“GOP’s scam referendum” defeated
The people of these United States are the rightful masters of both Congresses and Courts, not to overthrow, the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. — Abraham Lincoln
One might infer from recent events that the erstwhile Party of Lincoln has not only undertaken to pervert the Constitution but Lincoln himself. Actions in GOP-controlled state legislatures as well as election conspiracies that spawned state and federal investigations and indictments suggest Republicans believe what Lincoln really meant to preserve was government of CERTAIN people, by CERTAIN people, and for CERTAIN people.
Ohio’s rightful masters on Tuesday demonstrated they are not content with being fleeced of their voice and their agency (Washington Post):
Ohio voters rejected a measure Tuesday that would have made it more difficult to amend the state constitution ahead of a November vote to ensure access to abortion.
For more than a century, Ohioans have been able to amend the state constitution with a simple majority. The failed measure would have changed that threshold to 60 percent.
As of this writing, with over 95 percent of votes counted, Ohio voters have rejected Issue 1 by a 57-43 margin. The underlying (underhanded?) purpose behind the GOP-led attempt —after 111 years — to raise the state’s bar for amending its constitution was to thwart efforts of Ohioans to amend their constitution by citizen referendum in November. That November measure “would guarantee access to abortion in a state where restrictions at about six weeks of pregnancy have been put on hold by a judge.” Multiple polls show support for the citizen initiative at nearly 60 percent.
Ohio conservatives were not about to allow women that right. That old expression that goes when they say it’s not about sex, it’s about sex? The same applied to Issue 1 and abortion (Vox):
Just last year, Republican lawmakers had voted to repeal August special elections in Ohio, calling them low-turnout wastes of money.
For months Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose denied he had switched positions on August special elections because of abortion rights. But in June, video footage reported by News 5 Cleveland and the Ohio Capital Journal showed LaRose admitting abortion was motivating his stance. “Some people say this is all about abortion. Well, you know what?” he was recorded saying. “It’s 100 percent about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution — the left wants to jam it in there this coming November.” (LaRose announced last month that he is running for US Senate.)
The Post’s E.J. Dionne called Issue 1 “the Ohio GOP’s scam referendum,” noting, “When you do everything you can to rig an election & still lose, you have a problem.”
Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, tells Russell Berman of The Atlantic, “It’s this ‘Don’t tread on me’ moment where voters are being activated.”
Ohio state Rep. Rachel Baker (D) on a Zoom call Tuesday evening reported hearing dismay from more than Democrats at the polls, paraphrasing, “I’m a Republican, but this is ridiculous.”
As well as a clear and present danger to popular sovereignty:
“This is a clear instance of a more general problem plaguing American democracy today, especially in the states: increased partisan efforts to take decisions out of the hands of popular majorities,” said Daniel Ziblatt, a Harvard political scientist and co-author of the forthcoming book “Tyranny of the Minority” with his colleague Steven Levitsky.
Take note, America: Republicans don’t want to represent you. They want to rule you.
But then a majority of you knew that. And the minority? They are just fine with being ruled.
Democrats have to wonder if preserving both abortion rights and majority rule will play a roll in the 2024 elections. Ohio Republicans succeeded Tuesday night in intertwining the two.