAN'T HAPPEN UNTIL 2030.8 minutes, 25 seconds
IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT THIS ELECTION.8 minutes, 26 seconds
HAVING
SAID THAT, DEMOCRATS DID BACK THAT, I SHOULD SAY, BACK IN THE TALKING
ABOUT THE DAY, IS THIS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN EITHER8 minutes, 35 seconds
PARTY UP ENDS LONG-STANDING PRACTICE IT IS NOT BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.8 minutes, 42 seconds
IT REALLY MAKES IT HARD TO PURSUE ANY KIND OF PRINCIPLED POLITICAL ARGUMENT THAT'S FOR SURE WHEN I8 minutes, 50 seconds
I UNDERSTAND THE IMPULSE TO PROTECT YOUR TERRITORY AND TO WIN WHEN THE OTHER SIDE IS TRYING TO WIN AND THEY'RE LAWYERING UP8 minutes, 58 seconds
AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT, THEN HOW ARE YOU JUST GOING TO STAND AND GET CLOBBERED AND LOSE JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE STICKING TO9 minutes, 6 seconds
LOFTY PRINCIPLES THAT ARE BEING DISREGARDED.9 minutes, 9 seconds
SO IT REALLY IS A LOSE-LOSE, I FEEL LIKE, FOR DEMOCRATS HERE BECAUSE THEY THEY'VE BEEN ADVOCATING A PRINCIPLE,9 minutes, 16 seconds
THEY CAN'T STICK WITH IT UNLESS THEY WANT TO LOSE.9 minutes, 19 seconds
SO,
I MEAN, IF I WERE, I WOULD THINK LIKE A REPUBLICAN AND JUST YOU'VE GOT
TO GO FOR THE JUGULAR AND YOU'VE GOT TO TRY TO WIN HOWEVER YOU CAN.9 minutes, 26 seconds
BUT THIS JUNGLE PRIMARY IS A TOTAL MESS WITH SO MANY CANDIDATES, AND IT IS UNLIKELY, I THINK IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT9 minutes, 34 seconds
WILL BE TWO REPUBLICANS ON THE TICKET, BUT IT IS DEFINITELY FOR DEMOCRATS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.9 minutes, 40 seconds
YEAH,
AND REBECCA, COULD FIGHTS LIKE THIS ON THE OTHER HAND ENERGIZE BLACK
TURNOUT AND DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZING AHEAD OF THE MIDTERMS?9 minutes, 49 seconds
YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO THINK so.9 minutes, 51 seconds
One,
because I've got to call a lot of California races right now, but I
think the top two system was designed for a totally different political
era9 minutes, 58 seconds
and the current governor's race is exposing its weakest link right now.10 minutes, 2 seconds
And it's showing that it can produce an election with no Democrat on the ballot, in the bluest big state in America.10 minutes, 9 seconds
So
the issue is not just about ballot mechanics, it's whether a party that
dominates the electorate can still be shut out despite its vote.10 minutes, 17 seconds
being fragmented.10 minutes, 18 seconds
So
we've spent years and years defending the top two system here in
California as a reform, but now we're discovering that open doesn't
always mean fair or functional or representative.10 minutes, 29 seconds
So
I hope it galvanizes a lot of black voters and certainly a lot of
Democrats to get out there and vote to ensure we don't get locked10 minutes, 37 seconds
out of a very important and consequential election in the gubernatorial race here.10 minutes, 41 seconds
Yeah, because you do hear at least some of our reporters
MS NOW
9.82M subscribers
No comments:
Post a Comment