Discussing Eric Holder’s proposed challenge to Texas’s recent change to voting laws, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah reveals some unclarity on the nature of despotism.
“The court has already ruled — and he’s trying to reinstitute the Voting Rights Act in Texas,” the Utah Republican tells Newsmax. “If I were a Texan, I’d be so doggone livid that I don’t think I’d ever get over it. That’s not the thing to do, and it just shows how this administration ignores the law.
“They act like they’re despots,” he adds.
To the rest of us, despotism is rule by arbitrary decree. To Hatch, it’s making a request of a different branch of government.
hey to orrin hatch having a functional government is despotism.Report
I’m no expert on this, but IF the Justice Department is moving against a Texas law on the basis of Section 5 of the VRA, and Section 5 only applies to jurisdictions found wanting under Section 4, and there’s currently no Section 4, then yes, the Justice Department is arbitrarily moving against Texas. Your second standard, “making a request of a different branch of government”, is way too vague. If the DoJ called on the National Guard to implement martial law in Texas it would fall under your second definition, but yeah, it would be despotic too.Report
Federalizing the guard is done completely within the executive branch, using the president’s power as commander-in-chief.Report