Republicans in Florida set out to make registering voters harder for this election. The new rules took effect last year, and the results are clear. Republicans are still reaching and registering new voters, if not quite as many. Democrats, as you can see on the chart above, are scarcely registering new voters at all.
In May, a federal court blocked enforcement of the law. The Florida Times-Union reports that June and July posted the highest numbers of new voters all year.
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I would be willing to bet that a lot of those new registrations came in because of Ron Paul, who did not decide to campaign in Florida during the primaries.
Rest assured, most of those new Republican voters are probably not happy with Mitt Romney.
Maybe not. But they'll fall in line WITH Mitt Romney to remove President Obama! They don't care what it looks like. As long as they remove him. The puppeteers-that-be figure they'll pull Romney's strings once he gets in the White House. He'll never be President, even if selected. WE NEED TO STOP THAT!!
We do need to stop him, especially in Florida. Are those partisan criminal penalties for late registrations intimidating dems from regsitering or participating in registration drives? I'll bet they're not imposed for Republicans.
I can guarantee that a majority of those new voters come from Ron Paul supporters, who want nothing to do with Mitt Romney come November.
Hear, ye, hear, ye, Ron Paul fans! Get over him... he's done! Yield, or you waste your vote! Next time, work harder for your candidate. If you don't vote, then you lost your voice... and you have no right to complain.
"next time, work harder for your candidate."
Not that this is untrue, but it makes it sound like Mitt Romney surpassed Ron Paul because of more phone-banks and door-to-doors rather than having millions and millions more to pour into a campaign. Ron Paul has a lot of strong supporters, just not as many of them are bazillionaires like Romney's friends.
Work harder???? We busted our ass for what was supposed to be a fair contest, we will vote but it will not be for Mittens Obamney!
I do not agree with Ron Paul's political point of view, however, his supporters appear to work very hard and are loyal. Mr. Paul did not have the financial backing that Romney does, and you have to accept Romney's candidacy and if he is elected has been bought and paid for. Unfortunately for our Country the price is much too high, it is our Democracy. Between citizens united and voter suppression this election is not fair to any citizen who truly believes in Democracy.
You may be right. But as I said before, they'll fall in line WITH Mitt Romney to remove President Obama! They don't care what it looks like. As long as they remove him. The puppeteers-that-be figure they'll pull Romney's strings once he gets in the White House. He'll never be President, even if selected. WE NEED TO STOP THAT!!
Ron Paul's Libertarian view are manifestly contradicted by collecting decades of entitlements from the very government he opposes. He is an iconoclast because he thinks he has view that makes sense. Nothing he says is ever questioned.
Really on 9 viewers? Then what are you worried about? Go back to watching Fox...where study after study has shown they know less about what's really going on than those who no news at all.
Alpheus....care to cite any of the "study after studies" you refer to in your effort to marginalize Fox News?
No need to marginalize Fox "news", they have done so themselves, and are clearly broadcasting only "entertainment".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/fox-news-viewers-less-informed-people-fairleigh-dickinson_n_1106305.html
The linked to article contains access to the study showing that Fox news viewers are less informed than people who watch no news at all.
Here you go: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/fox-news-less-informed-new-study_n_1538914.html
And, in case you don't like the Huff Post: http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/174826/survey-nprs-listeners-best-informed-fox-news-viewers-worst-informed/
Voter Suppression Florida Done
Voter Suppression Ohio Done
Voter Suppression Pennsylvania Done
Voter Suppression Texas Done
Voter Suppression Michigan Done
Voter Suppression Wisconsin Done
Mitt Romney Wins in a Landslide, Suppression Succession.
With all this voter suppresion and the corporate money going into the effort to buy and steal this election it just might crush their party when they still lose to Obama and those freedom loving ,democracy seeking , demon crats eh?
The conservative, evangelist, republican moves as does a demon wearing Medusa's head of many hissing tongues, one speaking a message of distraction while another serpent can strike.
True that the tentacles that feed this monster are rooted between and mingled with coins of gold and silver and dine upon the plentiful lettuce of cash.
Those rooted tentacles are themselves gathering strength in the rot of decay, feeding at the toll bridge between mineral and fungi realms.
The plan is so simple, take it all, and use it all to take is all, before the end times, so that when they die all their wealth goes with them, what remains for the meek.
This is just a metaphor or two or more to save you from falling asleep from lengthy sentences. The tactic of the strategy is to apply the strategy to the tactic; the enemy mankind; will never know the difference between tactic and strategy or the strategy of the tactic. This has collapsed any desire of the enemy to understand overall war being waged against all that is reasonable or ordinary. This works because those wish for better world, and do also choose to take action, will react with a tactic when a strategy is called for and with a strategy when a tactic will do. Yes political warfare is warfare by another means. The goal is create blindness, despair, and poverty so that all that is power belongs to the powerful, and the will to resist is branded shameless. (yes that is hard to read.)
A case study for the purpose of raising questions, questions that a first seem to have honest answers, but reveal the impossibility of an answer.
Voter Suppression Florida Done.
Voter Suppression Ohio Done.
Voter Suppression Pennsylvania Done.
Voter Suppression Texas Done.
Voter Suppression Michigan Done.
Voter Suppression Wisconsin Done.
Mitt Romney Wins in a Landslide, Suppression Succession.
This was created to illustrate outrage at the prospect of one republican strategist using an overt, visible, discernable and open public means to suppress the vote. But why undertake an openly public display of such an obvious offensive tactic? This example celibates the victory of the collaborators in their many and dastardly goals of making it more difficult for the poor, unable and disenfranchised voters from exercising their last and only power to govern themselves by laws that they want, support and need.
Voting from its long and ancient history both a readily accepted idea by those wishing to concentrate power, and shortly after abhorred by those having power and not willing to have that power directing their easy corruption. The ancient Greeks largely attributed to the idea of the vote, had one problem after another; the votes were public, the powerful and the poor could be seen voting, when the decided it as to secret they deposited color balls, where a single mismatch would stop the decision. Then the powerful made the case for the land owner, the wealthy, the clergy, the educated to limit the vote, and exclude the poor women, minorities, slaves and people who were thought to be colored blue.
And surely the lame, deformed, the mentally deficient, the criminal, the destitute the divorced need not be allowed to cast the vote. In sum every possible sophomoric arguments would made to restrict the list of voters to people we could trust. This practice remains today, and when it is studied, it is abundantly clear, that no set of standards could prevent every form of abuse.
This is also clear when reading all the laws passed in the past, still on the books, and horribly unequal and based on the pretentions choice that because something's are wrong, and something's cannot be fixed, something's that might be changed may also be wrong. However protesting too much has allowed the worst of all possible worlds to be upon us; if the voting process may be abused, and we can’t fix it then we just as might take advantage of for our own righteous ends, Medusa's head has those ends close to mind.
The strategy of using an overt, visible, discernable and open public has to count for something? It is a criminal and open provocation of those who are being disenfranchised, provocation, means that the trap has been set, it contains a deadly brew of "You are playing the ethnic card". Now the larger question who is provoking who and for what reason and for what effect and for what reaction and what display of open hostility are hoping for?
The republican strategists remember to this day the democratic convention in 1968 and how provoking violent police reaction granting Nixon the election and those same strategists also remember the huge power play by Nixon in 1972. All political pundits are neophytes who have not studied the conventions long past conventions of both parties, as well the insidious party platforms, the corrupt campaign messaging, the monumental lies and exaggerations, have failed to see the one central point; what valuable relevance or valuable relationship do party politics, platforms, messaging and expenditure have to do with improving the quality of an election vs. improving the quality of governance. To the pundits Tweedledum and Tweedledee we’ve done good hee, hee, hee. Oh, the elections was exciting, our predictions are true, our incite valuable and after the election the government of the people falls apart in the hand basket, pundits pick up and do all again the next elections this is called progress?
All serious governance aside, the USA has been blessed with the wealth that can be wasted on this political system. To a point yes, but even if it has been ever been thus for hundreds of years, it does not mean the flaws are not now showing, in the economic system guided by flawed politics.
What could be more obvious than to have "party" registration, at the beck and call of every voter suppression effort in history? Names and address party affiliation, purchases, email account, associations and all that can be had using the secret data mining power of computers. This is designed to define markets for votes, and markets votes not worth the effort. To define an isolate the groups that may be purchasable as voter market commodities. This development has made the secret ballot, needed to protect voter from the slaver, the voter from abuse, the voter from harassment. What would be a greater voter fraud than to have and election of 180 million votes decided by a few score of voting precincts in handful of states where given names and addressed the campaign could just sent a check for a new thousand voters. The outrage is the system is not working.
So the outrage has to be directed to the last resort of the past resort, you have to get voters registered, you have to motivate them to vote and you have to deliver them to the polls. Remember the courts cannot help you; Governor's, Secretaries of States are willful punishing voting officials and are visible and public in their suppression efforts. Those who want to change this will have crawl on their hands and knees to attract attention to the public's wrath.
Then if this effort does not succeed, to ring in democracy, this will be the "last election", the voting secrecy will be thing of the past, and those that vote against the ruling power will be punished by the winners using the same information gathered electronically. From this "last election" forward, their needs to be little done other than to supply "Citizens United" campaign money to the controlling districts and to propagandize voting and being unneeded as the polls show the fact before they are facts.
Since the time of Nixon, the countries law enforcement budgets have grown … but what does that have for voter suppression … 1968.
Americans may fail to recognize the danger, and may not have the will to assure the right to vote, and then will be no more after the "last election".
Hey Rich, did you have your meds today?
"...and that this Nation under God will have a new birth of freedom..."
Not all bad: Keep in mind total number of Dems registered in that time is nearly DOUBLE the number of Repubs. Maybe there just aren't that many Dems left to register? :)
People move into/out of the state. People change addresses. People get married and change names. These are routine.
After I looked at the chart a couple of times, that's what I began to think. There are still more registered Democrats than there are Republicans. Simply because only a few registered this year, doesn't mean a lot when you look at the big picture.
As Miracle said, people move, change addresses, get married and change names - and also COME OF AGE TO VOTE. If you've just turned 18 this year, you have never been registered to vote yet.
That cannot be right. That's terrible. Maybe the Dems in FL have no backbone like the ones in TX and Ohio. Maybe they are not even trying. Sad. There need to be strong leadership in the States Democratic Party.
If you assume a near 50/50 divide in party affiliation, then you get numbers similar to 2002 in most years. If you assume the opportunity to vote for Obama geared up the black vote, then 2010 makes sense. Without suppression efforts (including restrictions of voter registration efforts) the results should probably look like 2002. I say probably b/c there's not enough data presented in order to be more definitive.
It isn't so much that Dems weren't trying, as it was that in FL they basically made it illegal for any non-partisian group to register voters. For example the LWV quite registering people. The NAACP, including my local branch, were threatened, intimidated and fined for little mistakes in following a Byzantine voter reg law.
The good news is that these laws are now no longer an issue. The courts have overturned some of the worst provisions and the NAACP and LWV and many other third-party groups can return to registering voters. We are having a real push here in the last month or so of registration.
However, I will agree with you that we need stronger leadership in our state party.
cm1165 is right. The laws are no longer active, but MUCH TIME has been lost that the League of Women Voters, the NAACP and Rock the Vote would have normally been frantically registering voters. It has obviously had a dramatic affect. I would also think with the attack on Medicare, many Seniors would be registering as Democrats instead of Republicans this year (I don't know if FL makes you declare or not.) Even though Romney CLAIMS it will "not affect anyone over 55" - it is patently NOT TRUE. In 10 years, when those 55 year-old are 65 and the 65 year-olds are 75 and the Voucher system is in place, Doctors will LEAVE the "old" Medicare system in droves, being able to charge much more in the private market. This will force seniors off the "old" program and into the Voucher program just to find Providers.
If Romney/Ryan's Voucher Medicare program is so good, why are they waiting until they'd be out of office to enact it? Why not do it now? They're basically just putting Seniors on the private market, which already exists, so it's not like it would be a hard transition - so if it's so good - why not do it now? You know why? Because they think they can trick current Seniors into thinking it won't affect them (even though it will - if you're going to live 10 more years - it will definitely affect you.) They don't want to lose the current Senior vote - that's what it boils down to - so they're feeding them this line about it "not affecting" them. Well if it's so good...why would it matter if it affects them or not? EVERYONE knows the plan is horrible and replaces a plan that Seniors LOVE now - and would fight with their votes to keep if they thought they were going to lose it. They SHOULD BE SCARED ANYWAY. it will affect any Senior alive in 10 years (whey Romney will be long gone and out of office even if he wins 2 terms.)
The only provision in the new law that would have an effect on the chart above is the portion on voter registration groups. The groups must be far more organized now to submit cards on time. To take that new requirement, and conclude voter suppression is afoot, one must also conclude that demoract groups are unable to organize like the republican groups. Why don't you just say that instead of pretend its something else or hint at some sort of disenfranchisement.
No, bisi. It's voter suppression. Rick Scott and his cronies kept groups like the League of Women Voters from registering people. A teacher in Florida almost went to jail over registering seniors in her social studies classes.
That sent a big message to young people and to the groups that endeavor to register those who are poor and powerless.
Yes, you can think that Democrats must be too stupid to get registered, which can only be valid based on an assertion that being a Democrat makes one stupid. As much as it can seem the case that the other side is nothing but idiots, that's not a reality. So, it makes more sense, that those efforts to restrict voter registration (relative to the way it was being facilitated in prior years) must be adversely affecting a population that is overwhelmingly Democratic.
Nelson's running. Forget Obama, what the hell's have Nelson's people been doing?
Now that the law is in place in Florida and the rest of the country, maybe the main reason for the dramatic drop in voter registration is really attributed to people (illegal immigrants) not having proper documentation rather than their votes being suppressed. Therefore the Voter ID law really works and would insure a fair & honest election.
And if you believe that, you're even more of a moron than you seem.
Of the ten (not 10,000 or 10,000,000 but 10) cases of voter fraud in the entire US since the year 2000 not one was by a illegal immigrant. Since voter fraud is not an issue then voter suppression is the only logical reason for voter ID laws.
There are hundred or so voter fraud convictions in Al Franken's state alone. Time to update your talking points.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrezza/2012/08/08/sen-al-franken-voter-fraud-revelations-call-for-ways-to-reduce-it/
Re: #10.3
Time to update your talking point.
Conservative media hype not accurate
Be afraid, be very afraid of the Cindy's ..she is the typical brainwashed idiot who will bring this great country to it's knees, while the Romney's and the Ryans rob us of our money and control what you do with your vagina. Good luck cindy U to can live under a bridge with the baby you had because your "mentally challenged" brother raped u...and you have no job and no gov program to help U
maphi,
the prosecutions are still ongoing, and the point remains that just in this state are more than 10 convictions.
Voter id gets you into the booth. The real fraud happens after you cast your electronic vote. That is where the real "magic" begins.
"Ongoing" means "not convictions" means "Shooter's full of sh!t again".
How can dems not know how to "get out the vote"?
Perhaps they should rally the presbytarian vote...
Republicans love stealing elections, don't they! There's got to be some way to combat this. We can't let them win this way. It is truly Un-American.
I am a practicing Catholic and a registered Independent.
I am Pro Life - I pray for both the unborn and I pray for those who are born already.
When I vote, I do not factor the abortion issue. I do not let anyone exploit my faith for anyone's political gain -" the Catholic Vote" as they put it.
My objective conscience tells me that the abortion issue belongs more in the spiritual rather than in the political realm.
How many bishops and priests do we see marching to the White White or somewhere else?
Why don't Catholic Bishops (Bishop Romney is running for office) and priests run for office and present legislation for the protection of the unborn?
The Republicans were more forgiving of others in their party who committed more serious offenses than Akin's. Why? Akins exposed Paul Ryan's and perhaps the Republican Party's true sentiment re the abortion issue. Paul Ryan distanced himself from Akins; stated that Romney will set the agenda with his exception on matters of rape and incest. What is worse, Ryan added or stated, "It (Romney's position) is in the right direction." What happened to the Republican Party's Platform on Pro Life with no exception?
My sense is that perhaps, Pro Life issue is just being used to get the Catholic Vote. Listen to the RNC's Campaign 2012. Objectively speaking, they speak louder for the protection of their income taxes than for the protection of the unborn. True or False?
If you truly care for the unborn, go to church and pray for the unborn
If you truly care for those who are already born: the unemployed, the homeless, the hungry, the needy. go to church and pray for them, too and most of all pray for enlightenment who to vote for, then go to the voting booth and vote for those who will meet the needs of those who are already born. If you cast the wrong vote, the unborn will suffer the most. True or False?
Democrats, do not feel disheartened or discouraged.
Realize and recognize the fact that Obama's "failures" are due to the Republican's obstructionist agenda. They want Obama to be a one time president.
Realize that under difficult and challenging situations, it is the effort and the intentions that count. What is best for the lower and the middle class has always been at Obama's heart. He fought for us the best he could. For the unemployed, he had the Jobs Act Bill. He asked the people to call Congressmen and Senators to pass this bill. If you are unemployed and did not make the call, you are partly to blame whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. Learn that our participation goes beyond election time. Do better next time.
If Obama gets re elected, there's a good chance the current Republican Congressmen and Senators will be voted out of office because the Republican Establishment will fire them for failing to make Obama a one time president.
Give Obama another four years and hear him roar!
Get out and vote.
Consider the impact of no competitive primaries in this comparison. Also, the Obama ground game has been intact for over a year in Florida where the Republican teams were in frantic registration mode. I'm not saying it isn't disconcerting, but it would help to see a broader range (like a 6 month period).
There are still more than 400,000 registered Democrats than Republicans in Florida. I would like to see Obama go into Florida and campaign. He really hasn't been there lately. He has spent most of his time in Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, and Iowa.
Obama needs to spend a week in Florida.
Hey Rachel, I have some Tums for you since you have to spend a week in insanity.
Did anyone catch Christie's speech? I had the sound off but he looked like an angry fat pig on stage. The only thing missing was an apple in his mouth.
At the RNC, Haley, Christie, Kasick failed to tell us who Romney is because neither do they know him. Scary?
Implicitly they're telling us and the Romneys, " We know you aren't going to release more than 2 years of your income tax return, your involvement with the Olympics, Bain Capital, the Mormon Church. Other than that, we really don't know much else about you. Consequently, all we can say is, "Mittt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee."
Because of the time remaining, we might as well talk about ourselves and "campaign" for our re election and have the Super Pacs pay for it, too.
It's gut-wrenching to see the hypocrisy in repulicans lining up to register to vote for other republicans who used the govt to interfere with the registration process! On its FACE that is the opposite of republican so-called principles of small government!
It's really gut-wrenching to see Dems apparently give up registering, too! We have to find a way to fight this!
One of the Mormon Apostles was interviewed in "CURRENT" tv show. According to him, the Mormon religion is similar to the Masons which to my understanding is a secret society banned (?) from or by the Catholic Church. Romney is not just a regular Mormon but a Bishop of his ward. Paul Ryan, his Vice-Pres nominee is an Irish practicing Catholic. Correct me if I am wrong (I might be right before or after Romney changed his position) Romney is for abortion in cases of rape and incest. Paul Ryan said, to paraphrase," it is Romney who will set the agenda on the abortion issue. It is a step in the right direction"
My sense: Even before getting elected as Vice-President Ryan, a practicing Catholic is already positioned to implement Romney's, a Mormon, agenda on abortion issues; if not ready to subvert or set aside his faith or political belief or priciples on this matter, perhaps.
What would Pope Benedict XVI say?
Does it make sense for Catholics who claim to be pro life to vote for the Romney-Ryan ticket?
Would it make sense for Republican - Catholics to just not vote in 2012?
Time for soul searching.
does it makefor devout, practicing Catholics
How many practicing Catholics are there who pay any attention to their Bishops on abortion and contraception matters? I think the Catholic vote is pretty diverse and while a lot of Catholics are not fond of abortion, nearly all of the rank and file are serious believers in family planning and use contraception, and many, if not most, of the rank and file are either pro-choice or believe their should be exceptions in the cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. In short Catholics are just like the rest of the country. There is a giant cavern between the alter and the pew. The Bishops don't even begin to think it is necessary to build a bridge.
Ever consider the law is working as intended, that is, to reduce or eliminate the opprotunity for those not eligible to vote from registering, like illigal immigrants? And that the uptick of Repub's and corresponding down-tick of Dem's registering in 2012 might have something to do with the current Administration's (and do-nothing Dem-led Senate) performance over the last 3 1/2 years? I recall Obama saying something about serving only one term if he couldn't turn economy around and unemployment below 8%... that is one promise I'd like to see him keep, and I will certainly be casting my vote to help him achieve it.
Too bad that the new republicans in the house didn't make the same promise. I'd love to see them voted out and believe me I will be casting my vote to rid congress of those obstructionists.
SO, looking at the chart, with Republicans having to go through the same steps, Democrats are either too stupid and/or too lazy to register to vote, or there was a ton of fraud. Well, what do you want it to be?
Considering the fact that the Republican party is successfully registering, it would seem to me the Florida Democrats aren't working very hard. The local party needs a shake up, but that could only happen if the national party gave a damn. What is the common denominator between the DNC and the Florida Democratic Party--that's right the very pretty but pretty useless Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
ONLY a RACIST, AGIST, SEXIST or POLITICIST would suggest that it is somehow harder for a young, white male would-be Democrat to register to vote than an old, Black female would-be Republican. The rules of registration are the EXACT SAME for everyone regardless of race, color, creed, gender, age, sexual orientation, or prior political affiliation.
Everyone who is a Democrat is already registered.
I watched the speeches. I was not impressed. I am amazed though that Santorum.Mrs. Romney,and Christie can lie into the camera so well. Santorum lied about welfare. Ann lied about Bain. Mitt was born rich and at the expense of many others enriched himself more. Whyare we forgetting the time he bullied the young man and cut his hair. Was that just a joke too ?? Cristie was not able to bully any reporter and call them stupid. He didn't even have any zingers for the crowd. If the Republicans had to tell the truth...two unpaid wars based on lies Bush,Cheney...expensive tax cuts for the rich..currenly lying in their commercials..they would having nothing to say..
Okay so yes there are less Democrats registering, but without analysis and support this is just data, not useful information. Is it because the majority of Democrats registered before 2008 and there just aren't that many new? Is it because the Dems are doing a horrible job in Florida? Is it because Florida has become a conservative state since 2008. Yes you can say this is due to tougher registration laws, but you have to come at that with more than a low number. I am surprised because the TRMS usually puts way more facts behind a chart like this... I don't doubt these laws are having an impact but show it with details...
Next step for the Rs, park the panzers in front of the polling places.