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An impressive array of quotes from Jefferson to be sure, but thoroughly off point. And, considering that Jefferson was an ardent liberal (in the traditional sense), I doubt he would have favored denying the franchise to groups based on their opposition to his particular political goals. I would suggest, and I think Jefferson would have agreed, that the way to remedy abuses of government is to change the laws via new bills or constitutional amendments (or, in the most severe cases, revolution), not to disenfranchise one's political opponents to gain an artificial, opposition-proof majority. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that ensuring one's allies are the only ones with a voice in the political process would have been considered naked tyranny by Jefferson and his fellow classical liberals.

I'll gladly admit being wrong if you can produce quotes from Jefferson supporting the principle of disenfranchising one's political enemies as a sound practice in a representative republic.

And one more question for you: considering the quotes you've cited of Jefferson's hatred for cities and their inhabitants, would you suggest that the government empty the cities and force the people to re-adopt an agrarian lifestyle for the sake of maintaining "virtue"?

Jefferson -- and many of the other FFs -- would agree with the proposition that only those with some grasp of the HISTORY and CONCEPT of America, the IDEA not the place, ought to be franchised.

They would also agree with me that there are some folks who shouldn't even be allowed to drive past a polling place on election day. Today, the Dems haul BUSLOADS of apolitical morons to the polls in various places with the promise of more "goodies" from the pockets of the rest of us, pints of Ripple, etc.

And since you seemed to enjoy the quotes, here's another:

"Yes we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? MATERIAL ABUNDANCE WITHOUT CHARACTER IS THE PATH TO DESTRUCTION."

I believe that those who cannot pass a relatively simple test on the US Constitution and/or are NET TAX CONSUMERS should not be allowed to vote in this country.

Hell, we're already past the point of no return so THIS discussion is moot.

And here's ANOTHER little bit of information you're not going to like:

The literacy rate in colonial and post-colonial times was around 97%. The educated elite, the professionals, the merchants -- yes, even those "rubes" out on the farms. LITERATE!

Do you know what the rate is today? And do you know where most of them reside? Hint: It's NOT on the farms! )(Can you say "inner city Democrat stronghold")