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Ari Berman wites: "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. Just as Dixiecrats once used poll taxes and literacy tests to bar black Southerners from voting, a new crop of GOP governors and state legislators has passed a series of seemingly disconnected measures that could prevent millions of students, minorities, immigrants, ex-convicts and the elderly from casting ballots."

The GOP is gearing up to disenfranchise Democratic-leaning voters. (photo: USA Today)

Comments

+41 # AndreM5 2011-09-01 07:57

This is one of the oldest anti-democratic Repub tactics. The arguments are the same, the methods are the same and the coverage of it by the mainstream right-wing media is the same (nonexistent). States rights do not allow this blatant violation of citizens rights unless the Feds do not enforce the law.

Where is the DOJ?

+15 # steve98052 2011-09-01 10:49

The strange thing is that as little as 50 years ago, Democrats were the party of racism (at least in the South), and Republicans were the party of civil rights. The _Democrats_ were the ones who tried to keep racial minorities away from the polls with poll taxes, literacy tests, and plain-and-simple intimidation.

When President Johnson embraced civil rights, he led a shift in the Democratic party toward civil rights -- alienating a lot of racist voters but attracting minority voters (who still had trouble voting) and whites who believed in civil rights, as well as doing the right thing.

When President Nixon gained power, he used the "Southern Strategy" to exploit racist voters' alienation from the Democrats, and turned a lot of them into Republicans -- even though many of them were poor and likely agreed with Democrats on everything except racism.

One thing that's remained the same, regardless of which party is the party of civil rights and which is the party of racism, a lot of the tactics of racial voter suppression remain the same.

However, now that the Republicans are the party of voter suppression, they're not just trying to keep racial minorities away from the polls, they're also trying to suppress voting by young people, old people, poor people (other than racists), and other pro-Democratic groups.

+47 # artful 2011-09-01 08:28

As I have said in numerous postings in numerous public sites, the GOP has morphed into an anti-American, racist, Christian Taliban movement, owned and operated by the Koch's and others of their ilk.

+17 # sally 2011-09-01 08:58

Of all the horrible alarming things going on here, this, to me, is the most alarming. What can we, in the Northeast do for the
voters who are being disenfranchised ? Who is doing the activism?

-30 # edge 2011-09-01 09:47

OH MY GOD.....actually asking those using our greatest right to prove they have a right to it!

Are you kidding me, who wants someone legally prevented from voting to vote?

+12 # GeeRob 2011-09-01 11:27

Failed reading comprehension, didn't you?

+10 # ABen 2011-09-01 12:21

is documented voter fraud actually a problem in any state? This sounds like a solution in search of a problem, OR another attempt to keep "those people" (name your minority) from voting.

-16 # Merschrod 2011-09-01 09:34

Let's just buckle down and do the job right - a national ID card require dof all and checked of all who vote. It might be catch-up work, but let'make these IDs a chance that nobody can be challenged at the polls.

To make it fair, let's have poll watchers card everyone - that will tick off some of the very folks clamoring for the IDs of "others."

+18 # Maryelizmc 2011-09-01 09:52

In Florida the Secretary of State has tried to circumvent the DOJ. ... they will use every tactic to stop voters from getting to the polls. The most powerful tactic is FEAR.I guess next thing is they will put ropes on us and string us up from the trees! What is sad is so many people DO NOT KNOW what is happening. They are ignorant and will not know till the rope goes around their belly and they are yanked off their feet. How can we get their attention?

+15 # shesap 2011-09-01 09:57

There are just too many of these things being done to the populist by the TeaRepublicans...how many Madison's can we gear up for how many rights being taken away? People are getting decision fatigue. All the media cares about is the next election. IF the Dems don't do something fast, we will have that anti-American, racist, Christian Taliban Koch puppet in the White House. Then will come the Revolution of the poor and middle class who will be left with nothing and no other choice.

+16 # GeeRob 2011-09-01 10:05

If anyone had any doubt about how evil the Republican Party is, this should convince them. In my lifetime I've never known them to give a damn about minorities, the elderly, students, ex-felons, the poor or women. Every GOP Governor is now drinking tea laced with steroids.
The DOJ needs to do an intervention and soon.

+14 # fredboy 2011-09-01 10:20

We now need federal legislation making it a criminal felony to deprive anyone of their vote. If a person is registered and qualified, any and all actions, inactions, misdeeds, misinformation and any other interference with the casting of that vote should be criminally actionable.

In 2000 Florida denied more than 90,000 voters--most minority--attempting to cast their ballots by wrongfully alleging the voters had criminal records. We need to make sure this never happens again.

Let's bury Jim Crow and banana republic vote blocking once and for all. And also make any and all attempts to prevent or block the votes of others a federal felony. I suggest a term of 10 years in prison and fine of $100,000 for each offense.

+5 # ABen 2011-09-01 12:24

Well said fredboy! What happened in Fl in 2000, particularly Dade Co, was nothing short of criminal.

0 # OrlandoDFree 2011-09-04 19:34

I certainly agree, but that wouldn't have helped in Florida. The people were removed from the voter rolls, so, technically, they were no-longer registered. It's still criminal, but even if the people involved were arrested, it still would have turned the election. What we need is federal legislation barring states from blocking the right to vote for whatever reason.

+11 # Vardette 2011-09-01 10:28

I have called Boehner's office expressing my outrage about ALL the things they are doing to destroy our voting power, our protections, our Democracy. They are a criminal corrupt, disrespectful gang of theives who are a serious threat to all of our health, safety and welfare and the preseveration of our nation. God Help us if one of them becomes president - Obama can't loose for that reason!

+9 # Regina 2011-09-01 10:33

The new national slogan for Amerika is Sieg Heil! Will we ever learn from history? Not if the Amerinazis succeed in wrecking what remains of our education system, among other wreckage they're wreaking.

+4 # kalpal 2011-09-01 10:54

The right wing abhors any notion of the peasantry becoming real citizens with a right to vote. The ones who must go trouble to prove they are who everyone in their community knows they are will stop voting. Why should they go to any trouble to vote when they know that crumbum running is being firmly held by his short hairs by the local rich guys. They already know that he will not keep any promises he has ever made to anyone who failed to contribute the maximum allowable by law.

+13 # Kayjay 2011-09-01 13:16

This is more proof that the GOP and the oligarchy they serve have NOTHING to offer the lower 99 percent of America. They merely use fear to gain votes of the ignorant, abscond the ballots of those who might vote against them and use millions to stack the deck and gain office. The 2012 elections are still 14 months off. Let's organize and try to counteract as many of these dirty tricks as possible. Don't give up...

+11 # Jane Gilgun 2011-09-01 13:23

Can anyone tell me where they get their relentless energy from? They don't quit. Have they no morals? No values? Why are they so full of hatred? What's going on? How have people like this seized power?

+2 # Saberoff 2011-09-03 17:50

money

+3 # Sallyport 2011-09-02 11:06

Isn't it interesting that one real instance of voter fraud can be laid directly at the step of the rightwing in the recent recall elections in Wisconsin, where the republicans mailed out early voting ballots to democratic voters with the instruction to mail them back AFTER the election.

0 # jabo13 2011-09-05 04:16

For all who have wondered, " How can our elections be so close, when polls show that the vast majority of Americans support progressive values and policies?," here is the answer. And we will never know to what extent these self-proclaimed "patriots" have been successful in subverting the will of the people. Obscene and disgusting.

0 # VSweet 2011-09-06 06:18

It is so sad, we just talk about the GOP evil plots and plans of action.

What is wrong with us as Americans? The more we sit on our hands and do nothing, the more we turn our heads away and do nothing, the more we do not use our voice to retain Democracy, WE WILL LOSE EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE WERE SILENT!

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