Republicans Experiencing Electile Dysfunction
Republicans have completely abdicated the ideaosphere in favor of cheating. That’s sad. As with any marketplace, the United States will be best served by at least two viable entities, competing for voters’ “business.” As of March 11, Republicans have this year introduced 253 voter suppression bills in 43 states, according to the Washington Post. Although they’re styling the proposed laws as “safety measures” to prevent “voter fraud,” in truth they’re a page right outta the Jim Crow playbook. No instances of widespread fraud were identified, according to a February analysis by Hoover.com.
Americans don’t tolerate cheating in sports, and should be no less rigorous with voting. This is a blatant attempt to win by cheating–by legislating cheating into law. It must not be tolerated, and that’s why we need to pass the For the People Act (H.R.1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (S.4263). This is the most important issue on President Biden’s agenda. The very future of democracy is at stake. Certainly within the remainder of my lifetime because if the Republicans pull off their gambit it will be many decades (if ever, but hey, I’m an optimist) before balance is restored.
Everyone who cares about keeping the U.S. (small-d) democratic should be calling and writing their legislators urging HR 1 and HR 4 passage by whatever means necessary, including creating a voting rights exclusion for the (dreaded) filibuster. Messaging from the White House seems to be they want to try to do it with Republican support. There may be 10 brave Senate Republicans willing to stand up for democracy, but if it were me, I wouldn’t risk it. If either chamber does not pass the bill it dies, and cannot be reintroduced until the next Congressional session (two years).
Here are some informative clips on the issues:
Georgia is a hotbed of these electile dysfunction efforts, which are largely concentrated in close states that Trump lost.
Ali Velshi showcased the idiocy of Arizona senator John Kavanaugh on March 12, 2021’s “The Last Word with Laurence O’Donnell”
And here is the segment Velshi followed up with: