You notice I changed the name of my vlog. I speak on the past election and the work ahead of us.
You notice I changed the name of my vlog. I speak on the past election and the work ahead of us.
On Election Day, November 6, I worked the polls in my division, as Clerk in my division’s election board, helping my fellow board members set up for the voting, and helping people, citizens of our country, exercise their right to vote, which people have died for. It was a long and crazy day, but it was worth it, as I was part of a movement to take our country back from plutocrats and their deranged front man in the White House.
The election results? Not all I hoped for, to be honest; the Republicans, a reactionary parody of their former selves, still have control of the Senate, but the Democrats regained the House; and there are several new members of the House-many of them women, and young, Hispanic, and native-American, reflecting the reality that America is a vast, diverse country, and non-white people are taking part in the system.
Yesterday, I was at the meeting of Philly For Change, at Tattooed Mo, on 5th and South streets. There were no speakers, but we celebrated the victories of our endorsed candidates, Joe Hohenstein and Malcolm Kenyatta in the State House of Representatives. We also discussed he campaign itself, like how we communicate to voters, the campaign strategy of trump, and how to plan for the elections in 2019.
What concerns me is the temptation by the Democratic congressional leadership to think the old rules of politics-sit down with the other side, make deals, and work something out to get things done-are still in effect. This is no longer the time of Lyndon Johnson, who was able to meet with Republican leaders like Everett Dirksen to pass Civil rights legislation; the republican party had “learned” that the way to get ahead in politics is to slander the opposition, not just way they’re wrong but that they’re evil, and never compromise with them, and force your congressional leaders to take extreme stances-the tactics Newt Gingrich was famous for.
As we progressives are working inside the Democratic party, we must demand some backbone from our leaders, and not give in to their demands for greater tax cuts for the plutocrats; the destroying of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security; the weakening of regulations on the pollution of our air and water; and tolerance for discrimination against racial and religious minorities; we must also push for the end of being close to wall street, to gain campaign contributions, but to overturn the Citizens United decision and stop treating campaign contributions-to the millions of dollars-like “free speech.” We must prepare for a fight, for our families and our democracy.
This is democracy-people, working people, retirees, young people, claiming a stake in the political system that affects all of our lives. It is an opportunity where a neighborhood person, man or woman you know in your block-such as a retiree-can be a political player. I urge you, in this dangerous period in our nation’s history, to play your role in reclaiming our government and making it work for working people.
Donald Trump, supposedly the President of the United States, went to Helsinki to meet Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia and the man helpful to donnie’s getting elected, with the Russian intelligence agents hacking the DNC and the Clinton campaign. In the press conference after the meeting-where there were no one else but interpreters, no foreign policy advisers-donnie commended Russia’s hosting the Word Cup, and took the word of Putin, the former KGB agent-you remember form the Cold war era, the KGB were the villains- over the findings of US government intelligence agencies-the same government donnie is supposed to be running-whether or not the Russian intelligence agencies sabotaged the election of 2016, jeopardizing what’s left of our “democracy,” thus installing a business failure-racist-misogynist-realty-show clown as president.
(Plus in the press conference, trump once again went off on a tangent about beating Hillary Clinton, like he’s campaigning again-but when does he ever stop campaigning?)
trump always had a soft spot in his “heart” for dictators and authoritarians, whether they be Kim John-Un, Erdogan, Recep Dutarte, Ix Jinping, or Putin. “Like takes to like,” as they say, and THESE are the role models trump is trying t follow.
Americans! Let’s stand up for our rights! Don’t wait until November, start NOW! Hit the streets, write to your editors, visit your elected officials!
Republicans have whined forever about “voter fraud,” and thus have implemented voter ID laws to supress voters likely to vote Democratic. How the HELL is THIS for voting fraud? And how is THIS for a civics lesson? The idea of democracy is both sides respect eachother. The way things are going, the Democrats are playing nice while the Republicans are in full schoolyard bully mode, and we get yelled at if we stnd up for ourselves. Why not? They want a rumble, let’s GIVE it to them!
False Robocalls That Wreaked Havoc On Chicago Elections Linked To GOP Activists | ThinkProgress
via False Robocalls That Wreaked Havoc On Chicago Elections Linked To GOP Activists | ThinkProgress.
The first thing I did this morning before going to my job was to go to my polling place-the only REAL poll-and I voted. There was a line of people there, in spite of the media talk about light voter turnout in a midterm election. The stakes are high this election, control fo teh US Senate, governors’ races, that touch on us on a daily basis. How did we get to this place that people don’t go to vote, as if it doesn’t have anyting to do with them-it definately does. We have to change the culture of this contry to elimanate the “I don’t care, I got my own problems” attitude that causes people to stay away from voting-the people we elect deal with such issues as taxes, schools, roads, air and water pollution, and that is EVERY person’s problem. We don’t live in isolation, no matter how hard we act like it. PLEASE, for your sake, for the sake of your community and country, VOTE. I’m John Oliver Mason and I approve this message.