Spencer Overton recent wrote what looks to be a powerful book on voter suppression. Folks can talk all they want about how the Democrats must “reach out” to white evangelicals, about how they must come up with a message that speaks to “red state values.” But I believe the fundamental issue for Americans is and has been minimizing vote-jacking. I haven’t read Overton’s book yet, but I plan to, and will possibly assign it to my class in the Spring semester.
With that said though, I disagree with Overton’s assertion that the re-authorization of the Voting Rights Act represents a major victory. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those all-or-nothing types. I don’t need the revolution to come to claim our successes. But it seems to me that if anything, the re-authorization of the Voting Rights Act is a minor success at best.
Because the Voting Rights Act did little or nothing to protect black voters in FLorida in 2000, in Ohio in 2004. A major victory would’ve occurred had a series of powerful amendments adding NEW protections appropriate for today’s political climate. Granting cities the resources to provide the same level of voter protection that wealthier (GOP-supporting) suburbs receive. Though there was opposition to its passage, the symbolic value of it–even to the GOP–meant that it was highly unlikely that the VRA was ever in any real danger.
Adolph Reed has been arguing that we’ve been in a war for over 100 years against the same forces. Around 40 years ago, we thought the war was over…when all that happened was that there was a temporary cease-fire.
(Given my last post about black-on-black crime it may seem like I’m picking on the blackprof folks. I’m not. I just don’t read many blogs.)
Dr. Spence, we’ve had several discussions about the 2000 elections. The people in Florida were not robbed. We must remember that not only “Blacks” were effected by the irregularities. We must alos understand that in Cook County alone, more “Blacks” experienced voter irregularities. Recently, there were changes in Chicago. We now have the touch screens, but they are only “USED” for disabled persons in my precinct. By the way, Cook County happens to be a Democrat stronghold. So, we can’t apply the GOP slant here. I think that far too many people “try” to make this about the GOP. It’s about the political process. Dems & Reps both have pretty messed up characters.
Chicago has a monarch, King Richard. He has been involved in the “DEMOCRAT Machine” since before he could drink (legally). We’re just recently experiencing some of the aldermen growing a pair by challenging him. I guess some of the “Black” men & women aldermen have finally gotten some guts. Even though they still seem to be on the “wrong” side of things. Check the BIG BOX ordinance they trying to pass, while sneaking in a pay raise.
I read the VRA as it was written, and I didn’t see that it really addressed the real issues. One of the real issues is that “Blacks” don’t vote. Why is it that “Blacks” MUST HAVE a voter’s registration every year. We should be the first people at the polls and not only for National elections.
Voting in Chicago sharply declined in “Black” Wards after 2000 and 2004. It’s a shame that so many try to blame the GOP. It’s the Democrats and the Blacks not giving a damn. Florida & Ohio are not new. There are voter irregularities every year. I’m sure there were some during the 1992 & 1996 elections, but I guess it’s not important because a Democrat won.
Is that the reason? Not sure if you think the election was stolen in 2000 or 2004, but I’m almost certain it wasn’t in either case.
Thanks for responding Spedy, I appreciate it. (Can I get a clave update?!?)
There are a couple of points that bear mentioning.
First, people have been stealing elections as long as folks have been counting votes. Blacks have been the victims for obvious reasons but whites have been the victims as well. Lyndon Johnson paid off a number of white precinct officers in a tight Texas Senate race in the sixties, and Kennedy arguably stole the state of Illinois from Nixon when they ran against each other in 1960 I believe.
Along the same lines you’re correct in noting that it isn’t a GOP thing. Neither Johnson nor Kennedy were Republicans.
At the same time though we’ve got to use the proper scale when dealing with this question. If we’re talking about election for a big-city mayor…then undoubtedly Democrats are shaving the votes of other Democrats. It doesn’t suprise me that Richard Daley jacked votes in Chicago to ensure his victory, just as I wouldn’t be suprised if Kwame Kilpatrick did the same thing in Detroit. But if we’re talking about national elections in general, what we’re talking about is a different animal. The GOP controls most state legislatures (hence controlling the voter apparatus in those states), as well as the three branches of government. To the extent that voting irregularities occur, those irregularities are going to benefit the party in power.
I appreciate your candor. I was addressing the GOP issue because, as you well know (and articulated), it’s not the GOP. I will have to check the GOP controlling the state legislatures because Illinois has had a Republican Governor for decades prior to the slug we have in there now, Blago. I didn’t vote for him because he look sneaky. I know people feel the same way about the current President, but Blago gave me a Jason Vorhees chill. He reminds me of an adult Damian (Omen).
Anyway, I have heard about the mess in Illinois with Nixon and Kennedy. I’ve also heard about the problem during the previous monarch – King Richard the First. During the craziness in 1968. The police was crackin’ some heads from what I’ve read. I was only two years old. So, I don’t have any actual memories of that time.
I don’t understand why Blacks “HAVE TO” register folks to vote every year. We should be at the door when it opens with a Thermos filled with coffee. Maybe it’s just me.
PS. I’m not at the ‘Clave. I need an update myself. 😉
(The Clave wasn’t Charlotte…but it was out.)
It isn’t the GOP. But the GOP is generally very good at jacking votes in inter-district competition (for gubernatorial elections, senate elections, and presidential elections). They’ve got it down to a science.
As for why we have to register folks every year (instead of them registering themselves)? There’s a myth that for every other group they somehow recognize how important voting is and they take it upon themselves to do so. The reality is that the best predictor of voting is class (more educated people tend to vote more), and then after demographic factors it is BEING ASKED. Blacks are no different here than white evangelicals or any other identifiable group. We should actually be doing more aggressive registration than less.
I’m not sure I understand blacks in quotes. You seem to be making some point about that, but it is unclear.
Secondly, I know you’re probably just talking shop, but it is a tendency of folks on the Left (and the Right too) to apply a sort of lazy analysis to political structures as they are nowadays, e.g. “Chicago has a monarch, King Richard, etc.” I’m sure you realize America never has been, nor ever will be a monarchy. It is a bourgeois, i.e. representative democracy. The State is the arbiter of the interests of the employers, plain and simple. The theft of votes is not antagonistic to this system either since we have already an institution which insures the subordination of the popular vote (Electoral College).
Furthermore, when you say “blacks should be the first at the polls” ignores why many aren’t showing up in the first place. What we should be doing is basing our analysis on what people are doing. Because if many blacks aren’t voting, then it is obvious that they feel, as you indicated above (though later on you said the opposite), that neither party represents their interests.
I just think it does us no good when we begin with “people should” versus “people are”. No disrepect. Peace.
KB
KB, Dr. Spence and I have a certain kinship. I apologize for not making my quotes more identifiable to everyone else. I stress “Black” because some use the terms Colored, Afro-American, or African American. There’s no covert reasoning or nothing nefarious. As for the King statement, I make those based on the way Richard M. Daley has “RULED” Chicago. There is no case that I’m aware of that would allow a city mayor to “DESTROY” federal property and get away with it.
My “King” statement is tongue in cheek, but anyone living in the city of Chicago for the past 10 years understood that “NOTHING” got passed or voted on without “KING” Richard’s approval. I call him King as a joke, but he has weilded a certain Monarch structure within the city of Chicago.
The Democratic Machine is alive and well in the city of Chicago. Even with corruption looming about and over the heads of the leaders of the Democratic Party in the city Chicago and the state of Illinois, we still keep hearing about the corruption of the GOP. I think both parties are equally crooked.
As for the “What we should be doing is basing our analysis on what people are doing.” statement, I understand the could have, would have, should have syndrome, but my statement is probably better posed as a question. Because I don’t understand why “Blacks” do not go to the polls.
In the city of Chicago, the public schools are not good in the ghettos. BUT! Is that because the parents don’t work with their children or is there a real problem with the teachers. I believe there is a political element in there as well. We have Jesse Jackson and Senator Meeks wanting to march against Walter Payton College Prep. Why? Because this school, based in Chicago (on the Northside), is far better than most of the high schools in the Chicago Public School system.
Senator Meeks threatened to run against our current governor if he wasn’t going to address the problems of illiteracy in the black community. Gov. Blago threw up a paper tiger, and Sen. Meeks kow towed(sp). The education issues are very similar to when I attended the schools in the 70s. I’m not going to switch the subject. I just think there is enough blame to shared by both parties.
Dr. Spence, I disagree that the GOP has a better grip on “jacking” national elections. Gore sucked and Kerry sucked. I couldn’t vote for either of them, and I value my vote. Some black people lined up in unity to support both of the guys, which is their choice, but I can’t believe anyone would “truly” believe that Kerry lost primarily because the election was stolen from him in Ohio. I can’t believe that people are still on the Gore band wagon. He should have challenged the entire state. His sore loser mentality really bothers me because he still harps about this. There is no imperical data to support either claims. I’m sure there are some claims and even some compelling stories dealing with voter fraud and such, but you must ask where did these irregularities occur as well as who’s in charge of these precincts.
If you analyze the past 8 Presidential Elections, you will find voter irregularities happening in the same places “every year”. Before the 2000 elections grew media frenzy status, I took the time to analyze the 67 counties. I actually had the make up of all the counties, which party they support, and what type of voting machine. The problem was with Gore. He should have never snubbed Bill Clinton. He committed political suicide himself. So, I don’t understand that premise. Maybe with the advent of information moving at the speed of light (almost literally), it seems that the GOP has a lock on it now or at least it looks that way. I beg to differ here in Chicago though. I would like ask if the Secretary of State for both Black and Democrat, and they did what they did – would there be a problem still???? There still seems to be a blame the GOP party. Maybe it’s me. *LOL*
Yeah, no doubt. I could tell y’all were friends. You know how it is difficult to read people when you can’t see facial expressions and such.
As far as both parties being corrupt, there is certainly corruption, but essentially it is just bureaucratization and specialization. If the task of administering the government is under the sole command of an individual or group of individuals, it is separate and apart from the interests of those whom it supposedly represents. An intrinsic part of that is corruption.
Representative politics will always be corrupt and without direct mass control we will always have corruption.
Good building with ya.