Asked whether two “unconstitutional” acts make a right as Democrats look to counter GOP redistricting efforts, Ken Martin said, “In this case, I would say yes.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin defended California’s redistricting efforts while criticizing Republicans’ own efforts as unconstitutional.

“If they’re going to do this and continue doing this nonsense, which is unconstitutional and illegal, we’re going to be forced to do it ourselves in other states,” Martin said in an interview with NBC News, referencing GOP redistricting efforts.

Asked whether two unconstitutional acts make a right, Martin said, “In this case, I would say yes.”

His comments come as Californians will decide Tuesday whether to approve the state’s Prop 50 ballot measure, which would allow the state to redistrict to favor Democrats in the midterm elections. The move came in response to Republicans’ redistricting efforts in Texas to favor the GOP, which sparked redistricting battles in state legislatures across the country.

  • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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    1 day ago

    They weren’t doing what you wanted. You were mad. Now they’re doing what you wanted. You’re still mad.

    • Thunderbird4@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I’m not mad. I’m glad they’re showing some semblance of backbone for once. I just think it’s a poorly chosen cliche for him to use the “your grandfather’s Democratic Party” bit, when the party of the past didn’t have the cowardice issues that the current one has had this very same year.

      • Optional@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        We hold the Democrats to a higher communications standard because - reasons, so I think what was happening was a weak attempt to attach it to a “known phrase” such as “not your grandfather’s [insert thing]” to be “catchy” and “memorable”.

        Instead we can rightfully point out all the ways that’s wrong.

    • Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      No this isn’t them doing what I want. I want democrats to use there power to stop Trump from bombing and abducting whoever he wants. I don’t want them entrenching there power for the sake of power. I want them to explain how they’re gonna use there power to stop fascism to justify them taking away people’s democratic power over disrricting.

      I’ll give them props for holding out on the shutdown for Healthcare subsidies people need, that’s standing up for your constituents, but this redistricting is just a power grab.

      • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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        1 day ago

        The Democrats are in the minority for all three branches of government. It will stay that way unless they can make gains in the midterms. With further gerrymandering in Texas (the rigging everyone fears), they’ll probably not get a majority. So, they’re fighting back by playing dirty.

        • Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 day ago

          with further gerrymandering in Texas, they’ll probably not get a majority

          The gerrymandering in Texas is expected to give the gop 5 seats and they currently have a 6 seat majority, so the dems would have to flip 11 seats, that should be dead easy in a midterm with an unpopular president to play off of. For reference the dems flipped 41 seats in the 2018 midterms.

          The reason the democrats are worried is because they know they’re polling at 30 year lows in approval and that will counteract the inherent advantage of the opposition party in a midterm. Playing dirty with the Republicans will only make them more unpopular while obfuscating that unpopularity with a couple more house seats for bland centrist dems.

          It’s just like the dems taking billionaire pac money and pointing to the Republicans doing the same and saying they wouldn’t be competitive without it. When really they could turn down the money and run on a campaign of getting money out of politics and gain way more voters than they’d get from running more TV ads.

          • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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            1 day ago

            I disagree. Taking the high road is an option which has failed spectacularly against an opponent which will use any means to stay in power, including sending US troops into opposition-run cities.

            • Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              23 hours ago

              I’m not saying to always take the high road, play dirty when it actually helps people and will make you more popular. Pack the courts to reinstitute roe, deschedule Marijuana with an executive order, release the epstein list and start prosecuting trump for his connections to it, prosecute and fine the oil billionaires funding the GOP.

              Taking billionaire pac money and redistricting just to win elections isn’t popular, at best people view it as a necessary evil, at worse people become apathetic and view both parties as corrupt and not worth there vote.