Sykes: GOP Stance On Voting Rights Has Shifted

TRYING TO MAKE IT HARDER TO DO SO. IT IS THE GREAT QUESTION AND ISSUE OF THIS PRESIDENCY AND THIS TIME. >> SO CHARLIE SYKES, WE CAN OBVIOUSLY PUT S-1, THE FOR THE PEOPLE ACT AT JOE MANCHINS FEET BUT YOU CANT DO THAT WITH THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT THAT WOULD RESTORE THE PRECLEARANCE RESTRICTIONS THAT WERE STRUCK DOWN. AS JEN NOTES CORRECTLY, ALL REPUBLICANS ARE STANDING IN THE WAY OF S-1 AND ALL BUT LISA MURKOWSKI ARE OPPOSING THE JOHN LEWIS BILL. SO WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SOME OF THE OTHER REPUBLICANS WHO WATCH WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6 WHO ARE CONTINUING TO HEAR THE FORMER PRESIDENT QUESTION THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION, WEVE GOT 30% OF THEIR BASE WHO ARE BELIEVING HIM AND THINKING THAT JOE BIDEN IS THE ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENT AS THESE VOTING RESTRICTIONS ARE BEING PASSED IN STATES. WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY THESE REPUBLICANS HAVE? >> THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. JOE MANCHIN IS NOT ALONE IN OPPOSING THIS. AND I DONT THINK THAT HR-1S WOULD EVER GOING TO PASS. I DONT THINK IT WAS WRITTEN TO PASS. NO ONE SHOULD BE SURPRISED THAT IT WASNT GOING TO PASS. IT WAS 800 PAGES. IT HAD ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT WERE STUFFED IN IT OF QUESTIONABLE CONSTITUTIONALITY. I DO QUESTION THE DEMOCRATIC STRATEGY OF RAISING EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THIS UNPASSABLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING THE EMPHASIZE ON THIS JOHN LEWIS BILL AND THE QUESTION GOES TO HEART OF THIS. VOTING RIGHTS ACT WAS PASSED BACK IN THE 1960s WITH OVERWHELMING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, I BELIEVE IT HAD 70 VOTES IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE AND WHEN IT WAS REAUTHORIZED UNDER BUSH IT WAS UNANIMOUS. BUT NOW REPUBLICANS ARE LINED UP TO VOTE AGAINST THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE BIND THAT DEMOCRATS FIND THEMSELVES IN, BUT I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE TO TURN IT AROUND AND SAY WHEN DID REPUBLICANS LINE UP IN TOUCH LOCKSTEP WAY AGAINST THE FUNDAMENTAL VOTING RIGHTS THAT HAS LONG AND RICH AND STORIED TRADITION IN THIS COUNTRY. SO I DO THINK THAT THEY OUGHT TO BE FORCED ON THE RECORD, THEY OUGHT TO BE ASKED TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE OPPOSING THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT, A RESTORATION OF SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT THAT CONTROVERSIAL UNTIL VERY, VERY RECENTLY. I ALSO THINK THAT THE DEMOCRATS OUGHT TO CONSIDER LEGISLATION THAT DEALS WITH THE REAL EXISTENTIAL PROBLEM WHICH IS HOW ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES ARE CAST. NOW WE HAVE ALL OF THIS FOCUS ON HOW THE VOTES -- THE VOTES ARE COUNTED. WE HAD ALL OF THE FOCUS ON HOW VOTES ARE CAST BUT I DO THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH THEIR TIME TO PUT UP LEGISLATION AND FORCE VOTES ON CLARIFICATION OF THE LEGISLATION THAT SAYS THAT STATE LEGISLATURES DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO OVERTURN THE POPULAR ELECTION. THAT CONGRESS DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO IGNORE THE WINNER OF A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WITHOUT, SAY, A SUPER MAJORITY. SO THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS BUT I DO THINK IT IS TIME TO AGAIN FOCUS ON WHY REPUBLICANS HAVE TURNED SO NEGATIVE ON THIS QUESTION OF VOTING RIGHTS

Channel: MSNBC

Views: 44,950

Rating: 4.6584921 out of 5

Keywords: First Read, Politics, MTP Daily, Best of last night

Id: nrY-vUhdvng

Length: 3min 33sec (213 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 11 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/absumo]

It hasn't 'shifted', they are just more out loud and up front about it compared to the last 20 years.