After Barack Obama was elected by a large majority of voters in America the GOP performed what was famously called an autopsy to find out what was killing their party.
They realized their base was shrinking. Not because of anything they were doing but rather because the so-called minorities of America were growing and they tended to lean more Democratic.
This scared the leaders of the party because it signaled the end of their reign over the masses in the same way Apartheid had ended in South Africa.
So quietly and insidiously they set out, not to change their agenda or make their party more minority friendly but to make it harder for minorities to vote!
On the face of it this would appear to be quite un-American but desperate times create desperate measures and as far as the Repubs were concerned the ends justified the means.
The GOP franchise was in jeopardy unless they disenfranchised African Americans and any other group they considered unfriendly to their cause.
But truth be told this was not really all that new. Ronald Reagan started the GOP's all out assault on unions, which have been considered to be bastions of Democratic leaning voters back in the 80s.
And his 'trickle-down economics' plan, which handed wealth to the already wealthiest among us in the hopes they would hire more workers and trickle some money down to the more needy, was aimed at keeping the middle class and poor down.
But by 2008 it became clear that this was just not going to be enough for the 'Right Wing' Conservatives to hold onto power.
Most white and affluent people tend to have no trouble voting, even though election day is on a Tuesday which happens to be a work day, because they can take a day off and not incur the wrath of the boss.
But if you worked in the mail room or any other entry level job taking a day off could be the difference between feeding your kids and paying the rent!
And do not expect the GOP to ever allow Election Day to be turned into a National paid holiday.
So the assault on the minorities, which were slowly becoming equal if not a majority in many areas, began in earnest.
Keep the Democratic voter away from the polls and you keep power. And if you keep power you can make it even harder for minorities to vote and you can cement your power for decades to come!
Red-lining and gerrymandering were in full swing across America, which allowed more Repubs to be elected in a state even though there were far more Democratic voters there.
But more and harsher methods were needed to keep the voter turnout down.
Some but not all of these tactics include:
- End early voting
- Close polling places, especially in minority areas
- Close polls at 8pm instead of 9pm.
- Have 'security guards' visible at minority area polling places
- Mail-in ballots MUST be received by Election Day &
- Destroy the ability of the USPS to deliver mail on time
- Use any method to shrink voter rolls
- You haven't voted in years
- We thought you died
- You can apply again but won't vote till next time
- We thought you moved
- Ditto above
- You need the new enhanced driver's license
- You don't have a car?
- How abut a gun license?
- You're an out of town student?
- You cannot vote in this State
- You must travel back to your home State
- You're a convicted felon in prison (Florida) so you cannot vote
- You paid your debt to society?
- So what?
- Before you can vote you must pay court & legal fees first
An even more insidious way of shrinking the Democratic leaning voter rolls was performed by the dt White House earlier this year.
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