David Brooks: There Was ‘Shame’ in Gerrymandering, Now It’s ‘Nakedly Partisan’

Bennett I want to ░░░░░░░░ our focus now to ░░░░░░░░ politics and the redistricting ░░░░░░░░ You ve got more ░░░░░░░░ 50 Texas Democratic legislators ░░░░░░░░ left that state to ░░░░░░░░ a GOP effort to ░░░░░░░░ congressional maps Governor Abbott ░░░░░░░░ that they won t ░░░░░░░░ able to wait out ░░░░░░░░ redistricting push And this ░░░░░░░░ escalated to the FBI ░░░░░░░░ to help chase down ░░░░░░░░ quorum breaking Democrats David ░░░░░░░░ the center of this ░░░░░░░░ you well know is ░░░░░░░░ effort to stall this ░░░░░░░░ decade redistricting plan aimed ░░░░░░░░ giving Republicans five additional ░░░░░░░░ in Congress Democrats say ░░░░░░░░ amounts to cheating What ░░░░░░░░ you make of this ░░░░░░░░ by Democrats to flee ░░░░░░░░ state Is this a ░░░░░░░░ defense of democratic rights ░░░░░░░░ is this a just ░░░░░░░░ real provocative escalation BROOKS ░░░░░░░░ the fleeing is just ░░░░░░░░ shtick they have done ░░░░░░░░ and hasn t actually ░░░░░░░░ too well in the ░░░░░░░░ The thing here is ░░░░░░░░ corrosion of democracy And ░░░░░░░░ is how slow it ░░░░░░░░ And maybe this is ░░░░░░░░ the streets aren t ░░░░░░░░ in America because there ░░░░░░░░ always been gerrymandering but ░░░░░░░░ there was some sense ░░░░░░░░ shame like we re ░░░░░░░░ going to totally ring ░░░░░░░░ game completely And so ░░░░░░░░ in Texas there were ░░░░░░░░ seats even in California ░░░░░░░░ were Republican seats And ░░░░░░░░ now the shame is ░░░░░░░░ And so what we ░░░░░░░░ seeing is people just ░░░░░░░░ nakedly partisan And it ░░░░░░░░ people deciding not even ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ democracy about party We ░░░░░░░░ going to put party ░░░░░░░░ everything And that is ░░░░░░░░ s happening and I ░░░░░░░░ about to happen in ░░░░░░░░ as well And so ░░░░░░░░ s funny how much ░░░░░░░░ our system required some ░░░░░░░░ of you would feel ░░░░░░░░ of betraying your democracy ░░░░░░░░ would have thought they ░░░░░░░░ have rigged all the ░░░░░░░░ already so there d ░░░░░░░░ no seats to get ░░░░░░░░ redistricting But there was ░░░░░░░░ sense of shame But ░░░░░░░░ it s gone And ░░░░░░░░ you destroy the norms ░░░░░░░░ people feel responsible to ░░░░░░░░ higher than party when ░░░░░░░░ destroy that norm it ░░░░░░░░ out there s still ░░░░░░░░ lot left to destroy.”