May 22, 2016

My Dad's first vote: Being Chinese in 1950's Chicago Oh, and chair-throwing in Vegas

OK yeah I'm a Chinese-American Democrat although that last, after 40 years, I may finally change. Because after we moved to California in the '80s,after I turned 30-something, my father told me what it was like to vote in Chicago when you're a Chink. Later, a Gook. A Slope. My father, BTW put himself through law school, through a Juris Doctorate degree, practiced law and was a CPA in two states. Ask me about my Mom, I dare you!

Chicago used to and may still use mechanical voting machines that look like this



You step up, to vote, a shower-curtain-like arrangement gives you privacy, you select candidates/issues using mechanical switches and vote using a big handle. No computers of course, a physical record of your vote, yadda, yadda, yadda...

So here's Dad, a naturalized American, a child refugee from Communism (I think Grandpa was stood up against a wall and shot) stepping up to vote. And stepping up with him as the shower curtain closed was a BIG white guy. Dad was 5'5" maybe 140# so there was room in the voting booth for two, I guess. Whitey moves the switches, never mind Dad's prepared list of voting choices, looks down and says, "Go ahead and vote"

I like to think that Dad took a few seconds to consider his options before he pulled the big handle.

Decades later Dad overcame his shame and asked first his brothers and sisters, then others to learn that that was how ALL Chinese and Chinese-Americans "voted" in those days. Because that's how the Chicago Machine worked. That's how the Democratic Party ran the Chicago Machine.

Oh yeah, Vegas.

I was ten years old in 1968. I remember Uncle Walter on the teevee. I remember Mayor Daley whom my Dad MUST HAVE voted for saying the police were on the streets to preserve disorder. I remember all the stories about the radical Communists, the same people who probably shot Grandpa. And I remember the teevee showing violent Communists shouting for Peace when the non-violent cops were the only ones using billy-clubs.

So yeah Bernie supporters are inherently violent. Chairs were thrown, the dozens hospitalized proves it. Barbara Boxer was terrified and terrorized. We will have ORDER in future state and national conventions, a pre-agreed on agenda, no outbursts, just orderly applause.



#SeeYouInPhilly

May 16, 2016

Barack Obama spoiled me. I'm sorry Nevada I quit KTHNKSBAI

Yeah this will ramble a bit as you can tell from the lede

A quick take; I'm a San Franciscan so I don't bother GOTV my own nest, we're so safe Hillary and others only comes here for money. Instead I commute, in non-presidential years to congress-critters or a mayor once. But in presidential elections I drive to Nevada, my nearest red state. Gore, Kerry and then Obama. OFA is the campaign that ruined me.

With PBO I could knock on doors and say "Hope and Change" and "Yes we can!" instead of Kerry's "Let America be America again or Gore's who knows what anymore? (Jesus H. Christ how a straight man could run so hard from a blowjob still amazes me.) When I canvased for him it wasn't the "Hey look at who he's running against, we want the lesser of two evils here" It was as if I was campaigning for one of my primary challengers to CA's many crappy DINO House candidates (Yeah they never win Incumbency is a racket) PBO wasn't the "Hey look at who the Republicans are running" candidate

OK glad I was there, yeah we knew he was a center-right Democrat but hey, Sarah Palin. He didn't renegotiate NAFTA

instead we get to fight TPP. But ACA, and hey lot's more peace and jobs? I'm not complaining.

I consider myself a loyal Democratic footsoldier. I'll be out for some Democratic candidate to replace a Republican in the House or maybe Bob will try for mayor again. But I'm not driving to Nevada, presidential election year or not. After Saturday's Nevada "Democratic" Party convention I can't kid myself anymore. Hillary's going to be the nominee by hook or by crook and that's not just a cliche. And I just can't.

Working for Barack Obama meant to me working for not the best we could get this year but the best period. And I can't knock on some of the same doors in Nevada and say "Yeah I was Hoping for more Change too yeah that Political Revolution thing sounded pretty good, but HEY LOOK OVER THERE IT'S DONALD TRUMP! EEEK!"

Hope and change won last time for a reason. And I can't settle for second best this time.

April 30, 2016

OK look #ImWithHer #FeelTheMath folks I'm on your side but I'm worried

In 2008 Barack Hussein Obama did a wonderful thing. He brought in a whole bunch of young first time voters into the election process. He attracted a whole bunch of Independent voters. He energized the Democratic Base He brought in a whole bunch of people who had't been involved in the political process before. He won against the Establishment based on "Hope and Change".

In 2016 Bernie Sanders is bringing in a whole lot of people who were too young into 2008 into the election process. He attracted a whole lot of Independent voters. And he brought in a whole lot of people who haven't been involved in the political process because "all politics is corrupt". He's winning against the Establishment based on "Political Revolution".

Here's a thing: Remember Hillary's supporters who wouldn't give up last time? #PUMAs "Party Unity My Ass" Democrats who were going to hold their breath until they turned blue? They didn't make it to the convention because people like me could say "Look you're a Democratic voter and we get that you didn't get your wish this time but we really need you to suck it up and vote for the black guy." IIRC someone went to the convention and actually found six self identified #PUMAs.
Here's a second thing: A lot of those Democratic Base voters were energized, and I am one, have hated the DLC/Third-Way idiocy that has led us away from being the party of Franklin D. Roosevelt into the party of I-don't-know-what corporate apologists and enablers. We have been voting Democratic Party because that was the best we could do, even though our issues, like pro-Union Fair pay etc were suborned to "winning elections". We haven't been happy with our own party. I'm not alone and this will come back to bite us later.

Here's a second thing part duh: Republicans are expressing serious dissatisfaction with their own party beyond the Tea Party. For 30 years they've been promised stupid stuff like repealing choice, and repealing "Obamacare" and bringing back the 1950's and the Republican Party hasn't delivered. They haven't been getting what they want in the same way Progressive Democrats haven't been getting what we want. Only now they're expressing it by supporting Donald Trump.

What worries me part 1: A lot of Bernie supporters aren't or haven't been Democrats. They have no loyalty to the Democratic Party. We had a hook into the #PUMAs. My horseback guess is that we don't for 80% of new/Independent/First time Bernie voters. I have no problem doing the "lesser of two evils" rap it's my job as 1 of 200-250k GOTV drones. It's my job.But that's my only hook.

What worries me part 1a: The Democratic Party isn't as great a brand in 2016 as it was in 2008. http://www.gallup.com/poll/188096/democratic-republican-identification-near-historical-lows.aspx
After you've #UniteBlue your 29% what's your plan to win?

What worries me part 2: The Independents are hard to read this year. If I read the really bad polls this year there are too many lean D voters who will vote for Trump because they're unhappy with both parties. Unhappy with the Establishment parties is a big deal this year.

What annoys me: Hillary lost to "Hope and Change". I knocked on doors for Kerry's "Let America be America again" (sound familiar? Kinda Trump-ian) and I don't even remember Gore's "I'm running from blow-jobs" slogan. For the record I'm in favor of blow-jobs. I'm gonna' be knocking on the same Nevada doors saying "Yeah I know you heard about "political revolution". I know that this year you were "Hoping for even more Change" but I've got something even better because this year #I'm With Her" and that's even more inspiring, right? Right?"

So I'm worried because I'll be knocking on doors again and Hillary's camp is having a hissy fit about making the structural changes that would make the Democratic Party more responsive to Democrats. They want to win the ideological divide between the DLC and the FDR sides of the Democratic party. And the Hillary camp want's to make it harder on me to #GOTV whenI'm on their side

May 12, 2015

Stonekettle Station: Jade Helm: The Insanity that Ate Texas

http://www.stonekettle.com/2015/05/jade-helm-insanity-that-ate-texas.html?m=1

Really. Just really.

Let me be blunt, or blunter than I’ve already been: anybody, anybody, who believes President Obama is about to send the United Nations to invade Texas, declare martial law, and herd Texans into FEMA Death Camps Of Death cleverly hidden in a secret network of continent spanning tunnels linking Wal-Marts across the nation, anybody who believes this ridiculous howling bullshit in any way whatsoever should be darted with powerful tranquilizers, netted from black helicopters, pumped full of happy juice before they start eating their own feces, and installed in a dark padded cell where the most dangerous thing they encounter each day is a small plastic cup of institutional butterscotch pudding pushed through a small opening in the bottom of the door with a stick.

Go.

April 14, 2015

The Hill: Iran Whip List: Dems on the fence (and what we could maybe, kinda do)

With all Republicans expected to back the bill, supporters need 13 Democrats to override a veto. The bill has 9 Democratic co-sponsors, but in recent days, many expected backers shared concerns the bill could harm ongoing talks over Iran's nuclear program.

The bill drafted by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) requires Obama to submit any agreement to Congress along with verification that Iran is complying with the terms.
Obama would be barred from eliminating any sanctions on Iran for two months to give Congress time to debate the deal. The president would need to send updates on Iran's compliance every 90 days with any breach leading to a fast-tracked vote to restore sanctions.

This is the Hill's list with contact information Maybe we could let these nice people know how we feel about helping the #47Traitors ?

Yes

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) http://www.bennet.senate.gov/?p=contact
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) http://www.donnelly.senate.gov/contact/email-joe
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) http://www.menendez.senate.gov/contact
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) http://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-heidi
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) https://www.kaine.senate.gov/contact
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) http://www.king.senate.gov/contact
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
http://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck
Maybe

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) http://www.cardin.senate.gov/contact/
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) http://www.coons.senate.gov/contact/
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/
Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.) https://www.leahy.senate.gov/contact/
Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) http://www.manchin.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm
Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) www.mccaskill.senate.gov/contact
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/contact-bill
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) http://www.warner.senate.gov/public//index.cfm?p=ContactPage

I think this will link to a nifty MoveOn.org picture you can add
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/587957269159108608

edited to correct picture attribution

April 5, 2015

One sentence CA water proposal: NO FRACKING until the drought is over and reserves are @125% n/t

March 24, 2015

Chuy Garcia vs Rahm and the Democratic machine. Why it's personal for me.

I emigrated from Chicago more than 30 years ago, and I don't really miss the place. Oh, little things, like Polish delis with 30 different kinds of headcheese (if you don't know, don't ask) and real Vienna brand hot dogs with that radioactive green relish...but I really don't miss the place. As Sorkin once wrote, "...it's a great place to be from." Educated my dad, aunts, uncles, shopped and ate local, Sunday Trib. and Sun Times on Saturday night, the Jewel grocery store, Holsum bread, CTA buses, the "El"...ut I digress

What I don't miss and hate, is the "machine". The political "machine". The Democratic machine that was anything but democratic. You see, I and my immediate family are of the Asian persuasion. I cannot forget the story my father told us of the first time he went to vote, how proud he was to be fulfilling his civic duty as an immigrant and citizen.

Those of you Chicago-crats (Chicago-terrians?) will remember that voting machines used to be a, perhaps three foot wide wall of levers, hidden from prying eyes. They were mechanical levers, allowing one to choose various "yes/no" choices, and a main lever that would cast your vote. Until you pulled the final lever, you could decide on yes/no for every person or proposition presented on the ballot.

Imagine my father's surprise then, when a rather large, rather white gentleman joined him in the voting booth, secured their privacy and proceeded to select which individual levers were on the ballot. This rather large Democrat then said, "Go ahead, pull the lever....you voted." My father found out, several decades later (we're not so great in re: communication skills) that there was probably not an honest vote cast in Chinatown for a considerable number of years.

So perhaps I may be excused for taking the Chuy v. Rahm race somewhat personally, when the Democratic machine, with virtually unlimited Citizens United funding, and as Hufpo reminds us has national implications, that I ask DU and the Twits who follow me here to ACT UP! Volunteer if you can, there are support positions where you don't have to knock on doors or phone people. Organize food, organize rides, and if you can, send money! Chuy Garcia money bomb! http://goo.gl/ub3fJc #Chuy2015 The care and feeding of volunteers, the folks who walk the precincts and phone isn't a science, it's an art.

Yes, this is a little race in a "special" election, but winning this one can help a lot of non-machine candidates in 2016. I'm sick of running from these wimps.

.

March 24, 2015

Chuy Garcia money bomb! Please rec this up!

From http://crooksandliars.com/2015/03/money-bomb-replacing-rahm-emanuel-chuy

Money contributed today isn't going to be wasted on expensive network TV ads-- which Rahm is spending $10 million on-- but will be spent on real community outreach efforts.

If you're thinking about donating, remember that it costs the campaign $6 to provide a box lunch for a volunteer out in the field. This campaign is going to be won because of a get-out-the-vote effort. That's what Chuy's operation is all about right now. Providing 50 buttons for distribution at an event is $25. It costs $100 to print 1000 copies of an 8½x11 piece to pass out on street corners, outside grocery stores, on subway platforms, in front of churches and synagogues and community centers, outside high school basketball games, at parades and rallies. Money contributed today--even small amounts-- combine with others’ to make a real difference.

Really, folks if you can, give.