2026-05-09: Somewhat Purple

In this solo episode of Curmudgeon's Corner, host Sam Minter delivers a sprawling, introspective analysis of the current political and cultural landscape, covering everything from overlooked films to the escalating crisis of partisan gerrymandering. He begins with reviews of two 2019 films—Mr. Jones, a biopic about a Welsh journalist exposing Stalin’s famine in Ukraine, and The Short History of the Long Road, a heartfelt drama starring Sabrina Carpenter in a breakout acting role. Minter praises both films, particularly highlighting Carpenter’s unexpected depth as an actor. The bulk of the episode then shifts to a deep dive into the post-Voter Rights Act (VRA) political environment, where the Supreme Court’s recent ruling has effectively gutted the ability to challenge racially discriminatory redistricting. He details how Republican-led states are actively dismantling Black-majority districts in the South, while Democrats face mounting pressure to respond in kind—potentially through extreme measures like forcing all state Supreme Court justices to retire. Minter warns that this tit-for-tat redistricting war is a 'race to the bottom' that risks deepening political polarization, disenfranchising minority communities, and increasing the risk of social unrest. He concludes with a sobering reflection on the fragility of American democracy, questioning whether the current system—rooted in first-past-the-post, unequal Senate representation, and an unchangeable electoral college—can survive the spiral of partisan warfare, and suggests that structural reforms like proportional representation or a constitutional amendment may be the only long-term solution.