In this election, the Democratic Party spent hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign ads, not very effective, if the results are any indication.
My proposal is simple. Take some of those millions and organize a campaign to register voters. Not simply placing ads promoting registration, but going directly into the communities adversely affected by the voter suppression laws and assist people in registering to vote. Walk them through the hurdles. Help them secure identification that will meet the requirements. Arrange transportation if necessary to get them to the appropriate registration venue. Check back to make sure that the process has been completed. On Election Day, provide whatever assistance and support is needed to make voting as stress free as possible. Enlist pollwatchers to ensure voting rights are protected.
Publicize the campaign and don't back down. Make it very clear that the Republicans have declared war on the poor and the working class of all ethnicities, and that the Democrats are fighting back. Of course the Republicans will cry foul, imply fraud, and attempt to discredit the effort. They will very likely compare it to ACORN. Who cares? Why should any Democrat care what the Republicans think? Tell them to stuff it and go right on registering voters.
Republicans will most likely attempt to create new laws to block such efforts. There will attempts at intimidation as there were this election. The registration campaign should expect new challenges and roadblocks but have a strategy in place to counter the new attempts at voter suppression.
I am old enough to remember when people risked their lives to register to vote and when others risked their lives helping people to register. We, in a sense, stand on their shoulders. We owe it them not to allow these hard earned rights to taken away.
During the Civil War, General Grant is alleged to have said regarding General Lee, "Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what are we going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do."
Maybe the Democratic Party needs to take Grant's advice and start thinking about what they are going to do for themselves instead of worrying about what the Republicans are going to do. The effort needs to start now. 2018 will be here soon.
Perhaps this plan is too simplistic. Perhaps there are problems I don't recognize. Perhaps it has already be attempted. If so, I haven't heard of it. I know I can't be the first person to have this idea.
I would appreciate feedback.