Texas Republicans tried to defend forcing Americans to wait in line to vote by comparing it to waiting in line for a coronavirus test. And it backfired spectacularly.
As the coronavirus continues to once again rip through red states like Texas because conservatives largely refuse to get vaccinated and don’t wear masks, the Texas GOP took to Twitter this week to use the virus as an excuse to justify voter suppression tactics that limit voting.
If you can wait in line for a covid test, you can wait in line to vote. pic.twitter.com/Y8YrKEspYP
— Texas GOP (@TexasGOP) January 7, 2022
The Texas GOP then doubled down by insulting critics and people who wear masks.
Masks are dumb
— Texas GOP (@TexasGOP) January 7, 2022
Of course, wearing a mask prevents the spread of the virus. But Republicans no longer believe in science and prefer Americans die instead so they can continue to politicize the pandemic.
As for COVID testing, while people do wait in line to get tested, there are other options such as at-home testing and even drive-thru testing, as well as multiple testing sites. So, the conflation of COVID testing and in-person voting just doesn’t make any sense. The reality is that people should not have to wait for hours to cast a ballot. But Republicans are obsessed with closing polling places and restricting other forms of voting such as absentee voting by mail to make people less likely to vote because it would take so long.
The Texas GOP received significant backlash on Twitter.
If you can defend yourself with a knife you don’t need a gun.
— Bill Jones (@GoFrogYourself) January 7, 2022
Tell me you’re a broken political party without telling me you’re a broken political party.
— Mazi Chidi (@ChidiNwatu) January 7, 2022
Just like you can wait in food lines for hours to get food in Texas during a pandemic and you can wait days for power and heat due to a failing power grid in Texas – all under GQP leadership 🤷♂️💩
— Christopher Lyons (@CALyonsSoCal) January 7, 2022
Why are you making people wait in line to do either thing @TexasGOP ? Are y’all that backwards you can’t figure out how to run an election or a health care facility? Seems in keeping with how you run your electric grid. Go figure.
— preising (@preising) January 7, 2022
If you’re good enough to win an election, then you’re good enough to win it without gerrymandering. Right, @DanCrenshawTX ? pic.twitter.com/2V04MNlvIx
— Travis Martin (@travisjmartin) January 7, 2022
By your logic, since I can send a poop sample in the mail for Cologuard colon cancer testing, I should therefore also be able to put my vote in the mail.
— Finley 🦈🌊🇺🇸 (@sharkfinnies) January 7, 2022
If you can wait in line for hours to vote – vote for Democrats so you won’t have to wait in line for hours to vote.
— Shanti (@Shanti88996769) January 7, 2022
Republicans should not be in power anywhere.
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