Today is election day. It may not seem like it, but voters will be going to the polls to decide important issues all over the nation. I looked for an article that provides an overview of these races, and found none. However, Rachel Maddow did a wonderful segment that does, so here it is.
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Falling under Rachel’s radar is the primary election for Oregon’s 1st Congressional District. Because Oregon has the wisdom to have vote by mail with paper ballots for all elections, I cast my vote for Brad Avakian over a week ago, but I will have no problem supporting the winner, because even the least progressive among them is more progressive than most of Congress. That’s what happens when progressives get behind progressive Democrats and work for them at the grass roots level instead of sniveling that the parties are the same.
Wherever you are, if there is an election in your area tomorrow, please vote. Voting is both your privilege and your duty. Were voting not critically important, Republicans would not put so much effort into taking people’s right to vote away.
People who do not vote deserve Republican rule.
15 Responses to “Election Day Issues with Rachel”
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Not everywhere is Oregon and not everywhere is there even any one near a liberal , much less a progressive on the ballot. I do resent having the verb sniveling laid at my feet. Not all of us live in the land of milk and honey Tom. There is an election in MI today and it isn’t going to matter if the new city of Detroit charter passes because it will not take effect for two more election cycles. But I guess I will just snivel my way through until then.
Mark, I’m jumping in ahead of my normal time to reply to this. That statement was never intended to apply to activists like you who live your beliefs and act on your principles. I am referring to the many many who just whine, while doing nothing whatsoever to try to change it.
Oregon did not get this way by accident. We are a very conservative state traditionally. Oregon almost entered the civil war on the side of the South, but opted against it, because slavery might of meant bring blacking people here. Oregon was the last state in the nation to abandon our Jim Crow laws. That changed, because liberals and progressives worked to change it for many years at the grassroots level. That’s the reason we have progressives on the ballot.
I voted a couple of weeks ago, and I frog-marched some more people to the polls today. Ohio will deliver the first significant blow to the Rushpubliscum/Koch agenda.
JR, even though I don’t know you, I have this very vivid picture of you frog-marching some people to the polls today. Way to go! Thanks for doing that!
I picture him with an eye patch and a cutlass. 😉
Seriously, I agree!
I usually believe that voting is a right and duty, but I’m not so adamant about it – perhaps cynicism has set in – I’m trying to decide whether I’ll vote for Obama again despite the fact that I believe he’s “bought” and caters to his pimps just as the others do – so ultimately – it’s a matter of which corporation do I find most agreeable, and which pimp is going to provide the “best looking” hookers – who provide the best “services” – I am too aware of how often I’ve voted for the “lesser of two evils” – maybe the OWS movement will affect change and get some money out of politics, and establish policies for the benefit of the 99% – I have more faith in the movement right now than in politics per se! I’m probably just going through a “period” – but each election I find more to be dissatisfied with – voter suppression, political pay-offs – jokers like Cain who’re in it for the money and don’t have a simple elementary school understanding of politics or geography – as well as an entire party willing to sabotage the country and behaving like traitors for the sake of political advantage.
Lee, try the old Ben Franklin balance sheet. On the left, write down all the things Obama has done for the 99%. You may be disappointed on many issues, but you’ll be writing for a while. On the right, write down everything Republicans have done for the 99%. You already finished.
I cannot imagine not voting—- a privilege many have literally died for ; I firmly believe we cannot sit back and moan about results if we have not participated in the process ; So vote!
Exactly my point.
A typical Republican ploy to to deny voter access, is to claim voter fraud is a BIG problem. Trying to give importance to their calls for voter ID, student voters, and a list of other “straw man” voter fraud issues. Another Republican lie.
I cannot speak to federal stats, but in my State (MN) in 2008 – 3 million people cast votes, there were 33 prosecutions of voter fraud, of which 100% of those 33 prosecutions were cases involving convicted felons (who have been denied their right to vote) voted.
A typical Republican tactic; to imply that a VERY few cases of impropriety equal a serious problem. Wrong! And they use that tactic on many issues.
When only half of Americans vote, it’s no wonder there are so many complaints about what our elected representatives do in Congress.
We get the representation we vote for. Ours is a participatory government process. Those who show up, get their way and say in our countries decisions and laws. “Get out the vote” has always been the secret to winning an election.
Dang! What an epidemic! That over 1/1000th of 1%!!
In most states, former felons have the right to vote, as they should, after they have paid their debt to society,
You’re exactly right.
As I promised you-we delivered the first counterattack to the Rushpubliscum War on Americans. But we have a lot left to do.
JR, I agree, but I’ll say no more, because an article going up has the rest.
I am particularly interested in the Mississippi ‘personhood’ vote. Good news that a similar vote was defeated in Colorado in 2008 and 2010, however Mississippi is a different state and those good ol’ boys down in Mississippi are, I think, just a tad more fanatically religious. I hope they vote ‘no’ otherwise there are going to be a lot of problems, especially for women. I am also very interested in the Ohio labour vote — Go Labour! — and the Maine vote to repeal the Republican legislation that banned same day election registration.
If people are going to sit back and not vote because they don’t think it will do any good, then they have no right to complain.
Personhood is covered in the next article.
You’re right!