The Obama Campaign’s Secret Weapon: Felons

24 Jun, 2008 by John Hawkins

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Some people look at a crimewave and see a problem. Others look at a crimewave and see more votes for Obama,

Experts say felons are disproportionately black and, if they can be found, more likely to be Obama backers. This provides a huge potential; about 1.1 million felons in Florida were ineligible to vote in 2004, according to a 2006 book by sociologists Jeff Manza and Christopher Uggen. Here too the potential for gains has risk: It could open a door for Republicans to portray Democrats as soft on crime.

The push for new and nontraditional voters is so targeted and aggressive that an NAACP official in Ohio said her organization plans to pursue individuals who are incarcerated but who have not yet been tried or sentenced and, therefore, under state law, remain eligible to vote.

The group is also tracking felons who often don’t realize that, in Ohio, they are eligible to vote as soon as they leave prison.

Ex-offenders are “just everywhere,” said Jocelyn Travis, who heads the Ohio NAACP’s voter outreach program. “People who have a felony or criminal background are throughout our community, and they don’t realize that they have the right to vote.”

The fact that Obama’s supporters are reaching out to criminals is intriguing, but here’s a more interesting question: why is it that criminals, rapists, armed robbers, murderers, child molesters, etc., are more likely to vote Democratic?

Could it be because liberals tend to side with criminals over victims? Could it be because libs are soft on crime? Could they like the fact that liberals don’t believe in holding people personally responsible for their actions? Could it be that liberals are willing to court them and offer them government programs when Republicans won’t? I mean, let’s face it, if child molesters made up a big enough voting block to swing 2 or 3 key states, liberal child molesters’ rights groups would spring up overnight and start marching at all the protests next to the guys carrying the “Free Mumia” signs.

Hat tip to Ace Of Spades HQ for the story.