Zogby-Blacks DON"T want voting rights for ex-felons?!?

[booley]

Can someone confirm or deny this?

While Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and John Kerry (D-MA) attempt to push a bill through the Senate that would restore voting rights for felons -- including killers, rapists and child predators -- such a law would receive a cold reception by most Americans, according to a just-released poll. And some believe Clinton and Kerry -- with the help of some news organizations -- are trying to sneak their bill under the public radar.

A new poll conducted by Zogby Interactive for Associated Television News and The O'Leary Report shows that a clear majority of Americans, including blacks and Hispanics, are opposed to the restoration of voting rights for former felons.
   
The Zogby/Associated Television News poll findings show that Americans oppose aspects of the Count Every Vote Act sponsored by Senators Hillary Clinton and John Kerry that would restore the voting rights of former convicted felons. Fifty-three percent of the American public believes that such a law giving back the right to vote to felons is bad for the country.
..........
One reason given for the introduction of the Clinton/Kerry bill was to return a racial balance to the disproportionate number of blacks serving time in our prison system for felonies. Yet, 61% of blacks and 66% of Hispanics believe voting rights for felons should be returned on an individual basis and not as a class as the Clinton/Kerry bill would do.

One political strategist believes the push to give amnesty for illegal aliens and for felons is driven by the desire to increase the Democrat Party base.

"Whether they admit it or not, the Democrats need lawbreakers such as illegal aliens -- who are being illegally registered as Democrats -- and killers, rapists and robbers in order to increase their base of far-left voters," says Mike Baker, political strategist and pollster.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27266027.shtml#

Now the writing of this guy seemed to be a bit..slanted to put it mildly. So I tried looking on Google and Zogby. But I can't find anything but other right wing blogs talkign about this. And NOTHING in Zogby's press releases and news.

Maybe I just missed it but this seems REALLY hard ot beleive. I mean, Blacks and Hispanics have had thier votes taken away so often and so aggresivly by the use of felon lists. I am sure they know how felon lists have been used against them and will be again. So why would they be against something that would help them?

But I do trust Zogby. But I can't find any evidence outside the right wing blog-o-sphere that any such poll exists. But I would like some kind of confirmation before I just discount this as another RW lie.

Any help would be appreciated.

[patcox2]

1. Its not the felons, its the purges of non-felons.

Its not likely that a lot of convicted felons vote anyway, the problem is with, for example, Florida's purge of the voting rolls which purged thousands of people who were not ex-convicts just because their names were similar.

[booley]

13. yeah but

Florida was able to get away with this by saying they had to remove the 'felons"

[Warpy]

2. "Returned on an individual basis"

sounds reasonable to me, too, although it would likely be an understaffed and poorly considered process, just one more piece of paper for a PO to check when the parole was up.

Clearly, ex felons with no visible means of support are going to be up to something, while others are motivated to stay out of prison and are working hard at whatever shit job they've been able to get.

It would be nice if someone were to tell the difference and act accordingly. Felonies committed in youth shouldn't strip adults who have become responsible citizens of their rights. That is just plain wrong.

[wakeme2008]

3. Duh what just what Jebbie did in Florida,, cut the Staff and $$$ for

the agency that did the review. And the there was a major backlog....

[booley]

4. But Jeb's friends got through

Just not the regular folks. Especially if they werent' really folons in the first place.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. 'On an individual basis' is wide open to abuse.

If, as many of us contend, the system is set up to disenfranchise minorities, what better way to increase the disparity than allowing white, repub leaning felons to regain the vote, while routinely denying the same to black and latino felons.

I personally believe that anyone who's done his time should be allowed to rejoin society, and regain the vote. Those who are career criminals will be back inside quickly enough that they will make no real difference to any outcomes. Those who are not, deserve it. Unless, of course, their felony was vote tamperin.

[wakeme2008]

5. Poorly worded....

If people understood, "Returned on an individual basis" means sitting in an IN-BOX 10-15 years, I do not think they would have voted for that.

[booley]

6. Can anyone find me a link for the poll itself?

I certainly trust Zogby more then some right wing blog.

At the moment, i think this is all Bushit. but I am trying to get confirmation.

[johnaries]

8. The only reference i can find for the poll or the bill are this

same story written by Jim Kouri that's posted on several different blogs.
I don't the the bill or the poll exist.

This Jim Kouri person needs to be researched.

[johnaries]

7. I don't think the bill exists.

I can't find it on Kerry's or Clinton's sites, or even on the Senate website:
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/b_three_sections_with_teasers/active_leg_page.htm

Looks like more Swiftboating to me. Matbe we should report this to Media Matters and see what they can find out.

[SensibleAmerican]

9. Why would blacks want ex-felons to vote?

n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Dunno about the poll, but...

the Count Every Vote Act is very real:

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oId=18049

As far as the poll goes, my observations of blacks and hispanics are that they tend to be pretty hardcore anti-crime and anti-felon. They have far more direct experience with crime than the rest of us do, and are sick of it. You'd think blacks would be pretty much against capital punishment, too, because of racial disparities in sentencing, but that's not how it works when you stand a good chance of your kid getting shot in a driveby.

The threats to minority voting are one thing, but hammering felons is something else entirely. The two aren't necessarily related to someone who has to walk through gang territory every day.

Other than that, the spin doctors are no doubt hard at work having a good ol' time with this.

[theHandpuppet]

11. I think you might find these links of interest

http://www.righttovote.org/
http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/2004/10/28/voting_rights_f
http://hnn.us/articles/7635.html