Howard Dean Threatens New Hampshire Primary Over Proposed Voter ID Restrictions

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast




The former DNC chair has major concerns about the Kris Kobach-led effort and about a new law in New Hampshire that could restrict the student vote.

GIDEON RESNICK
SAM STEIN
09.12.17 1:00 AM ET

The former chair of the Democratic National Committee said on Monday that his party could level the harshest of punishments on New Hampshire if its secretary of state doesn’t back away from efforts that could restrict voter participation.

Howard Dean, who ran the DNC from 2006 to 2008, argued that the Granite State could be stripped of its “first-in-the-nation” primary status and, potentially, have its presidential delegates removed.

“A state with voter suppression ought not to be honored by the Democratic Party by having the first-in-the-nation primary, period,” Dean said in an interview with The Daily Beast. “If they choose to hold their primary [before anyone else], you can strip the state of any delegates so that no delegates are awarded and you can sanction candidates who are running there.”

Dean’s remarks ratchet up the war of words being waged over a slate of restrictive voter ID laws and efforts proposed by the Trump administration. Opponents have characterized the proposals as acts of clandestine voter suppression.

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/howard-dean-threatens-new-hampshire-primary-over-proposed-voter-id-restrictions

[Dustlawyer]

1. Un-American!!!

That's what we need to start throwing around at them. We need to level charges of election tampering and state that Kobach needs to be charged! We need to have a huge march, something we have not done since the women's march last Spring.

This administration needs to be protested more for a whole laundry list of things!!!

[Not Ruth]

2. Isn't California going to be the first primary?

[left-of-center2012]

4. Not that I read

Said they want to have their primary in March.

[Ligyron]

6. That would produce a much different GE besides just the primary.

We'd have a whole different country now.

[California_Republic]

7. Maybe!

[DFW]

3. The "opponents" are wrong. It is not clandestine voter suppression

It is overt voter suppression. The motive is clear, and as clear in New Hampshire as anyplace else.

Clinton carried NH by a small margin last year. Maggie Hassan replaced Kelly Ayotte as Senator by a small margin. Suppress Democratic voters, forbid them from voting, and Republicans win. When all legitimately eligible voters are allowed to vote, Democrats win. The motive is obvious. The tactic is obvious.

There is nothing clandestine about any of this. It is flagrant. It's amazing that the country is looking on. At least Howard is saying something. Where is everyone else?

[Honeycombe8]

5. Good for Dean. Trump's team is looking to steal the upcoming elections...

since they can't win honestly.

[diva77]

8. Good to see that Howard Dean is demanding that the Sec'y of State of NH be held accountable.

Elections officials at every level should be held accountable for preventing voter suppression and other forms of election fraud.

...am glad to see this quote from the OP's link:

“Secretaries of state should be focused on making it easier for individuals to get to the polls and participate in our Democracy, not actively colluding with a president narcissistically focused on an enabling voter suppression to prop up the lie that he won an election he actually lost by over 3 million votes,” Neil Sroka, communications director for DFA, told The Daily Beast. “If New Hampshire doesn't have that kind of secretary of state, Democrats should think long and hard about whether the Granite State deserves to continue to have outsized say in our presidential nominating contest.”

[BlueIdaho]

9. Good for Dr. Dean!

Let's remember that the "First in the Nation" primary status brings with it millions of dollars in campaign spending and countless millions in TV coverage. Imagine if NH were suddenly buried in one of those big sweepstakes dates with say 10 other states primaries...

We must use whatever leverage we have to protect voting rights for all Americans.

[chimpymustgo]

10. Dr. Dean is staking claim to party leader. He's smart, outspoken and right! nt