The GOP war on voting - Politics and Economics

dinopoker · 10-06-2011, 01:40 PM

I heard about this on the radio yesterday and dug up the article in Rolling Stone. Looks like in addition to trying to destroy the economy, the GOP is also actively trying to disenfranchise as many Democrat voters as possible in order to win the 2012 election...

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics...oting-20110830

Quote:

As the nation gears up for the 2012 presidential election, Republican officials have launched an unprecedented, centrally coordinated campaign to suppress the elements of the Democratic vote that elected Barack Obama in 2008.

Quote:

Republicans have long tried to drive Democratic voters away from the polls. "I don't want everybody to vote," the influential conservative activist Paul Weyrich told a gathering of evangelical leaders in 1980. "As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." But since the 2010 election, thanks to a conservative advocacy group founded by Weyrich, the GOP's effort to disrupt voting rights has been more widespread and effective than ever.

Of course the GOP is always screaming about voter fraud, but finding actual cases of it has proven more difficult...

Quote:

A major probe by the Justice Department between 2002 and 2007 failed to prosecute a single person for going to the polls and impersonating an eligible voter, which the anti-fraud laws are supposedly designed to stop. Out of the 300 million votes cast in that period, federal prosecutors convicted only 86 people for voter fraud – and many of the cases involved immigrants and former felons who were simply unaware of their ineligibility.

gg democracy

Quote:

"Our democracy is supposed to be a government by, of and for the people," says Browne-Dianis. "It doesn't matter how much money you have, what race you are or where you live in the country – we all get to have the same amount of power by going into the voting booth on Election Day. But those who passed these laws believe that only some people should participate.

caseycjc · 10-06-2011, 01:43 PM

Wow, the GOP might be involved in trying to sway votes in their favor? Compelling.

Brons · 10-06-2011, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caseycjc

Wow, the GOP might be involved in trying to sway votes in their favorblock people from voting? Compelling.

fyp

**MrWookie** · 10-06-2011, 02:14 PM

Yeah, but ACORN is out there registering Mickey Mouse. Fraud! It's happening! And we can't track it! And homeless people can totally get ID easily, because I was able to get ID easily. In fact, I already have one!

suzzer99 · 10-06-2011, 02:16 PM

In before every republican on this forum refuses to see how this is at all discriminatory or helpful to the republican cause, then shuts up when I propose we require people to vote as a condition for their welfare or medicaid checks.

spoonieluv40 · 10-06-2011, 02:19 PM

So they've employed a strategy to win a election? Is this new?

suzzer99 · 10-06-2011, 02:22 PM

Lol armed thugs at polling places is also a strategy to win an election. Poll taxes are also a strategy. Onerous writing tests are also a strategy. Our country is founded on everyone having the right to vote and no onerous restrictions to stop them. No fraud was happening to warrant people needing an ID, republicans just know poor people are less likely to have an ID. This makes it much like a poll tax.

[Phill] · 10-06-2011, 02:23 PM

The republican responses so far have been perfect. Plz keep it up.

mosdef · 10-06-2011, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Our country is founded on everyone having the right to vote

...except blacks and women, but, you know, everyone else. Mostly.

suzzer99 · 10-06-2011, 02:31 PM

founded + amendments

yeah founded = bad word

Morris King · 10-06-2011, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzzer99

I propose we require people to vote as a condition for their welfare or medicaid checks.

That sounds unconstitutional to me -- has the law ever "required" people to vote before?

suzzer99 · 10-06-2011, 02:41 PM

Has the law ever required ID before?

Low Key · 10-06-2011, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morris King

That sounds unconstitutional to me -- has the law ever "required" people to vote before?

Some countries make it a requirement that everyone who can, does vote.

It's not unprecedented, we've just never seen it here.

suzzer99 · 10-06-2011, 02:46 PM

Actually I think my original idea was requiring that people register to vote and have an ID to get medicaid or welfare. I can live with that. Would be hilarious to hear the republicans cry foul about how unfair that is. If it ever happened, which it won't because democrats are pussies and like 100x less devious than republicans.

Money2Burn · 10-06-2011, 03:40 PM

This sounds just as overblown as Tepublican accusations of voter fraud.