The Case for Paying Less Attention

By Ed Burmila
2 hours ago

... fighting back against Trumpism doesn't begin at the top, with Trump himself. It begins with winning back the state legislatures that draw electoral maps and make the rules that shape elections.

... Most voters cannot even name their state reps. Yet when we think about some of the worst developments in modern politics – voter suppression, purged voter rolls, ruthless gerrymandering, abortion restrictions, Neanderthal educational policies, brutal sentencing and policing "reforms" – they emanate not from D.C., but from state capitols. Right now Democrats control 31 of 98 partisan state legislative chambers nationwide ...

How long is the early voting period? Will mail-in or absentee ballots be easy to acquire? How strict is the voter ID requirement? When is the registration deadline? Can felons and ex-felons vote? Are voting locations convenient, and do they have sufficient equipment? How will votes be counted and verified? Don't look to Trump or Congress for answers to any of these critical questions. The GOP uses state-level power to answer them, and has effectively suppressed the vote in recent elections ...

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-case-for-paying-less-attention-to-donald-trump-w489765