June 14, 2015 - Voting Rights Act Under Siege - The 2016 Election Will Come Too Late to Stop It

MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!

First, there was the Citizens United decision empowering money more openly than ever before in politics (advantage:  GOP).  Next came the Shelby County decision basically gutting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (advantage:  GOP).

Now, John Roberts has convinced a majority of justices to take this case (Evenwel vs. Abbott) where 2 out the 3 possible decision scenarios will benefit the GOP in a HUGE way.

Basic summary:

The Supreme Court has never truly defined on what basis congressional districts should be drawn.  Given this void of definition, states, by default, just used census population data.  The plaintiff in this case contends that states should only use the "eligible voter" population (Forget children, forget immigrants.  They don't deserve representation, do they?).  Here are the three possible outcomes:

(1) The Court decides that current method of using full census data is constitutional (Nothing changes);

(2)  The Court decides to clarify and redefine the basis and agrees with the plaintiff (Big-time advantage for the GOP across the nation);

(3)  The Court decides to stay out of it and leaves it up to each state to do whatever they want - an Anthony Kennedy historically favorite option.  Now that current GOP legislatures, who were not aware they could redefine that basis for drawing districts, know they can do it, how fast do you think legislations in each red state will be passed for their advantage?  I give it less than a year.

This is another example of why Supreme Court appointments is the most powerful power a President has (well, aside from the Commander-in-Chief thing), and why I am so scared of a President Walker or President Rubio.

Can someone throw some cold water on my head :-)

Sorry about the rant...