California Governor Gavin Newsom recently found himself embroiled in a contentious exchange with Vice President J.D. Vance on the social media platform X.
The debate centered around the contentious issue of gerrymandering, a topic that has long fueled partisan disputes across the United States. This particular clash highlights the ongoing struggle between Republicans and Democrats to secure favorable district lines, with states like Texas often at the forefront of these battles.
According to the Daily Caller, Vance initiated the discussion by criticizing the congressional districting in California. He remarked, The gerrymander in California is outrageous. Of their 52 congressional districts, 9 of them are Republican. That means 17 percent of their delegation is Republican when Republicans regularly win 40 percent of the vote in that state. How can this possibly be allowed?
This statement underscores the perceived imbalance in representation, a point of contention that has long been a rallying cry for conservatives advocating for fairer districting practices.
In response, Newsom, or the individual managing his account, seized the opportunity to counter Vance's critique with a dismissive retort. Try again, dumb dumb, read Newsoms post, accompanied by a map titled Most Gerrymandered States 2025.
The map, characterized by its stark minimalism, depicts a largely grey United States with a handful of states highlighted in green. The key, which simply reads Among the most Gerrymandered with a green circle next to Yes, lacks any detailed explanation or data source, leaving much to be desired in terms of clarity and transparency.
The map identifies states such as Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland as being among the most gerrymandered. However, it notably omits states like Illinois, Nevada, New York, and California, prompting criticism from various quarters.
This omission raises questions about the criteria used to determine which states are included, further fueling the debate over the map's validity.
Despite the map's apparent shortcomings, Newsom's post garnered significant attention, amassing approximately 85,000 likes by August 1. While not all reactions were supportive, the post's popularity suggests that Newsom's confident delivery may resonate with his base.
For some, the governor's assertive tone is enough to sway opinion, regardless of the underlying facts. As one might infer, Newsoms tone suggests he won the debate, so he won the debate. Others may simply align with Newsom due to their personal preferences, as illustrated by the sentiment, I like Newsom, and I dont like Vance, so Newsom is correct about gerrymandering.
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