The criminal constituency

[Emsworth]

Democrats have a good reason to want ex-convicts to vote: Felons overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.

In 1870, Republicans had a very good reason to want ex-slaves to vote: Ex-slaves overwhelmingly voted for Republicans. But does that make the Fifteenth Amendment a bad idea? If we apply this article's reasoning, the answer would be yes.

This article is nothing more than a long argumentum ad hominem circumstantiae.

[Emsworth]

There is a significant difference between an ex-slave and a felon.

That's not the point. This article argues that Democrats are proposing voting rights for felons primarily because felons vote for Democrats. Well, during the 19th century, Republicans proposed voting rights for ex-slaves primarily because ex-slaves voted for Republicans.

The article discusses just one point: why Democrats supposedly support giving felons voting rights. But all that matters is whether felons deserve voting rights or not. The motivation of the Democrats is utterly irrelevant.

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You are effectively arguing that people should be disenfranchised because of their opinions. You find the political philosophy of the "average felon" objectionable, so you suggest that they should be denied voting rights.

[Emsworth]

My point is that criminals would like to enact laws favorable to crime. Do you favor that?

The mere fact that someone supports laws "favorable to crime" is not grounds for disenfranchising him. One should not be denied the right to vote merely because one supports or does not support something. Such an attitude is contrary to the principles that form the very foundation of a democratic republic.

Many Democrats support laws favorable to crime. Does that mean that they should be disenfranchised?

[Emsworth]

The 14th ammendment defines citizenship. It's the 15th ammendment that deals with voting rights.

No, the Fourteenth also deals with voting rights. See Section 2 of the amendment.

[Emsworth]

To say that criminals simply have different opinions than me is ludicrous.

But that was the basis of your logic. You argued that criminals should be denied the right to vote simply because they might favor certain types of laws (laws that are "favorable to crime"). 

I agree that there are valid reasons to deny felons the right to vote. But the fact that they supposedly tend to support certain types of laws is not  one of them.