Among the things I’m thankful for at this time of year is that Greg is back to blogging. In particular, I’m grateful that he said what needed to be said about Bill King’s ridiculous column that advised Democrats to lay down and roll over on voter ID, thus saving me the effort. I would not change a word of what Greg wrote, so go read it. I will just add three things:
1. I am fully aware that Democrats are going to lose on voter ID this time around. They don’t have the numbers to stop it now that the Senate has switched to a “two thirds rule when it doesn’t inconvenience us” tradition. Frankly, the fact that they are now basically helpless to stop this legislation is all the more reason to not concede on it. The Republicans don’t need to negotiate with them to pass exactly what they want. There was an argument to be made in 2009 that there was a tactical advantage to finding some reasonably palatable compromise measure that traded voter ID for something like less restrictive voter registration. That argument was based on Democrats having some leverage. They have none now, so there’s nothing to negotiate about. There is absolutely no reason to back away from the principle that voting is a right that should be protected, not a privilege that can be subjected to political whim.
2. I don’t know what kind of mindset it takes to believe that after an election where one side’s base was crazy motivated and the other side’s was not to advise the side that was not that it would be a good idea to quit fighting for one of the things their base feels passionately about, but it’s neither one I understand or would trust. When have voters ever rewarded surrender?
3. What principle should Republicans be willing to unilaterally capitulate on in the name of whatever good it is you think that would help achieve, Bill? I look forward to reading that column.