Once again, already, we've got word of Republican efforts to suppress the vote. This from The Michigan Messenger (Michigan Messenger is an independently-produced political news daily featuring original and investigative reporting, which is part of the Center for Independent Media.):
"The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day."
Now, while I fully believe it is the job of Obama to start saying what the Democratic vision, what his vision, is, as opposed to what it is not, while I believe he has to focus on building his campaign's identity (because the quote below scares me with its 2004 Election resonance) over attacking the Republicans, it is absolutely our job, and his campaign underlings' job, to name the Republicans as they are, as they prove themselves to be through their actions, as opposed to what they claim to be.
It is anti-democracy to actively seek to disenfranchise anybody. Period. Our country was founded on principles of representation, African-Americans and women fought, literally, for their voting rights in struggles that shaped our history.
This is nothing new. The Republicans used this tactic in the last election, and they've already tried it elsewhere in this election. And it is, frankly, fucking bullshit. It isn't "Country First," it is Party Interests First. It is un-American. And no matter how many flag lapel pins you wear, no matter how many flags you paste on your SUV, it makes you a fucking traitor to the ideals of America.
You could see it in the Omega House frat party atmosphere of the RNC that the Republicans play politics like a nasty game, and rationalize tactics like this one, sure to most negatively impact sub-prime mortgage holders (read: the poor, or barely-middle class, and disproportionately of color), as gamesmanship, as excusable despite its nastiness as stealing a rival high school's mascot. Call bullshit, call it what it is: treason.
The Michigan Messenger: Lose your house, lose your vote
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Scary Quote of the Day (so far):
I don't always agree with Thomas Friedman, but I respect his mind, and thus this observation, as I mention above, scare the shit out of me:
"Because, while the pollsters tell us it is still really close, my own totally unscientific, seat of the pants poll tells me this: When you say Obama’s name today and ask people for their first impression — a quick, flash, gut, first impression — no single word or phrase or policy comes to mind. His opponents will fill that vacuum if he doesn’t. They already are."
New York Times Op-Ed: From the Gut
Posts
He’s Baaaack!
3 days ago
7 comments:
On voter suppression: I find it very hard to believe that this sort of thing is still happening after the 2000 election; that we still haven't figured out a way to put an effective stop to it.
It's friggin' insidious. There's a sequence in the 2002 Newark Election documentary Street Fight (must viewing for everybody) showing the incumbent mayor abusing his powers, like having police tear down the challenger's billboards, on election day in order to dissuade the challenger's supporters...
On Friedman: My question to you is, how much of that unfamiliarity is attributable to Obama's actions and how much to other sources (latent racism, population inattention to detail, etc.)?
Did you read the whole piece? He may be taking time to assess, but I've felt that lack lately, too. Used ta be, change was enough, but that's been virally corrupted.
How about you tell me? Give me ten words or less on Obama's vision, gut-sized.
Catalyst for a more progressive movement.
Yeah, I think you just identified the problem. That may work for a head, kinda, if one is willing to go there. But it don't work gut-wise.
Okay, so what do you recommend? What's the sort of thing you're looking for here?
"Motherfucker will pimp the country out?"
What? You don't have to give me the 'it' concept, just an approximation based on what you know.
I'm leery of the gut approach, look at what the gut has gotten us, you know? So sell the gut approach to me.
I'm getting the sense that this is something beyond spinning narrative here, and likely a component I ignore because it does nothing for me...
Not worth, or rather too worthy, to ignore. I'm thinking of turning it into a post, actually,, what is meant by the "gut." Because it has to be both used and combatted.
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