Mastodawn

Republicans will not be satisfied until Republican candidates can choose their own voters...and votes for other candidates are punishable by fine, imprisonment, or nullification.

Their authoritarian fight for control and one-party rule continues unabated. Not an American bone or value in their collective bodies. This isn't democracy. #VoteBlue if you'd like to keep one.

"Your ability to vote in 2022 will largely depend on where you live, as lawmakers in 25 states have made it easier for people to vote while those in at least 19 states have made it more difficult, per the Brennan Center for Justice."
https://www.axios.com/new-voting-laws-for-2022-1f949332-8176-4b13-b657-af8f6a92fb8a.html

New laws in 19 states will make it harder to vote in 2022

States where voting is already difficult have enacted stricter laws.

Spider-Man Nov 21, 2021

@TonyStark
I'm in #VoteBlueIn22

MJ Nov 21, 2021

@TonyStark They’re limiting certain kinds of voters only so it’s pretty clear what they’re up to, same as with gerrymandering.

Bruce Banner Nov 21, 2021

@TonyStark
Republicans-

Gerrymander. If that doesn’t work, suppress the vote by limiting access to the ballot box. If that doesn’t work, threaten election officials. If that doesn’t work, change the rules so that the state legislature can declare its own winner. Victor Orbán approves of this message.

#VoteBlueForDemocracy

Dr Lorxus, Truthfinder Nov 23, 2021

@TonyStark I'd be a lot more jazzed to #VoteBlue if the candidates I'm to vote for had any interest in actually protecting voting rights, or indeed materially improving my life in any way at all.

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
There's not enough specificity there for me to answer.

Dr Lorxus, Truthfinder Nov 23, 2021

@TonyStark There literally can't be enough specificity to satisfy you, then, because the problem is systemic, and trying to get people to "just vote harder" isn't going to work.

It literally doesn't even matter who my local Democratic candidates are - if the DNC doesn't bother to force through voting rights protections *as a whole*, then none of this matters, and they haven't, to date, so much as made more than token efforts to.

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
Ok, I was hoping for a legit conversation but if you don't want to have one, that's ok. You're reading one post out of probably thousands I've made or boosted.

There are 2 Democrats standing in front of eliminating the filibuster which would allow any voting rights bill to pass since absolutely zero Republicans are for it. So it's 2 people, not a whole group.

And there are many levels to elections besides federal. State-level Dems have done quite a bit to protect voting.

Short of holding Sinema and Manchin down and beating them (which still won't work) there is no simple pass. I'm sure you know that.

If you want to have a discussion, I'm in. If you're here just to insult me, find someone else.

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
As for specificity, I am asking what you're talking about, a specific bill or issue. There's 0 telling what you mean from your post.

Dr Lorxus, Truthfinder Nov 23, 2021

@TonyStark Sure! Here's the bare minimum in voting rights protection that would satisfy giant chunks of the voting public:

-Aggressive messaging by the DNC to push for voting rights protection, along the lines of the proposed John Lewis VRA.

-Associated party-internal pressuring on Sinema, Manchin, and whoever the hell else feels like stepping up and personally blocking an entire major nation's worth of basic human rights.

-Widespread redistricting reforms to prevent racial *and* partisan gerrymandering, effectively partisan-biased ID laws, and partisan "poll watchers".

More broadly:

-Some immediate student debt jubilee, even a token amount.

-Federal cannabis legalization, because if the GOP gets that, the Dems are permafucked.

-A minimum wage that people can actually live on.

-Universal health care free or nearly free at point of service, like every other industrialized nation has.

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
It's a good list. I don't know where you live and believe me, I am NOT asking, but not showing up to vote won't get any of those things done and again, lots to choose from as successes on that at the state level right now.

Dr Lorxus, Truthfinder Nov 23, 2021

@TonyStark Not showing up to vote won't do it. Showing up to vote very clearly *also* won't do it. Telling me or anyone else that all we need to do is go out and vote when *whether or not my vote even meaningfully counts* is an utter non-starter.

The failure here is in assuming the DNC and/or you can get *anyone* to do *anything* between the devil of gerrymandering/criminalization of voting support/arbitrarily tossing ballots and the deep red sea of the DNC *literally not even making good faith attempts to make anyone's life significantly better*. Issue 2k checks! Cancel student debt! This isn't hard.

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
That's not something I've ever said. Clearly you are angry but I'm just a person.

I've never said anything of the kind.

It's too bad that you don't want to engage nicely as I'd enjoy amplifying your messages but 2 FU's is 2 too many.

Dr Lorxus, Truthfinder Nov 23, 2021

@TonyStark It's not two people, it's the entire party hemming and hawing and refusing to turn the screws on them because about half a dozen more Senators are willing to step up and be the rotating villain when (if) Manchin and Sinema are dealt with. It's Biden refusing to so much as put a spotlight on them, and having broken a promise to cancel student debt, which he could *literally unilaterally do and which he promised to do and which no one can stop him from doing and which would win the Democrats every election for a decade.*

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
Turn the screws how? I criticize it, too, but literally, describe what you would do. Hold them down and beat them? Waterboarding?

Seriously.

I don't think one issue of canceling student debt would win all elections for that long. It's popular, but not that popular among voting demographics. While I think it should be, it's one small issue that would add but definitely not be enough. He also has more time to do that.

Dr Lorxus, Truthfinder Nov 23, 2021

@TonyStark Describe what I would do, if I was unchecked czar of DNC strategy?

-Threaten to fund progressive primary challengers for Sinema and Manchin (and whoever else is waiting in the wings to be the next one to block everything.) If they don't comply, do so, and do so lavishly.

-Trim every bit of pork-barrel funding for AZ and WV, and make it clear why it's happening.

-The DNC has fairly strong media pull, second to one. Use it. Put them on blast.

-In the meantime, make some variety of good-faith attempt to address *literally any of this* by executive order as an explicit stopgap.

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
Manchin being primaried = a Republican in the WV Senate.

Some people say that's the same thing, but it really isn't. He's voted with Dems which a Republican would never do and he allows us to pass through judges and Biden Cabinet nominees.

Sinema should and probably will be primaried.

As for the rest, I need to go make dinner for 3 people and a dog and 2 cats. Have a pleasant evening.

Dr Lorxus, Truthfinder Nov 23, 2021

@TonyStark Yes, well, fuck you right back, buddy.

Tony Stark Nov 23, 2021

@lorxus
I didn't say anything rude to you. Literally an 11 year old girl waiting on me.

Why you're angry at me is beyond me but I'm not putting up with an "f u" because I nicely told you I had something to do. Wow.