Alaska has chosen a new Governor and kicked out the incumbant Republican Governor

[Bandit]

The Number One reason imo is the new Governor ran on expanding Medicaid. It was the main thing they campaigned on and Alaska is a very Red State. Parnell (the old governor) was one of those Republican governors that put politics before his state and denied the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. Walker (the new governor) ran on doing the oposite. While all those "Democrats" that ran away from Obama and Obamacare lost "Big Time" , one that embraced it and actually campaigned on it won... What does that tell you? I do need to say though that Walker is not a Democrat, but an Independent. He did have a Democrat running as his Lt Governor though.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. It tells me that voters want more independents?

Otherwise a Democrat would have won by embracing Obama and Obamacare?

[Bandit]

2. Yes it does say that but it also says they want what the Independent offered.

Which was an expansion of Obamacare.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. I think they'd have happily embraced any expansion of healthcare offered them.

I think too often we get tied up in 'binary' views of reality - 'Obamacare/No Obamacare', 'Dem/Repub', etc.

"Obamacare" is still wildly unpopular, even as the vast majority of the provisions in it are wildly popular.

Even my statement about them wanting independents was partially tongue in cheek, although the underlying sentiment, that people are unhappy, and want more change in government is honest. Right now, we're facing a crisis of public loss of faith in institutions across the board, from police and government to banks and businesses. Virtually no one is giving the public any sense that they're 'on the public's side', but rather that they simply see the public as something to exploit or 'farm' for resources.

I think we need to break from that binary thinking, and find any way possible to actually show that we will support the 'General Welfare' of the American people, and put people before corporations and money and ideology. The Republican put ideology ahead of the people of his state, and lost for it.

[heaven05]

5. I'm 66

and in the mornings when I go where I go to drink my coffee, 9 out of ten like ACA, period. No equivocation. Your "wildly unpopular" claim is whats wild. Yes insurance companies like all mega money making endeavors in this society is still getting their mega dollars and all that BS about single payer is just that, B....f......S! The republicans will never allow it if Obama had gotten on his knees and begged. People ARE appreciative that he even tried and got what he could. Tell that 'general welfare" garbage to the republicans, they will not/do not care about any class except the 1%.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

6. Well, it's not 'my' wildly unpopular claim.

It's the 'wildly unpopular' claim being repeated across various MSNBC programs. They report on polling that shows that many people across the country still have an unfavourable view of the ACA *if you call it "Obamacare"*. As I noted, those same people then turn around and like most of the provisions.

So I'm glad where you are drinking your coffee, everyone is consistent enough to know that 'Obamacare' is the ACA, and tie it to those provisions they like. But your anecdotal evidence about that one locality doesn't trump national polling.

[heaven05]

7. right on the MSM claims

and 'national polling' which can and is ALWAYS skewed. Your agenda does not fool me. Ir's transparent and obviously skewed also.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

9. Really? What is it?

Let's hear what you think 'my agenda' is?

[heaven05]

10. It's obvious

no analysis necessary.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

11. I'm not asking for 'analysis'.

I'm asking for you to state openly what you think my 'agenda' is.

If it's so 'obvious', that should be the easiest thing in the world for you.

[GGJohn]

12. Why won't you answer the question?

You seem to have it all figured out.

[heaven05]

13. because something

like "the question" does not merit an answer. And I am stretching to answer your irrelevant intrusion, again.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

15. Because he/she doesn't know or care. He's just got accusations based upon his/her own agenda.

My entire post history over the last 6 or 8 years on Daily Kos and Dem Underground makes plain my actual 'agenda'. When it comes to healthcare, I'm in favour of simply providing healthcare to humans. You walk into healthcare facilities, you sign in, sign off on the procedures, maybe provide some identification so that random checks can be done later to ensure you actually got the care the facility stated you did, and get treated, then leave. No additional paperwork, no pouring through 'plans', no middlemen adding 30% to the cost of healthcare without actually providing healthcare.

In every field, I'm in favour of making life easier and safer for every human being. Stronger social safety nets, programs to find work for the unemployed, either matching them up with pre-existing jobs or finding needed work to be done on the government dime with free job training that automatically leads to being hired. Fewer incarcerations, more rights for the public to protect them from law enforcement and the government. Safer, cleaner air, water.

Basically, my 'agenda' is populism. Pushing elected officials of every stripe to actually put humans first, not corporations or money.

[heaven05]

17. okay

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

18. okay?

Odd that you couldn't state it before I finally put it out there for you, since it was so 'transparent' and 'obvious'.

And if you don't believe it, feel free to do as many google searches as you want on 'bloodaxe' and 'daily kos' or 'democratic underground'.

You won't find anything that contradicts what I just said above.

I'm not a 'partisan'. I'll be more than happy to vote in Dems who help people out - we need more Sherrod Browns, more Elizabeth Warrens. And just as happy to elect the Bernie Sanders types. In the miraculous event that someone who actually ID's as a Republican takes up such stances, I'd even vote for them. (I just don't think that very likely.)

I want government by the people, FOR the people.

[heaven05]

19. okay

good luck on your desires for government that represents and truly helps the 52%ers.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

20. I don't know who the '52%ers' are.

My desire is for government that represents and truly helps the 99%ers.

[heaven05]

21. 1%ers? Says it all

47% vote for the RW, so who's left that truly are "the people"? That's the way I see it.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

22. People aren't any less people simply because they do stupid things.

We have to take care of them too, not simply let them die for their gullibility when it comes to politics.

[heaven05]

24. you're too kind

Last edited Tue Nov 18, 2014, 03:50 PM - Edit history (1)

but don't get me wrong. Your right to feel anyway you please about clowns who vote against their own best interest for petty reasons like race, among others. Trying to hold on to a dying white privilege is laughable especially in its stupidity and total ignorance. They are not able to see how their hate is manipulated by the PTB. Divide and conquer is well under way having been honed into a fine art by centuries of practice. Americans are, I think, irredeemably divided along racial and economic lines. No political party or politician will change that in the near future. Guaranteed.

[liberal N proud]

4. As much as republicans curse anyone else getting entitlements - they want theirs

They want what ever they can get but screw everyone else.

It sounds like Alaskan voters voted in their own best interest, something many voters don't do.

[Bandit]

16. Neither candidate was for the legalization of Pot

Pot was not the reason walker won the Governorship. There were many reasons but imo the main one was he campaigned on expanding medicaid. Alaska had a very dismal turnout just like most of the other states, the ones without "Vote By Mail" that is, so you can't say the measure to make pot legal brought out a lot of voters.

[roguevalley]

30. parnell ignoerd a HUGE sex scandal inthe guard. he was just a shit head but i agree the health stuff

Was major

[George II]

23. Four years ago Dan Malloy won by about 5000 votes in Connecticut

This year after increasing taxes by more than $2B and getting union concessions to balance the budget, he ran against the same opponent as four years ago.

He embraced Obama - had him in the state a couple of times during the campaign, had Michelle Obama here and both Bill and Hillary Clinton.

He won by 29,000 votes, six times the previous margin.

[philosslayer]

25. And the new governor was endorsed by none other than...

Sarah Palin.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/palin-endorses-independent-democratic-ticket-for-alaska-governor-against-gop-successor-20141023

[Bandit]

26. Kinda makes you cringe doesn't it, but he was also endorsed by virtually every Democrat in Alaska

Strange Bedfellows indeed..

[freshwest]

27. Our Democratic governor ran on enacting all of the ACA; his GOP opponent joined others to end it.

The choice was plain. But the GOP and Libertarians voted against the Democrat and lost, even with stunts. We've been the subject of a tremendous amount of out of state propaganda and lost progressive media.

[Bandit]

28. What part had he not enacted and why not?

[freshwest]

29. The Governor and Legislature created the exchanges. The former governor was going for it, as well.

The GOP AG who was thought to be impartial, showed his true colors and ambushed the governor with a competing news conference while she was announcing the state would be implementing all of the ACA, particularly Medicaid expansion. For this she recieved numerous death threats, as well as our senators and rep.

The AG upstaged her news conference that he'd joined suit with other GOP state AGs to suing to declare the ACA unConstitutional. He failed, the GOP did their dirty tricks, and our current governor implemented the ACA. The Medicaid part has been booming and the whole thing made private insurers compete.

That's our experience.