A left-wing ‘temper tantrum’ to short-circuit elections and their consequences
Three years ago, the combination of a $787 billion stimulus and multibillion-dollar bailouts sparked the first tea party rallies. The tea partyers protested, yes, but most importantly they pledged to “remember in November” — that is, November of the following year, when the next congressional elections would be held.
Liberals, confident the tea parties would fail, called it a “temper tantrum.” That “tantrum” wound up sweeping many a Democrat out of office. Now, liberals are throwing a fit of their own. But they aren’t waiting for the next elections. They want their way, now.
That’s the upshot of both the threatened boycotts of a conservative legislative group’s corporate sponsors and the attempted recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. The left, having lost last time, is too impatient to bide its time.
The conservative group in question, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), has been around since 1973. It has been quite active in Georgia since Republicans took the reins here a decade ago.
By ALEC’s count, each year one in five bills based on the group’s model texts becomes law. That rate hardly signals a rampant rubber-stamping of laws written in secret and railroaded through statehouses.
The two ALEC-approved laws at the heart of the boycott threats are one requiring voters to provide photo identification and the “stand your ground” self-defense law that gained national notoriety after the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.
But states began passing voter ID laws nearly a decade ago. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2008 upheld Indiana’s version, one of the strictest, noting plaintiffs presented no one denied the vote because of the law. “Stand your ground,” meanwhile, is a century-old legal concept long approved by courts. In recent years, it has been codified by a number of states — including eight with Democratic governors at the time.
Now, suddenly, these court-approved laws have made ALEC public enemy No. 1. Companies that donated to it are shrinking in the face of boycott threats. What changed? Why now?
Permit a theory: The urgency stems from the conservative wave that swept over numerous statehouses in 2010. Republicans now control 26 statehouses and 29 governor’s mansions. That’s a stark change from before the 2010 elections, which produced the largest loss of statehouse seats for one party in decades and the most GOP state legislators in 82 years. Suddenly, ALEC has a lot more influence. And the left doesn’t want to wait for the next elections — and to have to win a reversal at the polls — to stop it.
In Wisconsin, labor unions aghast at the changes Walker and GOP legislators enacted — including limiting collective bargaining rights for some public workers and requiring them to contribute more toward their health care and pensions — will try to recall him in an election next month.
Never mind that Walker campaigned on most of these changes, won the election and followed through. The unions want to remove him from office more than two years early. There’s talk Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder could face a recall as well due to his union-limiting law.
Fledgling democracies mark a significant milestone when they transfer power safely from one group to another. We haven’t fallen that far.
But it is disturbing to see some groups try to lessen the effect of their electoral losses by making threats and seeking to remove officers carrying out an electoral mandate. They tread on dangerous ground.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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327 comments Add your comment
td
April 21st, 2012
9:36 pm
RW-(the original)
April 21st, 2012
9:33 pm
Do not let people like AMvet fool you. He can not put two of his own sentences together because it would give away his true feeling and philosophy. This is a person that wants to “transform” America into a European socialistic nation.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
April 21st, 2012
9:36 pm
I must have missed a serious dust up at kookman’s blog.
Did our participants get tossed?
RW-(the original)
April 21st, 2012
9:47 pm
td,
No worries, I’ve known him and all of his sock puppets for years. I thought I’d just pop in and have a little fun.
Andy,
jay banned me a while back but lacked the nads to tell me. I guess fools like “huge gold star mom” crying about me being mean to them finally got to him. I was on a new machine one day and posted a test message just fine so I went back to the old one and I was blocked. I know you can add that one up.
Lynn
April 21st, 2012
9:48 pm
You got to be kidding?
Lynn
April 21st, 2012
9:50 pm
Aren’t you counting on the Supreme Court again to do your bidding?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
April 21st, 2012
9:53 pm
RW- You must have made some sort of big splash in the fever swamp, upsetting even the most catatonic moonbats.
Even I’m not banned anymore.
If you can remember what you did, let me know and I’ll try it out.
Hillbilly D
April 21st, 2012
10:00 pm
RW, if you’re still about
Thanks for that info on the Mebo bar.
RW-(the original)
April 21st, 2012
10:06 pm
Even I’m not banned anymore.
I haven’t tried lately so maybe I’m not either. I think my offense was using logic and common sense to refute mindless talking points. That’s apparently an egregious crime in Moonbatica.
@@
April 21st, 2012
10:10 pm
Hell-ooooooooooo
td
April 21st, 2012
10:11 pm
RW,
I am surprised that that I am not banned after the other night and I blew up his whole blog about income inequality when I found a Cornel study that showed the flawed methodology of the French socialist economist (Obama’s economist) he was using to make the case.
@@
April 21st, 2012
10:12 pm
Weird!
I’ve got six posts awaiting moderation. Am I not allowed to interact with HUGE?
RW-(the original)
April 21st, 2012
10:12 pm
Hillbilly D,
Did it work for you? I always use adblock, but it seems like the automatic filter only gets you halfway there. When both filters are in that sucker is gone though.
RW-(the original)
April 21st, 2012
10:14 pm
@@,
It depends on how huge a thing you want to communicate with. (IS&WH)
/Sorry Semper…I couldn’t resist.
Hillbilly D
April 21st, 2012
10:14 pm
@@
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2fSw0ua5K0&feature=related
RW-(the original)
April 21st, 2012
10:17 pm
td,
One of the craziest moonbats that ever graced these pages claimed to have been a Cornell alum. I’d have loved to see you go after old “finch” with a Cornell study.
Hillbilly D
April 21st, 2012
10:17 pm
RW
Yes it did, thanks again.
@@
April 21st, 2012
10:20 pm
RW:
HUGE was a substitute for he, whose name I’m not allowed to mention. It happens over at jay’s too.
It’s weird!
Halloooo, Hillbilly.
RW-(the original)
April 21st, 2012
10:21 pm
You’re welcome
Right Wing Love Fester
April 21st, 2012
10:40 pm
I think I love me. Now I’m going to give myself a big hug.
bluecoat
April 21st, 2012
10:46 pm
let’s just turn America into a cartel controlled country like Mexico.You may have a good chance with Meebo Romney.
@@
April 21st, 2012
11:13 pm
Enter your comments here
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
April 22nd, 2012
6:52 am
Lynn: Aren’t you counting on the Supreme Court again to do your bidding?
——————–
If by “you” you mean “Real Americans” and by “bidding” you mean “upholding the Constitution so wisely crafted by our Founding Fathers”, then yes.
BitterEXdemocrackkk
April 22nd, 2012
6:54 am
VOTER ID requirement IS the necessary insurance for electoral integrity.
This article is a great piece of work outlining HOW democrackkks have methodically RUINED America! Dont EVER vote for another one!
The NC democrackkk party is so fraught with criminality NC wants to SHUT them down completely!
Road Scholar
April 22nd, 2012
8:00 am
td: Please enlighten me as to the gift limit in the Ga legislature. Then remind me why the people of Georgia reelect these slouches.
rwcole
April 22nd, 2012
8:23 am
I’ve noticed that when Kyle writes a really moronic article full of inaccuracies, he never comes back to defend it.
Like right now.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
April 22nd, 2012
8:27 am
“I’ve noticed that when Kyle writes a really moronic article full of inaccuracies, he never comes back to defend it. ”
I’ve noticed that when Kyle writes an article in order to keep his bloggers busy on the weekend, morons like rwcole come on here and think he’s doing something other than simply taking the weekend off.
Just like millions of Americans do. Especially one with a wife and newborn.
carlosgvv
April 22nd, 2012
8:33 am
td – 9:36
The American people will, sooner or later, get rid of our predatory capitalistic system and our bought and paid for politicians. Then we will have a “European socialistic nation”, and we will all be much better off.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
April 22nd, 2012
8:41 am
carlos, if you are so desirous of a European socialistic nation, why are you trying to change the U.S.?
Delta is ready when you are, son.
Leave the rest of us the Hell alone.
@@
April 22nd, 2012
8:44 am
I’ve noticed that when Kyle writes a really moronic article full of inaccuracies, he never comes back to defend it.
No…that liberals would panic over a 1 in 5 success rate is pretty moronic.
Requiring photo ID to vote is common sense…something that Democrats refuse to engage in.
schnirt
@@
April 22nd, 2012
8:47 am
Andy:
Even I’m not banned anymore.
Yes you are. Your latest comment was quickly removed as was mine.
jay’s just slow.
SCHNIRT!!!!!
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 22nd, 2012
8:55 am
Hey, @@! You just gave me an idea to change my slogan.
How do you like it?
We who have been banned should all do it.
#Occupy my desk...
April 22nd, 2012
9:11 am
If this administration and the current roster of liberal leaders have taught us anything, it is the following: It is fine to bypass normal legislative and electoral processes, trample the rights of citizens, ignore the constitution, cheat and lie – as long as you think you’re right. If our kids all become democrats, this country will be Somalia in 10 years; everyone playing by their own rules, refusing to play fairly when things don’t go their way.
#Occupy my desk...
April 22nd, 2012
9:13 am
@carlos – yeah the EU and UK are doing swell right now…a model for all of us to follow. Liberalism is an unmitigated failure. period.
Joe the Prophet
April 22nd, 2012
9:13 am
Good Sunday morning everyone….Just came back from a wonderful sermon at Church this morning….about Peter and fishing or something like that….not sure really, as I was asleep.
Please let me clarify that I don’t hate Mormons, Muslims, Jews, nor Homosexuals. In fact, I love them all and God bless them all…!!!! I’m just not interested in breaking any new ground here, and electing them to the White House….:-)….
@@
April 22nd, 2012
9:18 am
@@ – Banned from Bookman’s Land of Nod(s)? Knobs?
@@ – Banned from Bookman’s Land of the Lost
(ISH)
marko
April 22nd, 2012
9:28 am
testing
marko
April 22nd, 2012
9:33 am
I went out of my way to annoy the righties this morning , but the blog ate my homework. Well like Miss Scarlett said, tomorrow is another day.
Right Wing Love Fester
April 22nd, 2012
9:33 am
If I were to do something to get myself banned from one blog and then go to another nearby blog and talk about how I got banned from the other blog, would you still love me in the morning.
AmVet
April 22nd, 2012
9:35 am
If you would stop acting like brats and insulting people and their families without provocation (see td at 9:36 and RW at 4:06) you wouldn’t get red carded, like @@ and the hater, among numerous others.
The funniest part of your lack of self-discipline though is how you swear it is because of your views, politics, opinions, etc.
Even Kyle has had to can a couple of the more egregious louts here. One recently, because I dared show up and address the topic at hand, and he went off like some jilted teenage girl who had been drinking heavily.
Good times in Delusionville.
So enjoy your little cult of victimhood and absence of personal accountability.
Toodles.
I’ll check in from time to time to see how the teeth gnashing goes.
Or not.
And enjoy your labor-union provided weekend!
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 22nd, 2012
9:47 am
“If you would stop acting like brats and insulting people and their families without provocation (see td at 9:36 and RW at 4:06) you wouldn’t get red carded”
Or, if you’d simply suck up to Jay Bookman’s behind like AmVet does, you get a free pass to insult anyone else on his blog and get to stay on there.
md
April 22nd, 2012
9:52 am
Not too sure why folks would want to go to bookman’s…….the guy is a partisan hack and visiting his site only makes him relevant. Took me a while of trying, but the guy lacks intellectual honesty.
@@
April 22nd, 2012
9:56 am
Good times in Delusionville
where AmVet lives.
SCHNIRT!!!!!!
carlosgvv
April 22nd, 2012
9:59 am
Tiberius, #Occupy My Desk
I do not know if the European model is that much better than what we have now. What I’m saying is that the American people are close to being so fed up with the corrupt system we have now that, out of desperation, they will try something different. I will stay here and try to work from within to change our political system, Unlike you, Tiberius, I do not have a “cut and run” personality.
md
April 22nd, 2012
10:23 am
“I do not know if the European model is that much better than what we have now.”
A hint for you:
They’ve been around a few thousand years, and have the world’s #2 economy as a collective. Their US cousins have been in business a few hundred years and have the world’s #1 economy all by ourselves. We didn’t get this way thinking anybody owed us anything…………
td
April 22nd, 2012
10:33 am
Road Scholar
April 22nd, 2012
8:00 am
td: Please enlighten me as to the gift limit in the Ga legislature. Then remind me why the people of Georgia reelect these slouches.
I do not know what the gift limit is and I do not care as long as the gifts are transparent. The voter votes from whomever they want to vote. If they like their elected representative receiving gifts from lobbyist then why should outsiders come in and tell them they are wrong? As long as the Representative is not breaking the law then their behavior should be left up to the voter in their district. If the people of the district do not care then they get the representation they deserve.
td
April 22nd, 2012
10:37 am
carlosgvv
April 22nd, 2012
8:33 am
td – 9:36
The American people will, sooner or later, get rid of our predatory capitalistic system and our bought and paid for politicians. Then we will have a “European socialistic nation”, and we will all be much better off.
I have to give you credit for being honest about what your goals are and the goals of the “progressive” movement in this country. I shall fight your efforts tooth and nail to make sure it does not happen in my lifetime, even if it means another McCarthy type purging of the communist.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 22nd, 2012
10:37 am
carlos, why do you wish to completely destroy a system that produced the greatest nation in the history of this planet just so that you do not have to move?
If you like European socialism, it’s already available to you. Got for it.
Leave this country to the freedom-loving individuals who will make it great once again, rather than just trying to drag us down to your level.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 22nd, 2012
10:40 am
carlos finds in much easier to sit on his fat a$$ and elect people who will make laws to take from successful people and give it to losers like him.
It’s what the professional moocher class specializes in; having someone else to their dirty work while the only finger they lift is in the voting booth.
Right Wing Love Fester
April 22nd, 2012
10:41 am
What constituted a bannable offense and should it have? The banned from another blog bloggers here leave the impression that they did nothing wrong. Could that be true. Are they all innocent. Will we ever know. Do they even know. I don’t know.
Skip
April 22nd, 2012
10:43 am
Do we even care?