“The salient fact of American politics is that there are fifty to seventy million voters each of who will volunteer to live, with his family, in a cardboard box under an overpass, and cook sparrows on an old curtain rod, if someone would only guarantee that the black, gay, Hispanic, liberal, whatever, in the next box over doesn’t even have a curtain rod, or a sparrow to put on it Ni-CLANG in the White House gets put in his place.”
OK then. Civil War II it is.
Cole does some commiserating regarding the state of Democratic tactics:
“Currently, it appears that the Democrats in WV are trying to out pro-life and out pro-NRA each other while scratching Big Coal’s itchy parts.
And that is what it is like being a Democrat in WV- you start every election cycle motivated and then the candidates you like lose the primary or the person you will only vote for because they are a Democrat runs unopposed. Then the general election cycle starts, and you notice that the Democrats are starting to sound like Republicans. Not like Bob Dole era Republicans, but slightly to the left of Mitch McConnell Republicans. Fortunately, though, that is balanced by crazy insane people on the right who make them look liberal by comparison. My representative, David McKinley, who was what I thought passed for a reasonable Republican is now guzzling the kool-aid and proudly running campaign commercials when he touts his 50 votes against Obamacare as a reason to vote for him.
Gotta love it.
Absentee ballots for me and Mrs. Cisco have been submitted. I wish I could say that being done with the process makes the ads easier to deal with; alas, the ads still reek. This election cycle was unique for us; we actually had a campaign worker knock at the door:
CW: “Will you stand with Senator Hagan?”
BC: “So long as she doesn’t run away from President Obama, and stands with us.”
CW: “She’ll stand with everybody.”
I’m sure it sounded better in his head…
I’m not sure that Democratic politicians have figured out that the right isn’t going to vote for them, a lot of them have been spending a LOT of time distancing themselves from President Obama, in order to – what – make the Fox News demo consider voting for them? Not going to happen. Consider this: PBO’s nominee for Surgeon General made what many would call a reasoned correlation between gun violence and health; for this, the Teapublicans, with the usual support/threats from the NRA, filibustered the nomination. However, there was also pushback from DEMOCRATIC senators: Begich (AK) and Pryor (AR) voted down every single post-Sandy Hook gun amendment; joining them in shooting down the assault weapons ban were Baucus (MT), Bennet (CO), Donnelly (IN), Hagan (NC), Heinrich (NM), Heitkamp (ND), Johnson (SD), Landrieu (LA), Manchin (WV), Tester (MT), Tom Udall (NM), and Warner (VA).
So what did they get for courageously bowing down before the NRA? Pryor got a challenger, NONE of the others got either an endorsement or support of any kind, and the GOP was gifted a blueprint for fighting against “radical” nominees and for cowing Democrats in general.
I wish someone would explain what this is supposed to accomplish from a Democratic standpoint. Someone with a (D) after their name who rolls over every time the NeoConfederates yell boo is not what I’m looking for…
Dear NeoConfederates,
2014 is coming – and SO ARE WE. Not in the way you claim to fear.
No marauding gangs, no riots, no Birth Of A Nation-induced fantasies.
Those two New Black Panthers (the SAME two, at that!) you guys drag out every time you want to make each other wet yourselves? Non-factor.
No, we’re coming brandishing the one thing that actually scares you – our VOTES.
You and ALEC can try all your tricks – we’re coming.
You can end early voting – we’re coming.
You can close polling places – we’re coming.
You can “accidentally” delete names from voting rolls – we’re coming.
You can gin up as much outrage as you wish – a Brooks Brothers riot won’t help you this time.
The FerengiMedia™ may be your allies, but they won’t be enough.
Are you willing to use fire hoses? Dogs? Guns?
Because that’s what you are going to have to do. And even that won’t be enough.
You see, we’ve had more than enough of your crap.
You’ve been on the longest temper tantrum in recent history. Running at full speed since November 4, 2008.
We are now fully aware that there is no common cause with you.
There can be no compromise because you do not wish it. You want us dead, gone, marginalized, or in servitude to you.
NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN.
It didn’t have to be this way. YOU forced this.
Remember that when your electoral gains are dust, and you have gone the way of the Whigs.
Your hatred of us will be your undoing.
And you will only have yourselves to blame.
My Ready Room 