The GOP is Undermining Democracy

The GOP has pretty much given up any pretense of wanting fair elections.  Their only strategy does not involve campaigning on issues, but is based on getting fewer people to participate in democracy.  They hold to the belief that old white Christian men know what is good for the country, and anyone who does not fit that demographic lacks the ability to make appropriate decisions.

I am not saying that old, white, Christian, Republican men do not deserve representation, but as a group their numbers are falling.  They represent a smaller percent of the population each year.  This is not reflected in the make up of the government, where they are substantially disproportionately represented.

Roughly 50% of Americans who are of eligible age to serve in congress are over 55, About 75% of this consider themselves white, 75% identify as Christians, and just under half are men.  That means that roughly 14% of the population of the United States is old white Christian men.  A quick glance at the make up of the Congress of the United States makes it very obvious that this group is over represented.

Republicans are very much aware the increased representation for minority groups means decreased representation for themselves and their homogeneous constituency.  They are hitched to a single group that is no longer the overwhelming majority it once was.  That leaves no hope for the long term future of the party operating within the rules of a democracy, so they have systematically been chipping away at the voting rights of groups statistically likely to favor their opponents.

The system of government that most favors keeping the old, white, Christian Republicans in charge is authoritarian plutocracy. They decide what is best for the country based on what is best for themselves and the wealthy few who back them, utilizing everyone else as a disposable resource.

There is a lot of push back happening all over the country, and with the current state of information dissemination, their plots are constantly being exposed.  There are many voices speaking out about voter suppression, intimidation and outright lies about their stance on issues.  Their next level of attack on democracy has been to spread lies to discredit the fact checkers and whistle blowers that are trying to protect the truth.

It will take a strong voter turnout despite the machinations of Republicans to start us on the path to real democracy.  We have the opportunity to lead the world in inclusively and equality, but that means the Republican party must become obsolete.  There is no bright American future that includes those who would deny representation to all Americans.