We’ve seen the decline of democracy under Republican rule across the country, through gerrymandering and voter suppression campaigns. More egregiously, there was the radical ‘coup’ in North Carolina to sharply limit the power of the incoming Democratic governor. Now we have data to back us up:
www.newsobserver.com/...
The Electoral Integrity Project (sites.google.com/...), a collaboration between researchers at the University of Sydney and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. They’ve measured the integrity of electoral systems throughout the world, and they’ve concluded that North Carolina can no longer be considered a democracy by most measures. This op-ed is discussed in this recent diary: www.dailykos.com/...
In addition:
- A judgment was rendered against the North Carolina GOP for “almost surgical precision” targeting of African-American voters: www.pbs.org/...
- The North Carolina GOP bragged that their voter suppression tactics were working: www.thedailybeast.com/...
- The Great Orange Twitterseizure himself bragged about African American turnout being suppressed: www.vox.com/...
- The Charlotte Observer noted that African-American turnout was unusually depressed in North Carolina compared with the other southern states in early voting, indicating something unique and unusual happening there: www.charlotteobserver.com/...
- The Nation provides a good national summary of GOP voter suppression operations across the country: www.thenation.com/...
We must stand up for democracy, and show the tactics of the Republican Party for what they are.
How?
On January 6, 2017, one member of the House and one member of the Senate can lodge an objection to the electoral votes from North Carolina. This forces both houses to move to their chambers and debate the issue. It is even possible, though unlikely, that the electoral votes from North Carolina could be rejected. At the very least, it would place another black mark on the election of Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
In 2001, the Congressional Black Caucus attempted to do this with Florida but disgracefully, no senator backed their effort. Their powerful words in response are still relevant today: www.c-span.org/… (sidenote: Why isn’t c-span on the iframe whitelist?)
In 2005, the great Barbara Boxer joined with a Congressperson from Ohio to object to the Ohio electoral votes, which forced a 4 hour delay in the confirmation of Bush’s re-election in what was nicknamed (derisively, but I love it) the “Boxer Rebellion” (www.sfgate.com/...).
We need to call upon the spirits of the 2001 Congressional Black Caucus and 2005 Barbara Boxer that still exist somewhere in our Democratic senators and representatives over the holiday season and ask them to stand up for democracy, both in North Carolina and in other states which experienced voter suppression in this cycle.
I will write about other states later, but North Carolina is the lynchpin. Call your senators and representatives and tell them that you want them to lodge an objection to North Carolina’s 15 electoral votes on January 6, 2017 based on documented racist voter suppression operations, the demonstrated undermining of democracy by the North Carolina GOP, and the failure of the GOP Congress to renew the Voting Rights Act which would have helped protect them. Loss of democracy in one state of the union is a loss of democracy in every state. The Democratic Party must defend democracy first and foremost.
Of course, it will be most critical to have the support of the Democratic representatives from North Carolina, G.K. Butterfield, David Price, and Alma Adams. The Congressional Black Caucus would I hope be more than willing to get on board. The main pressure point, then will be to get our sometimes too-staid Senators on board. How about it, Bernie Sanders? Elizabeth Warren? Tim Kaine?
If anyone would like to propose a more effective line to give on the phone, or other tactics that would be useful, please let me know in the comments and I’ll update this post.