VOTE

(Note: when #DSOT writes the weekly email, there is always the task to pick among seemingly infinite examples of chaos, corruption, cruelty and war.  Choosing one topic means we can’t cover everything. Just know we aren’t trying to ignore everything else that is happening.)

I am, generally speaking, not a conspiracy theorist nor believer.  Do I think that there will be massive illegal, scary and downright dangerous factors affecting voting in November? Yes, because the GOP keeps telling us that such scenarios will be repeated throughout the country. And they are not lying about this.

Republican elected officials and candidates realize that they don't have a compelling message. Throwing people off of their healthcare, geysering-up hunger and famine here and abroad,  jumping into a massively unpopular and illegal war, skyrocketing inflation due to gas prices and tariffs, the horrible reality of our inhumane immigration policy, and not one person in the Epstein files being prosecuted while convicted sex offender Maxwell is house hunting isn’t what any Americans are looking for from elected officials. Government is ostensibly here to find public policy solutions. This current reality isn't going to get folks to the polls.  At least not enough voters to try to say any particular candidate who lost, “actually” won.  

We’ve seen time and again that they will do anything to retain power in full view of a president riddled with dementia and threatening nuclear annihilation. It is generally true that the party that sits in the White House loses some Congressional seats in midterm elections.  But all indications are it will be a blue tsunami.  Not that the majority of the Democrats deserve any credit, but once again simply not being Republicans will be compelling enough.

What to do?  Well, the Save Act (should be named: please save our elected folks) will probably not pass in the Senate.  I know the Fox-splaining, “Well you have to show ID when you get on an airplane” line, however, this duplicitous legislation does so much damage.  The scope of the attacks on voting has become clearer as people learned about the bill’s “small print” shall we say. Now enough constituents having this awareness did impact on a majority of Senators considering voting for the bill that it is very very unpopular, and won't support it.

Worry not, though, because if the SAVE act can’t save Trump, Republicans have other tricks up their sleeves. Steve Bannon has asked to have ICE goons, um agents at polling places.  (Question: have there been any consequences for the murder, assaults and mayhem that they have created?  A single instance?  Kristi Noem was fired because she bought a pleasure plane, grifted from a firm that was outside of the usual circle of federal largesse and did not begin her videos with Trump.) This untrained, violent, seemingly above the law quasi-military force armed and milling about won’t make elections more secure, but it can scare people just by their presence. And make some people question about exercising their right to vote.

What else? Gerrymandering.  You started it this time, Texas.   And? The Trump administration illegally seized ballots from Fulton County, Georgia. The 2020 election has been analyzed countless times.  Trump loses each time.  But hey let's destroy records. Meanwhile, Kash Patel has promised to start arresting those unnamed people who "stole" the 2020 election (presidential only, hmm…).  What's the delay besides the obvious?  Guess he is taking a break at the Poodle Room.

Of course we can’t forget the classic, older forms of voter suppression and disenfranchisement like selective voter purging, closing down polling places in specific neighborhoods, ongoing intimidation for those voting even prior to ICE threats. This has been going on for decades and continuing. Voter fraud barely exists/rarely happens.  But there has to be some rationale, no matter how flimsy, to try to justify the attacks on elections.

Which brings us to the Supreme Court.  Do 6 of the Justices use The Joy of Cooking or the Fascist Handbook in lieu of the Constitution and existing laws to make their rulings? In a 6-3 decision, the fragile remains of the Voting Rights Act has basically been assassinated. It might sound bad that the landmark victory of the Civil Rights Era has been killed, but it’s actually fine, because racism, SCOTUS has assured us, is over. Who needs the VRA? 

Louisiana, probably soon to be followed by many other red states, agrees. The governor there has suspended the upcoming primary elections. And no that is not legal.  Thanks SC and Leo Leonard. 

The assault on mail-in voting is still pending, yet Trump mailed in his ballot for a Florida special election. The historically very red district which includes his golf resort chose a Democrat. This

was another electoral harbinger and not due to people being able to vote by mail.

Voter fraud occurs between 0.0003 and 0.0025 percent of the time.  Racism, corruption, the powerful ignoring laws, norms and humanity on the other hand, happen every day/ all day. The rapidly growing number of people who are sick without access to medical help, hungry, unhoused, unemployed, suffering from mental health issues and addiction exist throughout this country. Solution: don't find public policy remedies hurt voter turnout.  

No frightened mother from Guatemala who just walked thousands of miles with her children is going to come here and vote hundreds of times. Voter fraud is a myth.  And it is impossible to actually affect the outcome of an election except by corrupt state officials.  Of course, this administration wants very much to get entangled with this non-federal state run voting. And the archaic Electoral College nullifies the popular vote.   A topic for another day.

So, VOTE.  Make certain you are registered.  Know the issues and the candidates. Urge friends and family members to come out in November. Make all of our voices heard. Money talks.  National strikes and days of no shopping have an effect.  By supporting local businesses six days a week and then demonstrating unity by not shopping on Tuesday we show the billionaires we have collective financial power. And since there are hundreds of millions of us and a handful of them, we can wield an economic cudgel AND vote certain people out of office.

#DSOT. #UPM