2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Susan Sarandon: Trump Might Be Better for America Than Hillary Clinton [View all]Uponthegears
(1,499 posts)The purge was INFINITELY predictable and therefore preventable. The law was passed years before the election. "Voter protection" experts KNEW that Florida's "convicted felons can't vote" laws applied ONLY to felons whose rights had not been restored (and, in fact, would have violated BOTH the 14th Amendment AND the VRA if they didn't). They KNEW that, at the time, many states (including Texas) automatically restored rights upon release. They KNEW that THOUSANDS of Florida residents with felony convictions came from those states. They KNEW that they were disproportionately PoC. They KNEW that the DTS methodology was erasing these LEGAL voters. It could have been stopped IF the DLC cared.
Mainstream "voter protection" Centri-crats, however, just didn't care because they didn't want their suburban base to be thinking "Willie Horton" just like they don't want them to be thinking "Michael Brown" now (which is why Hillary will stand with a grieving mother BUT WON'T SAY A WORD about how the Justice Department wouldn't lift a finger to prosecute the MURDERER of HER SON or the accessories after the fact who covered it up).
Sure, if Nader voters had voted against their convictions, Gore would have won, BUT if the DLC wasn't so worried about being called "soft on crime liberals," Gore would have still won AND democracy would have been served. All the Pontius Pilate hand-washing won't take that stain off of the DLC.