Republican politicians now openly ignoring court rulings they dislike

Once again, the issue is Republican Party election subversion tactics. And once again, the intent of Republican elites and politicians is crystal clear: Subvert elections so that only Republican candidates can win elections. Anyone who cannot see this by now, just cannot see, is not looking or knows it and either supports or opposes election subversion by the openly fascist Republican Party.

The New York Times writes:

Maps in Four States Were Ruled Illegal Gerrymanders. They’re Being Used Anyway.

Since January, judges in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Ohio have found that Republican legislators illegally drew those states’ congressional maps along racial or partisan lines, or that a trial very likely would conclude that they did. In years past, judges who have reached similar findings have ordered new maps, or had an expert draw them, to ensure that coming elections were fair.

But a shift in election law philosophy at the Supreme Court, combined with a new aggressiveness among Republicans who drew the maps, has upended that model for the elections in November. This time, all four states are using the rejected maps, and questions about their legality for future elections will be hashed out in court later.

The immediate upshot, election experts say, is that Republicans almost certainly will gain more seats in midterm elections at a time when Democrats already are struggling to maintain their bare majority.  

Some election law scholars say they are troubled by the consequences in the long run.

“We’re seeing a revolution in courts’ willingness to allow elections to go forward under illegal or unconstitutional rules,” Richard L. Hasen, a professor at the U.C.L.A. School of Law and the director of its Safeguarding Democracy Project, said in an interview. “And that’s creating a situation in which states are getting one free illegal election before they have to change their rules.”

If Republicans get their way, all it may take to kill off free and fair elections in the US is just one election under illegal or unconstitutional rules. That might be all it will take.

Once the Republican Party has normalized the practice of ignoring court rulings it dislikes, that will put a big wood stake through both the heart of what little is left of (1) the rule of law[1], and (2) free and fair elections. After that, other civil liberties will fall along with the fall of the rule of law.

Anyone who thinks that the 2022 general elections will be free and fair, really ought to take a look at the summary shown below and then reconsider their position in light of relevant data and in light of what the NYT reported and this post and other recent posts here contain. I've been warning people over and over and over. 

December 2021 data

Footnote:

1.  Despite yesterday's execution of an FBI search warrant at Mar-a-lago, the rule of law as applied to rich and/or powerful people is barely hanging on by a thread. That applies especially to openly fascist Republicans, even some who are not rich or powerful.