Gerrymandered Balls

Republicans are cheating again

What do Republicans cheat at more, golf or elections? It’s a tough call. But cheating at one of those things means that they’ll cheat at the other.

Republicans in Texas are trying to reshape their congressional districts, even though it’s not the time redistricting is normally done. Usually, that’s shortly after the results of the census are published (which is once a decade), and states redistrict according to the new population size, and to fit with possible changes, such as new districts or losing them.

During the last census, Texas picked up two congressional seats because its population grew during the 2010s. Since the Texas legislature is controlled by Republicans, they were able to draw up the district maps. Naturally, they redraw them to favor Republicans. It’s not like they would do it honestly. They’re Republicans.

This is called gerrymandering, and Texas is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. Wisconsin is number one.

Texas now has 38 congressional districts, with 25 of them going to Republicans, 12 going to Democrats, and one is currently vacant. But even after winning a huge majority after gerrymandering, 25 congressional seats are not enough for Texas Republicans, so they want to redraw the lines again in their favor.

Texas will be blue someday, or at least a swing state. The best way to keep people from sending Democrats to Congress is to take away Democratic candidates. After gerrymandering, voters are not choosing the candidate. The candidates are choosing the voters. It’s horrible, rotten, unfair, and neither party should do it. But Republicans don’t care if they cheat.

After Joe Biden won the presidency in 2020 in what experts say was the most secure election in American history, Republicans cried foul and set out to change election laws in every state. In Georgia, for example, where Biden won in 2020, and Blue areas are growing, Republicans changed voting laws, and Trump won over Kamala Harris in 2024 by just 2.20 percent. In Texas, they focused on changing the laws, not for every district, just the districts that had a majority of Black voters. They tried to make it as hard as hell to vote in Houston.

Republicans said all these changes were for election “integrity.” But how much integrity do you have when you make it illegal to give an old lady a bottle of water while she’s waiting in line for nine hours in the Georgia heat? It’s a fact that when fewer people vote, Republicans win.

The 2024 election, which Trump “won,” had fewer voters than in 2020, when Biden won.

Republicans are afraid they’ll lose the House next year because they only have a two-seat majority at this time, and Donald Trump is the worst president in history, which will be a drag on the party. Currently, Trump’s approval is below 40 percent. I know. That high? In 2018, just two years into Trump’s first term, the Blue Wave hit and Republicans lost 40 House seats. Republicans know that it can happen again.

Now, Republicans are trying to fix the game. They don’t care how they win, just so long as they win. They don’t care if their elections are as fixed as a golf tournament in MAGA-Lardo.

Texas Democratic legislators don’t have the votes to defeat the GOP’s evil plan, so they’ve fled the state so the legislature won’t have a quorum. Without a quorum, the legislature can’t vote for it. I’m shocked they haven’t changed that law yet.

This is a delay tactic by the Democrats, but they may be able to push it off until the next session, as the current session is a special one called by Governor Greg Abbott. This session was called to address the recent floods that killed at least 135 people, but Abbott and Republicans are using it to cheat at elections. That’s despicable, using Texans’ deaths to play sleazy politics. Republicans are the worst.

So where did the Democrats go? Most went to blue states where they have support, like New York and Illinois. MAGA cartoonist Dana Summers finds it ironic that the Democrats would flee to Illinois, because he thinks that’s the most gerrymandered state in the nation. Dana is a moron. He doesn’t even fact-check unless he fact-checked his ass, because that’s where he pulled the “data” from. When it comes to the most gerrymandered states, Illinois isn’t even on the list. Go Cubs!

Another lie, like the one being used by the racist cartooning dunderheads, Margolis & Cox, is that Democrats gerrymander more. But when you look at the states that gerrymander the most, they’re all Republican states except for Maryland. The map shows the tops for gerrymandering are Wisconsin, Utah, Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and, of course, Texas. The only blue state on the list is Maryland.

I hate liars. I don’t bash the MAGA cartoonists for being bad cartoonists, and they are. I hit them for being liars, and in MargoCox’s case, also for being racists.

Abbott wants the Democrats arrested and brought back to Texas, as though they all fled the state to get abortions. But Abbott can’t order the New York or Illinois state police to arrest anyone. Donald Trump, who is a huge supporter of Texas’s cheating, is talking about using the FBI to go after the fled Democrats.

Senator John Cornyn, the governor, and corrupt Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are accusing Democrats of breaking the law. Calling in the FBI, headed by Kash Patel, will be using the department politically. Paxton is talking about throwing all the Democrats out of office.

While some blue states like California are pondering the idea of doing their own redistricting to cancel out Texas’ steal attempt, other Republican states like Missouri are talking about doing the same thing.

With these cheats, Congress will be less credible than the Supreme Court.

A lot of readers love the creatures I put in my cartoons, and it’s the only thing I like about golf other than Happy Gilmore. And Happy Gilmore is a rare Adam Sandler movie I like, like Waterboy and 50 First Dates.

Last night: As you might recall, I wrote yesterday’s blog at Wegmans, a grocery store that has a dining section. Since I was already out, I grabbed a drink. Sitting near me at the bar were two ladies talking about men. And when one of them said she has the worst taste in men and always gets the most horrible guys, there was a pause. And that’s when I cut in and said, “How you doin’?” I made them laugh. I was just joking, of course, but she makes a mean breakfast. I KID! I KID!

Paid subscribers: We have some new paid subscribers, and I just want to say welcome to each of you, and thank you. Feel free to join the comments.

While I love all my subscribers, it’s the ones who contribute financially who keep this show on the air, so to speak. I have no idea what I would do to stay alive if it weren’t for you. So again, THANK YOU!

Right after I wrote that, I got a notice of an unsubscription.

Creative note: I wrote this cartoon a few days ago, and I thought I would get to it over the weekend, but I did not. One reason I kept putting it off, other than daily Trump Fuckery, is that I couldn’t get the image in my head of how I wanted to do it. But then it landed this morning, and I said to myself, “There you are.” Also, this cartoon took a long time to draw. Speaking of Adam Sandler, it’s Sloppy Joe time.

Music note: I listened to Weezer’s Blue album while coloring. I had the time.

Drawn in 30 seconds:

Timelapse:

Support your local cartoonist: If you want to support the cartoonist, please donate through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com, Venmo to clay-jones-87, or snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. All support is appreciated.

Signed prints: Each signed print costs $40.00. Every cartoon at Claytoonz is available. Payment is accepted through PayPal, Venmo (clay-jones-87), or snail mail to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. Add to the note what you’re purchasing.

Tales From The Trumpster Fire: Signed copies of my second book are $50 and available only through me. I currently have 3 copies in my personal stash. Tell me what you’re buying in the note.

Knee-Deep In Mississippi: There are only 6 copies left of my first book, published in 1997. They can be purchased for $40.00. Add to the note what you’re purchasing.

Merch: Did you know there’s a Claytoonz store? My cartoons are printed on mugs, clothing, caps, and even a Peezy T-shirt. If you ever want a specific cartoon on some merch, let me know, and I’ll add it.