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Here We Go Again: More GOP Voter Suppression
I believe you can best judge a party's own assessment of their candidates and platforms by their strategies to win elections - especially their unethical strategies. Democrats believe their platform and their candidates are the best for the most people and carry out that belief through massive voter registration drives and encouraging everyone - even sometimes those not permitted - to vote. Their strategies reflect their honest assessment that the more people who vote, the more likely they are to win because they are the best party for the most people.
Republicans pursue strategies to limit voter participation and suppress even legal voting. They place obstacles in the way of voting such as voter id requirements and through challenging voters' right to vote based on spurious assumptions that if their home is in foreclosure they can be living there. The post flyers threatening prosecution for voting, claiming police will be serving warrants, and so on. They send out notices with false precinct addresses. They have a new one, though, in Florida that has gotten even Republican elections officials pissed off.
They are sending letters to registered Democrats to check and averify their registration claiming they are registered as Republicans. I kid you not. See the store here.
Yes, it helps them win elections and confirms for the record that even in their own minds they believe their platform and candidates can not win an open, honest and fair election.
Republicans pursue strategies to limit voter participation and suppress even legal voting. They place obstacles in the way of voting such as voter id requirements and through challenging voters' right to vote based on spurious assumptions that if their home is in foreclosure they can be living there. The post flyers threatening prosecution for voting, claiming police will be serving warrants, and so on. They send out notices with false precinct addresses. They have a new one, though, in Florida that has gotten even Republican elections officials pissed off.
They are sending letters to registered Democrats to check and averify their registration claiming they are registered as Republicans. I kid you not. See the store here.
Yes, it helps them win elections and confirms for the record that even in their own minds they believe their platform and candidates can not win an open, honest and fair election.
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There have been a number of reports about problems we're likely to face. Shouldn't the Democrats be in front of this with a massive and coordinated effort?
September 19, 2008 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
HEY--REC THIS BLOG PLEASE ! IT'S IMPORTANT
September 19, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama(and others) filed lawsuits on the foreclosure thing last week. I'm quite sure they've got folks working on the legal side of things. You sort of have to wait for evidence that the line was crossed and then respond.
But ultimately, they ARE in front of it with a massive and coordinated effort - Obama's much maligned/vaunted ground game. Direct communication is the best way to dispel this crap and Obama's got GREAT lines of communication. It's called an ounce of prevention ... so we don't need 10 pounds of freaked-out cure.
If you are worried, you should phone bank; I'll bet the areas this is happening are probably being addressed and you can call the people who were deceived directly. I've always sucked at cold calling, but if it's your thing the system is cool as hell.
September 19, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I found this site in my Internet travels.
September 19, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's an excellent HuffPo piece about voter suppression. Please be sure to click on all the links!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-dantoni/can-obamas-ground-game-be_b_127509.html
September 19, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
OA,
Thanks for the post. Good articulation of the motivation behind each party's efforts -- one being get-out-the-vote and the other being suppress-the-vote.
It's my dearest wish that each of the instances -- where witnesses and documented evidence surface to expose Republican voter supression schemes -- gets screaming, front-page press attention. Is there anything -- anything -- more egregious in our country than the attempt to swindle citizens out of their vote? This deserves BIG attention.
September 19, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Personally, I think anyone who willfully tampers with the vote through caging or other voter suppression activities should be tried for treason and, if found guilty, should suffer the full legal penalties. Maybe that would make them think twice.
To my mind it IS treason to intentionally attempt to interfere with any citizen's right or ability to vote, and that includes intentional misuse of legal systems. It is a huge hot button to me.
September 20, 2008 2:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
You got it, hoss. Why these asshats get off with small penalties is beyond me...
September 20, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have heard about these letters in other states. Someone on TPM blogged about receiving one.
We really need 'everyone' to check on their voter registration in particular the last week of registration. I can check mine online so I can get a screen shot.
I wish there were a non-profit to help any citizen get a state issued ID in order to make sure that they are not prevented from voting.
We need to vote in numbers that give us a margin of 'voter suppression' protection to win this.
We have to get the republicans out of our white house and take back our country!
September 19, 2008 7:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Memorize this phone number and make sure people know it if they have trouble voting.
http://www.866ourvote.org/
September 19, 2008 8:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Recommended with gusto.
Thank you for staying on top of this particularly vile vein of GOP chicanery.
September 19, 2008 9:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is vote caging and it is not unfamiliar in Florida, although sending the letters identifying the recipient as Republicans is a new twist.
It is also what Monica Goodling (the not lamented DOJ official that resigned in the wake of the US Attorneys scandal) tried to explain in her testimony to Congress when referring to Karl Rove's former assistant and then US Attorney.
Probably the best explanation is found in this Slate article, which also includes the link to the GWB parody website where many of the guilty cagers actually sent their emails proudly announcing their effectiveness at caging The site, being the good Democrats that they are, published the wayward emails. Great reading.
PBS also had a show on vote caging and housing works. I hope Oregon Activist submits this to the wiki site.
September 20, 2008 12:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sigh. Finishing my sentences and providing periods is apparently beyond me tonight.
Rove's former assistant and never confirmed US Attorney was Tim Griffin. They tried putting him in place of one of the fired ones, but when caught, the guy had enough sense to realize the Senate would never confirm him because of the caging incidents and voluntarily withdrew his name. I also think he is one of the emailers whose emails went astray at the parody site.
And please put a period, virtual or something, after effectiveness at caging(.) in the third graf. Thanks.
September 20, 2008 12:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oregon Activist, we agree again. Ok, I'm going to stop saying that from now on. Lately, we appear to agree more than we disagree. ;-)
Rec'd, a great post about a very important matter.
Happens every four years and always done by the same party.
September 20, 2008 1:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
1. Work the polls: Every county NEEDs Clerks and Inspectors. Police and Sheriffs will respond to Pollworkers calling 9-1-1 to report disruptive, argressive malcontents interrupting the voting process. Yes, they have a right to challange voters BUT they do not have a right to be disorderly or disruptive.
2. If you can't work a poll . . . You have a right to photograph or video tape yourself casting a ballot. If you memorize the jack_holes challanging voters on those tapes or with those pictures AND can get their names for the press . . . Bonus. PLUS cameras are great for capturing the image of those folk "FOR" gay marriage who are rooting "FOR" the DEM of your choice just outside of the 'no electioneering'.
3. Check the poll census. By law it is updated hourly . . . Folk that have yet to vote are not crossed off. Call three folk you know and ask them if they need a ride to the polls. Pick them up.
September 20, 2008 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
This sort of voter harassment and the disenfranchisement that it plays into should be punishable by death. If a man with a gun told thousands of Americans he'd do his best to stop them from voting there would be a war. A repub jackass with an envelope does it and no one does much of anything.
I hope Obama makes this an issue. I know he's suing them in Michigan but I hope he calls out the RNC for trying to attack our democracy. Probably asking too much.
September 20, 2008 6:33 PM | Reply | Permalink