GOP Already at Work to Keep Obama Voters From the Polls

[FourScore]

Barack Obama's winning coalition in Iowa drew on new voters, students, minorities and poor people, according to polls and other snapshots of Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses.

The new voters, particularly college students, defied former President Bill Clinton, his candidate wife Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen, all who decried their efforts to vote because, while legal, they apparently were not Iowan enough. Needless to say, these Obama supporters did not take heed.

But if Obama -- or any Democrat -- is going to repeat his higher-than-expected turnout in other states, their supporters may have to surmount significant new voting rights barriers as the campaign moves through the primaries and into the fall election.

That is because the new voters, young people, minorities and the poor who turned out for Obama in Iowa are the very voters targeted by numerous Republican-led "ballot security" laws that have been adopted across the country since 2004. While some of these laws have been overturned, they include tough new voter ID requirements, restrictions on registering voters and even penalties for helping people with absentee ballots.

"Any mobile population are the ones that are most affected by election laws," said David Rosenfeld, national program director for Student Public Interest Research Groups, which tracks student voting. "The most mobile populations are young people and poor people..."

http://www.alternet.org/story/72748/

[still_one]

1. and the saddest part of it is that the Democrats in Congress have not done anything

since 2000 to correct it

[BattyDem]

2. I'm so sick of this shit!

:grr:

[CoffeeCat]

3. Two things...

First, there were 92 Obama supporters in my precinct. Fewer than 25 percent were below the age of 30. It's nonsense that
it's the "young" voters who propelled him over the top. Across the board, Dems from all ages, income levels and walks of
life--came out to vote. Obama won every precinct in my suburb of 40,000. There aren't a lot of college students here--mainly
families with young children. I think the media is doing this to nullify his astounding victory.

Secondly, there is no way that the Republicans can stop the Democrats--or steal the election--if Dem voter turnout continues
as it was in Iowa on caucus night.

Does everyone realize what happened that night? In 04, 116,000 Iowans caucused. This was a record year. In Thursday's caucus,
230,000 Dems came out.

I mean...it's mind blowing! Democrats increased turnout by 100 percent. This is life altering. I mean, somewhere in some
smoke-filled room, several members of the elite, neocon establishment are sitting at a boardroom and saying, "Ok. Now what
in the hell do we do?".

Republicans assume that they can win elections by stealing and dirty tricks, in an effort to shave down Dem votes by 5 or
10 percent or so. They'll do some electronic vote switching, and scrub some voter rolls and maybe not order enough voting
machines in Dem counties. They know that this will hurt us by a small percentage, which could be enough to secure a win
for them.

They're all sitting around now wondering....How do we counteract a 100 percent increase in voting?

They can't. This is the huge story of the Iowa caucuses. I think if this trend continues, it's the most significant political
story of our lifetime.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. I agree, and it's making me HOPE again, dammit!

[Nailzberg]

4. I know it's not your headline, but in all fairness they're keeping Dem voters from the polls

I don't think they care if its Obama voters or not.

[FourScore]

6. Very true. And thank you for pointing that out. n/t