OT for Thrusday 'Super Delegates' and all that Jazz
Good morning you 99%'ers. I've been missing in action here lately as I got sucked into the big suck hole of this election at dkos and on FB. I have gone all partisan or have I? I just can't let go. Why should I have to I'm a human, a citizen, a person who cares about the world I'm living in. Still getting bogged down in total crap is demoralizing. I really can't wrap my feeble mind around why I'm having to do this over and over again. Who gives a rats ass about McGovern or Carter come on get these fucks out of here. Well that's my election political rant. I have been captured once again by the allure that perhaps we the people can take this hunk of burning shit back and save the day. I do believe deep in my heart we can. I panicked when I saw the numbers the data that said even though Bernie had won Iowa and New Hampshire he was down in delegates. How is this possible? Well.... how sick is this. Here's a good explanation of what these super dupper delegates are about.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/02/after-sanders-big-win-in-n...
After Sanders' Big Win in New Hampshire, Establishment Figures Want to Scare You with Superdelegates. Here's Why It's Bullshit
Q: Who gets to be a Superdelegate?
A: Every Democratic member of Congress, House and Senate, is a Superdelegate (240 total). Every Democratic governor is a Superdelegate (20 total). Certain “distinguished party leaders,” 20 in all, are given Superdelegate status. And finally, the Democratic National Committee names an additional 432 Superdelegates—an honor that typically goes to mayors, chairs and vice-chairs of the state party, and other dignitaries.
Q: So they have way more importance than an ordinary voter?
A: Oh yeah. In 2008, each Superdelegate had about as much clout as 10,000 voters. It will be roughly the same in 2016.
But take heart you who still believe that democracy will prevail here there and everywhere
Sanders wins, but still loses the delegate count? How? Why?
It’s enough to provoke despair, if you don’t understand the system, and none of these outlets are bothering to explain. The reader is left to draw his or her own conclusions, and it can seem overwhelming. I don’t know if the explicit goal is to have a chilling effect on participation, and to discourage passionate people from participating in our democracy, but it certainly feels that way.
So, do yourself a favor and ignore the Superdelegates. If Hillary Clinton wins the most popular delegates, she will be the party nominee. If Bernie Sanders wins the most popular delegates, he will be the party nominee. And anyone who tells you otherwise—even by implication, and even armed with misleading statistics—is selling you a bill of goods. Don’t buy it.
Don't buy it. It's pure evil.
James James
Morrison's Mother
Put on a golden gown.
James James Morrison's Mother
Drove to the end of the town.
James James Morrison's Mother
Said to herself, said she:
"I can get right down
to the end of the town
and be back in time for tea."King John
Put up a notice,
"LOST or STOLEN or STRAYED!
JAMES JAMES MORRISON'S MOTHER
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISLAID.
LAST SEEN
WANDERING VAGUELY:
QUITE OF HER OWN ACCORD,
SHE TRIED TO GET DOWN
TO THE END OF THE TOWN -
FORTY SHILLINGS REWARD!"James James
Morrison Morrison
(Commonly known as Jim)
Told his
Other relations
Not to go blaming him.
James James
Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he:
"You must never go down to the end of the town
without consulting me."AA Miline
Or how about this
Well anyway. Hows about a poem that rouses my heart....for no good reason other then I'm a grumpy old fan of Brits through out history who had a good sense of humor.
‘You are old, Father William’ (1865)
Lewis Carroll
“You are old, Father William,” the young man said,
“And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head –
Do you think, at your age, it is right?”“In my youth,” Father William replied to his son,
“I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again.”“You are old,” said the youth, “as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door –
Pray, what is the reason of that?”“In my youth,” said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
“I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment – one shilling the box –
Allow me to sell you a couple?”“You are old,” said the youth, “and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak –
Pray, how did you manage to do it?”“In my youth,” said his father, “I took to the law,
And argued each case with my wife;
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life.”“You are old,” said the youth, “one would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose –
What made you so awfully clever?”“I have answered three questions, and that is enough,”
Said his father; “don’t give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I’ll kick you downstairs
Now some songs, somewhat related
Here's Woody and he still resonates...
Same as it ever was?
One more song for the road, same as it ever was? No we do not have to accept this so called reality. It is not the same as it ever was. Lets move it forward. Don't believe this bs. that is stuck in the inevitable bummer. People can and have always moved it forward. Lets do it again. Is the start of another heart breaker or something better beginning.
Comments
Overheard on the campaign trail:
Money spent per New Hampshire primary vote:
Jeb Bush :: $926 per vote
Trump :: $0.42 per vote
Populations don’t like wars. They have to be lied into it.
That means we can be “truthed” into peace. — Julian Assange
A point that rather annoys me is that Debbie Wasserman
Schultz is a superdelegate, and yet retains her status as chair of the DNC with nary a whisper about the big fat conflict of interest inherent in that squalid little positioning.
And then I watch some Doctor Who and feel a bit less annoyed.
btw, after polling their members and with the approval of 2/3 of their board, Peace Action PAC endorsed Sanders, for what that's worth. (Actually it appears to be a pretty big deal as they haven't endorsed any candidate for 25 years.) Me? I'm still pretty meh about Sanders's foreign policy, though he appears from his record and campaign statements to be somewhat less likely to engage in senseless, Quixotic, and hopeless military actions than either Obama or Clinton.
"Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it."
-- John Lennon
A Political Revolution against Democratic Super Delegates
and the whole electoral college with the Super Delegate system, especially of the Democratic Party's side, is what I want to see.
I am sorry, listen to Democracy NOW today, which has a discussion of the role of Super Delegates. I could grab a pitchfork and march to the Capitol for that. Oh well, in my dreams.
There is also a good session with Barbara Lee worth listening to (starts at TC 16:43)
At TC 22:19 Amy starts talking about it with Barbara Lee about the Congressional Black Caucus and she explains the difference between the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC among other issues. Barbara Lee goes into that issue at TC 24:32 and is clear about it at TC 26:00.
BTW I made a bit negative comment yesterday about Al Sharpton, it's only this morning I learned exactly what he said to the press after his breakfast with Sanders in NY and I believe that I made a bad judgment yesterday about him. He takes his time to make a decision about his endorsements. But he will make one and not ducking the question in the end like Ta-Nehisi didn't. They both still are private citizen and make their decisions the way they want to despite their role as journalists, writers or talking heads in the main stream media. They take their time and that's good.
I learned the difference between the Congressional Black Caucus and the PAC of the Congressional Black Caucus.
At TC 39:38 Amy starts discussing the Super Delegate System for the Democrats with two guests: David Rohde (Duke University) and Matt Karp (Princeton University), who wrote the article in the Jacobin The War on Bernie Sanders. At 40:42 it starts and if you listen to the answer of David Rohde, it gives me a nasty rash, itching so much that I want to have my political revolution against this, in my mind completely undemocratic system. At TC 41:50 he explains why the Democrats have implemented their Super Delegate system: the fear of "insurgent candidates". The whole segment was very informative to me, because it went into details I haven't known before.
What the heck is an insurgent candidate? Why the heck should the vote of a Super Delegate have more weight than any other Delegate or for that matter any other vote?
Sorry, I can't for the life of me understand why American citizens accept such a strange system to decide on their party's candidate. I hope for a revolt against the Super Delegates on Super Tuesday.
https://www.euronews.com/live
One headline that you need to pay attention to
this matters
Europe's largest bank is in trouble
Time to pay attention
This is the Bloomberg banner right now
Hey g...
please check your private messages. Thanks.
Interesting and alarming
bullion
Alarming. And in some cases, delightful. n/t
Populations don’t like wars. They have to be lied into it.
That means we can be “truthed” into peace. — Julian Assange
Saudi to send troops to Syria
Decision is final
Of course Iran is supporting the Syrian government against ISIS, so you have to wonder who Saudi considers to be terrorists?
I'd write more about this but I have to be on the road for work today.
just saying: your elections are byond me
... I feel I can't follow. For the first time I regretted that I banned myself from the gos. Though it might be better. But I wished at least to say something encouraging on the BNR and a couple of other diaries. I also don't know what I am doing here.
I realize that many younger people don't know what Harry Belafonte stood for in the civil rights movement. That made me so sad.
Whatever. It all makes me sick. I hope it's all over soon.
https://www.euronews.com/live
lovely ...
Hillary Clinton’s Congressional Black Caucus PAC Endorsement Approved By Board Awash in Lobbyists
found through this diary:
Hillary get John Lewis to 'Swift-boat Sanders on Civil Rights' record.
Elijah Cummings did not.
https://www.euronews.com/live
There are a couple of essays at Black Agenda Report
…that you might find interesting. BAR has become a go-to place for me. It's got a certain wise energy. Black voters are holding all the cards in 2016, but they don't seem to realize it. Many feel they were rode hard by Dems and Obama in 2008 and put up wet. (It's a way of saying they felt "used", mimi. See below.)
Publisher, Glen Ford writes :: Throw Off the Dead Weight of the Democratic Party
And Bruce Dixon, the managing editor, who has an extra-edgy style, pens :: Black Political Discussion On the 2016 Presidential Race is Wider and Deeper Than in 2008 or 2012
Here's an excerpt:
Populations don’t like wars. They have to be lied into it.
That means we can be “truthed” into peace. — Julian Assange
Thx, pluto, I am going to read it,
I try to catch BAR stories as oftenas I can, but haven't gotten around it yet lately. I see already that I NEED to read it.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Wow, read the Glen Ford article now,
he answers a LOT of questions I had and as sad the analysis makes me, I feel he is very right.
I understand why he would wish the Democratic Party be split.
and I love his comparison of the Democratic Party being the Sugar Daddy to the black voters:
Makes me want a political revolution all the more.
On to the next article.
https://www.euronews.com/live
yes, very good of Bruce Dixon,
I wished so much that somehow what he said would resonate with those radical black activists that are too afraid to reclaim Black Radical Tradition. The hastag activists.
Well said, sigh.
The old white Jewish senator has to find the miracle potion in his words to may be make it happen. I think it could be so liberating for many black voters.
Thanks again, Pluto, to point me to those articles.
https://www.euronews.com/live
You're welcome. I'm very glad I "read" you correctly.
And thanks for discussing the issue. Obviously, it is critically important to the outcome of the 2016 elections.
Ford and Dixon are pointing out that Blacks do not vote in their own best interest, something Democrats say about Republican voters. I don't see that, personally, since neither party has a particular interest in addressing their needs without being forced to via noisy politics. For blacks, especially, it will be "eight more years" of the same. Sanders would stand up for them (in a way that Obama dare not do) but he won't be able to act without congressional cooperation. The nation is weary of lifting any minority right now; not Syrian immigrants, not women and their "disadvantages", and not Latinos or Blacks. Neoliberal austerity has turned the screw crushing generous good will toward fellowmen in the US, and it's going to keep turning. The blame for the pain will continue to trickle down.
However, because of his monumental sense of justice, Sanders would be the most likely to present a supportive atmosphere for Blacks to be heard and to help themselves. Despite good intentions, Hillary comes with the same crippling baggage that Obama did, unfortunately. She's a "minority" among presidents, so standing up for another minority while Presidenting is a sign of favoritism, bias, and weakness. She, especially, must appear tough and distant across-the-board.
Now, I strongly agree with Ford about one thing. The winds of change are in the air and they are blowing hard and fast. A transformational change in thinking could rise in the Black voting block, who vote to win for the Party (push) over the Person. In 2016, they could make a calculated move to vote for the Person whose vision incorporates their best interests, win or lose for the Party. But they better do it soon, during the primaries. The waves of probability will soon collapse beyond change.
If it dawns on them too late that Hillary is politically and structurally unable to stand up for them — which could happening during the general campaign debates — they may not show up to vote. They re not going to fall for :: "Shut up and sit down." "She has to say those things to get elected." "Don't scare the white folks." Not this time.
Populations don’t like wars. They have to be lied into it.
That means we can be “truthed” into peace. — Julian Assange