2016 April 28^th

Today Cal Thomas is accusing Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia of “courting the felon vote.” That is actually the title of Thomas’ column in this morning’s Record-Eagle. Each state determines its own voting regulations, consistent with the Constitution of course. Virginia’s governor has determined that while Virginia had formerly denied felons’ voting rights, even after they had served their prison terms, completed any parole or other obligation to the state, he would now permit them to vote. For Cal Thomas this is a pure case of pandering to very bad people just to get their vote.

He has company: Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell has said, speaking of Governor McAuliffe, “This office has always been a stepping stone to a job in Hillary Clinton’s cabinet.” Say what? Always a stepping stone to a job in Hillary Clinton’s cabinet…really? She hasn’t been elected yet and so she obviously has no cabinet, so what on earth is this man talking about? Does he know? Does Cal Thomas know?

Thomas goes on to site the National Conference of State Legislatures, “In 38 states and the District of Columbia, most ex-felons automatically get the right to vote upon completion of their sentence.” So Thomas sites this source that tells us most states already allow felons to recover their right to vote, but apparently Thomas believes the fact that Governor McAuliffe has allowed this in Virginia was done for purely political purposes.

Then Thomas, in his ignorance, tries to besmirch a Democratic state but instead takes to task a Republican one; he writes, “In liberal Maine and Vermont convicted felons may cast their ballots while in prison and are never disenfranchised.” Cal Thomas’ premise is half-right: Vermont is liberal with a Democratic Governor and a Democratic Speaker of the House. But Maine is anything but liberal; Maine has a very unpredictable Republican Governor Paul LePage who is known to simply walk out of meetings if he doesn’t like the tone of the discussion. Then there is Republican Senator Susan Collins and Independent Senator Angus King. There are just two congress people a Democrat and a Republican. The majority leader of the Maine Legislature, Garrett Mason, is a Republican.

It would appear that Cal Thomas classifies Maine as liberal because he doesn’t like the fact that they let convicted felons vote. Michigan also lets convicted felons vote once they have completed their obligations to the state. Michigan has (temporarily at least) a Republican Governor, Republican controlled Legislature and a Republican dominated Supreme Court. Cal needs to do some more research.