Heroes and Villains

The polls look good, but close.  The crowds look good, too.  Romney is getting his biggest crowds of the campaign but the largest is 5,000.  President Obama spoke before 23,000 in Virginia, 24,000 in Florida and to the largest political gathering in New Hampshire history, 14,000. 

But the danger to not only President Obama's reelection but the election itself continues to be GOP voter suppression and intimidation, particularly in the probably determinative states of Florida and Ohio.  At this point it is taking the form of incredibly long wait times and incredibly long lines at early voting polling places, with the GOPer state officials refusing to remedy an obvious need.  And of course they are trying to make it even worse.

In Florida, a four hour wait is speedy.  One woman reported waiting more than 8 full hours.  In Miami Dade the last person in line Saturday evening cast a vote at 1 a.m.  Extra hours for in-person absentee voting (the local officials' way of trying to get around Florida state government's rules) was announced but then rescinded, with hundreds of people literally locked out, chanting "Let us vote!"  In further intimidation attempts, cars of waiting voters were towed from the parking lot.  Eventually the doors opened.

On the court-ordered Sunday early voting in Ohio, there were hours-long lines in the Ohio counties with the highest population, hence black people and minorities, hence Democrats.  Officials continued to limit hours to fewer than in 2008.

But people are coming out, they are standing in line and staying in line until they vote.  They are the heroes of democracy at this moment in America.  The hardships are more than hours in line, which actually look like they can be sociable and fun.  This is lost family time, lost work time, lost revenue.  It's scheduling, babysitters, impatient bosses.  It's also a scandal in the country that prides itself as the beacon of democracy.  Noone knows how many leave the lines, but a lot are staying.  They know what's up.  They are fighting for voting rights not only for themselves but for the future.

These are the heroes, and the villains are very well known.  They are the GOPer officeholders who are abusing their power to make people suffer in order to vote.  Because they don't want those people to vote.  It's way more than partisan politics.  The division is between districts where people of color are, versus districts where white people live.  So it's racial.  The division often is between districts where rich people live--districts where there are plenty of voting machines and staff--and districts where the non-rich live.  It's class warfare.

A lot of this election is about class warfare: it's the war by the rich on everybody else.  It's Romney's war on the 47%.  On the 99%.   "They think we're stupid," Bill Clinton says.  Some people are--those not in the 1% who believe that Romney has their interests at heart.

But the people in line aren't stupid.  They know exactly what's going on.  And they're doing their best not to let it happen.  They are the heroes of democracy now.