LittleRed1 sent the Czar an unbroken paragraph (but not all in upper case) regarding the Virginia GOP, whom by now you know are evil bastards. LittleRed1 writes (with our edits):

Oh great and powerful Czar,

As your mightiness no doubt knows but ran out of time to mention due to other more pressing matters, tweaking voting and ballot requirements is an old pastime in certain parts of the U.S. After Reconstruction ended in 1877, but even more during the 1890s to early 1900s; the dominant political party in the South manipulated voting through use of the Grandfather clause, poll taxes, literacy tests and other things.

However, these were aimed at poor whites as well as at blacks, especially in areas where the Farmers’ Alliance gained ground in the 1880s and 1890s. The Powers That Were did not want an alliance of the sharecroppers and other members of the great unwashed challenging the southern system (see Stephen Kantrowitz, Ben Tillman and the Reconstruction of White Supremacy for an excellent account).

The Alliance connected to the Populist movement in the 1890s with their demands for federal assistance for agriculture, silver coinage in order to inflate the currency and make debt paying easier for the average debtor, and restrictions on land speculation. In areas where the Farmers’ Alliance was not so strong, the loss of poor white votes was, to use a modern phrase, unfortunate “collateral damage” from the effort to impose Jim Crow.

Apparently, since keeping people from voting in primaries is now frowned upon, the Virginia GOP has taken a rotten leaf from the Dixiecrats and now tweaks the ballot instead of the ballot box.

Your most respectful and humble,
LittleRed1

Well, perhaps this is merely an extension of a fine old Southern tradition. But it may simply be that the Virginia GOP is now composed of evil bastards who want their guy in at the expense of democracy. No traditional Southern practices rig Chicago elections, nor the messes you see in Massachusetts, or the inability to discount forged votes in Wisconsin, or how Harry Reid got re-elected, or Washington state’s ugly mess in 2010.

But you hit on a key point: the GOP has taken a rotten leaf from the Dixiecrats. And this is unforgiveable, which is why the Czar takes offense to their actions. The Virginia GOP would be hard-pressed to find a single historical example where their practices have resulted in a good outcome…even for them.

Thomas Jefferson was not a violent man, but even he would be forced to throw a whopping overhand right into someone’s jaw over this.

By the way, apologies that LittleRed1 got off our holiday thanks list! Sorry, and thanks for your contributions, LittleRed1! You get an extra !!!!eleventy!! in your meal today.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.