The Republican War on Democracy?

One of the tenants of American Democracy is the right to vote. Anyone - rich, poor, white, black or any race or creed can cast a vote, as an American citizen. Yet it appears that Republicans want to change this. They want to add hurdles to the voting process to disenfranchise some, while maintaining access to the ballot box for others.
In various states in this nation, Republicans are introducing or passing bills requiring photo IDs, or other impediments to voting.
The arguments in support of such measures are a joke. When you rent a video from Blockbuster, drive a car, or fly an airplane, one must present a driver's license or government issued photo ID. So why shouldn't one present a photo ID when voting, the Republicans argue?
Yes, it's true that many acts require a photo ID, but what the Republicans fail to note is that voting is not just any act but is a RIGHT. A right, just like being able to breathe the air. Renting a video, driving a car, or flying an airplane are not vested rights. Voting, on the other hand, should be an inviolate right for any US citizen, with few exceptions. Would we ever require having a driver's license for breathing the air, sleeping, or other basic rights entitled to us? Why should such requirements be imposed on a fundamental right of the democratic process?
To me, it appears that the Republicans have seen the writing on the wall. The only way they can maintain any power these days is to cull the poor and lower class from the voting process. Only then can they ensure "democratic" power through a base of the wealthy and religious radicals.
Is this the kind of democracy anyone would wish to live under?