Debbie: It's Time To Move On

First Published in DelawareLiberal on November 9, 2014 by Progressive Populist

 

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chair of the DNC, you need to move on.  Thanks for your efforts on behalf of us bruised and bloodied Democrats but we need ideas and real work from the DNC to pull us out of the ditch.  I was going to say "fresh" ideas, but frankly, I've seen nothing resembling any kind of idea coming out of DNC leadership lately.  So I repeat, ideas and solutions.

We've got the best Presidential record in modern history on so many measures  yet you and your lackluster communications team allowed the Republicans to command the narrative and dominate a lap dog media.   Obama bad; Obama not so white.  America not producing for everyman.
We have so many success stories with this administration.  They never got told.  No solutions to the economic malaise most of us are living.  What we got from the DNC was mostly the sound of silence.  Our base was thirsty for red meat from our Party.  They were waiting.  The meal never came.  Just a bowl of gruel. They wanted a fighting spirit and a powerful message that rocked them to their core.  They wanted ideas for change to make their lives better.  They heard heavy breathing, but no words.  We became apathetic and hopeless.

With all due respect, Debbie, it is a really bad idea for a sitting officeholder to lead the DNC.  Your perspective is tainted by the environment you live in every day there in Congress.
So, thank you.  By all means, let's bring on more women in DNC leadership.  We have a proud legacy with our brand.  It is time for the DNC and its leadership to clearly and artfully tell your Party faithful and those open to listening what we stand for.

Then, aggressive, constant, coordinated (with our electeds and state party leaders) repetitive messaging.

You made the decision and announced that there would be no national Democratic campaign or message.  That was your idea.  It failed us.  It didn't work.  Doing nothing (but demanding money) didn't work.  So grateful for your efforts.  You apparently gave it your best shot.  Now it's time move forward with a new program.

Onward with new Party leadership.

America's Third World Voting Systems A Disgrace

First Published in DelawareLiberal on November 8, 2014 by Progressive Populist

 

Voting across the country is in chaos.  Our state by state patchwork of voting rules, laws, ID's, machines, processes, poll worker training and counting  can only be described as third world.  I believe these systemic flaws contribute to the national malaise about voting participation.  For many it is a pain in the butt.  Others, a huge inconvenience.  For many a discouraging experience.

What are the flaws?  Inconsistency on voting rules, laws and rights from state to state.  Poor quality training of poll workers.  Proprietary machines owned and operated by private corporations, some of whom do not hide their partisanship.  Nor do they particularly hide the inferiority of their technology.  We make registration as difficult as possible for many.  Especially minority and young voters whose votes are deliberately suppressed by policy from the Republican party.

Voting rights and election protection advocates have pointed out this absurdity from what is often promoted as the world's greatest democracy. But nothing happens to rectify the innumerable defects in the system and process.  It is time to give all Americans, regardless of their State of residence, equal and reliable access to their participation in the electoral system.  It should become a national priority.  This is a national embarrassment.

The 2014 mid-terms once again painfully illuminated the problem.  The reports are still flowing in from election protection groups.  One source on which I rely for reporting on voting problems is Brads Blog.  Brad Freeman has passed along many examples, close to twenty states, where irregularities have been reported.   Verification is still underway but here are some examples.

Chicago- 2,000 election judges were notified just before election day that their training was not complete and therefore they should not report for duty November 4.  It caused unopened polls, delays and frustrated voters across the city.
Virginia-Machine vote flipping.
North Carolina-Wrong data was sent to polling sites, including wrong information on voter polling locations.
Michigan-Software failure.
Indiana-Machines would not boot properly in some counties.
Connecticut-Computer glitches caused a court to order some polls to stay open later to rectify.
Georgia-At least 40,000 registrations were not processed.
Missouri-Ferguson ran out of ballots.
Florida-The infamous Broward County compute voter ID system failed.
Arkansas-Poll workers asking from wrong ID's, machine vote flipping.
Alabama-ID requirement inconsistencies across the State.
Texas-Statewide registration database transmission failed; machine failures in largest County, No provisional ballots ordered, total confusion on ID requirements due to Federal Court last minute intervention.
Maryland-Touch screen vote flipping.
New Mexico-major drop in motor voter registration.
California-L.A. county double voter registrations.
Colorado-Duplicate and incorrectly printed ballots.
Tennessee-Machine vote flipping.  Incorrectly printed ballots.

We really don't know how this might have impacted individual contests.  Under this chaotic system, we mostly cannot ever know.  America, can't we do better, or do we not care?

Dems Running From Obama- Headed Where Exactly?

First Published in DelawareLiberal on November 2, 2014 by ProgressivePopulist



Ok, so where exactly are you going,  Democrats running away from President Obama ?  I hope into oblivion, a suitable place for the oblivious.

Let's review the record, all supported by facts and verified data:

l.  His policies saved us from total economic collapse.  This doesn't measure up for you?

2. Over five years now of expansion of the previously in the ditch economy.  What did you do to dig us out of the ditch?

3. For you tax hawks,  we've got lower income taxes than at anytime since the 60's for almost all of us.

4. For you spending hawks, our federal spending is increasing way below 2% per year......lowest since Eisenhower.  Way lower than Reagan or "W"'s + 8% per year.

5. Your constituents no longer have to pay for the healthcare of 7-10 million fellow citizens who are now insured by Obamacare.  And those without Obamacare now get fairer coverage thanks to ending things like pre-existing condition penalties.

6. Sending your kids off to war?  Not so much anymore, true?

7. Job creation in the private sector?  Nearly 5 years of the longest period of job growth in our entire nation's history.  Ten million people put back to work.

8. Unemployment down to 5.9% from double digits under Bush and Obama's first year.  Yea, we all know, we need better jobs and pay but it sure beats layoffs in the hundreds of thousands monthly.

9. Domestic oil vs. foreign.  For the first time, we now export more than we import.

10. Your retirement funds in the stock market.   All time high.

11. Budget deficits have been reduced by 2/3 since the beginning of Obama's first term; he inherited a $1.4 trillion budget rock around our necks.

Somehow, the Obama administration managed to do all of this with a Republican opposition vowing to ruin his Presidency......because it would appear that they do not want to be led by African American Americans.  They filibustered him more than at any time in our history; obstructed his appointments.  Lied about his proposals and policies and insulted him repeatedly.

But President Obama soldiered on and managed to produce one of our greatest Presidencies.  And he is far from through, irrespective of who wins congress in November.

So what exactly are you cowards running from?  And to where?