SCOTUS VRA Ruling. Landry Recall Push. Fox Wants Michelle Obama to Defend Melania. GOP War on Blacks
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The Supreme Court's decision to expedite the ruling on Louisiana's congressional maps is seen as a direct attack on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
- ❖The 'Purcell principle' (no election rule changes too close to an election) was ignored to allow Louisiana to redraw maps, but invoked in Alabama to prevent redrawing racist maps.
- ❖The host and guests argue that current gerrymandering efforts in Southern states are explicitly designed to eliminate Black congressional districts and weaken the Congressional Black Caucus.
- ❖Black voter turnout, particularly at 'Obama 2008 numbers,' is presented as the primary defense against gerrymandered maps.
- ❖There is a strong critique of Black leaders and organizations for perceived complacency in 2025, urging continuous, year-round political engagement.
- ❖The Republican party is explicitly labeled as the 'enemy of Black America,' with specific examples of policies and actions detrimental to Black communities.
- ❖Michelle Obama is urged by Fox News to defend Melania Trump, a request deemed audacious and hypocritical given past attacks on the Obamas.
Insights
1Supreme Court's Partisan and Racist Attack on Voting Rights
The Supreme Court, described as a 'hardcore right-wing conservative court,' allowed a ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act to take effect sooner than usual for Louisiana's congressional maps. This decision is framed as overtly partisan and deeply racist, aiming to diminish Black voting power. The court typically waits 32 days, but expedited the process at Louisiana's request, despite 42,000 people already having voted.
The court's procedural decision came shortly after it ruled to validate Louisiana's congressional map and diminish Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Justice Samuel Alito took 'pot shots' at Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson regarding the decision. Black voters in the Clay case filed a motion to recall the judgment for reconsideration.
2Hypocrisy of the 'Purcell Principle' in Gerrymandering Cases
The 'Purcell principle,' which states election rules cannot change too close to an election, was selectively applied by the Supreme Court. In 2022, it was invoked to force Alabama to hold elections with 'unconstitutionally racist maps' because February was deemed 'too close' to November. However, for Louisiana in 2026, the principle was ignored to allow map redrawing in May, which is closer to the November election, to take away Black voting rights.
Ellie Mistle explains the Purcell principle and its application in Alabama's Allen v. Milligan case () where February was too close to November. In contrast, Louisiana's request to expedite map redrawing in May 2026 for November 2026 elections was granted (). Justice Jackson's dissent noted only two prior instances where the court considered waiving the waiting period, and neither was granted.
3GOP's Coordinated 'War on Black America' through Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering efforts in Southern states like Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia are not merely partisan but are explicitly racist, aiming to 'eliminate the Congressional Black Caucus' and eradicate Black political power. These new maps specifically target Black-majority districts while leaving white Democratic districts untouched.
Ellie Mistle states, 'this doesn't show just their partisanship. This shows their deep abiding racism. This is a purely racist decision.' () She notes that white Democratic neighborhoods are 'untouched' while 'only going after the black ones.' () Congressman Buddy Carter openly stated that Georgia could 'pick up two to three seats' for Republicans by redrawing maps, even if early voting had started, to ensure Georgians are 'represented by people who represent their values,' implying Republican values. ()
4Mass Voter Turnout as the Only Defense Against Suppression
Given the Supreme Court's actions and the legislative efforts to suppress Black votes, mass voter turnout is presented as the only viable strategy to counter these attacks. If Black, Latino, and 'whites of good conscience' vote in overwhelming numbers, it can 'blow up all of their calculations' and make gerrymandered maps ineffective.
Ellie Mistle states, 'If black people, Latino people, and whites of good conscience overwhelmingly turn out, like Obama 2008 numbers turn out, all of these maps fail them.' () Roland Martin emphasizes 'mass voter registration' and 'town halls, voter citizenship training' to 'kick their asses at the ballot box.' () Bishop William Barber calls for '10 years of massive mobilization in the black community' with a 70% turnout floor.
5Republican Policies Actively Harm Black Communities
The argument that Black people should vote Republican to gain influence is vehemently rejected, with detailed examples of how Republican policies and actions under the Trump administration have actively harmed Black communities. These include repealing anti-discrimination laws, defunding programs for Black farmers, and dismantling civil rights offices.
Michael Harriot outlines Trump's promises to 'get rid of affirmative action,' 'bring back the national origins formula,' and 'get rid of DEI.' () He cites Trump shutting down an investigation into racism in a Dallas HOA (), pulling out of a lawsuit for Black people in 'Cancer Alley' (), and proposing to defund Black farmers' grants (). Roland Martin highlights the overturning of Obama's auto-lending discrimination protections () and the lack of Republican support for condemning white supremacy after the Buffalo shooting ().
Bottom Line
Democrats must adopt a 'Bumpy Johnson ruthless' strategy, running the table in states they control by aggressively gerrymandering in their favor, rather than unilaterally disarming.
This challenges the traditional Democratic reluctance to engage in aggressive political tactics like gerrymandering, arguing that 'icky and rude' considerations are secondary to self-preservation and protecting voting rights against a ruthlessly active opposition.
States with Democratic control (e.g., New York, Illinois, California, Michigan) could proactively redraw maps to maximize Democratic seats, creating a counter-balance to Republican efforts in the South and potentially securing national majorities.
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Lessons
- Engage in mass voter registration and turnout efforts, aiming for a 70% floor in Black communities to overcome gerrymandering.
- Participate actively in local and state legislative processes by contacting representatives, attending state houses, and pressuring lawmakers on voting rights and redistricting.
- Support and organize through initiatives like Win with Black Men and Bishop William Barber's national virtual training for black men and women to mobilize voters, focusing on data-driven, micro-organizing strategies.
Mass Mobilization and Political Warfare Strategy for Black Voters
Organize on the ground: Show up in state houses, participate in legislative processes, and pressure lawmakers on voting rights and redistricting.
Intensify voter engagement: Turn summer into an opportunity to engage everyone from 17 to 105 in voter registration, community conversations (fish fries, family reunions), and citizenship training.
Ensure voter integrity: Regularly check voter registration rolls to prevent purging or removal, and encourage 'tripling your vote' by bringing three others to vote early or on election day.
Sustain year-round activity: Maintain continuous political engagement, not just during election years, by informing, educating, and empowering voters every day, with clear strategies for primaries and general elections.
Demand accountability from politicians: Require clear agendas and commitments from Democratic candidates, especially regarding a new, restored Voting Rights Act and potential Supreme Court expansion, within their first 50 days in office.
Notable Moments
Discussion of the 'Purcell Principle' and its selective application by the Supreme Court to suppress Black votes.
This highlights the perceived hypocrisy and partisan nature of the Supreme Court, undermining public trust and demonstrating how legal principles can be manipulated to achieve specific political and racial outcomes.
Critique of Black leaders and organizations for perceived complacency in the year following the 2024 election.
This serves as a wake-up call for continuous, aggressive political engagement within Black communities, emphasizing that the fight for rights is ongoing and requires sustained effort from all stakeholders, not just during election cycles.
Fox News's Emily Compagno suggests Michelle Obama should defend Melania Trump from criticism, with two Black co-hosts nodding in agreement.
This moment is highlighted as an example of extreme 'audacity' and hypocrisy, demonstrating a perceived expectation for Black women to extend grace to those who have actively disrespected them, while ignoring past racist attacks on the Obamas.
Quotes
"This doesn't show just their partisanship. This shows their deep abiding racism. This is a purely racist decision."
"This is white v black. White supremacists coming for our very right to participate in democratic self-government and they are winning."
"Sometimes white supremacy doesn't look like a hood or a burning cross or a noose. Sometimes it looks like a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling. Sometimes it looks like redrawing a map."
"If black people, Latino people, and whites of good conscience overwhelmingly turn out, like Obama 2008 numbers turn out, all of these maps fail them."
"The only pathway for black people is Democratic party. You can't say it, but I can say it based upon the actions. Right now I need everybody listen to me right now. There's only one party that is trying to decimate black political power. That's Republicans..."
"It's like people in the middle of a gunfight want to have a conversation about the legality of guns. We're in the fight. They're shooting us right now."
"It would literally be black suicide to say, 'Oh, let's give all of our black votes to the Republicans cuz they might begin to love us.'"
"Self-preservation has to be the first law of nature. Self-preservation has to be the first law of nature and we are in that battle and that war right now."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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