Republicans Are Eroding Democracy, One "Error" at a Time
How We Will Counteract Their Tricks
Listen, who among us has not made a mistake before sending something out to the masses?
I started my working life as a journalist in the Houston area. I probably should have never landed the job like that straight out of college. I was what my editor liked to call “green behind the ears,” which meant I was too young to understand that reference.
But my enthusiasm and willingness to say yes to pretty much anything that came my way was unmatched, so I was often sent out as a court reporter on assignments that were way out of my depth. I remember covering Enron, sitting in a courtroom with reporters from the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters. These reporters had decades more experience than I did, and to be honest, they were pretty smug about it.
I felt so out of my depth, but I was a dedicated adherent to the phrase, “Fake it ‘till you make it.” I knew if I pretended to be confident, the other reporters would think I was a strong and sophisticated woman, instead of the terrified girl I felt like on the inside.
A few months into the job, I was writing an article where I referenced the penal code, which is a collection of laws that define crimes and punishments.
Except I wrote PENILE code, which is a completely different thing. And somehow my Freudian mistake slipped past three editors and ended up in the paper in front of thousands of readers. This was mortifying.
My editor’s phone was ringing off the hook with bemused readers who wanted to make jokes at my expense. MY phone was ringing off the hook with calls from men, asking if I’d like to meet their penile code. And I think my mistake inspired the titles of several adult films.
So I tend to have empathy for people who make mistakes in print.
But I have no idea how something like this could have happened by accident.
Apparently, an overseas Montana voter opened his absentee ballot on Friday to find one important candidate missing: the Democratic candidate for president. Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen said it was a minor glitch with the state’s vendor — an easy fix.
But is that the whole story? As Secretary of State, Jacobsen’s most important job is to secure free and fair elections that voters can feel confident in. She is failing spectacularly.
Ad so that begs the question: Is this error a symptom of gross incompetence or maliciousness?
Let’s look at the evidence:
Back in July, Jacobsen, a Republican, illegally dumped tens of thousands of signatures for a ballot initiative to protect the right to abortion. Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights reported more than 114,000 Montanans signed up to enshrine the right to vote in the state’s constitution.
But days later, the organization behind the initiative learned that number had dropped by tens of thousands because Jacobsen had dropped names from the voter rolls. She had to be ordered by a judge to restore the names.
Jacobsen also has a history of trying to make it harder to vote: Disenfranchising young voters and Native Americans, specifically. When the Montana Supreme Court declared Jacobsen’s shenanigans illegal, she leapfrogged the cast up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
And before that, Jacobsen meddled in the hiring of a county election official, telling county commissioners not to hire an election clerk because she’s a Democrat.
Does this sound familiar? It’s because it is happening all over the country. Republicans are actively deploying three tactics to try and convince voters that election results can’t be trusted:
Suppress the vote for marginalized groups like young people, trans individuals, and racial minorities
Try to control and intimidate election workers
Ultimately, if that doesn’t work, refuse to accept results. You know, like Trump saying he will win if “Mike Pence does the right thing.”
If they can’t win without cheating, then they don’t deserve to win. The only way to stop this is to VOTE HARDER.
Don’t just vote. Vote early. Sign up to vote absentee. In many states like Texas and Montana, the deadline to register to vote absentee is Monday, Oct. 7. Remember that you can vote early at most county election offices, so opt to do that instead of on Election Day, so that you can ensure nothing keeps you from casting a ballot.
Make voting a group project. Don’t just think of your vote. Think about the people in your circle of influence who might be disillusioned by the GOP’s hijinks and shenanigans. Remind them their vote matters and that democracy is the best method of governance available.
Join a Get Out the Vote effort in your state.
Remember that when we fight, we win. This election shouldn’t even be close, so let’s make sure it isn’t. We have 39 days to save democracy.
Onward, Democracy Defenders!
This is an excellent and very credible piece of journalism---well done!
another great example of failing upward