Research About America's Electoral Flaws

As we're all painfully aware following the elections of 2000 and 2004, our electoral system is severely flawed and notoriously disenfranchises millions of voters - especially minorities. A non-profit organization called IssuesLab has compiled some fascinating and alarming data about this subject. Specifically, IssuesLab aggregates and disseminates nonprofit research on social issues and culls work from nonprofits nationwide who are addressing topics related to free elections.

In one report, compiled from a non-profit called the Sentencing Project it was found that,

"Racial disparities in the criminal justice system translate into higher rates of disenfranchisement in communities of color, resulting in one of every eight adult black males being ineligible to vote."

Overall, IssuesLab is doing very important work and they're a useful resource for information with respect to social science data. It's worth taking the time to check them out.

Out of the Mouths of Alaskans

Hat tip to Bob Higgins of Worldwide Sawdust for the Youtube below.

Reminiscing About the Future

Watching McCain/Palin rallies it seems as if Republican Party jihadists are praying for a bullet, a bimbo or a bomb. They know only a catastrophic event will prevent Senator Obama from becoming president while the Republican Party is poised for disintegration from coast to coast. In my home state of New York, Democrats finally outnumber Republicans in Nassau and Suffolk Counties! Nassau County was home to the vaunted political machine of Al D'Amato and bastion of GOP money and patronage. No more and Democrats are poised to capture the New York State Senate for the first time since 1965 as a result. I realize most regard New York as the bluest of states but that's a big deal and symptomatic of the political terrain nationwide.

Memo to Republicans: Obama's ascendancy does not mean the "end of days." However, the combination of George W. Bush's two mismanaged military occupations, crony capitalism and the resulting economic calamity mean even Jesus Christ will not save the GOP's rotting corpse. Republican salvation will only come from repentance of their failed corporate theocratic ideology and cultural contempt for intelligent secular people.

Republicans eminently deserve the pasting they're about to receive. More importantly, Republicans have thoroughly demonstrated how incapable they are of competent governance; especially during times of crisis. For the moment, America and the world can't afford to have the GOP anywhere close to the reigns of power beyond a few state and municipal governments. Republicans also need this beating as an impetus to reform themselves.

Ultimately, I hope judicious Republicans rise above the mob that their party has pandered to. Democrats do not have a monopoly on wisdom and will not be above hubris with one party domination. Progressive Netroots activists like myself will do our best to keep Democrats honest but what's really needed is the competition of strong adversarial parties (note I didn't write party singular) engaged in the intellectual marketplace of ideas.

The years ahead will be challenging and tumultuous. Americans will be tasked with creating a new economic social/paradigm on the fly that works in the 21st century while too many of us are struggling to survive and avoid destitution. Our country will be further challenged because we can no longer effectively sustain an empire and that will require a major adjustment as the world is experiencing both shortages of oil and water. Indeed, a large dose of humility will be needed after the hyperpower post Cold War presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Culturally, we Americans have never done well with humility so that too represents a challenge.

Senator Obama is far from perfect but he appears to have the right stuff for the challenges ahead. Initially, however, should Obama become president Democrats will largely be debating with themselves as the GOP is poised for irrelevancy after November 4th. In the short term that is necessary and good. In the long run that will be a recipe for disaster. Even Franklin Roosevelt had Republicans he could reach out to during World War Two such as Indiana Senator Arthur Vandenberg. As of now though virtually the entire Republican Party establishment is discredited.

It takes more than one party to govern a country especially during times as challenging as these. Hopefully, a landslide down the ticket on November 4th will facilitate the emergence of a new generation of Republicans who are part of the "reality based community" and ready to vigorously compete in the marketplace of ideas. Otherwise we'll all go down together.

America the Beautiful

The people you see in this terrifying video would no doubt have been fans of Father Charles Coughlin in the 1930s. During the 1930s Coughlin's supporters scapegoated Jews for the Great Depression and reviled Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal. Sadly and tragically they represent the Republican Party's core supporters. They are dangerous and will never accept a President named Barack Hussein Obama.

Cultural Ethos 2008

Last night's debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama illustrated a stark cultural contrast with previous presidential campaigns. There wasn't a single question about abortion, guns, race, crime, the death penalty, gay rights, religion, patriotic symbols such as flag lapels, family values or the Supreme Court. The Vice Presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin last week contained far more wedge oriented questions. Last night's debate however with its town hall format was more reflective of the mindset of 2008's silent majority.

Indeed, Presidential campaigns are momentary snapshots of our cultural ethos. For example, while volunteering for the Dukakis campaign as a college sophomore in 1988, I was called terms of endearment such as "communist" and "nigger lover." Fast forward to early summer in 2004 and I had my first hint that John Kerry was in trouble. While phone-banking I spoke to an unemployed laborer in the mid-west who had a good paying union job under President Clinton. He told me he was voting for George W. Bush because he believed that Kerry was going to take away his gun. This gentleman also expressed to me that he thought Vietnam war veteran Kerry was a "pussy." And that was weeks before Kerry was "Swiftboated."

However, while phone-banking recently, I spoke to an unemployed gentleman in Youngstown, Ohio who actually said to me,

"You know it occurs to me I have more in common with blacks who know something about tough times than white millionaires on Wall Street."

This is not your father's presidential campaign.

My attitude going into last night's debate resembled what I feel about NASCAR racing. Watching cars drive around in endless laps is not remotely interesting but I might watch because there could be a crash. Similarly, I didn't expect to learn anything new in last night's debate about either candidate that I didn't already know. I expected both to basically deliver the same scripted lines. I did wonder if McCain would be impolite enough to engage in character assassination in the town hall format. He didn't. As for McCain's "new" proposal about the housing crisis, the bailout plan that McCain voted for already gives the Treasury Secretary wide discretionary power to address the issue.

Hence, the debate itself to me was only memorable about the questions not asked. America is a somber country these days and swing voters have little patience for issues that distract from their economic insecurity. Yes, I realize Governor Sarah Palin will make news speaking in front of partisan wing nuts.

But the political terrain of October 2008 is entrenched due to economic calamity. Only a catastrophic event will prevent Barack Obama from becoming our next President. Gods, guns and the flag will not save Republicans this year.

A McCain Legacy: The 1980s S&L Scandal

Sarah Palin & Heaven

Political debates are an excersise of vapid talking points, quips and body language. Substance is irrelevant. Candidates are programmed to hold the attention span of people that watch American Idol and read tabloids while sitting on the toilet. Yet even these over scripted, dumbed down, brain massaged events have revealing moments.

Yesterday, like most political bloggers, I posted my analysis of the Biden-Palin debate and referenced Palin's most memorable sound-bite:

"Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education and I'm glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right?"

I focused on Palin's rhetorical attempt to distract from McCain's culpability as an enabler of George W. Bush's pathetic record. The "say it ain't so Joe" line was obviously scripted and delivered well enough. I neglected however to focus on Palin's most revealing sentence of the evening:

"Her reward is in heaven, right?"

I can't prove it but I doubt that line was scripted. Watching it again as well as reading the transcript, Palin's heaven line feels quite spontaneous. Hence, I am compelled to ask, does Palin truly believe that a teacher's sole reward will be in heaven? Why isn't teaching itself a reward? Perhaps if God decreed that a teacher's reward awaits in heaven, one can believe a union advocating for better pay and benefits for teachers is superfluous. As long as teachers are rewarded in heaven, why should it matter if they keep up with the cost of living?

In that one sentence, Palin illustrated a medieval pre-Enlightenment mindset that regulates the Republican Party's base. In previous campaigns, Republican corporatists humored this mindset and earned the support of religious zealots by nominating conservative judges, delivering "values" oriented rhetoric and passing homophobic legislation. Even as the religious zealots were humored, the GOP's corporatists and traditional conservative nationalists retained the real power in their white rich man's party. As we've seen the previous eight years however, these people are no longer just being humored. They have joined the Republican Party's ruling class.

How many of these neocons share the Palin mindset and are pushing for war in Iran to facilitate the Apocalypse, bring about Judgment Day and establish the Kingdom of God? John McCain in my opinion does not share this mindset. Rather, McCain is merely a garden variety crazy war monger with an impetuous temperament. In Sarah Palin he selected a running mate that shares the George W. Bush delusion of religious zealotry. A religious zealotry that resembles the crazy Jihadists who believe seventy-two virgins await them in heaven if they successfully execute suicide terrorist missions.

Republican Jihadists like Palin believe that a holy war against Muslims is a means of carrying out God's plan. Republican nationalists like McCain believe in a reckless concept of American exceptionalism as justification for an American empire and he's more than willing to shed blood for it. Simply put, the McCain/Palin ticket represents a coalition of nationalist nuts and religious nuts.

In my phone-banking activities the economy is the dominant issue on voters minds. But the presidency is more that simply a catalog of public policy positions like the economy. Otherwise we could just program liberal, conservative, libertarian, moderate, nationalist and green androids and let the voters decide which political philosophy they wanted.

The office of President however is a stewardship and the decision making stems from the core value system, life experience, intellectual acumen and temperament of the occupant. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are far from perfect. But they're both intelligent, with their hearts in the right place and neither is crazy.

Governor Palin's, "Her reward is in heaven" line has further motivated me to work for the Obama/Biden ticket. We have enough crazy leaders in this world. And eight years of crazy people in the executive branch is enough.

The Biden-Palin Debate

Sarah Palin comfortably exceeded the soft bigotry of her low expectations last night. The rigid debate format worked well for Palin. Unlike her recent interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric, Palin was able to feint and dodge effectively with her personality and folksy colloquialisms. One on one interviews do not enable subjects to run out the clock or distract from their lack of knowledge with honed talking points. Last night however, Palin was able to stay on message and reassure the Republican's Party conservative base.

Senator Joe Biden delivered a solid and graciously pugnacious performance but was overshadowed because of Palin's low expectations. Mostly Biden diligently draped the Bush Administration's record around John McCain's neck.

Palin valiantly attempted to re-focus the debate on the future with her "say it ain't so Joe" sound bite critique of Biden's constant refrain about the Bush years. She delivered her sound bite well and McCain will no doubt try to build on the refrain about looking forward instead of backwards. However, it's doubtful McCain-Palin will be able to escape blame for the Bush Administration's as well as the entire Republican Party's mismanagement since 2001.

To the extent anyone cares about substance I was struck by two things. First, the Biden-Palin exchange about gay rights. Both agreed they didn't support gay marriage however Palin seemed to concede she didn't want to deny homosexual couples access to hospital visitation rights as well as the insurance benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples. Yet when moderator Gwen Ifill attempted to press Palin that she agreed with Joe Biden about these sorts of civil liberties, Palin instead retorted that she agreed with Biden about not re-defining traditional marriage. In effect, Palin ignored the question and Ifill opted not to follow up and moved on.

The other issue of substance that struck me was the cognitive dissonance about Afghanistan. Biden quoted America's commanding general in Afghanistan in noting that an Iraqi type surge wasn't likely to work. Obviously, Biden wanted to illustrate the Bush Administration's failures in Afghanistan. Yet Biden also simultaneously suggested that we needed more troops in Afghanistan. That would seem to be an irreconcilable contradiction.

Palin of course also had her own cognitive dissonance in that she simultaneously supported more oversight while promoting the traditional Republican meme of getting government off the backs of the people.

Overall, the trajectory of this presidential election remained unchanged. John McCain has conceded Michigan which means that among the remaining battleground states he will have to draw the equivalent of an inside straight to win.

Palin, has stopped the bleeding on her Vice Presidential candidacy and conservatives are no doubt relieved. She can now be permitted to campaign without adult supervision in the conservative districts of swing states to ensure the GOP's base turns out.

However, last night's debate will quickly be old news. Once again attempted legislation for the Wall Street bailout will dominate and the focus will turn to Obama-McCain for October 7th's debate and stay there until November 4th. Hence, this remains Barack Obama's election to lose.

As for Sarah Palin, let's just say that in 2012 both Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney will have stiff competition for the support of evangelical caucus voters in Iowa. So while Palin may not be a heartbeat away from the presidency after November 4th, I would not be surprised if the same ignorant country that put George W. Bush in the White House eventually makes her husband America's "First Dude."

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