The state of Georgia just passed some serious draconian measures that many fear will seriously limit minority voter participation for years to come. They claim it was to make the voting process secure, but that doesn't make sense since Georgia just had one of their smoothest elections in that state's history, even though there was record voter turnout.
My question is this: Do you think that these new voter suppression laws, not only in Georgia, but in states all over the country where Republicans are in charge, will cause a backlash and have the opposite effect of what it was meant to do?
Oh, and I have a bonus question: How did watching the arrest of that African American state representatives by those state troopers make you feel?
It will likely increase turnout in an off year election. Unfortunately the new laws give the legislature the power to select which district's votes will or will not be counted.
ReplyDeleteThe arrest gave me the rage. The photo of the white men signing a voter suppression law under the painting of the Brick House Road plantation chilled me to the core.
It’s hard to say. Activists will certainly push harder to get people to vote in reaction to voter suppression.
ReplyDeleteBut people can also be apathetic, and don’t always pay attention to what politicians are doing on a day-to-day basis. Two years from now, many will be surprised to learn that they suddenly can no longer vote early, or can’t get a mail-in ballot when they had planned on doing that, and they’ll throw up their hands in frustration and simply not vote. Which is exactly what Brian Kemp wants.
I honestly don’t know what will ultimately happen.
Not being from the South, it is a little shocking seeing the naked racism on display. There’s ugly politics in all parts of the country, but right-wing politicians elsewhere usually feel compelled to dial back the hate at least a little bit, compared to what’s going on in Georgia. I watched some footage of a debate between Kemp and Stacey Abrams. It was a vicious brawl. Kemp was accusing Abrams to her face of recruiting illegal immigrants to vote for her, while she had to fight to remain civil in response.
This is why it’s imperative that Manchin and Sinema somehow be convinced to dump the filibuster. That’s the only way to update the Voting Rights Act and stop these Republican shenanigans once and for all.
“It’s hard to say. Activists will certainly push harder to get people to vote in reaction to voter suppression.”
ReplyDeleteJust as some additional background, if activists do step up their efforts to promote Election Day voting, they will be aware that Kemp plays the hardest of hardball. He will be looking for excuses to jail them.
That’s what happened to 12 black women in 2010, who made the mistake of winning a school board election. Kemp prosecuted them all for cheating. (Spoiler alert: There was no cheating.) This act should have disqualified Kemp from becoming governor, but it’s Georgia, so it probably enhanced his chances.
How A Criminal Investigation In Georgia Set An Ominous Tone For African-American Voters
So let's see, goddamn Republicans do stupid shit that makes it harder to vote, then people who don't like having the right to vote taken from them do extraordinary things to get their vote counted, like organize their neighborhoods and provide necessary information about the new restrictions, stand in lines that last hours and hours, and try to support and encourage those folks stuck in those lines, and on and on.
ReplyDeleteThen everyone is amazed that the Democrats pulled off another squeaker of an election win that by all rights should have been a blowout.
Then the goddamn Republicans, once again faced with the fact that the voting public hates their policies and governing style, say fuck those voters, we'll just further restrict access to the franchise until we start winning elections again, democracy, fairness, and human decency be damned.
And now they are passing laws to allow them to disregard the voters entirely.
I was saying it all last year during the election: the only thing that matters for the Democrats to accomplish with their trifecta is election reform. Until we protect democracy from the attacks of the goddamn Republicans, the question is how long until we are fully authoritarian and fascist, not whether.
All of the other stuff they are doing, as necessary as it is, is subject to being destroyed by the goddamn Republicans after the next election if that election doesn't actually reflect the will of the voters.
They can try to fuck with Park Cannon if they want, but they risk the creation of something that they have no weapons to fight. See also, Abrams, Stacey.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
What dinthebeast said. The good guys always win in the end.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Texas, where the man in the wheelchair has taken to shouting like a shrew as he watches his world crumbling at his feet.
“That’s what happened to 12 black women in 2010, who made the mistake of winning a school board election.”
ReplyDeleteMinor correction: It wasn’t 12 women; it was 11 women and 1 man.
Field, you're the attorney; what are your thoughts about the constitutionality of several of the provisions in the Georgia law? It seems to me there are many violations. Can you clarify for us?
ReplyDeleteGod I hope good people are fed up and want to throw the bums out. They’re off to a good start, whoda thunk GA would have two Dems senators a Jewish man and a brotha?👍🏾
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnn.com/2021/03/22/politics/marty-walsh-confirmation-vote/index.html
ReplyDeleteYeah, and Marty Walsh getting tapped at Labor elevates Kim Janey to be Boston's first Black and first female mayor.
ReplyDelete-Doug in Sugar Pine
The new voter suppression laws around the country could further increase voter turnout, but a few events need to take place before that.
ReplyDeleteAs anonymous @2:13 said: "This is why it’s imperative that Manchin and Sinema somehow be convinced to dump the filibuster. That’s the only way to update the Voting Rights Act and stop these Republican shenanigans once and for all."
Can Senators Warnock and Ossoff meet with Manchin and Senema? They've got to be good at persuasion. And if Manchin wants more Republcans on board, has he been one-on-one trying to persuade THEM? Didn't think so.
A Democratic electorate that hasn't seen the John Lewis Voting Rights Act become law may be too dispirited, too demoralized, to endure the new Georgia gauntlet, and I wouldn't blame them. We need a full court press on the Voting Rights Act. Now.
I just read the painting of the "Brick House Road plantation" under which Kemp signed the Jim Crow 2.0 bill is in SOUTH CAROLINA, not even close to Georgia.
ReplyDeleteKind of a TELL, wouldn't you say? Those bigots are so brazen they don't care who knows it. The symbolism is gut-wrenching.
the bewilderness said... very telling the Black legislator was softly tapping on guv's door as the racist guv signed a racist bill under a racist painting surrounded by 6 wasicu racists, all in order to claim the newest black vote suppression measures are to ensure Georgia's elections are never fair to minorities ever again.
ReplyDeleteAs for the bonus ?, I was certainly surprised neither high pressure water hoses and vicious police K-9 killers were turned loose on the lone protesting black legislator. Kemp and his ilk have a long ways to go to establish cred with the likes of Jessie Helms, Strom Thurmond et al.
I certainly Hope it has a backlash and makes the resolve of all of us to turn out in record numbers and quash any chances that draconian tactics are a way to suppress the One Person One Vote Democratic way! This is detrimental to every Voter in America whenever their representatives try to rig Elections and Suppress the People's Will! Unjust Arrests always make me feel angry and why Law Enforcement is losing respect and trust of the public rapidly.
ReplyDeleteBull Conner and Jim Crow are alive and well ... as the governor and state representatives in 21st-Century Georgia.
ReplyDeleteThe RepubliKlan Party is the party of Trumpism (with or without The Donald himself).
And that is not a compliment!
“And if Manchin wants more Republcans on board, has he been one-on-one trying to persuade THEM? Didn't think so.”
ReplyDeleteManchin knows damn well he won’t get any Republican support for either the voting rights bill or ending the filibuster. He just doesn’t want to appear “mean” to Republicans by ending the filibuster, because a lot of his voters also vote Republican.
Manchin is a very weird phenomenon — a Democratic senator from a state Trump won by a landslide. It’s actually hard to understand how Manchin has even held on as long as he has without being toppled by a Republican.
Also, I think Manchin actually likes the filibuster, because if Republican senators block a Democrat-sponsored bill, that will mean that he won’t catch any flak for voting “no” on that bill. And there are a number of left-wing pieces of legislation he is inclined to vote against, because, again, see his partially Republican voter base. The filibuster takes a lot of pressure off Manchin, so, naturally, he won’t be happy to see it go.
Apparently Schumer may have found a workaround for the filibuster for a couple more bills in section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act:
ReplyDeleteThis section of the law that governs the congressional budgeting process essentially says that Congress may revisit and amend an already-passed budget resolution, like the one used to pass the Covid relief package. Or at least that's what Schumer aides are arguing. "Recently, top policy aides to Majority Leader Schumer made the argument to the Senate Parliamentarian that Section 304 allows for at least one additional set of reconciliation bills related to revenue, spending and the public debt to be considered for Fiscal Year 2021," a Schumer aide previewing the strategy told us Sunday night.
So that might give us three shots at legislation this year instead of one. Meanwhile they have to be figuring out what they must do to get rid of the goddamn filibuster, as the most important of all legislation can't be passed under reconciliation.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
Neil and Amy and Brett, oh my:
ReplyDeleteThe supremes just told Judicial Watch they could go fuck themselves and they don't have standing to depose Hillary Clinton over her emails.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
“Neil and Amy and Brett, oh my:
ReplyDeleteThe supremes just told Judicial Watch they could go fuck themselves and they don't have standing to depose Hillary Clinton over her emails.”
How warped do your priorities have to be if you’re still flogging the dead horse of Hillary’s emails? The woman’s retired from politics! What were they hoping to get out of continuing with their crazy lawsuit? Were they still living in the fantasy world where Hillary goes to prison for something that was never a felony?
To answer Gambler's question. This case will be heading to the courts, but given the makeup of the Federal judiciary, and past rulings relating to the Voting Rights Act, I think it will be hard to have these voter restriction laws overturned. Similar laws in Republican led states have been upheld in federal court. (The case in Florida requiring felons to pay all of their fees and fines before being able to vote comes to mind)Look for this one to have similar results. Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteFolks are going to have to just work harder to get out the vote.
And bring your own food and water when you go to stand in line. 🤨
That's why we need the federal government to do what the voting rights act did: put a floor under election law beneath which Republican state legislatures cannot delve.
ReplyDelete-Doug in Sugar Pine
So the Koch brother was shocked and dismayed when the research he funded found that people like democracy and hate the idea of billionaires buying elections.
ReplyDelete-Doug in Sugar Pine
More out of control negro violence on Asians:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/CeFaanKim/status/1376698850933637121
@ Anon 2:13 PM Manchin and Sinema aren't democrats. They're republicans in sheep's clothing. Convincing them of anything is a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they signed those documents for the world to see. These tactics WILL backfire. This did nothing more but made AMERICANS fired up!
ReplyDelete“@Anon 2:13 PM Manchin and Sinema aren't democrats. They're republicans in sheep's clothing. Convincing them of anything is a waste of time.”
ReplyDeleteThis is not really true. Maybe in other countries, Manchin and Sinema would qualify as conservatives. But by American standards, no, they don’t fit in at the Republican end of the spectrum. They do vote to support some of the Democrats’ policy objectives, and some is at least better than none.
Can they be convinced to dump the filibuster? No idea. Maybe the Dems will bring back earmarks, and then bribe Manchin to vote their way by awarding West Virginia a giant pile of pork? It’s a poor state, so he might go for it. Maybe he wants his name on a stadium or a highway that federal dollars paid for.
Ultimately, what other choice do the Dems have? They’re stuck with this crappy “50 seats plus Kamala” situation because they failed to win more Senate races. It’s definitely better than if Mitch were still running the place, but it truly sucks that they have to beg the least liberal members of their caucus to allow them pass legislation.
Anyway, it is what it is. They can only try to make the best of it for now, and hope to do better (and not worse) at the next election.
Matt Gaetz is being investigated by DOJ for sexual offenses related to a teenage girl he traveled around with. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he’ll claim she’s his daughter. We’ve already gotten to hear all about his “son” Nestor.
Shorter Matt Gaetz: "What? You're investigating me for sex trafficking a 17 year old that I already admitted to most of the allegations about?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll quit and go to work for Newsmax..."
-Doug in Sugar Pine
“Shorter Matt Gaetz: ‘What? You're investigating me for sex trafficking a 17 year old that I already admitted to most of the allegations about?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll quit and go to work for Newsmax...’"
Huh. Does Newsmax have on-air personalities who broadcast from jail?
Two capitol police officers who were injured in the January 6 insurrection have filed suit against Fergus for inciting the riot in which they were injured. They are requesting a jury trial.
ReplyDelete-Doug in Sugar Pine
Way off topic, but, here goes......Nixon era goon and all around deplorable human being, George Gordon Battle Liddy has expired at 90. Too bad, so sad. What a waste of human being.
ReplyDeleteI am on board with the idea of calling this latest scandal “#PizzaGaetz.”
ReplyDeleteGGL done croaked off. I know E Howard Hunt's son Saint John. Got a '67 SG from him in a trade for a car one time. That was my favorite guitar before it was stolen.
ReplyDeleteLast I heard, Saint had moved to Florida and started a website about his dad's JFK conspiracy theories...
Too bad, as he was a hell of a guitar player.
-Doug n Sugar Pine
Question for Field: care to handicap Malcolm Kenyatta's chances as a U.S. Senator? Read he's a favorite son of Philly. But also gay, which is guess is a negative most places.
ReplyDeleteFergus keeps losing in court. NY state supreme court rejected Fergus' appeal that he shouldn't be subject to civil proceedings and cleared the way for him to be compelled to testify in the Zervos case.
ReplyDeleteAnd he just had a court rule that all of his campaign's NDAs are unenforceable.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
Matt Gaetz is such a goddamn repugnant creep that the only people offering him support in the media are Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
ReplyDeleteOther goddamn Republicans were reportedly willing to let him implode and be rid of his annoying ass.
Maybe him and Fergus can be cellmates.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
I am always searching online for articles that can help me. There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also. Keep working, great job!
ReplyDelete