The rich should get more votes

[DanWeiss]

Voting is a closely protected right secured by state and federal Constitutions. It ranks a close second in protected rights behind freedom from and freedom of religion when rights are considered to be stripped in a conservatorship or guardianship action. Prisoners lack the right to vote while in prison for rather practical reasons. There is no intelligence test required, no partisanship or academic performance required. There is no income test or real property-ownership test.

Perhaps those who wish to strip voting rights from welfare recipients might also wish to read some history. For several decades, only white men who owned land had the right to vote. The right to vote was applied to an ever expanding group over the next hundred years, but severe restrictions like poll taxes, reading or civics test as well as de facto racial and gender discrimination continued to violate the basic rights of citizens. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a tough one to pass but represents the codification of rights and ideals that states refused to enforce. 1965 isn't that long ago, but it seems people never learned or refused to adopt the historical lesson represented by the Voting Rights Act.

I strongly doubt anyone here truly seeks a culture of serfdom or caste.

[mac]

Is a return to this situation the ultimate goal of modern conservatives? Many of the soundbites, GOP policies, and comments here seem to suggest that.

[MalibuGuru]

My son and I watch the history channel often. He is beginning to understand just how incompetent the current rulers are.....

As for Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, it is my prediction that one of them will be on the R ticket in 16.

[swchandler]

Bard, when you and your son watch the History Channel together, are you voicing your opinions while watching? I'm guessing that you do. If that's the case, based on your comments here, what's being offered is very biased in nature.

Regarding your reference above to "the current rulers", shouldn't that be "elected officials"? While many in the executive branch are not elected, the important figures are approved by the US Senate.

With young minds, it's important to remember how impressionable they are. Often they will accept the outlook and opinion of their parents without appreciating the thoughts and views of others, especially if you rant a lot about politics in front of your family.

[J64TWB]

My father hammered conservative stuff. Lost all four of his sons to the other side. Cruze, no chance. Paul, slight.

[isobars]

[keycocker]

The GOP is aware how unpopular Cruz is with the general public.
Many in Congress detest him personally. Ever read stories about GOP folks who are horrified by personal contact with him?
They say he can clear a room of conservatives in minutes.
His record of accomplishments only includes a single item, the useless shutdown that wasted billions of US dollars.
What is it about his charm or his accomplishments that makes you think he will be a heavily funded, strongly supported candidate?
Remember last election when Bachman was a Tea front runner?
The BBB and a host of other conservative business groups are building war chests to take guys like Rand and Cruz out of politics for the damage they do to the economy, esp.small business.

The Tea Party's plans seem likely to give the election to the Dems, same as last time.

[techno900]

I think that all citizens 18 & over should be allowed to vote, with the exception of those that lost the privilege via criminal behavior. Their choice to be excluded.

58% of the voting eligible population voted in 2012. That means that 42% of our population that was eligible to vote didn't. I assume that the vast majority of those 42% just didn't care enough to make the effort. Fine with me, if that's what they choose to do, then they reap what they sow.

What I wonder is how many of the 58% that did vote really knew what they were doing. Have any of you ever voted based on the yard placards you see on the street or at a polling place? It's a sad commentary to think that I would vote for someone because I saw their name on a sign, but it's clear that some do or the politicians wouldn't bother with the signs.

Bottom line is that it seems as though a relatively small number of our population are knowledgeable voters expressing their views at the polls.

[keycocker]

I agree Techno, the number of well informed voters is very low.
The County of Maui has the lowest voter turnout in the US.
Ever speak with those who don't vote? I do.
They care but have lost faith in the system.
Remember the GOP primary? Clown show.
Those kind of candidates discourage folks from being part of the process.
Read political news? Get Conservative emails? Everything about it has a bad smell from our point of view.
I have heard this is the most liberal place in the US, yet liberals voted in a Republican for mayor and governor because she was the best candidate.
Liberals seem more inclined to put aside partisanship than conservatives, at least here.

[swchandler]

Of the folks that do vote, what worries me greatly are those that are single issue voters, especially those against abortion, gay marriage or gun regulations. Unfortunately, single issue voters represents a sizable number of those eligible to vote.