Friday, March 23, 2012

Get thee behind me, Rosenberg

Here's the opening graf of a post from Jeff:
It’s time for a tactical retreat. While regular readers of this blog know that I am vehemently opposed to voter [photo] ID, I don’t believe our time and money will be well-spent trying to defeat it. Instead, the near-certain passage of voter ID makes it more important than ever for the DFL to win back the legislature.
Then why spend time and money on the gay marriage ban amendment? Every state that has had one up on the ballot has passed it. Do we want a tactical retreat here, too?

Jeff's discouragement on the issue is understandable, but his approach is absolutely counterproductive, not only to defeating a voter photo ID amendment, but to winning back the legislature, which he says should be our goal instead.

Why? Because it is not an either or proposition. Here's a presser you can watch at The Uptake a little later this morning:
11:30AM - How will "voter suppression amendment" also known as voter photo ID consitutional amendment affect Minnesota communities of color? Speaking will be Sen. Torres Ray, DFL-Minneapolis, Rep. Moran, DFL-St. Paul and Sen. Hayden, DFL-Minneapolis.
Working to educate our communities of color, students, and the elderly about the effects of voter photo ID will help increase turnout, which will help not only defeat the amendment but to elect DFLers, too.

Likewise, we have to turn out voters in great number for Obama, Klobuchar, Ellison, and McCollum (although probably all of them will win in a walk in Minnesota), because it will help DFLers statewide and on the amendments, too.

As is usually the case, the turnout will be the key.

And a lot can happen between now and November.

So buck it up my friends. To the ramparts!

N.B. A tough title, admittedly, but I wanted to catch people's attention; I think Jeff's thinking on this IS completely wrong headed.

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