The Democrats Just Laid Down Their Arms. Again.

The New Republic via Yahoo! News ^ | Sat, May 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT | Jason Linkins

[E. Pluribus Unum]

• Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has chosen not to pursue a solution that could save the congressional district maps approved by voters, despite a potential legal option available to her.
• The Virginia state Supreme Court's decision to throw out the amended congressional district maps has left Democrats facing a dilemma in upholding the will of the voters before the November elections.
• Democrats are grappling with the need to adopt more aggressive political tactics in response to the GOP's rapid redistricting efforts and potential threats to majority-minority districts in blue states.

Last week, I wrote about how the far right’s capture of governing institutions like the Supreme Court has put Democrats in the jackpot, forcing them to make some hard choices. Indeed, the decision laid before Democrats is one of the most famous choices ever laid out in the English language: whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up arms against a sea of troubles—and by opposing, end them. In a troubling sign for Democrats, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has chosen the former.

At issue is the Virginia state Supreme Court’s decision to throw out the amended congressional district maps that voters just approved—in a referendum that cost the Democrats some $70 million, as they painstakingly played by all the rules to get it over the line. In the immediate aftermath of the ruling, Spanberger offered a limp proclamation, saying that she was “disappointed” by it but that her “focus as Governor will be on ensuring that all voters have the information necessary to make their voices heard this November.”

But it turns out that Spanberger was missing...

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TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Somebody call the waaambulance!

[ClearCase_guy]

Talk about slanted news!

[GMThrust]

“...as they painstakingly played by all the rules to get it over the line.” Not so much.

[GMMC0987]

“as they painstakingly played by all the rules to get it over the line”

If they had, the Virginia Supreme Court wouldn’t have ruled against them.

[Libloather]

That’s a shame. I heard the commies were about to rip up the warranty and start over. Takes a ton of work to do it that way.

[Lysandru]

I stopped reading at that line. It was painfully obvious that the Democrats failed to follow the state constitution. Heck, some Democrats on the governor’s staff warned about this.

[KC_Conspirator]

Written by a scumbag leftist neckbeard.

[ComputerGuy]

A good read. I ended up feeling sorry for him. Not!

[mikey_hates_everything]

upholding the will of the voters

Horseshit. It was half of the voters and half of the voters don't get to change, much less violate, the state Constitution whenever they feel like it.

[Williams]

It was a step too far even for them.

[Rummyfan]

At issue is the Virginia state Supreme Court’s decision to throw out the amended congressional district maps that voters just approved—in a referendum that cost the Democrats some $70 million, as they painstakingly played by all the rules to get it over the line.

Lie. It was an unconstitutional effort bypassing the state elections commission as prescribed by the State Constitution. Spanbergwr and the Dems in VA want a plebeacite system….

[BB62]

“...in a referendum that cost the Democrats some $70 million, as they painstakingly played by all the rules to get it over the line.”

Riiiight.

Methinks the VA SC oh-so-slightly disagreed - on legal, not political grounds.

Where’s that “Not this $hit again” gif...?

[Alas Babylon!]

"...as they painstakingly played by all the rules to get it over the line..."

Beg to differ. The Supreme Court of Virginia confirmed that what they did NOT play by the rules, painstakingly or otherwise.

They broke several laws in getting the whole thing ramrodded thru to the ballot.

[gibsonguy]

“Democrats facing a dilemma in upholding the will of the voters“

It takes the rat scumbags at Yahoo to manage that much spin and propaganda. It’s worthy of Rolling Stone or daily beast.

[Frank Drebin]

This article is filled with lies.

[FLT-bird]

as they painstakingly played by all the rules to get it over the line

Except they didn't play by all the rules. The Virginia Constitution required an election between new maps being adopted and those new maps being applied. There was no election between. Ergo unconstitutional.

I notice he said nothing about how Leftists captured the SCOTUS in the 60s and 70s and a lot of what the SCOTUS has done in the last 10 years is simply to roll back some of the excesses of the Warren and Burger courts. What extreme tactics should Republicans have adopted 50 years ago in response to Leftists having control over the SCOTUS?

[clearcarbon]

"The idea Yeargain poses would be to lower the official retirement age to 54"

Age discrimination! Liberals don't even mature until well past that age.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"The idea Yeargain poses would be to lower the official retirement age to 54"

Sounds like a bill of attainder.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Democrats facing a dilemma in upholding the will of the voters.

Yes, ever since "the will of the democRATs" was to maintain slavery, the democRATs/DemoKKKrats have had issues.

[traderrob6]

“...despite a potential legal option available to her”

“Legal option” my a$$, The two highest courts in their universe ruled against them. They were OUT of options!