There’s a new caucus in the S.C. General Assembly of like-minded souls who want to make a real difference in South Carolina politics.
It’s not a revived Fat and Ugly Caucus, the bipartisan social group of lawmakers and insiders from more than a generation ago who drank lots of liquor and enjoyed a good time. It’s not the MAGA-friendly S.C. Freedom Caucus that boldly seeks offbeat, wacky solutions that would make Attila the Hun blush.
No, this new political group is the Cowardly Numbskull Caucus. Only Republicans who want to flout voting traditions and who are deathly terrified of President Donald Trump are admitted. Right now,, that means every Republican senator or House member who thinks it’s a good idea to redraw congressional maps in mid-decade – just to dilute the majority-Black 6th Congressional District in hopes of turning it red.
Earth to Numbskulls: It won’t. Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn will beat whoever you throw up against him, regardless of the lines. And more bad news: If you take Black voters out of the 6th District and move them into the Red-centric seats you wanted back in 2022, then what you’re going to do is make some of those districts more competitive for Democrats.
In other words, all of these cynical machinations could backfire, especially as Trump’s poll numbers continue to tank because he hasn’t lowered prices on gas and food. And he’s now gotten the country involved in a stupid war with Iran where we’re desperately negotiating to return things back to the way they were before we dropped thousands of bombs on the arid country.
Back to redistricting: While we’ve never liked the current gerrymandered congressional maps that state legislators drew after the 2020 census, we really don’t like the intentional manipulation of district lines now that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled recently that race could not be a significant factor in redrawing district lines. What the justices essentially did was give a green light to Southern legislatures to return to Jim Crow divisions in a mad attempt to hold onto the U.S. House in the fall.
(As an aside, if Republican policies were working in the country, there wouldn’t need to be so much manipulation of district lines to try to create new red districts. But sadly, all the Republicans at the federal level can do is to resort to cheating voters by changing the rules in midstream.)
Which brings us back to the Cowardly Numbskulls. Here’s the coward part: It’s pretty sad how terrified they are that Trump will take vengeance if they don’t redraw the map to try to squeak out one more GOP House seat. They’re probably having nightmares of having an endorsement being pulled by the increasingly mercurial Trump.
Even longtime Trump supporter Henry McMaster, South Carolina’s governor, had the courage to say no to calling the General Assembly back into special session to redraw maps. Why? In part because candidates have already filed for the primary, currently scheduled for June 9. Some absentee voters have already voted. Candidates have been spending campaign cash in buckets to get name recognition.
And here’s the numbskull part: Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it’s good for the state of South Carolina and voters. In the rush to redistrict, we’re seeing the true colors of those who want to turn back the clock, not move forward. We’re seeing the erosion of our constitutional republic in favor of more authoritarian crap.
If Republicans in the legislature insist on this idiotic redistricting at mid-decade, there will be unintended consequences. That’s what happens when numbskulls are in charge.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.