The Root has an interesting article written by Michael Harriot: "You're Welcome, White People: Alabama's Black Voters Just Saved America." While the title might seem a bit hyperbolic, it's actually spot on. Heck, even Newsweek picked up on the theme.
In a few words, Harriot's article explains how Alabama's black voters, who make up 26 percent of the electorate in the state, may have made up at least 30 percent of the voting population yesterday (final numbers still pending).
This is roughly how many turned out during the 2008 and 2012 elections, when Barack Obama was on the ballot.
To be sure, Independents moved against Roy Moore as well, but the reality is black voters came to the polls in a non-presidential election year to vote against a religious nut case and an accused pedophile.
While status quo Republicans are busy blaming Trump's political brain, Steve Bannon, for the loss we should not be surprised if the GOP's leadership responds to Alabama's electoral results by going after their favorite election manipulating tool of the past decade: using claims of voter fraud to demand voter I.D. laws, which impact people of color disproportionally.
What I'm suggesting here is that Republicans - who have become very good at making voting more difficult with voter I.D. laws - will see Alabama as another reason for demanding new voter I.D. laws (after bringing up questions of voter fraud, of course).
Why will they do this? Because when it's really close, all things being equal, voter I.D. laws tend to help Republican candidates.
So, my guess is that echoes of voter fraud will creep back into the GOP's political playbook, with a larger policy push for voter I.D. laws. But let's not delude ourselves. The goal is to disenfranchise more Democrats, which will turn away people like those pesky black voters in Alabama, who did nothing more than exercise their constitutional right to vote.
- Mark
In the FYI category, while the debate is still open as to how much voter ID laws impact voting overall, it's clear that the intent of voter ID laws is to keep black Americans from getting to the polls.
In a few words, Harriot's article explains how Alabama's black voters, who make up 26 percent of the electorate in the state, may have made up at least 30 percent of the voting population yesterday (final numbers still pending).
To be sure, Independents moved against Roy Moore as well, but the reality is black voters came to the polls in a non-presidential election year to vote against a religious nut case and an accused pedophile.
While status quo Republicans are busy blaming Trump's political brain, Steve Bannon, for the loss we should not be surprised if the GOP's leadership responds to Alabama's electoral results by going after their favorite election manipulating tool of the past decade: using claims of voter fraud to demand voter I.D. laws, which impact people of color disproportionally.
What I'm suggesting here is that Republicans - who have become very good at making voting more difficult with voter I.D. laws - will see Alabama as another reason for demanding new voter I.D. laws (after bringing up questions of voter fraud, of course).
Why will they do this? Because when it's really close, all things being equal, voter I.D. laws tend to help Republican candidates.
So, my guess is that echoes of voter fraud will creep back into the GOP's political playbook, with a larger policy push for voter I.D. laws. But let's not delude ourselves. The goal is to disenfranchise more Democrats, which will turn away people like those pesky black voters in Alabama, who did nothing more than exercise their constitutional right to vote.
- Mark
In the FYI category, while the debate is still open as to how much voter ID laws impact voting overall, it's clear that the intent of voter ID laws is to keep black Americans from getting to the polls.
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