What's It Your Business, Voter?

If it’s true that a fish rots from the head down, the Senate Republican leadership is destroying the legislative branch of the US government under the insulting guise of trying to “preserve” legislative norms. Examples of its failure abound, but I’m referring to what I believe is the most egregious, the refusal to hold a vote on the SAVE Act and the opacity of the rationale.

It would be nice if any journalists asked a single useful question when interviewing Republican legislators about this seemingly inexplicable situation. But of course that never happens. Because both the press and the pols (even the ones we kind of like) are, to use my favorite Calvin Trillin expression, “Sunday morning gasbags,” alas no longer confined to Sunday mornings but now unbearably omnipresent on all media platforms 24/7. So the public is left to speculate, or as our fake news likes to call it, indulge in conspiracy theories.

AMERICAN REFUGEES: THE ROGER SIMON/SHERYL LONGIN SUBSTACK is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

There are, as throughout history, many pressing and deeply worrisome domestic and global issues, complicated, frustrating, difficult if not impossible to understand let alone solve. The SAVE Act is not one of them. The basic premise that fair elections require integrity is about as fundamental a truth as exists in politics. Even those who wish to manipulate said elections know this to be true. Especially those. Whether or not one wants fair elections may be up for debate, but this is not.

We are repeatedly told by the pundits that this is that rare 80/20 issue in America. Across party lines, according to polls. Maybe, maybe not, but for sure the majority of American citizens who have an opinion on the subject are in favor of some form of voter ID. It’s just common sense, if people want their vote to count, which is a reasonable assumption if they bother to vote in the first place. And this is a time when many Americans of all or no political persuasion no longer trust the integrity of our elections. The people have been clamoring for it, demanding it, embarrassed by our current banana republic-esque elections, especially the members of the party that currently holds the House, the Senate and occupies the White House.

And yet. And yet, we are told by leadership that it’s impossible, that the votes just aren’t there. Sorry people, you can’t always get what you want. Like fair elections. Because some senators won’t vote for it. And you aren’t entitled to find out who those senators are because we won’t even bring it up for a vote. And we’re not going to tell you why they don’t want to vote for it. They have their reasons and that’s just the way it is. Not only are you not allowed to question them, you must also not infer by their anonymity and silence that their motivations are perhaps self interest, rather than your best interest. That would be a conspiracy theory. Shame on you.

Besides, the legislation is imperfect. Some married women will have problems obtaining voter ID because their married names don’t match their birth certificates. And some naturalized citizens will have problems providing voter ID too. And no, we can’t fix that with amendments. Don’t ask why. It’s just too complicated. We don’t have the time in our legislative calendar. There are only a few days left. Don’t ask why we didn’t do it before when you all have been pleading with us about this the entire term (and long before). We just can’t, ok?

Some of us really want it, just like you do. But we can’t snitch on our peers. It’s not nice. They cover for us sometimes too. No, it’s very wrongheaded of you to think we protect ourselves at the expense of the voters. Some do, especially in the other party, but not us. They all stick together no matter what. That’s why they win. We don’t, that’s why we don’t get things accomplished.

Now do you see? It’s your fault, trying to pressure us and demanding transparency. Stop blaming us. It’s rich you calling us RINOs when you’re the ones asking government to fix your problems.

AMERICAN REFUGEES: THE ROGER SIMON/SHERYL LONGIN SUBSTACK is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.