dagblog - Comments for "Help! Michigan has Fallen and it Can't Get Up!"

The 1st district was

Kulkuri — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 14:05:10 +0000

The 1st district was represented by Phil Ruppe (R) in the late 60s-early 70s. But his party was more or less sane back then.

Voter bases is not where the

SleepinJeezus — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 05:49:02 +0000

In reply to I think so, too, Auntie.

Voter bases is not where the problem has been, IMHO. After all, we had the GOP and these far right whackos on the mat when we gathered in Grant Park to celebrate Election Night 2008. We could have finished 'em off right there with what felt at the time like the start of a populist uprising. We could have quite rightly hung around the necks of the Republicans this recession and the failure of Reaganomics, the two wars (especially Iraq), the excesses of the Executive and the Security State including Guantanamo and secret drone warfare and "renditions," etc., Dick Cheney and the neo-cons, and all other manner of contemptible political and economic and social psychoses that we have suffered for these last few decades. These piss-ants should have been finished for generations to come, such is the degree they had so completely discredited themselves in the 25 years since Reagan.

But we didn't do that. We got Barack Obama and more of the DLC instead. And I think it was no accident the powers-that-be allowed the GOP to come roaring back with a vengeance. Just follow the money.

Well Florida is kind of

cmaukonen — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 05:32:07 +0000

In reply to Just saw this. Looks like

Well Florida is kind of strange. It was never really a "slave state" as it did not have plantations and all like those to the north. Only in the northern part of the state was there any real racist/white supremacy action. From Tampa south you had the typical Florida crackers both white and black and these people lived quite literally off the land for years.

Until the growth period when the northerners began to come down and settle in Collier County and Dade and Broward Counties. This was where the majority of the population was for a very long time and they were very centrist.

Beginning in the 1970s though the growth in that part was mostly Cuban exiles and Haitian and Central Florida got the northern influx. In the last 20 years it has been a lot of very well off retirees just north of Orlando and Tampa.

Now that area has the biggest voting block out numbering the southern part. Especially since the high tech that brought a lot of people to the Miami and Naples are dried up.

The Cubans are very reactionary as well as the retirees up in north central Florida.

And they are now the biggest voting block in the state.

What I cannot figure out though is what is attracting people to the state as the latest figures show more people moving in even though the economy is circling the drain and nearly ever county has 1000 or more homes in foreclosure and increasing.

Is yard work and fast food service that attractive ?

Richard, they're attempting

Ramona — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:34:56 +0000

In reply to I have attempted to make this

Richard, they're attempting to erase everything we've ever accomplished to make like better for everyone. They're getting away with it, too, as much as we like to think our bleatings are working.

Someone asked me the other day why the liberals are so bad at making a case for what is obviously so right. I had no answer. I honestly don't know.

Some say we're too wimpy, some say we're too aggressive, some say we don't articulate our case well enough, and some say we're too pedantic and high-falutin'.

Then others say we don't know what we want, and even if we did, it wouldn't be what the country wants.

One reason might be that we're poor and they're not. Other than that, I got nothin'

I think so, too, Auntie.

Ramona — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:27:18 +0000

In reply to Ramona, Hopefully,

I think so, too, Auntie. State and local politics are sometimes forgotten when there are so many bigger issues to address, but it all starts there. If we had all worked harder at building bigger voter bases in our states we might not have had a Walker, a Snyder, a Scott, a Kasich, a Brewer, a Christie. . .or a Palin.

Like that.

Just saw this. Looks like

Ramona — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:17:41 +0000

In reply to The crazies are running

Just saw this. Looks like Florida may win this thing. After all, they're only looking out for the citizens' best interests. lol

Ramona, Hopefully,

Aunt Sam — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:06:30 +0000

In reply to Help! Michigan has Fallen and it Can't Get Up!

Ramona,

Hopefully, for all who read your post, they will start paying closer attention to what's happening in their own backyard. Contrary to what most believe, corruption and public official malfeasance does not 'trickle down', it has its' roots in local governance and 'grows' onwards and upwards to state and then federal processes.

I firmly believe we need to pay closer attention to our own local and state politicos legislative actions. If we want to secure better government, it is necessary for the citizenry to be proactive and provide better oversight to ensure the fiscal and legislative health of our own local and state government's practices.

Thanks for that Trkng.

Ramona — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 13:25:50 +0000

In reply to The crazies are running

Thanks for that Trkng. Pretty overwhelming there, too. Voter laws should be so hard-bound there's no room for discussion, but as usual they can find ways to either get around them or just choose to ignore them. (Whatever happened to the investigations into the no-paper-trail Diebold voting machines? Haven't seen much about that recently.)

This is a national effort by the Right to keep the Republicans in power so their agendas can be met. They'll privatize the entire country if they get their way. We can try to stop them by exposing their methods, but often we're just preaching to the choir. It's voter efforts that will make the changes. More like-minded people have to be convinced that their vote counts.

It's all in the numbers, whether we're gathering to protest or entering the voting booths.

Sleepin, we in Michigan are

Ramona — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:58:24 +0000

In reply to Believe me, Ramona, I feel

Sleepin, we in Michigan are watching your recall efforts in Wisconsin with our hearts in our throats. If you lose the recall, the effects will resound here. It'll give Snyder and his bunch confidence that they can win, too, and they'll step up the effort to take over completely. It'll also put more money in their war chest. The Mackinac Center Koch-heads love these fights and they have endless battle supplies.

If you win, while Snyder won't be demoralized (publicly, at least), we'll be energized. Your win will be our recruitment tool. It's tough waking up a populace who really prefer to sleep their troubles away. They're more apt to see a chance at success and give us a hand if they can see some successes elsewhere.

That's, unfortunately, the way it is.

Believe me, Ramona, I feel

SleepinJeezus — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 08:40:50 +0000

In reply to Help! Michigan has Fallen and it Can't Get Up!

Believe me, Ramona, I feel your pain here in Wisconsin. Some of the details are different, but the nature of the assault is very similar. Scott Walker cannot yet appoint Viceroys to take over Imperial Governance of our cities yet, but I'm certain he's checking out possibilities.

Too busy at present to respond at length with the Recall coming up on Tuesday. But keep the faith. No telling what will happen here with all the millions of dollars at Walker's disposal and the potential for black box voting fraud and voter suppression and dirty tricks, etc. But people are awakening. The grass roots is more actively engaged here than I have EVER seen it. Something's gotta' give. It might not be pretty, but it ain't gonna look like this kind of oppression and submission forever. I promise.

We are the 99 percent. OWS.