Wrapping up the Tuesday, October 22 edition of The Ed Show, fill-in host Michael Eric Dyson chose to "Punch Out" of the program by giving a platform for his guest, Ohio Democrat Nina Turner, to argue that the photo ID voting law in Texas is some devious, sexist plot to thwart the 2014 gubernatorial candidacy of State Senator Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth).
At no point did Dyson seriously question Ohio Democrat Nina Turner's absurd accusations. Indeed, the Georgetown professor wholeheartedly endorsed them, proposing that conservative Republicans like Gov. Rick Perry only want "white men of means" to cast a ballot [WATCH the video embedded below the page break; LISTEN to MP3 audio excerpt here].:
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, substitute host: Welcome back to The Ed Show. This is the story for the folks who take a shower after work.
Voter suppression blooms in Texas. Immediately after the Supreme Court gutted the voting rights act, lawmakers in Texas expedited the suppression measures that came into effect this week.
[...]
DYSON: ID laws that historically slashed senior citizens, minorities, and low-income voices, target women as well.
VIDEOTAPED REPORT from KXAN: Let's say your name on the voter registration roll is not the same as your driver's license. Some examples would be if you have a nickname on the registration roll and your full name is on the photo ID, or maybe you are recently married, and your new last name does not match your maiden name which is on the roll.
DYSON: Disenfranchisement comes conveniently for the Lone Star State, as state senator Wendy Davis's gubernatorial candidacy kicks off. Women are her natural base and therefore a natural target for the GOP.
Joining me now, Ohio state senator Nina Turner. Sen. Turner, can you argue-- and I know some people will think this is ludicrous and we're just out of our minds -- but can you argue that Republicans only want white men of means to vote?
State Senator NINA TURNER (D-Ohio): I mean, Dr. Dyson, they're certainly taking a page out of the book of where this country was centuries ago. You know, we are a nation of progress, but they are trying to take us back. These extremists. And the fact that they are creating laws that in many, many ways suppress, oppress, and regress access to the ballot box, it's not only shameful, it's immoral and it's against democracy.
And I got Wendy Davis, state senator Wendy Davis, my sister senator, I guess they fear her just that much. But this is wrong. And it has a negative ripple effect for all of this country, not just Texas. And this very law that they have passed right now, you know, remember a district court ruled that that law was unconstitutional. But because the U.S. Supreme Court gutted portions of the Voting Rights Act, here we are. We have not lost our minds, Dr. Dyson. The GOP extremists have lost their ever-loving minds.
DYSON: Huh, huh. To be sure...
