CLIFF MALONEY: Democrats Want ID For Hot Pockets But Not For Voting?

CLIFF MALONEY: Democrats Want ID For Hot Pockets But Not For Voting?

By Cliff Maloney |

While the left has been lecturing us for decades that requiring ID to vote is somehow an overt example of systemic racism, they’re now planning to require ID for the privilege of shopping in government run grocery stores. 

Democratic New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced in a recent press conference that he intends to spend over $70 million in taxpayer dollars to launch five government run grocery stores across New York, promising a 30% discount on all groceries. 

And when questioned on how he intends to ensure people won’t just travel to New York and buy up the inventory for resale elsewhere in a predictable arbitrage play, his answer was both astounding and hypocritical. This is par for the course with his failed promises.

He said that they would implement a “library-esque” ID card that only New York citizens could obtain.

Yep, you heard that right — according to Democrats, it’s racist to ensure that only United States citizens are voting in our elections, but it’s totally fine to require ID to buy a box of Hot Pockets. 

Someone else will have to make it make sense, because I sure as hell can’t. 

For now, let’s set aside the absurdity of government run grocery stores. Let’s also set aside the fact that Democrats are claiming they have the magical ability to provide a 30% discount in an industry that operates on a 1-3% profit margin. And last but not least, let’s set aside the fact that every single industry the government gets involved in instantly experiences massive cost increases that destroy the budgets of hard working Americans. 

Instead, let’s unpack their initial claim that requiring ID to vote is somehow racist. 

What explanation have they used to justify that claim? 

Across the board, nearly every Democrat politician, lobbyist, activist, and political pundit has consistently stated that black Americans either don’t know how or can’t afford to get a government issued ID.

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has consistently been one of the most vocal critics of voter ID, and recently made the ridiculous statement that, “We are not going to turn our elections over to Donald Trump.”

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a law to completely ban local voter ID requirements.

And Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, said that Illinois does not require voters to show any type of photo ID at the polls, and went on to say voters only need to sign a sworn statement on their voter registration application that they are a U.S. citizen.

These are just a handful out of hundreds of examples.

Personally, I think the claim that black Americans either don’t know how or can’t afford to get a government issued ID, in and of itself, is pretty racist. 

Virtually every single human of every race in America knows that getting an ID is a simple matter of going to your local Department of Motor Vehicles. And even if someone doesn’t know where one is, it’s hours of operation, or even what documents they’ll need, finding those answers is as simple as a quick Google search. (Although Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul did claim in May 2024 that black children don’t know what computers are, so I can see why Democrats might be confused here.) 

So the claim that voters of any race don’t know how to get an ID is absurd.

The claim that black Americans can’t afford a government ID is equally absurd because the cost of a driver’s license ranges from $10 to $90, depending on your state.

But beyond that, an ID is already required for typical life in America anyway. 

You need to show ID to drive a vehicle, visit a doctor, pick up prescriptions, travel on an airplane, buy a firearm, get a job, open a bank account, join the military, rent an apartment, enter a casino, purchase alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and some video games, register for government benefits, get married, get divorced, cash a check, rent a car or hotel room, register for health insurance, get a piercing or tattoo, donate blood, go hunting or fishing, sign any legal document, and countless other activities that most Americans do every single day.

And now, apparently, we can add shopping at Democrat run grocery stores. 

According to Democrats, requiring an ID for all of these activities is perfectly fine, but when it comes to voting in our elections, it’s somehow an egregious burden that disenfranchises black voters.

What’s clear to me is that Democrats don’t want secure elections because they know they can’t win without cheating the system. 

We’ve seen case after case of voter fraud. Recent examples include illegal aliens who were registered to vote, dead citizens still on the voter rolls, and harvesting ballots from the homeless population. 

And in nearly every single case, this fraudulent voting favors Democrat candidates. 

You don’t have to be a statistician to realize that it’s mathematically impossible for that to just be a coincidental fluke. It’s a clear case of systemic voting fraud perpetuated by the Democratic political machine.

The bottom line is that if Democrats think ID should be required to buy groceries, then the least we can do is require the same for our elections. 

If it’s good enough for Hot Pockets, it’s good enough for the voting booth.

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Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Cliff Maloney is a contributor to the Daily Caller News Foundation, the CEO of Citizens Alliance, and the author of Run Right: A Complete Election Playbook to Win. You can follow him @maloney on X.

Hobbs Denies Arizonans Relief At Grocery Store

Hobbs Denies Arizonans Relief At Grocery Store

By Daniel Stefanski |

Arizonans were denied relief at the grocery stores this week as the Democrat governor and Republican-led Legislature remain far apart on how to provide economic assistance to hard-working, middle-class constituents.

On Tuesday, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1063, which would have repealed the food municipal tax across the state.

In a statement explaining her veto, Hobbs wrote: “I’ve heard from dozens of local leaders about the impact this legislation would have on municipalities. From potential cuts to service – including public safety – to increased property taxes, it’s clear that this bill doesn’t actually eliminate costs for our residents. It simply moves those costs around. The bill, originally unveiled as a way to mitigate inflation, does not take effect for more than two years. What’s more, it does nothing for the more than 800,000 Arizonans who use SNAP and WIC benefits for their groceries, as these constituents are already exempt from the tax.”

The governor ended her statement with an exhortation for Republican legislative leadership: “Let’s work together to provide real relief for Arizonans struggling with higher costs.”

Republicans immediately expressed their profound disappointment over the veto and the effect that it would have on Arizonans in need of financial relief. Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen responded, “Senate Republicans have been working toward introducing legislation necessary to provide financial relief to all Arizonans, especially low-income families who are feeling the tremendous burden of inflation. It’s very clear the governor has no interest in helping with that financial burden.”

Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli said: “This veto is a disgraceful windfall for cities and an absolute gouge for families. We’re not only paying inflated prices to feed our families, but we’re also paying more in taxes as the cost of food rises. Food is not a luxury; it is a necessity. A tax on our groceries is regressive and hurts everyone. Over the next four fiscal years, cities and towns are estimated to receive an average of $2.3 billion per year in state-shared revenues, which is an increase of $844 million more than the average for the last four fiscal years. And yet the governor vetoed this bill, only padding cities’ bloated budgets instead of leaving more money in the wallets of hardworking taxpayers.”

House Majority Leader Leo Biasiucci tweeted, “During a time of record inflation, families are struggling to put food on the table. Yet, Gov Hobbs vetoes a bill to remove taxes on groceries. Instead, she wants to remove taxes from tampons & diapers.”

Legislative Democrats applauded the governor’s veto. The Arizona House Democrats Caucus wrote, “Soundbite legislation that would handcuff ability of smaller cities and towns to provide public safety, streets, parks, libraries and senior centers. Good veto!”

Governor Hobbs had many other supporters of her veto from around the state. The Arizona League of Cities and Towns, which had opposed the bill as it progressed through the state legislature, tweeted, “Thank you @governorhobbs for vetoing SB1063 and recognizing that the food tax helps fund critical services in many cities and towns and its elimination does not provide targeted relief for those that most need help.”

Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo also championed the governor’s action, stating: “@GovernorHobbs veto of SB1063 protects local decision-making and funding for critical services like public safety, parks & recreation, and infrastructure. #Thankyou”

A divided Arizona government remains more divided as ever as the deadline for the state budget approaches.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.