Jim Crow -- The Remix. Ayisyen-meriken yo, veye zo nou.

Jim Crow -- The Remix

The Republican plan to steal the election and how we can stop it.
MSNBC.com
Updated: 4:09 PM ET Sep 17, 2008


Sept. 18, 2008--The Republican Party has finally found the outer edge of political cynicism; it's located in Macomb County, Mich. Operatives there have figured out an upside to the foreclosure crisis roiling black neighborhoods: It enables mass voter-registration challenges and thereby offers a powerful opportunity to suppress the vote in Democrat-leaning districts.

An enterprising journalist for the independent-media site Michigan Messenger exposed the party's plan to exploit foreclosures last week, prompting local leaders to feign outrage, claim to have been misquoted and threaten a libel suit. Those denials notwithstanding, the Obama campaign has asked a federal court to issue an injunction against any use of foreclosure filings in registration challenges, just in case. As general counsel Bob Bauer put it, "They can tell it to the judge."

But while the details of the Michigan plot may be uniquely noxious, the broader tactic—known as voter "caging"—is a 50-year-old Republican dirty trick that is rooted in century-old voting laws designed to skirt the 15th Amendment. A series of legal challenges had finally driven voter caging into remission by the 1990s. But in 2004, desperate Republican operatives facing a huge Democratic turnout revived it with great success. And they're redeploying it widely in 2008.

The scam is as convoluted as it is craven. It starts with a list of potentially ineligible voters. The Macomb County gang planned to create its list from recent foreclosure filings, according to the Messenger, based on the notion that people who have lost their homes are likely to be registered under incorrect addresses. The more traditional route is to simply flood largely non-white districts with mailers marked "do not forward," then compile the names that are returned undeliverable.

Most states maintain stunningly broad rules governing registration challenges, so this sort of flimsy evidence is enough to make sweeping claims of voter fraud. Armed with their lists, Republican operatives file mass challenges to thousands of registrations, charging that the listed residents are cheating the system by polling in the wrong precinct. At the polls, they then challenge individual voters, which often means those voters only get a provisional ballot.

The challenge itself isn't the point, however. A 2007 Project Vote study outlines voter caging’s history and notes that most mass registration challenges are filed just under the deadline and are rarely pursued meaningfully. Rather, the goal is to gum up the democratic process by creating chaos, both at the point of registration and on Election Day.

By holding a breathless press conference trumpeting widespread voter fraud, Republicans busy election boards with responding to nonsense rather than serving voters and, worse, justify sending ranks of operatives to polling stations to harass voters in the name of "monitoring." Each Election Day challenge occupies a poll worker, creating long lines and disorder that discourages all would-be voters. And if they're lucky, they scare new voters away from showing up at all.

The tactic has been so wildly successful that Republicans have solidified the myth of voter fraud in both the popular mind and the law. This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Indiana law that requires voters to show a state-issued ID at the poll. The court ruled that the specter of voter fraud justified the imposition on democracy. It ignored research showing voter fraud to be extraordinarily rare and dismissed evidence that blacks, youth and low-income people are all far less likely to have state IDs.

Republican operatives set the stage for that ruling in 2004. They challenged half a million voters in targeted campaigns across nine politically strategic states, according to Project Vote. Prior to the election, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio all made voter challenges even easier than they had already been; all three states had Republican-controlled legislatures. In Ohio's Cuyahoga County—which includes Cleveland and is reliably Democrat—Republicans flooded polling stations with operatives to challenge 14,000 voters; 45 percent of them lived in majority black communities. They hit 31,000 voters statewide.

And as registration deadlines approach this fall, the same process is gearing up all over the country.

In Wisconsin, Republican Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen filed suit last week—a month before the registration deadline—demanding election officials check individual records of thousands of voters who registered before the state's new voter ID system went into effect. In Madison, City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl complained that the last-minute demand will make other necessary preparations for the largest-expected voter turnout impossible. "It will disenfranchise voters," she told Wisconsin's Capital Times.

In Louisiana, the secretary of state is busy purging thousands of "inactive" voters from the rolls. According to the Louisiana Justice Institute, the only way you'd know you're on the inactive list is if you saw the state's ad in a newspaper, which thousands of still-displaced Orleans Parish residents couldn't do. The Justice Institute has published a searchable database of the names here, to help displaced residents who want to vote in their hometown make sure they stay registered.

Meanwhile, at least one Virginia county has targeted college students with plain scare tactics. In Montgomery County, home to Virginia Tech, the registrar warned Virginia Tech students that listing their campus address for voter registration could jeopardize everything from their parents' tax returns to their own driver's licenses. "If you have a scholarship attached to your former residence, you could lose this funding," the ominous but vague memo declared, according to Inside Higher Ed.

And Michigan's not the only place where losing your home could mean also losing your vote. The Columbus Dispatch reported this summer on state election officials' concerns that Ohio's new voter ID law will collide with foreclosures to create chaos at the polls. Voters who are registered at their old homes but have new addresses on their IDs, for instance, will be turned away. Ditto in several other states with both new voter ID laws and waves of foreclosure.

None of this is new. Republicans first used the myth of voter fraud to justify vote-suppression tactics in an Arkansas race in 1958, deliberately exploiting Reconstruction-era laws that made voter challenges easy enough to keep newly franchised blacks out of the process. It worked so well in '58 that in 1964 they launched "Operation Eagle Eye," which targeted 1.8 million voters nationally.

The game proceeded with impunity until 1981, when the Democrats sued over a voter-caging campaign in New Jersey, arguing that the effort deliberately disenfranchised minority voters. That case, along with a subsequent one in 1986, generated a consent order that barred the national party from launching mass voter challenges without getting court approval. The order, however, does not bind state party officials.

Nor can we count on the network of federal law enforcement that mobilized to block just this sort of chicanery in the Jim Crow days. The Bush administration's politicized firings of U.S. attorneys were, in no small part, driven by its effort to stymie the protection of voter rights Three of the eight U.S. attorney firings being investigated by Congress involved officials who refused to go after supposed voter-fraud cases in the run-up to the 2006 congressional elections.

Which leaves it to us to protect ourselves from this cynical but deeply effective manufactured chaos. A growing number of watchdog groups are trying to mobilize citizens to do the Justice Department's job. This week, a coalition under the banner Election Protection launched a Web site and a hotline (1-866-OUR-VOTE) where voters can learn how to make sure their own registration is secure and report problems in their districts. The Advancement Project has set up a similar site here.

Jurisdictions facing registration irregularities, backlogs and confusion now will certainly face the same on Nov. 4. Neither situation will be accidental, and the best tool left for identifying them in advance is through would-be voters. An ounce of prevention, watchdogs stress, is worth a pound of post-election litigation and outrage.


Kai Wright is a regular contributor to The Root.

Also on The Root:

Kai Wright calls out the homewreckers. Jimi Izrael gives credit to the pookie vote.

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URL: http://www.theroot.com/id/48123© TheRoot.com

:elephant:

lent=slow a écrit:well, gen yon bagay anpil moun pa ka esplike yo: se kouman repibliken fè pa ba nan sondaj. plis vót la sere, plis yo ka reyisi fè koken. demokrat yo trankil anpil, yo gen lè ap travay tout bon pou yo kontre manigans repibliken yo. nou mèt tande sa nou tande, si se te yon lót (?) moun, se figirasyon Mc Cain ta ap fè jodi a. tout moun, louvri je nou byen pou wè sa ki pwal pase. rete anpil jou pou yon gwo deblozaj mete pye pou ka fasilite repibliken yo. Kondi anpil moun ap di depi lontan, yon zak teroris, se tout sa Mc Cain bezwen pou li ta antre pi fasil ankó... menm si au fond se ta gouvènman repibliken an ki pa ta fè yon bon job sekirite.

rete gade pou nou wè, pa etone si nou kómanse tande ke yo ap monte alèt sekirite. nou san lè tande anvan anyen alerte jaune, alerte rouge pou okin rezon.

lè mwen rete, se souke tèt devan moun nwa sa yo ki ap apiye repibliken. ala ras pwazon, ala bagay malprop se politik ameriken.

men ki lè Nwa Ameriken sa yo pwal anpeche gouvènman ak politisyen USA trete yo tankou zanimo.

[b]

Non pa di sa lenss-low;Etazini se peyi kote moun nwa konnen plis dwa yo;yo devan menm yon peyi tankou Kiba.Gade konpleksyon gouvènman Kiba a ,kote moun nwa se majorite yo ye lan peyi sa a.
Kanta Brezil menm ,nou pa menm bezwen pale de li,e se poutan youn lan peyi ki gen pi gwo popilasyon nwa;peyi lan mond lan ki gen plis nwa ke Brezil,se sèlman Nijerya.
Li editoryal sa a ke New York Times pibliye jodi an;la di w kouman bagay yo ye:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/opinion/22observer.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

:elephant:

:elephant:

:elephant:

Pa gen two lontan de sa, lan ane 85-86.
Yon Doctè ke mwen te konnen pèsonèlman, nèg la Dominik konfronte ak yon sitiyasyon rasis lan Nassau kounty, N.Y.

Misye te konn al rankontre zanmi li ke m te konnen tou, le samdi swa: Blag, grôg, dans, jwèt kat ....
Misye ta p rantre lakay li yon swa sayo.
Li ta p konduy Mecedès li lè lapolis rete misye. Yo komanse britalize li paske yo asime li volè oto a. Li fè rondonmon natirelman. Yo kraze zo misye ak kou makak epi yo menmen l lopital kouvri an san.

Lè yo rive, tout anplwaye lopital yo ki se te sibôdone misye tap rele anmwe mande: Doctè.... kisa ki rive w?
Polisye yo koumanse pantan yo di misye: Poukisa ou pat di se doctè w ye?
Li di yo poukisa li ta dwe di yo sa.
Misye fè plis ke yon milyon dola lan pwose kont nèg sayo.

Sasaye di :

Pa gen two lontan de sa, lan ane 85-86.
Yon Doctè ke mwen te konnen pèsonèlman, nèg la Dominik konfronte ak yon sitiyasyon rasis lan Nassau kounty, N.Y.

Misye te konn al rankontre zanmi li ke m te konnen tou, le samdi swa: Blag, grôg, dans, jwèt kat ....
Misye ta p rantre lakay li yon swa sayo.
Li ta p konduy Mecedès li lè lapolis rete misye. Yo komanse britalize li paske yo asime li volè oto a. Li fè rondonmon natirelman. Yo kraze zo misye ak kou makak epi yo menmen l lopital kouvri an san.

Lè yo rive, tout anplwaye lopital yo ki se te sibôdone misye tap rele anmwe mande: Doctè.... kisa ki rive w?
Polisye yo koumanse pantan yo di misye: Poukisa ou pat di se doctè w ye?
Li di yo poukisa li ta dwe di yo sa.
Misye fè plis ke yon milyon dola lan pwose kont nèg sayo.

Le la polis rete yon machin, premye bagay ke yo mande chofe a se permi kondwi/lisans e registrasyon machin nan.
2 dokiman sa yo sifi ase pou montre si chofe a se vreman propryete machin nan.

Zafe di ke la polis komanse britalize li paske yo asime li volè oto a pa chita sou anyen.
Sasaye di :

Dokte a fe rondonmon natirelman

Sa Dokte a fe a rele « resisting arrest” e kraze zo a jistifyab a yon serten limit byen antandi.

Si kout makak ke li pran yo montre ke la polis itilize excès de force, se tout dwa dokte a pou li rele lapolis an jistis.

Yon egsanp de exces de force te gen yon Ayisyen ki rele Louima ke lapolis NY te fourre yon bwa tout longue nan derryer misye.
Ssaaa vreman te yon exces de force ki pat neseser e sete yon britalite ki pat jistifyab.

Louima te fe yon bel lajan avek ka sa kont eta NY paske lite gen anpil temwen e yon bel ekip avoka avek li.

Ke yon moun se yon bouretye kap pousse bourett ou byen yon dokte kap roule nan mercedes, jistis se pou tout moun li ye.
Gen yon seri de neg, depi ke yap roule nan bel machin, yo konprand ke lalwa pa pou yo.

Mwen pa di ke pre-jije pa egziste, men ke w blan ou nwa, depi lapolis rete w, se fe ko w piti.

Revelasyon

Revelasyon papa, mwen di w se yon bagay mwen konnen ki pase.

Mwen konnen doktè a, se pa moun ki lan dezôd. Yon nèg respektab.
Pa vin fè analyz ou yo laa.

Mwen konnen lapolis Nouyok abitye fè sa. Se sa yo rele pwofiling.

Mwenmem pèsonèlman sa te manke riven m lan Filadelfya paske mwen ta p kondy yon bèl vwati tou.

Sak sove m se manmanm, yon pèsonaj ak madam mwen ak ti bebe mwen ki te lan oto a tou; yo respekte yon antite familyal. Men yo swiv mwen pandan 30 minit.

Mwen pa konn kisa wap vin defan laa anko.
Se yon bagay anpil moun konnen ke yo rete nèg ki gen bèl machin.

Joel di:

Repibliken yo se tankou GNBis yo ann Ayiti.
Yo paka genyen eleksyon san yo pa fè koken.

Nan 20 tan ki sot passé la, ki yes nan prezidan yo ki GNBist?????
Baker pat genyen eleksyon, Boulos ak Apaid pat patisipe nan eleksyon.
De ki GNBis ke w ap pale la ki genyen eleksyon an san yo pa fe koken???
Repond nou Boss papa.

Joel di:

Dapre jan bagay lan prale la a,san koken Mc Cain fouti.

Nan politik, politisyen kap itilize tout tak-tik dimoman keyo pa vyole lwa electoral yo e dwa voter yo.
Fe koken nan vot electoral existe wi, sepandan si la jistis kenbe w se prison direk.

Joel di:

Se poutèt sa Demokrat yo voye de santèn avoka volontè lan sa yo rele "battleground states" pou minimize taktik koken Repibliken yo.

Preval could come to the Democrat rescue by lending them one card of his playbook.(piscine Montana). The Democrats could use the reflecting pool in Washington, DC.


Si depi konnyen la nap pale de volo de triche ke Repibliken yo pral fe ou byen ap fe!!
Men piscine Montana Obama!!! Voye pep la al proteste rezilta eleksyon yo.
Nou pa an Haiti mon frere Joel!!

Joel di:

Yo ka triche wi,men dapre sa k ap pare pou yo ,yo pa ka vòlò eleksyon an ,jan yo te fè l lan Florida an 2000 ak lan OHIO an 2004.

Si yo triche e yo genyen w ap di ke se volo ke yo volo eleksyon an.

Si yo pa triche e yo genyen eleksyon an fair and square wap toujou di ke se volo ke yo volo eleksyon an!

Si yo volo eleksyon an san triche, wap di ke se triche ke yo triche!

Rele bouki bouki lap manje'w!!

Pa rele'l bouki, lap manje w!!

Volo!! Triche!!di momanke pa gen vyolasyon dwa elektoral e dwa voter yo tout bagay akseptab.

Se vote'r yo ki pou pran desisyon yo!!

Revelasyon

:elephant:

Lent=slow di :

Kèlke swa sa mwen tande ki rive ant la polis ak yon moun nwa, m'ap toujou pran pozisyon pou moun Nwa a.

W ap toujou pran pozisyon pou moun nwa kelkeswa sa w tande a!! Lent=Slow se yon desisyon rasist !!

Se pa sou koule pô moun nan ke w te dwe pran desisyon sa e se la gravite jijman ye.

W déjà pre-jije e bay vedik w avan menm ke w tande sak rive a.

Nan je w la polis la déjà konpab avan menm ke yo poze yon ak.

Yon neg kankou w pap fouti fe pati de yon jiry paske desisyon w pre-determine, menm si yo bay w tout evidans yo desisyon w pap chanje.

Se yon bagay tre grav nan yon sosyete.

Martin Luther King te di ke se pa sou koule pô yon moun pou gade e pote yon jisman, se sitou sou karakte moun nan.

Lent=Slow, mwen pa konnen w ni an blan, ni an nwa, men pawol ke w di e rezonman ke w fe montre peti a peti karakte w devan des desisyon tre kritik ki kap mete tout yon kominote an danje paske w pa ambrasse e inkli tout moun, men yon ti group de moun dapre koule yo.

Se byen malere ke se konsa ke w we'l.

Revelasyon

:elephant: