In the state of Maine, just in case you missed it, Charlie Webster who is the Chairman of the GOP was forced to apologized for implying dozens and dozens of “black people” in rural parts of the state on election day. Chairman Webster in a video alleged a major voting irregularity simply because there were unknown black people who came to the polls on election day.

I guess that would be enough but my promise has been to read between the lines for you and this is what I’ve found. The recent presidential election was responsible for record turnouts all across the electoral map, that we know. This turnout was responsible for many precincts delivering different results than what was originally expected and in many more cases, the turnout greatly affected the margins of victory, kinda like going from 0 to 60.

While everyone was disturbed at the Chairman’s statement, I was more concerned at why he believed he was right. “In some parts of rural Maine, there were dozens, dozens of black people who came in and voted on Election Day. Everybody has a right to vote, but nobody in town knows anyone who’s black”. So, PAUSE. The reason Chairman Webster thought there was voter fraud was because: black people, that he did not know who lived in the precinct came to the polls and voted. Beyond that, how was it determined that “nobody in town knows anyone who’s black”? How do you determine that?

Well, at the time of the statement an investigation was planned to find out just who these people were. To mail out thank-you letters to local voters and then wait to see if some would return. Then, Chairman Webster said, he would know for sure that those voters were fraudulent. When the news of this surfaced of course, the whole investigation of the mysterious black voters was scuttled. Chairman Webster has since apologized:

“It was my intention to talk not about race but about perceived voting irregularities…However, my comments were made without proof of wrongdoing, and they had the unintended consequence of casting aspersions on an entire group of Americans. For that, I am truly sorry.”

This is not about race folks. This article is not about racial divisions, but more so about the how turnout affected a political race. People who lived quietly in rural areas showed up to vote because they felt the need to be heard among the noise. Although the Chairman was shocked at the “dozens” who turned out when he apologized, he was quick to associate his experiences with minorities. “There’s nothing about me that would be discriminatory, I know black people. I play basketball every Sunday with a black guy. He’s a great friend of mine. Nobody would ever accuse me of suggesting anything.” But earlier he said, “nobody in town knows anyone who’s black”.

Some have called for his resignation, Webster has decided not to seek re-election at the end of his term on December 1. What this election has done is to change the outlook of what turnout really means. The Tea Party and some on the extreme Right of the Republican Party have used to harsh words and in some cases downright hate to mobilize their base before Election Day. What they failed to understand was, they weren’t only mobilizing their voters but also their opponents.

Americans came out to vote in places no one even thought they lived…that’s what hate will do. Many of the voter ID laws were used to suppress the vote as well as efforts used in some 31 states to do away with the early vote opportunities. Are voting laws necessary, absolutely, is there a need for a standard system in voting regulations, again, absolutely, however some used the laws as a way to suppress votes and that clearly was visible; the unsuspected voter showed up.

Former Vice Presidential candidate for the republicans, Congressman Paul Ryan said he was “surprised by the urban turnout” and that was the reason President Obama was re-elected. It appeared the Congressman was actually shocked that minorities went and voted. And the alternative to them going out to vote was what? Why didn’t the republicans count on that demographic when their entire campaign centered around the issues that concern, in large part, minorities?

Regardless of who you voted for, understand, everyone has a voice in the game. The side with the most electoral votes wins. The states with the most electoral votes are trending more and more due to the explosion in minority growth in those states. Politics will no longer be dominated without a u infield coalition of ideas that will include everyone. This isn’t about black and white, all minorities voted overwhelmingly against the republican brand.

- 93% African American
- 73% Asian
- 71% Hispanic
- 55% *Women

If republicans want to win the hearts and minds of the electorate, they have to stop taking orders from Rush Limbaugh and build their ideas around these groups as well. If you can’t do that, you have to ask yourself, what then does your party actually stand for if it can stand with the largest growing populations in the nation.

Obama is not Asian or Latino, so for starters, stop saying African Americans only voted for him because of his race. If so, then, why did the majority of Asians for him and for that matter, Latinos? This is the thing that has to change if you want to govern again. Stop making the comments Chairman Webster from Maine made immediately after the loss. That’s my story and um sticking to it.

PoliticianNextDoor.com
Antron Johnson