Republicans assault on democracy

Not so much as in 2008, but Republicans do delight in posturing as the patriotic party -- loyal to "family values" and the self-reliant qualities that built America and keep our nation strong.   Pride in the flag, pious links to (Christian) religion, and super-support for guns and "don't tread on me" mentality.

But that is not an accurate picture.  It is a self-serving, selective image that rings hollow.  The party of right to life?   For the unborn, maybe, and those who toe the line according to their rules.

What of the right to life of the sick who can't afford health insurance, much less paying for health care?   Forget it, Gov. Romney;  the emergency rooms should not be considered a substitute for the family doctor.   It's in no one's interest to rely on that back up plan -- it just makes everyone's health care burden heavier.

The party of free market enterprise?    Just how free is the market when major oil companies, investment banks, and giant agri-businesses get federal subsidies or bailouts?    Or tax breaks available only to those with huge sums to invest -- and reap obscene profits for doing nothing but manipulating everyone else's debt?   Like Gov. Romney himself, who made his billions exactly that way.

But now the "unkindest cut of all" is happening in this election.   The party of national pride and patriotism, writ large, in support of our democracy?   That has become the cruel joke of the new century.   The current Republican party is doing everything it can to stop those from voting who will probably vote Democratic.

Is this an admission that they can't win on their merits?  They can only win by misinforming the public and manipulating (i.e., stealing) the vote?

Despite their (hand on heart) pledge to defend the "sanctity of the vote" from those horrible people who would try to vote using someone else's name or a false address.   How ludicrous !!!  They cannot name proven cases of this practice other than an isolated crank or two here and there.   Most cases that have been brought turn out to be either errors on the part of the voting officials, or brazen attempts to purge the voting rolls without basis, or voters who have recently moved and have a different address than the one on the rolls, or just plain mistakes on the voters parts.

And because some of those misguided, malicious schemes (voter ID laws, limitations on voting times, excessive regulations on registration of voters, etc. ) have been struck down by judges, voting officials and governors have been pulling out all the stops -- reducing amount of time polls stay open for early voting;  making it more difficult for people to vote and turning deaf ears when people who have stood in line for 5 hours still can't cast their vote.

They know early voting is used disproportionately by working class voters who don't want to take off time from an hourly-wage job to vote, or elderly who depend on working relatives to get them to the polls without standing in line for 6 hours on election day.

The Republicans know what they're doing -- the are clearly and maliciously trying to suppress the votes that may go against them -- and they are simply lying about their motives.  And they know that we know.   But, pious liars that they are, they just keep on saying it, without regard for truth or shame.

Well, SHAME ON THEM.     They will have sullied any image their party ever had of patriotism.   Patriotism does not reside only in flag-waving and pretty poems to God and Country.   Patriotism, first and foremost, is protecting our fragile democracy.

The right to vote is the cornerstone of that democracy.

In this race, Republicans have assaulted the very essence of democracy -- the right to an equal voice at the ballot box.   They will pay the price, sooner or later.

I predict it will be in the final count that shows a decisive win for President Obama and the Democratic Party.

Ralph