Posted on 04/25/2016 5:59:53 AM PDT by reaganaut1
In what is likely an unconstitutional state action seemingly calculated to ensure that the purple state of Virginia goes blue in the November election, Governor Terry McAuliffe (D.) signed an order on Friday restoring the voting rights of 206,000 ex-felons in Virginia, including those convicted of murder, armed robbery, rape, sexual assault, and other violent crimes. The order also restores their right to sit on a jury, become a notary, and even serve in elected office.
McAuliffe believes that ex-felons can be trusted to make decisions in the ballot booth and the jury box but apparently not to own a gun. He draws the line at restoring their Second Amendment rights; that would be a bridge too far. His order specifically does not restore their “right to ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms.” And while his order requires that felons complete probation and parole before enjoying restoration of their rights, it applies regardless of whether they have paid any court fines or restitution to victims.
What McAuliffe entirely dismisses is the principle that if you won’t follow the law yourself, you can’t demand a role in making the law for everyone else, which is what you do when you vote. Restoring a felon’s right to vote should be done not automatically, as soon as he has completed his sentence, but carefully, on a case-by-case basis, after he has shown that he has really turned over a new leaf. The unfortunate truth is that many people who walk out of prison will be walking back in; recidivism rates are high. We have both testified before Congress and written about this problem. Governor McAuliffe may be happy as long as the ex-felons who can now vote just don’t walk back into prison before November.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
When elections are rigged, the government loses legitimacy.
ACLU told them they couldn't do a few years ago
I have a question this is a State action can it effect a Federal Election?
Reince and the Boys left Ken Cuccinelli will no help really came back to bite them.
Virginia had their chance with Cuccinelli. It is now gone. Say hello to NY, Mass, California, Rhode Island, and every other liberal sh*thole.
However, the bright side is that if anyone thinks these guys will be lining up at election precincts in droves, is on the very crack that some of these guys will be selling. So, I’m not sure how much all of this will really matter.
Going be no place left to fall back to anymore. We are going to witness the complete and utter downfall of America alot sooner than later, Maybe thats a good thing..just get it over with and maybe then people will wake up
I blame the GOPe spinless republicans 100% not Obama. We needed a strong opposition and they failed us.
Liberal and progressive governors now think they are obama.
Wolf (PA) is another that comes to mind.
It doesn’t matter what the law or state constitution says.
I have a phone and a pen and can write EOs all day long...
No worries....
Thugs support Trump.
STOP WITH THE ‘COLORS’
Until AlGore ran, Democrats were always COMMIE RED
I agree. My understanding is that these are felons who have done their time, and are either bent on more crime, or desirous of being left alone. This will not be a voting bloc which will be highly engaged politically.
"I can vote? Thanks a lot. I still am having trouble getting a job."
They are more likely, enough of them, I believe, to nullify the Dems' hope by having an affinity for a fellow "outsider" like Donald Trump.
'Quit complaining and go out and earn these folks' right to vote for you. Go out and talk to them,'Earn their right? Jackass. National Review? Are they sure Trump isn't behind this?
Maculae’s action was likely illegal. While a governor can pardon criminals and thus restore all of their civil rights, he cannot restore those rights piecemeal. He knows this, but believes that if the republicans sue to prevent the felons from voting, that this will play into the dem narrative of republican “vote suppression” of blacks. He’s a creep and was a central figure in the “Global Crossing” scandal, where he reportedly parlayed a 100k investment into 18 million dollars just before the company went bankrupt. He is the formed DNC chair, and former head of the 2008 HRC presidential campaign.
sp: McAuliffe
...as well as a business partner of then RNC chairman, Haley Barbour, in the Washington DC restaurant, "The Caucus Room". An expensive gathering place on Capitol Hill, much favored by lobbyists in wooing the votes of congress critters.
I don’t think these 200,000 felons will actually turn out to vote, unless they are also paid to do it.
“formed” should read “former”... damned android keyboard ver. Mongo 2.11.
Did the legislature pass a law? Or is this one of those “Stroke of the pen, law of the land, kind of cool” deals?
There is wonderful material here for some creative political advertisements. Of course, you'd need a creative political party that understood the electorate in order to create them and run them. (Silly me...)
The latter -- the GOP-controlled legislature passed no such law.
Er, how many of these will show up at the polls? None of these actual people, but someone will. We’re talking Dems here.
The felons themselves dont need to actually vote. Just registering them to vote will allow Democrat Party fraudsters to go to the polls and vote using their identities. Unless Virginia has photo Id verification, then the fraudsters can still use absentee voting. They cast votes for dead people. How hard is it to cast votes for felons who are not so inclined to vote themselves?
You have a point there. The Dem’s wouldn’t let these people within a 1000yds of them. And perps, love ‘em or hate ‘em, can sometimes be a proud bunch and are very good are reading people.
Trump is the kind of guy that would engage them, even if for a minute, and listen to them. As I’m sure he’s done countless times over the years while building something, somewhere. And having firsthand experience dealing with these types, a little conversation with them and not looking down your nose at them can work wonders.
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