President Obama Talks GOP Voter Suppression Efforts At 2014 NAN Convention

President Obama Talks GOP Voter Suppression Efforts At 2014 NAN Convention

Earlier today in New York City, President Obama took to the stage at the 2014 National Action Network Convention to address an intimate crowd of press, political peers, a handful of celebrity guests and a small group of lucky ticket holders. During his short and simple but fired-up speech the POTUS addressed the growing problem of voter suppression across the country in anticipation of the upcoming mid-term elections.

BOSSIP was in the building to hear the President speak and slam Republicans for openly making it more difficult to vote when they themselves are trying to gain votes. Check out a few excerpts from his speech below.

On certain groups of people (minorities, women, elderly, etc.) still having to fight for voting rights in the U.S.:

“This recent effort to restrict the vote has not been lead by both parties.   It’s been lead by the Republican party.  If your strategy depends on having fewer people showing up to vote, that’s not a sign of strength. That’s a sign of weakness. And not only is ultimately bad politics, ultimately it is bad for the country.”

You’d think this wouldn’t be an argument anymore, but the stark, simple truth is this: The right to vote is threatened today, in a way that it has not been since the Voting Rights Act became law nearly five decades ago

Across the country, Republicans have led efforts to make it harder and harder for people to vote.”

On continuing to fight for equal voting rights:

“We’ve GOT to continue to press for equal voting rights. Every American that wants to vote should be able to vote.   The single most important thing we can do to protect our right to vote, is to vote.”

On being questioned about the validity of his birth certificate last year:

“Just to be clear, I do know where my birth certificate is (laughs). I think it’s still up on a website somewhere.

Do you guys remember that? That was crazy. I haven’t thought about that in a while.”

You can watch a clip from from President Obama’s speech earlier today, below.

Voter suppression is one of the biggest threats to the minority community in terms of getting our voices heard, so hopefully people are paying attention to the GOP suppression efforts and finding ways to fight back.