JaneAusten

I think it's a bit disingenuous pushing aside voter suppression. It's no coincidence minority voting was down this election, the first major election since the court gutted the Voting Rights act. Simply because things happened before doesn't make even more blatant suppression acceptable. Interstate cross check which deleted millions of minorities from voter roles, voter ID law requirements, were all legislation that came after the decision by the supreme court to gut VRA and 18 states already had legislation ready to go to take advantage of that once the ruling came through. And it's not just the south. Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio were all part of that. Thousands of voters in the Milwaukee area were unable to vote because they didn't have the proper ID, one a 90 year old black woman who lived there for 50 years and was born at home so no birth certificate accessible who voted in every election up to that point. Wisconsin was ordered by a federal judge these people had to be given ID's within a 6 day time frame so they could vote, but not all the DMV's in Wisconsin followed this. What happened? Nothing. The state got away with disenfranchising those voters, mostly minority. And I appreciate you sharing your experience. And I think some of us recognize these things. We've been hearing about the rural white voters for months now. Sadly nothing that this administration will do will help any of them unless poisoning streams with coal debris, cutting student free lunches, school voucher programs, will be considered beneficial to these communities. Gerrymandering is an issue. It was when the dems were doing it and is still wrong and has been going on since the country was founded to varying degrees. The motives behind the dems doing it during Jim Crow are exactly the same as the motives today. And when the VRA happened, the Southern dems realigned themselves with the GOP ie; the southern strategy.

I have a lot of respect for Al Giordano. Great thread to read thru. Note who Stephanie Hansen was helped by to win her seat in Delaware and it was not the DNC, Bernie Sanders, Our Revolution, Bernie Bros etc. Although Joe Biden did show up to help a bit.

Sadly we have to endure him for 6 more years. And he still has that shill Cilizza with the Post sucking up to him.

Snowflake. By the way made a visit to the local holocaust museum yesterday. Very enlightening. Guess what Hitler's campaign slogan was in 1932. Make Germany Great Again.

Since when don't the democrats realize they have a problem and because Perez is the chair they are going back to same old same old?. I agree some self evaluation is needed but every person I heard talk on that stage talked about going back to the lowest level and rebuilding from the ground up, execute a 50 state plan, every postal code strategy, every precinct strategy, each person had a different term but they were all saying the same thing. The messaging needs to change, they need to spend more time on reaching out to disengaged people(and not just white by the way) and get back to representing working class people and that can happen if they re-engage strongly with Unions again. At least as a starting point since Unions are being obliterated. But that also needs to come with some hard truths like those jobs that have left those areas over the past 40 years are not coming back. But you are also not ever going to bring jobs back until those areas become more welcoming to those not like them. Foreigners and immigrants have created a tremendous amount of jobs in this country. Pittsburgh lost the steel industry but bounced back by focusing on being a technology hub of sorts by attracking those companies, many started and run by Asians, Indians, and Middle Easterners. Buffalos refugees have helped that area rebound also. West Virginia is now pushing heavily in tourism, But much of that effort needs to start in those communities as well. I also feel that there is a lot of work being done FOR the democrats now also without any oversight or help from them. But can we not pretend how much this election was about those poor white working class men. It's been done to death and WE ALL KNOW by reading the hundreds of articles about them. And not one about how Blacks and Latinos(including worklng class members) had their names removed from voter rolls, millions by the way, about how it's harder to get an id to vote in those states Clinton lost in in the upper Midwest, how they eliminated polling places in minority areas to discourage minorities from voting, early voting cut back, but what did we hear. How minority Voting, black and latino, was down this year. Not one word about why other than saying they weren't excited about Clinton. Really? And on a side note, not picking on you, but why is URBAN now treated as a 4 letter word. It's like people who live in urban areas are not "Real Americans". People have been flocking out of those rural areas to urban areas for years now why? JOBS.

This is why these grassroots efforts matter. The election in Delaware yesterday, Hansen won by 17%. IN 2014 the seat was won by 2%. These efforts can matter. As a blue state voter I am hosting a group that is planning on working with the closest swing district, which is not in my state, to help swing it, through SwingLeft. There are red districts here but not districts that are right now considered swing districts. That could change of course, but right now we are focusing our efforts on a district out of state where the candidate won by less than 10,000 votes.

I'm also not sure what they believe they would be getting with Ellison as DNC chair. They got the platform changed which is an accomplishment. I think Perez is a good solid choice. Not my choice but neither was Ellison. But Perez does have a good track record on civil rights and he did talk again yesterday about tackling voter suppression, something he seemed to back off from during the past several weeks. The Bernie contingent believing this is a non issue are delusional. When you use tactics to suppress millions of voters, democratic voters THAT'S a big deal. Ellison in his favor did talk about it but I don't think I ever heard Bernie or any of his core supporters recognize it as a big issue. Let me ask those who think Perez is a bad decision, you have Obama, Eric Holder, Ellison, Perez all talking about voter suppression and gerrymandering, yet Bernie and his core supporters not touching it. What's the common element here? I can see it. Buttigieg by the way also talked about it along with redistricting. Obama, Holder, Ellison, Perez, Buttigieg get it because they are all voters who the GOP is actively trying to disengage.(Buttigieg is a gay man). We all know economic issues are key yes and I do believe that the democratic party needs some sort of approach, like a contract with America or New Deal or something to get the message out on what they represent but that needs to be more than economics. Anyone who understands the party should also know that Ellison is much more valuable where he is at. Frankly I am no Pelosi fan at this point so let's see him fight for being House minority leader or maybe even Speaker should the House fall back into democratic hands in 2018. Rumor is that's why Schumer supported Ellison for DNC chair was to get him away from that battle this year.

There is a very small vocal minority. And with the right candidates and focus people will unite. We will see how good Ellison and Perez will be at doing that. Those who don't want to were never going to no matter what. And they are not reliable voters anyway. I'm convinced with the right candidates people will. I actually see people like Ellison with more potential than being DNC chair. And you have people like Jason Kander and Buttigieg who can inspire people. I think someone like Jehmu also has more she can contribute. I am not dishing the DNC chair position but these are people who IMO have shown enough charisma and leadership skills to be able to be more.

Not trying to make light of this tragedy and no doubt it's awful, but you mentioned yesterday about doubting tourism will be down due to a Muslim ban. I actually agree to an extent but it's not about that. It's about the fact that this country is becoming non welcoming to anyone not Anglo white. My sister in law is here as a permanent resident with a green card from the Philippines and even she is now afraid to go home for a visit in fear of what will happen when she returns. I think there are plenty of people who are non Muslim but " look different" than a so called "real American" that feel the same way.

I think you have to give it time. If you read anything about Watergate that went on for over 2 years before it caught up with Nixon and the GOP. The GOP even then thought they could manage the situation. And Nixon still lasted over 6 months after the Saturday night massacre when Cox was fired. And Watergate also started with a DNC break in.

They also get the best and lifetime health insurance. What do they care. I use my nephew as the example of someone who chose not to have health insurance(before the ACA). He had an accident on an ATV that messed up his jaw badly. He had to have 2 reconstructive surgeries and all new teeth implanted. He was at least smart enough to get the dental work done through the local dental school which cut down a 20k procedure to 3k but he had to get that money from his grandmother(my mom) because he didn't have it to pay upfront. The rest of his treatment which amounted to around 80K went poof when he filed bankruptcy. So who pays for that? We all do with higher premiums. Its why none of this will solve the healthcare problems and costs. Those of us who want it and need it and realize it's needed end up paying for those fools who don't get it because they are "healthy". If they are young and healthy, their premiums are also dirt cheap IMO. At least compared with what some of the rest of us have to pay.

Well I am worried about people like Dragonflies above(not picking on you my friend) who will think anything is ok. We should be demanding something better not even something equal or less. Why is something less worthy not bad? The democrats need to get off their lazy butts and counter this ridiculousness. Fix the ACA and quit making it more complicated with a repeal and replace that's going to replace the ACA with something less. And by the way the GOP plan also shows they intend to block people from care at Planned Parenthood. See how much they care about women's health.

The GOP solution to this is always tax credits which means nada to people making 35k a year or less. That was McCain's so called plan when he ran in 2008 also. Point is that the plan is supposed to be better. So where is the better? And people like me with PEC oh goody we get put back in the high risk pool.

He already has.

You're never going to change the diehards. But I'm not convinced some of the softer group of supporters won't be swayed ultimately when the actual evidence materializes and it will. There is so much more. The ridiculous idea that the RNC was not hacked is well ridiculous. And I'm convinced more has been hacked. I watched Malcolm Nance on Maher's show last week(last time I am watching that garbage but I like Nance and Wilmore) and he quickly debunked that ridiculousness Jack Kingston was spewing about how much more protected the RNC and GOP. Nance laughed and told him how naïve he was and that as an ex intelligence officer, if anyone wanted to break in and get your information, no protections would matter no matter how robust you think they are. Me I am waiting for the Russians to start releasing some of the information they have on the Trump contingent because that's coming at some point. They'll try and deflect attention away from themselves by doing that IMO.

He's the Hitler jew who would have been used, thinking he was privileged to the end, and then also gassed.

Miller is Jewish. Maybe someone needs to send him some clips of Jewish people being hurded into cattle cars and sent to gas chambers. He's not exempt from their hate nor was Milo, regardless of how much both want to feel like they are a member of the cool kids club.

I think the DNC really needs to look at a compromise. I actually like Harrison, Jehmu, and Buttigieg. I see Harrison has dropped and endorsed Perez. He IMO would have been the best choice. The problem is Perez and Ellison will create animosity within some faction. Better to go with a compromise. Buttigieg IMO is destined for more, Ellison really is needed in the house, and the DNC chair is really more or less a fundraising job. With that Perez seems like the better choice, but Jehmu has talked a lot about working from the ground up as has Buttigieg. I feel both Buttigieg and Jehmu could do better than being a fundraiser. Jehmu like Buttigieg and someone like Jason Kander IMO has starpower and could do more. I guess we will see. The worst part is it's been 40 years of the same. These communities have been obliterated. The sad part is if these communities could open themselves up to refugees(who helped cities like Buffalo and Pittsburgh bounce back) or Hispanics(which have helped areas in larger cities bounce back) they could turn themselves around to some extent. The problem isn't manufacturing leaving, its the lack of seeing that our country is moving on. Donald Trump and the GOP's programs will only highlight how much our own business communities have moved on. Actually the GOP knows darn well that is the case and is why they have fought against and for immigration reform for years.

There is absolutely no way our economy will be able to sustain any of this without some sort of crash. Tourism, Agriculture, Kicking out people who actually contribute to our economy. In Chicago, the Ukrainian Village is full of undocumented folks. And that part of the city has experienced the highest growth in the past 5 years due to those folks.

I liked him and sad to hear this. I'm not usually a fan of pundits who seem to hate everything the other side represents. I never felt Colmes treated those with opposing views with disrespect and listened but did chastise those on both sides who made ridiculous claims.

Rachel Maddow last night had a segment on Harris County in Texas(Houston area and state's most populous county). I didn't realize that the long time Sheriff there got beat in this past election due to his support of the 287 program. Harris had deported record numbers of undocumented folks under his watch. Last election, the Hispanic community campaigned voted in droves, a lot to do with him, Clinton of course won the county but the former Sheriff got beat by a democrat who ran opposed to 287. It was not a narrow win either he won with around 54% of the vote. It failed in the 1920's, it failed under Reagan, Bush, yet they still are able to sell stupid Americans on it. And that in itself convinces me that American's don't really care that they are getting screwed as long as the other guy gets screwed worse.

Jehmu also was the only one who mentioned the misogyny in Hillary's candidacy.

I think I am off the Ellison and Perez bandwagon. Harrison, Buttigieg, and Jehmu were the standouts.

Lord the turtle and that smirk is just cringe inducing. Really other than obeying their GOP Koch Brother donors what on earth do any of these GOPers do. The Iowa state legislature even turned against the constituents who voted them in and are busy passing a bunch of anti abortion legislation along with ensuring Iowa is the next right to work state.

So how soon before the Agricultural Industry starts increasing prices?