Democracy 101 by Joe Costello

The NYT has an analysis of the recent Georgia election law and despite that all too familiar sharp national whine of self-righteous opposition accompanying its passage, they conclude the bill is not a reestablishment of Jim Crow. In fact, they assert as I long ago experienced, greater convenience by no means necessarily correlates with greater voter participation, and as a good American, I’m always in favor of greater convenience. The first time I put together a vote by mail operation was a 1989 San Diego City Council win, using a 386 PC, bar codes, burning through several laser printers, and much foot power. Every vote took lots and lots of work, total voter turnout still wasn’t much above 15%.

The Democrats might want to dig up the anonymous voting rights advocate in Georgia, who noted in the American republic elections are run by the counties, not even the states. But after all, the Democrats themselves still learning about free and fair elections. If memory serves, not too long ago, they were the party of Jim Crow, longtime innovators of voter suppression. Democrats could learn a little reading Theresa Amato’s excellent Grand Illusion: The Myth of Voter Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny, a prosecutor’s indictment of the anti-democratic codification of two party power in America.

Of course the NYT’s never been the greatest friend of democracy in America, so one might ask, “What are they up to?” We do know the NYT is full behind the bad Democratic bill in Congress to place DC more atop US elections processes. Ask the Nigerians their experience of running their country’s elections from one central agency in Abuja. In 2019, they had their lowest voter turnout in the 3rd republic’s short history. Or ask the Tanzanians about Dodoma running their elections, last year saw the main opposition party Chadema rigged out of all their elected offices.

Best, they say the American president through Executive Proclamation put Susan Rice, former National Security Advisor, as head of White House election operations. What’s Susan Rice know about free and fair elections? As they say down Mexico way, nada mucho. I was on a telephone call with Susan Rice and a number of other Democratic establishment Security Staters in 2003, it was the most nauseatingly unpleasant phone call I ever had the displeasure being on. The National Security Act of 1947 instituted the CIA, the National Security Council, and the perpetual war budget. It’s been nothing but an unobstructed power grab for 75 years. These are late stage republic politics.

Wouldn’t it be great, if in the name of reforming and revitalizing democracy in America, the counties would all pass legislation saying they don’t need DC’s help running elections? And any money they do need can come by helping break-up the mega-corporations infesting and tightening control on every aspect of life in America? The sound then heard would be that of the long buried white male slaveholder levitating above his grave atop his mountain.