Republican Plan to Disenfranchise Voters
Republicans have gotten tons of news coverage in their drive to castrate labor unions. But that isn’t the only part of their multi-pronged attack plan for annihilating all opposition.
Twenty-two states are planning legislation to require all voters to present a photo ID in order to vote. Rightwing demagogues have been getting their useful idiots all riled up about “voter fraud.” Talk about a solution in search of a problem.
There are already strict voting laws on the books. Fraudulent voting is a felony that can get you a huge fine and/or a prison sentence. The real problem is: too many of them poor people, minorities, senior citizens and college students vote. And they tend to vote Democrat, damn it.
In other words: “Voter Fraud!”
Some of these states are the country’s poorest and most debt-ridden, and yet for some reason they have millions of tax dollars available to enforce these proposed Voter ID laws. Oh well, the money will come from somewhere. Get ready for more cuts to mass transit, job training programs, libraries, schools…
If you’re part of the Far Right / Corporate drive for one-party rule, this is money well spent. Your tax dollars at work. If just a small percentage of low-income people, minorities and college students can be prevented from voting, think of all the close elections that could swing to the GOP column.
The linked article is worth bookmarking. This is valuable information, as unpleasant as it is. “Know Your Enemy” and all that.
Labels: disenfranchise voters, photo ID vote, voter fraud, voter ID law
posted by Tom Harper @ 7:48 PM
7 Comments:
At it again eh?
In spite of the Voting rights act of 1965 I was surprised how much rights states still retain in the matter of voting.
A Convicted Felon who has done his time still can't vote in many states. Republican governments in those states have sent out letters reminding many of those voters they are a felon and cannot vote. Problem one: very few of them were really felons and Problem two: almost all who got the letter were black or hispanic. In those case when found out they did an "Oops" and then did it again the following election.
This deliberate all out fever to disenfranchise people is almost frightening!
Even Post Reconstruction Conservatives never went that far!
Erik
Oh, we know our enemy. This is a large-scale extension of the crap pulled in florida in '00, and garbage pulled in nearly every state after, only it happens "unofficially". Pretty soon we'll see Tammany Hall style tactics, with hired goons at swing polls looking to scare people off. Like when a legion of white republicans show up in front of a voting precinct in a mostly black part of town, just to hand out flyers. Gee, wonder what that's about...hmmmm.
How the Republicans can ever utter those words without choking is beyond me. Very talented bunch of liars.
Bush V Gore, they stole the election and are proud of it. Frank Gaffney, should lend his writing to Hollywood.
Bizarre! Seems all these crazy thoughts go back to him.
As a card carrying citizen of one of the 22 states considering some sort of vote tweaking(there are at least two bills here in Maine), I wonder if Nancy Ruma, my next door neighbor who signs folks in to vote is going to make me show a photo ID when I go to vote? Think I'll paste a picture of Alfred E Newman over my driver license picture and see what happens.
Erik: I was surprised too. I kind of thought the Voting Rights Act of the '60s would have stopped this bullshit.
Bee: I think they were just getting their feet wet during the 2000 election scams in Florida.
Tim: No matter how many demented rightwing fanatics there are, Frank Gaffney always stands out.
MRM: Hey, that was MY idea. OK, you go ahead and use Alfred E. Newman's picture. I'll be Charlie Sheen.
I don't know how I missed this excellent post. Indeed right wingers/Republicans do want to suppress voting by all the groups that tend to vote Democratic. They're becoming more devious and effective in how they go about it.
Amazing, how these government-hating people all of a sudden want everyone to have to flash government ID. In the past, they've started their "You better be scared" government bashing and fearmongering at any mention of government IDs.
SW: That's true, conservatives are awfully selective about their "fears" of a "government takeover."
45,000 people dying every year because of lack of health care -- oh well, can't win 'em all.
Someday, somewhere, an unqualified person might sneak into the voting booth -- send in the Cavalry!
Post a Comment
<< Home