Epic takedown of RW conspiracy theory of why Jones won
by Spocko
This epic takedown of a conspiracy theory that they bused in voters from Mississippi to vote for Doug Jones is from John Rogers, one of the creators and writers of Leverage, one of my favorite TV shows.
I am hearing rumors that black voters from MS were encouraged to cross over into AL and vote. Anyone else hearing this? Anything to it? That might explain the 30% turnout higher than population percentage. Just reporting the rumor.— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) December 13, 2017
1/ Okay, you racist hack, apparently I have to do this every time. Like all conspiracy theories, this falls apart as soon as one asks “How?” https://t.co/oksvKlmCVI— John Rogers (@jonrog1) December 13, 2017
2/ Let’s just go with the most popular right-wing conspiracy, George Soros (because, of course, you blame a Jew, you fucks) bussed in enough out of state black people to win Doug Jones the election.— John Rogers (@jonrog1) December 13, 2017
In this piece at Think Progress they list the tweets Rogers explains they would need 800 buses and 40,000 fake IDs to being in the voters.
I put it together in a Twitter Moment
⚡️ “Epic takedown of RW conspiracy theory on why Jones won -by @jonrog1”
It’s good to tear down conspiracy theories from the right. It’s better to stop the actual process of voter suppression the right has been engaging in for years.
Each time there is a story about voter suppression, it’s an opportunity to suggest fixes. But how does that work? Who do we elect, pressure? What laws need to be changed?
When we have a success we need to build on it. What’s the opposite of Voter Suppression? Voter Encouragement? Voter Emancipation? Voter Restoration?
My friend Laura Packard, @lpackard, had some suggestions:
Automatic voter registration nationwide. Same day voter registration nationwide. Online voter reg etc etc. Voting rights restoration for returning citizens. Early voting (including weekends) for at least 2 weeks, everywhere, and an early voting site in every county.
Repeal draconian voter ID rules. Make all colleges & universities send voter reg paperwork to enrolling students. Make sure there is at least one precinct on every campus. Make sure there is equity in polling place sites & booths/staffing in both rich and poor areas. Make sure polls are open from say 6am to 9pm so shift workers can vote.
Because of the “tweetcycle” (which has replaced the newscycle) voting suppression is ignored until the next election. For example, what is going to happen with digital records in Alabama next year? That really needs to be fixed, but I’ve moved on to the next outrage. To keep it in the public’s eye, each state needs someone pushing tweet hooks of voter suppression and what is being done to fix it.
George Soros really shouldn’t have to pay for all those buses to bring in fake voters from blue states in 2018.