Some of their followers are certainly idiots, but the leaders and organizers are not. Conyers may be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, but he's also a member of the Congressional Progressive (socialist) Caucus. I would not be surprised if most of the others mentioned are as well.
They know exactly what they're doing. Whether or not the particular "issue of the day" is logically defensible or even remotely credible is irrelevant. Their goal is simply to take advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself to weaken Americans' faith and loyalty to the various institutions or components of our society. In this case the target is our electoral system itself, but there are plenty of other examples everywhere you look, except that we simply refuse to see. What Gramsci called "the institutions of civil society" are under continuous assault and the "long march" continues.
Conyers and the other shakedown artists know exactly what they are doing. Feed the moonbats redmeat and it ups their fundraising.