Thought it'd be about wild animals, didn't you? Or maybe human criminals? How about those who would block the vote of citizens as a way to win their election? If you can't win by lying ads, by doing all you can to damage the country and make the existing president look bad, how about just blocking his most likely voters through voter suppression?
I can hear righties now. It's only to block non-citizens or the frauds. So exactly how big has that problem been?
Frankly a lot of Republicans don't care how they win. The idea that a woman who might've voted for 50 years would find herself going to the polls and being disenfranchised is not a problem to them. The idea that not everyone can afford to go down to the DMV and supply them with the proper birth certificate because they don't drive, hey who would that person be? Likely an Obama voter and therefore good to get them gone is the obvious assumption from the right and they have admitted as much.
Just in case these Republicans are onto something, how prevalent is voter impersonation, the kind that needs new ID laws?
Of course, that's not what you'd be reading on the right wing, conspiracy rag-- WND.
Frankly I had no idea this kind of thing could even happen when in 2008 we donated for the first time to the governor's race to get a Democrat, whose record I very much respected. I didn't dream what Republican governors would do if they got power. I hope Americans, who do care about democracy, are paying attention as there is a real effort to suppress, scare off voters by threats, lie to them about voting places, make it hard for them to vote, as a way to win this election by hook or by crook.
It isn't just the United States Presidency at stake. It isn't just the United States Congress. The power of state government to undo what others would vote to accomplish has been widely displayed these last two years. Tea Partiers the party of democracy? You joke.
The Obama team is onto this and some of the money we have donated has gone into registration drives and getting voters those IDs. I hope it's enough as the last thing we need in this country is the feeling that voting is not our right and obligation. Everyone should get educated about the issues, the candidates, and take responsibility for the direction in which the country is going. To do less is not to deserve those who died for this right.
6 comments:
Thanks for posting these links. -- Julie
Great Poat, Rain....! And so importabt to be informed about ALL of this....!
By Hook Or By Crook---They don't care how they win!
Well said. It is especially important, if you live in a state controlled by Republicans, to check on your status while there is time to get re-registered. Voting is more than a privilege. It's a responsibility and when someone tries to stop you, it's even more important to get down there and make sure you are properly registered with the new ID they require. It can still be done.
What is sad are the huge numbers of people who chose not to vote at all. We have one of the lowest percentage of voter participation among democratically controlled nations in the world.
That's true, Robert. Australia has a law that people have to vote (or did anyway) and there was a fine if they did not. But right now what about those who want to but don't have right ID when what that will be has changed this last year or two.
Great post!!!!
My philosophy is that if you don't vote, you lose your right to complain.
The most important parts of our mission in the Obama campaign are voter registration and early voting and we've been pretty successful with both so far. We are also sending out reminders to those who pledged to voters. The GOP has tried to eliminate and suppress early voting and got shut down.
In fact, our little city is leading so well at attaining our goals that Obama sent one of his people from Chicago to visit and thank us.
I've marked next Tuesday as my early voting day.
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