We already know about the dirty tricks. What exactly would you have us do…besides despair?
Do it at the federal level?
I don’t mean to sound snarky, but if that’s your goal, a thread title like “Republican dirty tricks we should be aware of” might make more sense.
To be fair, he didn’t really name a thread, I spun a hijacking post out of another thread.
Do what at the Federal level? Take away the rights of states to govern themselves?
Please be more specific.
We saw how well giving states the right to govern themselves worked with abortion when Roe v Wade was overturned.
We need to protect voting rights at the federal level.
Have you got a magic wand? Congresscritters will not propose such a bill(let alone pass it), and if the President tried to do something the currently right-wing Supreme Court would strike it down.
To do that, we need the Supreme Court and Democratic House, Senate, and President. For that, we need to vote for Democrats.
For instance, they could recruit people to spread the message “Your vote doesn’t count, so why bother?” I believe this was suggested at a GOP strategery meeting, but rejected on the grounds “There are already people out there doing that without us even asking, so why bother?”
Add in making vague “solutions” that obviously can’t be implemented (or would actually make things worse), and the election is pretty much in the bag.
The states don’t have the right to govern elections (well, Congressional elections specifically, but the impracticality of separating out elections makes it difficult to apply certain rules to only those) if Congress decides otherwise:
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
Which is why I then said
Given that SCOTUS has already gutted the Voting Rights Act in two different cases, step one is get a new SCOTUS. Step two is get a filibuster-proof majority. Actually, once you have those, it’s probably the case that the measures to make it difficult to vote weren’t successful, so you’re probably OK.
True.
Actually, once you have those, it’s probably the case that the measures to make it difficult to vote weren’t successful, so you’re probably OK.
False. That’s like saying that if your brakes slip but you manage to stop just short of a collision, there’s no need to take your car to the garage.
This is all true. Personally, this is the biggest political issue to me. I care more about ensuring fair elections than gun control, the environment, health care, the opioid crisis, or anything else. Because if we lose our ability to vote then we’ll never have any of those things.
It’s like making sure the electric bill is paid before you pay for cable tv or the internet. Because if you don’t have one the others won’t matter.
But it’ll take a lot to get our voting rights secure, both power and priorities in every branch of government.
The whole idea that America is inevitably sliding towards fascism is unrealistic.
Simply denying it does nothing to stop it. Self-correction is not built into our political system.
But we are closer to it than any time in my lifetime. Should Trump win, with his loaded courts and the current crop of Congress-critters, we are dangerously close.
Nixon did a huge blow to the confidence of the American Public in the institution of the Government, but was far from becoming a Fascist Dictator. Cheney was criminal but happy to play puppet-master to a fairly likable buffoon. He had no agenda to take over the country.
The current crop of Republicans leaders have divorced themselves from Democracy as they crave power.
Sure, due to trump and trump alone. And the Senate is Dem, and the House is very close.
Not all the republicans- but yeah, far too many of them.
Even if Trump loses in November, he will remain as a figurehead and kingmaker. While the Fascists (aka Republicans) will be hard-pressed to find a candidate with his charisma, don’t forget that about 30% of all humans have Authoritarian Personality and actually LIKE dictatorship.