Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

"We are now living through a fully fledged attack on nonwhite power in this country, as conservative white people assert their authority. Until now, the effects of this crusade were somewhat unclear. Data needed to be collected after new conservative laws and policies had gone into effect.

Well, we now have some of the first data, and it is devastating.

According to The Texas Tribune, during the primary e******ns in Texas this month, 18,742 mail-in b****ts were rejected in 16 of the 20 counties with the most registered v**ers. It was there, too, that the ruinous effects of Texas’ new v**er ID requirements were particularly obvious.

The paper pointed out that these counties rejected 6 percent to nearly 22 percent of the mail-in b****ts cast in the primaries, rates that could easily set a record, since fewer than 2 percent were rejected statewide in the 2018 midterm e******ns.

It might be tempting to view each e******n outrage as discrete or to focus on the specific rather than zoom out and see the bigger picture. But when you do, you see that Republicans are following a step-by-step plan to t***sform e******ns and the e*****rate.

1. First, undercount the number of Black and brown people who are in the country, in order to skew congressional districts and the E*******l College.

Any attempt to prevent the Census Bureau from fulfilling its duty can contribute to these efforts.

Last week, The New York Times reported that the bureau had grossly undercounted people of color in this country in 2020:

Although the bureau did not say how many people it missed entirely, they were mostly people of color, disproportionately young ones. The census missed counting 4.99 of every 100 Hispanics, 5.64 of every 100 Native Americans and 3.3 of every 100 African Americans. In contrast, for every 100 residents counted, the census wrongly added 1.64 non-Hispanic w****s and 2.62 ethnic Asians.

2. Use census data to racially gerrymander states.

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Pack as many Black and brown v**ers into the fewest districts so that no matter how high the v**er turnout is, the number of seats they can win in Congress or state legislatures is capped.

Take Texas again. The state experienced strong population growth over the past 10 years, earning it two new congressional seats. Ninety-five percent of that growth was among people of color. Even so, as The Texas Tribune reported in December, Texas Republicans placed the two new districts under white v**ers’ control, reduced the Hispanic-majority districts from eight to seven and dropped the Black-majority districts from one to none.

3. The next step is to erect barriers to when, how and if people can cast a b****t.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 19 states passed at least 34 laws restricting access to v****g in 2021 — the most since the center started tracking these laws in 2011. And as of January, at least 13 bills restricting access to v****g had already been filed for 2022.

4. Then allow big money to operate virtually unchecked to influence the e*****rate.

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision allowed unlimited corporate and anonymous dark money donations in our e******ns. Money buys influence, and influence can t***slate into power. Now the wealthy can press their thumbs more heavily on the scale, anonymously in some cases.

5. Reject as many b****ts as possible.

This is where the mail-in b****t data from Texas comes in.

6. Change “the referees” of e******ns, as States United Action put it.

By the nonpartisan group States United Action’s accounting, as of March 1, over 80 people who denied the results of the 2020 p**********l e******n are now running for governor, attorney general or secretary of state — the state officials who run, oversee and protect our e******ns.

One of Georgia’s new e******n laws would even let the state temporarily take over some e******n boards. (As you may recall, Donald Trump said to Georgia state officials after the e******n, “I just want to find 11,780 v**es, which is one more than we have.”)

7. Finally, have a Supreme Court stacked in such a way that it is hesitant to step in and beat back these restrictions.

In January three federal judges blocked an Alabama redistricting map because they said it most likely discriminated against Black people. But in February the conservative majority on the Supreme Court stepped in and allowed Alabama to use the map anyway.

Chipping away at v**er protections has become a theme of the court. Ever since its 2013 decision gutting a key part of the V****g Rights Act, which forced states with a history of racial discrimination to seek federal approval before changing their v****g laws, the court has made it increasingly difficult for liberals to prove that state officials are violating the law. Just last year, the conservative majority endorsed Arizona’s highly restrictive v****g laws, passed by the Republican-controlled State Legislature after the 2020 e******ns.

And just like that, in seven easy steps, a democracy can be destroyed. In fact, it is being destroyed."

Charles M. Blow, The New York Times

wilpharm Loc: Oklahoma

more of the daiiy boo-hoo..

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

More garbage nonsense for the trash bin. R****ts always see everything as a race issue, why are you such a r****t?

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Pure BS! The Liberal effete want you to believe that v**er ID is a hindrance to v****g when the majority of the European Models require you to show a National ID Card and V**e in Person. V**e by Mail is an affront to Democracy. If you don't care to take the time to v**e then you don't deserve a voice in the country's affairs.

That said, invalids, nursing home residents and the hospitalized should have special considerations given with teams of people working to allow them to v**e "in person" in their current location. Costly? Yes. But that may be the price of true Representative Democracy.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

“true Representative Democracy” means that the wishes of the majority of v**ers are listened to, and representatives adhere to those wishes. At this time, Republicans are enacting laws, and v**er suppression tactics are being employed which enable them to pass laws that are not reflective of what the majority of people in this country want. It has become a case of minority rules rather than the majority.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

Why you insist on pathologically lying about v**er ID laws and suppression?

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Representatives do not have to follow the majority v**e in their district. They Represent, not kowtow to their supporters. They were elected to lead. If the v**ers disapprove they can remove them from office by way of a recall e******n or the next regular e******n cycle. V****g laws are local/county/state level laws as it should be. State level Representatives ( individual state House and Senate members) do not have to follow the lead of national majorities.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

One big step in destroying the Democracy, not mentioned by Blow, is to have a P**********l candidate who loses an l********e e******n propagate a fraud—a Big Lie, in which he states that he won the e******n, when all court cases, and Constitutional law, and all other evidence is clear that he lost the e******n by the majority of v**ers, and the e*******l count; and he repeats this Big Lie, until his supporters believe him (even though he has a history of unt***hs, and actually believe the e******n was s****n from him. This is a major step in destroying the e*******l process, which once was a bedrock of democracy. When the v**ers accept this Big Lie, despite all evidence to the contrary, the integrity of e******ns is forever destroyed, and the country is lost. It becomes a third world country where autocracy, and the will of a losing liar takes over.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Yes, well Trump has dug his own hole. I never v**ed for him and I will not v**e for him. I will not v**e for any politician who bows at the knee/foot of Trump. That goes for withholding all financial support. Instead, I write in the name of some who I trust as an independent thinker. Some say this is throwing my v**e away; I say it is sticking to my principles.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I can appreciate that, although it is not a solution. Bolton has said he would never v**e for Trump, but he added that he would never v**e for the Democratic Party either.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

The first step at destroying this country is listening to the crap you post.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Why is it that you insist on filling these forum with garbage?

wilpharm Loc: Oklahoma

its the daily boo-hoo

btbg

You are mistaken. True representative democracy is intended to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority. That's why each state has just two senators instead of them being apportioned by population like the house is.

Second, the majority of v**ers actually support most of what is in these v****g laws. People think v**er I.D. is a good idea, as well as limiting mail in b****ting to those who can't v**e in person.

SteveS Loc: The US is my home.

Unfortunately we are currently a Kakistocracy.