You know when Republicans talk up a storm about how “democracy is what makes America great!” or “voting is our most important right?” It’s really tempting to take them at face value. Instead, with a little research, it’s easy to realize that they’re paying just enough lip service to something so essential for political gain. 

Sure, your run-of-the-mill conservative may truly believe democracy is essential, but they’d instantly fall in line with Republican officials rather than stand up for true egalitarian principles.

The thing is, elected Republicans KNOW what they’re doing: they’re subverting democracy via voter suppression tactics while publicly defending the importance of voting. Republicans know that they suffer from higher voter turnout, so they snuff out democracy at every conceivable turn.

The Quiet Part…

It’s a smokescreen. They’ve always kept voter suppression hidden and speak very quietly of it. Their adage “show me a racist law” obfuscates the fact that, while explicitly racist legislation is rare, the practical consequences of numerous laws and policies ARE discriminatory. 

This is especially true when it comes to minorities and voting. The fairly recent ruling on North Carolina voter ID laws and the shutdown of hundreds of voting stations in the south, predominantly in poor/minority areas, shows that Republicans are becoming less concerned with optics. Their intentions never change, though.

…Is Now out in the Open

Republicans at large have done their best to operate within the shadows when it comes to voter suppression. They’ll outright lie about their tactics if confronted. However, there is someone we can thank for finally exposing this underlying priority.

President Donald Trump. Yes, it’s shocking, but blabbering Trump actually said the quiet part out loud! His temper finally gave us an advantage, even if his latest outburst isn’t getting all the attention it deserves.

During deliberations on the $2.2 trillion stimulus package recently passed, Democrats tried to expand on absentee and early voting policies. This was a safety precaution that attempted to address the very real threat COVID-19 will pose towards in-person voters. Ultimately, these measures were cut from the bill and thrown into the trash by most Republicans as part of a “liberal wish list.”

Trump, frustrated with liberals, “fake news,” his impending doom once he leaves office, or whatever else, spilled the beans when he bashed Democrats on a FOX News call. He explicitly said that there were things to be included in the bill that, if passed, would lead to “levels of voting, that if you ever agreed to it you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”

There it is. God Emperor Trump has finally done something useful. He’s inadvertently exposed why Republicans are so keen on voter suppression tactics.