In 2021 New York State had a population of 19.84 million. Nevertheless, when we think of our state’s population, we generally round up to 20 million New Yorkers. New York’s population increased 6 out of the 11 years between 2010 and 2021. Its largest annual population increase was 3.6% between 2019 and 2020. The state’s largest decline was between 2020 and 2021, when the population dropped by 1.6%. Between 2010 and 2021, the state grew by an average of 0.2% per year.
In the elections held on November 8th, some interesting data points emerged from the results.
The decisions of activist judges in New York handed several seats to Republicans. At the same time, new congressional district lines in Florida at Ron Desantis’ instructions also netted several seats for Republicans.
The takeaway is that the unconscionable lines in Florida were allowed to stand, benefiting Republicans. In contrast, the less aggressive lines in New York were thrown out, also benefitting Republicans.
The largest takeaway is that the courts have become so overtly political that they can no longer be counted on as objective, unbiased referees.
We generally look at New York State as a reliable blue state, but realistically this was the state that elected George Pataki for three terms. New York City elected and reelected Rudolph Guialian and Michael Bloomberg.
Even if we convince ourselves that the 8‑plus million citizens in New York City are a large enough buffer in presidential elections against the radicalism in the suburbs and exurbs that elects Elise Stefanik and others, there is still the little issue of the number of Democrats, usually Blacks, who continue to stream out of the state to the south.
Many people unfamiliar with New York may see the state as a bastion of blue. But a little excursion outside Manhattan to the Southerly tip of New York State, Staten Island, and Long Island may be in for an unpleasant surprise.
That does not include heading north of Westchester County, much less into Western New York, Buffalo, Syracuse, and other towns where residents proudly fly confederate flags.
They fly those despicable flags much closer to New York City, in Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess, much less in the northern and western counties where the lifestyle looks like that of Appalachia.
The Supreme Court vastly overreached in its Dobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade, which demonstrated that the Courts could no longer be relied upon to be fair arbiters of justice and rights.
The corruption of Clarence Thomas, the arrogance of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amey Coney Barrett, and the extreme hubris of Samuel Alito took away rights Americans enjoyed for almost five decades. The fingerprints of New York’s appellate court are all over the recent election results. The court threw out the lines Democrats drew. And it was a special master appointed by a republican judge that redrew new congressional lines giving Republicans four seats in our state they would not normally have won. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo bears some responsibility for that débâcle.
New York State will probably deliver the state’s 29 electoral votes to Democratic Presidential candidates for a few more cycles. Still, even that may change if Republican judges are allowed to muddy the water to aid Republicans.
Additionally, the state continues to hemorrhage Democratic voters to places like Georgia and North Carolina, helping to change election results in those states.
Democrats can play offense in places like Georgia and North Carolina while playing defense in states like New York if they are smart and proactive. Democrats have never been known to be proactive on these fluid trends, so the jury is out on whether they will even realize the need to be so.
Democrats [must] build firewalls in the Democratic states of California, New York, Washington State, Oregon, New Jersey, etc. Republicans in Florida and Ohio have decided that they want to support the MAGA agenda, and Democrats must build from the ground up in those states.
To do so, Black voters, in particular, must become more educated on the reason for voting, then understand that the Republican Party is dangerous for their very existence.
This means that regardless of how harmless and friendly a Republican candidate seems, they are dangerous because they are Republicans.
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Mike Beckles is a former Police Detective, businessman, freelance writer, black achiever honoree, and creator of the blog mikebeckles.com.