MSNBC Discovers Voter Suppression, Avoids Who Invented It
When MSNBC highlights voter suppression, as it does with Ken Paxton's attacks, it's a valid concern. However, calling it 'Jim Crow-style' without further context is like blaming the local chef for the recipe from a cookbook written by someone else, whose influence funded the entire kitchen. The techniques of voter suppression—mass challenges, restrictions on assistance, targeted investigations—are
not new. They are, in fact, remarkably similar to strategies honed by groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and their conservative backers, who have consistently pushed for 'voter integrity' laws that disproportionately affect minority voters. Paxton's efforts are but a local manifestation of a national playbook. Instead of merely identifying the 'style,' a truly critical
analysis would follow the money. It would investigate which national dark-money groups fund Paxton's campaigns, or how think tanks bankrolled by individuals like the Koch network have drafted boilerplate legislation adopted across states. This isn't just a Texan problem; it's a systemic one, designed to consolidate power through disenfranchisement. But acknowledging that might upset some
advertisers, or perhaps, require a deeper look into the very structures of power corporate media benefits from.