Your recent reporting on Republican efforts to make voting more challenging reminded me of a cordial breakfast I had with one well-known conservative thinker. What I learned in that meeting appears to explain the motivation behind the thinly veiled voter suppression efforts.

I reached out to this conservative person with the goal of seeking to understand what she believes and how she came to believe it. It was not a debate. She was gracious in accepting my invitation and I found her to be very bright, friendly, and forthright.

Our breakfast occurred shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court had handed down its decision in the Citizens United case, a finding by the court that has allowed unlimited corporate spending on behalf of the candidates of their choice, a clear boon to Republicans.

At the end of our breakfast I whined to her, asking her how Democrats would ever be able to compete, in light of the unlimited money Republicans could spend to elect their candidates.

She replied with one word: “Demographics.” It was a striking response. As our country becomes more diverse, it could also become more progressive, since many BIPOC citizens would benefit from policies that help low-income people.

The simple and powerful strategy Republicans have pursued all over the United States is to make it as difficult as possible for BIPOC citizens, who are often already struggling in their daily lives, to perform the sacred, democratic act of voting.

What ever happened to the Republican Party founded by Abraham Lincoln?

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