March 4, 2016

Is it racist or race-insensitive to ask a person of color why they are voting for HRC?

I've seen a couple of posts implying this, and then I heard Markos of Daily Kos say this on the radio yesterday. While I sort of understand where they are coming from, it still seems like an evasion.

Of course, no one HAS to explain anything. But what's the harm in asking someone this? Isn't this what a political forum is about? I certainly wouldn't mind if someone asked me to explain my vote.

March 4, 2016

I heard Markos of Daily Kos on the radio today saying Bernie was done in two weeks

What's his deal? He was totally pessimistic about Bernie even though he says he supports Bernie's policies. Worse, he was pushing the line about Bernie supporters being racist for dismissing Hillary's big Tuesday's wins in the south. Basically, he was saying the whole story about how Bernie supporters are telling blacks what they should think, being paternalistic, and Bernie blew it with the blacks by not getting them on board from the beginning, etc.

Markos was also pushing a piece he wrote for DailyKos making his case on this (however, I can't find it).


The one point I thought he made that was decent was how Bernie using the word revolution was off-putting for Hispanics, because they have a negative association with that word. Personally, I've worried the use of "revolution" is scary for many people.

But overall, it was ridiculous how negative Markos was about Bernie, and the certainty with which he was saying Bernie would be done March 15.

March 3, 2016

A tale of two rallies -- who has the passion on their side?

http://usuncut.com/news/how-tonights-bernie-sanders-rally-compared-to-hillary-clintons/

"Judging by the size of her rally compared to MSU’s Bernie Sanders rally, Hillary Clinton’s campaign is struggling to maintain enthusiasm despite her Super Tuesday win, with several sources in the media pointing out the key demographic problems in her wins thus far and how it could prove trouble in the general election should she score the nomination. In the meantime, more people seem to be feeling the Bern in the critical primary state of Michigan, which votes in six days, than in Hillary Clinton’s home state."

February 26, 2016

Another reason to love Bernie-- he called for abolishing the CIA in 1974

"Bernie Sanders Wanted to Abolish the CIA—Good!"

http://gawker.com/bernie-sanders-wanted-to-abolish-the-cia-good-1760567613

Anyone who didn't understand how dangerous and out of control the CIA was back then, was clueless.

And of course the Clinton camp is using this to bash him.

February 25, 2016

Does anyone know of polling or an article comparing Hillary vs Bernie in swing states?

i.e. the states that will make all the difference in the General Election? E.g. Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico.

Would guess is Bernie would be less off-putting to independents in critical swing states, but I have no real data on this.

However, strategically, which candidate is more electable in the swing is a huge question that we should consider as we try to take the presidency away from the hands of the horrific Donald Trump.

http://static.currentaffairs.org/2016/02/unless-the-democrats-nominate-sanders-a-trump-nomination-means-a-trump-presidency

February 24, 2016

Clinton versus Trump

So even though Trump is horrible in almost every respect, he still was/is against the Iraq war.

So if it is him versus Hillary in the GE, then there will be a debate where the Republican is against the war and the Democrat will have to defend supporting the war. How weird and wrong is this? The Dems should not be in this position.

February 24, 2016

Harvey Wasserman: Bush won the 2004 election by electronic vote theft

Harvey Wasserman of Columbus, Ohio, has been a vocal critic of electronic voting machines. He co-wrote the book, "What Happened in Ohio: A Documentary Record of Theft and Fraud in the 2004 Election." His upcoming book is titled "The Strip & Flip Selection of 2016: Five Jim Crows & Electronic Election Theft." We talk to him about his concerns for the upcoming presidential race.


http://www.democracynow.org/2016/2/23/could_the_2016_election_be_stolen

February 18, 2016

Michigan’s Water Wars: Nestlé Pumps Millions of Gallons for Free While Flint Pays for Poisoned Water

http://m.democracynow.org/stories/15966

Insane....

February 17, 2016

Maine’s Shameful Secret: Child Rape

https://medium.com/@LoriHandrahan2/maine-s-shameful-secret-child-rape-7162fa89a5b#.26aqtfhg9

Holy crap:

Maine is rated third worst in the country for sex trafficking. The Bangor Daily News says Maine is an East Coast source to procure children. Those who know Maine’s history are not surprised.

Only a few years ago, when students at Baxter School for the Deaf refused sexual abuse by their director, Dr. Robert Kelly, he tied them naked to a tree and left them, all night, in the Maine woods; to break them.

Dr. Robert Kelly was not prosecuted. The State of Maine protected Kelly and not Maine’s children. The Attorney General (AG) refused to prosecute any of the Baxter School rapists. Instead, Maine used tax-payer funds to pay Kelly’s pension through-out his retirement in Florida until he finally died, as reported by Rick Wormwood, in 2004.
Retired Biddeford Police Officer Stephen Dodd

Maine treated Robert Kelly the same way Maine is handling retired Biddeford Police Officer Stephen Dodd; a cop who anally raped children now living free in Florida on Maine tax-payer funds.

I had no idea. Horrific.

February 15, 2016

Some perspective on the presidential election

A really sobering thought is to realize that the Republicans are really psyched up for the 2016 election, because of course they see a "simply disastrous" 8 years under Obama. They are ready for change!

So even though the GOP race has been chaotic and mind-blowingly awful so far, the GOP is in complete disarray, there is little doubt Republicans will rally around their candidate as we get closer to November. It will be a tough election. You know the media will try to make it close.

While Democrats do have some structural advantages, and I still have a hard time seeing any of the six GOP candidates who are left (Trump, Cruz, Bush, Kasich, Carson, Rubio) winning the presidency, you just never freaking know. What we can be certain of is that the media will gloss over every awful position that the GOP candidate holds.

Even though there is some chance that the Dems could win the Senate back in 2016, I think we can all agree it would be a disaster to have the presidency and the House in GOP hands.

Thus, the Dems really need to be fired up and rally around their candidate-- whoever it is.