
What Role Did Gerrymandering Play in Giving the GOP Its House Majority?
Plus, The Conservative Case Against the Independent State Legislature Doctrine.
Recently at The Bulwark:
CHARLIE SYKES: The Hollow Men of the GOP
JVL: How Trump Changed the Republican Party š and Elon. SBF. Elizabeth Holmes.
FOCUS GROUP: Can There Be Another Star in Trump's Cinematic Universe? (with David Drucker)š
You can support The Bulwark by subscribing to Bulwark+ or just by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would value it.
THEODORE R. JOHNSON: What Role Did Gerrymandering Play in Giving the GOP Its House Majority?
Though votes are still being counted in a few places, enough congressional races have been called to confirm that Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives in January. But the red wave that many predicted never materialized, and the Republicans are projected to have the narrowest majority in more than a century.
Once again, the anti-anti-Trumpers are standing back and hoping Trump will run out of tricks, instead of calling him out as an existential threat to democracy. Plus, will McCarthy really get the gavel ā and how long could he possibly hold it? Tom Nichols joins Charlie Sykes today.
Bulwark+ members can listen to an ad-free version of these podcasts on the player of their choice. Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.
KIMBERLY WEHLE: Appointing a New Special Counsel Was the Right Call.
Attorney General Merrick Garland is under fire for taking the extraordinary step of appointing a special counsel to investigate what he called ācertain extraordinary casesā involving potential criminal actions by former President Donald Trump and his cadre of enablers. The probe is twofold, involving (1) the unlawful interference with the transfer of power and certification of the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021; and (2) the taking of classified documents and other presidential records to Mar-a-Lago and possible obstruction of the related investigation. Garland made clear that the criminal investigations and prosecutions of 900+ people based on their āphysical presenceā at the Capitol will remain with the U.S. Attorneyās Office in Washington, D.C.
Translation: Special Counsel Jack Smith is tasked exclusively with deciding whether to go after the big fish.
PAUL ROSENZWEIG: The Conservative Case Against the Independent State Legislature Doctrine.
Legend has it that in 1823, during a game of school football (what we Americans call soccer) in the town of Rugby, England, a young man named William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran towards the oppositionās goal line. He was condemned, naturally, for cheating or, as the stories put it, for acting āwith a fine disregard for the rules of the game.ā
The result was minor chaos. Ellis was tackled by his peers. What emerged from those childish recriminations and confrontations was a new game, rugby, with entirely new rules. In intramural sports, changing the rules in the middle of the game can lead to innovation and invention. In politics, especially in a democracy, the results are likely to be much less desirable.
šØOVERTIME šØ
Happy Monday! I may not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in the presence of others since⦠I have COVID, but that doesnāt mean you canāt make it better with the 2023 Bulwark Thanksgiving recipe collection. Always happy to add a last minute recipe if you reply to this email, but I hope itās a great holiday for you. Iāll be taking some time off later this week and next for the holiday, provided I recover, so there may not be many Overtimes after Wednesday.
One thing I am thankful for is the love and support of my family, the great vaccines, and being boosted (2x). So, Iām not doing so bad. It helps to have a nice isolation suite with a 24/7 attendant, our pandemic dog Rusty.
A book for COVID/holiday reading⦠Our late TWS colleague, whom I met but never worked with, P.J. OāRourke has a book from beyond the grave. His official Quotationary and Riffapedia. Looking for a great holiday gift? This is it.
Some great people I do/have worked with, Dylann Croll, Hannah Long, and Alice Lloyd (at TWS) and Windsor Mann did work on it. Iām sure P.J. is smiling down from the above to preserve and promote his great work. Thank you, all.
USA! USA! While Iām not a big soccer fan, I did go to one of Americaās best soccer colleges, so while Iām sick, why not watch a very long match in a questionable country that probably shouldnāt be hosting soccerās most corrupt tournament?
Talking to the actors of Devotion⦠Our friend Ward Carroll goes behind the scenes.
Why do people talk to Isaac Chotiner? Daniel Drezner asks the question. His interviews are brutal. He reminds me of a guy named Jan Helfeld, whom I profiled eight years ago. I asked him why people would keep doing interviews with him, and he told me this.
He recounts the story of Mike Wallace connecting him with his agent in New York. āThe agent said, āYou have a good gimmick here, Jan. But I don't think it's going to work because the people will not want to do interviews with you.āā Jan wasnāt worried.
āSome people are careless. Some people are goodāthey admit being wrong. Some people overestimateāāOh, the other guy got screwed, but wait til I get him. I'll show him a thing or two.ā And the last thing is there are so many people, the universe is big.ā
Basically, big brains people in politics often think they are invincible, and as it turns out, theyāre not.
Will Tucker apologize? His claims about an impending Diesel shortage turned out to be hilariously wrong. Must be midterm season.
Thatās it for me. Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message.
ā30ā
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.