The GOP is like the Doctor Doom of American politics: Just when you think you have them on the ropes, you realize you’re right where they wanted you all along. In this MoveOn.org clip, two commentators explain the secret three-part plan the Republicans have unleashed to secure the White House.
Some of it is basic politics—bashing the sitting president, grabbing millions from fat cats—but tanking the economy and supressing voter registration? That’s some scary shit right there.
drewe
complain complain complain… bla bla!!
well what are you going to do about it?????
Daez
Wah, wah, wah! We are victims! Blah, blah, blah.
Yes, its all about racism. I mean, even though black people can afford cigarettes, alcohol and drugs they can afford to go get a photo ID.
You would think minorities would learn something from their ancestors who fought every step of the way to get what they deserved and keep fighting. However, that seems to not be the case anymore. Its easier to whine about how fair the system is then to actually work within it.
Ohio has had voter ID laws for as long as I can remember, I do not hear anyone whining about them.
Terry
I guess you haven’t talked about the fact that the voter ID laws are often accompanied by the closure of DMVs in Democratic leaning areas, and some people may not have access to documents due to a variety of circumstances and requiring people to have voter ID means they’ll have to spend all this money on the ID which is a poll tax. Also, you don’t see the voter purge of FL as racist? Yeah…you are believing they hype of the Repubs
stoopid louie
I may be stoopid but . . . the notion that the Republicans are going to intentionally tank the economy and suppress voter registration is as insane and ludicrous as . . . well, as when MoveOn.org stated that Sarah Palin was going to start WWIII if she was elected VP back in ’08. Indeed, it is some scary shit when “smart young people” are this paranoid of vast right-wing conspiracies (another lefty theory that didn’t pan out as they’d hoped). Keep trying, guys—your scare tactics are bound to sway one or two of the truly naive. But in the meantime I’m having such an incredibly good time watching you scramble to try to make Romney-Ryan look bad.
Scobar
@Daez: You’re right: If they’re able to get to a store to purchase cigarettes, they can get to a DMV to get a free ID. The whole debate is smoke to cover the fact that Democrats employ illegal voters all the time, most of them minorities. To force them to vote legitimately would impede the Dems’ plans.
cdubois
@daez I wasn’t aware the majority of minorities drank, smoked ciggarettes and did drugs…. How enlightning your vast generalities are. Oh, don’t forget all gays do meth with multiple sex partners while molesting children… Your argument would be better recieved if wasn’t packaged in such ignorant racists terms.
DouggSeven
Pretty sure the 4 above posts are the same person.
Sorry guy, we’re voting for Obama…not for the racist/homophobe who strapped the family dog to the roof of his car.
Jamesblond
Wow — how funny it is that, responding to this post about airing strategies from the GOP playbook to strip certain voters of their voting rights to help win the election, the commenters use arguments taken from the SAME GOP playbook — about how to comment on threads as as to undermine any concern about the actual strategy! I wonder if these same posts can be found on other websites that aired this story.
Jamesblond
(Also, note the clever wingman strategy — “@Daez: You’re right.”
One commenter saying something does nothing — two people who agree is a different story. Right ouf of the playbook. )
Daez
@stoopid louie: They do not need to scramble to make Romney Ryan look bad. The pair does that all on their own. Rather it is Mitt committing gaff after gaff in both London and Israel or Ryan being heckled by a crowd that might as well have been in his own home state over Medicare…they look pretty messed up already. They are the clowns of the GOP. Its sad that the GOP can not produce anyone better.
Daez
I serious feel great sympathy for anyone that believes that everyone that disagrees with them MUST be involved in some sort of Right Wing conspiracy. No wonder people think we are wacko.
When I disagree with you, I am simply disagreeing with you, your belief that I must be in a conspiracy to deprive you of your rights speaks more of your victimization complex and your inability to fight for your own rights than anything else.
NateOcean
Wow! Where did all the GOP trolls come from today.
I am a poll worker in my state and these are exactly the kinds of strategies being used to inhibit voters. Young people, and poor, tend to move more often, and consequently can’t establish a proper address or utility bills to be able to vote. Most won’t know that they have been purged from the list until election day, and by then it’s too late. We are trained to allow them to vote (provisionally) even though–voting in the wrong precinct–is a 100% guarantee that their vote WILL NOT be counted. Need I mention that our supervisor of elections and our secretary of state or Republicans?
See? How convenient.
Daez
@NateOcean: It is up to the INDIVIDUAL to make sure that THEIR rights are accounted for. It is not up to society to make sure the rights of people are accounted for. If you care enough about voting then you make sure your registration is valid. I have had a valid voter’s registration since I was 18. If I can do, so can everyone else.
It is more important to make sure that everyone voting has a valid voter’s registration then to allow people to vote without one.
stoopid louie
@Daez: Yeah, I know, it’s sad, but from my standpoint it’s a better option than continuing with the money pit that is the Obama administration.
@Jamesblond: Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not a Republican, I simply distrust Obama’s policies. No GOP playbook, no strategies, no dog whistles, no GOP influence or conspiracies. I may be stoopid, but I still have good old common sense.
NateOcean
@Daez: No, Daez, you are wrong.
In many cases in Florida and Ohio, INDIVIDUALS did everything right. They were registered, and had correct ID. What happened to them was a corrupt process whereby they were ILLEGALLY purged from the voter rolls without their knowledge or notification. When election day came, it was too late to fix it. Typically this was because their name was “similar” to another voter’s name. It was very convenient that the GOP operatives conducting such purge programs were targeting ethnic names common to blacks or Latinos, or targeting neighborhoods with previous Democratic voting patterns.
That is corruption of the worst kind. You must be so proud!
Esperando
@Daez: Voting is a basic right. You shouldn’t have to wait in long lines at the DMV or buy anything to do so, particularly not to defend against imaginary voter fraud. The US has the lowest voter turnout in the developed world, why are we trying to make it HARDER to vote again?
doug105
@Scobar: Don’t know where you are but that I.D isn’t free in Florida.
doug105
@Scobar: and as for voter fraud it’s another rethug talking point and that’s about it.
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/policy_brief_on_the_truth_about_voter_fraud/
Scobar
@Esperando: Yes, voting is a right, but it’s a right that is subject to fraud. No one’s trying to make it difficult—they’re offering to give the IDs away for free, so no one can claim financial hardship as an excuse. It’s the people who want to perpetuate voter fraud who are manufacturing rage and calling it “racist.” (and if having an ID is such a burden, how do they purchase cigarettes and alcohol? How do they drive? How do they collect WIC and food stamps? Gotta have an ID to do all of those things)
DouggSeven
It looks like part of the GOPs strategy to troll gay sites and post their rhetoric on them.
No way in hell a real gay person would vote republican – no way! (and don’t even get me started on those wacky logcabbiners – they are 3 mentally challenged dopes…at most).
Daez
@NateOcean: You wouldn’t be referencing the cases that are involved in court cases would you? If only a judge could make a final decision when considering cases of this type.
Daez
@Esperando: We are not trying to make it harder to vote. We are trying to make sure that the person voting is the person that they say they are. There is no reason that a voter can not get an ID unless they are not legally able to vote in the first place.
Daez i
@DouggSeven: No way in hell that a gay person would vote for the best qualified person for the office, regardless of their stance on gay rights (which, in many cases at the local level is favorable)? Seriously! I thought we voted for the best person for the position instead of voting on a singular issue.
Geoff B
@Esperando: Imaginary voter fraud? You must have never been to Chicago where the unofficial motto is “vote early and often”.
Mcflyer54
@Daez: Then you don’t live in Ohio.
jeff4justice
The 2party system = war, poverty, take away more civil rights, rotate party, repeat.
The SCOTUS you say? The same SCOTUS where Alito and Roberts sit having received Democrat votes?
Keep voting for the same 2party system over and over expecting different results.
Why Does Gay Media Ignore Alternative Political Parties?
http://jeff4justice.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/why-does-gay-media-ignore-alternative-political-parties/
Why Is Gay Media Ignoring Alternative Political Parties?
http://queerlandia.com/2012/08/12/guest-commentary-why-is-gay-media-ignoring-alternative-political-parties/#comment-4914
Why Is LGBTI Media Ignoring Alternative Political Parties?
http://outwordmagazine.com/index.php/inside-outword/glbt-news/927-why-is-lgbti-media-ignoring-alternative-political-parties
Jamesblond
What’s so funny — if it weren’t so sad — about rethugs getting all hysterical about the supposed bogeyman of “voter fraud” is that if they were actually true to their philosophy of less government, they would be violently AGAINST needing the idea of IDs, and go off endlessly on talk show after talk show after talk show about the proposal as another idea of stupid Big Government just a-wastin’ taxpayers’ time and money! That’s how you know these voters are actually a serious threat to their chances for success in three months and why this is something to pay attention to. I just don’t know why these little goplins waste their time here when they go play in their Foxholes. You really think a lot of the readership here is going to vote for Bane Capital?
(btw, many thanks to Doug 105 for the Brennan Center brief above shredding the voter fraud myth — great and required reading.)
joe
@DouggSeven: I’m gay. I believe we should drill for oil anyplace we can find it. Only losers believe in global warming. To hell with polar bears. I love Milton Friedman and Ayn Rand. I fully support school choice. I support right to work laws. I like the NRA. I hate the EPA. Tell me dougg who should i vote for? If not the republicans who would you suggest?
DouggSeven
Attention gay people – the negative posters above are but one person trying to convince you that voting republican is good and we should ignore the FACT that they want nothing to do with us or our equality.
Don’t fall for his BS – he is obviously part of a GOP ploy to court the gay vote (as if they had a chance). Note: This tool only posts in political Queerty posts.
MissouriMO
Wouldn’t it be interesting if Queerty did a little research into the strange new vibe running through our threads. Like maybe check those IP addresses with the various posters above and I am betting dimes to donuts it is one or two trolls…tops. Just an interesting experiment.
DouggSeven
@MissouriMO: I said the exact same thing earlier today but a word I said must’ve tipped off their censors and it wouldn’t go through.
It has to be one or two people trolling various gay threads and posting stuff like this (it happens in Huffpost threads too – they create multiple new accounts with no fans or post history and troll away). Sure, there might be some gay republican or bored forum troll posting one random comment in threads like these – but this many? Naw. I guess the billions in GOP donations must include professional forum trolls. It’s not as wacky as it sounds.
Hopefully this post makes it in – wish me luck!
Neo
@Jamesblond: Of course they can, a simple IP check shows that they’re the same group of 5/6 people posting everywhere on the internet.
Homer Sexual
@joe: Bravo, Joe. Bravo.
DouggSeven
@Queerty – it’s time for you to do a story about how the GOP is using gay forums to try and swing the gay vote. You can use this thread as a reference. Lol
joe
@DouggSeven: You of course would also object if democrats used this forum to get votes. If not then you are on nothing more than a witchhunt
joe
@Jamesblond: Voter fraud is a myth. So that means democrats did not steal Bob Dornan’s seat in 1996. Also if there is no voter fraud then that means the democrats can’t claim that Bush stole the election from Gore. If republicans stood by their principal’s they would argue against voter id. Well if democrats stood by their principals they would support the NRA. In otherwords they would be against requiring people to show id’s for guns. I mean if the honor system id good enough for voting it should be good enough for buying guns.
joe
@DouggSeven: If you are accusing me of using more than one name i would have to call you a liar.
DouggSeven
@joe: Democrats (for the most part) support gay issues so there is no issue with their presence in sites like these. Queerty does not do pro GOP stories because it’d be suicide, and stupid…or should I say ‘stoopid’ like you did above?. You, on the other hand, you are GOP trolling various gay sites. One or two pro GOP posters is acceptable, but 7 or 8 different posters above on a liberal site? Sorry, we’re not buying it. There’s an obvious right wing conspiracy happening in this very thread. It’s all too obvious.
If the GOP has billions of dollars in donations in order to attempt to win the house, you gotta know that they’d employ tactics such as what you’re doing – what else could they be spending ALL that money on?
joe
@DouggSeven: As a bored forum troll who enjoys posting comments, i just have to say how much i love freedom of speech. If it were up to guys like you i wouldn’t have that right to free speech.
joe
@Neo: Are you accusing me of using different names? I do post comments all over the internet but i use only the same name.
DouggSeven
@joe: Now you’re pro NRA – on Queerty!?! Really?
Obvious troll alert!
joe
You say democrats support gay issues for the most part. That may be true of white liberals, but it is not true of blacks and latinos. I have no problem with you using this site to point out homophobia in the GOP, but someone should also point out the homophobia in the democratic party. As for being a troll, yes i do like being a troll. I play fair i only use one name and i don’t spam. I type in all my own blogs.And no i do not primarily troll gay sites. I mostly troll sites that have nothing to do with gays, like sites on global warming, education, polar bears etc. You also say it’s a liberal site for gays. So what does voter id laws have to do with gays? I can’t argue the other way. When you say their is a right conspiracy you come accross sounding like Richard Nixon. How does this conspiracy work? Are they paying me? If they are i’m upset, because i haven’t gotten my check yet. And as far as the GOP having money, do not forget that in the 2008 election Obama way outspent McCain.
joe
@DouggSeven: Are you saying that there is an official gay position on gun control? Is there also a gay position on school choice? global warming? SDI? keystone pipeline?
DouggSeven
That’s a lot of GOP rhetoric you’re spilling there. I wonder how much they’re paying you?
Also, you admit to trolling which I’m sure is breaking Queerty’s posting rules.
Queerty, do you moderate your threads at all? Queerty!?!
DouggSeven
@joe: Go back to posting on your ‘Homer Sexual’ name and agree with yourself more. At least that was a more creatively named alter ego.
joe
@DouggSevenI hate to ruin you’re day, but i am not “Homer Sexual” As far as trolling goes, my understanding of the word which may be different from others, is a troll is someone who presents a counter view to most of the bloggers. I am guilty of that.
DouggSeven
@joe: Lol, yes you are. We’re not that stupid to believe there are multiple GOP supporters in a gay thread.
And no, a troll is someone who disagrees with the status quo and baits others to respond negatively to then in an effort to ‘rile’ them, resulting in anger.
Unfortunately, I have called you out so I won’t fall for it.
Obvious troll is obvious (and not that good I might add considering where you’re posting).
Jamesblond
@ Joe — if you are really just one person who thinks and types his own answers, why are all your answers the same dreary old un-fact-checked xeroxed boilerplate they hand out at GOP HQ? And what do you get out of proudly trolling sites like this and saying you’re gay — a claim as dubious as anything you say — and then sticking your tongue out and going “Nanny-nanny-boo-boo, you can’t get me”? Is it really fun? Is this your role in life? Honestly, it’s kind of counterproductive. It just gets everyone on this thread riled up to go work for Obama. In fact, if the Democrats were smart, they would send you a paycheck. if only they were….
Homer Sexual
@Jamesblond: Didn’t read all of your rambling, but I can assure you I’m not Joe, nor do I get my talking points from the Repubs. Believe it or not, some of us can be gay and also have independent thoughts and ideas.
Homer Sexual
@DouggSeven: Read post #45.
Jamesblond
“Independent.” Haha, that is rich! Thanks for cracking open today’s irony pinata, Homer! More, more!
DouggSeven
@Homer Sexual: Interesting you showing up here in a thread on page two. Please tell us again you’re not the same person – it’s comical at this point.
Lol
Homer Sexual
Sorry to hear you’re all about the pack mentality. Me, I’m an individual. If you were to try thinking for yourself for a change, rather than parroting liberals, you might be amazed at how much rational thinking you can do on your own. Or—you could just keep flinging the catty insults at any of us whom you deem to be “bad gays.” Either way, I come out the winner, so I’m not sweating it.
brent
@Jamesblond: Geeez are you for real? You doubt i am gay. Why? Because i don’t agree with you on voter id. By the way where did you get you’re opinions on voter id? Are they opinions you came up with on you’re own? or are they talking points you got from the Obama campaign? I came up with my own opinions. I researched the Bob Dornan election from 1996, that is where i got my opinion. If you don’t know what i am talking about why don’t you google Bob Dornan. I would love to hear you’re opinion on that election. As far as what do i get out of this. What do you get out of it? I prefer to comment on sites where i get a chance to debate.If i only talked to people i agree with then there is no debate, it’s boring. I just don’t know what liberals get out of only talking to people who have the same opinion that they have. You find that stimulating?
brent
@DouggSeven: Wait a minute. I just thought of something. How do we know if DouggSeven and JAmesblond are not the same person? I mean they show up here at odd times and you never see them in the same room together. I’ll bet they are the same person.
DouggSeven
right…
Jamesblond
Yeah, wait a minute…!!! Doug! are you me? I had a feeling you were, but I wasn’t sure. We have to be the only two gay liberals who read Queerty who can see through lame, recycled goplin arguments, there couldn’t be two guys like that out there!
brent
I’ll bet i know who DouggSeven and Jamesblond are. His real name is Doug James. Not only that but he is vain as hell. He dyes his hair blond seven times a month.
Jamesblond
Oh snap! Someone dusted off his book of fairy jokes from 1967 — More, More! Come on tinkerbell….. let’s get all light in the loafers and limp in the wrist.
DouggSeven
@Jamesblond: Darn, you played the Tinkerbell card and chased the straight republicans away. And here I was about to give the homo quiz.
🙁
brent
@DouggSeven: You haven’t driven me away i’m just bored with you guys. You either can’t or refuse to answer questions. As far as a homo quiz goes i know every Bette Davis movie. Is that proof enough?
DouggSeven
Ugh, I meant to say ‘straight republican’, but I accidentally pluralized it.
And Bette Davis is the best you could come up with as a gay icon? What are you, in your mid nineties? But props on spelling her name right – maybe you are gay…and bitter at the young generation and just hate your lonely self.
brent
@DouggSeven: Yes that is the typical Bette Davis fan. A few minutes ago according to you i wasn’t gay, but now you have me pegged as Harvey Fierstein.
Jamesblond
Wow…. Harvey Fierstein now! The obscure references are really comin out now. Anyway, old-timer, don’t flatter yourself. Harvey Fierstein is actually funny, yet we are all still awaiting one good catticism from you. Perhaps it’s time to dig into your VHS library and haul one out from yesteryear? Or flip a few pages further into your “How to Act Gay Without Practice” pamphlet? Either way…..fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a sloooooooooow night!
iluvcakes
@drewe:
Actually I keep up with politics quite a bit.. these really are the facts. I know that is an enigma for the right but facts are important if you are going to make an informed decision.