Why Democrats Can't Win

The 2012 election for the Democratic Party and democracy itself is in grave peril.

Despite strong indications that Democratic candidates from President Barack Obama down the ticket should win in a majority of jurisdictions across the country, they have an almost impossibly steep uphill slog. The reason has little to do with policies, plans, campaign rally turnout or gaffs and everything to do with a long-term annihilation strategy that has been in development for the past several decades and got two huge gooses two years ago.

One was the U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United ruling, which completed the groundwork of transforming elections into sales that was laid by the 1976 Buckley vs. Valeo Supreme Court ruling. That ruling, in essence decreed that money is speech. Citizens United, in essence, says that corporations are persons and thus have the same speech rights as individuals.

The second was the emergence of the Tea Party, which, despite the protestations of some of the ostensible TP founders, became the tool of and ground troops for plutocratic interests, redirected the Republican Party toward a right-wing cliff, and turned political discourse and elected officials' town halls into uncivil, hate-filled, vitriolic screeds.

Those two factors have capped decades of right-wing think tanks perfecting effective messaging, infiltration of academia, use of wedge issues, and the disingenuous and exploitative partnering with religion -- particularly fundamentalist and evangelically leaning sects.

That has set the stage for finishing the competition off.

Here are the winning tactics that will lead to Republican victories in this election:

• Employer intimidation -- Pressuring their employees to vote for candidates they support, or their jobs could be at stake.Can you imagine workers, who already have the jitters about their jobs, running the risk of losing them if they don't vote like the boss says?
• Church indoctrination -- Pastors using their pulpits to influence how congregants should vote, and at least one Catholic bishop instructing priests in his domain to preach anti-Obama sermons at Mass.
• Voting machines -- The Romney family owns substantial stock in the company that makes a large number of electronic voting machines that are being used in this election. And it has been demonstrated again and again how easy it is to manipulate and hack these machines.
• Conservative media -- Pervasive right-wing take-over of the mass media, from Fox TV, to Limbaugh and other right-wing radio programming, to corporate ownership of newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, to growing and increasingly influential Internet sites, such as The Drudge Report, Breitbart.com news syndicate and Journal Communications' new right-wing multi-platform group headed by a Milwaukee WI conservative radio personality, to billboards owned by right-wing advertising and communications conglomerate Clear Channel.
• Contracting voter access -- Whether repressed by newly enacted over-reaching photo ID requirements, reducing early voting days, issuing erroneous voting information or intimidating prospective voters via advertising and poll watchers -- all tactics target likely Democratic voters. 
• Decimation of unions -- Republican-controlled legislatures and state houses have worked tirelessly to kill off unions, in both the private and the public sectors, which historically have supported Democratic candidates. The amount of campaign contributions from unions has shrunk to a fraction of previous elections while corporate and special moneyed interests contributions to Republicans have burgeoned, plus super-PAC, which are overwhelmingly Republicans, such as Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS, have flooded the airwaves with political ads.

So polls, not withstanding, which even veteran pollsters say are not only all over the place, but increasingly unreliable, I think the Republicans' strategy of intimidation, indoctrination and election fraud is just very likely to overcome

Dishonoring the Uniform

A despicable email with the subject, “ I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS...... A Must See !” is flying around cyberspace, primarily, from the looks of it, among military veterans. That’s how it ended up in the inbox of my husband, a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. It was forwarded by a friend of his and included some of their mutual acquaintances as other recipients.

 

The email contained a photograph of five men standing on a dais. Three are military officers – Navy, Army and Air Force – who are saluting. One is a civilian whose right hand is over his heart. The other is President Barack Obama, whose hands are in front of him with his fingers intertwined.

 

The text of the email says:

 

“Every veteran should be especially offended!!    The Crotch Salute!!!!!   by guess who?????  At the Ft. Hood Memorial Service... The Crotch Salute Returns I am sorry folks, but is this the jerk that was elected President of our country? You know, the United States of America . I do believe that saluting the flag goes with that, as does respecting and honoring the service members who have died. Does this pompous ass believe he is above that gesture? If not a salute, how about a hand over the heart like the other guy? He can shower us all with flowery words (via teleprompter) and dazzle us with his bull shit, but actions speak louder. He has no idea about patriotism or respect. EVERYONE needs to see this Pic! How in the hell does he get away with this....How does the Military and our Armed Forces have any respect for this guy ???” The person who forwarded the email to my husband and the other recipients wrote: “Guys, Hope this doesn't go on much longer!” My husband was indeed highly offended, in fact, outraged – but not by the photograph or what the email sender wanted recipients to think was offensive. He was outraged by the email writer’s distortion, false portrayal of President Obama, and his attempt to misinform and to spread such vile propaganda. He was even more outraged that the sender was using military veterans as the vehicle to spew such hate mongering. It took my husband a while to fashion a reply. It also took a lot of soul searching, because he knew his reply could very possibly cost him friendships. This is what he wrote: “Guys, To quote a popular saying, ‘Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not entitled to their own facts.’

 

I have sent access to information below in viewable video, which I have watched for myself, that refutes the 'crotch salute' nonsense. Every honorably serving veteran should be offended that their service is in any way referenced by this remarkably ignorant, shamelessly false flag waver.

 

The ‘hand over the heart’ issue is less clear cut, but in the vein of the ‘crotch salute’ its intent appears to be racist-level put down. My life teaching as a civilian has been to stand (hat off) and sing the National Anthem and face the flag with hand over heart for the Pledge of Allegiance. The obvious reason for the hand over heart is in the first lines, ‘I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America’. For the National Anthem, I and others do not pledge anything to the song. We stand in respect, most managing to take hats off. The millions at sporting events are not all visibly hand over heart and most usually can't make it to the end of the National Anthem before yelling for their team. Should they be called out for their behavior? Are they unpatriotic? I don't think so.

 

As in the heading of this message... I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS, I can't believe that there is not a discernable difference between not liking an individual and spreading provably false information about them. And that intelligent professional individuals grasp onto bogus information from erstwhile political sources that would never pass a credibility check in any other part of their lives. With me, shared political views is not a requirement for friendship. Like you, I'm a veteran who believes in sometimes jumping on the bandwagon for the dignity of military honors, the flag and our country, but there must be care to see that the lead vehicle selected to represent our views in the procession is a well-decorated float, not a garbage truck.

 

Best wishes.”

 

My husband added links to these two websites of the photograph and explanations of what President Obama was attending (not Ft. Hood ceremony), and what was going on (neither the playing of the National Anthem nor the recitation of the Pledge to the Flag).

 

1. snopes.com: Barack Obama at Arlington on Veterans Day ••• 
Photograph shows President Obama during a 2009 Veterans Day ceremony?
...or the Flag is going by, or WHAT, but EVERYBODY in the picture is either saluting or has his hand over the HEART. All except ONE. Guess who. I do...
...because it would be inappropriate for him to be engaged in a gesture of saluting himself. (Department of Defense instructions state that "During all...
Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:32:44 GMT http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/photos/veteransday.asp 

2. snopes.com: Barack Obama and the National Anthem ••• 
Barack Obama does not place his hand over his heart when the U.S. national anthem is played?
Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:24:08 GMT http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp “

Two thoughts came to my mind about the individuals whose names were on the email my husband received.

1.     I know that all were officers when they were in the military and I find calling the person who is serving as President of the United States and the military services' Commander-in-Chief a “jerk” and a “pompous ass” very much to be conduct unbecoming an officer.

2.   I also know that the only reason all of them ever wore the uniform of this country is because they were about to be drafted into the military (we’re talking the 1960s) and took the Air Force officer route to avoid becoming Army draftees (or as they would say, "grunts", and that all of them served the minimum number of years required then got out to become highly successful businessmen. So I do look askance at their now, more than 45 years later, assuming their uber-patriotic flag-waving military-veteran mantles in their attempt to call out the President – and using such a bogus way of trying to do so.

What is honorable or "conservative" about that?  

Call Big Oil Execs What They Are. Narcissistic Socialists

An email landed in my inbox today from President Barack Obama's re-election campaign manager Jim Messina that caused a visceral reaction. Here's the reply I sent him. (I've pasted in Messina's email in below this reply.)

Dear Jim, et al,

I am amazed that smart people like you, your boss and all (D) pols, whether in the Senate or otherwise, don't call those sanctimonious hypocritical oil executives and their (R) -- and let's face it, some (D) -- enablers what they are:  Socialists.
At least so far as how they want the U.S. government to treat them.

They want government handouts. They want, nay demand! that taxpayers--Middle Americans like me--to give them public assistance.

You need to tell them to get off the dole. Tell them they don't need to be on the government welfare rolls. Tell them that taking government handouts is not the American Capitalistic Way.

Those sanctimonious hypocritical oil execs and their (R) -- and let's face it, some (D) -- enablers who stick "free enterprise" and "free market" labels all over themselves like race car drivers' sponsor logos need to be told to practice what they preach. A true "free market" doesn't rely on government subsidies, tax incentives or anything but the sweat of their own brow, their own boot straps, their own ingenuity.

For them to want, to ask for, to demand, to take government assistance makes them the same kind of parasites they accuse others who receive government assistance of being.

Let Middle Americans like me hear you and your (D) leaders call out these parasitic freeloaders for what they are.

Call them on their blackmailing rhetoric. No way are they going to stop or reduce drilling in this country just because the government stops coughing up ransom that is a pittance to them, but is big bucks to us and to the federal budget. They say that if you take away their government subsidies and "raise" their taxes (how about just make them pay taxes at all!), they'll have to pass those costs along to consumers. Three thoughts:

(1) Isn't "private enterprisers" passing operating/production costs along to customers what American Capitalism is all about?

(2) Rather than using the elimination of government subsidies and acting like patriotic Americans (even though these companies are multinational) as just one more excuse to further gouge Middle Americans, how about those companies take those costs out of their ever-burgeoning, ever record-setting profits?
(3) How come those esteemed senators firing questions at thes oil queens at the Senate Finance Committee hearing weren't gagging on laughter and falling out of their chairs in hysterics when those simpering queenies threatened to withhold their drilling if the government cut off the payola. Surely, the good senators know there's way, way too much money to be made from drilling for and pumping oil from this fair land for these oligarchs to let a fraction of a percentage of their revenues, which is what the subsidies and tax breaks amount to, get in their way.

So, you want our support, Jim? You want our contributions? You want our votes? Then, let us see and hear you and all (D) pols and operatives take a stand, use that fantastic bully pulpit at the President's disposal, strip these leeches --and that includes the freeloading mega rich who dodge paying a true proportionate share of their income/assets in taxes -- of the tax-funded largess that's being lavished on them. And not being used on so many other really substantive uses that truly benefit Middle Americans.

Champion it! Make it a major plank in President Obama's re-election platform. Prove to us Middle Americans that he is truly on OUR side. If you do...

I guarantee Pres. Obama will win re-election.

Sincerely,
Jerrianne Hayslett

(Messina's email)

Dear Jerrianne,

I spent this week moving boxes and getting set up in our new campaign headquarters in Chicago, but something happened in Washington that I want to make sure you know about.
The CEOs from the five major oil companies -- which together booked $36 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2011 alone -- went to the Senate on Thursday to try to justify the $4 billion in tax giveaways they're receiving this year.
It's a head-smackingly obvious example of how broken Washington is that there's even a question about this. These companies don't need and don't deserve taxpayer money -- especially with a budget deficit to close and gas prices at or near record highs.
Even worse is the fact that when the Senate tries to strip these oil company giveaways, it's likely that a minority of senators will block a vote from happening. And even if the Senate manages to pass a bill eliminating the giveaways, there's little chance it will be brought up for a vote in the House.
Here's why: These five companies are expert manipulators of the money-for-influence game in Washington that the President is working to change. It's simple math -- they spent more than $145 million last year on nearly 800 lobbyists whose job is to defeat bills like this one. The $4 billion they'll likely get to keep as a result represents a 2,700% return on their investment.
I'd like to be able to say with certainty that you can do something to help pass this bill, but the fact is that at this stage we may not be able to affect the outcome of next week's vote.
What we can do is build a campaign that will keep a spotlight on issues like this and the fundamental reasons why Washington doesn't work.
Our campaign doesn't take money from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. This organization will be a living example of doing politics a different way -- from the bottom up; of, by, and for ordinary people.
That example and the results we achieve on Election Day are the biggest blows we can strike against a dysfunctional system and the distorted outcomes it creates.
But we have to start building right now. Add your name to our call for a new kind of politics today:
http://my.barackobama.com/Making-Washington-Work
While the oil industry has been earning billions in profits, gas prices have surpassed $4 a gallon in some parts of the country.
As the President has said, "Instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy sources, we need to invest in tomorrow's."
But on Thursday, one of the CEOs went so far as to say that cutting oil giveaways would be "un-American."
Right now, we're building a grassroots campaign that's led and funded by people like you. We're opening up offices not just in Chicago but all over the place, and putting organizers on the ground in communities across the country.
So if you're frustrated by the way business gets done in Washington, I'm asking you now to channel that feeling into building a massive grassroots organization to change it. Add your name to join our campaign to change Washington:
http://my.barackobama.com/Making-Washington-Work
Thanks,
Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Call Big Oil Exes What They Are. Narcisstic Socialists