In states around the country, voter ID laws are being introduced and passed, in many ways thanks to “model bills” largely being pushed by the secretive legislative group known as ALEC, or the American Legislative Exchange Council. These laws include restrictive regulations meant to disenfranchise the poor, the elderly and students. It should come as no surprise that the Koch brothers are involved with ALEC.
Stephen Colbert had a thing or two to say about this issue last night.
“Nation, for as long as there has been an America, there have been irregularities at the polls. For instance, did you know that many voting booths do not have hooks to hang up your pants? And these irregularities are very suspicious.
For instance, in 2008, none of my friends at the club voted for Barack Obama, and yet, supposedly, he “won.” And my club’s not some out-of-touch enclave, we’re very multicultural. Last week they served mojitos.
And when people I don’t like get elected, there’s only one explanation…“
Cue the right-wing, Fox News montage (video below) of voter “fraud” outrage. Colbert used Ohio as an example:
“Take Ohio…a crucial swing-state in the last few elections. There, a statewide survey of votes cast in 2002 and 2004 found that out of 9,078,728 votes, there were four (4) instances of fraud. That is a jaw-dropping forty-four one millionths of one percent! Folks, our democracy is under siege from an enemy so small, it could be hiding anywhere!”
Which brings us to the major reason for this suppression push: people who refuse to vote for Republicans. Even Mitch McConnell said it recently when he proposed a constitutional balanced budget amendment which would, at its core, make it virtually impossible to raise taxes on the wealthy:
“The Constitution must be amended to keep the government in check. We’ve tried persuasion. We’ve tried negotiations. We’re tried elections. Nothing has worked.”
No, it hasn’t worked, because people know it’s wrong. They try to mask this fact by painting those who won’t vote for them as stupid or inexperienced, as Colbert pointed out, via the words of New Hampshire Republican House Speaker William O’Brien:
“Voting as a Liberal, that’s what kids do. They don’t have life experience, they just vote their feelings.”
Basically, what this proves is, if you don’t vote for Republicans, your vote should never, ever count, whether you’re eighteen or eighty, as Colbert pointed out:
“Yes. College kids lack the life experience to vote. It takes years of soul-crushing disappointment to be dead enough inside to elect someone like William O’Brien […] These laws aren’t designed to keep those Democrats from voting, they’re designed to keep the wrong people from voting.”
Meaning people who don’t vote for Republicans.
WATCH:
Veracity Stew’s weekly grassroots talk webcast, “True Blue Talk,” covered Voter Fraud in our recent show. You can listen below or visit our broadcast page to listen anytime, or sign-up for a show reminder.
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