Now the South is under the same Federal election law that Ohio has been.

[Recursion]

That sentence is the best summary of the VRA ruling I could come up with. It's worth thinking about, and nobody has clean hands here.

Editing, since this is probably not clear to non-southerners: Ohio has some of the most corrupt elections in the nation. The Voting Rights Act was explicitly targeted at the South which let non-southern states get away with enormities.

In an ideal world, this would be a good decision, and an opportunity for Congress to fix the inherent issues in the VRA. In the actual world, nothing's coming out of this House any time soon.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. So

Who doesn't have clean hands here? Can you explain that statement here? Is this a both sides do it argument?

[Recursion]

4. This is a Congress that has abdicated its responsibility

The fact that a state's status in 1965 determined how closely it was watched in 2008 is idiotic. Ohio needed more attention than Virginia.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. Ah

Thanks! I agree. I've become a broken record here - on Its The Blue States Dummies.

Let's remember - Ohio was stolen in 2004 and has had just as much b.s. from the IndieTeaPublicans as PA. It only takes two 'blue' states disenfranchised to 'red' to given them an election.

And you are right - Ohio DID need more attention than VA in 2008 - jus ast PA needed more than Mississippi in 2012.

[backwoodsbob]

2. and that's a bad thing?

I don't get it

[Recursion]

6. Given Ohio's history? Yes (nt)

[kentuck]

3. Didn't Ohio and PA attempt to suppress votes in the last election??

Perhaps they should have expanded the Voting Rights Bill to include some northern states?

[Recursion]

5. Could that have been Recursion's double-edged thesis?

Limiting the VRA based on patterns of 1965 was stupid.

The court's decision on its face makes sense.

OTOH nothing that comes out of this House will be good.

[okaawhatever]

12. I thought the main defense was that scotus didn't have authority over voting.

The prevailing laws recognized either congress or the states as the ultimate authority.

[Recursion]

13. That in itself is a useful precedent

Over time, this may end up being a felicitious precedent. But timeo danaos et dona ferentes.

[snot]

7. Fyi,

conservatives have used every trick in the book to steal elections in Ohio.

[Recursion]

8. Why would I have picked "Ohio" if that weren't my point?

My point is it shouldn't be legal now in Alabama and it shouldn't have been legal in 2004 in Ohio.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. + 10000000

[snot]

14. I was trying to help you out by replying to those who seemed ignorant about it,

i.e., I should have replied to them; but there were more than one. Sorry for the confusion!

[Recursion]

15. Ah, got it!

[Jarla]

11. This is what confuses me

Why were states still being evaluated based on their voting practices in the 1960s?

Why was the VRA never updated so that states were evaluated based on their voting practices in, say, 2004?