No Good Deed...

*Read all of David's writing and watch his fantastic videos at Pepperspectives!

By David Pepper

OK… so there is definitely a risk in tweeting from off the grid.

Like… you may be stepping into the middle of a social media, internecine bar-room brawl without even knowing it.

Exhibit A: If JD Vance was praising the Ohio “Biden ballot fix,” you know something was afoot...

Something I sort of did yesterday.

I had seen some mild chatter asking why the State of Ohio necessitated a “virtual roll call” for the Presidential nominating process. I’ve since learned that some are making more pointed accusations about this process, and the motivation behind it. Some suggest it’s a scheme motivated by questions about Biden’s candidacy. And it’s gotten very testy.

So—having had a front row seat to what actually triggered the DNC’s approach (following democracy advocates in Ohio begging for help to stop yet another attack on democracy here) — I tweeted a thread to set the record straight. I did so mainly by sharing an email I had sent to a friend (who sits on the DNC) to explain what had happened in Ohio to require this process in the first place.

So I’ll share that again here.

This was the essence of the email I sent on July 2 (before this had gotten so much attention):

“Here is why I strongly supported what the DNC did re Ohio, and sticking to that position now:

“For the first time in modern memory, Ohio Republicans attached conditions to legislation that extended the deadline for a presidential nominee to be placed on the Ohio ballot. In the past, including in 2020, this has always been done as a matter of course, and for nominees of either party. Ohio also appears to be the only state in the nation where this was done—even Alabama enacted a “clean” extension to allow Biden to be on the ballot. No strings attached.

But the Ohio GOP did not only attach conditions to the extension—they attached “poison pill” legislation, the clear aim of which is to undermine Ohioans’ ability to engage in direct democracy. (Basically, an extension of the Issue 1 campaign to undermine direct democracy last year). Along the way, they attacked the rights of green card holders (and their spouses) in a way that looks to be a clear violation of the Constitution (a lawsuit has already been filed). And they did all of this in exchange for the extension—trying to look as if this was all a noble act when it was in fact an effort to kneecap Ohioans’ rights.

Overall, what Ohio did sets a terrible precedent. If other states follow Ohio’s lead in the future, attaching anti-democracy conditions to the step of simply allowing a candidate to be on the ballot, it will be a downward spiral fast.

To their great credit, the DNC, seeing that this was happening, took a bold step for democracy when they publicly committed to do a virtual roll call rather than credit in any way this appalling legislation. They called the GOP bluff, exposing what the legislation was truly all about. And they sent the message that they were willing to adjust their rules rather than watching and being part of an attack on democracy in Ohio (and by extension, anywhere). Sticking to that commitment is the principled, pro-democracy thing to do. Reversing it would allow Republicans to continue their false narrative that this was about solving the Biden ballot issue. Even worse, it would be a signal, in the future, that the DNC did not mean what it said when it stood for democracy and against the cynical GOP effort here.

If someone asks why Ohio requires [a virtual roll call], the answer is simple: Ohio is behaving as a pariah state when it comes to democracy. This legislation was yet another example of how anti-democratic Ohio has become. If a “virtual roll call” sends a signal that the Ohio GOP is so corrupted in its ways that the state [requires a different approach], that is the appropriate message the DNC should send the nation. Ohio’s GOP has certainly earned it."
Here are a few articles I wrote about this:

1. The original poison pills (this one did include abortion, but that part was removed): https://davidpepper.substack.com/p/alert-poison-pills-added-to-bill

2. When DNC took the Step: https://davidpepper.substack.com/p/your-action-needed-protect-ohios

3. The final deal (which included an attack on green card holders): https://davidpepper.substack.com/p/ohio-ballot-update-it-generally-blows”

[Note — all those article were written long before any of the current consternation].

Those of you who read my newsletter closely would already know much of this. A lot of you made phone calls when this came up. We fought back hard, and we can only hope the current lawsuit stops the “poison pill” in its tracks.

So you will understand why democracy advocates were so appreciative that the DNC stepped up during this appalling attack on democracy in Ohio—which we are still fighting.
Folks, there’s a lot of stress and fear right now. We all feel it. The stakes are huge. People have strong feelings about the best way to move forward.

If there’s an earth-shattering shift that necessitates a different approach to the roll call, that can clearly happen to accommodate whatever shift that is.

But let’s set the record straight: the DNC’s decision to do the “virtual roll” call was motivated by a keen understanding of a state-level attack on democracy (you know, where they happen most) that most in the media had missed, by the fortitude to stand up to it (and head off a horrible precedent for every state), and all of it happened months ago.

Those are the facts.