Conservatives Generally Do Not Favor Democracy
Photo courtesy of Michael Fleshman
In the main, Conservatives do not favor democracy. They favor strict voting restrictions and realize that they are becoming an unfavorable minority. My definition of democracy is to enable and make it easy for every American citizen to vote (including felons) in order to have a say in the running of government and legislation. Many European countries actually have better functioning democracies than we do in America. Many allow felons and those incarcerated to vote and have their voting days on weekends or declare voting day a national holiday. The “Founding Fathers” had a very draconian view of who should vote, only allowing white land-owning men that voting right, which was roughly 3% of the population at the time.
The trajectory of progress has continued to ascend in the direction of making voting more ubiquitous for American citizens. Unfortunately, Conservatives have pushed back by pressing for more voting restrictions that primarily affect Democratic voters who are elderly, people of color, and the poor.
A functioning democracy would allow for better environmental protection laws, national healthcare, a diminished military budget, a realistic program to eliminate Man Made Climate Change, tax breaks going to the 99% and not the 1%, the government paid college education and a livable minimum wage. Unfortunately, the 1% who are are primarily wealthy Republicans do not benefit in the short term from the above progressive improvements. During the WWII many of the super wealthy sided with a Fascist ideology that primarily benefits “Corporatists”.
The Republican defense for using voter restrictions as a means to eliminate voting fraud is not substantiated by any credible evidence. Most voter fraud occurs at the government level in counting votes or unfairly or prejudicially disqualifying voters. In Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 2017, 37% of registered voters identified as independents, 33% as Democrats and 26% as Republicans. When the partisan leanings of independents are taken into account, 50% either identify as Democrats or lean Democratic; 42% identify as Republicans or lean Republican.”
Taking into account the above, Democrats lead Republicans by a 15% margin. It is easy to understanding that in politics the only thing that counts is money and winning so, therefore, Republicans will use any underhanded and nefarious means possible to get an advantage which mainly includes mass incarceration and other forms of voter suppression.
Based on the above it is essential that every eligible voter registers and votes. The good news is that Conservatives are dying off and the younger, better educated, more enlightened of our population are increasing their numbers. There is also a skewing for the increase in voters toward people of color. White people are becoming more of the “Horse and Buggy” of our population. Based on compassion, civility, generosity, and justice I am not proud or want to be a member of the elite White Men who built this country.
