Jim Rutenberg follow up for NYT magazine.
As with Rutenberg’s earlier piece, I think this one really misses the partisan element of the story, suggesting this Republican opposition is really all motivated by race. I make that claim that the analysis needs more nuance in this Slate piece, and more broadly in my Race or Party? piece at the Harvard Law Review Forum.
Also, as I explain in 2006 the writing was already on the wall that realignment was causing the Republicans to have partisan reasons to oppose a broad voting rights act. This trend only accelerated with the first Democratic DOJ in office during a redistricting year dealing with preclearance.