# I pit Rick Scott, the FL GOP, and their blatant attempt to suppress voting rights **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 20, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526 "2011-05-20T01:32:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/121 "2011-05-27T18:37:09Z")
> [@bump](#): > > In my mind, it comes down to how much of a priority voting is to someone; the laws just make it somewhat less convenient, instead of introducing a massive impediment to voting. > > If voting was a priority, people would make it happen, regardless of inconvenience. > > Personally, I don’t have a problem with making voting slightly inconvenient- if they can’t be bothered to at least show up on time or get an absentee ballot or whatever, I’m pretty convinced that they wouldn’t cast a very informed ballot either. Happily, that isn’t your call to make. And if voting is convenient for some and burdensome for others, that is unjust, and requires remedy. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/122 "2011-05-27T20:42:56Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > The actual answer to the puzzle: > > Trains go west on the hour, and east at 10 after the hour. Therefore, someone arriving at the tracks at a random time is five times as likely to be there during a period when the next train will go west than when the next train is going east. I’ve read and re-read this answer for a while now and I’m not getting it, 4.5 hrs sleep is my excuse. 😕 edit: I missed the part about waiting until he sees a train in the riddle, got it now. ---
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/123 "2011-05-27T20:51:19Z")
> [@Laughing\_Lady](#): > > We Floridians are fucked, and we don’t even get rapecakes. Mmmm… I’m so hungry I could rape a horse. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/124 "2011-05-27T22:55:20Z")
So, two guys are walking down the street, and they spot a dog on a porch, busily licking his balls. First guy says, “Gee, I wish I could do that!” Second guys says, “Well, you probably should try to pet him first” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/125 "2011-05-28T01:40:33Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > The actual answer to the puzzle: > > Trains go west on the hour, and east at 10 after the hour. Therefore, someone arriving at the tracks at a random time is five times as likely to be there during a period when the next train will go west than when the next train is going east. Bingo! Is the applicability of this principle to **John Di Fool** ’s claim clear? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/126 "2011-05-28T03:09:55Z")
Indeed it is, and stern measures are called for! Bad **John Di Fool** , bad! Go lay down by your water dish! There. That’s all sorted out, then. Shall we get back to talking about what these fucking assholes are doing to our country? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/127 "2011-05-28T03:11:17Z")
I wonder if the Democrats would be so concerned about voting rights if disenfranchisement didn’t happen to their potential voters. Probably not. 😉 The problem I have with this law the most is with voter registration, but isn’t that similar to other states? I come from Iowa and we’re pretty [liberal](http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/VoterInformation/VoterRegistration.html) on voter registration, but I understand it’s not a universal concept. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/128 "2011-05-28T12:13:19Z")
If your interest was instead promoting participation in democracy, increasing the number of people who care about and take responsibility for their government, what would your participation be? It isn’t the Dems’ fault that the GOP’s policy views are antidemocratic, that they support one economic stratum at the expense of others and so require that those others have less representation. Place the accusation of partisanship where it belongs, not with yet another insipid _tu quoque_. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaptics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Sinaptics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaptics)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/129 "2011-05-28T15:58:06Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > I wonder if the Democrats would be so concerned about voting rights if disenfranchisement didn’t happen to their potential voters. Out of curiosity, is there any cases of Dems using similar tactics (proven or suspected) to restrict the voting of the opposition party? You often hear claims from Dems regarding the voter ID, caging, etc. But are there any equivalent examples on the reverse side? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/130 "2011-05-29T03:00:58Z")
> [@Sinaptics](#): > > Out of curiosity, is there any cases of Dems using similar tactics (proven or suspected) to restrict the voting of the opposition party? > > You often hear claims from Dems regarding the voter ID, caging, etc. But are there any equivalent examples on the reverse side? The Dems are helped when more people vote. They try to help voters get registered and encourage the vote. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/131 "2011-05-29T03:42:24Z")
> [@Sinaptics](#): > > Out of curiosity, is there any cases of Dems using similar tactics (proven or suspected) to restrict the voting of the opposition party? > > You often hear claims from Dems regarding the voter ID, caging, etc. But are there any equivalent examples on the reverse side? A cursory google search (“Democractic Party voter obstruction”) returns only hits for complaints about Republicans obstructing Dem voters on the first page for me. Ditto with “Democrat” instead of “Democratic”. I’d love a cite for that ever happening, too. The usual accusations I hear about Democratic vote tampering is in the vein of “loosening voter restrictions enough so that their people can vote fraudulently and multiple times”, rather than obstruction. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/132 "2011-05-31T02:21:38Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > A cursory google search (“Democractic Party voter obstruction”) returns only hits for complaints about Republicans obstructing Dem voters on the first page for me. Ditto with “Democrat” instead of “Democratic”. > > I’d love a cite for that ever happening, too. > > The usual accusations I hear about Democratic vote tampering is in the vein of “loosening voter restrictions enough so that their people can vote fraudulently and multiple times”, rather than obstruction. There is no fraudulent voting. Bricker found 1 or 2 examples and seemed to think that proved we have a problem. He did not know how either case was registered.Nor who they voted for, but proudly pointed out that fraud exists. Two cases out of hundreds of millions of voters does not a problem make. How do you loosen restrictions? If you are a citizen and are over 18 and register, you are allowed to vote. Which of those restrictions need tightening up? ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526/133 "2011-05-31T13:08:20Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > There is no fraudulent voting. I would qualify that with a “widespread”. Twice I have already been crossed off the registration log when I arrived at my polling place. Both times I was given a provisional ballot. Short of me making some kind of big stink about it I am sure it just gets chocked up to (and very well may be) an error in marking the log or an isolated incident of fraud. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rick-scott-the-fl-gop-and-their-blatant-attempt-to-suppress-voting-rights/582526.md?page=6)