To Vote or not To Vote
by Blake on May 27, 2009 at 12:19 Political, Stop the ACLU
It appeared that by Tuesday night the Texas version of a Voter I.D. bill would be dead on arrival as Democrats used one of their time- dishonored methods of blocking ANY legislation in order to force the I.D. bill to die an ugly legislative death.
Personally I fail to see that verification of who you claim to be is such a deal breaker when it comes to voting, especially as you can now get one of several types of I.D.s free, so it isn’t money that is the problem here.
Republicans say that having an I.D. tends to lessen any voting fraud, and I tend to agree, what with all the questions surrounding ACORN, you might think the Democrat Party might(since they hold themselves to be pure and chaste when it comes to the voting booth) just feel that this is an issue where they might be wrong, but apparently everything is ideological, and therefore it’s not possible to admit error.
While Republicans say that this ensures a truer accounting of the vote, Democrats contend that this somehow disenfranchises the poor and elderly.
Since 2002, Republicans have championed photo IDs as a means to prevent fraudulent voting. Under the laws, a voter must show government-issued identification — such as a driver’s license or a passport — to prove to poll workers that he or she is indeed the person registered to vote.
Democrats, however, have strongly opposed the requirement, saying it tends to discourage people who usually vote Democratic. Tens of thousands of poor, elderly, disabled, homeless or foreign-born citizens do not have valid photo ID cards, Democrats say.
An AARP survey, for example, found that 3% of elderly registered voters in Indiana did not have a current driver’s license. Even if these people had cast ballots in the past and remained eligible voters, Democrats argue, they might be dissuaded from voting next year because of the photo ID requirement. LA Times
Now, many states already have free I.D.s available- all one has to do is ask for it, and there would, I am sure, be an ACORN bus in front of their house in no time. Of course, ACORN might want a quid pro quo- might just want you to vote the way they see it, rather than the way you might want. That’s always the case in a deal with the devil- you are going to get burned.
This is why I see the voter I.D. law as necessary:
The GOP was most effective in pointing to problems when it came to registering new voters. Some liberal organizations sponsored drives to register prospective voters, and they paid collectors to gather signature cards. Later investigations found these groups repeatedly signed up people who were not eligible to vote. Some were not citizens, were not residents of the area or were felons who had lost their right to vote. LA Times
At least the Dems in the Texas legislature didn’t run like scared rabbits this time, as is their wont. This they have done twice, abdicating their desks in favor of self- imposed exile, while the clock ran out on the legislative session. Much like a child who believes that if he holds his hands in front of his eyes no one will see him, so these brave legislators” got rabbit in their blood, and ran-”
Okay, that last line I got from “Cool Hand Luke”, but the sentence still applies to these cowards who love nothing better than to hold the entire legislative process hostage while their inner child has a temper tantrum. Voter identification is necessary in a world where not much can be done if you do not have at least two forms of I.D.- a driver’s license and a credit card- it is time, indeed past time that we know who is who when it comes to a vote. I do not want any voters rising from the grave, a la Duval County, which ended up giving LBJ the Senate seat by 29 votes. There is just too much at stake these days to allow the perception of voter fraud to taint an already contentious divide.
It is too easy these days, with the help of a computer, to be anyone you wish to be. For the purposes of elections at least, let’s actually, provably be who we really are.
[tip]If you enjoy what you read consider signing up to receive email notification of new posts. There are several options in the sidebar and I am sure you can find one that suits you. If you prefer, consider adding this site to your favorite feed reader. If you receive emails and wish to stop them follow the instructions included in the email.[/tip]
Tags: cowards, liberals, verification, voter fraud
I have always believed that the problem with voting is an issue of exclusion, not inclusion. That’s the fundamental difference in Republicans and Democrats on voting issues.
Republicans are often more concerned with the apparent purity of the vote while disregarding any suggestion that things like voter ID’s only hinder voting for many folks.
But where is the evidence of such widespread fraud as to need a voter ID? ACORN is just a boogieman for Republicans. After all, there is little data available to determine what number of fraudulent registrations translate into fraudulent votes. It takes a lot more effort to vote fraudulently than to signup the Dallas Cowboys football team so you’ll earn your canvasing commission.
Adam, have you not read history? How many dead people have to vote before you get it? How many people who have homes in two states and vote in both have to be caught before it is too many?
People are not excluded from voting in this country. The biggest problem is people don’t go out and vote. That is on them. The last election and ACORN and all that can be ignored and there is still a history of voter fraud from long ago.
How does an ID hinder folks? You need ID to do nearly everything and many states offer a picture ID for those who have nothing else (license etc). People had ID when the government issued welfare checks. People have ID when they need it for travel, or a passport, or their tax refund (or more likely the money they get from someone else’s taxes).
I can assure you that if people were told that they would get a $100 bill if they showed up to vote with an ID everyone would have one.
It is a matter of following the law.
Talk down to me all you want as if I’m just ignoring some big problem. I’m waiting for you to provide any evidence to suggest voter fraud is anything but statistically insignificant. This is not to say it doesn’t happen. It does. It’s just not that big of a deal and it’s certainly not swinging any elections when it does.
Let the failure of Republicans in Texas to find any real fraud help set the record straight:
On the other hand here is an article talking about voter suppression as much, much bigger issue:
I know “common sense” tells you everybody has an ID because…well…because why? Because you haven’t thought this through or looked at any real evidence.
Common sense says that everybody CAN have an ID, because the government will give them to you- if you do not have a drivers license, what are you doing driving? How could you cash a check or get into certain places?
I don’t buy all the whiny explanations of all the people who are too lazy to get an ID.
How hard is it to get an ID? Are these people that lazy?
Adam, for 8 years you swore the 2000 election was full of SIGNIFICANT voter fraud. You have yet to prove those allegations just as you failed to prove the 2004 election was full of fraud. You make the claims because you guy lost.
So how do they get their government checks?
Besides, it is easy to get one so what is the problem. Maybe there is a reason these folks don’t want to interact with government.
Fraud is fraud.
It’s republicans disenfranchising the poor and elderly, nothing more, nothing less and nothing new. But it’s hardly going to work anymore anyway.
D.
Yea D- same liberal feces- There are people who will drive the poor and the elderly to get their FREE ID- so your argument is the same old, tired liberal crock that perpetuates this whole class warfare crap- only the rich can afford the free ID, right?
What is your specialty today?
With close elections republicans know they only need to disenfranchise a small percentage to get the win. Creating another hurdle for the old and poor people does the trick so they constantly work for new ways to do this. This has long been the case. Demo’s do better when more people vote, repub’s do better when less do. Dem’s try to stimulate the vote, repub’s try to suppress it. This is hardly new, or news to anyone paying attention.
What hurdle,D? The IDs are FREE- they just have to get off of their “disenfranchised” butts and quit feeling sorry for themselves, and then there’s no problem.
Personally, I believe that if someone is to vote, they should have a job, provably (pay stub) in order to be eligible TO vote.
You should be able to ante in order to play this game.
That is not the case Darrel. That is the mantra but the poor are not disenfranchised. They can get an ID. They need an ID to board a plane or buy a bottle of MD 20/20.
It is a matter of responsibility and you guys have none. Hell, they offered to get the IDs in the past and that was not good enough.
I think that voter fraud should have a mandatory 15 year jail term, no parole and no probation. That includes getting fraudulent signatures on registration cards. And you lose the right to ever vote again.
I have no problem with voter fraud being aggressively enforced. But it is such a non-issue (other than the constant mock outrage from the right), that it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.
A person is going to go to all of this trouble just to cast their one fraudulent vote? Hardly. Where the fraud matters is when it is done in a systemic and organized way. Both parties have engaged in this in the past, but the party interested in vote suppression is invariably the republicans and when they do it in a large way it can have an effect. I can give you many examples.
Do not confuse some hourly wage person having some bogus signatures on a registration form with “voter fraud.” One is profoundly insignificant, and the other is rare but potentially significant. There is no comparison whatsoever between the two. Yet republicans make this equivocation *all the time.* In fact, all of the babble about ACORN, every bit of it, is based upon this ridiculous equivocation.
Gee, you protest so much that there MUST be something to it- one would think with the halo you libs pretend to wear, you would be all for voter ID, just to eliminate ANY possible taint, but nooooo. Why so twitchy?
And I have yet to hear just HOW the ID law “disenfranchises” anyone. Come on- give this your best shot. Explain if you can.
BLK: “eliminate ANY possible taint, but nooooo. Why so twitchy?>>
DAR
What’s this about twitchy taints?
You haven’t proved a case of voter “intimidation”- how is this intimidating? Getting a free ID is traumatic? How wussy do you have to be to be afraid of an ID?
Could there be another, darker reason? Perhaps these people are felons who would be apprehended by the police?
Would that not be a GOOD thing?
How about we just make everyone put their finger in some dye after they vote? And the call for state-issued ID would prevent illegals from voting in elections where they have no say. It may not be a huge issue right now, but it will be soon enough. If everyone gets in a pool and only the people who shouldn’t be voting pee, it won’t take long before the people who are voting legeally get out because the water is too tainted. Having to prove you are who you say shouldn’t be that difficult. You have to have an ID to get cigarettes, alcohol, etc. What’s wrong with voting, the most essential part of our democracy?
Just the taint of voter fraud is enough to make people wonder, just how much fraud is there? Being tainted is as good as being no longer relevant. If people start to perceive that there is fraudulent voting and things don’t go their way, how long before they get sick enough to just not bother since their vote will be voided due to possible fraud? Making it less likely to have fraud is a good thing.
Notice that when the Democrats win people like Adam say that any fraud was minimal and not a big deal and then they go out of their way to defend it. Let a Republican win and fraud must have been involved and they make the claim with less evidence than we have against ACORN.
They believe it is fraud because they do not feel anyone would willingly vote for a conservative.
Only morons vote for liberals. I know people vote for them because we have a lot of morons here.
Voter intimidation, like black guys with clubs threatening people at the polls with statements that Obama is going to win and they will see to it.
EWWW – a mother – nice analogy and very vivid for me. But it worked. I don’t see what the big strain on the poor, elderly, whatever is to get an ID. They manage to get their SS or disability or welfare and one should have to have an ID for any of those things as well. SS cards could be made with pics on them and used — everyone has a SS card, right?
There are a lot of ways to make these minor adjustments to make sure that voter fraud ON ALL SIDES would be unlikely so all this resistance to the idea seems rather shady. IMHO
LOL, I’m glad you liked it, Schatz. Some of the liberals who comment on here sometimes need the extra visual help to understand a point.
And you have a good point on welfare, SS, and disability. They need IDs to cash those checks…