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wildeyed

(11,243 posts)
68. I believe it is worse than that.
Sun Jan 24, 2016, 11:21 AM
Jan 2016

The GOPs driving this mess are mostly old school guys, Art Pope (rich NC businessman and Koch brother disciple) and his crew. I think they understand EXACTLY where the demographics are going and that their time is limited no matter how many voters they disenfranchise. It is basically a smash and grab.

They are passing rules that benefit their cronies, privatize public services, etc. They are pumping as much money out of public coffers and into their own pockets as possible and vandalizing all the nice public things the state has on the way out. White supremacy is really ugly when it feels cornered....

An example, charter school oversight is basically nil now. They increased the number allowed and weakened the fiscal oversight rules. A guy in Raleigh who is also a Civitas board member (Art Pope's political action group) owns a for-profit charter school chain. He owns a separate company that rents the school building and all items in it to the charter school group. And then he is the chairman of the charter school board of directors. And the state is not overseeing the money that is changing hands AT ALL. But if the charter school is not able to pay its bills, guess who is on the hook? You guessed! The state and the taxpayers! And guess who gets to keep his real estate and other assets? Yep. The guy who is politically connected and set up the whole disgraceful boondoggle in the first place.

And they are set on destroying our excellent public university system too. They have particular political beefs with UNC-Chapel Hill, the flagship campus. Despite being listed as one of the best values in higher education in the country, they have cut budgets and installed their own political puppet as the president.

And then there are voting rights..... And this is my personal passion too.... The Moral Monday coalition came into being long before Moral Mondays were a thing. We were a loosely organized progressive coalition group. Our members included a huge spectrum of individual interests, but we all agreed that we had the same enemies and that by organizing our efforts, we would all see more progress in each area. And it was agreed that the most efficient path to victory was to first expand the electorate to include more poor, young, black and latino voters. So we started doing tons of grassroots voter education and mobilization drives on the ground, and lobbying the Democratically controlled legislature for better laws in the legislature.

We got same-day voter registration, longer early voting periods, publicly funded judicial campaigns and ran some tests with instant-runoff voting (so cool, google it) in primaries. OMG, the GOP here hated Sunday early voting because we facilitated a Souls to the Polls campaign where black churches would do a BBQ after services and run vans to and from early vote sites all afternoon. All completely legit because no one told anyone which candidate or party to support. And no one was stopping white churches from doing the same, right? But it seemed to enrage the GOP. We divided up underrepresented precincts and would canvass during early voting to increase turnout (remember, we had same day registration too!). Um, we turned out the homeless shelters and through that effort got some low income housing built for that population. Ex-felons re-enfranchisement education. Registering new citizens. ACORN (and another organizer after they got disbanded) did turnout in public housing. On and on.... And we were successful! Voter participation increased.

But we were still under the radar. The power people would laugh and point, but didn't really take us seriously. Until Obama won the NC Electoral College votes. Since then, 10s of millions of dollars have been spent in this state to role back all the great strides we made. Democrats lost the state house in 2010 and as a result, we were brutally gerrymandered by the GOP to the point where we don't really have democracy in this state any more. Because sorry, when 51% of the citizens vote for a Democratic statehouse rep, but the GOP comes out with a veto-proof majority, something STINKS. My vote was still STOLEN, but they did it "legally" with fucking math and lawyers. Since almost no one pays attention to white criminals in suits, most voters don't even see that it happened.

Anyhoo.... I am blathering on.... Moral Monday, what I refer to as the Fusion Party now, is one of my most favorite topics. But this is what I want to say about our country's racist history. YES, it is bad, but there are rich people out there who spend million and millions to MAKE SURE it stays bad. In NC at least, the people always come back around to some sort of people's coalition group that includes black and white. It has been happening here, off and on, since reconstruction. So it seems like The People bend history toward justice periodically, but they through a combination of our own inattention and power the very rich exert over the system, we get bent back

Anyone who is really interested in the Moral Monday movement and fusion politics should take a look at Rev. Dr. Barber's book on the topic. I am about 2/3rds through. Since it is my state and I was there for some of the grassroots work, of course I love it. But anyone with a serious interest in progressive activism should take a look.

This message was self-deleted by its author 99th_Monkey Jan 2016 #1
And your concern about anything Black is duly noted. n/t 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2016 #38
I trust the AA community to sort things out, come crunch time. 99th_Monkey Jan 2016 #39
Trust , we will ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2016 #61
AA voters are very smart, but tend to exercise strategic voting more than anything. Liberal_Stalwart71 Jan 2016 #93
THIS! Empowerer Jan 2016 #102
Why are people who AREN'T black coming into the AA forum in an OP created by a black DUer Number23 Jan 2016 #42
Actually it was my bad. I didn't see which forum I was in until after I'd posted 99th_Monkey Jan 2016 #54
An adorable attempt to excuse your behavior. You could have stopped at "I'm sorry I was Number23 Jan 2016 #55
I'm not going to continue this. I apologized, and it's not accepted. Got it. 99th_Monkey Jan 2016 #56
If the only posts you find worthwhile in this forum are ones that discuss your pres candidate in Number23 Jan 2016 #57
And, if your "I didn't know" was sincere ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2016 #98
LOL Empowerer Jan 2016 #103
Shows how little you know about this forum. I'm not black, and I've felt very welcomed here. lunamagica Jan 2016 #76
I'm white. wildeyed Jan 2016 #84
I'm white and feel very comfortable in this forum. greatauntoftriplets Jan 2016 #92
West is trash. Dawson Leery Jan 2016 #2
This message was self-deleted by its author draa Jan 2016 #3
If he wins - he will indeed need that JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #7
Excellent points and BlueMTexpat Jan 2016 #10
WhiteHouse.gov is not a political blog. draa Jan 2016 #22
I understand plenty JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #34
This message was self-deleted by its author draa Jan 2016 #37
This web site is full of places where this kind of belligerance will get you plenty of fans Number23 Jan 2016 #40
Go ahead and try to stop me. draa Jan 2016 #41
You can post your bewildering and needless rage at nothing everywhere else on DU Number23 Jan 2016 #44
That's fine. And for what it's worth I do apologize. draa Jan 2016 #46
Whoa - don't know what happened JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #65
And the money they spend to make sure we stay that way is immense. wildeyed Jan 2016 #26
Moral Mondays! JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #64
I believe it is worse than that. wildeyed Jan 2016 #68
See, this is why I love this group. SusanCalvin Jan 2016 #71
Glad you liked it! wildeyed Jan 2016 #72
Well, I read all of it! SusanCalvin Jan 2016 #74
I will read it JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #78
An AMAZING post!! Darn you, I'm supposed to be cooking breakfast! Number23 Jan 2016 #82
BREAKFAST? wildeyed Jan 2016 #85
The grits are burned half to death and my 9-year old is glaring at me Number23 Jan 2016 #86
So many books, so little time. wildeyed Jan 2016 #88
Fabulous post! I've read every word of it twice. scarletwoman Jan 2016 #87
PREACH!!! Liberal_Stalwart71 Jan 2016 #95
I'm afraid Mr. Capehart may be right. SusanCalvin Jan 2016 #4
Thanks for the thoughtful response Susan Empowerer Jan 2016 #5
+1 eom BlueMTexpat Jan 2016 #12
I wish you posted back here JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #66
Awwww, thanks! SusanCalvin Jan 2016 #70
Cornel West is no longer what he may have been a decade ago for many in the Black community FrenchieCat Jan 2016 #6
Am I seeing this right??!! Are you really here???! Number23 Jan 2016 #45
ha ha! FrenchieCat Jan 2016 #62
You are a DU veteran but if I can give you some advice Number23 Jan 2016 #81
EXACTLY!!!! Liberal_Stalwart71 Jan 2016 #96
+1,000 and then some. n/t 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2016 #101
YAY!!! FrenchieCat ***bowing down**** Liberal_Stalwart71 Jan 2016 #97
Hya! FrenchieCat Jan 2016 #111
Cornel West is no longer relevant JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #8
Cornel is an important voice, sometimes I dont like what he says or the way randys1 Jan 2016 #23
My point is that the fact that you like West is irrelevant. You are already on the team Empowerer Jan 2016 #24
My points have nothing to do with politics, and I should have made that clear. randys1 Jan 2016 #28
He doesn't rub shoulders randy JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #35
Booker or West? randys1 Jan 2016 #43
West JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #63
What is the deal with Cornell West these days? wildeyed Jan 2016 #27
It's not lost on me. I've been told by Black colleagues the same for months now. highprincipleswork Jan 2016 #9
I agree with you about the need to earn support Empowerer Jan 2016 #19
This ... BlueMTexpat Jan 2016 #11
My take exactly. SusanCalvin Jan 2016 #13
Thanks for your comments, Susan. BlueMTexpat Jan 2016 #15
some of my fellow Sanders supporters are totally tone deaf when it comes to the AA community steve2470 Jan 2016 #18
Despite being a Sanders supporter, I think he's blown it overall with his outreach strategy steve2470 Jan 2016 #14
Thanks for the link, steve. eom BlueMTexpat Jan 2016 #16
my pleasure, BlueMTexpat! nt steve2470 Jan 2016 #17
Thanks Empowerer Jan 2016 #20
yes I wasn't aware of the huge importance of the print edition but it makes perfect sense! steve2470 Jan 2016 #21
Shhhh JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #36
People keep -- RIGHTFULLY -- talking about how much Clinton sucks as a campaigner Number23 Jan 2016 #47
Yes that ad of his was so tone deaf, so WHITE..... steve2470 Jan 2016 #50
After seeing the denizens of GDP moaning about how they "cried like babies" over that ad, I realized Number23 Jan 2016 #53
That ad does not look like America. wildeyed Jan 2016 #69
It looks like some people's fantasy of America Empowerer Jan 2016 #75
There were more POC in an ad I saw for NASCAR wildeyed Jan 2016 #105
We'll be blamed if he's not the dem candidate... uponit7771 Jan 2016 #89
They started blaming us the second our response to being told for the thousandth time that he Number23 Jan 2016 #107
I thought that commercial should have been called Vermont. greatauntoftriplets Jan 2016 #94
Ka-pow!! Number23 Jan 2016 #106
Steve, have you seen the 2nd version of his ad? He's responded to the LOUD criticism that the first Number23 Jan 2016 #114
it's much much better than the old one steve2470 Jan 2016 #115
I agree. Wonder if the denizens of GDP will "bawl like babies" over this one? Number23 Jan 2016 #116
yea how surprising NOT steve2470 Jan 2016 #117
I love that ad (the new one), that is the Bernie I want to feel good about, if certain people would randys1 Jan 2016 #118
The ad is consistent with the point I keep making about the focus of the Sanders campaign Empowerer Jan 2016 #58
I watched that ad twice and it didn't move me in the least. Number23 Jan 2016 #59
LOL! Empowerer Jan 2016 #60
This white woman cringed at the whiteness of the ad. femmedem Jan 2016 #79
Thanks! Empowerer Jan 2016 #80
I went and looked for it and watched it twice JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #67
Yep. SusanCalvin Jan 2016 #73
Like I said in the thread on it, it's a good ad in that it is unabashedly pro-Sanders and not anti- Number23 Jan 2016 #83
thank you heaven05 Jan 2016 #25
heaven!!!! Number23 Jan 2016 #48
Nailed it. wildeyed Jan 2016 #29
Exactly - you explained this beautifully Empowerer Jan 2016 #30
Yes. wildeyed Jan 2016 #32
I saw Dr. West on several TV shows... The Polack MSgt Jan 2016 #31
Your post made me laugh, smile AND think! :-) Empowerer Jan 2016 #33
Before 2007, Cornel West was seldom on mainstream talk shows. For that matter, neither was Liberal_Stalwart71 Jan 2016 #100
+1 Empowerer Jan 2016 #104
+ a freaking billion to every single word of this post Number23 Jan 2016 #108
Thank you for the reply The Polack MSgt Jan 2016 #110
Black folks have said this time and again ever since Sanders made the bewildering -- and stupid Number23 Jan 2016 #49
Bitter white folks love their Cornel West who has spent seven years spewing his underthematrix Jan 2016 #52
This message was self-deleted by its author Still In Wisconsin Jan 2016 #51
New Poll Shows ‘Surging’ Sanders Losing Ground With the Voter Group He Needs Most Gothmog Jan 2016 #77
Now that was an interesting read. It certainly goes counter to comradebillyboy Jan 2016 #109
This right here... Liberal_Stalwart71 Jan 2016 #90
Simply perfect explanation Empowerer Jan 2016 #91
I have always had heaven05 Jan 2016 #99
Cornel West used to come to my Church in Oakland often enough to speak prior to President Obama.... FrenchieCat Jan 2016 #112
Don't forget Harvard JustAnotherGen Jan 2016 #113
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