I threw away my vote yesterday
For the first time since 1992 I wasted my vote - I voted for some Democrats.
Three of them. None of them got as much as 3% of the vote, but that's not the problem.
The problem was that I voted strategically. You know, "pragmatically". I voted for some Berniecrats in the hope that I could help accomplish something in the Democratic Party, rather than my normal strategy of voting 3rd party down the line.
What actually happened was that progressives got hammered yesterday by the corporate Democratic establishment.
Tuesday’s results demonstrated again that despite Bernie Sanders’ popularity, he’s no kingmaker. Case in point is Pete D'Alessandro, a top aide to Sanders during his 2016 Iowa caucuses campaign, who finished third in a field of three in the 3rd District.A similar scenario unfolded for Iowa gubernatorial candidate Cathy Glasson, a nurse and union leader who won the backing of Our Revolution, the Sanders-aligned group. Glasson couldn’t overtake Fred Hubbell, who was boosted by a storied family name and by millions of dollars in self financing.
In New Jersey, the story was the same: Peter Jacob in the 7th District, and Jim Keady in the 4th district, both failed to gain steam despite endorsements from Our Revolution.
In fact, only four of 31 candidates endorsed by Our Revolution were declared winners.
Essentially yesterday was a disaster for progressives.
A good example of this was U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez.
Lisa McCormick, a virtual unknown who did not report spending any money on the race, received the support of almost 4 in 10 Democratic voters.While Menendez, D-N.J., was never seriously threatened with losing his party's nomination for another Senate term, his performance wasn't a good sign coming on the heels of his Senate Ethics Committee admonishment and a criminal corruption trial that ended in a hung jury before the charges were dropped.
"This is closer than we expected, but only because we expect huge margins for candidates with as much party and institutional support as Senator Menendez has," said Matthew Hale, a political science professor at Seton Hall University. "In most places, a 60/40 win is considered a drubbing."
Not in this place.
The article is written like it was amazing that Menendez got only 6 out of 10 votes, but to me it's amazing that he got more than a handful of votes. Why would anyone vote for someone who is openly corrupt?
Menendez has only a 4 point margin over unknown Republican Bob Hugin.
Lesser-evilism is still the name of the game.
Comments
At least you tried.
To me this shows that the dem party will never be changed for the better from the inside.
May it rot from the inside out.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Yesterday was tough and it
Yesterday was tough and it sounds like your district was particularly bad. But there were progressive wins in California. They were not all endorsed by Our Revolution (which actually endorses relatively few candidates). But here are some good Berniecrats that won yesterday (ie., made it into the top 2). Note that there are two Green Party candidates who made it into the top 2!!
California (candidates that made it into the top two general election)
US Senate – Kevin DeLeon (I know some might not agree with putting him on this list, but he says he's for Medicare-for-All)
Congressional District 1 – Audrey Denney - Justice Democrat Candidate
Congressional District 6 – Jrmar Jefferson
Congressional District 10 – Josh Harder
Congressional District 25 – Katie Hill
Congressional District 27 – Bryan Witt
Congressional District 34 – Kenneth Mejia (Green Party)
Congressional District 40 – Rodolfo Barragan (Green Party)
Congressional District 42 – Julia Peacock
Congressional District 49 – Mike Levin
Congressional District 50 – Ammar Campa-Najjar (Justice Democrat Candidate)
Assembly District 63 – Maria Estrada
Assembly District 71 – James Elia
Thanks. Interesting list
I gave money to Audrey Denny and looks like she will make to general (gave to some other candidates). If all the dem votes for other candidates go to her in general, she can make it a race. The interesting one was Maria Estrada against Rendon who stopped single payer in CA. Thing is she lost to Rendon by 5,000 votes.
@MrWebster But there was a third
But there was a third candidate in that race, a Republican. And many people didn't know about Estrada. I think if she campaigns hard in her district, she has a good chance (no guarantee) of knocking off Rendon.
If Maria Estrada unknown, then big achievement to come in 2nd
If Maria Estrada was unknown, then big achievement to come in 2nd beating out the republican. It does look off hand that all the listed candidates will have a big uphill battle probably because they started behind the starting line compared to incumbents.
My Sister and I protested with Kenneth Mejia
In Downtown L.A. Against the TPP back in the summer of 2016 at the very beginning of his candidacy. He's a generous person with a big heart. I wish him all the luck in the world. He's going to need it.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Mejia is a Russian agent, so Putin has his back.
You may not know it, but the NYTimes in 2016 claimed that Putin was behind the anti-TPP movement. Yup.
In Attempted Hit Piece, NYT Makes Putin Hero of Defeating TPP
NYTimes tried to blame Putin for being behind protests against fracking, but nobody claiming it had proof. So they went to just claiming Putin behind everything.
I'm still trying to figure out about De Leon
When I was deciding for whom to vote, I went around the web looking for who was endorsed by who, and saw that De Leon was endorsed by The Wellstone Democratic Club, which is a good, local group that was created after Senator Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash. De Leon might be OK. What's nice is that instead of Feinstein vs a Republican in the general election, its going to be Feinstein versus someone who seems pretty far left of her.
Beware the bullshit factories.
Seeing shades of "The Stainless Steel Rat for President"
At least as far as the same bullshit the Dems keep pulling out after their "Wave" elections.
21% strikes me as proof positive that 4 out of 5 people have zero faith in our politicians.
Let's be honest, if they didn't have the pigs and the Mercenaries backing them up, they'd have no support at all.
Yes, I do believe that this means that this has become a Junta. Any time you have a group that maintains control only as long as the Military supports them...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7W89I_V_g]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Subversive direct-action votes are called for at this point.
You didn't throw your vote away, gjohnsit.
You used it in the only way you had left: to cast a subversive, direct-action style vote in the Democratic Primary.
Third parties seldom need to conduct primaries, as you surely know.
Pricknick said:
And, like a good little rot bacterium, you took your tiny bite out of the Dem establishment.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Image the things we could
do elsewhere for the good of humanity while the establishment feints at that bug bite someone invested so very much time "inflicting"?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
All I can say is
...thanks for voting gjohnsit.
That the DP backed Menendez shows who they really are
and they don't have any principles, but most of us already knew that. He's as corrupt as they come and he should have been found guilty of accepting bribes. Let's just say that he got very lucky not to be sitting in prison right now.
That anyone would vote for him knowing his history is just downright idiotic! Same thing with voting for the blue dawgs that vote most of the time with the republicans. Good grief, get a hint ....
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
This should be a neon
This should be a neon-flashing sign showcasing the reason why Deminvade was the wrong move and thus wasting 2 years of time and resources.
This isn't directed at you Gjohn, just talking in general.
Nice to see for instance some Greens made it to the general in California. But regarding Dem primaries, they will always be suppressed or rigged.
Hope Springs Eternal
I had a couple come in the store yesterday wearing their "I VOTED" sticker on their shirts; eager to tell me they voted.
Smiling and waiting for me to respond in kind, I suppose, I merely said that I was still waiting for California to count my vote, along with 50,000 other constituents, from the last election.
Confusion. Had no idea what I was talking about.
"So, were there a lot of Progressives on the ballot," I asked.
More Confusion.
"Well, there were a lot Democrats on the ballot" They answered in reply.
And so it goes....
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I think the words progressives and populists
are terms that mean nothing to the average person and just bamboozle and befuddle all those who are not into 'political stuff', which are most voters, if they vote at all.
These two categories drive me nuts. I don't understand what they stand for and what they differ in. I think what you described happening in your store, is what is real.
If gjohnsit wasted his vote then just because he had no other choice. If there is something like revolt in the American population that it should be a revolt against the Electoral College.
Ooops I just read the Wikipedia Electoral College page and wtf do I read... it had German roots. And there are soooo many electoral colleges all over the world... would take me half a life-time to understand which one is better or worse.
Arggghhhh.
https://www.euronews.com/live
they can check out any time they like.....
Methinks this kind of Californicans were what Don Henley had on his mind when he wrote these lyrics:
source
It seems to me that your "I Voted" crowd were among those who had checked out......
[video:https://youtu.be/tPgc3nkNY-8]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Here in Flawer'Duh, we have nowhere to go.
And Brevard County is a particularly dismal lot. At the governor's level though, we have to deal with Adam Putnam (Repig) and Gwen Graham (Bob Graham's daughter, Democrat), both insufferable plutocrats in their own right.
As for the Democratic Primaries, there's also Chris King, Andrew Gillum (Our Revolution Candidate) and Davos Terrorist Jeff Greene. As for our representative Bill Posey (R), he's running against Sanjay Patel (D), and both have no opponents in the primaries...I guess the DNC couldn't give two fucks about us.
Long story short, we here at America's Wang have nothing, and no one, to vote for.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Gwen Graham
is not her father although she is running under her maiden name in hopes to capture Bob Graham supporters. Bob Graham supported the environment. Gwen Graham supported the Keystone XL. Gwen Graham represented my district in Congress and she was awful. She voted more with the Republicans on issues that actually mattered than with her own party.
I know Andrew Gillum very well. I worked at the city of Tallahassee when he was first elected to the City Commission. He was the most prepared and informed first time Commissioner I ever met. He is incredibly intelligent and very charismatic, but he has had some ethical issues involving using local govt. staff on his campaign. Regardless of who has endorsed him, Gillum is still a straight line Democratic party candidate. But I may still vote for him. It is hard not to like Gillum if you know him and I know him.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I'm voting for Gillum. Of the four he's
the closest thing to a liberal. He's got some ?s, but compared to sick rott and plenty of dirty FL DINOs, I'll take him. gjohn, I'm voting, too. Over the last 45-50 years the fruitloops and fascists have done their damndest to dumb down the public and make them apathetic. Sure paid off. I look at voting as giving the FRighwing aholes the finger. Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
@The Aspie CornerI guess the DNC couldn't
This is true. But you have to make the change locally. There is no way the Dem party nationally, or even in Florida, will come up with good candidates to vote for. Either run yourself (too late for this year) or find some idealistic person willing to take that on. Florida though has fairly stringent ballot access laws, which means that few people are willing to spend the money it takes or time to collect enough signatures.
Our primary is next week
and if I decide to vote, it will be for the only candidate whose campaign has NOT badgered me with flyers and phone calls and whatnot. (I don't think she has the budget for it, but that's not the point.)
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
@TheOtherMaven Well you didn't ask for
Well you didn't ask for it, but I'm posting links from some progressive candidates running next week. I'm not sure what state you're in, but here are links for all the primaries next week:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WayOfTheBern/comments/8jbuf1/bkas_recommendatio...
https://www.reddit.com/r/WayOfTheBern/comments/8m0yy7/bkas_recommendatio...
If you're in North Dakota, you're out of luck. No progressive Berniecrats are running that I'm aware of.
VA-10, where they're all weaksauce
They're down to six candidates now and none of them are outstanding choices. Wexton is the Estblishment's choice - reason enough in itself not to vote for her. Friedman went negative against Wexton, and I don't support negative campaigning (to hell with what you're against, tell me what you're FOR!) Helmer is ex-military. Pelletier is a former prosecutor. Stover worked in the Obama administration. All five have bombarded my mailbox with flyers, and Stover has had a phone campaign as well (not sure about the others, because I hang up on robocalls).
Haven't heard squeak from Julia Biggins, so she has neither said nor done anything to make me cross her off.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
@TheOtherMaven Makes sense. But
Makes sense. But for that reason, she is an underdog in the race..
So?
Nobody should vote for the underdog because they "haven't a chance"? That's how the Duopoly keeps us in chains, isn't it?
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
@TheOtherMaven Oh, I definitely
Oh, I definitely agree with you. I was just mentioning that it makes her an underdog.
The one I voted for democratic governor got 2% of the vote
...and about 25% of registered voters voted in AL. Mainly for rethuglicans I might add.
The political system is broken and we all know it. The oligarchs pull all the strings and the game is rigged.
I vote out of habit and a sense of obligation but I'm afraid it is an exercise of frustration. Oh well now I feel I can rant and rave about he horrors the US inflicts around the world.
I've spent the last few decades working toward improved schools. All I've seen is backwards progress.
Sadly I think our political system is so corrupt that our efforts are in vain.
More power to those of you who continue the struggle. Sisyphus should be our mascot.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Worst thought and google vs. duckduckgo
Lots of thoughts, but the worse one: "is TOP really the democratic party base?"
Also got an idea on how Google censors websites in searches. I tried looking up the results of the CA primaries and kept getting useless sites like NYTimes which did not have the complete results.
So I tried duckduckgo.com, and got different links. The second link pointed at the CA SOS office for results. Very nicely organized by the way.
But here what I think happens. The underlying API for searches has not changed. This is what you get with duckduckgo.
But now with google, they look to take the list of hits from the API, and then reorder it to have only major media outlets as the first links showing up.
This is an important discussion we should be having.
About how consent is manufactured and propaganda disseminated.
It's the very reason we seem like outliers in this Upside Down epoch of media and Deep State psyops.
I'd like to see more culling of investigative articles by trusted sources and our own researchers dig in to this topic a lot more. There seems to be a lot coming out lately by social media founders and former execs (as well as amazing whistleblowers like Bill Binney, Ray McGovern, John Kirakou, Snowden and Assange) about what is really going on behind the scenes, with respect to fudging the algorithms to keep the status quo and driving Google users to safe, sanctioned mainstream news sites.
It's really everything, isn't it? The especially complex set of factors behind today's very insidious, all-pervasive propaganda. It keeps the masses pacified and distracted with one set of manufactured controversy after another 24/7.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Have you thought about doing a series yourself?
You are very right about the importance of this - and we should be trying to keep up with the leaks, while we can.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
what makes anyone think we were told the actual
Election results? Our elections are fraudulent.
Didn't think I'd be the only one thinking that.
Not here anyway. But thanks for making the point!
Edit: I had been wondering if everyone was keeping that in mind, with such a lot going on.
As with this Progressive who, logically, should have melted Pelosi, especially where Indies could have voted to have one corrupt old money-bag in the CorpoDem leadership replaced by a Prog to seriously begin tilting the balance toward legitimate democratic government of, by and for the people.
Initially, apparently:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIFh9Kesgps
https://www.alisonhartson.com/press-releases-2/2018/5/29/feinsteins-oppo...
I don't even know whether this is going to be looked into/challenged - but everything corrupt in and affecting government needs to be, especially now that Trump is filling in that long-running emergency shortage of US Judges with the extremely corrupt, where the CorpaDems ('unable' to get replacement Judges in, over the handy excuse of Republican obstructionism) 'somehow' managed to work things out in concert with the Republicorps, so that a massive number of corrupt judges, as well as a majority-corrupt Supreme Court, could be in place just as the Repubs are expected to have enough seats to put through the 'Runaway Con Con' ALEC has been pushing for, so that the Koch Brothers, et al, can rewrite the US Constitution to suit themselves.
These next two US elections seem to me to be essential, to start bringing in at least some balance toward sanity before the lawless running government rip up the very concept of public-protective law to make all lawlessness of 'Those Who Matter Because Worth Real Money' legal.
Re-edited because neglecting to change a word in a reconstructed sentence left confusing results, so made various (I hope) explanatory changes in a paragraph.
And again edited because I should have had coffee first and missed a word I thought was in. Aurghhhhh! Need to start getting sleep! and again, for an inappropriate capitalization. Inappropriate capitalization being the problem, of course...
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
The Intercept has a good article on Menendez
Proving yet again that the Dem party is lost and is just a collection of Corporate Whores.
https://theintercept.com/2018/06/04/democrats-set-to-re-nominate-sen-bob...
To wit...
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.