Primaries - Democrats and Republicans vs Independents

Democrats and Republicans are clubs. Each spends a great deal of time and money on communications, primaries, etc. for the benefit of their members. People can join any club; it’s voluntary. There are other, smaller, political clubs including Libertarian, Green, Socialist and others that people may join.

It seems more and more, Americans are choosing not to join any club and call themselves Independents. That is of course their right. But when Independents (who do not belong to any club) complain they cannot vote in one of the club’s primaries, it sounds like whining to me. There is no reason they should be allowed to vote in a club’s primary they are not a member of. For example, why would Republican club members want Democratic club members to be able to vote in a State’s GOP primary, perhaps just so they could vote for a “weak” GOP candidate?

Independents are welcome to not join any club. They still get to vote in the general election. BUT, if they want to vote for a candidate in the primaries, they need to be a member of one of the clubs. If they want, they could create their own club. Perhaps create an IND-DEM club for liberal leaning Independents and an IND-GOP club for conservative leaning Independents. This year, the IND-DEM club could have nominated Bernie Sanders so he could run in the general election. 

My message to Independents -

I respect your right to vote. Your vote is equal to mine. But if you want a free ride by piggybacking on my Democratic club without helping to support all the work necessary to put on primaries and vote year after year for Democratic candidates, go take a hike!

P.S. Bernie Sanders does not have the strength of his convictions. He is a self-professed Socialist. But instead of running as a Socialist in his State, he has run as an Independent for 30 years (is he ashamed of being a Socialist?). Now he wants to use the infrastructure of the Democratic Party, where he has never belonged, to run his national campaign. He too can go take a hike!

Religion and Women

I cannot tolerate how certain religions (or sects within a religion) treat women as subservient and limit their freedom and educational opportunities. This means I do not approve of these religions:

1. Islam

2. Ultra-Orthodox Judaism

3. Note: The leadership of the Catholic Church is a men’s club that suffers from many of the same misguided traditions of not allowing women into their management, but at least this religion does not limit women’s rights outside the church hierarchy.

There are many nice people who practice these religions, but I do not approve of their traditions of not allowing women to make their own decisions in life. In my opinion, these religions believe in a form of slavery simply because men like being dominate and controlling. I very much hope the traditions around women in these religions are doomed to the dustbin of history.

Politics and Friends

My and my wife’s 10 closest active friends are about half politically liberal and half conservative. We have political conversations every once in a while, but they don’t dominate. The only thing that sticks out in my mind over the past 4 years is many of our conservative friends have said they “hate Obama”. That sticks out because during Bush’s 8 years as President, I don’t remember ever saying, or thinking, I hate him. I didn’t support any of his policies and think he ruined America for at least 10 years going to war with Iraq and eliminating the financial regulations that led to the 2008 financial collapse… still I never “hated him”.

Our conservative friends’ positions hasn't stopped us from really liking them and wanting to socialize with them. And as far as I can tell, our liberal positions hasn't stopped them from liking and wanting to socialize with us.

BUT WHAT IF WE WENT DEEPER?

I assume my conservative friends all want the following to happen in America and vote for candidates who support these positions:

1. Reduce the current safety nets for the poor to the bare minimum (way below where they are now).
2. Never raise the minimum wage (maybe eliminate it).
3. Dramatically reduce federal regulations in the areas of banking, water and air pollution, land use, energy efficiency, etc.
4. Give a higher priority to voters in the suburbs and rural areas of the country vs inner cities. Perhaps have more Congressional Districts in rural and suburban areas than in big cities (that is, assign Districts by land area not population). In other words, not maintain the ideal of one person, one vote, and give higher priority to the white voter vs the non-white voter.
5. Eliminate Obamacare and go back to the way health insurance was. And certainly never have Medicare for everyone (single-payer system).
6. Do nothing about climate change.
7. Increase the use of oil and coal and eliminate all incentives for renewable energy.
8. Reduce the tax rate on people making over $250,000 per year.
9. Reduce the influence of the Dept. of Education (perhaps eliminate it).
10. Make all abortions illegal and jail any doctor who performs one. Perhaps jail the mother too.
11. Make most birth control devices/meds illegal.
12. Ban stem cell research.
13. Deport as many illegal immigrants as possible and keep the remaining as illegals forever.
14. Roll back any relationship with Cuba.
15. Do not spend money on repairing the country’s infrastructure.
16. Require all Americans invest their Social Security payments into private investments. Perhaps do away with Social Security.
17. Weaken unions as much as possible. Perhaps eliminate all public unions (except Police unions of course).
18. Encourage the use of Christian dogma in government.
19. Eliminate all barriers to buying a firearm. Allow the sale of any fully automatic weapon.
20. Allow carrying a firearm anywhere.
21. Make same sex marriages illegal.
22. Expand prayer in schools.
23. End support for Planned Parenthood
24. End all support for “equal pay for women”

If all of the above came to pass in America, I would be horrified. I might take up arms or leave the country (and conservatives might say “good riddance” :)

So how far should close friends go discussing the differences between liberals and conservatives? Should we discuss them more? Or would that just lead to lost friendships and even less understanding between us?

What do you think?

Bernie Supporters Partly to Blame

The majority of the ardent young Bernie supporters almost never voted in the off-year (non-Presidential) elections of 2010 and 2014. They are partly to blame for the country being in the shape it is today. They allowed the GOP to win the Senate, House and most State positions. That’s why we can’t raise the minimum wage, or strengthen unions, or create jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, etc.

• If Bernie wins the Presidency, but the GOP maintains their majorities in the Senate and House, he will accomplish nothing.
• If Bernie does not win the nomination, and his supporters go back to thinking politics doesn't matter so why bother voting in November, they again will be partly to blame for what comes next.

Note to the young liberals: If you want the respect you think you deserve from the Democratic Party, then show up and vote every 2 years.

Who Gets to Vote in Primaries?
Bernie Sanders knew Independents would not be able to vote in many State Primaries when he chose to run as a Democrat almost two years ago. If you’re angry you couldn’t vote for him in your State’s Primary, blame Bernie! He could have run as an Independent, won the Inde Primaries, and then run for President against the DEM and GOP candidates (as Ross Perot did in 1992 and 1996). But Bernie chose to cut out Independents…

Democrats Shooting Ourselves in the Crotch

With the GOP in complete disarray in 2016, the DEMs have an amazing opportunity to come together and win the Presidency as well as get back the Senate and perhaps even the House. And of course more Supreme Court Justices. But as liberals so often do, we can’t see the forest for the trees. 

Hillary Clinton has been fighting the liberal fight for 30 years, and all of sudden, she isn’t liberal enough. That’s crazy. It seems the bulk of Sanders' supporters are young liberals who haven’t ever helped the cause. While their elders have been voting and supporting Democrats the past 10+ years, many Bernie supporters have been staying home and thinking “politics is boring”.

And now that they have a candidate to cheer for, they couldn’t care less that splitting the party will kill any chance of winning big in November. They like being able to rail against something… anything.

It’s so true that we liberals have very little discipline. And that “wild streak” always keeps us from achieving the wonderful things we could in America. We’re like teenagers who want to go to their friend’s party because it will have booz… never thinking about whether driving home drunk may have dire consequences. Why worry about the consequences… just do what feels good.

Very sad for the progressive movement and America,
JJS

P.S. Perhaps even worse than the young Bernie supporters who just don’t know how change in America comes about (a piece at a time), are those who should know - like Susan Sarandon who wants to stick her finger up at the establishment even if it means the GOP will keep control of the Senate. How she came to hate Hillary Clinton is a shame - Hillary is not the enemy, the GOP is! But people like Sarandon want a socialist America; one that looks a lot like Cuba. She, like Bernie, are not Democrats, they are Independents who want a revolution… and look what that did to the Cuban middle class!

Sanders supporters don't believe this;
they believe it's their way or the highway;
so the GOP wins.

States with Openly Discrimination Policies

I will not visit or do business with firms in these States due to their discrimination laws:

• Mississippi (LGBT bill)
• North Carolina (LGBT bill)
• South Carolina (abortion bill)

How Does Knowledge Change Our View of Life?

(click on image to enlarge and read text)

The Changing America - No Stopping It

Just like America went from almost all Protestants to Protestants being less than 50%…

it is going from almost all white to whites being less than 50%.

No matter how angry those fearful of this change get, it is going to happen. I suspect there will be a lot of violence the next few decades as “macho whites” blame everyone else for their own shortcomings. They will never accept they caused their own place in America’s system. While many of them didn't work very hard getting a good education, the immigrants coming to America are working their tails off getting good educations.

Like it or not, after 2025, the current form of the GOP will never win another national election (or perhaps sooner). And probably after 2040, they will stop winning Statewide elections. America, through its new immigrant populations, will finally completely leave its Wild West roots behind (that macho whites want to hang onto) and move into its more "Community" phase. The cattle ranchers will fade away, and the sheep farmers will take over.

Check out this book just published on this topic:
"The End of White Christian America" by Robert P. Jones (2016)

1776:

Protestants = >90%

2015:

Protestants =       46%

Catholic =            21%

Other Christian =   3%

Non-Christian =     6%

Unaffiliated =        24%

This image is from "The End of White Christian America":

Let Ideas, Not Gangs, Compete

A great article on CNN by Marc J. Randazza. See excerpt below:

www.cnn.com/2016/03/12/opinions/defend-trump-free-speech-opinion-randazza/index.html

Marc J. Randazza is a Las Vegas-based First Amendment attorney and managing partner of the Randazza Legal Group.

——————————————————————————————————————-

It is a fair opinion to think Trump's speech is offensive, problematic, or hateful. But, the First Amendment requires neither tact nor politeness. It requires that we permit all views to set up stalls in the marketplace of ideas, and we let that marketplace decide which ideas prevail. That is why it is called "the marketplace of ideas," not "the marketplace of gangs beating each other up." 

Would Trump similarly stand up for the rights of others? I doubt it. But that is not the point. 

If you don't stand up for Trump's liberty today, someone may come for yours tomorrow. 

If we believe in free speech, we need to believe in Trump's as well. 

• The richest Wall Street banker must side with Occupy when the cops attack them.

• Parents of mixed-race children must side with the KKK when they are attacked.

• Even Illinois Nazis should stand up for Jews if someone tries to silence them with violence. 

Dammit, this is the United States of America, and there is room for the entire spectrum of political discourse. 

And no matter how right you think you are, you are never so clearly right, never so without fault, never so pure, that you have any moral authority to shut down the other side with violence. When you do that, the eventual result is that he who brings the bigger guns will win the debate. 

That is not what America is all about.

Are You Angry About US Illegal Immigration?

If you are angry about illegal immigration in the US, you are way off target if you direct your anger towards the Mexicans who cross our border.

White American businessmen are hiring and paying every illegal immigrant in the US. They are the culprits who got us in this mess. They stand up and rage about US immigration policy, and then they go back to work and encourage illegal immigration to get the cheap labor.

If you're white, middle class and up, and live in Texas, Arizona, California or Florida, you likely have friends who are hiring and paying the illegal immigrants. It's your friends who you should yell at. They are to blame for encouraging Mexicans to cross our border for work.

"The U.S. Department of Labor has confirmed to CNN that between 2013 and fall 2015, Trump's Mar-a-Lago club posted 250 seasonal job openings and filled just 4 of those jobs with American workers. The club requested the rest of the staff be temporarily imported through the Federal government's H-2B visa process. Basically, Mar-a-Lago brings in its seasonal staff from overseas."

Spotlight - On the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church should be shut down for repairs until every priest who molested a child is drummed out of the Church (and their names made public), as well as all the Bishops and Cardinals who knew about it and hid what the priests were doing. Let’s make America clean again!

Important to Elect a Democratic President in 2016

This Fall by electing a democratic President we not only get a chance to continue the humane and science-driven federal government direction for another 4 years… but we also get to replace a backwards (and selfish) thinking Supreme Court judge with a reasonable one. America will take a big step forward in living up to the founding father’s ideals.

And if the Democrats also take back the Senate, just think, we might be able to have:

1. Voting rights restored for all!

2. Planned Parenthood support restored!

3. Global warming addressed!

4. A Federal infrastructure program creating millions of jobs!

5. Avoid bigger deficits from a GOP tax reduction!

6. And… once again become a beacon of light for the world!

WOW!

Donald Trump is Sarah Palin

Everyone who is surprised how popular Donald Trump has become among many of the GOP haven’t been awake for the past 8 years. He is the male equivalent of Sarah Palin.

Both know nothing about the world and cover up their lack of knowledge with provocative language. For them, that's easy to do. And their followers in the GOP lap it up. These GOP 'macho' followers did it in 2008 and now they are doing the same thing in 2015/16. The 33% percent of the GOP who loved Sarah, and love Donald, are easy to find - just ask who hates Muslims and Mexicans (oh, and Jews, Blacks, Asians, etc.) If they say “hell yes I hate them”, then they love Sarah and Donald. Donald and Sarah speak at a 2nd grade level which is about their followers' level of thinking.

So stop being surprised Trump is leading in the polls. He will continue to do so, and the only lucky thing for the rest of us (and the world) is he won’t win the Presidency… just like Sarah could never win.

Questions for Conservatives...

• Why is it better to have dirty air and dirty water than have regulations on companies limiting the dumping of their wastes into our water and air?

• Why is it better to have the poorest in our country go without healthcare for themselves and their children rather than increase the tax rate on people making over $1million a year by 1%?

• Should we measure the success of America solely by the amount of profit our corporations make, or a balance of a good economy and being good to our fellow man? And I don't mean taking care of those who are too lazy to take care of themselves.

What I Am For...

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES:

• Treat Gobal Warming as big a threat as an attack on the country.
• Campaign Finance Reform.
• Spending our tax dollars on improving our country's infrastructure.
• Balanced federal budget.
• A government that supports our Veterans better.
• All elected federal officials and federal gov't. workers paying into Social Security as their only retirement plan. Stop offering any other government retirement plan.
• Strong regulations for clean air, clean water and land use.
• Strong gun control.
• Raising the Minimum Wage to $15.00 per hour.
• Immigration Reform.
• Laws guaranteeing women the right to any type of birth control they want.
• Laws guaranteeing women the right to an abortion and ready access to clinics.

HEALTHCARE:

• A Healthcare System like Medicare for everyone (single payer system).

TAX POLICIES:

• Tax incentives for Renewable Energy, and no tax breaks for non-renewable energy companies.
• Raise taxes for everyone back to level when Clinton was President.
• A corporate tax system that sets a minimum of 20% rate on companys' federal tax bill.

MISC.:

• A government that does not start wars.
• A Congress that works in Washington at least 80% of all weekdays.
• A Congress made up of at least 40% women.
• Elected leaders who believe in science based knowledge:

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."

John J. Kennedy

Commencement Address, Yale Univ., 1962

Reasons to Vote for Democrats...

If you want Immigration Reform,
vote for Democrats.

If you want to make some headway on Global Warming,
vote for Democrats.

If you want to raise the Minimum Wage,
vote for Democrats.

If you want your leaders to believe in science (both when the news is good and bad),
vote for Democrats.

If you want to stay out of more wars,
vote for Democrats.

If you want Campaign Finance Reform,
vote for Democrats.

If you want to repair our roads and bridges (and put more people to work),
vote for Democrats.

If you want more Renewable Energy,
vote for Democrats.

If you want to support our Veterans better,
vote for Democrats.

If you want women to be able to make their own choices about their birth control,
vote for Democrats.

If you want to reduce the federal deficit,
vote for Democrats.

If you want stronger pollution regulations,
vote for Democrats.

If you want huge corporations to pay their fair share in taxes (at least not be able to pay zero),
vote for Democrats.

If you want the House of Representatives (who we pay $200K per year) to work more than 50% of a normal work month,
vote for Democrats.

If you want more women in Congress,
vote for Democrats.

If you want the more than 25% of unfilled foreign Ambassador positions to be filled,
vote for Democrats.

If you want more reasonable gun control,
vote for Democrats.

If you want fewer uneducated, angry, dangerous men in Congress,
vote for Democrats.

Thank you President Obama
www.thedenverchannel.com/decodedc/mr-president-on-behalf-of-an-ungrateful-nation-thank-you

Americans,

If you want your Congress to work again, 
                                       vote for Democrats!