http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/...122593759.html
At least, when it comes to the integrity of voting districts, North Carolina is the least democratic entity in the world. Overall, it ranks with Cuba, Sierra Leone and Indonesia. On legal framework and voter registration it ranks with Venezuela and Iran.


It is hard to believe that a modern western country has let democracy fail to such a great extent in one part of it.

This is the state where the governor refused to concede losing for a month and where the General Assembly has stripped power from the incoming governor.

It's the state where they took full advantage of the loosening of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

They lost cases on gerrymandering and laws 'targeting African Americans with almost surgical precision'. The American Civil War still goes on there.

They left out North Korea then.

Yes - quite a ridiculous statement isn't it when the world is full of dictatorships that don't allow voting at all.

Some of the comments seem quite spurious and could equally apply to the UK eg getting total power with just a few percent more than the next party. Even more odd is the idea a legislature wanting more power than the Governor is a bad thing - powerful executives lead to dictatorships not powerful legislatures.

smudges dad

Do you read these comics you put up links to?

Whilst it was once a renowned newspaper it has been in serious financial difficulties at least since 2008

Oh and your title is not supported by the article or indeed by the bit you copied into your post

Here's hoping you can do better in 2017

There's similar stories about NC in a number of media outlets, as I pointed out it lost a case on gerrymandering with the result that elections will have to be restaged there. The republicans trebled the number of government appointments that can be made by the governor only to reduce them to below the original level when their guy finally concerned after a month long sulk

Oh dear, you seem to have missed this line I wrote, in your haste to have a go at the poster, rather than the content of the article.

Have you any comment on the subject of the poor level of democracy in North Carolina, or would you prefer to ignore the issues?
What has the newspaper got to do with the content I posted? Are you more concerned with the messenger than the message?
Have look at their website and maybe think about the issues.
https://www.electoralintegrityproject.com/

It's not, in general, but when the outgoing governor is the one calling the special session of the legislature, and ensuring that the candidate who beat him will enter office will almost no discernible ability to improve the situation for the state's inhabitants, that's more than just 'preventing a dictatorship' - that's a losing dictator in action! In addition, the idea that this is similar to a UK political party getting a few more percentage points at the voting booths is incredibly disingenuous. That piece of sh*t Pat McCrory refused to concede the election for nearly a month, and then continued to exert his power to further strip voters rights as fast as he could before he's kicked out. I wouldn't be surprised to find he's trashing the governor's mansion as we speak!

NC is being run by modern day segregationists, who've gerrymandered districts to corral the Democratic (black) voters into as small districts as they possibly could, whilst carving up the rest of the state for the GOP candidates. They convened a special session just for HB2, and have made sure that discriminatory bill remains in place. It's pretty disgusting behaviour - I can't believe anyone actually wants to defend their actions. I certainly don't think any of the comments are spurious - they're all solidly based in facts.

How is that different from many other countries, including the UK?


Yes they do. In the UK a US citizen would not be allowed to vote in general election.


How is which toilet to use, a matter of democracy?

Calm down Smudges dad

My post, which you did not answer, stands.

I know there are problems in North Carolina but then there are problems with voting irregularities in most American states and this was a concern that was raised by some people long before the Presidential vote was held. I myself posted a link in the American election thread about this a few months back if you want to go look.

Oh and remember election irregularities are not unknown in this country either.

The US isn't a democracy anyway it's an oligarchy. The peasants just pick the figurehead.