'If You've Done Time, You're a Democrat'

Fox News ^ | February 18, 2005 | John Gibson

[MisterRepublican]

Hillary Clinton is running so hard you might occasionally see some perspiration.

As if we needed further evidence of the running Hillary Clinton, yesterday she offered a suggestion for a new law, which, if enacted, would probably guarantee her election.

She proposed a national holiday for voting. The theory here is that people want to vote, but they can't because they're working. So if it was a day off, they would vote.

Frankly I think they would go do something fun and turnout numbers would fall even deeper in an already deep hole ... if you're a Democrat.

She also wants to repeal the rule or law or tradition that felons are not allowed to vote. This one is really good. Evidently she thinks, and Democrats think, that felons will vote for Democrats. Evidently she thinks people who have been to prison are more simpatico with the Dems than with conservatives.

First, I don't know if that is true, though it has the suspicious whiff of truth, but secondly, do Democrats want to be known as the jailbird party? Really?

If you've done time, you're a Democrat — vote for Hillary. As a slogan it's probably a little clunky but you get the idea.

Does Hillary think these suggestions will become law? I doubt it.

[RavenATB]

I've written a number of emails to Republican leaders suggesting that the party commission an independent survey to research what the political background is for violent criminals (US Citizens, only).

I believe such a study would easily find that most of our violent felon population who've spent time in prison came from households where the parents would tend to vote Democrat.

Simple FIB Uniform Report on Crime data, combined demographic information about groups who most often vote for Democrats can quickly indicate where such a study would take us.

There is absolutely no question in my mind that such a study would point to Democrat households as the source of much of our societal ills...especially violent crime.

[pepperdog]

Please enlighten me on this, I thought States could give felons the right to vote in State elections but that they could not vote in Federal elections. Just seeking information.

[cripplecreek]

THANK YOU. Finally someone sees through the smokescreen.

I saw Jon Dingell on local TV awhile back whining that felons in Michigan can never vote again. He knew it was a lie and this former felon/registered voter knows it was a lie.

The only reason the democrats are pushing this is to get people in prison to vote. An inmate will vote just to do something different.

[Freebird Forever]

Though threads like this make realize I am not very welcomed in this party some times.

Over 30 states allow ex cons to vote.

Voting Rights Restoration Process

If you or any other member of that category believes that voting for conservatives is what is best for you, I say welcome and thanks.

[ez]

In NYS, election day is already a holiday for the left-leaning workers of the CSEA. (Civil Service Employees Assoc.)

[Condor51]

A voting "holiday"?!?

Uh, why not just change election day to a Saturday???
(or would just be too easy)

[cripplecreek]

Thanx

"Michigan
Automatically restored upon release from confinement; felon must register to vote."


It's not quite that simple but it's close. A parolee or probationer is also inelgible and all voters must be registered.

[popdonnelly]

I am inclined to believe there's a commonality of interest between Democrats and felons. Natural allies. Who do we register next, Al Qaeda?

[DJ Taylor]

Both Republican and Democrat sides of Congress are currently making suggestions for improving the electoral system in this country. But if you look closely at their suggestions, it looks like the Republican ideas are only ways to prevent Democrat dead and Democrat felons from voting more than one time each in any election, and the Democrats want no limit put on the number of ballots they are entitled to.

[Graybeard58]

Its nice to see a republican parolee. You're welcome here. I'm a small town judge. I have to say that the majority (remember small town) of defendants are indigent, on some sort of public assistance and pretty accustomed to the government taking care of them or owing them. Evidenced by 95% of cases in my court qualify for a public defender. So, I'd say the majority would probably vote for the "entitlement" party, ie., democrat.

You are probably right about indigent parolees tending to be in the entilement party.

My brother-in-law spent 27 years of his life in prison and he tells me that cons seem to follow the general population in their political leanings in that the young ones tend to be liberal and the older ones conservative.

I am not a parolee but I am a convicted felon and a life long conservative.

Two years ago I was arrested tried and convicted of possessing a weapon. Not using it, not brandishing it, not threatening anyone with it - Just having it and in Illinois that's a felony..

The law is wrong of course but the law is the law and I was guilty. After about $7,000 in lawyers fees, probation costs and fine and 18 months probation I am still a convicted felon and that's the only crime on my record in my 59 years of life.

There are plenty of people here who think I shouldn't be allowed to vote, one poster suggested that felons should be required to be branded on the forehead with the letter "F'.

Illinois allows me to vote, for which I am thankful. In fact their are no fewer than 41 states where I can legally vote if I were a resident of those states.

I can never legally own a fire arm short of a pardon and that's not likely. I don't have a brother named slick willy in the white house.

Whether felons may vote or not is a state matter and should stay that way and Hillary needs to keep her mouth shut on the matter - I don't look for that to happen either.

[tet68]

On the fourth day of Festivus
my true love said to me,
"Lets go and vote
cus it's National Voteing Daaaaay."

[gitmo]

She also wants to repeal the rule or law or tradition that felons are not allowed to vote. This one is really good. Evidently she thinks, and Democrats think, that felons will vote for Democrats. Evidently she thinks people who have been to prison are more simpatico with the Dems than with conservatives.

This is the Michael Dukakis plan. I think I still have a "Get Out of Jail Free" card with Dukakis' picture on it.

[ballplayer]

Uh , Hillary, I work and I vote, always have always will
Thank You

[lOKKI]

Without wanting to attack you personally, I think that it's a fair statement to say that most people who have been convicted of a felony are, at a minimum, guilty of having exercised very bad judgment. This morning on NPR as I was driving to the office (sigh) I heard a member of an activist group which advocates making it easier for felons to vote, claim that Florida's difficult rules for qualifying ex-felons to vote had probably changed the outcome of the national election four years ago.

The thought that felons (see my comments about bad judgment, above) are an important voting group for the Democratic party disturbs me. I don't want our elections decided by a group of people who have demonstrated very bad judgment in their affairs

[deport]

The relevant section of the proposed legislation is in Sec. 701...

SEC. 701. VOTING RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES. excerpt.....

    (d) Rights of Citizens.--The right of an individual who is a citizen of the United States to vote in any election for Federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual--

    (1) is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility; or

    (2) is on parole or probation for a felony offense

Some states already allow for this return of the voting rights.....

[ImpotentRage]

I thought a felon who had served his time and not gotten into any felonious activitiy for a certain periof of time after getting out could get a pardon of sorts from the governor of his/her state which would allow them to vote.

[PGalt]

One would expect nothing less from The Democratic Crime Syndicate, especially their Queen..."It Takes a Criminal".

[Sarajevo]

As if we needed further evidence of the running Hillary Clinton, yesterday she offered a suggestion for a new law, which, if enacted, would probably guarantee her election.

SCREW THAT!, and her too!

On second thought, delete the "and her too"

[Osage Orange]

Bull

OK....I call, and raise you.

Bull, what?

[cripplecreek]

It depends on the state. In a state that doesn't allow felons to vote ever again It would require a pardon.


My whole point is that Hillary wants to overstep states rights again and allow people who are currently in prioson to vote. Right now I believe only Maine allows inmates to vote.

Personally I'm opposed to inmates voting but I'm not a resident of Maine.