THANKS TO THE SUPREME COURT'S GUTTING OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT, FOR MANY VOTERS IN SOUTHERN STATES IT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT
TO CAST A VOTE IN NEXT WEEK'S ELECTION --
CLEARLY THIS IS A COINCIDENCE.
LET'S BRING UP A
MAP, YOU WILL SEE THE VARIOUS STATES THAT HAD THESE CUTBACKS.
TEXAS CUT OVER 400 POLLING PLACES. 400.
LOUISIANA, 100.
YOU
THINK THAT'S RANDOM?
OKAY, TEXAS IS MUCH LARGER -- LOUISIANA,
THAT IS A DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE CUT.
ARIZONA, 200.
SOME OF
THE STATES, BY THE WAY, LIKE NORTH CAROLINA AND ARIZONA, ARE
THE ONES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE INCREDIBLY TIGHT, COULD
DETERMINE THE PATH OF THE NEXT FOUR OR EIGHT YEARS FOR THE
COUNTRY.
AND MANY PEOPLE WILL FIND IT'S JUST A LOT HARDER TO
END UP VOTING.
THE GROUP THAT PUT OUT THIS REPORT, THE
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE EDUCATION FUND, SAID THIS ABOUT THE EFFECT
OF THE 16% CUT --
SO FOR MANY VOTERS THEY MIGHT FIND THAT THE PLACES WHERE THEY
PREVIOUSLY VOTED JUST SIMPLY VANISHED.
ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE IN TEXAS.
I HAVE A REMEDY YOU MIGHT FIND CONTROVERSIAL, I DON'T THINK IT
IS.
BEFORE I GET TO THAT, IN CASE YOU WERE NOT AWARE OF THE
RAMIFICATIONS AND WHY THEY DO IT, I WILL PLAY VIDEO 3 IN A
SECOND, THEY DO VOTER ID LAWS SO THAT POOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE
CARS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND DON'T HAVE DRIVER'S LICENSES, HAVE A
MUCH HARDER TIME VOTING.
THEY THINK THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO
VOTE DEMOCRAT.
AND 24% OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE COUNTRY
DON'T HAVE ANY ID WITH A PICTURE ON IT, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM
LIVE IN CITIES, THEY DON'T NEED A CAR.
SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD
ONE, OR DON'T NEED ONE, 25%.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHO THEY ARE
DISENFRANCHISING AND FOR WHAT REASON.
AND CUTTING BACK EARLY
VOTING HOURS AND EARLY VOTING DAYS, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?
BECAUSE YOU WANT FEWER PEOPLE TO VOTE.
THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION,
AND SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE GROUPS IN THE
COUNTRY, HERITAGE FOUNDATION, ALEC, THE MORAL MAJORITY,
LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID ABOUT VOTING.
WHAT I CALL THE GOO GOO SYNDROME, GOOD GOVERNMENT.
THEY
WANT EVERYBODY TO VOTE.
I DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO VOTE.
ELECTIONS ARE NOT WON BY A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, THEY NEVER
HAVE BEEN FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR COUNTRY AND THEY ARE NOT
NOW.
AS A MATTER OF FACT OUR LEVERAGE IN THE ELECTIONS QUITE
CANDIDLY GOES UP AS THE VOTING POPULACE GOES DOWN.
THAT WAS BACK IN 1980, THEY BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 40
YEARS, THAT IS THE GODFATHER OF THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT, HE
TOLD THEM, BASICALLY, LET'S MAKE SURE THEY DON'T VOTE.
AND WHO
WAS OPPOSED TO THEM?
AFRICAN AMERICANS, MINORITIES, THE LIST
GOES ON.
THE REASON YOU SAW THE MAP YOU DID WITH ALL THOSE
SOUTHERN STATES, THAT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT.
WAS OUR SOUTHERN
STATES WERE WHITES ARE IN CHARGE, RIGHT-WING WHITES, THEY
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT BLACK PEOPLE WITH NO POWER DON'T GET
TO VOTE IN THOSE STATES.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO PASS THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT, NOW THE SUPREME COURT GUTTED THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT, NOW THEY'RE LIKE, WE GET TO DO THIS AGAIN.
SO WHAT IS MY
CONTROVERSIAL REPLY TO THIS?
WHY DON'T WE DO IT TOO?
AND USE THE
SAME EXACT IDEOLOGY?
HEY, GUYS, HAVING ALL THESE POLLING PLAYERS
IS OPEN -- AND BY THE WAY, THAT'S THE LAST PART OF THE
PUZZLE AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART -- WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GO
INTO PLACES THAT ARE HEAVILY MINORITY, HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC,
AND THEY TAKE AWAY THE POLLS.
OKAY, NOW YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL A
LONG WAY.
AND ONCE YOU GET THERE YOU WILL WAIT ON A LONG LINE.
YOU MISSED WORK ON A TUESDAY?
SORRY.
GOT TIRED OF WAITING
SEVEN HOURS BECAUSE I CLOSED THE POLLING STATION EXCEPT ONE THAT
IS SUPER FAR FROM ALL OF YOU?
SORRY.
OKAY.
WELL, THERE ARE A
LOT OF PLACES WITH DEMOCRATIC MAYORS THAT ARE ALSO IN SWING
STATES THAT ARE IMPORTANT, WHY DON'T WE DO LIKEWISE?
I KNOW --
OH MY GOD, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
BUT THEY ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW
AND THERE'S NO REMEDY.
ONCE THE VOTE HAS HAPPENED IT'S OVER, YOU
CAN CRY ALL YOU WANT ABOUT IT WAS AN INJUSTICE, BUT IT'S OVER.
SO MAYORS IN PHILADELPHIA, PITTSBURGH, AND A LOT OF THE
CITIES IN VIRGINIA, AND MICHIGAN, WHY NOT?
AND ALL I
WANT YOU TO DO IS THE SAME EXACT THING AS REPUBLICANS.
AND IF
ANYBODY ASKS YOU, JUST TAKE OUT THE WORD REPUBLICAN AND PUT IN
THE WORD DEMOCRAT AND USE THEIR SAME TALKING POINTS, USE THE
SAME LETTERS.
THE BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS.
IN MICHIGAN WE
CAN'T EVEN HAVE CLEAN WATER, HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO OPEN UP ALL
THESE POLLING PLACES?
I KNOW THAT IN DETROIT YOU HAVE A LOT
OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS AND DEMOCRATIC VOTERS BUT THERE ARE
ALSO SOME PARTS OF DETROIT THAT ARE MORE SUBURBS OR REPUBLICAN.
TO ALMOST SUBURBS NEED ALL THOSE POLLING PLACES?
THEY
PROBABLY HAVE DRIVER'S LICENSES, THEY CAN GO OTHER PLACES.
ALMOST SUBURBS IN PHILADELPHIA, DO THEY NEED
POLLING PLACES?
I THINK THEY SHOULD GO INTO THE MIDDLE OF
NORTH AND WEST PHILADELPHIA TO VOTE.
AS THE GUY IN ALABAMA
SAYS, DON'T BE SO LAZY.
LET'S GO TO THAT VIDEO, THE SECRETARY OF
STATE IN ALABAMA -- WE WILL SHOW YOU TWO VIDEOS, THIS GUY
CLAIMS HE IS ON THE SIDE OF CIVIL RIGHTS AS HE STEPS
DOWN POLLING PLACES IN ALABAMA SO BLACK PEOPLE CAN VOTE.
I DON'T THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOUR BIRTHDAY COMES
AROUND THAT YOU WANT TO BE RINSED OR TO VOTE.
BECAUSE
CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS, WHO WOULD TELL YOU HE'S MY FRIEND,
CONGRESSWOMAN TERRY SEWELL, WHO MY DAUGHTER HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO
INTERN FOR IN WASHINGTON, DC, DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.,
REVEREND JESSE JACKSON, A PHILIP RANDOLPH, I CAN NAME MANY CIVIL
RIGHTS PIONEERS, ROSA PARKS -- THESE PEOPLE FOUGHT, SOME OF
THEM WERE BEATEN OR KILLED, BECAUSE OF THEIR DESIRE TO
ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT WANTED TO HAD THE RIGHT TO
REGISTER TO VOTE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS.
I'M NOT GOING TO
CHEAPEN THE WORK THAT THEY DID, I'M NOT GOING TO EMBARRASS THEM,
BY ALLOWING SOMEBODY THAT'S TOO SORRY TO GET UP OFF OF THEIR
REAR END TO GO REGISTER TO VOTE, OR NOW BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE
DONE, TURN THE COMPUTER ON REGISTER TO VOTE BECAUSE THEY
THINK THEY DESERVE THE RIGHT BECAUSE THEY'VE TURNED 18.
TO ME
THAT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN GIVING THEM A TROPHY BECAUSE THEY
PLAYED ON THE BALL TEAM.
YOU ONLY GET A TROPHY IF YOU WIN.
HE IS FOCUSED ON WINNING.
I LIKE THE PRELUDE TO THAT -- LET ME LIST EVERY
AFRICAN-AMERICAN I KNOW.
SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN, BUT I'M GOING TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR
AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO VOTE.
YOU GET REGISTERED FOR A LOT OF
THINGS ARE MEDICALLY, AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO PAY TAXES.
NOBODY SAYS GET UP OFF YOUR ASS AND REGISTER TO PAY TAXES.
YOU ARE REQUIRED AT 18 TO REGISTER FOR THE MILITARY.
HE IS SAYING I WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO VOTE BECAUSE THAT'S
WHAT ROSA PARKS AND THE KING WOULD HAVE WANTED.
THEY WANTED
THE OPPOSITE, THE WHOLE REASON THEY RISKED PRISON AND BEATING
AND GETTING KILLED IS BECAUSE THEY WANTED IT TO BE EASIER TO
VOTE.
THIS GUY SAYS GET UP OFF YOUR ASS AND REGISTER.
OKAY, ALL
THESE REPUBLICAN SUBURBS, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GO TO WEST
PHILLY AND VOTE.
DO I WANT ANYONE TO ACTUALLY DO THIS?
OF
COURSE NOT, BUT I ACTUALLY BELIEVE
IN DEMOCRACY.
ACTUALLY, IT IS RIGGED.
SOME DEMOCRATS WILL GET MAD AT ME, THERE ARE PROGRESSIVE GROUPS
IN WASHINGTON -- YOU WANT TO DO A CONVENTION FOR AN AMENDMENT.
REPUBLICANS CAN USE THAT DEMOCRATIC PROCESS TOO.
YEAH,
THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, BOTH SIDES CAN USE IT.
VOTING IS A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, I WANT EVERYONE TO VOTE, I'M THE
OPPOSITE OF THAT GUY.
WHY ARE WE NOT DOING UNILATERAL
DISCERNMENT?
IF THEY SAY THEY ARE SHUTTING DOWN POLLING PLACES
BECAUSE OF COST AND THEY ARE ALL IN DEMOCRATIC AREAS, DEMOCRATS
SHOULD SHUT DOWN POLLING PLACES AND SAY REPUBLICANS, I KNOW YOU
CARE ABOUT THE BUDGET, I WOULDN'T WANT TO RUN A DEFICIT.
GOLLY GEE, JUST LIKE THE COINCIDENCE YOU HAD IN THE SOUTH
WHERE YOU SHUT DOWN POLLING PLACES IN BLACK AREAS, I SHUT
THEM DOWN AND REPUBLICAN AREAS.
WHAT A CRAZY COINCIDENCE.
YOU
WANT TO PLAY AT THIS GAME, LET'S PLAY.
I DON'T WANT THIS GAMEPLAY, BUT IF THEY ARE GOING TO PLAY
THERE IS NO REASON IT SHOULD BE ONE-SIDED.
OTHER THAN THE HYPOCRISY THEY WOULD BE ACCUSED OF.
OKAY, YOU DON'T WANT TO CLOSE DOWN POLLING STATIONS?
GREAT, LET'S MAKE A DEAL.
THAT WOULD BE THE RECRIMINATIONS.
THEY WOULD SAY WAIT A MINUTE, YOU ARE CLOSING DOWN OUR POLLING
STATIONS.
THAT'S INTERESTING, YOU ARE CLOSING DOWN MINE.
HOW
ABOUT WE MAKE A DEAL WHERE WE DON'T CLOSE DOWN ANY?