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Democrats claim voter suppression to fool blacks and spread racial tribalism

Democrats claim voter suppression to fool blacks and spread racial tribalism

While millions of impoverished and under-educated black Americans are suffering and dying in iconic crime-ridden segregated communities ruled over by one-party Democrat political machines, the major political issue propagated by the political left — and the media — is that one of the greatest racial problems in America is voter suppression.

Accusations of black voter suppression

While Democrats woefully charge that the black vote is being suppressed by the Republican Party, they proudly point to record voter turnout among blacks.  How does that work?

The Democrat claim is based on a false logic that goes something like this.  If Democrats did not win an election, it was because blacks did not come out in sufficient numbers, ergo suppressed — even if they did come out in record numbers.  If there is one black citizen who did not vote, Democrats see it as suppression – and the media plays along with the partisan strategy.

So, what evidence does the left present for the theory of suppression?  They show long lines of black voters waiting to vote on the first day of early voting.   That does not look like suppression to me.

To make their point, they say that the long lines discourage voting.  But wait!  This is the FIRST DAY of early voting.  Voters can come out to vote for days – weeks – before the official Election Day.  Folks complaining about long lines when they have no reason to show up on day one makes no sense.

It sort of reminds me of people who complain about the long line to see a special first day opening of a new movie – even though that movie will be in scores of theaters a few days later.  If a person gets some satisfaction in being a first day participant for anything, good for them.  Just don’t complain about it if they have to wait in a line.

You must remember that during the early voting season, there are a limited number of places to which you can go to cast your ballot.  On Election Day there are literally thousands of locations.  That is why in the vast majority of cases, I vote on Election Day without having to stand in any of those lines the news media likes to seek out.

So, between early voting, vote-by-mail, and same day registration, NO VOTER IN AMERICA IS BEING SUPPRESSED.  Unfortunately, that is also true of dead people, illegal aliens and folks who moved away. They still vote.  Rather than voter suppression, it is arguable that our bigger problems are “vote packing,” “ghost voting” or “people-less ballots.”  In Chicago, we routinely find more votes than voters in some precincts.

The actual data

So, what does the data tell us about black voter suppression?  First looking at the old Confederate states — where Democrats make most of their accusations of black voter suppression.  The biggest drop for blacks in recent elections occurred during the Clinton administration.  Percentage of blacks voting dropped from approximately 60 percent to approximately 53 percent from 1992 to 2000.

During the George W. Bush years – starting in 2000 — the percentage of black voters began to rise again nationally – and especially in Dixie, where all that suppression was supposedly taking place.

Nationally in 2008 and 2012, the black voter rose to approximately 65 percent in response to the candidacy of President Barack Obama. In 2012, black turnout exceeded the white turnout.  In 2018, the turnout for blacks was 51 percent compared to 57 percent for whites – but it was a record turnout for blacks in a midterm election.

In other words, blacks have been voting in increasingly higher percentages for the past 30 years – increasing disproportionately when compared to white voter trends.  Those are not the statistics one sees if there is any suppression – nationally or in Dixie.

(We should note that we are dealing with percentages.  To understand the impact on the total vote, you need to look at the most recent census figures.  They show that the non-Hispanic white population is approximately 60 percent of the total – with blacks holding approximately 13 percent and black and white Hispanics at 18 percent of the U.S. population.  If you count white Hispanics as white, the total white population rises to approximately 73 percent of the total population.)

Voter photo-IDs

Democrats and the media claim that a mandated photo-ID is voter suppression – especially of poor people.  Since virtually every American has a photo-ID (It is almost impossible to function without one), that should not be a problem – especially when you consider that local governments will provide photo-ID cards free of charge to anyone who asks.

It always seemed to me that the claim that a photo-ID is racially biased is an insult to black folks.  Democrats seem to be implying that black people are too stupid to have or get such an ID.  Being poor – and even formally under-educated thanks to Democrat-run school systems — does not mean poor folks are not smart.  I have always found that because life is more difficult, poor people are actually smarter in how to get things done for themselves.  Democrats think poor folks are smart enough to fill out complicated welfare forms, but not smart enough to fill out a simple request for a photo-ID.  Really?

The false narrative of voter suppression is bogus.  It is advanced by Democrats – and supported by their friends in the press – to fool minorities that they are the victims of pandemic racism at that hands of white Republicans – and to divert attention from the really terrible things Democrats are doing to minorities in those big cities.

Millions of black citizens cannot get a proper education or a job in their Democrat-run cities.  They cannot live in safe homes or walk the streets safely – and they cannot escape their ghettoes.  But they can vote.  Why they vote for their oppressors has been a long-time mystery to me.

Inventing black voter suppression is just a diversion from the generations of human oppression that is victimizing black (and brown) Americans in our major cities.  It is a means of dividing people — creating racial tribalism — for political benefit.

There is nothing that prevents ANYONE from voting in America IF they desire to do so.  If they do not vote, it is a personal choice – not because of any systemic barriers or political suppression.  Claims to the contrary are political hogwash.

So, there ‘tis.

 

 

About The Author

Larry Horist

So,there‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of Larry Horist Larry Horist is a businessman, conservative writer and political strategist with an extensive background in economics and public policy. Clients of his consulting firm have included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. He has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress. Horist has lectured and taught courses at numerous colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern, DePaul universities, Hope College and his alma mater, Knox College. He has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. Horist was a one-time candidate for mayor of Chicago and served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries appear frequently on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by readers for his style, substance and sense of humor. According to one reader, Horist is the “new Charles Krauthammer.” He is actively semi-retired in Boca Raton, Florida where he devotes his time to writing. So, there ‘tis is Horist’s signature sign off.

1 Comment

  1. Dan Tyree

    Voter suppression is a lie. The commiecrats are teaching the people of color that they are too stupid to think for themselves. The policies of the left are designed to keep them on the plantation. Their darling favorite son was a Kkk leader. Anyone ever hear of Robert Byrd? Beckley WV has a street named after him.

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