In a forum sponsored by
The Des Moines Register, Jeb! Bush was asked where he stands on the Voting Rights Act and whether it should be reauthorized. His answer, in essence, is no.
I think if it's to reauthorize it to continue to provide regulations on top of states as though we were living in 1960, 'cause those were basically when many of those were put in place, I don't think we should do that. There's been dramatic improvement in, um, in access to voting. Exponentially better improvement. I don't think there's a role for the federal government to play in most places. There could be some, but in most places…. They did have a constructive role in the 60s. I don't support reauthorizing it.
Exponentially better, huh? Right. Like in
Alabama, where the state is closing 31 drivers' licensing offices in majority black counties, and where voter ID in the form of a driver's license or state ID is required. Or perhaps in North Carolina, where the state is
systematically moving early voting polling locations to make them out-of-reach for black voters. Or in freaking Montgomery County, Maryland, where the Republican-majority Elections Board
is doing the same thing.
Consider Jeb!'s home state of Florida, a case study in egregious voter suppression tactics from voter ID, to cutting the number of early voting days, to restricting voter registration, to purging hundreds of thousands of voters. But hey, Republicans won after instituting all that in Florida, as they admitted was their intention in passing the restrictions. Of course Jeb! doesn't support allowing the federal government to curb those practices. Republicans need them to win.
Watch the interview below the fold.