Voting Rights: Hillary Clinton's Powerful Influence. When She Speaks. She is Heard.

[misterhighwasted]

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/movement-voting-rights-following-hillary-clinton-pitch?cid=eml_mra_20150616
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Movement on voting rights following Hillary Clinton pitch

06/16/15 10:50 AM

It’s been about two weeks since presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton presented anambitious vision on voting rights, calling for a 20-day early voting window and a universal, automatic voter registration. The point wasn’t to create immediate policy changes – Clinton does not currently hold public office – but rather to let the public know about the kind of agenda she’d pursue if elected.

 

But whether intended or not, Clinton has helped stir the pot a bit when it comes to voting rights. MSNBC’s Zack Roth reportedlate last week:

In just the week since Clinton spoke, Ohio and Rhode Island have both moved forward with online voter registration bills, and Louisiana passed a bill to study automatic voter registration. If it weren’t for the fact that most state legislatures have already adjourned for the session, the number of states moving forward with expansive legislation would likely be larger.

At the federal level, Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) last week unveiled the “Automatic Voter Registration Act,” which would “require local motor vehicle departments to forward individuals’ information to elections officials, who would then send the person a notification that they’ll be registered to vote after 21-days. Anyone can opt out of the registration before that 21-day window is up, but they will be automatically registered unless they do so.”



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"seems fair to say she deserves at least some of the credit – she showed some leadership on an important issue, and it’s led to renewed calls for progressive change."
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From RMS, June 16
Sec of State Hillary Clinton's Speech June 4

 

[davidpdx]

1. If Clinton has powerful influence, then why didn't she come out against fast-track and the TPP

several weeks ago when it would have been possible to defeat it. Could she not have used that influence with her former colleagues in the Senate as well as with some of her friends in the House?

Talk is talk. If she believed in progressive change she would have helped kill the TPP.