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Memo Pad

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Republicans’ Long Term Strategy Is To Limit Voting Rights

October 13th, 2012 12:00 am Cynthia Tucker

According to political prognosticators, the presidential race is once again a toss-up, settling into a familiar pattern after weeks in which President Obama seemed to be gaining a modest lead. The pundits are wrong to suggest a new dynamic: The race has always been too close to call.

That’s always been the contour of this campaign — periodic gaffes and brilliant debate performances aside. Republican strategists have long expected a close election; they prepared for it years ago. How did they do it? With Machiavellian strokes, GOP leaders around the country passed laws designed to block the ballot for a small number of voting blocs that tend to support Democrats.

It’s no secret — and no surprise — that the strict voter ID laws in vogue in Republican circles target poorer voters, especially those who are black and brown. Black and Latino Americans tend to vote for Democratic candidates.

No matter how much the right yells “voter fraud,” its spokesmen cannot conceal an ugly and old-fashioned strategy: Suppress the vote. Keep poor people of color from casting a ballot. Deny to certain citizens a fundamental democratic right. There is virtually no in-person voter fraud at the polls, and that’s the sort of chicanery that voter identification laws ostensibly prevent.

Instead, voter ID laws are intended to help Republicans win elections. Because the GOP brain trust is excellent at executing a long-term strategy, its demographers saw the party’s weakness years ago and began to plan for it. As the nation’s ethnic minorities, especially Latinos, grow in number, the Republican Party would have to become more inclusive or face extinction.

President George W. Bush tried to make the GOP more inclusive, but he couldn’t persuade the nativists in his party to back comprehensive immigration reform. Instead, the Republican base became more exclusionary, more jingoistic, more suspicious of diversity.

That’s why voter ID laws became so important to the party’s future. In a deeply polarized country, important races are increasingly decided by very narrow margins. In 2000, the popular vote was essentially tied. In 2004, Bush won the popular vote by about 2.5 percentage points over John Kerry. In such tight contests, Republicans need not disenfranchise large numbers of voters — just a few.

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IXEQ4IX7PJF2EXCEE7MVUHCWGI ladyj

    Republicans will do anything to get votes and denial other party to vote. All of theses restriction they are trying or has put in place for voting is stupid. The reason why is because if the don’t they won’t get the votes that they need to have. As the article said “Pennsylvania state House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, a Republican, proudly recited a list of accomplishments at a state party meeting. “Pro-Second Amendment? The Castle Doctrine, it’s done. First pro-life legislation — abortion facility regulations — in 22 years, done. Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.” Talking about rigging the election.

  • http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

    Because they want a sequel to hanging or pregnant chads.

  • WhutHeSaid

    This is an issue that cannot be successfully defended. It’s very simple: If you support these new voter ID laws, it’s because you are either a bigot, a cheat, or both. There exists no other reason. We don’t create laws to solve nonexistent problems, and even the proponents of these laws have admitted in court that there is no in-person voter ID fraud that they can cite as justification.

    • old_blu

      You are right, I think there were only 10 documented cases out of all the people in America, that’s not enough to worry about for sure. (they probably voted Republican anyway)

      • Mikeinthedirt

        Old_blu, that was 10 cases in 16 years.

        • ralphkr

          Only ten cases of in-person voter fraud in 16 years, Mikeinthedirt??? Come on, I am sure that Democrats have netted more than 10 votes in the last 16 years and we all know that any vote for a Democrat was due to voter fraud.

          • Mikeinthedirt

            Well, you got us. Pack it up, boys.

          • WhutHeSaid

            Good lord, I thought I’d seen everything this year — but a lying Santa Claus? Is Rush Limbaugh sharing his pills or what?

          • ralphkr

            No, WhutHeSaid, but evidently sarcastic font does not show properly in this forum just as snickering font doesn’t appear either.

          • WhutHeSaid

            Does that mean I get a lump of coal this year?

            (grinning font)

          • ralphkr

            only if you straighten up and fly right the rest of the year

          • WhutHeSaid

            So you are saying I can borrow the sleigh and reindeer?

          • ralphkr

            sorry, WhitHeSaid, but the reindeer are still frolicking at their Finland resort and the sleigh is still getting the finishing touches on its annual rebuild. Travel is especially tough on it these days with all those trigger happy weirdos with their missiles and RPGs. At one time the next door neighbors had their son convinced that I was Santa until he saw my garage door open one day and there was no sleigh there.

        • old_blu

          I knew it wasn’t many thank you for that.

    • ALLLLAMERICAN

      OMG—-How do you REALLY think obama got in office in the first place???

      There IS tons of voter fraud and they have proven it over and over!!!!!!!!!

      • WhutHeSaid

        You really have a LONG list of whoppers that you need to explain when you try to get into the pearly gates — if you don’t get sent straight south first.

        It’s really a lucky break for you that Jesus isn’t here on Earth these days. If he were, he’d slap you all over your trailer park. Jesus isn’t fond of liars OR bigots, and never was shy about letting people know where they stand.

        I hope that you like hot weather, because that’s what you have to look forward to. Satan must have some lakefront property set aside just for you — beside a lake of fire, that is.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Myers/100001512942781 Jim Myers

        Replying to ALLLLAMERICAN

        First of all, the only reason President Obama was elected was because of the train wreck caused by George the Second and his sidekick Dick.

        ALSO, THE FRAUD PERPETRATED BY A REPUBLICAN OPERATIVE OF THE “HOLIER THAN THOU” REPUBLICANS HAS SPREAD TO AT LEAST 11 STATES, and is on a scale in the 10′s of thousands, possibly 100′s of thousands of fraudulent votes.

        Contrast that to the extremely low number of actual cases of voter fraud that has been found at the polls in over a decade of searching.

        DON’T TRY TO BLAME THE DEMOCRATS FOR BALLOT STUFFING. THE VAST MAJORITY OF FRAUDULENT VOTER REGISTRATIONS ARE REPUBLICAN.

      • mikecoatl

        “There IS tons of voter fraud and they have proven it over and over!!!!!!!!!”

        And yet you won’t prove it here…

  • wesley rasmussen

    Ladies – please, protect your reproductive rights and do NOT vote Republican. The child that you will be forced to carry against your wishes ( or to the detriment of your physical health in some cases ) could very well end up being the next Ryan or Akin…

    • Mikeinthedirt

      Or W.

  • alsoavietnamvet

    I don’t understand why Network News organizations are not reporting this!! The RNC has encouraged the GOP in five states to hire Strategic Allied Consulting to register voters. In ALL FIVE of those states (and, possibly two others), registration “irregularities” (fraud) have surfaced!!! When the Republicans scream voter fraud, it’s on the news; when the Republicans are directly involved in voter registration “irregularities” (not to mention, TOTALLY ignoring the Voting Rights Act), it’s not even mentioned on the news programs. There must be some unwritten rule to not report embarrasing news when an important election is coming up!!!

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      The networks are owned by the 1%.

    • ALLLLAMERICAN

      It’s been proven over and over and over and over

      Watch a different news channel and you would know the facts!!

      They just showed a hidden video on people that wanted to vote for Democrat and wanted
      to vote twice once for Absentee Ballot Request and another for their polls.

      The people that worked there said sure, do you need more for your friends so they can vote TWICE!!!!!

      This was last week with a hidden camera —ONLY DEMOCRATES COULD DO THIS

      And if you don’t have a valid ID you have no business voting!

      and you shouldn’t get the rights to vote if you don’t pay taxes!

      • WhutHeSaid

        Why should YOU be allowed to vote? Aren’t you one of those ‘anchor babies’? Tell the truth — if you can remember how.

        • BDC_57

          alll. still live with mommy and daddy.

      • mikecoatl

        I don’t think lunatics like you should vote, whether you pay taxes or not.

    • oneMALEopinion

      Your right I only heard it on fox. For only about 3 days then nothing not a word from the others! Suprised me too!

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2LHLQMLKXOSZT5D2HXKT4KM6PA gebby

      Or the media agrees to protect the GOP.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

    The main problem is the repubs do not like democracy. As the minority party, trying to return to the past , they know they cannot win. This is NOT new. The founders, through the colonies, restricted voters to those who owned property (typically 4 acres of land) and wer FREE of debt. As one founder stated in the constitutional convention;”I FEAR THE MOB!”

  • William Deutschlander

    One thing that can not be denied is that the Republicans know about voter intimidation and fraud, after all they are the ones that practice voter intimidation and voter fraud.

    Florida and Colorado can attest to the Republican voter intimidation, fraud, as can Pennsylvania.

    All of the states that the Republicans took control of in 2010 have passed some form of legislation intended to keep people from being able to vote.

    Given more control, the sick minded Republicans, will destroy Democracy and replace it with Dictitorial Autocracy.

    What the Republican sick minds fail to grasp is that without a vibrant 98% of the population there will be no commerce and therefore wealth can not be created, this country will go the way of Rome, no longer exist.

  • dljones

    Really, go get them Republicans because we only want Republicans to vote. This pathetic rambling of Cynthia’s is parallel to Wasserman Shultz.

    • mikecoatl

      They only want Republicans to vote because soon, that will be the only way they ever win elections outside of Idaho.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Jones/827014412 Daniel Jones

    Considering that the only proven voting fraud was registration fraud committed by groups organized and hired by the *Republicans*, this is absolutely verifiable.. and villainous.

    I mean this literally. They are the Bad Guys.

    • ALLLLAMERICAN

      ever heard of “ACORN”

      • mikecoatl

        Google the name Nathan Sproul and you will learn why Republicans have absolutely NO right to bitch about election integrity.

  • dtgraham

    I’ve noticed the new push by the political right to redefine voting as a privilege and not a right. I’ve now seen two Fox News segments promoting this concept and have read a couple of postings from some of the Republican contributors here at the Memo doing same. ALLLLAMERICAN says (on this thread) that not only should you not be able to vote without proper ID, but you also shouldn’t be able to vote if you don’t pay taxes. I’m assuming that was in reference to federal taxes.

    I suppose pretty soon it will be only white male property owners that can vote. Oh wait…..that’s been done.

    • Mikeinthedirt

      Ah, yes. Those were the days.

    • lana ward

      We have to have ID for everything and should for voting. Without ID, people vote twice, dead people vote, animals vote, illegals vote and felons vote. It’s only common sense to have ID

      • dtgraham

        You don’t need ID for everything lana. I can think of very little that I do that I need ID for. At any rate, the things that you may need ID for are not constitutionally guaranteed rights, voting is supposed to be although that concept is now being challenged by the political right.

        Different pieces of normal, reasonable ID are not being accepted for voting. If they were, this wouldn’t be an issue or not as much of a one. They often legislate a special government voting ID which immediately creates barriers for the disabled, the elderly, the poor without vehicles, etc.. Many times that’s been compounded by saying that you need a passport first, or some other papers, before you can acquire this special voting ID.

        GOP controlled states have targeted obvious Democratic leaning groups with surgical precision and are trying to keep that vote down as much as possible. Cancellation, or shortening, of early voting…stopping registration drives in Florida…threatening the league of women voters with legal action…having too few voting machines in heavily Democratic districts in Ohio in 2000 and 2004 (we’ll see it this year)…having early voting in Republican districts but not Dem districts in Ohio (until there were complaints)…hiring a firm to throw out and alter Democratic registrations (the FBI are on this)…onerous ID laws that disproportionately affect some groups over others…cancelling the Sunday before the election voting (targeting African-American churches)…using gun permits as voting ID in Texas but not University ID cards…a GOP rep. saying on videotape that Pennsylvania’s new ID laws would guarantee the state to Romney. There’s no end to it.

        This is just an over the top attempt to mould and shape an electorate that favours Republicans, period.

        I’d ask you how animals and felons are voting because of no ID requirements, but I’m not sure I want to know the answer.

        I’ve seen international posters at the National Memo from all over the world. Maybe some of them can blog in and tell us about their election ID laws, or lack thereof. Don’t know about elsewhere, but there are no ID requirements to vote in Canada and you’re never asked for it. There is never, ever, any talk of voter fraud in Canada. It’s an unknown concept. Trust me on that.

        I’d ask why American conservatives are utterly consumed with voter fraud, but I think I already know the answer to that. That are those you don’t want voting alright, but they mostly go by the names of African-Americans and Hispanic Americans.

  • darkagesbegin

    the Koch brothers paid good money to buy this election. Why should they allow mere voters to interfere with that?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=29902309 Jeremy Watkins

    Go to any other country and try to vote in THEIR election with no identification and tell me how that works out for you.

    • WhutHeSaid

      Why do you support laws with no purpose? Are you a bigot, a cheat, or both? Have the guts to be honest about what you are.

    • Mikeinthedirt

      Afghanistan, for one.

    • DurdyDawg

      Voter registration and a driver license/id card or passport should be enough for any skeptic.. No picture ID? THEN get a state issued voter ID card. I have not heard of ONE voter going in with zero ID or registration card to vote and if they did then it’s the big butt attendants fault, NOT voter fraud.

    • dtgraham

      Jeremy, I live in another country although I’m very interested in U.S. politics. You can vote in any civic, Provincial, or federal election in Canada without any ID whatsoever. I understand that the circumstances differ from country to country in that way (for reasons), but nevertheless.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1111380836 Sharon Updike

    when you have to supress the vote to win…your ideas clearly suck.

  • waynehagen

    It seems strange to me, I have red several thousand comments on these articals in the last month. Many of these coments are worded by some people that seem to be very ignorant. I dont think that it is mutch that they are ignorant is that they do it to get people flustered. Early comments in this section, would bring out an excelent point. Voter fraud is wide spread. But it is not necessarily voter fraud. There are 11, districts alone in just the state of Florida, that are now being investicated by the F.B.I. Federal Burrow of Investication. This is not a joke it is serious business. Voter fraud by the Republican party. Collerado, another state also being investigated. I am not clear on how many at this time. Florida, is in an uproar at this time in trying to figure and check the corectness of these registrations. This was announced several days ago and no one has picked up on it, in the way of news. Things like this could easily be concidered a consperacy. I am sorry but this is a sick nation, it is going to take good peopleto bring it back to health. You willnot find them in the upper ranks of the Republican party. This party is making its last attempt to buy and controle America. This is the major consperacy. It is a shame we the men who have fought fore this great nation. Now controlled under the thumb of the wealthy. Life goes on, one consperacy deserves another.

    • WhutHeSaid

      Even though the Republicans have been caught engaging in fraud this year, it’s not in-person voter ID fraud. It’s registration fraud, where people were caught throwing away Democratic registrations or falsifying Republican registrations. There is no reason for these new voter laws other than suppressing the votes of minorities or students.

      People who support these laws may as well wear a sign that says ‘I’m a bigot and/or cheat’. There is no other explanation for it, and they can’t reasonably deny it.

  • onedonewong

    If making sure than only folks that meet the requirements of each state are met get to vote then yep their guilty.

    • WhutHeSaid

      There is no reason for these laws unless you are a bigot, cheat, or both. Which are you? Don’t lie about what you are. Have the guts to stand up for your beliefs — as sordid as they might be.

      • onedonewong

        We saw what happened in MN when ACORN is involved in registering voters. Illegal votes place Al Frankenstein the US Senate
        We also saw the Obama party condone multiple voting in the presidential election. For some reason when it comes to honesty and integerity its a morality that Dem’s never learned in their homes. Guess when you don’t know who your father is this is what happens

        • WhutHeSaid

          You forgot to mention how any of this relates to voter ID laws. Nothing you’ve said is either a) true, or b) related to in-person voter fraud.

          I guess this is what happens when your parents have the same father.

  • tncdel

    I see too much oppressive censorship on this website by the moderators. On WaPo that type of abuse of our 1st Amendment doesn’t go on. But I’ll be damned if I waste my time posting here to get a message afterwards saying my comment must be approved by the moderator.

    That control-freak mentality is what distinguishes the commie-socialist “Progressives” calling themselves “Liberals” nowadays from the true Liberals. One is about control and subjugation, while the other is about encouraging expression of ideas and freedoms. I’m done with this website. Apparently its sole purpose is to mislead people about what the majority actually thinks, by weeding out all opinions they don’t like.

    • DurdyDawg

      HAH! Bobbo Livingston and his Personal Liberty Digest does the exact same thing, now…

    • dtgraham

      This is such an odd website in that way but I know what you mean. I went through a brief period where little of what I posted would ever appear. I got the ‘approved by a moderator’ thing too, except that it never got approved. I e-mailed Joe Conason and told him that I don’t curse or verbally abuse other posters or type inappropriate comments, so what’s up. Joe is a great guy and fixed things for a while. He seems very concerned.

      Recently I posted something with no inappropriate language in it at all, and it posted and appeared. I did some research and put a lot of thought into that comment. The next day my comment was gone completely. It had been erased. Why?

      We have regular posters here who curse like a sailor on a regular basis and, yet, you can read their comments every day. I don’t mind that at all and I even admire the Memo, in a way, for being language populists. Not a problem. I just don’t understand what goes on here in terms of censorship. It’s a mystery. I still love the Memo as long as their little problem doesn’t get out of hand.

    • mikecoatl

      Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. And enjoy your so-called ‘majority’.

  • waynehagen

    Republican cry babys, its seems that they that cry the loudest are at the base of the falsification. All of this goes back over eleven years. If their not cheating they are falsifieng documents. Wich is what they have been caught dooing. Registering good democrats as republicans, what a discrase. Or givingthem addresses that is miles from where they live. Putting them in a nother district, so that it prevents them from voting. If it isnt that they are throwing their registrations away. Beware, if they ask as the first statement, what is your party affiliation. These companys that do this are making several thousand dollars. They come under three or more headings or names. If you have registered recently you might take the time to check that everything is correct on your application.

  • Mikeinthedirt

    The case could be made that this strategy was successfully implemented in both 2000 and 2004.

  • Mikeinthedirt

    There is a fine distinction between ‘getting elected’ and ‘winning’.

  • Mikeinthedirt

    Ready for documentation, any time, whenever you’re ready, go ahead, we’re listening, don’t be shy, just spit it out…

  • Mikeinthedirt

    Everybody pays taxes, little brother. And I’d like to see some documentation.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/JDOXI2KMWOOWQITKP23LE6W4RA Juventino

    Decent people vote Democrat! and I really mean it. Obama 2012

  • REM1875

    They are right- Republicans are trying to deny voting right to the dead, illegal aliens, the ineligible and the nonexistent. This would be a serious blow to democrat voting strategies.

    • WhutHeSaid

      Thank you for that. When we need another ridiculous whopper, we’ll let you know.

    • mikecoatl

      Keep telling those lies to yourself. It won’t make your coming demographic armageddon any easier.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2LHLQMLKXOSZT5D2HXKT4KM6PA gebby

    You cant convince a republican voter that anything written in this article is true. For them, the republican voter, it is ok to cheat. Look at Romney their shinning example of a winner. He is also a cheater.

  • Mikeinthedirt

    Compared to the 308000 Ohio voters who were purged from the rolls, mis-registered, given broken voting machines, or had their votes ‘lost’ in transit to Tennessee for counting by servers controlled by a man who had promised Ohio to Bush, that’s not very many.

  • Captain Lionel Mandrake

    Yes, the rich elites are trying to limit our voting rights. And soon as possible we should limit their incomes, their access to their Swiss & Offshore Bank Accounts, Passports, and other loopholes, for these are the loopholes of people who through bribery of government officials, are our enemies, and then we should do intense and thorough investigations of these traitors, put them in jail and see to it that they and their crooked families and friends do not profit.

  • irishtap

    Ladies and gentlemen it is time to be more than vigilant: we are in the throes of ideological struggle for continuation of representative government in the United States. If what has been uncovered and laid bare to public scrutiny has given you pause then: what we don’t yet know about hidden, depraved GOP machinations yet to be put in motion, should strike anger and fear into our hearts and minds.

  • 1guy2

    You were not very truthful about the 2000,and 2004 elections. Everybody knows they are trying to restrict minority voting,as they tend to vote democratic. the all republican states are losing ground to the democrats,as more and more voters are beginning to realize just how lowlife the republican party has become. The poor and the ignorant are influenced by thes republican ads, that begins with lies and ends with lies. These innocent voters just can’t believe the unscrupulous ways they are led astray

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJNSZD4HIXUCOAKXMQZCIUST34 JOEL K

    How well educated are the individuals making comments about the Republican party as to inclusivness and the right to vote.

    Lincoln was a Republican. The 13 and 14 amendments were from the Republican party and not the Democratic Party. George Wallace from Alabama was a Democrat.

    All legal citizens who are registered in there state must be allowed to vote.
    Voters can not legally register to vote in multiple states. There were about 47,000 registered voters in New York who were also registered to vote in Florida at the same time. That is illegal.

    The Democratic Party appears to be ultra liberal, left wing socialist, wanting mega federal government and a government managed economy.

    The Republican Party appears to be less federal government, moderate to extreme right, wanting as less amount of federal government rules and regualtions for free capalitism; an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decisions, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined maily by competition in the free market.

    The reason Obama failed with government use of funds is he has never run a private business. All bureaucracies, bureaucratie, are a body of nonelective government officals that administra policy making with specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules and a hierarch of authority and a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape and proliferation.

    Why does the Obama care require about 16, 000 new federal employees being paid about 75,000 plus each plus a board etc.. All paid with tax money.

    If you need the service of a neurosureon see how they earned there medical degree and what experience they have in surgery or you can ask if they are likable before have them do surgery on you or a family member.

    • dtgraham

      I’ll tell you Joel, those “bureaucratie” that
      “administra” policy making are a buggar. Let me tell you Joel, the next time I need the services of a “neurosureon”, I’m going to take your advice and make sure that he’s “likeable” because–let’s face it–that’s really the big consideration here when it comes to BRAIN SURGERY.

      Lastly, if the Republican Party appears to be “moderate to extreme right”, can we just vote for the moderate members and not vote for the extreme members (over half these days)? What do you say.

    • Sand_Cat

      Yes, we all know Lincoln was a Republican. It is you who apparently lack education and the ability to think and reason. Whatever their position in the mid-19th century, Repulbicans have been opposed to racial equality and voting rights for minorities since at least the middle of the 20th century, if not well before. You may not have noticed, but it’s now the 21st century, even if you and your friends have never recovered from the end of the 11th.

      And your characterization of the Democrats as “left-wing socialist” shows where on the spectrum “moderate to extreme right” you sit. Naturally, from where you sit out in Mussolini-Franco-Hitlerland, just about anyone who is rational and sane is “far left” of you, even moderate conservatives like Obama and Bill Clinton. I’m not sure even Barry Goldwater would pass muster in today’s “Grand Old Party.” Much too liberal, like that paragon of left-wing liberalism, John McCain.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/XQSHZLFJ7W4RZVA7KN5TORLMGI Dredycal

    If we already know what they are doing, why do we allow it? We need a massive movement against these Republicans. Numbers count. Voting is a right regardless of what type of ID you are using or when do you register. Come on Democrats! We need a mass aggressive way to fight back.

    • mikecoatl

      Fortunately, most of the GOP efforts either have been struck down or are tied up in court.

  • nobsartist

    The republiCON agenda is that of the John Birch Society. Started by Fred koch, if you look at the John Birch Society “blue book” you will see that all of the tactics used over the past 4 years come directly from it. Calling the President “socialist” and other names comes right from it. Restricting voters rights comes right from it. Restricting womens right comes right from it.

    It is time for Dems to start calling republiCONs the racists that they are, being financially supported by the John Birch Society, unless they too, are racists.