merrily
merrily's JournalAided and abetted. Helped sell the war to Americans, much as did Colin Powell in his UN speech.
Her speech was not for her fellow Senators, any more than Powell's speech was for nation members of the UN.
Ambassadors to the UN do not come inwith an open mind about war until they hear what they think is the best speech and neither do Senators. Their decisions are made in other rooms, for reasons having nothing to do with televised speeches. Those speeches were for American viewing public many of whom are swayed by such things.
Colin Powell had just polled most trusted figure in the Bush Administration. Hillary was not just a Senator, but the First Lady of President that, bless his heart, always polled popular, even after impeachment. She was as close to the face of the Democratic Party as any individual member of Congress can possibly be.
First Lady and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech put the Democratic imprimatur on that vote and that war to help sell it to Americans.
Please show love to Ohio State Rep Nina Turner and other endorsers
Ms. Turner decided that Senator Sanders earned her endorsement. http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251799937
As you will recall, New Hampshire State Representative Timothy Smith was, IIRC, the first state or federal Democratic officeholder to endorse Senator Sanders. In answer to questions from facebook users, he said that there was indeed enormous pressure for Democratic politicians to endorse "another candidate." (No doubt the Lincoln Chafee machine struck again!) So, any Democratic officeholder who endorses Senator Sanders deserves love. http://www.democraticunderground.com/128054423
Smith thought showing love to endorsers publicly might make a difference, showing politicians that the public would have their back if they made the choice they were being pressured not to make. So do I.
Show love to Ms. Turner and, if you haven't gotten around to showing love to Smith, please do that as well. And, of course, the co-chairs of the House Progressive Committee, which Bernie founded during his first year in Congress, Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva, who have also endorsed Sanders.
https://www.facebook.com/Keith.Ellison/
https://www.facebook.com/Rep.Grijalva/
https://www.facebook.com/Rep-Timothy-Smith-235121411547/timeline/
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Nina%20Turner%20state%20representative
You know what to do.
Who Votes
NOTE TO HOSTS: In a literal way, this OP is not directly related to the primary election of Senator Sanders. However, from a less literal perspective, it is. For one thing, it tells us where we may want to focus giving out leaflets, campaign buttons (hopefully from the Sanders store) and our GOTV efforts and so on. For another, a lot has been said about the support of the youth vote" for Sanders, are they showing up in polls, will they or won't they vote, etc. That said, I'm going to love you just as much if you lock or not.Who Votes
Potentially useful terms:
Millennials, aka Gen Y--Those born in a year from the early 1980s through the early 2000s (Some say 1982-2004).
The youngest generation whose members will be eligible to vote in 2016 and the largest living generation.
Gen X-- Those born in a year from 1965 through the early 1980s
Post War Baby Boomers--those born in a year from 1946 through 1964 (after this, the bracket years get fuzzier)
Let's just call everyone else, including the so-called Greatest Generation, either the oldest voters or too young to vote in 2016.
Let's start with the so-called youth vote. As Senator Sanders has pointed out many times, most people who are eligible to vote do not show up to vote. The conventional political wisdom is that the youth vote is notorious for not voting, so young voters do not really matter. However, I have posted that the conventional political wisdom is neither conventional nor wisdom. (apologies to Mike Myers).
2012 In 2012, the youth vote was decisive for Obama. Repeat: In 2012, the youth vote was decisive for Obama.
About half of all eligible people ages 18-29 voted in Tuesday’s election, roughly the same level as 2008, according to Peter Levine, the center’s director. The youth vote’s share of the electorate actually increased slightly from 18 percent to 19 percent. In total, 22 million-23 million young people voted, according to the analysis.
Levine and "Rock The Vote" President Heather Smith both said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday that increased turnout over presidential elections in 2004, 2008 and 2012 shows high voter turnout is a “new normal” with the millennial generation, compared to less engaged voters in Generation X. In the 1990s, youth turnout was regularly less than 40 percent.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2012/11/study-youth-vote-was-decisive-083510#ixzz3rK749NfS
Moral: The "conventional political wisdom notwithstanding," campaigning and GOTV efforts in college campuses and places where college kids gather will be far from wasted. Before you go, check online for residency requirements and the like so you can answer questions. If you can't figure out how to find them or parse them, call your Secretary of State's Office or your town or city hall.
2004-2008
In the last three general elections – 2004, 2006, and 2008 — young voters have given the Democratic Party a majority of their votes, and for all three cycles they have been the party’s most supportive age group. This year, 66% of those under age 30 voted for Barack Obama making the disparity between young voters and other age groups larger than in any presidential election since exit polling began in 1972.
The article says that the youth vote was not decisive for Obama in 2008, but young voters made a difference, both with their votes and with their enthusiastic volunteer efforts.
http://www.pewresearch.org/2008/11/13/young-voters-in-the-2008-election/ (lots of info of various kinds in this article).
So, whatever the case may have been in the 1990s or earlier, there's a new sheriff in town as far as voters showing up at the polls--and especially for Democrats. This is the future of our Party and we'd better think twice before we turn them off with cronyism or shenanigans.
OK, who else shows up at the polls? Educated people and wealthy people--and we know there's a correlation between education and earnings. Great reasons for Democrat to push for making higher education more and more accessible. (The more people vote, the likelier Democrats are to be elected). http://cnnchangethelist.tumblr.com/post/31863379479/on-who-votes-and-who-doesnt
Women vote in greater numbers than men and a good percentage of older people also vote.http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/census-data-finds-who-votes-and-who-doesnt/ (June 2012, probably based on data gathered in 2011)
Beloveds, this is so very important. It is the first opportunity Americans have had of this kind since at least LBJ (domestically--Sanders is better on foreign policy).
Holidays are upon us and the first caucus (Iowa) is February 1, the first primary (New Hampshire) February 9 and Super Tuesday is March 1.
It's Donation O'Clock, Volunteer O'Clock and GOTV O'Clock, maximum efforts on all three, from now until at least Super Tuesday.
Occam's razor seems to be cited to try to convince us that all is exactly as it seems
on the surface or exactly as we've been told--until and until someone who thumbed his or her nose at Occam long enough to start investigating indisputably proves otherwise. Then, those who had theretofore been wielding Occam's razor to slice consideration of that issue suddenly scatter silently....until the next time.
As far as I am concerned, Godwin can * Occam's Razor and Occam can * Godwin's fake "Law." Both have become internet code for "I'm right and this is all I've got to 'prove' it, but sit down and shut up anyway."
Finally connected with my politics buddy who attended a fundraising dinner with Sanders.
The event was held in a home in Beverly Hills proper on several acres of land. Price was $200 a head.
In 2008, I was invited to an event at $2000 a head in Boston to be in the reception area to see Obama before he went into the dinner, which was $10,000 a head. So, $200 a head is quite reasonable.
Not only that, but Sanders was coming from an event held for young people that was only $25 a head (another reason he has our hearts, as well as our minds). After the event my buddy attended, Sanders was going to another fundraising dinner. And there was a rally somewhere in that 24 hours as well, so it had to have been exhausting.
The band America, from the 1960s played. (That's what my friend said. I googled. They formed in 1970.)
My friend said he sat directly across the pool from Sanders as Sanders spoke. Sanders gave what my friend dubbed "the greatest hits from his stump speech." Then, for me, the disappointing part: After Sanders finished his prepared remarks, those present clustered around him and my buddy did not "feel like elbowing my way in." So, he had no little very personal tidbit to relate.
Some time ago, my friend had sent me the Sanders' buttons he had been given at the event. So, there's that. I had ordered buttons to give away when the Sanders store had its sale at the end of the fundraising quarter, but these buttons will be the ones I keep.
And that's all she wrote. (This was an enormous amount of info for my friend to convey. I told you he was terse.)
P.S. More details in Reply 3 from dirtydickcheney, who also attended the event.
Gonna pat myself on the back (and maybe get others thinking?)
So, Saturday, I had to get medical care. (No worries; it needed immediate attention, but was simple to treat and I am much better.)
It being Saturday and this being Boston, that meant going to the hospital. I took a cab. On the way back, I had the presence of mind to tip the cab driver more than 100% of the fare. (Not as big a deal as it sounds. The fare was not much.)
And, as I handed him the money, I said "Keep the change and please consider voting for Senator Sanders in the Democratic primary." He looked as stunned as he could look. Don't know if it did any good, but I bet he tells the story to someone else.
The reason I pat myself on the back is, I don't think many people going to the drug store from the hospital would have the presence of mind to squeeze in a bit of campaigning.
Where or how have you sneaked in, or squeezed in, a plug for Senator Bernie Sanders?
Appreciation Thread for Supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders
I can't remember if this is my third or fourth appreciation thread in this Group, but this one is not only for this group.
This appreciation thread is for the hundreds of thousands of small (relatively) donors to the Bernie campaign; the tens and tens of thousands of supporters of Sanders who attend his rallies; those who flyer and otherwise campaign for him; and, yes, all the genuine supporters of Sanders in this group, past and present; and all the genuine supporters of Sanders who have hosted this group, past and present--all my much loved Beloveds. Even if you do nothing more than put a plus 1 after a post or hit your horn when you see a Sanders sign, I love you.
If you've been posting less, I wish you would post more. If you've wandered off or felt driven off and can return, I wish you would return. However, first and foremost, do what keeps you healthiest and best enables you to do good for Senator Sanders. Oh, and did I mention, I love all you "loonies?"
No legal reason exists, but the Secretary needs no legal reason to issue a press release or comment
to media I posted last night that I thought the Secretary's statements were kabuki and today's news has only convinced me that I was correct.
(http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251764490 Thread is now locked, so I can't link directly to my Rely 57.)
Sanders has been recognized as a candidate for the Democratic nomination by the DNC, he has done everything he needs to do under Vermont law to become a Democrat and the Vermont Democratic Party has recognized him as a Democrat. There was no legitimate reason whatever to question for the press whether he belonged on the ballot. However, it did give the DNC the opportunity to stand up for him after the blatant bias of DWS and the DNC against him has been the subject of much press. So, two birds with one stone: damage Sanders more and try to polish up the turd the reputation of DWS has become.
It's all ginned up bs, both the questioning and the "rescue." So, two turd birds with one stone: (1) Make headlines questioning Sanders bona fides as a Democrat yet again, and polish up the turd that DWS's reputation has become by having the DNC stand by his side and appear neutral.
Really? Me, not so much.
http://jacksonville.com/reason/fact-check/2014-03-08/story/fact-check-was-hillary-clinton-fired-watergate-investigation (not confirmed or denied, not proven or disproven, but stated in a book written by someone in a very good position to know whom Hillary could have sued for libel, even under the standard applicable to public figures)http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4218509
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/video_hillary_clinton_in_1990_im_proud_of_walmart_20150525
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12778959
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251471617
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/06/us/elusive-papers-of-law-firm-are-found-at-white-house.html?pagewanted=all
In 1998, with First Lady Hillary Cinton, From began a dialogue with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other world leaders, and the DLC brand – known as The Third Way – became a model for resurgent liberal governments around the globe.[17]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_From
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_right-wing_conspiracy
So much for Obamacare was never intended to be the be all and end all.
How soon did they think we were again going to hold a huge majority in the House, 60 in the Democratic Caucus and the White House all at the same time, so we could improve Obamacare? When was the last time that had happened?
But, according to them, even that wasn't enough. We needed many more Democratic Senators because blue dogs--which the Party supports six ways to Sunday. When do you suppose we are going to have 80 Democratic Senators, just to make sure we have enough of a cushion to pass good legislation, despite the conservadems the Party loves to run? Heck maybe we need even more!
Please stop swallowing these excuses. Or, at least, please stop repeating them and expecting the rest of us to swallow them.
Yeah, I know, Lieberman. Curses! Foiled again! And Kennedy died. And Coakley, who got zero support from the DNC, lost to Brown. 60 days or pick a number. So what? Since when is 60 days not enough to take a vote? Moreover, the final version passed by reconciliation, which required 50 plus the VP.
The villain was perceived self-interest, which drives so much of what goes on in government, from war votes to health care. Our lives and the lives and futures of our descendants versus their self interest.
Elect some principled, trustworthy people and things may change. Will you?
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Member since: Wed Jun 20, 2012, 02:49 AMNumber of posts: 45,251