Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to 2012

Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to 2012 - The Washington Post

the document in the hands of the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor. It constitutes the centerpiece of indictments issued this week that that accuse one of Ehrlich’s most trusted aides, as well as a campaign consultant, of conspiring to suppress the black vote last year.

For the defense, the document is no less important. The voter suppression strategy was flatly rejected by those present at the meeting last summer, according to an attorney for Paul Schurick, Ehrlich’s de facto campaign manager, and the apparent inspiration for the document’s namesake, “The Schurick Doctrine.”

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So we have a dispute between the parties about whether this strategy was used or not. However ...

The indictments, handed up by a grand jury in Baltimore on Thursday, allege that the strategy was carried out.

The effort culminated, according to the indictments with Election Night robo-calls to mostly black neighborhoods in Baltimore and Washington’s eastern Maryland suburbs. The calls told tens of thousands of residents to “relax” and not worry about voting, because Democrats had already won.

State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt, said he has the document, and that authorities seized it from the Baltimore home of Schurick’s alleged co-conspirator, Julius Henson, late last year. Henson did not return a phone call on Friday.

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I don't particularly care about the charges of whether one race or demographic was favored over another. What I do care about is that voters were flat out lied to, and that sort of thing should be prosecuted as fraud.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Suppressing the black vote was the entire way that Florida's electoral votes were given to the Republican party in 2000... Though unlike then, this tactic is simply dishonest, as opposed to massively illegal. But yeah, stopping black voters from voting has been a strategy for a long time.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

megaprogman said:

What I do care about is that voters were flat out lied to, and that sort of thing should be prosecuted as fraud.

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Absolutely. Unfortunately, the penalties for fraud are not nearly harsh enough.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Does this mean that Democrats are going be prosecuted when military votes are suppressed?

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Stupid and illiterate people should not be allowed to vote that would mean that Obama would not be in office

In California it is illegal aliens that flock to vote by mail because you can register and vote and there are no checks yo make sure you are of legal age or here legally.

Voting is a privilege that that should be closely monitored to insure that voters can at least read English.

Today there are so many people who are high school graduates that are illiterate it's not funny and most of them are minorities because they come from one parent families and that one parent is also illiterate.

Most high school graduates these days don't have any clue about the Constitution.

I registered to vote by mail when I retired and moved back to California. I did it over the Web and it's been almost 4 years and they didn't check a damn thing.
I could have been a member of the Taliban anf they would never know or care for that matter.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Councilman said:

Stupid and illiterate people should not be allowed to vote that would mean that Obama would not be in office

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The Republican platform -- here's a list of people we think should not be able to vote....

Yep, they love democracy. Of the privileged. "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. (well, educated people who own property and would never dream of voting for a liberal anyway)."

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Councilman said:

Stupid and illiterate people should not be allowed to vote that would mean that Obama would not be in office

In California it is illegal aliens that flock to vote by mail because you can register and vote and there are no checks yo make sure you are of legal age or here legally.

Voting is a privilege that that should be closely monitored to insure that voters can at least read English.

Today there are so many people who are high school graduates that are illiterate it's not funny and most of them are minorities because they come from one parent families and that one parent is also illiterate.

Most high school graduates these days don't have any clue about the Constitution.

I registered to vote by mail when I retired and moved back to California. I did it over the Web and it's been almost 4 years and they didn't check a damn thing.
I could have been a member of the Taliban anf they would never know or care for that matter.

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Isn't it amazing how any time a person makes a list of people deserving of a privilege, that person just happens to make it onto that list every time?

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Voting isn't a right, it is a privilege; however, extending that privilege to pretty much everyone is central to any from of democracy. Just because a person isn't educated does not make their opinion invalid or make them stupid. However, I do stress and tell these people they shouldn't vote unless they know the issues and who the candidates actually are. Thankfully, elections aren't decided by people who don't pay attention.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

If we truly wanted our leaders to only come from a pool of the best and brightest and only allow the best and brightest to have a say in who they are, I doubt very much that any of us would have a vote. Let's show a little humility and admit that none of us have Nobel Prizes, or are the top minds in any field at all, or are considered one of the top constitutional lawyers in the country. We, here on this board, are a far cry from the best and brightest. Maybe some of the more passionate. But if we really did stop ignorant people who aren't smart enough or knowledgeable enough from voting, I couldn't point out more than a few people here who MIGHT be on the list, and none who would be without a doubt.

Councilman's list of people who shouldn't vote is "everyone less qualified than Councilman". But that won't get us the best and the brightest. That'll just cut off poor people. If you want to really get into exceptionalism, how about we require IQ tests to vote, and anyone below 150 can just go home.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

rocket88 said:

The Republican platform -- here's a list of people we think should not be able to vote....

Yep, they love democracy. Of the privileged. "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. (well, educated people who own property and would never dream of voting for a liberal anyway)."

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Exactly. They should run on that platform. Make it the centerpiece of the 2012 campaign along with destroying Social Security and Medicare and more tax breaks for the rich and corporations. That is a winning platform if I have ever seen one.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Councilman said:

Stupid and illiterate people should not be allowed to vote that would mean that Obama would not be in office

In California it is illegal aliens that flock to vote by mail because you can register and vote and there are no checks yo make sure you are of legal age or here legally.

Voting is a privilege that that should be closely monitored to insure that voters can at least read English.

Today there are so many people who are high school graduates that are illiterate it's not funny and most of them are minorities because they come from one parent families and that one parent is also illiterate.

Most high school graduates these days don't have any clue about the Constitution.

I registered to vote by mail when I retired and moved back to California. I did it over the Web and it's been almost 4 years and they didn't check a damn thing.
I could have been a member of the Taliban anf they would never know or care for that matter.

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So...Black people are stupid and illiterate?

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Councilman said:

Stupid and illiterate people should not be allowed to vote that would mean that Obama would not be in office

In California it is illegal aliens that flock to vote by mail because you can register and vote and there are no checks yo make sure you are of legal age or here legally.

Voting is a privilege that that should be closely monitored to insure that voters can at least read English.

Today there are so many people who are high school graduates that are illiterate it's not funny and most of them are minorities because they come from one parent families and that one parent is also illiterate.

Most high school graduates these days don't have any clue about the Constitution.

I registered to vote by mail when I retired and moved back to California. I did it over the Web and it's been almost 4 years and they didn't check a damn thing.
I could have been a member of the Taliban anf they would never know or care for that matter.

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haymarket said:

Exactly. They should run on that platform. Make it the centerpiece of the 2012 campaign along with destroying Social Security and Medicare and more tax breaks for the rich and corporations. That is a winning platform if I have ever seen one.

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Republicans..democrats...I don't think they care whether you are stupid or not so long as you vote for them.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

The Republicans say they rejected that proposal. How do we not know that this wasn't the actions of an individual?

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

The calls told tens of thousands of residents to “relax” and not worry about voting, because Democrats had already won.

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In Florida, 2000, some dems around campus didn't bother because the vote was called dem in the afternoon by major networks.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Councilman said:

Stupid and illiterate people should not be allowed to vote that would mean that Obama would not be in office

In California it is illegal aliens that flock to vote by mail because you can register and vote and there are no checks yo make sure you are of legal age or here legally.

Voting is a privilege that that should be closely monitored to insure that voters can at least read English.

Today there are so many people who are high school graduates that are illiterate it's not funny and most of them are minorities because they come from one parent families and that one parent is also illiterate.

Most high school graduates these days don't have any clue about the Constitution.

I registered to vote by mail when I retired and moved back to California. I did it over the Web and it's been almost 4 years and they didn't check a damn thing.
I could have been a member of the Taliban anf they would never know or care for that matter.

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xpiher said:

Voting isn't a right, it is a privilege; however, extending that privilege to pretty much everyone is central to any from of democracy. Just because a person isn't educated does not make their opinion invalid or make them stupid. However, I do stress and tell these people they shouldn't vote unless they know the issues and who the candidates actually are. Thankfully, elections aren't decided by people who don't pay attention.

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Technically you both are wrong. Voting is a right. It is mentioned in the bill of rights multiple times as a right. However it is not a unrestricted right.

14th amendment section 2
Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

15th amendment section 1
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

19th amendment
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.


24th amendment section 1
The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.


26th amendment section 1
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

megaprogman said:

Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to 2012 - The Washington Post



So we have a dispute between the parties about whether this strategy was used or not. However ...



I don't particularly care about the charges of whether one race or demographic was favored over another. What I do care about is that voters were flat out lied to, and that sort of thing should be prosecuted as fraud.

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It almost looks like a onion article.

Republicans Urge Minorities To Get Out And Vote On Nov. 3 | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

makkam said:

Republicans..democrats...I don't think they care whether you are stupid or not so long as you vote for them.

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That's what I think also.

You'd think reading these posts from Cons that everybody who was not so smart voted for Obama. I simply can't believe that's true. It makes absolutely no sense that they got together and voted in a block for an intellectual.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

rocket88 said:

That's what I think also.

You'd think reading these posts from Cons that everybody who was not so smart voted for Obama. I simply can't believe that's true. It makes absolutely no sense that they got together and voted in a block for an intellectual.

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I do not think that most of the people who voted for Obama are stupid. I do think a significant portion of them just like those who voted for republicans are ignorant when it comes to politics. This does not in any shape or form mean they are stupid. It just means they have not put much time or thought into politics/political issues just like there are some people who do not put much thought or effort into sports, Star Trek/Star Wars, video games, and other ****.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

We should be working to make it easier for all citizens to vote, not continually throwing up needless obstacles.


At what length did we go through to ensure that Iraqis were able to vote?

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

digsbe said:

The Republicans say they rejected that proposal. How do we not know that this wasn't the actions of an individual?

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That is what the court case is for, finding that out.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

Paschendale said:

Suppressing the black vote was the entire way that Florida's electoral votes were given to the Republican party in 2000... Though unlike then, this tactic is simply dishonest, as opposed to massively illegal. But yeah, stopping black voters from voting has been a strategy for a long time.

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That's a very good point. In 2000 what happened was illegal, while calling people and telling them there is no need to vote isn't. It's unethical, but not illegal. Time and time again Republicans can be seen on the wrong side of race issues...whether it be Affirmative Action or their Xenophobic discourse when it comes to illegal and legal immigration - they think all people should be required to speak english, for an example of how they discriminate against legal immigrants.

This stuff just isn't surprising anymore.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

megaprogman said:

Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to 2012 - The Washington Post

So we have a dispute between the parties about whether this strategy was used or not. However ...

I don't particularly care about the charges of whether one race or demographic was favored over another. What I do care about is that voters were flat out lied to, and that sort of thing should be prosecuted as fraud.

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Eh...I think the race part of this is an important part of the story.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

megaprogman said:

Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to 2012 - The Washington Post



So we have a dispute between the parties about whether this strategy was used or not. However ...



I don't particularly care about the charges of whether one race or demographic was favored over another. What I do care about is that voters were flat out lied to, and that sort of thing should be prosecuted as fraud.

Click to expand...

Ehrlich was/is a bitch. I'm not surprised. The only reason he managed to become Governor of Maryland was because the Democrats nominated an incompetent bimbo of a lieutenant governor in Kathleen Kennedy Townsend to run.

Re: Republican ‘doctrine’ on suppressing black vote is key to Md. case, and maybe to

I'm very surprised this thread was dummied down to the intelligence level of prospective voters instead of focusing on the unethical or unlawful practise of voter surpression brought on by the robo-calls which allegedly were directed at majority Black voters. That should be the issue here, not whether or not the military vote wasn't counted, if illegal aliens were allowed to vote in other elections or any other argument intended to deflect from the issue at hand.

Former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr was a Republican who lost the Maryland gubernatorial race in 2007. He ran again in 2010 and apparently was losing against his Democrat opponent, Martin J. O'Malley. On the day of the election, Ehrilich's campaign put out the robo-calls in an apparent attempt to wrongfully convince Black voters, the majority of which apparently vote Democrat, to stay away from the polls by telling them their apparent Democrat challenger had already won. It doesn't matter if what was said was true or not. The fact of the matter is IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DONE. PERIOD!!!

Now, for those who believe that voting is a "privilage" and not a right apparently either have never read the Constitution nor the Voting Rights Act or you're just blantantly being dishonest or at the very list you're even more ignorant than the Black voters you claim were for casting their vote for President Obama (who, BTW, has nothing to do with this issue; so I fail to see why his name was even mentioned here. BTW, thanks, Jamesrage for your post #16. If I could give 1,000 "Likes" for that post I would.) To that part of the issue that matters, while I will say that those who listened to the robo-calls and believed them were foolishly gulliable whether they be Black or White, I do believe it is dishonest for a politician or political action committee to saction such calls because they are misleading especially when such are "directed" at a specific demographic that historically or statistically happens to vote a specific way that goes counter to a particular political party. So, if Robert L. Ehrlich Jr or anyone is found guilty for supporting these robo-calls, they should be charged to the fullest extent of the law.

Voting is a right, not a privilage granted to every U.S. citizen who is 18 years of age and older in accordance with our Constitution. It should never be surpressed under any circumstances.