by Jonathan Turley at Res ipsa loquitor – The itself speaks
In Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman’s character famously bluffs in a hand of poker and later explains, “Yeah, well sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand.” It is a great scene and a great movie. The problem is that sometimes nothing can be . . . well . . . nothing. Democrats are learning that lesson this week after Texas legislators headed home and opponents are calling the bluffs of figures from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to Texas’s Beto O’Rourke.
There is a key poker tip left unstated in the movie: You cannot bluff when the other players already know your cards.
After a couple of weeks of posturing in exile in blue states, Texas Democrats returned home as expected, allowing the state to move forward with its redistricting plan. There was never any doubt about what would happen because it has happened before with Democrats —lacking the votes to defeat legislation, they flee the state to prevent all legislative business.
The media predictably lionized the Democrats as stateless freedom fighters while repeating unfounded claims that the state was about to wipe out minority representation, a move that not only contradicted the GOP plan but would contravene federal law.
It was another “I am Spartacus” moment for Democrats seeking recognition as the leaders of the resistance movement. It did not work out particularly well due to the chosen safe harbor for the Democratic political refugees: Illinois.
Illinois is arguably the most gerrymandered state in the union,…
Continue Reading