The Unemployed, Organized Online, Look to the Midterms

[ProSense]

The Unemployed, Organized Online, Look to the Midterms

Jobless Workers Look to Shift Elections

By Annie Lowrey

Sometime this spring, Republicans turned against unemployment. In Nevada, Sharron Angle (R), the candidate facing incumbent Sen. Harry Reid (D), told local reporters, “You can make more money on unemployment than you can going down and getting one of those jobs that is an honest job.” (Untrue.) Angle also called the unemployed “spoiled.”

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Jordan has searched hard for a job and is now considering moving away from his family for a few months, if it means he can send home a paycheck. “I have voted Republican my entire life,” he says. “I don’t want to vote for Harry Reid. But I don’t want to be told I’m lazy, and I’m dumb, and I’m living high on the hog, collecting (unemployment insurance) because I want to.”

<...>

Among the biggest sites in the unemployment netroots is LayoffList, managed by Michael Thornton, a native of Rochester, N.Y. Thornton started LayoffList in 2008; five months ago, he began writing articles and posting legislators’ information on the Rochester Unemployment Examiner. He now receives hundreds of emails and has logged more than a million hits at the Examiner. Thornton is finding that, rather than losing interest in politics since the end of the fight for extended benefits, the unemployed are “energized and motivated” and have started looking forward to the fall.

“Even Republicans say they aren’t voting Republican anymore,” the soft-spoken former technical writer says. “You have millions of unemployed people out there. If even half of them voted, they could swing a nationwide election.”

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The "Let Them Eat Want Ads" Caucus

Let's call it the "Let Them Eat Want Ads" Caucus -- those candidates and public officials who argue that unemployment benefits are problematic because they discourage people from seeking jobs.

And let's add another Republican to that caucus: Candidate Michele Rollins, who's running for Mike Castle's open House seat in Delaware.

Rollins, who's running in a contested race against green technology exec John Carney, was asked by a constituent if she would have voted to extend unemployment benefits. She suggested she wouldn't, claiming that "for someone who hasn't worked in two years" it's "pretty hard to get energized to go back and look for a job."

She added:

"I know this is a bad market and a very bad time. But you just cannot keep paying people, cannot keep taxing us to pay people to do nothing, because they will continue to do nothing for a very long time."

The exchange was captured on audio recorded by a tracker for the DCCC.

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[jaxx]

1. This is good to see.

The unemployed are right to be ticked at the pubs who call them names and disparage their lack of a job. I hope they vote every one of the snots out of office...or stop them from getting in.

[WI_DEM]

2. truly, why would unemployed people want to vote republican? all they

get from them is name calling and cutting off benefits.

[dkf]

3. I can't reconcile the idea that we need illegal immigrants to work jobs Americans don't want with

The high unemployment rate.

Somebody help me out here. Are we saying there are no illegal immigrants in jobs Americans don't want in these areas of high unemployment?

[Jackpine Radical]

6. i think most illegals are working for very minimal wages

in substandard conditions.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

4. Great to see 1 group see how important the midterms will be. Hopefully when they're employed again....

they will never forget what the GOP do. The GOP surely can only alienate so many voters before they are totally unelectable, which has got to be good for everyone.

[ProSense]

8. It's amazing that Dems aren't playing up this story more. n/t

[catgirl]

5. And too lazy to vote too, huh?

The repugs are so stupid.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. We'll see in November how stupid they are.

Maybe they know something we don't, such as that it doesn't matter how the people vote, only how the machines vote. Furthrmore, never underestimate the power of a good propagandist armed with unlimited corporate funds.

[Karenina]

10. BINGO!

[ProSense]

12. "only how the machines vote"

There have been two highly successful election since 2004. Yes, it was a problem then, and Democrats lunched in preparing.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. IIRC there was good evidence of massive vote theft in 2008.

The Rs just seem to have underestimated how many "extra" votes they would need. They miscalculated (or should I say misoverestimated) the Bradley Effect.

There is also reason to think that the 2006 election was similarly jiggered, and that more Dems would have been seated in a fair contest.

See TIA's book on this stuff.

Edited to add Amnazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Proving-Election-Fraud-Uncounted-National/dp/product-description/144908527X

[eilen]

9. Have you checked the blog mentioned?

Man, those letters are just devastating. The Republicans come off marginally worse than the Democrats as both parties are at fault for this fucking mess. Neither one of them has done something for these people. But the rich, the banks-- they were covered.

[Arkana]

11. The President was right--the GOP's attitude reflects a basic lack of faith

in the American people.

[ProSense]

14. Let's hope

that most people vote their interests in November.