This is a forum for CIVIL thoughts on the issues raised by The Voting Wars. I reserve the right not to publish and to remove comments I deem offensive, off topic, or otherwise inappropriate. Thank you.
The Voting Wars
Richard L. Hasen
This is a forum for CIVIL thoughts on the issues raised by The Voting Wars. I reserve the right not to publish and to remove comments I deem offensive, off topic, or otherwise inappropriate. Thank you.
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If Hans von Spakovsky and John Fund are lying, I say debate them in public and explain how they’re lying. It could make for a very interesting event.
You should do it. You know exactly what will be said by each. But it’s important to point out how Fund’s arguments are constructed on partial facts, slick omissions, and a basic philosophy that does not believe more eligible Americans should vote.
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Re: ACLU & Politifact: The most obvious miss in the Politifact analysis is that they write-off the background costs as mere inconvenience, rather than hindrances that might rise to the level of being analogous to poll tax barriers. I was surprised to see them discuss the costs of obtaining an ID (and, really, if you were in OR and asked to pay $33.50 for the ID that allows you be able to get your voting credentials, that sure appears to reach an analogous hindrance point), without peeling back the onion at least one more layer to discuss how one obtains the proof of identity that is needed to obtain official IDs, (i.e. – birth certificates). The time and cost to get those also varies widely, and is sometime even higher than the DMV cost they cite. Nor do they touch on the catch-22s that some people find themselves in regarding getting birth certificates issued. And they also glide over the costs of getting to the government office that can issue IDs, which is the other common hidden cost in time and money I’m aware of. For city dwellers, those costs aren’t typically more than an inconvenience, but for rural residents in large states, the burden can be significantly increased for the demographics these laws typically will impact, from my perspective. And, of course, their analysis leaves out any discussion of the infinitesimal “problem” that the ID “solution” is allegedly intended to fix and whether it outweighs any incoveniences to marginal voters. That’s my two cents.
Calling John Fund, Hans von Spakovsky and J. Christian Adams the “Fraudulent Fraud Squad” who “spew lies” and make “false claims” shows incredible restraint by Rick Hasen.
As he knows, I am often unwilling to be quite as polite about the folks who have been disingenuously attempting to undermine the very most core value of our nation, representative democracy.
Calling John Fund, Hans von Spakovsky and J. Christian Adams the “Fraudulent Fraud Squad” who “spew lies” and make “false claims” shows incredible restraint by Rick Hasen.
As he knows, I am often unwilling to be quite as polite about the folks who have been disingenuously attempting to undermine the very most core value of our nation, representative democracy.
Good for him. If the liars are this sensitive about being called out as such, that should tell you all you need to know about these guys.
People died for the right to vote in this country. Calling those who would undermine that value “liars” is the very least those of us who actually give a damn about democracy could — perhaps even should — call them.
And, yes, I consider this remark to be quite civil. If you don’t want to be called a liar, as my friend Mr. Fund knows quite well, one way to avoid it is to stop lying.