Great idea to Save the Country

[JohnStOnge]

Implement a poll test based on an instrument that's already well established. Simply require that, in order to be eligible to vote, one must first pass a variation of the citizenship test legal immigrants have to take in order to become citizens. Say that voter registration expires every four years or so and each time you renew you have to take a test. Make sure it's not the same test every time and that there are variations so people can't just memorize the answers ahead of time.

What could be wrong with that? Why would we WANT people who can't pass a citizenship test consistent with one that's given to people who actually have to earn being citizens to vote?

Maybe because it would destroy the Democrats if such people didn't vote. Check out these average scores on the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 12th grade Civics test by ethnic group:

White 156
Black 127
Hispanic 137
Asian 153
Native American 134

Looking at standard deviations makes it look even more promising. Using them you can calculate that about 80 percent of Blacks and 71 percent of Hispanics scored below the average score for Whites. No, the citizenship test is not the 12th Grade NAEP Civics test. But I'm betting we could expect the same kind of results comparison breakdown. We'd get much higher failure rates among Blacks and Hispanics than we'd get among Whites. Asians would do OK but as a group they don't matter much anyway because they're such a small percentage of the population.

It would be great! We could kill two birds with one stone. We could make sure only people with at least some rudimentary knowledge of what's going on and how our country is supposed to work voted. Who could be against that?

And the fact that the Democrats would be devastated because disproportionately large percentages of the groups they rely on overwhelming support among to be competitive don't have a rudimentary idea as to what's going on and how this country is supposed to work would just be a bonus. Voila! Country much better off!

[AZGrizFan]

It would be great! We could kill two birds with one stone. We could make sure only people with at least some rudimentary knowledge of what's going on and how our country is supposed to work voted. Who could be against that?

And the fact that the Democrats would be devastated because disproportionately large percentages of the groups they rely on overwhelming support among to be competitive don't have a rudimentary idea as to what's going on and how this country is supposed to work would just be a bonus. Voila! Country much better off!

Uh, you answered your own question there, Einstein.

[BlueHen86]

Forget a test, just link voting to paying taxes. If you dont pay taxes, you don't vote.

[AZGrizFan]

Forget a test, just link voting to paying taxes. If you dont pay taxes, you don't vote.

[Skjellyfetti]

Who determines the difficulty of the test?

Obama won voters with postgraduate degrees by 13 percentage points.

Can the "poll test" consist of a 30 page essay entitled "On Locke: Senseless Supremacy and the Art of Dialect" (or something equally ridiculous) and be graded by a panel of Ivy League history, political science, etc. professors... ? All papers submitted will be graded on the curve and only "A" papers will be deemed sufficient for voting privileges.



It would be a nice compromise because racist fucks like JSO would still get to disenfranchise black people... but, Conks would also lose all elections everywhere...

[Seahawks08]

I always thought you were, but now it has been confirmed. You sir, are a racist.

[Chizzang]

Forget a test, just link voting to paying taxes. If you dont pay taxes, you don't vote.

agreed...

[Tod]

agreed...

So, you would disenfranchise my dad, who lives on SS and a few hundred bucks from a state retirement each month?

[eagleskins]

It is always hilarious to see the republicans talk about the handouts. Even though the south gets by far the most handouts. And blue states are far more educated, and far more wealthy. Kind of ironic, huh?

[CAA Flagship]

agreed...

So, you would disenfranchise my dad, who lives on SS and a few hundred bucks from a state retirement each month?

I believe he means "files a return". It can't be "pay taxes" because not everyone owes money".
Actually, filing a return may not capture all of the intended people either. But it gets close.

[houndawg]

Implement a poll test based on an instrument that's already well established. Simply require that, in order to be eligible to vote, one must first pass a variation of the citizenship test legal immigrants have to take in order to become citizens. Say that voter registration expires every four years or so and each time you renew you have to take a test. Make sure it's not the same test every time and that there are variations so people can't just memorize the answers ahead of time.

What could be wrong with that? Why would we WANT people who can't pass a citizenship test consistent with one that's given to people who actually have to earn being citizens to vote?

Maybe because it would destroy the Democrats if such people didn't vote. Check out these average scores on the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 12th grade Civics test by ethnic group:

White 156
Black 127
Hispanic 137
Asian 153
Native American 134

Looking at standard deviations makes it look even more promising. Using them you can calculate that about 80 percent of Blacks and 71 percent of Hispanics scored below the average score for Whites. No, the citizenship test is not the 12th Grade NAEP Civics test. But I'm betting we could expect the same kind of results comparison breakdown. We'd get much higher failure rates among Blacks and Hispanics than we'd get among Whites. Asians would do OK but as a group they don't matter much anyway because they're such a small percentage of the population.

It would be great! We could kill two birds with one stone. We could make sure only people with at least some rudimentary knowledge of what's going on and how our country is supposed to work voted. Who could be against that?

And the fact that the Democrats would be devastated because disproportionately large percentages of the groups they rely on overwhelming support among to be competitive don't have a rudimentary idea as to what's going on and how this country is supposed to work would just be a bonus. Voila! Country much better off!

Still butthurt about about blacks getting the vote.


You're lucky this isn't Australia where voting is compulsory.

[houndawg]

It is always hilarious to see the republicans talk about the handouts. Even though the south gets by far the most handouts. And blue states are far more educated, and far more wealthy. Kind of ironic, huh?

Our slave-state brothers are always looking for a Federal hand out.

[Baldy]

agreed...

I believe a better system would be that everyone has at least one vote, and for every $XXXX dollar you pay in taxes you get an additional vote up to a maximum of 5 votes.

If you can have a progressive income tax system, why not a progressive voting system?

[Pwns]

You people crying about racism are missing the point. If you had to have at least some basic literacy of civics and American government to vote, the democratic party would be the ones trying to say that republicans are trying to disenfranchise minorities. It's the same way that the ACLU complained that ballots without parties would make it impossible for minorities to vote for candidates of their choice (of course, minorities are too stupid and uninformed to make any choices besides just putting blind and unquestioning support of democrats). Or the way they apparently think minorities are too stupid to pass written tests to get promotion within the fire department in Connecticut. Ever heard of the bigotry of lowered expectations? Nah, they are donks, which by definition can't be racist, right?

I'm tired of people acting like voting is some kind of sacred, unquestionable right. Just showing up at the precinct to vote is not doing your civic duty no matter what the touchy-feely "the more voters the better" people say.

[89Hen]

Look, it pains me that a dolt who sucks off the teat of government and can't put together a coherent thought has a vote that counts the same as somebody who takes the time to really participate in our system and carefully weighs their vote, BUT shame on you guys who think there should be some sort of test.

[89Hen]

I'm tired of people acting like voting is some kind of sacred, unquestionable right. Just showing up at the precinct to vote is not doing your civic duty no matter what the touchy-feely "the more voters the better" people say.

It is a sacred and unquestionable right. The second statement you made doesn't change the first. EVERYONE who is legally in this country DOES have the right to vote. They also have the right to be lazy and uncaring. Some of you people really need to take a moment to think about this.

[DSUrocks07]

Implement a poll test based on an instrument that's already well established. Simply require that, in order to be eligible to vote, one must first pass a variation of the citizenship test legal immigrants have to take in order to become citizens. Say that voter registration expires every four years or so and each time you renew you have to take a test. Make sure it's not the same test every time and that there are variations so people can't just memorize the answers ahead of time.

What could be wrong with that? Why would we WANT people who can't pass a citizenship test consistent with one that's given to people who actually have to earn being citizens to vote?

Maybe because it would destroy the Democrats if such people didn't vote. Check out these average scores on the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 12th grade Civics test by ethnic group:

White 156
Black 127
Hispanic 137
Asian 153
Native American 134

Looking at standard deviations makes it look even more promising. Using them you can calculate that about 80 percent of Blacks and 71 percent of Hispanics scored below the average score for Whites. No, the citizenship test is not the 12th Grade NAEP Civics test. But I'm betting we could expect the same kind of results comparison breakdown. We'd get much higher failure rates among Blacks and Hispanics than we'd get among Whites. Asians would do OK but as a group they don't matter much anyway because they're such a small percentage of the population.

It would be great! We could kill two birds with one stone. We could make sure only people with at least some rudimentary knowledge of what's going on and how our country is supposed to work voted. Who could be against that?

And the fact that the Democrats would be devastated because disproportionately large percentages of the groups they rely on overwhelming support among to be competitive don't have a rudimentary idea as to what's going on and how this country is supposed to work would just be a bonus. Voila! Country much better off!

You could have saved a lot of time by just saying this

"Great idea to save the country, let only the Whites vote" -JohnStOnge

[dbackjon]

Look, it pains me that a dolt who sucks off the teat of government and can't put together a coherent thought has a vote that counts the same as somebody who takes the time to really participate in our system and carefully weighs their vote, BUT shame on you guys who think there should be some sort of test.

[dbackjon]

I'm tired of people acting like voting is some kind of sacred, unquestionable right. Just showing up at the precinct to vote is not doing your civic duty no matter what the touchy-feely "the more voters the better" people say.

It is a sacred and unquestionable right. The second statement you made doesn't change the first. EVERYONE who is legally in this country DOES have the right to vote. They also have the right to be lazy and uncaring. Some of you people really need to take a moment to think about this.

[kalm]

agreed...

I believe a better system would be that everyone has at least one vote, and for every $XXXX dollar you pay in taxes you get an additional vote up to a maximum of 5 votes.

If you can have a progressive income tax system, why not a progressive voting system?

Why don't we just go back to fiefdoms and indentured servitude while we're at it.

[bluehenbillk]

Implement a poll test based on an instrument that's already well established. Simply require that, in order to be eligible to vote, one must first pass a variation of the citizenship test legal immigrants have to take in order to become citizens. Say that voter registration expires every four years or so and each time you renew you have to take a test. Make sure it's not the same test every time and that there are variations so people can't just memorize the answers ahead of time.

What could be wrong with that? Why would we WANT people who can't pass a citizenship test consistent with one that's given to people who actually have to earn being citizens to vote?

Maybe because it would destroy the Democrats if such people didn't vote. Check out these average scores on the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 12th grade Civics test by ethnic group:

White 156
Black 127
Hispanic 137
Asian 153
Native American 134

Looking at standard deviations makes it look even more promising. Using them you can calculate that about 80 percent of Blacks and 71 percent of Hispanics scored below the average score for Whites. No, the citizenship test is not the 12th Grade NAEP Civics test. But I'm betting we could expect the same kind of results comparison breakdown. We'd get much higher failure rates among Blacks and Hispanics than we'd get among Whites. Asians would do OK but as a group they don't matter much anyway because they're such a small percentage of the population.

It would be great! We could kill two birds with one stone. We could make sure only people with at least some rudimentary knowledge of what's going on and how our country is supposed to work voted. Who could be against that?

And the fact that the Democrats would be devastated because disproportionately large percentages of the groups they rely on overwhelming support among to be competitive don't have a rudimentary idea as to what's going on and how this country is supposed to work would just be a bonus. Voila! Country much better off!

John - your idea is stupid & moreso it wreaks of the desperation that has taken over the core of the GOP.

The GOP has a fundamental problem when it comes to the regular 4-year election - that is - their core is a distinct minority. They lose the female vote, they lose the under-30 vote, they lose the Hispanic vote, they lose the Black vote. The % of white voters in the general election is declining with every election. Obama was a completely beatable President & the GOP swung & missed on a guy whose record was brutal.

Rather than try to change the rules the GOP needs to change the demographics of their party or they'll continually become more irrelevant.

[Baldy]

I believe a better system would be that everyone has at least one vote, and for every $XXXX dollar you pay in taxes you get an additional vote up to a maximum of 5 votes.

If you can have a progressive income tax system, why not a progressive voting system?

Why don't we just go back to fiefdoms and indentured servitude while we're at it.

We're kinda on our way to that now.

[griz37]

Looks like Republicans would lose even if there was a voting test.



http://www.happyplace.com/19076/electio ... -for-obama

[Grizalltheway]

Why don't we just go back to fiefdoms and indentured servitude while we're at it.

We're kinda on our way to that now.

Thank you, Reaganomics!

[Ibanez]

JSO, YOU REALLY HAVE LOST IT.