First of all, Ross Douthat is not big. And he is not fat. I concede those points*.
Mr. Douthat penned an op-ed piece for the June 29, 2o13, New York Times, in which he claims that Republican voter-restriction efforts were really a good thing for Democrats: “[By] trying to restrict the franchise on the margins, Republican state legislators handed Democrats a powerful tool for mobilization and persuasion, and motivated voters who might otherwise have lost some of their enthusiasm…”
In Mr. Douthat’s bizarre take, it is a good thing when a class of people are oppressed, because the fact of their oppression leads them to rise up against it and become stronger for having experienced it: “… Voter ID laws … shape voter preferences and influence voter enthusiasm in ways that might well outstrip their direct influence on turnout. They inspire registration drives and education efforts; they help activists fund-raise and organize; they raise the specter of past injustices; they reinforce a narrative that their architects are indifferent or hostile to minorities.” In Mr. Douthat’s twisted view of the world, whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger — but of course he doesn’t need that kind of test, he’s strong enough already, thank you very much!
If I were Ross Douthat, I would advocate the re-institution of slavery — after all, what better way to help motivate its victims to eliminate racism for once and for all?
First of all, Ross Douthat is not big. And he is not fat. I concede those points*.
Mr. Douthat penned an op-ed piece for the June 29, 2o13, New York Times, in which he claims that Republican voter-restriction efforts were really a good thing for Democrats: “[By] trying to restrict the franchise on the margins, Republican state legislators handed Democrats a powerful tool for mobilization and persuasion, and motivated voters who might otherwise have lost some of their enthusiasm…”
In Mr. Douthat’s bizarre take, it is a good thing when a class of people are oppressed, because the fact of their oppression leads them to rise up against it and become stronger for having experienced it: “… Voter ID laws … shape voter preferences and influence voter enthusiasm in ways that might well outstrip their direct influence on turnout. They inspire registration drives and education efforts; they help activists fund-raise and organize; they raise the specter of past injustices; they reinforce a narrative that their architects are indifferent or hostile to minorities.” In Mr. Douthat’s twisted view of the world, whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger — but of course he doesn’t need that kind of test, he’s strong enough already, thank you very much!
If I were Ross Douthat, I would advocate the re-institution of slavery — after all, what better way to help motivate its victims to eliminate racism for once and for all?
* Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot (and Other Observations) by Al Franken, 1996.