Fmr. Dem Strategist: Republicans Are Weaponizing the History of Jim Crow in Va. To Keep Black Voters Away from the Polls

EXCERPT:

RUPERT: “I think everyone should be very worried. And I will be clear, not just about this, but this type of misinformation. And you know, to be clear, groups have been targeting specifically black voters in Virginia with an effort to confuse this issue and get people to either not show up or vote against what you know, sort of to vote -- thinking that this is saying one thing and it actually says something else. Those kind of efforts should concern us deeply, because what that's doing is showing us the playbook that Republicans are planning on using moving forward, that misinformation, but targeted misinformation, going after marginalized communities, going after black voters to try to sow confusion in order to swing the direction of some of these votes. They're laying out the blueprint and saying that that's what they're going to be doing. I think that for tomorrow, a lot of work is being put in. I do think that people should be taking it seriously. There's a lot of urgency, show up and vote. But more than I'm thinking specifically about this, I'm thinking this becomes the playbook moving forward. And we have to be vigilant about the information that is getting to voters, especially marginalized voters, especially black voters, because they are weaponizing a history of Jim Crow and other efforts to keep black voters away from the polls in order to do this. And that should be deeply concerning to all of us who care about democracy.”