You know, when it comes to the attack on democracy in our country, Ohio’s a really disturbing case study.
Our redistricting battle is an ominous wake-up call, because it exposes just how far undemocratic and rigged statehouses are willing to go to keep power.
Here’s the broader context.
You might have noticed that the right wing loves autocrat Viktor Orban of Hungary. (In fact, Orban’s giving the keynote speech at the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting that is being held in Hungary next month.)
They love him because he's got a model of governing that the academics call “competitive autocracy.”
In a competitive autocracy like Hungary’s, election results are preordained. The conclusions are forgone.
But Orban runs an election process that creates an appearance of legitimacy. An appearance of competition.
And that's what the GOP is trying to create here – in statehouse after statehouse.
Including Ohio’s.
That's why they’re gerrymandering so intensely.
But they have a problem. And that problem happens to be you.
Ohioans (and Americans generally) are absolutely fed up with partisan gerrymandering.
We’re so sick of gerrymandering that 70% of Ohioans voted – twice! – to change our state constitution to get rid of it.
So what did the current rigged corrupt statehouse do in response? They violated that constitution.
Not once.
Not twice.
Not even three times.
Four times.
Four separate times they’ve drawn maps that clearly violate the state constitution (and the will of 70% of Ohioans).
Rigging the statehouse is that important to them.
And did you know that not one of the maps proposed by Democrats would lead to a Democratic majority in the statehouse?
That’s right. This fight isn’t over whether Republicans will control the state legislature. This fight is over how much competition they have to face.
Just like their role model Hungary, they want an appearance of competition – but no actual contest.
Having struck out (four times) at the Ohio Supreme Court, now they’ve crawled to federal court, where they’re begging it to impose their rigged maps.
They want their preordained illegitimate results … but ordered by a court, so the corrupt result appears legitimate.
It’s competitive autocracy … through legal briefs.
They’re really hoping you’re not paying attention to all of this. Frankly, being able to sneak this past you is key to their success. That’s why I keep shining a light on all of it.
You deserve to know this is where they're going.
And you need to know how far they're willing to go.
We all have to stand up for the rule of law, and hold these people accountable when they break it – and when they try to use the federal courts to camouflage their lawlessness.
