What can a 90s kids’ movie tell us about the redistricting battle?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: "What can a 90s kids’ movie tell us about the redistricting battle?"

Date: November 29, 2025
Host: Myles Parks
Guest: Jason Rosenbaum (St. Louis Public Radio), Katherine Hanaway (Missouri Attorney General)

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Overview

This episode examines how a surprising cultural reference—the 1997 kids’ film Air Bud—has become a touchstone in Missouri's heated debate over congressional redistricting. Host Myles Parks and reporter Jason Rosenbaum break down how political actors are invoking the so-called "Air Bud Rule" to justify mid-decade redrawing of electoral maps, what's at stake for Missouri's representation, and how this arcane process is reverberating with voters and politicians alike.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The ‘Air Bud Rule’ Analogy (00:00–02:22)

• Myles Parks and Jason Rosenbaum begin by referencing popular political movies and introduce Air Bud as an unlikely but apt metaphor in Missouri’s current redistricting battle.
• The “Air Bud Rule” refers to exploiting the absence of an explicit prohibition:
  • “There is nothing that says you cannot do mid decade redistricting.” — Jason Rosenbaum (01:22)
• By analogy, just as the rules didn’t say a dog couldn’t play basketball, Missouri Republicans argue nothing in the state Constitution actively forbids mid-decade redistricting.

2. What’s Happening in Missouri (01:42–02:22, 03:48–07:11)

• The Republican-majority Missouri legislature has passed new congressional maps, seeking to secure another GOP seat.
• Despite perceptions, the redistricting battle is ongoing, facing lawsuits, a potential referendum, and mounting public scrutiny.
  • “That couldn’t be further from the truth.” — Jason Rosenbaum (about the map being ‘a done deal’) (02:00)
• Missouri's case is part of a broader, nationwide Republican push (connected to former President Trump) to redraw lines to boost their House majority prospects.

3. Politicians React to the Analogy (04:16–05:46)

• Jason Rosenbaum tests the Air Bud analogy on politicians, with mixed results.
  • Missouri Attorney General Katherine Hanaway acknowledges the analogy, emphasizing the lack of constitutional restriction:
    • “It doesn’t say that it shall happen immediately after that. It should happen only once per decade... There isn’t a limitation.” — Katherine Hanaway (04:38)
  • Humorous exchange about the fate of Buddy the dog updates Hanaway on Air Bud's cinematic career.

4. Voter Reaction and Political Fallout (05:46–07:11)

• Democratic voters are especially energized, drawing parallels to Missouri’s abortion ban mobilization.
  • “They are enraged; they are energized, unlike anything I’ve seen since abortion was banned in Missouri in 2022.” — Jason Rosenbaum (06:01)
• There is a groundswell for a referendum to overturn the maps, which many view as a power grab.

5. The Erosion of Redistricting Norms (07:11–09:06)

• New maps break a longstanding tradition: African American Democrats in St. Louis had worked with Republicans to maintain majority-Black districts—a coalition now fractured.
  • The latest plan targets Black representation, notably by splitting Kansas City and threatening Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver’s district.
  • “This was a breaking point for African American lawmakers... a betrayal of a decades-long partnership.” — Jason Rosenbaum (08:33)

6. Procedural Surprises and Political Missteps (09:06–10:19)

• Republicans failed to secure enough votes for the map to take effect immediately, opening the door to statewide invalidation via referendum.
  • “This was just a really poorly planned and poorly executed situation.” — Jason Rosenbaum (09:25)
• Even some GOP supporters acknowledge the lack of foresight and unintended consequences.

7. Cultural Reflections & Lighthearted Moments (10:19–10:42)

• Discussion wraps with playful banter about watching Air Bud with kids.
  • “I don’t recommend doing it. It is not a good movie.” — Jason Rosenbaum (10:28)
  • “That’s never stopped us before.” — Myles Parks (10:38)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “There is nothing in this clause that gives lawmakers the right to redraw the districts in the middle of the decade. ... There is nothing that says you cannot do mid decade redistricting.”
  — Jason Rosenbaum (01:10–01:22)

• “Once I heard that argument, it is almost identical to the Air Bud rule that we have just heard.”
  — Jason Rosenbaum (01:36)

• “They are enraged; they are energized, unlike anything I’ve seen since abortion was banned in Missouri in 2022.”
  — Jason Rosenbaum (06:01)

• “This was a breaking point for African American lawmakers... a betrayal of a decades-long partnership.”
  — Jason Rosenbaum (08:33)

• “This was just a really poorly planned and poorly executed situation.”
  — Jason Rosenbaum (09:25)

• “I don’t recommend doing it. It is not a good movie.”
  — Jason Rosenbaum on Air Bud (10:28)

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |:-------------:|:------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–02:22 | Pop culture and political movie comparisons; intro to the Air Bud analogy in redistricting | | 03:48–04:16 | Lawsuits, referenda, and the ‘Air Bud Rule’ impact in Missouri | | 04:16–05:46 | Politicians’ responses to the analogy; interview with Katherine Hanaway | | 05:46–07:11 | Voter backlash, referendum efforts, and echoes of past political mobilizations | | 07:11–09:06 | Decades-old bipartisan redistricting coalitions dissolve; impact on minority congressional districts | | 09:06–10:19 | Procedural missteps, unpredictability, and GOP vulnerabilities | | 10:19–10:42 | Lighthearted discussion about Air Bud and closing remarks |

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Conclusion

This episode uniquely blends political analysis with cultural wit, using Air Bud as a metaphor for the legalistic gamesmanship shaping Missouri’s congressional landscape. The playful but pointed analogy exposes the ambiguity and controversy in redistricting battles, highlighting both the immediate stakes and broader trends in American electoral politics.

Transcript

[Myles Parks]

It's fair to say there's a canon of political movies. At the top's gotta be the 1976 classic all the President's Men about the Watergate scandal.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

Supposedly he's got a lawyer with $25,000 in a brown paper bag.

[Myles Parks]

Follow the money. There's also 1939's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books, Ms. Saunders.

[Myles Parks]

Even the 1999 movie Election about a high school race for student body president might make the cut. But one person assured a victory. Kind of undermines the whole idea of democracy, don't you think? Now a new addition to that list, Airbud, the 1997 kids movie about a basketball playing golden retriever who gets to take the court on a technicality. Checking your rule book. Bet you won't find anything in there that says a dog can't play.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

He's right.

[Myles Parks]

Ain't no rule said the dog can't play basketball.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

This is a joke.

[Myles Parks]

Dogs don't play basketball if you're not a politics junkie In Missouri, this might not make much sense, but the movie has become a hot topic in that state's battle over congressional redistricting, thanks to St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum. He popularized the phrase the air bud rule in Missouri, and much of it has to do with what the state constitution says.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

The opponents of this new map have said there is nothing in this clause that gives lawmakers the right to redraw the districts in the middle of the decade. Well, the proponents of the new map, mainly Republicans, they're saying, well, there is nothing that says you cannot do mid decade redistricting.

[Myles Parks]

That's when the movie reference became clear to Rosenbaum.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

Once I heard that argument, it is almost identical to the earbud rule that we have just heard.

[Myles Parks]

The battle over maps in Missouri is part of a larger nationwide push by President Trump to get states to redraw their congressional maps so Republicans can try to hold onto the U.S. house of Representatives in next year's midterm elections. Although Missouri's Republican majority legislature did approve new maps, the story is far from over there.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

I've seen a lot of national publications basically say that Missouri's new map, which seeks to eke out another Republican seat to prevent the GOP from losing control of the U.S. house, is a done deal in the show me state. And that couldn't be further from the truth.

[Myles Parks]

Consider this a fight. Over mid decade, redistricting in Missouri has given rise to a new phrase, the Air Bud Rule. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Myles Parks.

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[Myles Parks]

It's Consider this from NPR In Missouri, lawsuits have placed the fate of a Republican backed plan to redraw maps there in limbo. A potential referendum campaign could derail it as well. And there is growing anger in the state over that airbud rule. It all seems so bizarre, but for this week's Reporter's Notebook, I wanted to talk to St. Louis Public Radio Statehouse reporter Jason Rosenbaum, who's been covering the story. I started by asking him just how that Air Bud analogy is landing with Republican politicians in state.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

I actually started asking elected officials, have they seen the movie Air Bud? Some had, some hadn't, and then asked. It really seems like the argument that Republicans are making to defend this map is identical to the earbud rule. I actually asked this to Missouri Attorney General Katherine Hanaway.

[Katherine Hanaway]

I haven't seen Air Bud. It's not a bad analogy. That is the argument the Constitution says that redistricting shall happen after the decennial census. It doesn't say that it shall happen immediately after that. It should happen only once per decade that it can't be revisited during the span of the decade. There isn't a limitation. And so I don't know what happened to Bud. I'm guessing he probably didn't get to play basketball since you're using that analogy. But I think our chances of prevailing are pretty good. I mean, right?

[Myles Parks]

So then you, you tell her that Buddy did get to play basketball. And I imagine she was kind of excited about that.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

Not only did I tell her that Buddy got to play basketball, he also got to play football in the classic movie Golden Receiver, which I remember fondly because for some reason, Warren Moon and Joey Galloway were in this film. Oh, w. And she was like, wow, man, I gotta go see those movies.

[Myles Parks]

When politicians change the rules in some way to benefit themselves, it leaves voters with a bad taste in their mouth. And I guess, have you heard from any voters on how they feel about what's happening in Missouri right now and about this general argument?

[Jason Rosenbaum]

This isn't a subject that is really accessible to a lot of people, but as far as Democratic voters in Missouri, they are enraged, they are energized, unlike anything I've seen since when abortion was banned in Missouri in 2022 and voters from both parties mobilized to put something on the ballot that ended up repealing the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. And we're seeing a similar dynamic here where people are getting clipboards. They're going to get people to sign this referendum. They see what Republicans are doing as underhanded and just trying to game the system ahead of a midterm election cycle that's probably not going to go well for them. And I think we've seen in multiple ways that this supposedly sure thing of a redistricting process has really backfired on Republicans. And I think that when people hear this argument that is similar to a Walt Disney movie, their reaction is sort of like they're trying to defend something that is difficult to defend.

[Myles Parks]

To get this done, the Missouri legislature had to break through some norms to get it done so quickly and that it could have a lasting impact on how the government works there. Can you explain that a little bit?

[Jason Rosenbaum]

So there's often lots of changes when a redistricting proposal is put forward because there's a lot of competing ideas about what people want. This is probably the first time in decades that you didn't have a single black Democrat vote for this redistricting plan. Because there has a long tradition in Missouri, especially around redistricting time, of African American Democrats, especially in St. Louis, partnering with Republicans in order to keep majority African American districts, namely in St. Louis, majority African American, because it helps harness black political power and it makes surrounding areas more Republican. Well, this time they made the first District, which is the only minority majority district in Missouri, less African American. And more importantly, they're targeting an African American congressman in Kansas City, Emmanuel Cleaver, and basically splitting Kansas City into three pieces and pairing that highly diverse area of the state with largely white rural areas. And I think this was a breaking point for African American lawmakers who have usually worked together with Republicans in this process because they see it as a direct attack on their political power and they see it as a betrayal of a decades long partnership that they felt was intact until President Donald Trump wanted another seat in Missouri.

[Myles Parks]

I feel like you're touching on something that I've noticed a lot covering this the last few months from a nationwide perspective, which is that like, no one really knows how it's going to end and every chapter feels a bit unpredictable. Have there been moments of genuine surprise over the last couple months covering this for you?

[Jason Rosenbaum]

I think the more surprising thing is just that the people that pushed this redistricting plan forward just seem to either not calculate the fact that it could be put up for a statewide vote and invalidated, or at the very least not put into effect for 2026. They ended up passing the map with not enough votes to go into effect right away, which would have foreclosed the referendum. This was just a really poorly planned and poorly executed situation. And I even think Republicans who even really like the outcome of this would acknowledge that there wasn't enough foresight and planning put into this and not thinking of the unintended consequences that kind of went down the line. That I think was the most surprising thing by far.

[Myles Parks]

Missouri State House reporter Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio, thank you so much. And I think you may have inspired an earbud watch with my toddler this weekend.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

I don't we actually did watch earbud before I talked with you for research and I don't recommend doing it. It is not a good movie.

[Myles Parks]

That's never stopped us before. Jason Rosenbaum, thank you so much.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

Thank you.

[Myles Parks]

This episode was produced by Leena Muhammad. It was edited by Acacia Squires and Adam Rainey. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's consider this from npr. I'm Miles Parks.

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