Give Up On the Voter ID Issue
Democrats are up in arms over Republican efforts to pass laws requiring voters to produce government issued identification in order to vote. An Indiana law just came up for review by the Supreme Court (Justices May Seek Compromise in Voter ID Case), where the Democrats' arguments were greeted skeptically. This issue is a dog for Democrats. There is no upside in contesting it in court. Just accept it and move it.
I understand fully that there is no need for such laws, and that GOP efforts to pass these laws are politically motivated. Some people see this as part of a broader voter suppression effort, which is possible. More likely, I think Republicans are seeking to create the illusion of massive voter fraud as a way to mobilize the base -- "OMG, Mexicans are coming across the border to steal our jobs, rape our women, and elect Democrats!" I am not sure which of those the Republicans consider the most heinous.
But regardless of motivations, there is simply nothing objectionable about asking for a valid government-issued ID to vote. And even if you disagree with that, you have to realize that it is a losing issue. It is impossible to convince a majority of the population that asking for a driver's license (or equivalent) is an undue burden. Indeed, most people are shocked to hear such a requirement is not already universal. Not only is this a loser politically, it is a loser as a legal strategy. The U.S. Supreme Court as current constituted is simply not going to side with Democrats on this issue. The court is dominated by a core of right-wing ideologues like Scalia and Republican political operatives like Roberts (Roberts is Karl Rove with a better pedigree). Relying on the Supreme Court for anything at this point is likely to be fruitless.
Democrats are right to be wary of Republican voter suppression effort, but suspicion of their motives is no reason to give them a great political cudgel. The better way to address Democratic concerns now would be to pass federal laws ensuring easier access to government-issued ID. This should be one of the first bills passed in 2009 if both Congress and the Presidency are controlled by the Democratic party.
Bernard I. Finel
www.bernardfinel.com
Are there other issues we liberals and/or Democrats should be giving up? Because, really, we have a lot of losers in the platform.
Abortion? No one likes killing babies more than me, so I'm all for it! Iraq? I certainly hate the troops, so we should get out as quickly as possible.
Flag burning? All for it. I'm actually burning on now, as we speak.
As far as this issue is concerned, the thing about democracies is, they're supposed to be inclusive. That means erring on the side of letting lots of people vote, not on the side of constructing barriers to get to the polls.
The other thing is, as you say, this issue is fictitious. There is no real voter fraud out there. To create some kind of citizenship document is a waste -- even a drivers license can be faked. (Do the poll watchers -- usually 85 year old people, at least where I go -- really know what a "real" ID is anyway?)
The right thing to do is fight it. And the right thing to do in politics is doing the right thing, not calculating what's politically viable or not based on what Republicans might say about it.
"Thank God George Bush is our president." -Rudy Giuliani
January 10, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
You can't fight everything at the same time. The right thing is not to engage in pointless battles that strengthen your adversaries and in the process sacrifice the rest of your agenda.
The main reason we oppose voter ID laws is because we see it as part of a GOP voter-suppression campaign... which it is. But there are better ways to mitigate the consequences of these laws than to fight a losing battle on bad ground.
Bernard I. Finel
www.bernardfinel.com
January 10, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
First, I don't see how fighting this battle would cause the "rest of the agenda" to be lost.
It's not like someone is not going to vote for a Democrat solely because of their disagreement on voter ID. The drivers for the next election are Iraq, and health care.
I think fighting everything at the same time is basically the definition of a Congressperson's job, isn't it? I guess taken too far, that's unrealistic, but preserving an inclusive-as-possible electorate seems fairly high on the list.
January 10, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink