Roll It

[H2O Man]

There are very few things that I, as an individual, have in common with President Obama when it comes to life experiences. However, we both fell in love with Michelle from the very moment when we first laid eyes upon her. Yet, I still campaigned and voted for him twice. (grin)

I have not been active on a regular basis in recent times, but not because I have somehow lost interest in politics. Quite the opposite. I do not "think" that the future of democracy depends upon the 2022 mid-term elections .... I know it for a fact. I could go on and on about the dire threat to a civil society that we are confronted with today -- but you already know this as well as I.

Rather, I'll speak briefly about what I have been focused on in recent weeks. I reside in New York's 22nd congressional district, which is currently mis-represented by Claudia Tenney. In her first term in Congress (2017 - 2019), most experts agreed that Claudia was the most repulsive and corrupt female member of the House. Anthony Brindisi beat her in the 2018 mid-term, but lost their re-match in 2020 by 109 votes.

My family and I had actively campaigned for Anthony in 2018. The candidate, his campaign staff, and the grass roots worked in coordination to remove the malignancy of Tenney from office. However, in 2020, there was a bit less focus from grass roots activists, that I think resulted in his eventual defeat. This was due, in part, to the lack of communication between his campaign staff and the grass roots. At least that was my experience.

In her first term, Claudia tended to fly under the radar in terms of serving my county. Members of local town boards -- all republicans -- were frustrated by her lack of response to their attempts to communicate with her. Indeed, her public reputation was limited to her cheerleading for Trump.

Now in her second term, she has taken something of a back seat to two others -- Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene -- although she recently went public with her support of MTG. And she has actually done some things for businesses in our district -- in fact, she is currently under investigation for illegally diverting a large amount of money to her family business.

Our candidate this year is Josh Riley. I have been in contact with Josh and his campaign staff, and organizing in our area. Josh is exactly the type of outstanding candidate that the Democratic Party needs to remove the Claudia Tumors from Congress. In the past, he worked for Rep. Maurice Hinchey, who was one of my favorite politicians. My aunt ran Hinchey's NYS office. And, as an attorney, Josh worked for a Senate Committee. One of his primary focuses has been in providing health care for children.

Thus, each day I invest time in doing the ground work necessary for the 2022 mid-terms. I know that we need to maintain control of the House of Representatives in order for the House Committee to continue its investigation of the January 6 insurrection. Indeed, the republicans are planning to put Marjorie Taylor Greene as the chair of the committee if they gain control of the House. Think about that.

I've had old friends and associates stop by my home, daily phone calls, and lots of internet activity, to prepare for this and other elections. One of the things I enjoy most is on a forum of good people who share my concerns about 2022, but have little or no experience in politics besides voting. Group membership includes people across the country who are eager to put the work in. I've been teaching what we call Politics: 101, with a series of lessons that these people find to be of value. (I keep these shorter than the essays I post on this forum.)

Despite what the media may report, or the spouting off of idiots like Matt Gaetz, our party is actually in a good position to make gains in both the House and Senate. But this depends upon people like you and I do get started organizing in coordination with our candidates' campaigns.

Let's roll!
H2O Man

[Saoirse9]

1. Thank you for everything you do

I hope Mr. Riley is successful.

[H2O Man]

4. Thank you!

Being an ancient creature of habit, I enjoy looking at the numbers of people who have voted in local, regional, and state elections. It's one of the things that my Dad taught me to do. He said that republican numbers will always remain pretty consistent, because they are incapable of thinking in terms of their own best interests, and instead vote the way they are told to ..... that local party leaders call them and tell them what to do. Robots, so to speak.

I was good enough that, when serving on the local school board, I could tell the superintendent what budgets would pass, and which ones would not. At first, he and the other board members thought I was a combination of crazy and full of shit. But they learned!

Josh can win, and should win. It really comes down to the foundation we build now for his campaign.

[Elessar Zappa]

2. Good post.

It’s up to each of us individually to do our part to ensure we keep the House and Senate. Personally, I donate, work the phones and knock on doors, and try and get as many non-voters that I personally know to go and vote. It’s not much but it’s what I can do. Thank you for all your hard work for Democrats. I’m mildly optimistic for 2022.

[H2O Man]

5. Thanks!

Actually, what you do is "much." And it is the most important thing that any of us can do! When I look back on Tenney winning the 2020 contest by 109 disputed votes in a rather long court contest, it is evident that if we had gotten 110 more uncontested votes for Anthony, we would have won. And if there had been better coordination between the campaign and grass roots, we could have gotten several hundred more votes in my county alone.

Getting even one or two non-registered voters prepared to vote, or making sure that people who are understandably tired and depressed due to covid and the hostility in society and might sit a mid-term out vote, is the very building block of democracy. And it is exactly how we win.

[Tommymac]

12. Music to my ears. Thanks! nt

[H2O Man]

14. Thank you!

[H2O Man]

15. PS:

Mark Twain said that satire is one of our best weapons.

[soldierant]

16. Funny you should mention music.

I was thinking - Anthony Brindisi - who wouldn't vote for a drinking song? (you don't even have to be a drinker to enjoy the music.)

[MagickMuffin]

3. Candidate Barack Obama got me more involved than just voting

There was actually a Barack Obama website started after his keynote speech at the Democratic convention. They were so inspired they set up Tarrant for Obama.


Obama had grassroots boots on the ground. They trained people who wanted to get involved. I became a Precinct Chair sorta by accident, but I did file the paperwork to make it official.

During one voting cycle years ago I got called an election nazi for telling a biker dude he could not talk politics inside the polling place. Unfortunately the presiding judge didn't offer to defend me. But I did get somewhat nervous that he might came back with a gun.


Worked elections, had to attend training on how to run an election. Which by the way I think should be required as I learned so much by becoming a willful participant. I actually loved working the elections until 2016. I had to help people vote for DJT. It was disgusting as I didn't want to but had no choice it was my civic duty. But so many people declared how this was "my first time voting" and it showed. Constant talk of DJT inside the polling location.

My mate worked early elections and one MAGAit got extremely upset over not getting a "I voted sticker" a grown man throwing a hissy fit over a damn sticker.

2016 I decided it was not worth it anymore to cause harm to my psyche.


But perhaps taking the route your taking is better in the long run.


LOVE YA, H2O Man, keep on keeping on!

[H2O Man]

7. Beautiful!

I often think about how President Obama could have accomplished more if the grass roots had continued to remain active after his victory in 2008. He had encouraged us to "make him" pass more progressive legislation. However, by and large, people were so encouraged by his election that they sat back, figuring that with his immense talents, he could do it all alone.

This, of course, created a vacuum that was soon filled with angry people -- by no coincidence, overwhelmingly angry white people -- who self-identified as the "tea party," who attended public meetings to scream and disrupt. The republicans in both houses of Congress were entirely intent upon stifling the Obama presidency -- hoping to make him a one-term president. Starting then, but especially after Obama won re-election, the republicans began adopting the tea partiers. They mistakenly believed they could control the rabid right's hatred, but the 2016 republican primary proved they were very, very wrong. The Trump parasite took over its host.

Today, we need to not only build the foundation for successful results in November, but to also make plenty of noise about voting rights. That is essential. Certainly, President Biden, VP Harris, and our elected representatives want to pass voting rights legislation. Our job is to make enough noise to provide the public pressure necessary at this time for them to do just that. This is a prime example of how we coordinate efforts with our elected representatives ..... and not in the unstable, hateful manner of our opposition, but in a calm, rational manner rooted in the Constitution.

I can appreciate how being active on any level can make one a target of our brain-dead citizens. I could tell some stories! These days, a number of gentlemen I went to school with make up the local branch of the Trump cult. Even they have trouble deciding if I am a "dangerous leftist" or the same person they have been friends with for decades.

[BComplex]

6. Holy shit!! These protesters are so fucking disingenuous! They are sabotaging the democrats!

They are sabotaging Biden! WTF do they think Biden can do to overcome the lack of a super majority? There's not a fucking thing he, as one person, can do! What? Do what the republicans are doing, and just decertify any senator he wants to, and replace it with a democrat?

What they need to be doing is taking to the streets NOT AGAINST BIDEN, but to bring attention to the fact that NOT ONE REPUBLICAN gives a shit about democracy! NO republicans in the senate support voting rights. THAT is the enemy!!!! Not Joe Biden!!! These protesters the ones making it look like the democrats don't know how to do government, and yet, there's nothing but chaos in every republican run state when it comes to legitimate government.

They are sabotaging our reputation themselves.

[H2O Man]

8. I agree 100%

The republicans in DC today are at the lowest level of being that their party has produced in my life-time. It is difficult to understand how the republican grass roots can possibly think their elected representatives actually give a shit about them. Those in office are, with remarkably few exceptions, either actively working to destroy our form of government, or passively going along out of cowardice.

[Hekate]

9. Kick!

[H2O Man]

11. Thank you!

[Kid Berwyn]

10. Roll it!

And kick the GOP in the pants and to the curb!!!!

Thank you for another great essay, H2O Man! Rhetoric works!

[H2O Man]

13. Thanks!

After kicking them to the curb, I favor stomping on them until the paranoid conspiracy theories that Trump & Co have injected into the national conversation become extinct.

[KS Toronado]

17. Yes it is! I agree 1000%

" I do not "think" that the future of democracy depends upon the 2022 mid-term elections .... I know it for a fact."

We have to hold on to both Houses, and when we do we'll be able to pass legislation so beneficial for Americans
that the independent voters who usually decide elections will be voting Democrat in many future elections.

[H2O Man]

18. In my opinion,

we can and should kick the shit out of them.

[KS Toronado]

19. We're on the same page.

The Jan 6th Committee's televised hearings in prime time are going to be a huge help to us.
Wonder if FQX will refuse to air them or will they edit them to make us look bad. We'll find out.

[H2O Man]

20. Exactly!

I think the Committee has been doing a heck of a job, though much has been behind closed doors. We are getting hints, all damning, but I'm confident we only hear a small part. And it is blatantly obvious that the republicans know this, as well. Add this week's DOJ indictments and that puts them in a very bad position.

It also must be eye-opening for good citizens who are learning it was just as bad as many of us on this forum have been saying.