why are the democrats fighting these bills? is it because they care about the rights of minorities to express themselves in demographically changing areas across the south? or is it because it's in the self-interest of the democratic party to do so? it's obviously the latter, as nothing ever changes for the better for these demographics when the democrats win (just like nothing changes for the better for rural white blue collar workers when the republicans win).
now, let's suppose that the democrats succeed in ramming through their act. while the democrats may win some elections, nothing ultimately changes much besides the right for blacks to affirm the status quo by voting for right-wing democrats.
but, if the democrats fail to ram through their act, and the demographics continue to change, then the ingredients for a more substantive movement are in place, as the system will have denied representation to the region's growing majority. it's when you have that disconnect between popular will and actual governance, and no way to work through the system to change it (however ineffective that is) that you see more substantive movements develop outside of the system, which is what the left needs and wants.
so, i mean, sure - voting suppression is undemocratic. i oppose it. these laws should be passed.
but, it may be in our own self-interest to allow the laws to pass, to try to build a movement that can circumvent the status quo democrats, and try to more effectively radicalize people on the ground.
and, this is the kind of thing i mean when i suggest that the republicans are increasingly the lesser evil - as the democrats just become a party of stasis and status quo elitism that turns people's brains off and sends them back to work, putting republicans in place may actually be more helpful, to generate a reaction.
they have to be traditional republicans, though. the reason a trump fails in that equation is because he's not a conservative, and is going to lead to conservatives joining the opposition - and watering it down. we don't want to join forces with conservatives, we want to demonize them and generate a backlash against them, because the policies we need to organize around need to actually be leftist in character in order to actually be worth pursuing. if your big tent movement ends up about restoring dignity to government or some other conservative bullshit tropes, which is inevitable under a big tent, then you've lost before you start.
but,in a place like arizona or georgia where the sitting governors are not these post-ideological nihilists that generate substantive opposition from the right but good ideologocal conservatives that can rally the base and are just getting outnumbered, it's really more helpful to keep them in place to react against - as the movement won't pull in disgruntled conservatives, because conservatives have no reason to be disgruntled.
it doesn't seem like biden has the votes for this, and the kneejerk against it appears to be ramming itself through. that's an opportunity to take advantage of to rebuild a left outside of the democratic party, and beyond the big tentism that has sacrificed leftism to pragmatism and status quoism.
