The Problem with Living in a Republic Is That We Tend to Elect Assholes

Representative Brandon Williams of New York’s 22nd District is a Perfect Example

Congressman Brandon Williams protested about the new congressional maps despite the fact that now the district will include the house he lives in. He thinks the Republicans on New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission conspired against him. (Shutterstock Photo from the Everett Collection)

The subtle difference between a democracy and a republic is that in a democracy, you directly cast your ballot for how your society will be run. In a republic, you elect people who you believe are representative of your way of thinking and they vote for you in some sort of elected assembly.

The problem in our Republic is, we often end up electing assholes. And, there is no state north of the Mason-Dixon line that illustrates this fact more than New York. Think George Santos. Think Elise Stefanik. Or, think my latest candidate for asshole of the year, House Member Brandon Williams of New York’s 22nd Congressional District.

Two years ago, this guy narrowly won his seat in Washington after the state scrambled through multiple redistricting fiascos that left him winning, but living outside of his district.

Many people were surprised to find out, that this is perfectly legal. The law says you can run for any congressional seat you want to as long as you move into the district after being elected. It’s in the United States Constitution. This is especially true every ten years after a census which could find an elected representative living outside their district due to reapportionment.

In Mr. Williams's case however, he opted to ignore the law and never move into his district because, after all, he’s a privileged son-of-a-bitch and laws don't apply to people like him who have reached the lofty perch of being elected to Congress.

He complained bitterly that it wasn't his fault that he didn't live in the 22nd. After all he reasons, not only did it take three iterations of maps to come up with the 22nd House District in the first place, chances were that there would be one more redistricting for the election in 2024. Why move?

And, he was right.

In fact, New York’s redistricting commission did redraw the district and presented the new maps to be voted on by the state legislature in February. The bi-partisan commission seemed to take Congressmember Williams’ complaint to heart and reached out with their magic pen to include his house in the new 22nd. In the process, they grabbed a piece of “Red” Cayuga County to do it, which includes his home.

Now, he can actually live in the same place the people he represents do.

That should make the Honorable Brandon Williams happy, right?

NOT SO! He claims there are too many Democrats in the District for it to be fair. Almost 60% of the voters are not Democrats but he feels put upon. It means he will actually have to campaign to keep his seat!

After the new district came out, Williams quickly screamed that NYS Senator John Mannion … his most likely opponent, is very powerful and had influenced the final district.

This of course ignores the fact that the state Senate has no role in the effort and it would take a pocket full of miracles to influence the bi-partisan group to vote 9 to 1 for the new maps.

In complete disclosure, I know John Mannion. And, he’s pretty amazing. But as far as I can tell, he doesn’t have any supernatural powers.

By the way, the new maps were drawn by New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission. The district was approved by a 9–1 vote of a bipartisan group of 10 commissioners. All five Republican commissioners voted for approval.

Williams wants a district more like Representative Claudia Tenney’s whose Congressional District loops all the way from the St. Lawrence Seaway to Lake Erie, grabbing every registered Republican west of Albany and North of the Pennsylvania line into her perefctly gerrymandered district.

Williams would even take a district like Representative Elise Stefanik, the darling of Donald Trump, who is rumored to not only be unbeatable because of redistricting, but hints that she might be Trumps’ next choice for Vice Presidential running mate.

“Hey,” shouts Williams, “I know enough about Vice to fill that position! Why not me? It’s not fair!!!”

Like I said, we have a history of electing assholes.

My guess is that Williams will lose and be able to do what any New Yorker who is despised by his constituency does. Think Donald Trump who, due to a recent court ruling, has been barred in New York State from running a business. The court found him so corrupt he can’t even run a hot dog stand in Brooklyn anymore. And neither can his kids.

So Trump moved to Florida. And I’m guessing, so will Brandon Williams after he gets his ass kicked.

Maybe he can run to represent people he doesn’t know there too!

All I can say is “Good riddance.”