If the North Carolina Republican party is attacking William Barber, then William Barber is winning. Barber’s not on the ballot and he’s not an officer of the North Carolina Democratic Party. He’s head of the North Carolina NAACP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for the interests of African-Americans.
The GOP’s pathetic broadside against Barber fell flat. They tried to discredit Barber and the Moral Monday movement that he leads by accusing him of taking money from labor organizations. The accusation, even it was true, is weak. But the fact that it’s not makes the GOP look foolish and petty. WRAL debunked their claims in a fact check that said NC GOP Chair Hasan Harnett and spokesman Ricky Diaz “both made statements that aren’t fully backed by the evidence at hand.” In other words, they lied.
It’s not just the party that’s going after Barber and he’s not the only target. Sham news organizations are trying influence public support in the Voting Rights trial being held in Winston-Salem.
A new front group called “Jones and Blount” tries to pass itself off as a legitimate news outlet but it’s little more than a Fox News-like organization that puts a Republican spin on current events. They characterize the trial and the more than than 3000 protesters as being inflated by “out-of-state protesters” with the lawsuit being funded by George Soros.
Most ridiculous, though, is their characterization of the voter suppression laws as being passed “to prevent voter fraud.” No, they weren’t. They were passed to make it more difficult for people who disagree with Republicans to vote.
Voter fraud is just a Republican dog whistle to rally the racist wing of their base behind the bill. Republicans never mentioned voter fraud until Barack Obama was elected president. Republicans strategists came up with the idea to limit access to the ballot box but they used racism to build popular support for suppression laws. The implication is that Obama is not a legitimate president because only through stealing an election could a black man have been elected President of the United States. Hence, voter fraud becomes the code term.
Regardless of whether the bills are found constitutional or not, the evidence of intentional voter suppression is overwhelming. Conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly said the measures were necessary because “early voting plays a major role in Obama’s ground game.” Pennsylvania House Majority Leader told Republicans that voter ID laws would allow Romney to win the state.
And now, North Carolina Board of Elections member, Paul Foley, is caught working with GOP leaders to eliminate an early voting site that historically voted heavily Democratic. That’s fraud. And all these people claiming they’re trying to protect the integrity of elections? They’re frauds.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
The truth of all this is that time is of the essence. Those who console themselves in anticipation of eventual defeat of the voter suppression and lies all perfected during the J Edgar Hoover administration under the name CONINTELPRO, have another thing coming. While the Koch Brothers and their coterie would possibly gotten better propaganda value for their money from a successful right wing movie, the stakes are high for the right has come close to destroying the Union, and will succeed if Sanders doesn’t win this time.
The replay of the methods employed by the winners after the Wilmington Coup of 1898, or was it 1899?, kept NC labor down for the rest of the 20th Century.
I have heard all of these conspiracies for years – but WHERE is the proof? If there really was rampant voter fraud, don’t you think the right wing, with all of their newspapers, radio stations, and even a cable news network, would be showing us the proof day and night? Interviewing election officials who “caught” the fraudsters? Showing us the legions of dead people who voted? Proving to us that hordes of undocumented immigrants flooded the polling places?? Anyone? Anyone at all??
Believing in voter fraud by undocumented people is almost laughable. These people don’t want anything more than a job and a place to live and raise their families, similar to the immigrants who arrived in the 17th and 18th and 19th and 20th centuries. They take the lowest jobs available at the lowest wages around and work toward bettering the lives of their children, and hopefully, bettering their own lives along the way. It would take a fool to believe they want any type of publicity, and the majority are never known about. I know the goppers have an agenda, but just because they would cheat doesn’t mean anyone else does. The sooner the gop is again reduced to a small minority, the better the State of North Carolina and her people will be.
I’m a Democrat. But let me repeat, for the umpteenth time: In NC we have a Republican governor, lieutenant governor, commissioner of labor, commissioner of agriculture, both US senators and 10 of 13 members of congress–all Republicans. The GOP has overwhelming majorities in both houses of our state legislature. All those Repubicans holding elective office in North Carolina while Democratic registration outnumbers that of the Republicans, yet they claim WE’RE cheating? Either we ain’t too good at it or they’re imaging things! No, it’s not happening unless they’re doing it.
Frank: It’s spelled g-e-r-r-y-m-a-n-d-e-r-i-n-g.
Absolutely right! Gerrymandering works wonders as fraud.
They’re asking for a picture id and for voters to register prior to election day… Let’s not blow this out of proportion.
You’re being reasonable. Anyone who has been relying on voter fraud for decades is not going to think that you are being reasonable.Thus, the first line of attack you’re going to face is the mantra that there is no voter fraud. Personally, if I’m a legitimate voter, I’d like to know that my vote didn’t get cancelled out by someone not entitled to vote here, especially given the estimated several hundred thousand illegal aliens in the state.
TY:
As someone who has never “relied” on voter fraud for anything, I think you and your friend “Really?” are indeed being unreasonable.
There is no voter fraud. If you disagree with that statement, prove it. Provide us with your long list and your data and your citations and the news coverage of court case rulings of voter fraud. But you can’t. Why? Because there is no voter fraud.
There’s just unfounded claims, conspiracy theories, innuendo and lies about there being substantive voter fraud. But it doesn’t exist. There’s only NCGOP’ers and neo-cons claiming such with not a lick of evidence.
I’ll hazard that you also believe that the USA’s moon-landings were faked, that a UFO crashed in New Mexico in 1947, and that Lee Harvey Oswald had a few partners. Have fun with those thoughts…..
He’s not my friend. I don’t think I said there’s voter fraud, in actuality, I said I like being sure there’s no voter fraud. But since you’re so emphatic that there’s no voter fraud, perhaps you might put up that proof or evidence that you’re demanding of me.
As Reverend Barber so eloquently put it himself at the ecumenical service on Sunday night, “it time for a necessary interruption” – the narrative has played too long, the age of information has allowed us to cross reference sources, and guess what? Corporate America is calling all the shots, deciding what is and isn’t news, and has gerrymandered us right out of democracy. This is about racism and the fear of “not enough” and “I want to keep mine.” What are you any of us going to do about it, though? At least Barber has a plan.
So ,Now do we have to wait until we lose the 2016 election to Republican “Election Fraud ” to start benghazi style never ending Probes and investigations. we know that Pat “Lost” 40,000 voter registrations from HHS and the DIV . they is a high probability that existing digital voting machines where hacked (remember the mysterious voting machine crashed that delayed many polling locations from opening on time. Besides , How many voters who had stopped before going to work just left without voting because of that? the 2016 election can not be considered valid unless paper ballots are used and re-districting is done by a non partisan commission. Any thing else is just “Jim crow” elections and should not be considered valid or legal,
Sorry, just do not trust Al Gore Republicans to run a honest election this time,especially when so many have said that they will resort to civil disobedience to get their way.
Here is the voter fraud:
Emails show NC election board member worked closely with GOP officials in disputed voting plan: RALEIGH, N.C. — A Republican member of the North Carolina elections board worked closely with local officials in their effort to eliminate a heavily Democratic voting site, a plan a judge ruled was intended to suppress voter turnout, according to hundreds of emails reviewed by The Associated Press.
http://www.startribune.com/emails-nc-board-member-involved-in-disputed-voting-plan/315093821/
NCGOP – so concerned about voter fraud – is actually using the specter of vote fraud to perpetuate fraud. Pretty convoluted stuff – but truly, the NCGOP is among the most corrupt group of people in the US. They are doing whatever they can to ensure voters of NC can no longer vote. NCGOP is also doing what it can to centralize government – in ways that emulate Soviet communists rather than the Soviet-born Ayn Rand. I’ve actually never seen such appalling power grabs ever – and I’m not young and I’m from a state (NOT NC) known for corruption.
NCGOP politicians like race-baiting because – let’s face it – NC is home to the largest KKK chapter in the US. Lots of Confederate flag waving on the 4th of July in NC. Barber is a huge threat – combining God and strong advocacy for bettering those who are being battered by NCGOP policies. NCGOP will attack him ruthlessly from now till kingdom come.
If you know there has been more, than factually PROVE IT. We can suppose the District Attorneys chose not to file charges. Suppose we suppose all day.
How can voter fraud be both rampant and undetected?
Well put.
I doubt even the six cases, since nothing I have read until today indicates that there were any cases. However, if there have been cases in the past and they were prosecuted, that was before voter ID laws, so even a minimal degree of logical thought would lead one to the conclusion that past laws were keeping voter fraud in check and more stringent policing was unnecessary.
How many DA’S choose not to take a case to trail or file charges on voter fraud? So you really think there has been only 6 cases? REALLY!!!!!!! If the person is dead or does not vote and some one votes in their place, how would they know? You have to have a id to do everything, how does these people go to the doctor without a ID? You can not get medicine without a ID.
Admittedly I enjoy good health and haven’t been to the doctor in the last few years: but no one has ever asked me for an ID before examining or treating me in the 71 years I’ve been alive. I haven’t been asked to show an ID to get a prescription filled either.
The DA has to have valid, factual, provable, believable as well as worthwhile facts to proceed into court. Not just claims off the smurfing blogs.
Do Everything??…Really!!! Very seldom have I ever shown a state pictured ID…If you buy using a credit card in a state ABC store, before a Notary sometimes; some they already knew who I was and it was not asked and not required; or at the DMV office on a property title changes; or paying for Tag renewal fees when using a check, Debit or Credit at DMV. Checks are OK for normal mail-in renewals. The Notary fees are always payable in cash at the DMV. I’ve picked up tag renewals at the DMV many times for others with cash. Cash at the DMV is much easier.
My many new doctors and hospital have only wanted a copy of my insurance cards. Never been requested for a state pictured ID. Never been required to get any insurance. Drugs, even when paying with a debit or credit card; never needed a pictured ID or asked for one. Insurance cards work fine on and from the initial visit to the Drug store. All they want is, to be paid. I’ve picked-up prescriptions for family, friends, co-workers and neighbors many times and have never been asked for an ID. That’s not what they ask. NOTE: Exception to that is if you pick-up one of those over-the-counter drugs that the DEA likes to closely follow-up on. No, Rx is needed but, Caution: Don’t be in a hurry and make sure you have your pictured ID with you. It takes time for them to fill out the forms each time.
Yes, you will need one for each and every plane ride. Yes, at the many police road block/traps/checks/stops. I’ve been asked for my license..some didn’t ask and a few times I didn’t have it with me (maybe I was believable); and years ago a few of mine didn’t even have a photo on them.
Never been asked to show my voter registration but, I carry it every time I go to vote. It’s for voting. Why not a picture on it?
So, guess that’s all on the:…. “have a id to do everything”.
The NAACP may be registered as nonpartisan but don’t fool yourself into thinking they interests aren’t overwhelmingly partisan. I mean say it out loud. William Barber has no partisan interests…it is hard to get through with a straight face. I don’t believe Jeremiah Wright or any of his group are North Carolinians. So just by skimming this post… I think this one falls short of your normal analysis.
Well, Mike, if you don’t believe Jeremiah Wright or any of his group are North Carolinians, that’s all the proof I need!
I’m sure NAACP members would vote for Republicans who supported their goals: trouble is, Southern Republicans who openly and/or actively oppose racism have gone from an endangered species to–so far as I can determine–extinct for all practical purposes.
Mike–I went back to see if I’d accidentally “skimmed” your post and missed something. What exactly does Rev. Jeremiah Wright have to do with NC law or NC voting? The last I heard, he’d retired from his church in Chicago, but I’m not aware of his having retired to NC: and as for “his group”, what group are you referring to? College professors? Ministers of the United Church of Christ? Former medical personnel? US veterans?
If you mean the NAACP, I counted 90 adult NAACP branches in North Carolina, not counting college chapters; and it accepts members of all races. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Rev. Wright is an NAACP member: so could you or I be. I have a feeling you wouldn’t be interested; as for myself, I’ve been hesitating due to the dues, which are a little high for my retirement budget, but you’ve inspired me–I think I’ll go ahead and join when I get home. Let me know if you want to sign up too, and I’ll pass your name along.
There have been SIX proven (in court) cases of individual voting fraud in North Carolina since 2008. Any time a Republican friend or student of mine talks about “voter fraud”, I simply point out the FACTS about PROVEN voting fraud, and ask why the Republicans in the General Assembly–and Gov. McCrory–want to spend $30 million of our taxpayer dollars on a photo I.D. system that is NOT needed. We already have voter IDs issued us by our local Board of Elections; why are they not sufficient to use if we must now show an ID to vote? And elimination of high school registration? That’s unconstitutional. If todays young people were trending the way their same age bracket was twenty-five years ago–Generation X young people, and toward Republicans–we could register to vote at our local McDonald’s, the Republicans would be making it that easy. But today’s young people–the Millennials–are trending in the opposite direction. Republicans are too blind to see that they are mortgaging their Party’s future on losing the trust of the next generation…and that, more than anything else, may be our long-term saving grace…
Gaines – of the 6 proven cases you cite – is there data that indicates if the fraudulent vote was Demo. or Repub.?
Glynn, it doesnt matter. With 6 proven cases since 2008, out of (counting ONLY general elections from 2008-2014) roughly 14,500,000 ballots cast it is beyond statistically irrelevant. Even if we assume that the problem is 1000 times more likely than has been proven (6,000 cases of fraud) thats only 0.00041% of votes cast. Since no race in NC could possibly be decided by that % its hardly worth a $30,000,000 expenditure.
You’re not dealing with democrats (small d). You’re dealing with fascists financed by feudalists.
Agreed.
Democrats have been accused of being passive, and that’s true to a certain extent. The best defense is a good offense. We should fight fire with fire by attacking their tax increases on the middle class and handouts to millionaires and billionaires who fund their campaigns. If it was July, 2016, what would we be doing differently?
All true. Voter fraud in NC is a red herring fantasy (and I do mean “red’).
What HAS BEEN HAPPENING since 2011 has been “electioneering fraud” —or “election-rigging”—by the NCGOP.
From their egregiously extreme gerrymandering (not only after the 2010 census, but to this day in Greensboro and Wake County), to their suppressive 2013 Voting Rights law, to their doing away with teen pre-registration, to eliminating polling places in areas with higher registered Dems, the NCGOP has shown that they will do all that they deem necessary to win seats, even if it’s unconstitutional, illegal, heavy-handed, or just plain unfair/inconvenient to “certain” voters. They are fighting demographic and social issue trending with their every breather to stay in power. Ultimately, their lk will fail and fade away, but in the meantime (and that could mean through 2020), it’s a hard and shameful ride they are taking us NC’ers on…….
I agree-I read in the paper about what the GOP did to restrict voter registration. Can you imagine? Sue Johnaon
Cogent summary, “Liberally.” Where can I get a similar vote-suppression incident list with more detail? ACLU also cited delay in NC’s re-registration process, which canceled some voting.
H. Durgin Wish I knew of a more detailed roster of NCGOP actions that suppress voting. I am not a “politico”, so to speak, and just comment from my perspective and my memory. Maybe the blog author Thomas Mills can helps?