A Short Time to Save Democracy

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It may sound overwrought to speak about the end of democracy in America. Unfortunately, it may be true.

In 2013, the GOP did a study of its recent performance and of its future. Having lost the popular vote in five of the six previous Presidential elections, seeing its base become whiter, older and declining as a share of the national population, they faced a choice. They could reach out to a broader base of the population, or double down on its current base, and concentrate on maximizing their turnout while depressing the turnout of their opponents. It is quite apparent they chose the latter.

In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down the need for changes in voting procedures in the states with a history of discrimination to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, and GOP-dominated state governments took full advantage of the opportunity to impose additional requirement for voting. The GOP intensified its efforts to get voter ID laws across the nation. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp conducted a massive purge of the voting rolls just before he left office to run for…