Republicans sink deeper into corruption

It is becoming increasingly clear that Republicans will stop at nothing, stoop to any low, violate any standard, breach any convention, and even violate the law, in order to gain and maintain political power.

Exhibit 1, Georgia
In Georgia, the Secretary of State is in charge of elections. While serving in this office, Brian Kemp purged more than half a million voters from the Georgia voter rolls. He was just elected governor of the state by 54,723 votes (less than 1.4%). Democrat Stacey Abrams ran against a stacked deck and still nearly won.

Exhibit 2, Wisconsin
After losing the governorship and other statewide offices,  the lame-duck Republican controlled legislature, rather than examine why they were abandoned by their suburban base, are using their last days in office to strip power away from incoming Democratic officials.

Exhibit 3, Michigan
Michigan democrats flipped the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Republican state legislators have introduced several bills to limit their power, including one that would remove oversight of campaign finance law from the Michigan Secretary of State.

Exhibit 4, North Carolina
The North Carolina Board of Elections decided not to certify the election of Republican US House candidate, Mark Harris, after finding evidence of voter fraud. Harris, a Southern Baptist preacher, defeated incumbent Representative Robert Pittenger in the GOP Primary last May in an election that also shows signs of organized fraud. The investigation is continuing.

Exhibit 5, Utah
In the 2018 election Democratic candidates for the Utah House received 34 percent of the votes, but won only 21 percent of the seats. If Utah House districts were not gerrymandered, Democrats would hold nine additional House seats.  This outrageous imbalance is not a new piece of mischief, like the exhibits above. One-party manipulation of legislative districts, has been the status quo in Utah for many (once-a-decade) reapportionment cycles. 

The Republican party is desperate. Their political beliefs and policies (when they can be discerned amidst the lies and fog) are unpopular. Young people, minorities, women, and the college-educated are abandoning the party in droves. In their panic, the Republican party is increasingly using underhanded and deceitful means to cling to power. We must not ignore or make excuses for this behavior.

Under the “leadership” of an illiterate, narcissistic, lying demagogue, the Republican party has completely lost its integrity. It is high time for members of the Church of Jesus Christ to rethink their association with a such a corrupt organization.

Ye are laying plans to pervert the ways of the righteous, and to bring down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the utter destruction of this people. —
(Alma 10:18)

Sources: “The Republicans’ post-midterm strategy: Thievery,” Dana Milbank, The Washington Post, December 4, 2018. 
“6 Takeaways From Georgia’s ‘Use It Or Lose It’ Voter Purge Investigation,” Johnny Kaufman, NPR, October 22, 2018.
“Where the GOP can’t win elections, it changes the rules,” Editorial Board, The Washington Post, December 4, 2018.
“Wisconsin Republicans are trying to subvert the will of the voters. They’re part of a larger trend,” Donald P. Moynihan, The Washington Post, December 3, 2018.
“Michigan Republicans introduce bills seeking to curtail powers of incoming Democrats,” Tal Axelrod, The Hill, November 30, 2018.
“Vote fraud allegations leave N.C. House race unresolved with no clear path forward,” Leigh Ann Caldwall, NBC News, December 3, 2018.
“Utah Democrats won a third of the votes for the state House, but only a fifth of the seats. Is this what gerrymandering looks like?” Benjamin Wood, Salt Lake Tribune, December 10, 2018.
“Republicans Around The Country Are Working To Declare Democrats Unconstitutional,” Paul Blumenthal, HuffPost, December 8, 2018.
“Where is the country’s moral compass?” Guest opinion, Deseret News, December 12, 2018.