West Virginia Blue
The Best Blogging Community in West Virginia Democratic politics, progressive policies, the good life and free living in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.
Every Vote Matters. You can either ignore the decades of work by Ted Kennedy to get Health Care for all Americans, you can ignore the two terms of George W. Bush and the six years of Republican led Congress that brought us to the dismal near-Depression that the Obama Administration has been busting a tail to get us away from, you can fall for the cries of the wealthy and the Corporations that taxes are coming (for them... not 95% of you)... or you can buy into the lies that have been told by Scotty Brown to suck up to the Teabaggers.
I am not one of these trampoline bloggers that simply bounce what others have written out into the webosphere. However, I feel compelled to repost Larry David's relatable commentary about the upcoming election. Laughter is the best form of therapy and we could all use a good session given the nastiness and emotion of this election. I hope you all enjoy.
Waiting for November 4th
I can't take much more of this. Two weeks to go, and I'm at the end of my rope. I can't work. I can eat, but mostly standing up. I'm anxious all the time and taking it out on my ex-wife, which, ironically, I'm finding enjoyable. This is like waiting for the results of a biopsy. Actually, it's worse. Biopsies only take a few days, maybe a week at the most, and if the biopsy comes back positive, there's still a potential cure. With this, there's no cure. The result is final. Like death.
Five times a day I'll still say to someone, "I don't know what I'm going to do if McCain wins." Of course, the reality is I'm probably not going to do anything. What can I do? I'm not going to kill myself. If I didn't kill myself when I became impotent for two months in 1979, I'm certainly not going to do it if McCain and Palin are elected, even if it's by nefarious means. If Obama loses, it would be easier to live with it if it's due to racism rather than if it's stolen. If it's racism, I can say, "Okay, we lost, but at least it's a democracy. Sure, it's a democracy inhabited by a majority of disgusting, reprehensible turds, but at least it's a democracy." If he loses because it's stolen, that will be much worse. Call me crazy, but I'd rather live in a democratic racist country than a non-democratic non-racist one. (It's not exactly a Hobson's choice, but it's close, and I think Hobson would compliment me on how close I've actually come to giving him no choice. He'd love that!)
The one concession I've made to maintain some form of sanity is that I've taken to censoring my news, just like the old Soviet Union. The citizenry (me) only gets to read and listen to what I deem appropriate for its health and well-being. Sure, there are times when the system breaks down. Michele Bachmann got through my radar this week, right before bedtime. That's not supposed to happen. That was a lapse in security, and I've had to make some adjustments. The debates were particularly challenging for me to monitor. First I tried running in and out of the room so I would only hear my guy. This worked until I knocked over a tray of hors d'oeuvres. "Sit down or get out!" my host demanded. "Okay," I said, and took a seat, but I was more fidgety than a ten-year-old at temple. I just couldn't watch without saying anything, and my running commentary, which mostly consisted of "Shut up, you prick!" or "You're a fucking liar!!!" or "Go to hell, you cocksucker!" was way too distracting for the attendees, and finally I was asked to leave.
Assuming November 4th ever comes, my big decision won't be where I'll be watching the returns, but if I'll be watching. I believe I have big jinx potential and may have actually cost the Dems the last two elections. I know I've jinxed sporting events. When my teams are losing and I want them to make a comeback, all I have to do is leave the room. Works every time. So if I do watch, I'll do it alone. I can't subject other people to me in my current condition. I just don't like what I've turned into -- and frankly I wasn't that crazy about me even before the turn. This election is having the same effect on me as marijuana. All of my worst qualities have been exacerbated. I'm paranoid, obsessive, nervous, and totally mental. It's one long, intense, bad trip. I need to come down. Soon.
"The other day, I met with a couple of my old law school professors at a local bookstore. One of them is running for the Supreme Court this year, and I wanted to pick his brain on the oddity of running for a political primary for a judicial position that is supposed to be apolitical once you reach the bench. That just seems so odd to me. And for those outside the legal profession who don't know any of the players well? It has to be even more odd -- making the line-up of endorsements and special interest support all the more important.
Bob Bastress was my Constitutional Law professor, and I worked for him my first summer on a project for the WVACLU. He's a great guy -- the sort of law school professor who takes time to explain a complex issue, and who also does serious representation for folks who can't afford big legal guns who don't do pro bono work.
Bob has worked on cases which have opened public education through textbook access and tried to prevent school consolidation from wrecking rural schools. He once challenged a hidden camera in a workplace locker room, ostensibly put there for "safety" considerations, but which happened to be focused on the lockers of the three guys trying to unionize the business. He has put in years of work on ballot access and anti-discrimination suits, union representation, and civil liberties cases for the WVCLU. And he's been a professor at the WVU College of Law since 1978.
Which is to say, he's not exactly rolling in the benjamins when it comes to campaign cash. He's been endorsed by the largest newspaper in WV, and he got the highest ratings from the state bar membership, and a host of union nods. But campaign cash talks loudly and, increasingly in races across the country, that campaign cash is coming from special interest proxys.
I asked Bob if he'd be willing to stop by this morning and chat a little about running for judicial office, with the understanding that he's limited in how he can answer certain questions on issues that might eventually come before the court. It isn't often that we have an opportunity to talk with someone who is facing this kind of race -- judicial elections are, sadly, not covered nearly often enough in terms of scrutiny and discussion -- and I thought everyone would enjoy this."
I thought a lot of you might be interested in reading this thought-provoking conversation.
Contrary to what many polls indicate, Senator Obama does indeed have allies and supporters in West Virginia. Today, the Charleston Gazette announced its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
We hope [West Virginians] support the brilliant, inspiring, eloquent frontrunner in the race, Barack Obama.
Sen. Obama is a rare figure in U.S. politics - a deep thinker who rises above partisan sniping and makes statecraft seem noble. He raises hope that, after the disastrous Bush years mercifully come to an end, Americans can again be proud of their national leader.
Patriots For Peace and Citizens Action Group
Launch a Presidential Straw Poll
On Sunday, January 27, 2008, at 3:00 pm, Patriots For Peace and Citizens Action Group held a press conference announcing the launch of a website for a straw poll for the presidential race.
The web-based straw poll we are launching (VoteWV.net) will give West Virginia voters a chance to express their choice for a presidential nominee prior to February 5th, when the primary races may be effectively over. In the process we are hoping to underscore the importance of the Iraq War, and its disastrous effects on the economy, as issues in this election.
By launching the website at the voter registration office, we want to stress the importance of West Virginians casting a real ballot on Election Day and participating in the political process at all levels. The Voter Registration office will be closed on Sunday, but we intend our brief gathering there to call attention the fact that many West Virginians feel closed out of the primary process because West Virginia is one of the last five states to hold their primary election.
The 2008 W.Va. election period reaches the halfway mark today. The state elections site offers multiple search options to view filed candidates.
Here's the list of candidates who have filed so far. (As of 8am, January 18, 2008) First, for the national and state-wide offices:
U.S. President - D - Hillary Clinton U.S. President - D - John Edwards U.S. President - D - Barack Obama U.S. President - R - John McCain U.S. President - R - Ron Paul U.S. President - R - Mitt Romney
U.S. House of Representatives -- 2nd - D - Thornton Cooper - Kanawha
Secretary of State - D - Joe DeLong - Hancock
Secretary of State - D - Natalie Tennant - Kanawha
Secretary of State - R - Charles Minimah - Kanawha
Auditor - D - Glen B. Gainer III - Wood
State Treasurer - D - John D. Perdue - Kanawha
Commissioner of Agriculture - D - Oscar Wayne Casto - Berkeley
Commissioner of Agriculture - D - Gus R. Douglass - Mason
Attorney General - D - Darrell McGraw - Kanawha
Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals - D - Menis E. Ketchum - Cabell
Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals - R - Beth Walker - Kanawha
Reading around the web this evening, the conventional wisdom now appears to be an Obama - Clinton - Edwards finish for Dems and a Huckabee - Romney finish for Republicans.
Of course, there's another possiblity not getting much discussion -- a tie. It's quite possible that support for the top 3 Dems will be so closely bunched as to decide nothing.
Update 2 from Carnacki: Someone heat up a big old serving of crow (but keep a watch on the carving knife) for former Senate Minority Leader and Republican blogger Vic Sprouse to eat. Remember how he mocked Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul for being against the Iraq war?
I've held off and held off and held off on this post, but it's time to set the record straight about Ron Paul.
First, let me say this, and there are a few avid readers of this blog who I respect, but simply don't support who they support. So, because of them, I have really held off writing anything negative about Texas Congressman Ron Paul because, well, he and his candidacy are irrelevant.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love people being involved in the political process. And, everyone out there has a right to their own opinions about who they support for President.
And, there is no doubt, the small amount of people who support Ron Paul are fervent in their beliefs.
At the beginning of the convention process, I said an outsider candidate with little support, but with a strong grassrooots organization, could come in and make a statement because of the wide open set-up of our new party primary convention.
Let's be honest here.
Any Republican advocating surrender and immediate withdrawal from Iraq, allowing that country to completely implode is not going to get more than 2% of the Republican Party. And, that's exactly what Ron Paul has.
How did Vic's favorite presidential candidate, uber war supporter Rudy Guiliani do?
Giuliani 3,053 4 percent
Paul 8,549 10 percent
Can Sprouse pick them or what? Now we're just dirty hippy bloggers proud to support whoever the Democratic nominee is and Sprouse is a professional Republican politician who likes to talk a big game about wars he'll never serve in.
But once again the amateur Democratic bloggers were right and the professional Republican politician was wrong.
I've never been one to say, "I hate to say I told you so." Heck, I love saying it most of the time. This is one of those times.
As Gorilla Monsoon would say, Stick a fork in Rudy Guiliani. He's done.
If Vic Sprouse tells you something, you can probably believe the opposite and be right every time.
Update 3 from Carnacki
I've said it before and I'll say it again, anyone of our Democratic candidates would be better than any of the Republican candidates. If voter turnout is any sign, many agree with me. Via kos, the Group News Blog:
Percentage of total vote
24.5% Obama
20.5% Edwards
19.8% Clinton
11.4% Huckabee (R)
When the 3rd placed Democratic finisher nearly doubles the Republican who ran away from the pack of other Republican candidates, it's a great sign for Democrats.
With a week remaining before the early state results arrive from Iowa and New Hampshire, John Edwards is starting to draw significant Netroots endorsements. In the last few days, I've read several:
I find it no coincidence that as John Edwards has (a) sharpened his populist rhetoric and (b) improved his standing in the race that (c) more progressive bloggers are ready to jump in with support.
Consistently, the candidates and politicians who have gained the most Netroots attention (Dean, Lamont, the veteran in Ohio whose name I can't remember now, Darcy Burner, Gore v. 2008, Senator Dodd v. 2008) are the ones who clearly articulate contrasts between Democratic and Republican values. Of the top 3 Democratic contenders, John Edwards is drawing the sharpest contrasts.
There's a lot to chew on in the article -- the new Democratic majority may not have delivered as much as hoped for, but it doesn't really matter. On every issue voters prefer Democrats over Republicans.
...the biggest factor working in the Democrats' favor continues to be that they are not the Republicans.
The GOP is still reeling from the steep drop-off in public confidence that hurt the party so deeply last November - a result of the waning public support for the Iraq War, economic uncertainties, ethics controversies and other problems that concomitantly turned Bush into one of the most unpopular presidents of modern times.
If I was running for office I would constantly, repeatedly and incessantly remind voters I am a Democrat running against a Republican. If ever there was a time to whole-heartedly embrace the Democratic Party brand, this is the election cycle to do it.
There's a new political book out with a West Virginia connection. The author, Melinda Henneberger, had the idea for the book on a hiking trip to West Virginia with her college friends. Curious why even more traditionally Democrat women voted for George Bush in 2004 (than 2000), journalist Henneberger travelled around the country interviewing over 200 woman.
The next West Virginia connection? One chapter, entitled "Together we stand, divide we beg" covers Henneberger's time with (West Virginia Blue reader) Janie Poe, while working for and with unions in Ohio River Valley. [You go girl!!]
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