Your 2nd Amendment is not more equal than our 15th and 19th Amendment

Psychopaths for Trump

I am spitting angry this morning about this new and outrageous statement from Donald Trump:

“We’re going to watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people don’t come in and vote five times,” he said at a rally in Altoona, Pennsylvania. “If you do that, we’re not going to lose. The only way we can lose, in my opinion — I really mean this, Pennsylvania — is if cheating goes on.”

I’m a campaign volunteer for PA Democrats and Hillary for PA since March of this year. It irritates me to no end that all my efforts, sincere, honest, legal efforts to get people registered and get out the vote are now considered part of some great conspiracy to deny Donald Trump a win in Pennsylvania.

We are trying to deny Donald a win in Pennsylvania, no question about that but it’s not a conspiracy. It’s called campaigning. We are doing things the old-fashioned way. There are many, many boots on ground in this state. The Democrats are taking this election very seriously so they are active and mobilized to register as many people who are legally able to vote. We also do phone banking and in about a month, we’ll start canvassing. There are so many volunteers in PA right now that we are tripping over each other.

Ooooooo, out Machiavellian plans to deprive Donald of Pennsylvania’s electoral votes are… wait, they’re just normal election activities. I’ve been involved in several campaigns over the years and there’s nothing unusual about this one except the high number of us volunteering. THAT’S why Hillary is leading in the polls. It’s easier to get people to vote for you when you try to meet their needs and ask them for votes than if you threaten to break their knees. Just my humble opinion.

Where is Donald Trump’s Get Out the Vote efforts?? Fuck if I know. I haven’t seen any. But let’s face it, would you rather talk to a friendly optimistic enthusiastic person about voting or an angry bloviating dickhead with a stupid red baseball cap on his head? Let’s not even start with the potential voters Trump is not registering.

But with this newest pronouncement from Trump, what’s going to happen to us when we go to the polls in November? Is THAT where Donald is going to spend all of his time and money, on poll watchers challenging any African American and married woman who tries to express their preferences?

If that’s the plan, Donald, how are you planning to guarantee our safety?  That is one of the responsibilities of the President of the United States. Do you have control of your droogs? How are you going to prevent them from beating the shit out of voters? Are your ammosexuals going to strut around polling places with their guns out in the open and ready for action? What’s going to happen next, Donald?

In the span of one week, Donald Trump has done a “Who will rid me of this meddlesome opponent?!” speech, inviting the attention of the Secret Service. Now, he’s siccing his menacing followers on voters in PA in an attempt to deprive us of our Constitional rights. Shouldn’t the Federal Elections Commission be scheduling an interview with him as well?

I live in a diverse neighborhood. I LIKE it. My poll attendants are African American and little old ladies. I do not want to have to worry that going to vote this fall is going to put any of us in danger.

But that is what you are advocating, Donald. You are trying to make us afraid because you and your supporters won’t take “No” for an answer.

You won’t win here in Pennsylvania. We’re going to legally beat your fat ass this fall in a landslide one person, one vote at a time.

Cheating won’t be necessary.

I can’t get past the suckiness

I’m trying to ‘get’ the Obama thing. Why are so many people ready to vote for a guy who seems pretty conservative to me. More like an 80s Republican than any Democrat I’ve ever known. So why do so many of my old Democratic buddies love this guy so much?  I won’t kid you — I can’t see myself voting for a Robot Drone Bomber.  But, many people do. So, I spent part of today trying to figure it out.

Frankly, I’m not getting very far.

There’s this post over at FireDogLake, Obama, The Not-So-Great Debate, Austerity and the Election. David Dayen is talking about this story over at Time —  What He Knows Now: Obama on Popularity, Partisanship and Getting Things Done in Washington (which is also discussed by Digby here)

After this, he improbably says that the election is “going to give voters a very clear choice.” There’s a discontinuity there, part of which can be absorbed by the realities of what the Romney campaign has proposed on paper – massive tax cuts, spending slashes on Medicaid and the poor that would cut to the bone. But Obama explains that his goal would be merely to cut those programs, just not all the way back that nobody could benefit from them.

My message to Democrats is the same message I’ve got to Republicans and independents, and that is, I want a balanced approach to deficit reduction that combines additional revenue, particularly from folks like me who can afford it, with prudent cuts on both the discretionary side and the mandatory side but that still allows us to make investments in the things we need to grow.

And that means I’m prepared to look at reforms in Medicaid. I’m prepared to look at smart reforms on Medicare. But there are things I won’t do, and this is part of the debate we’re having in this election. I do not think it is a good idea to set up Medicare as a voucher system in which seniors are spending up to $6,000 more out of pocket. That was the original proposal Congressman Ryan put forward. And there is still a strong impulse I think among some Republicans for that kind of approach.

I’m not going to slash Medicaid to the point where disabled kids or seniors who are in nursing homes are basically uncared for. We’re not going to violate the basic bargain that Social Security represents.

This is what passes for a great debate in American politics circa 2012. Sadder still, it IS a debate, just on a scale that leaves out the perspective of a substantial chunk, perhaps the majority, of the country.

And it’s funny because (I swear, I’m trying to figure out his appeal) then I came to this from Glenn Greenwald:

Election 2012 and the media: a vast rightwing conspiracy of stupid

Strong and rational though it may be, the temptation to ignore entirely the election year spectacle should be resisted. Despite its shallow and manipulative qualities – or, more accurately, because of them – this process has some serious repercussions for American political life.

The election process is where American politicians go to be venerated and glorified, all based on trivial personality attributes that have zero relationship to what they do with their power, but which, by design, convinces Americans that they’re blessed to be led by people with such noble and sterling character, no matter how much those political figures shaft them. (Wednesday, President Obama, during his highly-touted “Ask Me Anything” appearance on Reddit, predictably ignored the question from Mother Jones’s Nick Baumann about Obama’s killing of the American teenager Abdulrahman Awlaki, in favor of answering questions about the White House beer recipe and his favorite basketball player.)

The election process is where each political party spends hundreds of millions of dollars exploiting the same trivial personality attributes to demonize the other party’s politicians as culturally foreign, all to keep their followers in a high state of fear and thus lock-step loyalty.

So I don’t know what to think. I mean none of this is getting me any closer to voting for +8% to +20% unemployment and a Robot Drone Bomber or a Robot (HaHaHa) I mean Romney.

But, I’ll tell you this – I kind of expect crap from Republicans.  I don’t mean I accept it but, I live in Kansas and am surrounded by their logic so I expect it.  I get it. I get them.  But I never expected to live with this shit from Democrats everyday for a year or more!

Obamobedience

“So, who are you voting for?” an Obama follower asked me prior to the event.  I was holding posters with 12 friends and handing out hundreds of flyers that looked like Obama material until you read them. (PDF).

The posters objected to the tripling of weapons sales to foreign dictators last year, Obama’s willingness to cut Social Security and Medicare, the kill list, imprisonment without trial, warrantless spying, corporate trade agreements, the continued so-called “Bush” tax cuts, the war on Afghanistan, the drone wars, the increased military budget, the murder of Tariq Aziz and of Abdulrahman al Awlaki, the weak auto efficiency standards in the news that day, the refusal to prosecute torturers, Obama’s sabotaging of agreements to counter global warming, etc.

“So, who are you going to vote for?”

“Well,” I said, “you know, you can vote for someone good like Jill Stein or Rocky Anderson, or you can vote for Obama, but today is not election day.  If you vote for the lesser evil candidate on election day, that’s great.  Knock yourself out.  But that does not begin to produce an argument for being his apologist and cheerleader throughout the year.  If you push the culture and the government in a better direction, both evil candidates will get a little less evil.  One guy wants to trash Social Security, and the other guy brags about his willingness to make huge compromises with that agenda — that is, to partially trash Social Security.  So, is your job to demand that not a dime be cut (regardless of how you vote), or is your job to cheer for the partially trash it guy, thereby guaranteeing that he and the other guy both get even worse?”

“Yeah, I see, but I’m trying to understand who you think we should vote for.”

“Let me try again.  Take Obama’s kill list for . . . ”

“His what?”

“President Obama keeps a list of the people he wants to kill.  It was a frontpage New York Times story three months ago that made a lot of news but was carefully avoided by Democrats even more assiduously than you would have sought it out and trumpeted your outrage were the president a Republican.  Anyway, take the kill list, which includes Americans and non-Americans, adults and children.  Is it your job to ignore it, to celebrate it, or to protest it?  I don’t mean your job as a voter, but your job as a citizen.  What are you supposed to do in such a case?”

“Well what’s the alternative?”

“The alternative to murdering people?  Well, I don’t know how to put this.  The alternative is essentially not murdering people.”

“No, what’s the alternative to Obama? Isn’t the other guy worse?”

…

“I’m not sure I’m being very clear here.  70% of the country wants the war in Afghanistan ended.  Neither candidate is willing to end it.  Obama pretends he’s ending it.  Romney doesn’t mention it.  Should 70% of the country keep quiet while large numbers of people are killed?  Or should we approach both branches of our government, the two parties, with our just and moral demand until we’re satisfied — regardless of who we’re going to vote for?”

All bolding by me. (also referenced by Lambert in an earlier comment)

And that’s that.  I still don’t get it.

Go Vote!

Let’s not sit this one out, people.  Let yourselves be heard.

And Remember,

Friends don’t let Friends vote Republican.

Give your Tea Party or just plain disgusted friend an earful before they step into that voting booth.  If they don’t like Democrats, there are always other party candidates.  If you are living in NJ, here is a list of all of the candidates running in your districts: Rutgers University’s 2010New Jersey Candidates and Referendum.  As you can see, there are plenty of alternatives to Republicans and Democrats including the American Renaissance Movement, American Labor Party,  Independents and Greens.

Whatever you do, don’t leave it up to someone else to determine the government you will have to live with for the next two years.  No matter how much you hate the way politicians have used us, go down to the precinct, get your ticket, go into the voting booth and make the best decision you can.  Sometimes, you have to stare at that row of buttons before you know what to do.  Just do it.  It’s that important.

Join us here at The Confluence for our Election Night 2010 Live-Blog starting at 8pm Eastern

Tell us in the comments what your voting strategy is. Here’s a recap of our voting strategies:

T-minus 72 Hours (or something like that) by Wonk the Vote

DT’s Voting Strategy by Dandy Tiger

My Voting Strategy- Hard Liquor by Myiq2xu

My Voting Strategy: How many times do we have to have this conversation? by littleisis

My voting strategy: Are you better off now than you were 40 years ago? by RD

Now, get out there and push their buttons!

Stop the Romans or we all get crucified.

Here i am, ready to vote

It’s busy here this morning. Busier than it was in 2004.

I did it.
McCain/Palin

I’m going to cry now.

Don’t tell me how to hold my nose

Sweeties, this one’s for you: I know all about holding my nose to vote — I’ve done it for over 35 years but, I’ve done it for the last time.

And that last time? Let me tell you about it. Ah, yes, it was John Kerry. (fadeout)

I remember about this time of year in 2004 talking to a co-worker about John Kerry. He was a Viet Nam era veteran and was concerned about some things he’d heard about Kerry. Specifically my colleague was unhappy about Kerry’s anti-war activities in the early 1970s. My friend was especially displeased with the symbolism of Kerry tossing his metals over the White House fence.

Good party-regular that I am was I had the responding-talking-point handy and made my dutiful reply. Now? I can’t for the life of me remember what it was and he was not impressed at all. I’ll tell you something — I should have known at that moment that the whole thing was hopeless. And that was before the Jane Fonda-at-the-rally photograph — and MONTHS before the Swiftboat Veterans got their say.

I spent months trying to explain the lies away or explain Kerry’s antiwar history (and God knows I was sympathetic enough to THAT) But why did Kerry have to make it so hard? Why did everything he say sound like he was deliberately trying to obscure what he meant?

Vote for HRC and Make the Wingnuts’ Heads Explode!

Tweety will drown in Aqua Velva spit!

Watch Colmes do the Funky Chicken while Hannity busts a carotid!

See Bill O’Reilly sobbing into his loofah!

Tucker will use his bow tie to hang himself!

There will be “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria…”

The Apocalypse will be upon us, the Rapture will come and all the fundagelicals will be whisked away, leaving the rest of us behind, dancing in the streets, singing to the winger owned media that tried to kill Hillary’s candidacy:

All you West Coasters, boogie on down to the voting booth and tell the wingnuts goodbye! Make up Your Own Mind. Give them fits, apoplexy, strokes (is that redundant?). Make History!

Technical question: Is DailyKos straining under the weight of massive Super Tuesday page hits or is it just experiencing one Big Obamagasm?  I haven’t been able to reach it for most of the afternoon.  Is it just me?

I voted for Hillary and it felt soo GOOD!

Oh, yeah, baby! Wish I could have done it a dozen times.

Some quick notes for New Jerseyans:

1. Hillary has a crappy ballot position. She’s number 4 from the left. Barack Obama has numero uno. The position on the ballot is assigned by lots. Her representative just drew a bad number. I almost pushed the button for Obama because I didn’t read the ballot that was mailed to me. Don’t let it happen to you!
2. I had to declare my party. This was really weird because I am registered as a Democrat. Voted Democrat all my life. Ran as a Democrat, WON as a Democrat. In this precinct, there is no one bluer than moi and everyone knows it. And YET, there was no party affiliation in the log by my name. The poll volunteers said a lot of people had no party affiliation and she too found that unususal. It’s not a problem in NJ as long as you are a registered voter. You can vote for whomever you like as long as you declare at the poll. Update: I am reporting this irregularity to HillaryHub’s form for polling problems. You know me, I’m paranoid and my tin-foil antenna are twitching. I put nothing past the Republicans, who virtually own my county. If there is a way they can take out their strongest opponent by making it look like an open primary to their Republican base, they just might do it. Anyway, it’s worth keeping an eye on, especially if the number of Obama votes exceeds the number of Democrats in my precinct who voted in the last general election.  Update 2:  The pollingproblems link is correct but they must be bombarded right now because I can’t get to the form.  Spring for some extra bandwidth, guys.  You are going to need it.
3. These two things put together, along with some other things, make me think that NJ is going to be very, very close and Clinton is going to need every vote. So, if you are a NJ resident and you are registered, get out there! The weather is no drearier than it usually is at this time of the year so there’s no excuses.