Several GOP-led states are imposing new limits on voter registration drives.

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Patricio Da Silva, Jul 26, 2024.

  1. Patricio Da Silva

    Patricio Da Silva Well-Known Member Donor

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    Clearly, Republicans can't stand democracy. This is why they are going around making the bogus argument that 'AMerica is not a democracy'.

    A democracy is a nation of elected leaders.

    A republic is a nation of EITHER appointed or elected leaders (as opposed to a monarchy).

    Republic is the broader term. It is the term of documents and formal declarations. "Democracy' is a broad term, but narrower, actually, than 'Republic'. The terms overlap, they are not mutually exclusive.

    It doesn't matter what kind of democracy, representative, direct, whatever --- where people vote for representatives and leaders, it is a democracy, period. It is also a Republic.

    But not to Republicans, this is why they hate democracy, because when democracy flourishes, they tend to lose. Not all of the time, but much of the time, which is why they gerrymander (far more than Dems have), limit voter access, limit ballot boxes, purge voter registration rolls far in excess of what is just and fair, place more and more hurdles between the voter and the ballot. They believe that they do better when the voter base shrinks. That's what it sure seems like to me, based on history.


    They pay lip service to the 'free market', but with one exception, the free market of ideas, the don't like a free market there, they do everything they can to limit it by placing hurdles between the voter and the ballot.

    In a democracy, those whose ideas are in accord with the people, usually win. Or it should.

    We have direct democracy for

    Governors and Lt Governors.
    State Attorneys General
    District Attorneys
    Judgeships
    Sheriffs
    Mayors and municipal officers.
    State and federal legislative representatives.
    Ballot initiatives.

    Hundreds of elections every year across America and the only election where there is indirect democracy are two:

    the Prez/VP
    and most laws where representatives are elected to vote for those laws on our behalf.
    But we do have ballot initiatives.

    MOST Elections in AMerica are DIRECT.

    We are a democracy.

    NOWHERE in the Federalist papers do Mssrs Madison and Hamilton advocate 'minority rule'. What they did was create a system that tempers the excesses of majority rule by creating a bicameral legislature, and an electoral college. The point is, they absolutely meant that America, when she votes, the majority is supposed to be the victor.

    "... that fundamental maxim of republican government, which requires that the sense of the majority should prevail. " Alexander Hamilton, Federalist 22.

    No, the term 'democracy' is not in the Declaration of Independence.

    Nor is it in the Constitution.

    But nor is the phrase 'beautiful country'.

    Does that mean that America is not a beautiful country?

    No.

    'Democracy' is a broad term, it is poetic, descriptive and the logic used by morons like Mark Levin who declare that because it's not in the Declaration of Independence, America is therefore 'not a democracy' is, writ large, a specious argument.

    When i say 'broad' i mean yes, there is a narrow use of the Term, as it was used by Madison, noting that Madison's contemporaries did not agree with his parochial use of the term (source: Encyclopedia Britannica )

    https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy/Democracy-or-republic
    Even among his contemporaries, Madison’s refusal to apply the term democracy to representative governments, even those based on broad electorates, was aberrant.
    [...]
    When the members of the United States Constitutional Convention met in 1787, terminology was still unsettled. Not only were democracy and republic used more or less interchangeably in the colonies, but no established term existed for a representative government “by the people.”

    Sorry, republicans, America IS a democracy,. and the terms 'Constitutional Republic' and 'Representative Democracy are not mutually exclusive terms.

    IN fact, this idea that Some repubs are saying America is not a democracy is rather recent.

    Never in my 73 years did I hear repubs saying American is not a democracy.

    Only in the last 10 years or so.

    Why? Because they need to say this in order to feel good about the fact that they haven't
    one the popular vote in 30 or so years, maybe once, that's' it.

    Voter outreach groups targeted by new laws in several GOP-led states are struggling to do their work

    https://www.wusf.org/politics-issue...rida-gop-elections-registration-voting-rights


    Laws passed in several Republican-controlled states after the 2020 presidential election have criminalized much of the work done by voter outreach groups. Advocates are finding it difficult to adapt as they try to register and educate potential voters with just months to go before this year's presidential election.

    ‘The restrictions are unbelievable’: States target voter registration drives


    https://publicintegrity.org/politic...able-states-target-voter-registration-drives/

    ORLANDO, Fla. — Carolina Wassmer piloted a gray SUV around the city, dropping off canvassers from the civic engagement group Poder Latinx one by one. It was a muggy day, but the canvassers hopped out with their clipboards and pens, ready to engage in a longstanding American tradition: the voter registration drive.
    Poder Latinx’s canvassers were fanning out to help eligible voters in Latino neighborhoods join the rolls or update their registrations. But the work of such groups, which often focus on young voters and voters of color, is getting harder in Florida and around the nation.

    Since the 2020 election, at least six states have passed legislation cracking down on voter registration drives. Many groups view the laws — enacted by Republicans in Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana and Tennessee — as an existential threat to their work, and several have shut down operations rather than risk financial penalties or prison time.

    “It’s been a nightmare in every way,” said Davis Hammet of Loud Light in Kansas.

    Voter outreach groups targeted by new laws struggle in Florida, other GOP-led states

    https://floridapolitics.com/archive...aws-struggle-in-florida-other-gop-led-states/

    A new law threatening groups with fines largely shut down voter outreach for Equal Ground and other organizations.

    During the presidential election four years ago, the Equal Ground Education Fund hired over 100 people to go door-to-door and attend festivals, college homecomings and other events to help register voters across Florida. Their efforts for this year’s elections look much different.

    A state law passed last year forced them to stop in-person voter registration, cut staff and led to a significant drop in funding. Organizers aren’t sure how robust their operations will be in the fall.

    Genesis Robinson, the group’s interim executive director, said the law has had a “tremendous impact” on its ability to host events and get into communities to engage directly with potential voters.


    Republicans hate (okay, 'dislike', 'don't care for' etc.,) democracy.


    Prove me wrong.

     

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