Fox News anchor Sandra Smith appeared visibly baffled by the results of new polling in California following the passage of Proposition 50, a measure allowing the state legislature to bypass an independent commission and redraw congressional districts\u2014potentially benefiting Democrats. During a Friday segment, Smith cited a Fox News poll showing that 82 percent of \u201cyes\u201d voters supported the measure to counter Republican-led redistricting in other states. Meanwhile, 64 percent of \u201cno\u201d voters said they opposed it because they believed it wasn\u2019t the best method to ensure fair district lines.<\/p>\n
What seemed to surprise Smith most was a subsequent finding: nine in ten respondents\u2014across party lines\u2014said they preferred district maps to be drawn by a nonpartisan commission rather than by elected officials. \u201cThe irony of this,\u201d Smith said, \u201cis that nine-out-of-ten voters said they\u2019d like to see this done by a non-partisan commission\u2026 Well, that was preempted with the outcome of this vote.\u201d The polling results highlighted a contradiction between voters\u2019 stated preference for fairness and their willingness to support a measure that strengthens partisan control over redistricting.<\/p>\n
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who campaigned against Prop 50, harshly criticized Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s claim that the redistricting change would be temporary. Calling that idea \u201ctotal fantasy,\u201d Schwarzenegger told CNN\u2019s Jake Tapper that \u201ctemporary\u201d government programs often become permanent. He warned that Democrats would find excuses to continue partisan redistricting, justifying it by pointing to Republican gerrymandering in other states. Newsom defended the measure as a response to GOP efforts in states like Texas and Florida but dismissed critics as \u201cpretending to hold the moral high ground.\u201d Schwarzenegger countered that Democrats were \u201ccheating\u201d by manipulating district lines instead of focusing on outperforming Republicans electorally. The former governor argued that both parties\u2019 gerrymandering battles ultimately cheat ordinary Americans and undermine democracy. \u201cIf you really want to fight for democracy,\u201d he said, \u201cwhy would you destroy the Constitution in California?\u201d<\/p>\n