Here, I am sorry to say, is another installment of a series I wish I had no reason to blog about: real racism.
Surprise, surprise. Chris Matthews is again pushing the claim that Voter ID laws – i.e. laws that require all voters – not voters of any one racial group but all voters – demonstrate they are who they say they are – are a deliberate attempt to suppress the Black vote.
Is Matthews talking racism? You’re damn right he is. Matthews is telling Black people, in so many words, that they are less capable of getting an ID card than members of any other race. And THAT is racism.
Yesterday, while interviewing Congressperson James Clyburn, Matthews had this to say:
Well, Congressman, you’ve been through all this from the hell of the past to what we have today, but, what do you make of these Republicans who even though some of them are going to show up with you as your colleagues this weekend down in Selma, they’re out there pushing all these voter suppression efforts, these voter ID card requirements in states like even Pennsylvania, where you have the leadership of the Republican legislature, which dominates the legislature, openly saying we’re doing this to win votes, because we can keep the African-American from voting, especially older people, it’s going to help us win statewide elections.
I mean, that seems to me completely in violation of the purpose of the Voting Right Act, this game they’re playing about voter I.D. Cards.
Did I exaggerate? Is there anything here that Matthews is objecting to, other than the idea that Black people would (gasp) have to show the same kind of ID they need to drive a car, get on a plane, get a library card, cash a check, be served at a bar, etc. etc. etc?
Funny, when Black people needed a valid ID for all those other things, the Chris Matthews’ of the world didn’t have any problem with it.
Illustratively, a driver’s license has been required to drive a car since before either of us was born. But did you ever hear a word from any of these hypocritical frauds complaining that Black driving was being suppressed? Even one? Nope.
Only when the requirement is being implemented for voting – i.e. to minimize voting fraud – is it a plot against the Black population.
Pathetic.
Incidentally, that reference to the Republican legislature, is as phony as the claim that Voter ID equals Black voter suppression.
It is based on the following comment that Republican House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, made to a partisan Republican group, before the 2012 election:
“We are focused on making sure that we meet our obligations that we’ve talked about for years. Pro-Second Amendment? The Castle Doctrine, it’s done. First pro-life legislation – abortion facility regulations – in 22 years, done. Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.”
Did you see anything there about Black people? Me neither.
Turzai, when questioned about this, said his point was that requiring a voter ID would mean less voter fraud and that would help Romney – which, given the fact that, when the election was actually held, some precincts in (heavily Democrat) Philadelphia – showed 100% support for Obama and 90%+ turnout – which stinks to high heaven and beyond – just might indicate he had a point.
If Chris Matthews had a scintilla of honesty on this issue, he would be apologizing for what he said – to his viewers for the BS claim that Voter ID is Black voter suppression, and to Black people for his implicit claim that they are somehow less capable of getting a Voter ID than other races…which is both overtly racist and enormously insulting to them.
But he doesn’t, so he won’t.
Real racism. It comes in all forms, from all sources. No one is immune to it and no one is immune from it. Especially not a loudmouthed, whining hypocrite who invents racism where it does not exist, and then uses racism to make his non-existent point.
