Eric Boehlert: No more word games -- it's GOP "voter suppression," period.

[babylonsister]

No more word games — it's GOP "voter suppression," period.
Tell it like it is
Eric Boehlert
1 hr ago


Scrambling in the wake of Joe Biden's seven-million vote victory in November, Republicans continue to mount a powerful and unapologetic campaign to suppress voting. With so many state legislatures under GOP control, Republicans are sponsoring more than 250 bills aimed at drastically reducing ballot access in coming years. It's being done under the phony banner of "election security." After 2020, Republicans don’t want lots of people voting, especially lots of Black people. So far, the media’s failing to accurately label the crisis that’s unfolding.

The avalanche of bills aim to shorten the early voting period, reduce the number of hours that people can vote on Election Day, eliminate drive-through voting centers, create stricter deadlines for returning absentee ballots, block early voting on Sunday, limit ballot drop boxes, restrict mail-in voting —basically any possible initiative Republicans can think of that would suppress the vote. The obvious implication is that Republicans understand their chances of winning elections decrease when voter turnout increases. And 2020 shattered American records for voter participation. It all represents a massive attempt to roll back democracy.

And it's clearly voter suppression, which is defined as, "any legal or extralegal measure or strategy whose purpose or practical effect is to reduce voting."

The good news is we've seen lots of in-depth, aggressive reporting from various news outlets on the GOP's plan to rewrite election rules in this country. The bad news is that message is getting muted by refusing to call this strategy what it is — voter suppression. The press prefers to frame the GOP's war on democracy as another Both Sides, partisan dust-up over "voting restrictions." That plays right into the hands of Republicans.

"The fact that we are about to be hit with a tidal wave of voter suppression legislation by Republican legislatures throughout the country is the most under reported story right now," Democratic election attorney Mark Elias recently tweeted. "The media is unequipped to cover this in clear moral terms and instead prefers to both sides it."

more...

https://pressrun.media/p/no-more-word-games-its-gop-voter

[Kid Berwyn]

1. Apartheid American Style

White Supremacy.

Voter Suppression.

Eric Boehlert is correct.

[Harker]

2. Why do they hate America? n/t

[Just_Vote_Dem]

3. They hate democracy

They want a white Christian country in a land of a mixture of immigrants. Total idiocy.

[Celerity]

15. Yes, the majority of Rethug voters would have no qualms (in fact many WANT it so bad they vibrate at

the thought) about enslaving and/or killing the PoC in the US. They are being put on a glidepath to those very thoughts and desired outcomes.

Each barrier passed on the 'no, it's never going to happen now' path brings the US closer to to kinetic race war.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

11. They want power

And they don't care how they get it. Gerrymandering, voter suppression. Outright voter fraud. Anything for power

[Iliyah]

4. This was planned as well . ....

all those frivolous voting lawsuits targeting POC areas was just a preclude to what was coming. republican's cult truly believe the BIG LIE.

shithole and cronies along with republican congress prepared for this for the long run to drastically reduce voting rights for POC.

Regardless of the outcome of January 6, 2021, this assault on voting rights was going to move forward.

[Trueblue Texan]

5. If they were actually concerned about election security...

...wouldn't they pay a bit more attention to the Russian interference with the 2016 and 2020 elections?

[Frustratedlady]

6. It is obvious the GOP needs to be watched 24/7 when it comes to voter suppression.

If they can't manipulate the voting machines, they'll suppress the vote so minorities can't vote for the Democrats beyond a token few.

Wouldn't it be easier to change their ways? Follow their so-called religious beliefs?

They might be surprised by the outcome. Just sayin'.

[OldBaldy1701E]

14. They don't need to be watched

They need to be removed as traitors to the US. That party is no longer even concerned with what country they just want power, and the fact is we keep letting them do this crap. Until we stop even acknowledging their position, they will keep getting away with this.

[LaMouffette]

7. They should have to prove in court how each of the things they want to restrict

resulted in fraud in the 2020 election and will result in fraud in future elections. They should not be allowed to restrict these highly successful, democracy-promoting election activities based on their vague and obviously bullshit claims of "voting irregularities in 2020" and "a need to bolster election security."

They should have to defend their actions in court and the judges should ask, for example: "Exactly how does reducing the number of hours that people can vote on Election Day reduce the risk of election fraud?"
GOP politician: "Oh, because bullshit, bullshit, and bullshit!"
Judges: "Yes, but could you give us a specific example of how extended hours to vote on Election Day resulted in election fraud?"
GOP politician: "Well . . . The American people deserve elections that are free from election fraud!" (Or similar question-dodging tactic.)

And just do that with every election activity they want to destroy. I'm sure the people challenging the GOPs' voter suppression bills are doing this. I just hope that justice will prevail and these bills are thrown out, just as Trump's claims of election fraud were.

[Tommymac]

8. The Rethugluican party IS The White Supremacy Party

They have made this very clear and have made their choice.

The could have actually established a platform of 'sane' conservative ideas to get reasonable people to actually vote for them...instead they want to Jim Crow any non-White candidates and thier supporters.

They are lazy, stupid and will lose their power in 15 to 20 years regardless. I'm surprised they came out now - I would have waited another cycle or two...but hey, authoritarians ALWAYS get impatient. Just look at Japan and Germany in WW2 - if they both had waited another five to seven years to start their physical aggression they could have won the war.

[AllaN01Bear]

9. CHEAT. LIE. STEAL deny us the right to vote .

someone please start a class action lawsuit against this nonsense. PLEASE

[uponit7771]

10. K&R, ... kGQP voter suppression is ***WORSE*** than 1/6 attacks. This time they're LEGALLY ...

... taking over democracy and anyone who thinks they're going to give up power doesn't know about Belarus

[dalton99a]

12. Kick

[W T F]

13. WRONG voter suppression is "REPUBLICAN ELECTION RIGGING" push the narrative.