Joshua Green writes at Bloomberg Businessweek that yesterday’s voting rights decision is a poison chalice for the GOP.
Many of the GOP’s current problems stem from the fact that it is overly beholden to its white, Southern base at a time when the country is rapidly becoming more racially diverse. …
… The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a central provision of the Voting Rights Act will make it easier for Republicans to hold and expand their power in those mainly Southern states. That will, in turn, make it easier for them to hold the House. It will also intensify the Southern captivity of the GOP, thereby making it harder for Republicans to broaden their appeal and win back the White House.
Several states are rushing ahead to put voter ID laws in place. Will redistricting be far behind? See also Voter IDers Hit The Ground Running After Supreme Court Ruling.
The first comment to Green’s opinion piece says, “More apt, this decision is a crack pipe for the GOP. They won’t be able to help themselves.” That’s right. Just watch the Republican base push to disenfranchise every person of color south of the Mason-Dixon, wherever that is, and quite a few north of that, as well. I am hoping for a new and energetic voting rights movement to arise from this. I’m also hoping for a big fight in Washington, with clearly drawn lines between the pro- and anti- voting rights crowd.
The other issue they cannot leave alone is abortion. Following Wendy Davis’s heroic filibuster in Austin that blocked an abortion restriction bill, you know that a bunch of old white guys (and a few addled women) will keep trying until they see to it that Texas women will be going to Mexico for abortions. Mexico will have to build its own fence.
But in the long run, I don’t see this as helping the GOP expand its base. It’ll thrill the base it’s already got, but it’s also serving notice to younger women that they’d better get their butts to the polls if they want to keep their reproductive rights.
Well, for their sake at least the SCOTUS has authorized using any, and every, voter suppression tool in their box – because, ever since they decided they needed to re-brand after having their ancient cottage-cheese white asses handed to them, last November, they decided that outreach to women and minorities, meant a spit in the eye, a snide comment, a bitch-slap, and some anti-choice legislation.
‘Please proceed, GOP. Please, proceed…”
Oddly, I can see where this backfires – somewhat. A few states will definitely manage to stave off the “Blue horde” but the thing is this is going to be very public. Just look at the Texas abortion fillibuster, and imagine that, combined with the anger towards the GOP. We may well see a new voting rights movement, and you can bet the Democrats are already on this.
This also means that obviously racist and biased voter identification will go into play because as noted, they can’t help it. It’s a giant “Fuck you” to women, minorities, and anyone else not donating to the GOP. The GOP just can’t seem to stop making enemies.
Their base doesn’t want to expand their base. They want to entrench their ability to be spoilers and blockade anything from getting done — witness the last 4 years.
They are psychopathic spoiled children who want to burn down the house if they can’t get their way all the time.
Mike, point taken. The base won’t allow for expanding the base so the goal is . . . I guess keeping the current guys rolling in campaign dough until they retire.
There really is no true POINT to the Republican party, it seems. It’s just people finding ways to scam people.
Rick Perry has called for another legislative session so they can handle the abortion bill. They just can’t stop themselves! I guess he’s got no fear of looking like a jackass to a national audience and they figure with the VRA gone they’ll put themselves into safe white GOP districts forever.
Whether they win or not their base is repidly aging and is going to be replaced by a somewhat more tolerant republicans.
Just as an aside, the Texas filibuster made me feel like a bit of a geek … specifically, it gave me a taste of what rabid sports fans feel when they witness one of those ‘miracle’ games, and made me realize I may have some sort of testosterone deficity or something given I have never once felt like this at any sporting event…. I mean, we were SO close, then DEFEAT as the filibuster goes down with two hours left … but then the dem senators started all that procedural stuff, and I realized they were staging their own little filibuster via parliamentary rules … I thought at the beginning there was just absolutely no way they could get through two whole hours, but they kept at, throwing monkey wrench after monkey wrench, until it seemed they had a real chance, but then DEFEAT as the last wrench is cleared with still 15 minutes left to go … but then the people started cheering and chanting, and I realized that they were staging their own people’s filibuster … got to 12:00 with no vote AND CUBS WIN THE PENNANT, CUBS WIN THE PENNANT!! Er, I mean Davis, um, wins the senate? You get the idea …
Ian,
There’s been talk about her running for Governor.
Even BEFORE her filibuster, she was only behind Perry 47% to 41% – and THEN, came her efforts the other night!
I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, but could you imagine the Texas righties heads exploding, if a blonde Democratic woman, defeated Goober-nor Perry?
It’s fun to imagine how Molly Ivins would’ve written up the filibuster and aftermath. It would have been genius.
Wendy Davis gives me hope. In Wendy Davis’ Filibuster May Turn the Tide of Texas Politics:
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