Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Elections A ‘More Meaningful Measure’ If Voters Must Pass Test

[big_dog]

Fox News host Elisabeth Hasselbeck on Monday argued that requiring a “citizenship test” to vote made the outcome of elections “more meaningful.” Two Republican state legislators in Utah last week announced a bill that would require students to pass a citizenship test before they could graduate high school. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, journalist Carl Bernstein, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and actor Joe Mantegna were backing similar measures in Utah and six other states.

On Monday, Utah Civics Education Initiative co-chair Lorena Riffo-Jensen told Hasselbeck that requiring a civics test was a good first step for encouraging students to be involved in the community. Hasselbeck suggested taking the idea “one step further” by requiring a test to vote. “Should you have to answer, I mean, the majority of these questions?” she wondered. “If not by graduation of high school, but by the time you vote?”

“I think, personally, that anything you can do to ensure that our young people, our families are involved in civics, learning the history of our country is a positive,” Riffo-Jensen agreed. “And furthermore, how can you go into planning what the generation will do in the future if you’re not prepared and understanding where we have been… You cannot be engaged without having the full knowledge and understanding of your nation.”

“It’s a more meaningful measure when you vote perhaps too,” Hasselbeck declared. “I just wouldn’t understand how we can be engaged citizens and voting if we don’t know the history, how our government works, and I think this is something very important for all of us as Americans,” Riffo-Jensen said. One part of “the history” that the Fox News segment did not cover, however, was how so-called literacy tests were used to disenfranchise black voters during segregation. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/elisabeth-hasselbeck-elections-a-more-meaningful-measure-if-voters-must-pass-a-test/

[aikoaiko]

1. RWers like to talk about voting tests, but they should thank their lucky stars there isn't one.

[big_dog]

2. I think Hassel-witch needs an intelligence test to hostess Faux News in the Mornings

she and Steve Doocy would most definitely fail

[LondonReign2]

13. I thought a low score was a requirement for that show?

In which case, Elizabeth and Dumb and Dumber are the perfect hosts.

[Kalidurga]

3. +1

you typed it so I didn't have to.

[Brother Buzz]

4. Word!

[tularetom]

11. No, what they mean is THEY get to make up the test questions

[rock]

26. And of course they get to make up the answers

And I do mean "make up".

[strawberries]

12. Then a great reason to have one!

[gordianot]

5. She would need to first be able to pass such a test herself to understand why this is a bad idea.

By her suggesting this she clearly failed that test.

[Louisiana1976]

28. Excellent point.

[immoderate]

6. Sure, the folks who make the Common Core tests will supply materials -- for a fee.

And then they will ask you if corporations are people, and if money is speech, and if Jesus wrote the Constitution. And you better get it right!

--imm

[unblock]

7. for an example of what they're thinking:

to be administered to undesirables, of course.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2013/06/28/voting_rights_and_the_supreme_court_the_impossible_literacy_test_louisiana.html

[UTUSN]

8. On the bright side, the vast majority of Faux viewers would flunk, so... n/t

[louis-t]

29. I foresee a hugely partisan test.

1. Who is the bestest president who ever lived? Answer: Reagan. Also acceptable: Raegan, Raygun, Reigin, etc.

2. What was the U.S. like before Reagan saved us? Answer: It was a terrible place run by liberal communists, junkies and whores.

[treestar]

35. lol

and with the wide berth for spelling, of course!

[closeupready]

9. Moron. What did she ever do? Wiggled and jiggled for Survivor?

And failed at even THAT. So you know the expression, be careful what you wish for. Same thing here.

[UTUSN]

33. PROBST said the other day everybody on Survivor liked her & he still does but

first he said he doesn't agree with "everything" she believes, then he went on and on and it sounded like he doesn't agree with ANYTHING she believes, and he ended saying he doesn't know how she got to the things she now says.

[closeupready]

36. She certainly seems eager to please on a personal level, so

I get that everyone who knows her likes her. It's funny, though, that Probst seems to understand that she is a political basket case, lol.

[Half-Century Man]

10. One question test.

"Do you believe some peoples' votes should count more or be suppressed?"

A Yes answer disqualifies you to vote this cycle.

[kelliekat44]

14. Excuse me but I don't need to know 3x4 or pass a literacy test to know when a party is screwing me.

[JaneyVee]

15. That's one way to ensure GOP never has a majority again.

[MohRokTah]

16. Lucky for Hasselback, she doesn't have to pass a test on the history of voting in order to vote.

Otherwise, she would know how, historically, passing a test in order to vote has been used to disenfranchise African Americans.

[gratuitous]

17. Two possibilities: Hasselbeck is totally ignorant, or she isn't

Either Hasselbeck is totally ignorant of this country's shameful history concerning "tests" for voting, or she knows good and well who administered those tests, how they were administered, and who was disenfranchised (at the very least) for decades.

Voting is a right, Ms. Hasselbeck. That means someone doesn't come schlumping down the line at the polling place, and pull citizens out of line, deciding this person doesn't get to vote, but that person does. No matter what some Supreme Court Justices did in their formative years. If you don't know that, then shut up until you learn something. If you do know that, and this kind of pig-ignorant statement still falls out of your mouth, why don't you really shut up?

[Orsino]

18. If a prospective voter can read a teleprompter...

...s/he may qualify as a Fox spokesmodel.

[sailfla]

19. I think it would disenfranchise half their base N/T

[lpbk2713]

20. "Meanwhile, have another glass of Kool-Aid."

OMFG, she's pathetic.

[Gothmog]

21. Hasselbeck would have trouble passing any such test

[Gidney N Cloyd]

25. It's OK, she's got the immunity idol.

[ksoze]

22. This women is an insult to dumb blondes

Her claim to fame was as a contestant on a reality show and now thrives on saying anything that will get medi attention - that is usually stupid stuff and she is a master.

[Kingofalldems]

23. More RW propaganda sneakily posted here.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

24. News is more meaningful when you don't get it from Fox.

[appleannie1]

27. If it was an IQ test, she couldn't vote. Let's put that one in place. Only intelligent

people can vote. That would totally end the Tea Party.

[sadoldgirl]

30. I agree in general with

the need for more civics classes. I think they have been more or less disregarded.

Seems to me though that she does not realize that many of her listeners could not pass it.

[gollygee]

31. Actually practicing democracy is more important than learning about it

It's important to learn about it, but to suggest using learning about it as a way to circumvent it is scary. I'm sure a lot of people agree with her.

[underpants]

32. Ignorant of fanning flames? Literacy tests were a Jim Crow era limit in black voting

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_test

[Ilsa]

34. People with learning disabilities would be disenfranchised.

They might have the "IQ" or reasoning ability to understand issues and policies, but do poorly on tests.

I'm amazed that Conservatives would think this would benefit them over anyone else.

[KamaAina]

37. Didn't we already try that?

I think she'd look better with a white hood pulled over her face.

[napkinz]

38. ...

[napkinz]

39. can you say JIM CROW!!!

[GeorgeGist]

40. I agree.

Most Republicans would flunk.