By Punishing Raffensperger, The GOP Moves One Step Closer to Nullifying Democracy

[applegrove]

By Punishing Raffensperger, The GOP Moves One Step Closer to Nullifying Democracy

by David Atkins at the Washington Monthly

March 29, 2021

POLITICAL ANIMAL

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/03/29/by-punishing-raffensperger-the-gop-moves-one-step-closer-to-nullifying-democracy/

"SNIP......

The recent legislation passed by Georgia Republicans to suppress Democratic votes in future elections deserves the heavy attention it has received. It’s part of a larger effort in red states across the country to prevent Democratic constituencies from voting while re-energizing their own low-trust base.

But one aspect of the new Georgia law has received much less attention, even though in some ways it presents an even more profound threat to democracy. Republicans are still furious with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for refusing to bow to Trump’s demands to “find” 11,780 votes, thereby overturning the will of the state’s voters and hand Trump the election. So the new law strips the Secretary of State of authority over elections, handing it instead to an appointee of the gerrymandered GOP legislature:

The law replaces the elected secretary of state as the chair of the state election board with a new appointee of the legislature after Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger rebuffed Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s election results. It also allows the board to remove and replace county election officials deemed to be underperforming.

That provision is widely seen as something that could be used to target Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold covering most of Atlanta, which came under fire after long lines plagued primary elections over the summer.

......SNIP"

[edhopper]

1. If these laws stannd

No Democrat will win in Georgia again.

[Mary in S. Carolina]

2. I agree

This is a huge problem

[PJMcK]

3. This sentence is sloppy and misleading

"Republicans are still furious with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for refusing to bow to Trump’s demands to “find” 11,780 votes, thereby overturning the will of the state’s voters and hand Trump the election."

Even if Trump had been able to game Georgia's Electoral College votes, he still would have lost the election. I believe he went after that state was because it is predominantly Republican and he thought he could bully his way through his affiliates. Thankfully, Raffensperger was an honest public official, at least in this instance.

But if Trump had been able to flip the Georgia election results, he would have then had a cudgel to beat other swing states into nullifying their election results.

[applegrove]

6. I'll take your word for it. I'm not an editor.

[roamer65]

4. Secession is looking better and and better for northern blue states day by day.

[2 Meow Momma]

5. This just seems very dangerous,

much more so than even voter suppression. If this had been law in 2020 then trump would have stolen the state’s electoral votes.

[magicarpet]

7. That has been their secret mission all along,...

... a Christo-Fascist Theocracy. Where the final total elimination of all libs, progressives, and socialist commies can be dispensed with.

Where their brand of Authoritarian Rule can commence and their Christian Fascist Utopia can thrive freely without competing or counter viewpoints gumming up the works, getting in the way, or derailing their mission of their narrow brand of Christian perfection."

Christian Dominionists
Christian Reconstructionists

TrDump let the cat out of the bag,... now they think they are the last remaining salvation to save White blue eyed Christian AmeriKKKa.

[Hoyt]

9. Hard to say if that provision will be that bad. I thought the Sec of State would

throw it last time, or at least a few rube counties.

“The secretary of state will no longer chair the State Election Board, becoming instead a non-voting ex-officio member. The new chair would be nonpartisan but appointed by a majority of the state House and Senate. The chair would not be allowed to have been a candidate, participate in a political party organization or campaign or made campaign contributions for two years prior to being appointed.”

https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/state/2021/03/28/new-georgia-voting-law-what-does-sb-202-change-elections/7038406002/

While not perfect, it does keep Marjorie Taylor Greene or Doug Collins from filling the roll. Plus the counties and SOS still certifies the vote.

If folks aren’t going to read the actual legislation, the article above is a good summary.