Voting is key.  Getting people to the polls is key.  Don’t be distracted by the Social Issues that the Republicans dwell on these days.  It seems it’s their only concern; everything else must be OK –  more important to take down  women’s rights and health care a peg or two. “We must win this fight” said John Boehner just this week, when asked about the Blunt Amendment. Don’t worry about Job Creation or the economy.  It’s those pesky women who need to be put in their place.

Rachel Maddow made a not-so-surprising report on her show Thursday night .  A look at the Super Tuesday voting demographics revealed that wealthy people are flocking to the polls in unprecedented numbers. From a high last year of 20% of voters with income over $200,000 the number went up to 33%…a third of the voters. Because the wealthy recognize a friend in Mitt Romney, as does big business. Much money will be poured into  the Romney coffers over the coming  months…much.

Meanwhile reports of people who have voted all their lives being turned away from the polls due to new voter registration ID laws continues to rise.  Most recently in Ohio, an 86 year old veteran was turned away because he had no driver’s license (not unheard of for an 86 year old) and his veteran’s card did not list his address.  He had voted in that district for 46 years, had to pay for a cab, and use a walker to get there and they wouldn’t even let him vote.

These new state mandated photo ID cards require documentation that most poor or elderly people do not have and in some cases, don’t know how to get.  One elderly black lady was refused because she had no birth certificate…never mind that when she was born, nearly 90 years ago, birth certificates weren’t generally issued for black Americans.

Couple this with the push in Republican controlled states on voter suppression type legislature.  If the rich turn out in droves, and the poor are suppressed…well, that is one way to help ensure a win.  And don’t forget those new voting machines…so easy to manipulate.  Wisconsin was a lesson there.

If the Republicans manage by hook or crook to win this election, they will control congress as well as the Presidency. If they cannot win it fairly, or buy it out right as they are currently doing in the primaries, they will steal it as in Florida, 2004 where Gore won, but Bush was handed the State… (Helps when your brother is the Governor).

So we need not only to vote ourselves, but see if  we can help someone get registered and get to the polls.  It’s important.  Because if we don’t it will be as Rachel said: “This is the ball game. Game Over. Mission Accomplished” – and I agree.

Related articles

• NAACP goes to U.N. to ask for help in fighting voter suppression…….in the U.S. (thepoliticscafe.com)
• Wisconsin’s Onerous Voter ID Law Blocked (leftperspectives.com)
• 5 Million Votes Could Be Lost Due to Discriminatory Requirements (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
• Former U.S. Marine Turned Away From TN Poll For Refusing to Present Photo ID Under New GOP Law (bradblog.com)