Voting Vignette
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Welcome back friends. Another day in infamy. Today we are being treated with the crumbs of democracy, AKA election or rejection day. To vote or not to vote is not the question. What voting means in this propagandized state is more the issue, imho.
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Looking for an image of ballot box stuffing from the library of congress brought up all kinds of Russian and Putin links. The little cartoon above was the best I could find. So, bear with me as I try to deconstruct this 'patriotic duty' nonsense.
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Looking around the neighborhood, one sees a multitude of signs proclaiming Polly for school committee or Billie Bob for state treasurer. The one sign I like best is 'Tim Goulart for neighborhood boy' obviously put up by an enterprising father. Which got me thinking of the things we would like to see on the ballot. Three choices for erected positions -- R, D, or write-in doesn't provide much in the way of voter participation nor voting for pertinent issues.
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If we could at some local level combine the ballot with an opinion query, it may provide more incentive to participate by the mostly dis-enfranchised independents. Make it multiple choice with no winners or losers, just an opportunity for the electorate to have a say in the governing process. Our votes really count now, thanks to the DHS.
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Some possibilities:
~ How would you rate (federal, state, local) representation? Good, Meh, Bad
~ Do you support the military budget ($700 billion)? Yes, Don't know, No
~ Would you support health care for all? Yes, umm, No
~ How would you rate your financial position? Wealthy, comfortable, poor
~ Do you support local co-ops? Yes, not sure, No
You get the idea. How to implement this is perhaps beyond the existing democratic structural process. It is a fun exercise none the less.
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This thread is open, so open up and express with enthusiasm. Your opinion matters!
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Comments
An early morning question
Hey everybody. The polls here in Indiana have been open for about an hour and my normally rather apolitical Instagram feed has been abuzz with the sounds of McResistance. Myself I'm very skeptical anything will change, even if the alleged "blue wave" happens. Especially give the Republicans running as Democrats we have here in Indy, like Joe Donnelly.
The thing that really got me was aside from being not Trump, something the Dems can legitimately claim, my IG friends seemed to be convinced the Dems stand for a lot of things that their actions just don't prove out. I saw mention of health care and standing up for the poor and things like that. I don't need to make a laundry list, because we all know what issues I'm talking about.
So, let's assume this "blue wave" does happen and the Dems gain a majority. Let's also assume history holds true and the Dems continue to support Trump on the military and the upward movement of wealth and only resist on issues that won't cost them anything (identity politics stuff.)
Do you think the voters will actually hold the Dems accountable in 2020, or will they continue to be feared into blindly pulling the lever for blue because Trump worse or whatever?
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Oh and my 2 cents...
If it happens, I expect the Dems to do nothing and what we'll see will be like first two years of Obama again. Sadly, I would anticipate most of my IG friends will be making the same posts in 2020, even when the Dems do nothing.
Realistically, I think they'll squeak out a loss allowing them to continue to punish the voters and say "gosh, we would be voting against trilions for the MIC and for real healthcare reform, but you didn't vote for us so we can't." Needless to say, they'll use that carrot on the stick for continued fundraising efforts. Honestly, I think this is where they'd rather be.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
I, too, think they'd
rather lose than actually
have to, you know, govern.
Money via campaign contributions without having to work for it??
Priceless.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
It's the american way
Money for nothing
question everything
Vote Green why not
thanks, and no I don't think D voters will hold incumbents accountable in 2020, whether they take a little power today or not. I think maybe Trump will start another war, and run on that like Bush did in 2004. The Ds are pro-war now, to me it seems all set up and ready to go. sophie's choice
https://www.greenpartyin.com/
They even have a write-in campaign for Secretary of State, good job Indiana Greens! I wish California (and every state) could climb out of the duopoly trap.
good luck
Indiana Greens
I wish they could get on the ballot for real. But again this year, I did my part there.
Funny thing, I saw an ad from his Democratic opponent. It was almost word for word the same platform (voter access, wealth redistribution, etc.), complete with testimonials from an alleged Independent (along with an R and a D) saying why they were voting for this D. Perhaps the D was sincere, but it just struck me as a pandering attempt to block the Green in the one race I could actually vote Green.
I don’t anticipate the Green winning, but I hope for at least enough traction that the party isn’t shut out of the ballots going forward.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Well, the worst case is that the Dems do re-take the House
and Senate and then devote all their energy to investigating the purported Trump-Russia connection and trying to force the release of his tax returns, like some of them have promised to do, while seeking "grand bargains" with the GOP minority on everything else. This would then trigger a major fascist-GOP wave in 2020 which could easily slide into an absolute runaway police state.
I don't however really see it, mos of them continue to offer nothing but more-of-the-same leaving most of the populace just sufficiently lethargic and unmotivated that they'll be lucky to hang on to what they have.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Does that mean there won't be a revolution before 2020?
I would sure be disappointed. I mean, here we are talking about the next election before this one is even over? That's not a good sign.
Can't see beyond the moment
Normally the losing team is looking ahead to the next battle.
_
~~ liberated from Votings I have Known by Hecate
question everything
The losing team is still looking to 2016
Not Trump and all that. I see nothing changing this election regardless of the winner.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
I think it's safe to say
things aren't going to get any better. Things being things and all.
They will continue to be feared,
, into blindly pulling the lever for blue because Trump worse or whatever. It is always so.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Good question Dr. John
Way too many still perceive the Dem brand as a champion of the workers. It is an image that is difficult for people to reconsider. If the last 6 election cycles are any indication, nothing will change that illusion by 2020.
question everything
That’s how I see it too.
I make it a point not to engage this point uninvited but I’d love to ask my friends if they’ve paid attention to the actual actions of the Democratic Party at least since the Clinton years. Any resemblance to the archetypal Democratic party is pure coincidence, at least during my years as a voter.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
I'd vote for no signs
Signs Signs, Everywhere a Sign
peace
What's happening with the DNC lawsuit?
Thanks Dr. John Carpenter reminded me the lawsuit continues, so I looked up the next date: December 11th, 2018 is when the Becks get their 15 minutes. Wouldn't it be great if Tim Canova won, and then the lawsuit went forward with discovery, and a jury trial? That might affect 2020, ya think? lol What if the DNC went bankrupt before the next election? HOPE
https://jampac.us/dnclawsuit/
Yes We Can
Wink, in green hoodie,
giving Kirsten a whistle as she enters the local office of our congress critter candidate.
I thought I'd avoid the camera by staying in the back, near the front door, but apparently not. {sigh}
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Hey Wink
It appears the crowd is clapping for your whistling. Must have been an inspiring tune
question everything
indeed. must've been it! n/t
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Always look on the bright side of life
thanks for your sacrifice brother. Speaking of brothers you look like your avatar, unshaven. I like beards. If Bernie runs again he should grow one, I think. Feel the Beard. heh
Peace
I love this place
I've had a mustache
since my college freshman
year. (wishing to look older). Then, a couple years later, in Army basic training (was drafted), somebody said we needed to shave our mustache. So, not wishing to cause any more trouble than I needed to, I shaved it. I looked about 12. Then, the next day, we learned we could keep our mustache. Such, one quickly learns, is the way of the military. Then, About 45-ish, I started walking around in 3-day growth mode. Mostly becuz I was sick'n'tired of shaving. Then, about 8, 9 years ago decided to totally cave and just grow out the beard. It kinda sorta "works," so I kept it.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
A wet morning here...
The GA governor's race is the election most watched around here.
President Donald Trump warned a rally in Macon, Georgia, that Stacey Abrams, running to become the first Black female governor in US history, “is one of the most extreme far left politicians in the entire country," adding, "you know that! You put Stacey in there, you’re going to have Georgia turn into Venezuela. I don’t think the people of Georgia like that.” He has really been trying to re-ignite the cold war against all things socialist.
I wish what he said about Stacey was true. It reminds me of one day at trade day a year or so after Obama had been elected, and this older neck was sporting a bumper sticker "Obama is a Socialist". He was still sitting in his truck when I tapped on his window and said, "I am a socialist and let me assure you Obama is not!" He responded "that may be but he is way too liberal". I just shock my head and walked away. I never saw him again. A trade day with socialists may have been too much for him.
Greg Palast reports "Kemp has purged more than 340,134 Georgians from the voter rolls based on dead-wrong evidence they’d moved from the state or from their home county.. It took a federal lawsuit — which I filed jointly with voting rights advocate Helen Butler — to force Kemp to divulge the names and addresses of those whose registration he cancelled in a single year, 2017. When a voter turning up to the polling station discovers his/her registration is missing or cancelled, the voter has the right, under federal law, to cast a “provisional” ballot. However, the man who decides whether these “provisional” ballots will be counted is… Brian Kemp."
Tammany Hall boss William Marcy Tweed: “As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it?”
In The Memoirs of Stalin’s Former Secretary by Boris Bazhanov, published in 2002. Translated from the Russian, what was uttered in 1923 by Stalin in reference to a vote in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was this:
“I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how.”
Well tomorrow the votes will have been counted...will it be a wave? a trickle? a stalemate? We will have to wait and see.
Thanks for the OT! Happy election day everybody.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Glad you tried reasoning with the neck
Unfortunately, independent thought is discouraged. Almost from the get-go. Which makes reasoned debate challenging. I hear most people just repeating what has been broadcast. Why do folks need to be told what to think anyway?
Cheers!
question everything
[UPDATED] Voted this morning in Dane County, WI
Turnout seemed ample, in a small rural precinct.
[UPDATE: at midday, Madison clerk was reporting turnout rates well above those of 2014 and 2016. Mind you, I've been led down that garden path before -- early optimism shattered by final numbers. And either way, a massive turnout by Dem voters is a lot less exciting without any Greens on the ballot.]
having paid no attention to the mass media, i had no clue what was going on locally, so i was surprised (when I checked online in case there were any "non-obvious" choices to be made) to find that there was not a single Green candidate running for office anywhere in Dane County (keep in mind, in 2000 Nader won my then-precinct on the near east side of madison). the only Green candidates on my ballot were the governor and lt. governor.
other than that, non-duopoly candidates were limited to a handful of folks from the "Constitution Party" (i.e., literalist anti-human kooks), a couple of libertarians (i.e., property-worshipping anti-human kooks), and one independent. most of these non-duopolists were candidates for the state-wide offices (governor/lt-gov, attorney general, sec of state, and treasurer).
also disturbing was that, blue wave notwithstanding, there was one legislative seat sought by an unopposed Republican, while TEN were sought by unopposed Democrats. This is a straightforward result of the amoral and seditious gerrymandering carried out in 2010 by ALEC (via their proxies, Walker and the Fitzgerald brothers) -- they ceded almost all of Dane County to the Democrats, in order to concentrate their votes into as few state districts as possible. But think about that for a moment. There were 11 legislative seats (10 Assembly, 1 Senate) in which no non-duopoly candidate ran, even though there was absolutely no threat of "enabling" a Republican.
This has to reflect the complete demoralization of the American left.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
I could use some demoralizing
I've been moralized to death as it is. So what if the democrats aren't going to do anything for you. Ever. VOTE DEMOCRAT!!!! IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
Whoa man, decompress a bit
The voting process is absolutely stressful. Anger makes the veins bunch up in knots like seaweed. It's bad for the heart. Take a few deep breaths and try to accept the impact of elections that you can not change. Your ideals are still intact. Let the system evolve.
Cheers
question everything
Sorry
I visit TOP occasionally to find out what real dems are thinking. Was paraphrasing the thinking there. Forgot about the all caps=shouting/angry thing. Will watch that in the future. Wasn't angry.
No problema hermano
Open threads are for opening hearts and minds. Swallows about.
question everything
that's kinda my point.
even though green candidates could have run against 10 Democrats without any fear of helping an even more loathsome Walkerite Republican win office, so the whole VOTE DEMOCRATS OR ELSE meme wouldn't even apply, none did, despite this being one of the greeniest imaginable parts of the country.
[edited for clarity]
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
It still beats voting
Red. Barely.
But I've mostly given up trying to cure what ails us: lack of unity.
All my banging on doors did this cycle was cement how totally fucked The Left is.
And not just me. Most door bangers I talked to came away with the same conclusion:
Voters just don't give a fuck. "Election??" "I can't be bothered."
We shall then reap what we sow.
Barring some divine intervention there won't be a blue wave.
And if we don't get one in 2020 we can kiss our ass goodbye.
If we're even allowed to vote that year.
Thank the gawds I'm old. I can't imagine living in Trumpville after the Oligarchs get done with it.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
That's a scary thought
"living in trumpville". sounds like a dystopian horror future fiction. Yikes! Gives me nightmares. Steven King kinda distorting the humane mind. For the benefit of the brain suckers. Yikes!
question everything
pretty much sums it up,
if not a tad on the optimistic side.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Please don't tell me it's worse
The fragile filters may be in danger here.
question everything
Arrrgh!!!!
I forgot that /s thing. Had just visited TOP to see the party line and was and just kind of paraphrased it. Was just shaking my head over the thinking there. Well, shoulda learned by now if I do something fast without checking it 3x I'll fuck it up.
Well, it's vote Blue
or don't vote, I guess.
That's where we seem to be.
But here's the thing...
Our Republicon congress critter is going to win her 3rd term tonight.
By 15, 20 points.
She didn't lift a finger to win, barely made an appearance here in her district.
This win gives her clear sailing for her next race - Chucky Schumer - with the GOP's blessing.
Blessing, hell. They'll unload a boatload of $$ to make sure she wins.
Her Dim opponent, meanwhile, busted her ass. Her campaign team busted their ass.
To lose by 15, 20 points. Now, granted, she wasn't the best candidate, certainly not the most progressive. Of the five still standing in the Primary race I had her dead last. Have no idea how she beat the other four, including tv star Dylan Ratigan. But she did.
I hate to say I saw this coming, but I really thought the work put in, the effort put in, just might make it close at least. Sadly...
The point being if we don't vote Blue we most certainly get Red. And, while many shrug, a Red world still is far more ugly than a Blue world. Not just ugly. Fatal. So, yes, vote Blue no matter who sadly applies. Where a Dim candidate also found themselves on the Green line or WFP (working families party) line, I pulled the Green or WFP lever instead. So, I voted for Gillibrand on the WFP line, others on the Green or WFP line. Stayed away from the Dim line where I could, while voting for a Dim or Blue candidate.
I suspect and expect this is going to be an ugly night. Beto lost, the GA gov candidate lost, the FL gov candidate lost... all of the big time Blue candidates lost. Which suggests a red wave.
Good luck.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Oh, that was fun
Swung by the local school to watch the event. Like a circus. Tents, popcorn, balloons, jugglers and clowns. Although it is a cold, rainy day here, turnout is strong (for a non-presidential year) is the saying. Passed the ID check, got my ticket and fled to a booth. Locally knew who I liked, only voted opposite on a couple I don't care for. The rest left blank, although some one ran under the 'Compassionate' party. So gave that one a vote. State spending choices were only 3. Only voted yes for green issues. Not a bad representation, but the state expenditures we should be voting on are not listed.
Took an exit pole by one of the universities. Must have been a social studies group. Multiple choice on selected issues worded for multi-interprtation. Sheesh, at least ask direct questions if you want to figure out the populous. This random vague sampling is telling for what they want to quantify. Could be done better, imo.
Spoke with neighbors, all good cheer. Gave a couple good luck hand shakes. The ballot results are pre-ordaind by the money spent that makes it so. $350 million to run for governor. Plus $650 million pumped in by the DNC. Will be glad when the mailers stop clogging up the box. It's like big glossy hate mail. Who thinks thats a good idea? Total turn off. Feel bad for the trees.
Hope y'alls experience is/was positive!
question everything
Agree on the mailers.
Total waste.
We sent out self-stamped blank postcards instead,
hand written with a simple "please vote for so-and-so" message.
We sent out over 4,000. Prolly saved a Ton of $$ vs. the glossy mailers!
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
I'll keep my news kinda local...
My current gig involves driving around Orlando as a courier. So I happen to see a lot.
Lots of polling places packed to the gills between 7am (opening) and 9am, then things kind of slowed down. I passed about 10 polling places in my travels.
One of my stops had a Republican campaign office in the building (it's in a heavily Hispanic area that happens to vote Republican). Lots of activity, phone calls, people milling around. Totally chuckled as I walked by, dreading (in a good way) that one of them would pitch me in the hallway.
My Facebook feed has obviously more Democrats than Republicans. The Republicans that I know have gone silent. No snarky posts about some crazy talking point they heard on hate radio or right wing Twitter. It's kinda weird.
Lots of pictures of mates with their stickers, so that's cool. And then there are a few of the curmudgeons who complain about the sticker posts, but that's normal. They're curmudgeons for a reason. One of them is a staunch conservative, but has gotten so sick of Il Duce that he's skipping this election.
Home now, thankfully. Think I'm gonna live tweet the results. And be salty while doing it. Should be fun. Going to follow Chapo Trap House's Twitchstream and The Majority Report as well...along with the local news. Maybe even the Young Turks. MSNBC and CNN can go kick rocks. Let's see...cell phone, laptop, smart TV--pretty sure I can cover all of that.
Couple more things...
Shenanigans abound across the country, once again targeting black people.
Voting machines in North Carolina not working at some polling places.
Gunman fired at a Florida polling place in a heavily black and Democratic precinct which shut down the place for 40 minutes.
Georgia polling place reported voting machines shipped without power cords. Another where voting machines were missing altogether.
Ez why the international community tries to monitor
our elections. Recording the process. US no longer known as very democratic. Low end of the scale. Not reported in national feeds. People should wonder. DHS is all secret / secret. No hacking to be reported. Secret / Secret. DHS is on it. Not to worry. Votes are being counted without the rooskies.
question everything
Does this mid-term election
Have anything to do with democracies' mid-life crises? Bald politicians riding around in racy red convertibles. Pretending this is the katz jammers.
question everything
So ein Katzenjammer aber auch ... ;-) /nt
https://www.euronews.com/live