Rethugs Push for Voter Disenfranchisement

Attempts by Rethuglican politicians to restrict access to the ballot box by likely Democratic constituencies are longstanding, but have accelerated since the 2010 takeover of numerous state legislatures and Governorships by the Rethugs. The bogus "voter fraud" claim by Rethugs is a solution in search of a non-existent problem: one 2007 study demonstrated that someone is as likely to be struck by lightning as they are to impersonate someone else at the polls.

It's good to see that civil rights organizations and the Justice Department are intervening to prevent Rethuglican politicians from stacking the deck, with the Justice Department blocking the implementation of new voter ID laws in South Carolina, Florida, and Texas. The voter ID laws are specifically intended to suppress low income, minority, and student voting. More suits are pending in several other Rethuglican-controlled states.

The next time you hear a Rethuglican candidate waxing eloquent about "freedom" and "liberty," remember that their party is doing everything it can to deny the right to vote to other American citizens simply on the basis of party preference.

Quote of the Day

"An attack on the right to vote is underway across the country through laws designed to make it more difficult to cast a ballot. . .These statutes are not neutral. Their greatest impact will be to reduce turnout among African Americans, Latinos and the young. It is no accident that these groups were key to Barack Obama’s victory in 2008 — or that the laws in question are being enacted in states where Republicans control state governments. Again, think of what this would look like to a dispassionate observer. A party wins an election, as the GOP did in 2010. Then it changes the election laws in ways that benefit itself. In a democracy, the electorate is supposed to pick the politicians. With these laws, politicians are shaping their electorates." -- E.J. Dionne, writing about vote suppression laws being enacted by Rethuglican-controlled state legislatures. Thanks to our broken media, this may be the most important under-reported political story of the year.

It's Why We Call Them "Rethugs," Cont'd.

We've noted in the past that Rethuglicans are known for their attempts to suppress minority votes. From fake leaflets telling voters they can vote after election day, spreading false information about documentation needed, to actual physical intimidation at the polling sites, this has been a Rethug stock in trade for many years. Suppression of Democratic-leaning minority and youth votes is clearly behind Rethug efforts nationally to require State (not student) IDs or to limit early voting. Many minority citizens rely on public transportation and do not have driver's licenses.

In Maryland, the State Prosecutor has won indictments from a grand jury that charge two Rethug officials working for "Beatle Bob" Erlich's unsuccessful campaign for Governor in 2010 with attempting to suppress the black vote. The two are charged with authorizing a robocall to thousands of black voters on election day saying, in essence, "don't worry, stay home, the election's over, we're way ahead" long before polls closed.

This is the essence of Rethuglican political strategy, from Murray Chotiner to Lee Atwater to Karl Rove. Deny citizens their right to vote to ensure your hold on power.