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Sorry Michelle, We Are Done Trying to Take the High Road [1]
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Date: 2025-07-31
When Michelle Obama reminded the nation in 2016 that “when they go low, we go high,” it felt like moral clarity. But eight years—and the worst gerrymandering run in modern memory—later, that high road has become a self-imposed electoral trap. With Texas Republicans now deploying a mid‑decade redistricting blitz to flip five safely Trump‑leaning districts, boosting their delegation from 25 to an estimated 30 seats, Democrats can no longer afford to remain above the fray New York Post+4The Washington Post+4Times Union+4.
The GOP has rewritten the rules. Courts have rolled back even modest safeguards. Independent commissions? Reform proposals? Forget them. Texas’s latest power grab—ripping apart districts in South Texas, Austin, Dallas, and Houston—is clearly a partisan gambit: packing minority and progressive communities into a shrinking number of seats and flipping the rest into impenetrable Republican strongholds The Texas TribuneHouston ChronicleKVueThe Washington Post. Democrats are demoralized. They’re talking walkouts, legal suits, $20 million in candidate recruitment—but the question is blunt: is it enough?
Enough is never enough.
This is war. We should stop trying to take the moral high ground—and start playing to win.
Scorched‑Earth Blueprint for Resistance
1. Match Fire with Fire: Blue States Redraw Too.
If Texas and Ohio and Missouri can redraw their maps mid‑decade to silence Democratic votes, then Democratic‑run states—California, New York, Illinois, Colorado, New Jersey —must push forward their own aggressive map changes. Fight back by shifting lines where possible to create more Democratic seats and marginalize swing voters into GOP deserts. Let the next imbalance favor the left. As Politico reported, Democratic governors in California and New York are already considering such retaliation New York Post+15Politico+15TPR+15.
2. Legal Action, Plus Legislative Quorum Break.
In Texas, Democrats are flirting with the walkout—fleeing the Capitol to block the special session. That tactic worked in 2003; it's time to lean into it again, form alliances across state lines, and turn redistricting into a national constitutional crisis. Lawsuits under the Voting Rights Act and constitutional protections are needed, but so too is political theater that draws attention, fury, and federal pressure.
3. Nationalize the Fight: Messaging, Fundraising, Coordination.
The House Majority PAC’s $20 million must be just the opening salvo. Organize emergency fundraisers, tie elite Democrats like Obama and Holder to high‑profile events in battleground states, deploy national spokespeople to frame this as an existential U.S. House takeover—courtesy of Republicans rewriting the rules mid‑game Politico.
4. Disrupt Voter Suppression with Proactive Voter Outreach.
Don’t just react—pre‑empt. In districts targeted for flipping, mount aggressive GOTV efforts, bilingual access campaigns, mobile voting units, and legal observers. Force Republicans to defend every vote and ensure that minority communities fight back hard—right through the chaos they’ve created.
5. Demand Reform—When It Hurts.
If Republicans think they can get away with sweeping partisan mid‑decade redistricting, they’ve opened Pandora’s box: independent commissions, constitutional amendments, voter referenda, federal legislation. Push reform measures now while outrage is peaking and momentum is on the left. Don’t wait for defeat; demand it now, nationally.
Why We’re Beyond Going “High”
Once, taking the high road meant respect. Today, it means giving away the game. Republicans have destroyed norms through REDMAP and repeated gerrymanders ever since 2010—delivering GOP legislators dozens of seats without popular vote support Wikipedia+15Wikipedia+15The Washington Post+15Times Union. They’re not just playing games—they’re redefining how democracy is contested. If Democrats continue insisting on ideological purity, they’ll continue winning the argument but lose the game.
Michelle’s speech inspired millions. But now? Sorry, Michelle. When they go low, we can no longer just “go high.” They’re changing the rules mid‑match. It’s time to level up our tactics—or accept permanent minority status in Congress.
This is not civility. This is survival. Texas’s map rig is not just a local outrage—it’s the harbinger of a national strategy to cement Republican House control before 2026. Democrats must respond with equal force: legal, legislative, fundraising, and political pressure. It's time for scorched‑earth strategy. The era of quiet resistance is over.
Sorry Michelle, we are done trying to take the high road.
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