When Newt Gingrich suggested that America impose a poll test in U.S. history as a requirement for native-born citizens to vote, it was too much even for black Tea Party Congressman Allen West (R-FL). "That's going back to some times that my parents had to contend with," West said of the notion of a Jim Crow-style literacy test. "I think that we need to do a better job educating our young men and women in school, but we don't need to have a litmus test, no."
For Gingrich, who recently called Obama a "food stamp president," this is part of a pattern of racially offensive remarks, policy positions and affiliations -- against African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and others. But Gingrich is merely a spoke in the wheel. There is nationwide effort by the Republican Party to suppress voter turnout in next year's presidential election. Devoid of any ideas to beat Obama and win over the electorate, and crippled by a roster of candidates consisting of empty suits, wingnuts and the otherwise unelectable, this is their election strategy for 2012.
And it is a game-plan perfected by Dixiecrats in the days of segregation, and for the same reasons. Segregationists employed the poll test, poll tax, threat of physical violence and other tactics to keep blacks out of the political process and maintain Jim Crow rule. Such a regime would become untenable once African-Americans were able to exercise their right to vote, and the racists in power knew that.
In a healthy, authentic democratic system, we benefit from broad and inclusive participation. Sadly, throughout this country's history, this land of the free, the right to vote was secured for more and more people through protest. People were compelled to struggle for the franchise through hardship, bloodshed, and in some cases martyrdom.
As the party of the Southern Strategy from the 1960s onward, the GOP assumed the mantle of white Christian conservatism, and with it, a mindset characterized by racial resentment over the gains of the civil rights movement, and the continued presence of blacks, Latinos and others. This resentment was then disguised as opposition to taxes, social programs and big government, on the grounds that people of color benefited more from these programs.
Often an effective means to divide and conquer in the short term, the Southern Strategy has revealed its fatal flaw: In an increasingly diverse nation such as the U.S., Republican dependence on a dwindling demographic of angry, rightwing Tea Party folks for their electoral victory leaves them with only one of two options: Fade into oblivion, or, as thugs would do in corrupt regimes and banana republics, suppress the vote. And that's why the GOP, predicting their own failure to prevail on the merits of their positions before a national audience, has taken it to the gutter.
This time, it's called Voter ID. This year, conservative lawmakers in 20 states such as Montana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin are pushing bills that would require voters to produce an ID, typically a driver's license, state-issued ID, passport, Legislation recently passed in the Florida and Texas legislatures, and the governors of Kansas and South Carolina just signed Voter ID bills into law. And 13 of 27 states that already have such a law are considering beefing up their requirements.
The stated reason for the need for such laws is the ever-present scourge of voter fraud. But as the Brennan Center for Justice points out, fraud is extremely rare, the way that being struck by lightning is rare, except that voter fraud is even less common. Moreover, these policies, which are costly to implement, would disenfranchise millions of voters without tackling any real problem.
But for Republicans, there is an unstated problem that the Voter ID bills address -- those pesky black and Latino voters who have the nerve to want to go out and vote, not to mention those seniors, people with disabilities, low-income voters, and students. These groups are less likely to possess a government-issued ID. And it is no accident that they are traditional Democratic constituencies, so this law is for them. And to that end, the GOP plays the role of the bully who beats you up every day and takes your lunch money.
In a normal world, when you want to win an election, it's all about "Get Out The Vote" efforts. But when your goal is to snatch victory from the gutter, "Block The Vote" will do.
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Thomas Bates: Why Photo ID Laws Are Not the Answer
Wisconsin Assembly passes GOP-backed voter ID bill | Reuters
Supreme Court Weighs Voter ID Requirements : NPR
Ohio House Passes 'Nation's Most Restrictive' Voter ID Law That Would
So much so they would subvert the whole system to get it.
The mentality of the pro-Koch Brothers, anti-American right is that the poor - and especially homeless - are not real citizens of the United States and their votes cannot be legal.
Black Americans are not really Americans, since Black folks are stereotyped as being poor and on welfare, and the poor are not as worthy citizens as the rich.
There is no way, to the wacky right wing, that President Obama is a real president or American since NO Black man can graduate from Harvard. Obama is, to these people, acting out side of his social class as a Black man.
NOW - the votes of the homeless and alcoholics are important too as citizens of the United States as the votes from the rich.
You don't have a single good reason for not showing ID do you ?
With a liitle affrmative action help, any brotha' can graduate from Harvard.
Good for you.
We all know that the fringe, deviants, criminals, illegal aliens hide from authorities. I do not think the democrats will win this debate.
But, my son graduated from a top ten law school. He told me the VERY first words from the VERY first professor were: " legal has NOTHING to do with what is right."
It is the only explanation for the continuation of the democratic party.
As for the rest of this jeremiad, I suggest the author study a little history of the Democrat and Republican parties in regards to Jim Crow laws. The following links should help.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_org_democratic.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_org_republican.html
to be poor or black or latino
in the south,
ok
well imagine working all day
to support kids and fix dinner too
and find time to vote,which is long lines
with no day care means expensive gas
if you have a car
and in the south it's the road blocks
on the way to polling
and the MAN with mirror shades saying
"did'nt I see you on a poster?
sabe shmuck?
As for your point on Jim Crow laws, you are correct the Democratic party was the party of southern racists until the 60s and 70s at which point they left the party and became Republicans.
When I access healthcare, cash a check, do certain business transactions, have something notarized........
I have never felt it a burden to show my ID when I vote. It proves who I am.
When I lived in Puerto Rico....I had to use my state (U.S. territory) ID to vote.
While they didn't ask for it (I think) in New Jersey, here in Florida they want to see it.
AND I have no problems with it.
Simply put....maybe it would be better to make an effort so everybody can have a state ID if they don't have a drivers license.
Drive people to the DMV or wherever they make the ID's.
Or have somebody go to the house of people who are housebound.
I NEED an ID to do so many ordinary, everyday things....why should it be so odd that I need an ID to vote? Even if fraud is not a big problem.
***********As for an address, it is up to a responsible person to change his address for a drivers license or state ID.
If the person moves nearby (same voting area), then the old address should be good for 3 months.
Sorry, but if you want to vote, it is up to the individual to be responsible.
Even (we) minorities know how to register to vote AND do a change of address.
That way you don't have to go to a Voting center
WE NEED TO START NOW.
Heck, I’d accept having to show an ID at the voting booth for a national voters holiday and if only the voting booth would show and then print me a receipt, marked with a randomly generated ID, with which I could use to check online to see if my vote was actually counted properly, and in the case of a recount, could be verified, once twice over...
‘black box’, electronic voting is an undetectable and likely method if you want a way to tabulate votes beyond sight that go to the highest bidder..
(wait, you say, how did the first black president get elected? I say who would have wanted to inherit Bush and republican's mess? They left office with the country for morbid! )
Perhaps unexpectedly, Obama was up to the challenge of quickly restoring the economy... the markets quickly rebounded and lo and behold (and with sickening, forced irony) all these extreme republicans who unabashedly told Americans they really didn't want affordable care or public option, were elected in droves.
And what else but assuredness of staying in office would make GOP leaders even whisper a plan to privatize social security and Medicare, let alone offer on up for all struggling Americans ro see?
Obama should definately win re-election. Better safe than sorry. If we're to go back to voter ID, let's go back to hand counted votes!
And yes -- I do think the government should pay for (one of the few things I would support).
YET Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, wants to see your PR state ID.
AND the people show it. End of story.
If a Puerto Rican moves, he either votes with the address on his ID card at THAT polling station or (much better) he gets a new ID card with his new address.
NO problems.
Fanned.
That is what I am saying....give everybody a ---- ID card.....and they vote at that address's polling station.
With maybe 3 months tops to change their address if in the same area.
A lot less time if they move out of the area.
We live in a society that DEMANDS to see our ID (state or drivers license) for so many things, what is so unsettling about using it to identify ourselves to vote?
Yea, poor people should just get an ID card...at least the first card and renewal ones. (People pay if they are lost.)
By the way, the ID problem is apparently not the voter fraud problem. Just today, Marcie Malszycki, a legislative aide to Republican Rep. Warren Petryk, (R-Eleva) was referred to the Dane County District Attorney by the police in Onalaska for possible criminal prosecution. Poll records show her to have voted once in Madison, her residence, and once in Onalaska. Would a voter ID have solved this? Nope. Is it yet another example of Republican voter fraud? Seems so. And her boss is one of the voter ID bill sponsors in Wisconsin. No wonder Republicans are so worried about fraud, they're doing it. Imagine that.....
http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_ede5d49e-8272-11e0-a6e0-001cc4c03286.html