What the map doesn't show is that five states, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, and West Virginia, have actually curtailed early voting as well. As Ari Berman reported, some of these ban voting on "the Sunday before the election—a day when black churches historically mobilize their constituents."
"Americans are killed by lightning more often than they are victimized by fraud that voter ID would do something to stop," said Justin Levitt, a professor of law at Loyola Law School. "We've amputated a foot to stop a potential hangnail." The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that nearly ten percent of eligible voters lack the kind of photo ID required by these voter ID laws.
Republican defenders of voter ID laws claim that higher black turnout in Georgia during the 2006 and 2010 elections proves that voter ID laws don't suppress the minority vote—an argument repeated by minority witness Hans von Spakovsky in his Senate testimony Thursday. But in states without such restrictions, the increase in black turnout was actually much larger. Von Spakovsky's analyses would "fail statistics 101 at just about any college in the country," Levitt said.
Before we all get too cocky about the embarrassingly inept pack of Republican candidates fighting over who will suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of our President, don't forget that the Republicans are essentially cowards who are terrified of a fair fight.
They will pull every trick in the book to level the playing field, and WE have to remain vigilant to call them out on these tactics and hopefully find ways to render them ineffective.
And if any of you have doubts that the GOP can steal a national election, than either you must be new to this country, or you were born AFTER the election of 2000.
George W Bush stole the election from Al Gore!! All I have to say is it would be absolutely wonderful if the republican party imploded on itself!!!!! These so-called republican governors and republican controlled state government and federal house of representatives are the most criminal of all citizens in the US as they are trampling on every one of our laws as they think they are above the law and can do whatever they want!!! They have a lot to pay back and if they are truly believers, they will pay as "vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord!"
ReplyDeleteUhhh, maybe republicans have a harder time BECAUSE the media is in the dems pockets and refuses to address Obama's controversy, lies, and shadyness. If you can't see that, THAT is why we're in trouble as a country.
ReplyDeleteAlmost ALL the GOP candidates are more qualified than Obama. Almost all have pretty incredible professional records and credentials.
Are you really CHOOSING TO IGNORE THIS?
Why don't you step across the party line and actually rsearch some of these people's (the lesser known ones) records.
Like Cheney, some are brilliant.
I wouldn't have a problem with showing a photo ID IF states made it simple and cheap to have one. Here in the midwest, most people drive, so it is just a question of getting those who don't a state ID card. But in cities, it becomes problematic, particularly for people who are the working poor. Anyone who thinks these rules are for fairness in elections should think again. Look how ACORN was demonized for helping people get on the voting roles and get ID's. The GOP is terrified that when the poor vote, they vote for their best interests, which is obviously NOT to vote for the GOP. This party that pretends to love the Constitution, actually hates most of its citizens, because fairness costs money. This party that claims GOD will do anything o hold onto power and money, and avoid ceding any of either to anyone deemed not worthy; in other words, anyone not wealthy ad white enough for them. This explains their hatred of Obama...he dared to be black and have power. We must keep the GOP out of office or they will turn this country into Cuba.
ReplyDeleteCorrection, Gryph ... the rethugs are NOT trying to level the playing field, they are trying to skew it.
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:55: I have to give you credit for the balls to post your screed here. And I agree with you, the republican candidates do have impressive credentials -- that is, if you consider arrogance, ignorance, belligerence, venality and greed to be "credentials".
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete...blah blah blah...
Almost ALL the GOP candidates are more qualified than Obama. Almost all have pretty incredible professional records and credentials.
...more blah blah blah
Like Cheney, some are brilliant.
3:55 AM
--------------------
There were zero signs of brilliance exhibited at that debate the other night.
Who are these "more qualified" candidates?
Perry, a not-too-bright mediocre student that has run Texas into the ground and who has his own shady past? Bachmann, a lying loon with a mediocre education and no accomplishments in the House? Paul, a racist with an extreme, vicious, and unworkable interpretation of the constitution who thinks privatization is the answer to nearly everything? Santorum, a hypocritical weasel who loathes anyone not white, rich, and straight? Gingrich, a hypocritical disgraced former Speaker, with none of the "family values" the Republicans supposedly hold so dear, using his perennial "presidential candidate" campaigns to enhance the sale of his various books, dvds, etc.? Cain, who never mentions his role in destroying retirement accounts worth millions of dollars at Aquila while handing out millions in bonuses to top execs, not to mention his horribly exploitative 9/11 ad. Romney, who made his business mark downsizing companies and shipping jobs overseas? Huntsman, well, I don't care for many of his views, but he seems to be the only Republican with any ethics or morality at all, along with a respect for science.
Thanks, but my vote goes to the accomplished Columbia and Harvard grad, head of the Harvard law review, constitutional scholar, state senator, US senator, and current president (along with many other impressive accomplishments), who has accomplished amazing things for the American people despite the Republicans unceasing attempts to destroy everything that made America great.
The problem with Cuba is that the right wingers here couldn't get rid of Castro, so the entire country has been punished economically for years by the United States for his "arrogance"...is that what you meant by turning the US into Cuba? Reagan engineered the same tactics in Nicaragua against Ortega much more effectively. I never thought I'd see the day this tactic would be used in our own country.
ReplyDeleteNefer, I love you. And your comments, of course.
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:55 Really?
ReplyDeleteAll the GOP candidates EXCEPT Huntsman and Romney (who is lying if he says he doesn't) don't believe in public education, evolution or climate change. An inordinate amount of them think god is talking to them personally. They couldn't care less about the aged, poor and sick.
When will you stop coming here whining about how these scary inbreds are more qualified than our President? Conservative corporate interests own the majority of the media. If you think these candidates are being whipped by the media—they must truly suck!
Rick Perry cut 75 percent of his states firemen's funds----during a draught. Texas is on fire! But he decides to pray it away and beg the federal government who he wanted to secede from to come save him.
Bachmann thinks she's been anointed by god, has no real grasp of history, is way too homophobic and racist to have anyone outside her end of the world evangelicals support her.
Romney went from a moderate republican governor of a blue state to a flip flopping liar in love with tea baggers—overnight.
You've got Cain the burger and pizza man who thinks he can run the country like a fast food restaurant and thinks he can get away with denigrating the Presidents racial identity because
he himself is african american.
Newt the Tiffanys man.
Santorum, the man on dog, man.
Paul---sane on a few things, unhinged on others.
Only Huntsman would not be rounded up by a band of therapists with butterfly nets.
""Why don't you step across the party line and actually rsearch some of these people's (the lesser known ones) records.
ReplyDeleteLike Cheney, some are brilliant.
3:55 AM ""
Selling pizza and creating minimum wage no benefit jobs.All Hat No Cattle Governor of a state that accords most of its power to the legislature,leaving back room deals and cronyism as the power base for Perry to work.A senator that even his own party ignores.A hypocritical Rebiblican housewife who went to work because her husband told her to.A deluded little ol' man who makes some good rhetorical points about freedom,while practicing a select brand of freedom that makes old white men more free than,say women.A nasty piece of work has been who squandered his intelligence and ability on a life of changing religion and wives as often as other people follow trends in clothes.Then Huntsman who seems normal,and intelligent but his party thinks he is too moderate.Romney who has wanted to be POTUS for so long he can't change his underwear without a poll to tell him what color to put on.
Or the non-candidate Ms Quitty who has made millions off of the media being so in love with her.
Cheney!!!! Please take your meds.Brilliant and diabolical are 2 different things.
In Wisonsin, it is supposed to be free for a voter to go to the DMV and get a state photo ID card, because anything else would be considered a poll tax and be illegal.
ReplyDeleteSo, Walker, in his brilliance shut down DMVs in urban, less wealthy, i.e., more democratic leaning areas, so these voters could not easily get to a DMV to get their free ID. Also, in his brilliance, Walker created a huge financial burden on his state by creating the need and beauracracy to administer these voter IDs . God, I hope he gets recalled.
As much as I complain about living in a somewhat red state, here in VA we have open primaries, and no voter ID laws, and no formal party registration. Voter ID fraud is another myth perpetuated by the Republicans
The "umm" troll has spoken!
ReplyDeleteAll hail the "umm troll", who actually kisses the ground Dick Cheyney walks on. That, alone, should embarrass the "umm troll", but alas, facts aren't troll's forte', they just go on and on with their heads up their butts, unable to read the post and see what the map actually means.
A mime is a terrible thing to waste!
The gimmicks the Republicans go to to cheat is mind boggling. They're evil manipulators and have no coscience.
Oh, cry me a river over Al Gore in 2000. If he could have carried his home state (TN), he would have won the election, and the Florida fiasco would have been moot. He deserved whatever he got on that one.
ReplyDeleteAt 3:55 anonymous fairy tale troll. Thanks for the laugh this a.m. It so funny to see how people like you CHOOSE TO IGNORE how delusional you are!
ReplyDeleteKimosabe (4:44) said what I was thinking. Absolutely true -not a level playing field but a field tipped in their direction.
ReplyDelete~Pogo
@3:55 AM You must be a PBOT to believe
ReplyDeletethe garbage that you have written. Obama can out think any of the REPUG candidates in any Debate. He is Head and Shoulders above them with ideas
and Solutions. Sorry, Sarah, nice try
with your Juvenile talking points. You
might do better if your advisers were
not Family members. They are as delusional and Bi-Polar as you are.
There is no credible evidence anywhere that VOTER fraud is anything more than a rare, inconsequential occurrence that has no significant impact on election results.
ReplyDeleteELECTION fraud, however, is becoming more and more common and, combined with the rampant disenfranchisement of voters who tend to choose Democratic candidates, may well have a huge impact on next year's election. I don't worry about someone being able to vote as 'Mickey Mouse', but I DO worry about touch-screen voting machines flipping votes from Democrat to Republican, or more instances of bags of poorly secured ballots 'suddenly' being found like they were in Wisconsin.
Add a Supreme Court that is so far right they almost circle around to the left again, and you have a recipe for stolen election.
I fear that this may work. There will be sooo many who voted last time that cannot this time. Also with Obama not being as inspirational as last time we will really have to drag people to the polls this time. First we have to ask, can you vote this time? Did you know that the GOP has voted your rights away? I heard that the voters of Maine gathered enough signatures to put an initiative on the ballot to overturn this devious law. Man I am so bummed by this. I feel really powerless and outraged. How to change it. Are there any safeguards in the 1964 Voters Rights Act that could overturn these? Knowing the GOP they were careful in their wording so they can get away with it.
ReplyDeleteWhat Republicans failed to recognize with Acorn, is that you can register 100 times and it is not illegal. You can still only vote one time. Your name is on a list and crossed out as you enter the ballot box. So trying to return again does you no good as if you actually wanted to stand in line another 3 hours!
ReplyDeleteI happen to be one senior of many that no longer has a birth certificate. But I do have a voters card and drivers license. But some of these states now want a birth certificate and many, many seniors do not have them nor do they drive any longer.
Isn't getting some form of photo ID a basic part of being an adult, like paying bills, going to appointments and generally being responsible?
ReplyDeleteIf someone cannot handle getting photo ID how can they make an educated vote?