Democrats still don't get it . . .

Democrats really don't get it.

Democrats don't get that when they rang the alarm bells of sexism early in the primaries, on Bernie Sanders' supporters-- progressives, no less-- people who are truly NOT sexist, that the, "cry wolf," syndrome was in full force by the time Donald Trump (an actual sexist) came around.

Democrats don't get that when they were willing to compromise their principles of the last four years by lifting bans on lobbyists and PAC money, to defeat-- not Donald Trump-- but a progressive candidate to the left of the establishment candidate, it fractured their base.

Democrats don't get that when they were willing to compromise our democracy, by breaking their DNC charter, by breaking convention rules, by lying about voice votes, by allowing voter suppression to go unchecked, by purging their rolls, by engaging in party-swapping, they alienated anyone and everyone who gives a damn about the integrity of our representative republic. By the time it got around to discussion about the Electoral College, their objections were laughable.

Democrats don't get that they had the biggest political movement since the 1960's at their doorstep, and they slammed the door in its face. And they didn't even have to nominate Bernie Sanders. They could've had their nominee. They just had to keep up the appearance of integrity, and they failed miserably.

Democrats don't get that compromising on free trade, after it devastated middle America for two and a half decades and enslaved tens of thousands in developing countries for our comfort, alienates both its progressive base and centrist voters.

Democrats don't get that many Latinos felt like it was a choice between the wife of the guy who signed the law that sent hundreds of thousands fleeing from poverty in Mexico, versus the guy that wants to build a wall and ship them back. They also haven't forgotten that Bill Clinton built the first border fences in California, New Mexico, and Texas in Operation Gatekeeper.

Democrats don't get that many black Americans weren't afraid of Trump-- because what can you do to black America that hasn't already been done? What can you do to black America that's worse than shooting them down like dogs in the streets and claiming self-defense? And what they needed, what they really needed in a candidate, was to know what that candidate was going to do for their communities, for their families, and for issues that affect them.

Democrats don't get that, with our climate change crisis in full swing, doubling-down on fracking, accepting donations from big oil, gas, and coal lobbyists, was a direct threat to the health and future of our youth. You'll be dead and gone when they're suffering from what you've done. They won't support you.

Democrats don't get that we blame them for the failings of Obamacare. We remember the Democrats who fought hard for the health insurance industry and big pharma that still plagues our health care. So when their candidate was still fighting for the health insurance industry, with Obamacare on the verge of collapse in several states, (insurance companies pulling out of exchanges, massive premium hikes,) their candidate sounded like a Republican.

Democrats don't get that the American people don't want change-- they need change. So much so that they were totally discouraged with their candidate and stayed home, voted for a third party for the first time in their lives, or flipped to Donald Trump.

Democrats don't get that their post-election choices, with no reform in the Democratic Party, means doom and gloom for us for decades.

Get your act together, Democrats. I can appeal to Republicans until I'm blue in the face and it won't do any good. You're our only hope.

Voting centers, or how Maricopa County suppressed the vote.

In a general election, Maricopa County is not allowed to use, "vote centers," also called, "super precincts," or, "mega precincts," that reduce the number of polling stations but allow voters to vote anywhere. For the first time ever, because these are presidential preference elections and they are not bound by general election laws, Secretary of State Michele Reagan and County Recorder Helen Purcell rolled out these, "vote centers," on March 22, 2016 without announcing it to the voters, or the media, or anyone really. They just did it.

Here's a list of the known issues with vote centers. Anyone who spends any time learning about vote centers knows these are the issues inherent with them. Our state officials had to know this would be the result. If they didn't, they are incompetent.

1. Vote centers make polling places far less convenient, particularly for more rural voters and the less mobile.
2. Urban areas become gridlocked with traffic during peak times.
3. Parking becomes a major issue.
4. Long lines form at the polls.
5. Randomized audits become next to impossible.
6. It influences voters to choose mail-in ballots which favor establishment candidates and change how the election season works.
7. It takes the poll work away from locals and centralizes it, giving the parties more control.

Any municipality that employs these vote centers without addressing the inherent problems with them is doing it to intentionally to suppress the vote.

Shame on you Maricopa County!

Vote Centers or Super Precincts, from the N.C. Coalition for Verified Voting

Petition: Nullify the 2016 presidential preference election results in Maricopa County, AZ

Thousands of votes were not cast in the Tuesday, March 22, 2016 presidential preference election in Maricopa County, Arizona as a result of the decision to reduce the number of polling places from 200 in 2012 to just 60. There was one polling place for roughly every 108,000 voters. Lines were reportedly five hours long at some locations. Some predominantly minority neighborhoods had no polling location at all. Anglo communities had more polling sites per resident. Thousands were disenfranchised. This was made possible when the Supreme Court of the United States gutted the Voting Rights Act. As a result of this massive disenfranchisement, unprecedented in modern history, we demand the results of the 2016 presidential preference election in Maricopa County, Arizona be nullified immediately.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

Zero News Reports About AZ Polling Place Reduction

This is normally where I would include a link. But this time I don't have one. That's because no one in the major media reported on the dramatic reduction in polling places in Maricopa County, Arizona before the presidential preference election on March 21, 2016. The number of polling places was reduced from 200 in 2012 to just 60 on Tuesday, thanks to a Voting Rights Act weakened by SCOTUS. The Arizona Republic never reported on it, the Phoenix New Times never reported on it, and none of the local papers reported on it. No one on local TV reported it. It was all done very, very quietly-- so a big surprise would await Arizona voters. It worked a little too well, and they have awakened a sleeping giant.

Voter Suppression Is Real

Thank you Supreme Court of the United States! Who needed a Voting Rights Act, anyhow?

What ever happened to that grand committee that President Obama began by executive order in 2013 that was supposed to alleviate long lines at the polls? Oh yeah, it did nothing. The website is still there and it hasn't been updated since the committee was formed in 2013. Check it out at the link:
https://www.supportthevoter.gov/

Yes, my life is indeed pretty great. That's the problem.

"What are you complaining about, your life is pretty great!"

You bet my life is great. But my life is great at the expense of people less fortunate. My life is great because I was lucky enough to be born where I was born and to whom. My life is great because I'm a white man and the system has given me too many advantages to count. My life is great because of the artificially low prices arranged for us by multinational corporate interests exploiting poverty in developing countries. I know that my clothing is affordable because it is made by children, slaves, and indentured servants. I acknowledge that my food is inexpensive because it is picked by exploited migrant labor. My life is great because of the countless Americans who came before me to fight for socialism-- the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, safe working conditions, and more. I am very aware that my life is great because of the men and women who fought, bled, and died to end tyranny and protect us from fascism. So, yes-- I am acutely aware that my life is great. But most importantly, I am aware why my life is great.

What the word socialist means to this American.

I am often confused by my fellow Americans, including most recently Hillary Clinton and Chris Matthews on MSNBC's town hall (3/14/16.) They talked about the word socialism in a pejorative sense, intentionally focusing on the root word rather than its qualifier.

National socialism and democratic socialism aren't even in the same political zip code. National socialist countries included the Nazis. People's democracy included Marxist-Leninist states and communist governments.

But socialism tempered by democracy has given us thriving governments in post-WWII Northern Europe. Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and even Ireland and Canada.

The word socialism even has a rich history in the USA.

When I think of the word socialism, I think of the workers who marched in Chicago's Haymarket Square for the eight-hour workday that we all take for granted today.

Demonstration in Haymarket Square, Chicago, IL

When I hear the word socialism, I think of the striking coal miners and their families in Ludlow who lost their lives at the hands of the Colorado National Guard at the pleasure of billionaire John D. Rockefeller.

Striking coal mining families shortly before they were massacred on April 20, 1914

Among the dead were eleven children and two women who were burned alive because they wanted nothing more than for their fathers and husbands to have fair wages and safe working conditions.

Aftermath of the attack by the National Guard on the Ludlow miner's camp.

When I think of socialists in America, I think of the Palmer Raids when government used immigration status as a tool to conduct violent police raids on union workers in 12 cities.

Union office ransacked following a Palmer Raid.

The injustices and unlawful activities of our government during the Palmer Raids led Massachusetts District Court Judge George Anderson to write, "a mob is a mob, whether made up of Government officials acting under instructions from the Department of Justice, or of criminals and loafers and the vicious classes."

When I think of socialism, I remember the shoot-outs between striking workers just trying to fight for fair treatment and the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. I remember the Coal and Iron Police in Pennsylvania that existed to protect the management and owners of huge corporations from their angry employees. I remember the 20,000 U.S. federal troops called out to put down the Pullman Strike by the American Railway Union.

Finally, when I think of socialism, I remember the tens of thousands of Americans who fought, bled, and even died for the working conditions that we all take for granted today. I remember that these men and women died for a cause, and the government in collusion with the robber barons killed them amidst cries of, "Socialism!"

Remember this history, Americans. It has been too long forgotten.