Beto O'Rourke has advice for Dems. What do you think of it?

[senseandsensibility]

He was just interviewed on MSNBC. He said that Dems should throw the first punch and throw it harder." This was in reference to the appalling and dangerous plan by R's in TX to redistrict. He thinks the Dems in CA and NY should beat them to the punch. Before the TX legislature can act, he thinks that these states, controlled by Dems, should act to redistrict. If they did, TX's plan would be moot anyway.

He did acknowledge that this would be anything but easy, and would be far outside the comfort zone of most Dems. He said that the time for worrying about being right instead of being in power has passed. There are roadblocks, but we all know that if those roadblocks existed for R's they wouldn't even blink before plowing ahead.

As a Californian, in a state where the citizens have voted for Democratic leadership overwhelmingly, I would like to see my elected leaders fight fire with fire for once.

[FoxNewsSucks]

1. I couldn't agree more

I'm sick of our side having to be "nice", and just letting republicons have everything

[senseandsensibility]

2. Yup

And in safe states like CA, what is the point of being scared of your own shadow?

[BComplex]

32. Here's Governor Newsom with Brian Tyler Cohen discussing doing this in California

Newsom is determined to do this in California.

[LeftInTX]

58. I hope he can! Problem is down thread states, he is bound by the state constitution to the current districts.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Can we win a wave of redistricting that washes over many blue and purple states?

I agree it's long past time to go partisan but is it winnable and is it good for the country?

[SheltieLover]

27. This! 👆👆👆👆👆👆

[Bluetus]

35. Every red state is already gerrymandered to the max

And that includes Texas. Each time you push farther, you open up a flank for a loss of a "safe" seat.

I don't like the idea of trying to rig elections. But I like even less the idea of standing by while only one side does it.

[KPN]

51. Yes! I say go for it. What have we got to lose? Honor? What's that got us so far? Time to start outRepublicaning

the Republicans. Another term for it: survival.

[customerserviceguy]

4. If NY and CA

redistrict to favor Democratic Party candidates, doesn't that pretty much force Texas to do it? And would that sentiment extend throughout a lot of states that tend red?

[Bettie]

7. Well, Texas is going to

what do you suggest? Let them gerrymander red states further and sigh when we lose congress over and over and over, because we follow rules that no longer work or even apply?

[senseandsensibility]

10. I agree that hoping R states follow the rules and

Last edited Sat Jul 26, 2025, 05:30 PM - Edit history (1)

keeping our figurative powder dry is how we got here. It's time to use the power that voters gave us.

[Woodycall]

25. I think...

...it's far better use use our metaphorical "powder" now than to be forced to use real powder later because if we don't turn this around, that's going to be the only alternative, if History teaches us anything...

[senseandsensibility]

26. Yes

exactly.

[Bobstandard]

53. And very well said. nt

[SheltieLover]

30. Absolutely!

[LeftInTX]

59. Texas doesn't have any rules to follow. CA and NY do.

The only "rules" Texas has is the Voting Rights Act. And we all know where the VRA is going...

[Jilly_in_VA]

37. Yup

Texas is gonna Texas, so Blue states should beat them at their own game. There are several blue states and only one Texas (thank all the gods that may be!) so we should go for it NOW!

[KPN]

54. Are they not already doing that? In many red if not most red states anyway? What have we got to lose?

[lees1975]

5. It's long past the time for Democrats to do this.

The Republicans made this their M.O. when Lamebrain Limbaugh was dictating party policy. Yes, do it.

If we'd been this bold when we had control of Congress in 2020-22, we could have packed that damn Supreme Court, overturned Citizens United and the immunity ruling, saved Roe and expitited Trump's trials, getting the document theft case out of Corrupt Cannon's court, shutting down the delays in his insurrection trial and he'd be in prison now instead of the White House. So when we have a chance to pre-empt something they've done, do it. I'd add Illinois into that group, it is possible to gerrymander this state to the point where there are no GOP seats at all.

[Bettie]

6. Yes, I agree with this

sounds like the orange man is demanding that more red states redistrict as well.

[GoodRaisin]

8. I heard the interview and agree with him.

It’s common sense that if Texas redistricts to gain added congressional seats we must do the same in CA and NY.

[senseandsensibility]

12. Off topic, but I love your username!

[GoodRaisin]

13. TY

[Tribetime]

9. Yes yes and yes and Gov. Newsome agrees

[senseandsensibility]

11. That's good news about Newsom

I hope he follows through.

[ITAL]

14. I don't think it'd be easy in CA

The redistricting is done by a Commission that was set up by a state ballot measure. That doesn't seem to be the kind of thing that'd be easy to get around.

[senseandsensibility]

15. If there is any way to get this on the ballot to change it

or any other legal way to do so, it should be pursued IMO.

[madville]

33. They'd have to call a special election

To remove the citizens districting commission from the state constitution. The Republican Party there has already vowed to sue if that’s attempted of course.

[ITAL]

34. Well, a corresponding ballot measure

Could probably not go on the ballot until next November.

[KPN]

50. Do you think that would stop a Republican Governor in a red State with Rs in control of both chambers?

[ITAL]

56. They could put a competing ballot measure on

But it wouldn't be till 2026.

[LeftInTX]

57. Texas has tried to pass this, but the bills die. The state does not allow statewide citizen petitions.

Anything statewide must come from the legislature.

[WarGamer]

16. Just FYI...

If all red states made their Congressional delegation red and blue states made their delegations blue...

The GOP would have a commanding 41 seat majority in the House.

Be careful what you wish for.

[MadameButterfly]

17. NY tried to create districts that favored Dems

and judges stopped them. We have honest judges. It won't be allowed in blue states. It will be allowed in red states where the judges are too partisan to follow the law or implement any kind of fairness.

Any appeal to SCOTUS will help Republicans and hurt Dems.

It's not a level playing field.

If we try again, it needs to be in response to Texas doing it and that needs to be the precedent. It might not work, but doing it pre-emptively will make us the instigators. There is no end to red states who can follow suit with impunity.

[KPN]

46. Yes, how quickly we forget. At the same time, the very idea of Dems outRepublicaning the Republicans in this or any

regard is very appealing given the position our country is in. So long as we take the highroad, we will continue to be steamrolled ... conceivably into submission.

I'd say let's give it a go in every blue State. How about here in Oregon?

[MadameButterfly]

60. yeah, but see post #16

[dalton99a]

18. He's right. Democrats are always in a defensive/reactive mode

[H2O Man]

19. Recommended.

Now, I am primarily able to discuss boxing. But in terms of the street fights I was ever in, I can say that the last thing any guy heard after telling me, "you hit me first" was my left hook sizzling towards his jaw. That generally ended it, as when they regained consciousness, they didn't want to fight any more.

Now, of course I am advocating hitting the maga cultists non-violently. After all, I am non-violent, though I do like landing a few combinations on one of the heavy bags here. My younger son has one indoors and one on the lawn for me, and comments that I am delivering combinations faster and harder since the 2024 election.

[KPN]

47. This made me smile, especially the "faster and harder" part. We are probably all there in our own way. The Democratic

Party should be too.

I say let's beat them to the punch and do this in every blue State.

Edit: Oh, and by the way, are you a leftie H2O Man?

[JustAnotherGen]

20. NJ Could do it

Governor Murphy has stated he would lead it.

[senseandsensibility]

21. Wow. Hadn't heard that.

[JustAnotherGen]

45. We have a trifecta

If he signals (and he has) to the Assembly and Senate - they could easily pull together a commission and get it done.

[moonshinegnomie]

22. i agree 100%

and if one doesnt then replace them with someone with the balls to do it...

[Exp]

23. Gerrymandering example

Boundaries drawn to apportion five "districts" result in varying color majorities, including no yellow and 5 blue (top left), 3 yellow and 2 blue (top right), and 2 yellow and 3 blue (lower examples matching "voter" proportions).

[orangecrush]

24. It's way overdue.

[Phoenix61]

28. YES! YES! YES! Long past time. nt

[TBF]

29. Definitely overdue - the repugs in TX own the ground game and he knows it

they "redistrict" all the time and get away with it. The only way to win is to beat them at their own game. It's not like they are ever going to "follow the rules" unless it benefits them.

[ForgedCrank]

31. He's taking

the MAGA bait and suggesting that we behave exactly like they are accusing us of.
Being right is always the priority. I see no valid reason for us to start behaving like them.

[Ars Longa]

36. Here's an excellent video of Beto laying it out for us:

&list=RDNS4a3z208IFtA&start_radio=1

IMO He has been one of our better political athletes over
the last 10 years, and it has been unfortunate that he
couldn't quite get over the hump (twice) in TX. Maybe,
ironically, he would be better in a National Campaign,
than just in Tx.

[B.See]

38. If he's saying, when they go low, BE there at the door, waiting for em

then hell yeah. It's how I've always felt. MAGATS COUNT on us 'playing nice.'

[Ars Longa]

39. Yes! Exactly!

[JI7]

40. NY tried to do it and California isn't done directly by democrats

We have things in place which prevent us from easily doing it the way they do in Texas.

[KPN]

49. Oh darn. Did you really have to ruin a good vibe with reality?

[Skittles]

41. all I know is

Democrats need to stop taking the "high road" with these FASCIST FREAKS

[KPN]

48. Yes. They also need to start punching first and hard.

[summer_in_TX]

42. California and New York both use commissions consisting of people from both major parties and minor ones.

They would first have to dismantle those, then do the redistricting I think. The LWV doesn't think any of that will happen. I asked my local current and former presidents and in meeting with state LWV leaders that point was made.

[Jack Valentino]

43. I think that Texas Republicans may "dummymander" and screw themselves,

in the face of a "blue wave"....

that would be ok with me. I think they may fuck themselves...


And YES, Democratic controlled states should reciprocate---
and likely be safer to do so for 2026....


(Actually if Republicans want to gerrymander another 5 or 8 seats for 2026,
I think that is a lot less than they need.... Dems flipped 40 seats in 2018....)

[Rhiannon12866]

44. Here's the video of Beto's message on MSNBC:

'Throw the punch first and throw it harder': Beto O'Rourke urges Dems to fight Texas gerrymandering - MSNBC Reports
https://www.democraticunderground.com/132153319

[BlueKota]

55. I agree.

I don't like sports or sports analogies, normally, but say you have two teams playing basketball. The red team keeps tripping the blue team players, or knocking them down on the floor hard, then stepping on their arm to get them to release the ball. There are no referees willing to call foul.

Sure the blue team is taking the high road, and playing fair. Yes, that's admirable in a way, but there's no way the blues are going to win the game, in the long run. Unless the blue team is willing to show the red team, they're willing to push back harder, and they're tired of the red teams shit, and make the reds eat their own shit.

[Iggo]

61. If it's "Wake up and fight", then I'm for it

[themaguffin]

62. Agreed. Unless there is a national agreement among states to use fair commissions, Dems must not disarm.