Should the Obama administration be meddling in local elections?

[rudder]

Apparently the justice department thinks it should.

Text

The Justice Department's ruling, which affects races for City Council and mayor, went so far as to say partisan elections are needed so that black voters can elect their "candidates of choice"

The department ruled that white voters in Kinston will vote for blacks only if they are Democrats and that therefore the city cannot get rid of party affiliations for local elections because that would violate black voters' right to elect the candidates they want.


So are all blacks democrats? Are they worried if a black republican ran for mayor he might mistakenly get elected because all the blacks will vote solely based on skin color? Or if there are two white guys running that blacks will be confused if there is no D on the ballot?

These are local people (2/3 of the population of this town who are black BTW) who decided overwhelmingly that local elections should not have an R or D next to the candidates name. And the Feds are saying this won't fly.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: rudder
Apparently the justice department thinks it should.

Text

The Justice Department's ruling, which affects races for City Council and mayor, went so far as to say partisan elections are needed so that black voters can elect their "candidates of choice"

The department ruled that white voters in Kinston will vote for blacks only if they are Democrats and that therefore the city cannot get rid of party affiliations for local elections because that would violate black voters' right to elect the candidates they want.


So are all blacks democrats? Are they worried if a black republican ran for mayor he might mistakenly get elected because all the blacks will vote solely based on skin color? Or if there are two white guys running that blacks will be confused if there is no D on the ballot?

These are local people (2/3 of the population of this town who are black BTW) who decided overwhelmingly that local elections should not have an R or D next to the candidates name. And the Feds are saying this won't fly.

Post the damn R & D and stop whining

Republican wusses

 

[ElFenix]

i bet they don't require houston to start putting R&D on the ballot

frankly i prefer no R&D on the ballot. based on the ads and fliers you'd have absolutely no idea what the party affiliation is.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Post the damn R & D and stop whining

must be easy to only care about a D versus an R and not want people to actually look at candidate versus candidate.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Ahhh... that's better.

 

[Genx87]

Wow, saving the blacks from themselves eh? Sweet jesus wtf is going on at the justice dept?

 

[Patranus]

Where exactly does it state the federal government has authority over local elections?

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Patranus
Where exactly does it state the federal government has authority over local elections?

RTFA'ing would answer that question

 

[sandorski]

What's the Cities Motivation for removing the R/D?

I suspect the Justice Dept has some jurisdiction in this area, but it's not the Final Word on the Issue. This can be taken through the Courts and probably should be for clarification as to whose Jurisdiction is the final Word on such a decision.

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Post the damn R & D and stop whining

must be easy to only care about a D versus an R and not want people to actually look at candidate versus candidate.

I think that is the crux of the issue with the Obama administrations decision.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Originally posted by: Ausm

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Post the damn R & D and stop whining

must be easy to only care about a D versus an R and not want people to actually look at candidate versus candidate.

I think that is the crux of the issue with the Obama administrations decision.

Yes, cuz we certainly don't want anyone to actually have to pay attentionn to what a particular candicate stands for and make an informed decision. Let's just reduce every bloody decision we make on a given day to stupid partisan hackery.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Post the damn R & D and stop whining

must be easy to only care about a D versus an R and not want people to actually look at candidate versus candidate.

That's the only way people like ol' dm can cope with life.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: FerrelGeek

Originally posted by: Ausm

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Post the damn R & D and stop whining

must be easy to only care about a D versus an R and not want people to actually look at candidate versus candidate.

I think that is the crux of the issue with the Obama administrations decision.

Yes, cuz we certainly don't want anyone to actually have to pay attentionn to what a particular candicate stands for and make an informed decision. Let's just reduce every bloody decision we make on a given day to stupid partisan hackery.

Candidates themselves are mostly to blame for that problem. Ever since Attack Ads have become the Norm, rather than the exception.

 

[SirStev0]

Is this about Baltimore? That town is a shitshow. A repug mayor won't help and will only lead to riots.

 

[Darwin333]

People can't even vote to get rid of the partisan bullshit at the local level because of partisan bullshit at the federal level.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: rudder
Apparently the justice department thinks it should.

Text

The Justice Department's ruling, which affects races for City Council and mayor, went so far as to say partisan elections are needed so that black voters can elect their "candidates of choice"

The department ruled that white voters in Kinston will vote for blacks only if they are Democrats and that therefore the city cannot get rid of party affiliations for local elections because that would violate black voters' right to elect the candidates they want.


So are all blacks democrats? Are they worried if a black republican ran for mayor he might mistakenly get elected because all the blacks will vote solely based on skin color? Or if there are two white guys running that blacks will be confused if there is no D on the ballot?

These are local people (2/3 of the population of this town who are black BTW) who decided overwhelmingly that local elections should not have an R or D next to the candidates name. And the Feds are saying this won't fly.

SLOW NEWS DAY??
You can troll better than that....

 

[Patranus]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: Patranus
Where exactly does it state the federal government has authority over local elections?

RTFA'ing would answer that question

Huh, I did read the fucking article and it doesn't answer my question.
It does reference the Voting Rights Act but again, where in the constitution grants the federal government the authority to regulate anything other than federal elections?

I notice the part in the constitution where it says
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

but not the part where it says federal regulation has to apply to state elections.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Originally posted by: Patranus

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: Patranus
Where exactly does it state the federal government has authority over local elections?

RTFA'ing would answer that question

Huh, I did read the fucking article and it doesn't answer my question.
It does reference the Voting Rights Act but again, where in the constitution grants the federal government the authority to regulate anything other than federal elections?

I notice the part in the constitution where it says
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

but not the part where it says federal regulation has to apply to state elections.

Don't bother quoting that antiquated document. Obama will be taking care of that pesky thing shortly.

 

[QuantumPion]

How do democrats, and even the White House itself, get away with calling black voters "too stupid to know who to vote for"? That is essentially what they said.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: QuantumPion
How do democrats, and even the White House itself, get away with calling black voters "too stupid to know who to vote for"? That is essentially what they said.

We should charge them with hate crimes.

 

[thegimp03]

"As a result of the low turnout, Ms. King wrote, "black voters have had limited success in electing candidates of choice during recent municipal elections." "

Boo-fucking-who. If you don't vote and don't get the candidate of your choice, then who's to blame? Quite the predicament.

 

[Lemon law]

One of the early reforms of the 20'th Century is our present political primary system.

Its advantage is that its taken the power to slate candidates from political "bosses" and placed it into the hands of the people.

Its disadvantage is that its not a perfect system either. But its still now codified into State and National laws.

Now either totally repeal the primary system, go back to the old way of doing things, or shut up.

If we are willing to discuss new reforms for electing our representatives for the entire nation we can discuss that, but doing it on a only one local election basis is totally out of place.

 

[Patranus]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
Its disadvantage is that its not a perfect system either. But its still now codified into State and National laws.

Can you please point me to the relevant sections of the constitution granting the federal government power over local elections thus giving the justice department the authority to rule on this subject?

I can find the part where it specifically states that if the authority is not in the constitution than that power is not granted to the federal government.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Patranus

Originally posted by: Lemon law
Its disadvantage is that its not a perfect system either. But its still now codified into State and National laws.

Can you please point me to the relevant sections of the constitution granting the federal government power over local elections thus giving the justice department the authority to rule on this subject?

I can find the part where it specifically states that if the authority is not in the constitution than that power is not granted to the federal government.

here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act

 

[Patranus]

Originally posted by: loki8481
here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act

Yes, that is the voting rights act, now what article and section of the constitution is that in, I am having trouble finding it.