I Pit the ID-demanding GOP vote-suppressors (Part 1)

[elucidator]

Gentlepersons, take note: your feeble arguments founder on the rocks of solid truth, “valid neutral justification”.

Justification? But of course, the dread threat of voter fraud has the nation gripped in its icy grasp, everywhere you turn, it is the topic of discussion. From Fox News to NewMax, to Red State and Breitbart, the whole political spectum of opinion from extreme right to batshit. And hasn’t the Counselor offered rock solid insinuations and innuendo? Has he not offered his direct personal observation of skulduggery and conspiracy? Can anyone doubt a man who is both a lawyer and a Republican? Perish the thought.

You might complain that the Republicans made it all up, that there is no voter fraud wothy of notice, but so what? The fear is there, the fear is real, even if the object of that fear is a chimera! And steps must be taken to reassure the citizenry that they are not in the grip of ACORN-CASA-Soros conspiracy.

Justification. Rock solid. Neutral? Well, there is some circumstantial misfortune there, it is too bad that the sacrifices that are required tend to fall on one side of the poitical ledger. Darn shame about that. But if the Republicans stand ready to accept such a sacrifice from the Democrats, how can the Democrats refuse? What sort of narrow, selfish motivation moves them to such shirking? The Republicans created this crisis out of whole cloth, and stand ready to correct it, and the Democrats stand in their way, for partisan purpose? Shame, sirs! Shame, I say!

And valid? Well, I daresay! Can anyone honestly doubt that protecting our voter’s confidence is a worthwhile goal? While bands of CASA activists scurry across our nation, undermining our voter rolls and aligning themselves with disgruntled ACORN cadres? Our white Republican majority need only glance at demographic trends, and can have no doubt that the solid center-right majority in America is being undermined by unscrupulous methods!

Valid neutral justifcation, the apex of the pyramid upon which the vast bulk rests! If only the ancient Egyptians had taken such a novel approach to their building, resting a thousand tons of rock upon the pyramids point, what a marvel for the ages they might have created! So long as the wind did not blow, and nobody sneezed…

[grude]

@septimus

In precincts dominated by decent officials, ID laws will be applied equally. In precincts dominated by the assholes you support, you can bet your filthy underwear there will be incidents equivalent to.

I think he either has just never experienced unequal and shitty treatment, or maybe he has and just doesn’t give a shit. In another thread he basically said if you are too poor to be able to satisfy the requirements well fuck you.

I often wonder just WTF is in people’s heads that propose new restrictions on well anything, my first thought is how it will be used to oppress various people in various places. Or some people have a lot more faith in officials than I do.

[elucidator]

The only guy you can trust with power is the guy who doesn’t want any.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

I see that Florida’s massive hunt to find voter fraud has finally produced results.

After months of searching through over 180,000 names (many of them suspiciously Hispanic sounding), they have finally secured a conviction!

Josef Sever, 52, won’t be voting in Florida this November, though. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 30 in federal court in Miami to multiple felony charges of falsely attesting to be a U.S. citizen and illegally voting.

Mr. Sever is of Austrian decent, and holds Canadian citizenship. He claims that he said he was an American citizen and voted, in order to purchase guns and get a concealed carry permit.

I bet the Republicans are so glad they spent the money (millions?) to get this Canadian jailed and deported. His vote put the entire voting system of Florida into a tailspin!

[Skip]

Jim Cramer: Voter ID Law Will Disenfranchise My Dad

CNBC host Jim Cramer said Tuesday that his father was among the estimated 750,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania who lack a state-issued form of identification.

“My dad, a vet, won’t be allowed to vote in Pa. because he does not drive, he is elderly, and can’t prove his citizenship,” Cramer wrote on Twitter.

[Lobohan]

@elucidator

The only guy you can trust with power is the guy who doesn’t want any.

Man, I hate power. Don’t give me none of that.

I especially hate power over life and death.

[Uzi]

@Skip

Jim Cramer: Voter ID Law Will Disenfranchise My Dad

And Pennsylvania authorities fixed the “problem” and now his father can vote.

[BigAppleBucky]

@Uzi

And Pennsylvania authorities fixed the “problem” and now his father can vote.

1 down 749,999 to go.

[JKellyMap]

@Euphonious_Polemic

Mr. Sever is of Austrian decent, and holds Canadian citizenship. He claims that he said he was an American citizen and voted, in order to purchase guns and get a concealed carry permit.

I bet the Republicans are so glad they spent the money (millions?) to get this Canadian jailed and deported. His vote put the entire voting system of Florida into a tailspin!

Ha! Ha! Given his fondness for guns, chances are he would have voted for Republicans on the ballot.

Keep on purgin’, you bastards!

[Shayna]

I’m still waiting to hear Bricker’s justification for not going after the method of voting that actually does have a history of fraudulent voting associated with it (and lots of it): absentee voting, since “the integrity of the vote” is allegedly why this one Canadian guy in Florida has him up at nights, verklempt over “the system.”

I see no difference between legislating that the state pay for notary services for everyone wishing to mail in a ballot than the state paying for everyone to get a photo ID if they want to vote. Certainly the military has access to notaries in or around bases all over the world. And if some of them aren’t open nights or weekends … oh well. ::shrug:: them’s the breaks, right?

[elucidator]

Built in trap door. Can just say, “Sure, we’ll put it on the agenda, right after we get done with this part. Can’t have too much voter confidence!”

[Bricker]

@Shayna

I’m still waiting to hear Bricker’s justification for not going after the method of voting that actually does have a history of fraudulent voting associated with it (and lots of it): absentee voting, since “the integrity of the vote” is allegedly why this one Canadian guy in Florida has him up at nights, verklempt over “the system.”

I see no difference between legislating that the state pay for notary services for everyone wishing to mail in a ballot than the state paying for everyone to get a photo ID if they want to vote. Certainly the military has access to notaries in or around bases all over the world. And if some of them aren’t open nights or weekends … oh well. ::shrug:: them’s the breaks, right?

You’re not a legislator, Shayna, so why would anyone care whether you see a difference?

But I have no objection to beefing up absentee balloting ID proofing.

[elucidator]

Rather evades the point though. The point being that voter fraud in absentee balloting is a genuine problem, and fraud by way of voter impersonation is a problem in much the same way that unicorn stampedes is a problem.

Yet there is a huge effort, a full court press, all emergency options open…to solve a problem that, for all practical purposes, does not exist. A problem that must be solved instantly, immediately, before the next election. And all of this based on the utterly crucial importance of voter confidence.

I trust you can readily see that this casts some doubt on the sincerity of Republican efforts, as surely as I trust you can explain it away. To your own satisfaction, of course.

[Bricker]

@elucidator

Rather evades the point though. The point being that voter fraud in absentee balloting is a genuine problem, and fraud by way of voter impersonation is a problem in much the same way that unicorn stampedes is a problem.

Yet there is a huge effort, a full court press, all emergency options open…to solve a problem that, for all practical purposes, does not exist. A problem that must be solved instantly, immediately, before the next election. And all of this based on the utterly crucial importance of voter confidence.

I trust you can readily see that this casts some doubt on the sincerity of Republican efforts, as surely as I trust you can explain it away. To your own satisfaction, of course.

Doubt away. I even concede that a primary motivation on the part of the legislators is to gain an advantage for their side.

That is not a legally relevant consideration. So why should I care?

[elucidator]

I find your cynicism bracing and refreshing, like the sharp tang of cyanide in one’s kool-aid.

[bup]

@Uzi

And Pennsylvania authorities fixed the “problem” and now his father can vote.

*How *did they fix the problem? Does he not have to follow the law because someone said so?

[gamerunknown]

@Cramer

My dad, a vet, won’t be allowed to vote in Pa.

He could just fix up that lame horse and ride in to the polling place, couldn’t he?

[Uzi]

@bup

*How *did they fix the problem? Does he not have to follow the law because someone said so?

Did you follow the link I provided? If so, then you have the same information I do as to how it was resolved. None of which give any indication as to what was done to resolve the issue.
If you want me to hazard a guess I’d say the combination that he was a vet (I assume meaning he served in the military and not the taking care of animals definition) and was old (having voted for 50 odd years probably meant he was old enough to receive some form of government subsidy) was provided some form of sufficient evidence to qualify for an ID.

[elucidator]

Or, they were embarrassed and covered their asses toot sweet.

[ElvisL1ves]

@Bricker

That is not a legally relevant consideration. So why should I care?

Says it all about you right there, don’t it?