Apparently On The Verge of Segregation

A quick quiz. Which of the following does not fit the definition of segregation.

1. Due to your race, you can't use a certain rest room
2. Due to your race, you can't eat at certain restaurants
3. Due to your race, you can't attend a certain school
4. You "only get" 49 out of 180 districts which favor your election

If you answered number 4, Democratic House Leader Stacy Abrams would beg to differ. In press releases now filling in-boxes, the Democrats are pleading with people to help "Stop the re-segregation of Georgia and protect the Voting Rights Act. Vote NO on the GOP's redistricting maps".

The Democratic caucus' size is at a historic ebb. To expect there would be no consequences when re-apportionment time rolled around is foolish. To complain about the unfairness of it all is just politics. To compare what has been a fairly transparent process where admittedly you lose power but still have seats at the table to being shut out of society based on nothing more than the color of your skin is ludicrous, factually inaccurate and frankly, an insult to history.

There are plenty of arguments to be made. Comparing a process where you were destined to lose to the era of police dogs and fire hoses is not one of them.

And do beware of unintended consequences. Keep up the inflamed racial rhetoric and that story which alleges a white Democrat demanded to be placed in a neighboring district so he would face a white opponent instead of the other neighboring majority minority district against an African American opponent just might grow legs.

The Overreach Begins

Remember yesterday when I talked about nose rubbing and overreach? Apparently it has begun.

AJC's Jim Galloway reports, via rules process, the Senate Republicans only gave the Senate Democrats nine minutes to file amendments:

Henson said Seabaugh informed him that because they were not submitted under the terms of the new rules – within 24 hours of consideration – they would not be allowed.

What is the point of being that harsh? It's not like the the Senate Democrats have enough votes to really do anything. It smacks of something that happens when a majority wants to stick it to the minority as hard as they can. Sort of like what happened 10 years ago when the Republicans were the ones on the pointy end of the pig sticker.

Four Things To Know About Redistricting

The boys and girls are back at the Gold Dome for their once a decade (if all goes well) redistricting party. Redistricting is so inside baseball, it should have its own clubhouse personnel. But it is the only thing that can radically change the political landscape for years if not decades, so it behooves us to pay some mind to what the yahoos have planned.

Here's four things to note in the coming weeks.

1. The Maps - You can find them here. I would advise using the Google Maps plug-in. Otherwise you may embarrass yourself as I did when I misread a squiggly line and thought I had been thrust into a Gwinnett County district.

2. The Democrats Will Whine - One person's whine is another person's positioning. Democratic caucus leader Stacy Abrams started the whining/positioning last week by pointing out 10 districts where Democrats are "paired" against each other. In other words, two incumbents will face each other in the primary.

The whining will ignore two salient facts: arguably the Democrats did much worse to the Republicans in 2002 and the recent electoral routs have left the Democratic caucus with such a striking low membership that it may not have been possible for the Republicans to do any worse.

3. The Republican Will Rub It In - Payback is hell and the Republicans have been waiting a long time for this one. In 2002, in a last ditch effort to stave off what everyone knew was going to be a series of wave elections, the Democrats drew up maps that were at times so absurd one district was called "a squashed daddy long legs". Elephants have long memories and their crowing at sticking it back to their opponents will be loud.

But they need to be careful of the over reach.The obvious goal of the majority party is to reach a super-majority that will have the votes to pass any Constitutional amendment. There are Republicans who privately say that may be too much power, even if it is in the "right hands". If they succeed and we see endless streams of "Bobby Franklin" style bills, the electorate will wake up and the reckoning may shut down the party early.

4. None of It Matters Because We're All Going To Court - Bottom line is Georgia is still under the aegis of the Voting Rights Act. This fact means our maps will be reviewed by the feds. One of two paths will be taken, either the Justice Department steps in to tinker or Secretary of State Brian Kemp takes the case directly to court. Either way, a panel of judges will ultimately decide the final lines on the map. And that's what Stacy Abrams statements are really about. And that's what GOP Chair Sue Everhart's press releases are really about. Positioning for the final act.

A prediction sure to be wrong: The judges will not alter the maps greatly for two reasons: The Republicans have been very clever is disguising their gerrymandering. Oh, it's there. It's just hard to see and what you do see looks mostly political, not illegal. Also, as I said before; with this few Democrats, there's just really not that many places you can put them.

So, let the curtain rise and the actors trod the stage. But remember, despite the cry and hew you hear from Capitol Avenue, we are only  in the first act.