All the early voting in 2008. All those Democrats going to the polls. Black people voting after church on Sundays in early voting. Record African American turnout. Record numbers of Democrats registered. Record numbers of Democrats voting.
So it only makes sense that the new brand GOP "answer" is to limit voting by reversing the trend of increasing voting hours and making it easier for people to vote. Keep the polls closed more, and keep them open less. But it didn't happen when Jeb Bush ran the state. It didn't happen when Charlie Christ ran the state.
But this is the new brand GOP. The win at all costs GOP. The win at the expense of a free Democracy GOP. Keep those newly registered Democrats away from the polls. Long lines will surely scare those people away. Who the hell will wait 4 hours in line? Surely only the die hard voters, and they're mostly Republican voters. Soft voters will stay away. Democrats will stay away.
But guess what? That "strategy" is back firing big time. There ARE long lines in Florida (and what an awful reflection of our Democracy). The people are not backing down. They are standing up. They are responding with their votes, come hell or high water.
And the polls in Florida reflect this. Obama is ahead 49-47 in the latest "unskewed" polling in Florida. And the flip is mainly due to the large number of banked votes that the Democrats and OFA have been able to amass, despite the long lines. Obama leads by 2.5 % in early voting.
The footage on the TV's and the intertubes is amazing. Long lines trailing around city block after city block. Lines trailing through park walkways, bending through the curves and trailing as far as the camera lens can pan. Its both inspiring, and sad. Inspiring because get what, we WILL stand in lines, and our voices WILL be heard. Voter suppression will NOT be tolerated. We WILL fight back. We WILL vote.
Sad, because it doesn't have to be that way. Voting is a right, and it should be made easy, not difficult. It is the most fundamental right of Democracy. But here we are, in 2012, and the right to vote is being challenged in multiple states, all via a vote limiting GOP machine.
But that machine is failing.
We will respond to your BS, and we will win. We will win with our vote, because we will stand in line, we will jam the polls as long as they are open, and if we have to we will jump through fire hoops to vote. And we will vote. And we will win IN SPITE of the obstacles. AND. WE. ARE. WINNING!!!
Thanks for the rec list.
UPDATE: I want to be clear that the long lines are not good for Democrats. But, we are fighting back, and for now, we are winning. We know we are winning because WE HAVE A LEAD IN EARLY VOTING. But this is not good for our Democracy, and it is not fair to the electorate, especially our elderly and disabled. We need to change that. A conversation needs to follow this election, because voter suppression must not be the new norm and it cannot be tolerated.
Now lets GOTV, and lets win this thing!