Latest stupid conservative argument for voter ID: the DNC events require ID at the door!

[alp227]

I just saw this IJReview.com story "DNC to require ID in order to attend festivities" posted by a friend on Facebook via the FB "Conservative" page. Yep. The article says: "Now, if the DNC just allowed anyone through the doors, that would be much more consistent with their thoughts on the subject. In which case, it wouldn’t really matter. However, they are requiring state-issued identification."



Is the author so clueless that private events like the DNC has every right to require an ID at the door? This is the latest stupid comparison now that the comparisons of voter ID with buying alcohol or opening a bank account are all worn out. Furthermore, voter ID is not based on evidence of widespread voter impersonation fraud (an overhyped myth) but rather a Republican strategy to exclude Democratic-leaning voters (poor people, the elderly, etc.) from the polls. Remember Paul Weyrich speaking at that 1980 evangelical conference: "I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people...As a result, our leverage in elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." Or John Pappageorge, a Republican state senator from Michigan, saying in 2004: "If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we're going to have a tough time in this election cycle." Or Mike Turzi, the House Majority Leader in Pennsylvania, saying that voter ID laws would help Romney win the election this year.

In the twisted modern conservative mind, voting is now equivalent with entering a private event.

Or I wonder if they're disappointed that right wingers couldn't crash the convention with fake Randall Terry delegates (really, the crazy anti choicer Terry of Operation Rescue fame really ran for the presidency this year as a Democrat).

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Too bad they can't accept the idea that voting is a right established by the Constitution and

entering a convention is a privilege.

[alp227]

4. exactly, these CONs should educate themselves about these amendments

that protect voting: the 15th, 19th, and 24th.

15th: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

19th: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

24th: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax." Think about this amendment whenever you hear Rush Limbaugh or see someone on Facebook comment "welfare recipients shouldn't be allowed to vote". And Eric Holder was right by calling some Voter ID laws "poll taxes" given most states charge fees for photo ID.

[Dkc05]

2. DNC should open the doors to all who want to enter.

I agree that if your in Charlotte you should be able to attend the DNC. Show they world that we are the people's party. Remove the excuses from the other side. We still need to scan for weapons but let everybody in the building. Standing room only.

[cynatnite]

3. I expect an ID check if I'm going to be in close proximity to Michelle, Obama, and the others...

If there is an incident, they need to be able to know who was there and track them down if necessary. It's a part of securing POTUS and others close to him.

[alp227]

5. I thought about it and agree, you've got to obey the Secret Service security procedures.

I bet the Republicans probably had the same damn policy for the RNC as both Romney and Ryan (probably their families too) have Secret Service security details. And it's not just the Obamas, Romneys, or Ryans in the facilities where convention events are being held. A whole bunch of other sitting elected officials too.

[cynatnite]

6. My son and I went to see Biden in 2008 during their campaign...

They checked my ID. They searched everything and even tested my camera. The security was intense and the secret service guys were cute as hell, but no sense of humor at all.

[alp227]

7. And to think that VOTING is comparable to the safety of sitting elected officials like Biden!

There is considerable fear of an incident happening to a politician, warranting this level of security. I mean recently a plot by four active duty Army members to kill Obama was busted. And a bunch of other threats since 2007. The risk here is not comparable to the risk of someone walking in a polling place and going "Hi I'm cynatnite (whatever your real name is) and I'd like to vote!"

[alp227]

8. Furthermore I thought conservatives hated bureaucracy so why make the ID getting process that bad?

As a Thom Hartmann caller sounded off yesterday: http://www.democraticunderground.com/101755085

[Nikia]

9. I think that they should let a delegate without id in if other delegates confirm their identity

In Wisconsin, there are three men and three women from each Congressional district. They are elected at a convention so they have met each other and some probably have known each other for years. I would hope if there was a situation where one did not have an id, the word of the other delegates with id would be good enough.
For a public event, that was not limited to a select group of people, I don't know what purpose checking ids would serve unless they have a significant list of people not to let in.