Jack & Jill Politics

Campaign Advice

by BooMan

Fri Sep 3rd, 2010 at 03:44:46 PM EST

I guess the reason that the Republicans are polling so well at the moment is almost entirely based on the pollsters estimate of likely differential turnout. That's what Public Policy Polling's Tom Jensen says anyway. If true, it gives me cause of optimism.

We can't change the economy, but we can rile up our own base. And we have plenty to be riled about once we focus on the campaign. Frankly, I chose July 1st as the day to put aside differences (for the most part) and focus on the positive, and I think a lot of progressive organizers and activists are still lobbying the White House. If our opinion leaders are not focused on the upcoming campaign, we shouldn't expect our rank-and-file to be focused on it either.

But, there is only so much we can do. We need help from the White House. That's why I've been harping on the economy lately. We need a showdown with the Republicans in Congress, and we need it to be over the economy. We also need some sweeteners to put everyone in a good mood. So, appoint Elizabeth Warren. And then make the Republicans obstruct on the economy, and throw an almighty fit about it.

The Republicans will do the rest themselves as they pander to their crazy base in their effort to pull them all out of woodwork (and the loony bins) and get them to the polls. When our side sees the spectacle, they'll be plenty motivated. Show some fight, pass out some goodies, and let's get it on.

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2010/9/3/154446/0722

the terminal LMBAO!

Hardball is falling all over themselves to point out the problems if the Republicans win in the fall.(Matthews is flat out scared. He know realizes the idea of bipartisanship is false when you don't have adults to deal w/).

the best thing that was pointed out was by Larry Sabato of U of Va. His projections show 8 new Republican governors and a pick up of 350+ state government seats on both sides of the legislature. What is bad about this is the census reconfiguring will be controlled by them for another 10 yrs. That is scary!

Now You're Talkin'!

by tristero

Even though he doesn't quite grok what he's doing, Matt's starting to catch on, at least at some level:

So, yes, the Taliban is misogynistic and so are most religious traditionalists. And, yes, the Taliban is nationalistic and so are right-wing political parties in most democracies. And, yes, the Taliban is enthusiastic about war-fighting as a way to achieve policy aims and so is Bill Kristol. This is all true…

'Nuff said!

And reasonable Matt Yglesias- not the shrill Kos – has said it. There are eerie similarities between the Taliban and the American right wing.

Did I take what Matt said out of context? I did indeed. Isn't his point the exact opposite – that there are important differences between the Taliban and the American right? Yep.

So? I'm not talking about the substance of the post, but rather its use of rhetoric. Matt can go ahead and hedge all he wants – and he does – but rhetorically, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Why? Because Matt has described a dismaying number of ways in which the right wing sounds terribly Taliban-ish. Rhetorically speaking, simply by engaging the notion that radical Islamists can be compared to the right wing GOP, the creepy similarities between their worldviews and values simply can't be avoided. Not reason, not logic, but the rhetorical structure of the argument creates a deep association which lingers on even after Matt goes through the exercise of explaining it away.

To repeat what I've said a zillion times: The problem the United States is having with its right wing is only partly amenable to reasoned discourse – a playing field upon which liberals will always win. But we also require, among other things, a sophisticated contemporary liberal rhetoric of persuasion – which neither mainstream Democrats nor many liberals possess with any coherence, crispness, wit, or consistency.

What Matt inadvertently did here gives me hope that things could change. Matt can claim as often as he likes that he is not in any real sense equating the Taliban and William Kristol and be quite sincere about it. But simply because Kos – secondhand – got him to talk about it, that is exactly what he is doing.

And that is exactly what we want the right to do as well. We want them to defend their extremism by debunking the comparison with Taliban. Talk about it in detail, please! Tell us all about the important differences between al Qaeda's homophobia and Focus on the Family's. Explain all the nuances so we understand.

And the more they explain how different they are, the more the two are rhetorically associated. And invariably, the more plausible the comparison becomes.

Special note for those of you who care about the actual point of Matt's post, as opposed to its rhetoric: I think he's wrong.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/tristero-now-youre-talkin.html

Not for nothing, but there has been something that I wanna get off my chest since this morning. It's about the FL senate race, and the candidacy of Kendrick Meek.

Ya'll know, I'm not a FL voter, so I know my opinion don't matter a hill of beans, but this morning while listening to the TJMS, Roland was at the TJMS family reunion this morning, and his guest interview was none other than Congressman Kendrick Meek. It just so happened that I tuned in as Roland was asking Rep Meek, what he thought of the fact the many Dem leader in his state, and in the national party, are directly, or indirectly by their silence endorsing the candidacy of REPULICAN turned Independent Charlie Crist for Senate. Now I'll admit, that I didn't get to hear Rep Meek's answer (I was on my way to work, and didn't want to clock in late), but it got me to thinking.

Okay, I get it that Marc Rubio in the Senate is not gonna be a good thing, but why after the liberal freak-out that the Arlen Spector/Joe Sestak debacle, where people were outright in mutiny over the Obama admin's “courtship” of Arlen Spector, Republican turned Democrat over “the real Democrat” Joes Sestak why is so acceptable in many of the left blogosphere (Kos esp., Kos was essentially begging Crist to become a Dem and has more times than not openly “courted” Crist possible turn on the front pages of DKOS) to completely ignore and in some cases openly encourage the Meek campaign to not split votes between Crist and Meeks, and therefore “ensuring” a Rubio win. IMHO, I think it the height of hypocrisy.

Now, I'm not and really never was an Arlen Spector fan, but like the case in FL, I'm also not a PA voter, so my opinion on that didn't really matter either, but wasn't one of the questions with ARlen's “conversion” whether are not Arlen could be trusted after re-election to stay a Dem, or to vote with the Dems after he got what he wanted. Well someone needs to tell me how is Crist complete laying down of his truly felt Conserv/Repub principles just to get elected to the Senate, is any different than Arles' “conversion” to save his “re-election bid”? Also, someone may want to tell me, just as with Arlen, what is it that makes Dems think that Crist will caucus with the Dems if elected. Crist can't even bring himself to say whether or not he will caucus with Dems, even though his path to victory now lies in the hands of getting Dems in FL to vote for him. And what does it say about someone who can so easily, throw the beliefs they've held forever so quickly “under the bus” just to win an election.

Now, I know that the argument against Meek is that he can't beat Rubio, and they may be true (though, I contend, that if Crist was out, then Dems would coalesce around Meek, and the fight between Rubio and Meek may have been a fight for the middle and the minority vote…), but that doesn't make it right the lack of support for Kendrick Meek in the activist blogosphere. Isn't the whole idea to elect “real” Democrats, why haven't I seen any “real Dem” post or diaries or whatnot or “money bombs” for Kendrick Meek over at DKOS and such. All I saw was Sestak and Bill Halter money bombs and support diaries. Besides, so what, if Meek may or may not beat Rubio, does that mean that the Meek's candidacy deserves to damn near be outright ignored by the esteemed activist left? I sure don’t' recall there being much a chance of victory for that dude from MN who was going against Michele Bachmann in '08, dude raised what…nearly $500,000 just from Bachmann's dumb ass comment on Hardball during the election season, and no one other than Minnesotans knew who dude was, yet he raised 1/2 a million for what…certainly not because he had any chance of truly beating Michele Bachmann. It was just the principle of the matter. Shouldn't the same principle apply to Rep Meek?

Like I said though, I'm not a voter in FL, so my opinion doesn’t amount to a hill of beans, but damn if it doesn't just piss me off. What's the point of having a mission statement of “electing better more progressive Democrats, when what you really mean, is “electing better Dems, unless the real/better Dem may not have a chance of winning”? It's just funny, that the thought of the Obama admin making the same calculation, cause a cataclysmic war in the blogosphere.

Another Famous political line:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzV5AIK8iM&feature=related

SistahSpeak
by Robinswing [Subscribe]
Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 10:05:39 AM PD

One would think that there would be very few ways white folk could surprise the Blackwoman after all these years. One would think. One thing is clear to me. Your blues ain't like mine.

* Robinswing's diary :: ::
*

After all many white folk were the allies of the descendants of the Diaspora and some even died trying to secure the right to vote during some of the darkest times of the Civil Rights Movement.

I keep scratching my head wondering what has changed so much that the right to vote is taken for granted.

Right now, without the Civil Rights Movement and the millions of black people who vote as a result, McCain would be resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sit with the idea for a moment.

McCain. As president.

At this point in his residency, there would likely be three wars. He was itching to bomb, bomb,bomb. Bomb, bomb Iran.

I suspect the draft would by necessity have been reinstated. At least during this presidency the blue dog small d democrats got to join republican'ts on issues we wanted to see passed. Imagine if they had the chance to join republican'ts on things like conscription and such. Make no mistake. They would have.

Allow yourself to see the real possibility of streets lined with families the way it was during the first Depression. As far as I can tell, these folk are not happy unless a fairly large segment of the population is too poor to be able to feed itself, receive the benefits of modern science or even have a decent roof for shelter.

There would be no GM.

Schools would have to close and those teachers with jobs would have had their class loads increased to auditorium sizes.

Insurance premiums on homeowners would have increased because there would be fewer fireman and the real risk of having your home burn down without the aid of trucks with hoses and water.

Fewer policeman would equal greater crime.

Health care would exist to the benefit of very few, though technically I guess more people would qualify for Medicaid.

Women would not be mandated for equal pay.

There would be an additional two other Scalia type justices on the Supreme Court.

The list is long.

Some people are too young to remember a time when the word homeless was not a part of the lexicon. Homeless was a gift of Ronald Regan. To the American people. It is now a staple in the amoral diet of a nation which has been fed lies with such frequency it seems unable and unwilling to digest anything else.

McCain as president would have been able to realize the dream of shrinking the government small enough to be drowned in a bathtub. There was a point in history where such talk would be considered treasonous. Free speech notwithstanding. Now it is the battle cry of those who would rather see this Republic collapse than share the bounty of a free and prosperous nation with all the people.

If the idea of a McCain residency is anathema then how can the idea of a republican't controlled Congress do anything but make you wanna holla?

Do we really want to look at let alone listen to Bonehead spew nonsense as Speaker of the House?

It has always been clear that there are those who have used racial animus as a means of getting poor whites to vote against their own self interest. Why is it that some so called Progressives seem willing to not vote? Doesn't not voting equate with voting against one's self interest? Especially in these times?

If this past two years has taught us anything it ought to be that our votes matter. Truth be told,that was indeed the lesson of 2000. Have we forgotten so quickly?

As a black woman into her six decade on the planet, no other right means as much to me as the right to vote. People, black and white since the beginning of this Republic have died for the right to vote. Having say so was the primary motivation of the Founding Fathers.

There are places on this globe today where people are dying for the right to vote and to have their vote count. We have that right finally for all citizens and yet some here speak of not voting in protest. Voting is the way to protest in this nation. Have we forgotten this? I haven't. Not for one nanosecond. Nor will I.

See the thing is, I've learned that as bad as things might be at any given moment, they can get worse. No matter how we might feel failed by the current Congress, it could be worse. And will be if those who threaten actually do stay home.

As much as I would have like to see things improve instantly on all levels at one time, I've watched most of the last six decades and realize that progress can at times seem slow, even unlikely. I've learned that persistence is the key to real progress. I have not be hypnotized into thinking that there is a magic bullet able to pierce the veil of selfishness and greed and vanquish it instantly. I will never be deceived into believing that I can throw away my vote and it doesn't matter.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/3/895737/-SistahSpeak

Michelle Obama, Jill Biden: The troops need us

By Michelle Obama and Jill Biden
This has been a summer of homecomings. In marking the end of the American combat mission in Iraq, we have now welcomed home nearly 100,000 of our troops from that war. Across the country, family and friends have honored these returning heroes. Spouses have been reunited, and military moms and dads have held their children once again.

But while America's combat mission in Iraq has ended, America's commitment to our troops and their families goes on. All of us are called to an ongoing mission: to support our troops, veterans and their families, whether they are here at home, serving in Afghanistan, or supporting the Iraqi people as they forge their own future.

Stepping up

As a country, we have come a long way in how we support our veterans and military families. In our travels to base communities from Fort Bragg to Camp Pendleton, we have seen employers creating innovative programs to support military families, classrooms adopting deployed units, faith communities providing prayers and support, and countless other acts of kindness.

Yet there is still more work to be done.

Our military families are strong, resilient and proud to serve their country.

Nonetheless, they don't always feel that the rest of the country is part of the war effort. We've met National Guard families who feel isolated because they are the only members of their communities experiencing the deployment of a loved one. We've heard from military kids who struggle in school while their parents are deployed.

Remarkably, these same families still find time to serve their communities every day. They are troops who come home from a long deployment and coach Little League or mentor a child. They are children who tutor their younger siblings, and spouses who balance their families with jobs, school, community service — or all of the above. They are wounded warriors, survivors and veterans who continue to give so much to our country.

Guided by their stories, the Obama administration has made one of the largest investments in a generation in our veterans and military families. This includes building a 21st century Department of Veterans Affairs, improving care for traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, strengthening military family readiness programs, helping hundreds of thousands of veterans get a college education, and combating the tragedy of homelessness among veterans.

But government can only do so much.

That's why we're challenging every sector of American society to support and engage our military families. You don't have to come from a military family, have a base in your community, or be an expert in military issues to make a difference. Every American can do something.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-09-03-column03_ST3_N.htm

the key words: the cycle of generational poverty

What you are describing is the most legitimate criticism of the liberal and independent infrastructure. They are not members of the Democratic party but vote Democratic at their leisure. They then complain about there pet issue but fail to help build the Democratic party structure by staying aloof.

The issue of fighting is relevant. It is not enough to campaign for a candidate. It come down to when and how you fight. A classic was letting max Baucus lead a gang of six that had the power to negotiate a settlement for the health insurance reform bill. that wasted over six months and was the equivalent of pissing in the wind. That kind of fighting Democrats can do w/o.

My father's family began in Mississippi and ended in New Orleans and then spread out to other parts of the Union.

Well as someone who lived through it, Boss Hogg is a BIG FAT liar, and, like Eugene said on Maddow's show, there are plenty of us alive who still know what the truth is.

Cenk Uygur, Markos, Taylor Marsh, Arianna Huffington and her sidekick Jane Hamsher, most of the people who work for Huffington Post are among the group labled “The Professional Left” by Robert Gibbs.

These people use every opportunity they can not just to criticizing but to Trash President Obama. People like Arianna Huffington and Jane Hamsher make weekly rounds of TV gab fests for the express purpose of trashing the President. No one is saying that they can't talk about the things they don't like about what President Obama has or has not done to their satisfaction, but they have gone beyond criticizing. However, they seem not to know or just ignore what has been accomplished in 20 months with the republicans and some Democrats obstructing all the way. Somehow the subject of obstructionism is not on their radar.

These so-called progressives are undermining President Obama and using republican talking points to do it. They are suffering from Obama Derangement Syndrome.

Prime example: Arianna Huffington is simply reverting to her republican roots which she has been doing for the past few months. During the Bush/Cheney years the web site Huffington Post criticized, deservedly, that corrupt administration. That continued until several months ago when the transition from attacking Bush to attacking Obama occurred. It was a gradual process that has now taken full bloom. This woman, who was a Newt Gingrich acolyte, for God's sake, reinvented herself as a liberal columnist. Now that she as milked her so-called liberalism for all that it is worth, she is morphing back to her true roots, even into right-wing wackiness. Look at the right-wingers who are now blogging on her site. Articles about Sarah Palin is a staple with little criticiism allowed. Any critiicism of the so-called stgream media lapdogs like David Gregory are censored. Many of the old readers are now being censored and banned, especially if you call HP on some of the crap they now allow from right-wingers.

There is hatred among the professional left that started during the run up to the election when Hillary Clinton and now President Obama Barack were batteling it out. They just about lost their minds whe President Obama won the nomination. They have clung to this hatred and are still fighting Hillary’s lost battle. Many of them quited down after the nomination, but some, who have a platform like Arianna Huffing ton and her sidekick Jane Hamsher, and others, never did. They are still fighting Hillary Clinton’s lost battle.

Their goal is to help bring down President Obama to “prove” that Hillary Clinton should have been president. Just like the republicans and many in what passes for media (not just Fox) are just ticked off that President Obama has accomplishes something. Plus the idea that a black man is in the WH just fries their livers.

Do you ever hear these people talking about how the republicans have been obstructing the Democrats and the President since BEFORE he took office? Why is that?

They are not interested in “guiding” the President in the right direction. This not what they are after.

Their only goal is to help bring down President Obama.

Period.

Forgot to mention that while Racel Maddow has given the President credit for his accomplishments, she is one of the first people who, almost reflexively, will find something or someway to attack him. Go back as look at what she has said after any speech by President Obama.

I sent this e-mail (she claims that she reads all e-mail) after the speech announcing the end of combat operations in Iraq. Not that is make a difference.

Rachel: Almost reflexively, you can find something or someway to attack President Obama.

Why don't you try attaching ankle weights to you ankles that will make it slightly more difficult for you to go on the attack, meaning kicking the President.

One expects the right-wing nut jobs to attack but why is it necessary for so-called liberal and progressives to attack. You could barely wait for the man to complete his speech before you started amping up for an attack. Is this to prove to the right-wingers that you are not as liberal as they think you are? What is it? What is the point?

Attacking President Obama for what amounts to nothing is really getting old. Why don't you give it a rest.

Haley Barbour wants to be PRESIDENT so bad he can taste it! The local news doesn't show footage of his lies that are being presented all over cable news. We know he is racist and there is nothing we can do about it in the State. He has so many racist supporters, enough blacks in the State won't register to vote. The younger generation of blacks are hip hoppin and thugin! I don't see where the future lies for ANY change in Mississippi!