GOP To Block Foreclosed Residents from Voting in Michigan
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Now here's the GOP I've come to know and loathe. After that recycled Alan Keyes bullshit I was worried that this country had fallen so far that the GOP couldn't even manufacture a decent smear campaign. But I see now that other GOP fundamentals remain strong:
The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day.
“We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses,” party chairman James Carabelli told Michigan Messenger in a telephone interview earlier this week. He said the local party wanted to make sure that proper electoral procedures were followed.
State election rules allow parties to assign “election challengers” to polls to monitor the election. In addition to observing the poll workers, these volunteers can challenge the eligibility of any voter provided they “have a good reason to believe” that the person is not eligible to vote. One allowable reason is that the person is not a “true resident of the city or township.”
The GOP has found a way to make even the shitty economy work for them. And the amazing thing is that they are willing to admit it. No worry at all about any potential political price of saying something like this. But then by publicizing it, they take care of Iphie's point below, which is that many people who have been foreclosed still live in their homes and would be eligible to vote. So by announcing this now, they might be able to suppress votes by making otherwise eligible voters think they aren't eligible or, at the very least, will be hassled at the polls. What's worse, they will be hassled as someone who had their house foreclosed on, hardly something a lot of people would want brought up at a polling place in front of their neighbors.
I'm both in awe and appalled all at the same time.
I feel like VL today, RL keeps calling and I keep getting pulled back in. Bad, internet.
(h/t Shakesville)
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Comments
Waaaaait a minute.
Foreclosure doesn't equal immediate eviction -- how on earth could that hold up?
The redemption period in MI starts after the home has been re-sold by the Sheriff's Office.
I certainly hope that the Dems are preparing plenty of people to challenge the challengers -- preemptively, if possible.
Good Point, Iphie
I assume the point of publicly saying this is to suppress votes of even those still in their homes. I'm going to add this to my post. Thanks!
I'm sure you're right about voter suppression.
Perhaps the Dems can play this* to their advantage -- "First the Repubs created an economy that is forcing you out of your home, now they are trying to deny you your right to vote, too."
*Of course, by "this" I mean the statement from the Republican Party, not the wave of foreclosures.
Push back against the Rs?
This would perk my interest, because it would be a real change (one I could maybe believe in!*) in approach.
They've been willing to attack McCain as a continuation of Bush, but that's not exactly the same as pushing the Democratic brand vs. the Republican brand, and Obama's painted himself into a bit of a bipartisan corner that seems to put such language off-limits.
*Not by any means enough to change my mind about Obama, but a baby step in the right direction.
Pushback by McCain?
Of course, since the last three months of the Dem primary were all about voter suppression (WWTSBQ?) Dems can hardly pretend they give a darn about this with any credibility. And who knows that the Dems won't try these things themselves?
What if McCain were to challenge his party on this*? "Maverick" status lives on!
*By "challenge" I don't expect it to necessarily be more than lip service.
evil
just plain evil
they're gonna do stuff w/college kids too--
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/educat... -- Voter Registration by Students Raises Cloud of Consequences
They Are Down, But...
...the Repugs are never out. I can't imagine this being Constitutional, but given that we have a conservative-leaning Supreme Court here in Michigan it wouldn't surprise me if they ruled in favor of this plot, and that's just what it is.
Now, I see why Obama has been hitting up Oakland and Macomb Counties so hard. BTW, these two along with Wayne are Detroit's three central counties. Macomb was where the "Reagan Democrats" got their start. Oakland County, a very wealthy county, has been getting more blue and diverse over the years, and I'm pretty sure will go for Obama, this time. Macomb is the fastest growing of the three, but is still very blue collar in parts. It looks like McCain's trying to get in where he fits in if you know what I mean.