General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew experience voting this evening.
I do not do OPs and as a whole and generally distrust anecdotal threads.
But voting this evening was encouraging. I live in a very white and republican county in Florida, Lake to be specific. Although Democratic and Independent voters combined outweigh republicans.
There were probably 50-70 people voting and the vast majority were not white. And there were lots of multi-generational families voting including lots of young folks which is refreshing.
The main difference was that when early voting in 2016 it seemed like half the place was wearing red. Not today. A sea of blue, myself included. No one was talking but lots of eye contact acknowledgement.
Living in Florida I have learned to temper my enthusiasm but I am actually starting to believe we can do this.
Take it for whats its worth. One mans experience.
Catamount
(1,762 posts)K&R
Little Star
(17,055 posts)Cha
(298,021 posts)GulfCoast!
fierywoman
(7,705 posts)Control-Z
(15,682 posts)Your enthusiasm is a great energizer for me.
Thank you for posting this.
DontBooVote
(901 posts)kag
(4,079 posts)And he was active in party politics. He used to say, "You could hold the Democratic party meeting in a phone booth."
DontBooVote
(901 posts)...February of last year, after the shock of the '16 election and after the "inauguration with the largest crowd ever in the history of...well...ever, PERIOD!", and local Dems started coming out of hiding. For instance, the Tarrant Co. Democratic Women's club swelled from around 25 to (at last count I saw in May, or so) over 600.
All our local Democratic-aligned groups and clubs began swelling and we are now seriously challenging repugs and their incumbents. So, things are definitely looking a LOT better since your brother was here.
kag
(4,079 posts)It's been a few years since my brother was there. Nice to hear that things are changing for the better. Thank you for helping with that effort!
And good luck this year. It would be excellent to hear that Tarrant didn't just go solid red.
cannabis_flower
(3,769 posts)That the Fort Worth Star Telegram endorsed Beto?
DontBooVote
(901 posts)...I'll take the endorsement anyways!
GusBob
(7,286 posts)Both by a local author Gilbert King
"Beneath a Ruthless Sun"
"Devil In the Grove"
The Klan, and that awful Sherriff controlled that area for decades.
Fascinating well written and well researched stories.
But horrific in the injustice
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Google the Lake County Historical Museum if you want to get pissed off!
The director, Bobby Grenier, still sits at Sheriff Willis McCalls desk and says it is just part of history. Thats the sheriff who killed(lynched) those AA young men. He is bring to lake county the statute of Confederate General Kirby Smith that Florida voted to kick out of the US Capitol building in place of Mary McCloud Bethune. Even though Kirby Smith left Florida as a child and never set foot in Lake County. Yet somehow he is part of our history.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)Jesse Danials, the mentally handicapped kid he framed for rape passed away a coupla months ago
That asshole McCall got away with so much corruption, the voters, the governors, the FBI nor the supreme court or Dept of Justice could stop him
Reminds me of Trump
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)I was referring to the 4 black men framed for a rape. 2 of whom McCall shot in cold blood.
Always wondered how many more there were we will never hear about.
Remnants of that power structure still exist, especially in north Lake County.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)Devil in the Grove is about the AA guys framed for a rape of a white woman that never happened. He set up those 2 for their execution by him by the side of the road ( one lived though, shot but didn't die)
Under the Ruthless Sun, an innocent white mentally handicapped man was framed for a rape that was most likely committed by a black man. To explain that story would reveal spoilers
That man who was framed recently died, Jesse Daniels.
Both wild wild stories
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)My family is southern. This was SOP from reconstruction to the civil rights era. Never has really ended.
Ligyron
(7,645 posts)Can't remember if that's the town.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Ligyron
(7,645 posts)Gave people a "break" by giving them a ticket so they didn"t have to appear in court. "Make the check payable to Sheriff Roy Bliss."
dameatball
(7,405 posts)Seems like there were a number of suspects that never made it to jail/court alive. Not hard to google it.
mcar
(42,465 posts)It is my understanding that the Villages has a large and active Democratic club. I did VBM so can't speak for Dem turnout here but we are canvassing and phone banking more than I've ever seen.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)But my county is red. I did notice a lot more Blacks than normal and a few young people. Hillary actually did better than I expected in the county, eventhough Trump did a rally here and she sent no one.
Beartracks
(12,835 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Does that happen? I would object. Even in our primaries while we get different ballots no one can tell by watching which party you are voting for. And we use paper ballots.
Now the 2 poll watchers were a study in contrast. A middle aged lady, who I assume was the Democratic watcher had a friendly, smiling demeanor. The 40ish white guy in the tight polo shirt was watching all the minority voters like a hawk and looked like he was trying to pass a watermelon!
Flaleftist
(3,473 posts)From every experience I have had, I walk up to the table, show my ID, get a ballot and go to a booth to fill it out. There's just one line to get the ballot and you go to an unoccupied booth.
The only separate lines I have heard about are a ways back in history when you went to a different line depending on who you were voting for. There were stories of factory foremen standing there and watching how employees vote. I thought that has long been abandoned due to voter intimidation.
Beartracks
(12,835 posts)I'm pretty sure the two lines are not based on last name, like A-L, M-Z. I just always happened to be in the line i needed to be in. But I'll be sure to pay more attention next week.
This is in NE Oklahoma.
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YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Old like most DU members!
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)for my birthday - one of my favorite bands is playing up there along with another favorite that is from there.
Here's one of their songs - keep in mind this was from one of their albums in the 80s
iluvtennis
(19,905 posts)murielm99
(30,782 posts)I, too, distrust anecdotal threads. I have posted a couple myself lately, because I have seen some unusual and encouraging signs in my red county.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Believe me, I see the irony of saying I distrust anecdotal threads while posting one about myself!
Power 2 the People
(2,437 posts)Demovictory9
(32,493 posts)a kennedy
(29,771 posts)everything repub, crush em in the House, crush em in the Senate and take back all the Governorships.
ecstatic
(32,782 posts)indicate voting intentions. The thought never crossed my mind, but luckily I was kind of wearing blue (blue jeans and grey t-shirt with faded blue Georgia Tech colors). Hmmm...
HAB911
(8,945 posts)similar experience, of course we lean Blue anyway. There were a couple of kids that the staff pointed out as new voters which elicited cheers from all those filling out that hellishly long ballot! Hope they voted blue.
My dad lived in Lake for many years before returning to Georgia.
Oppaloopa
(867 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Straight Democratic. No to retain republican appointed judges. No to all amendments except 4 restoring felons rights.
But we had no municipal elections as I live in the county.
HAB911
(8,945 posts)it was a pleasure to finally make the marks. Almost but not quite as good as voting for Hillary, but very satisfying
radical noodle
(8,017 posts)I'm in Marion County and wearing blue to vote today.
ProfessorGAC
(65,381 posts)The OP said they were wearing blue, and you too. I'm not able to do that, because i honestly don't think i own a single piece of blue clothing! Heck, i don't even own any blue jeans!
Perhaps i will wear green because it closer to blue than it is to red!
radical noodle
(8,017 posts)Anything but red, then!
ProfessorGAC
(65,381 posts)But, not to the polling place. Noodle told me i couldn't. I tell my wife she can't either!
radical noodle
(8,017 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)And she is correct. I am either bright white or red depending on my recent sun exposure! Red destroys me. And I almost always wear blue as it is my best color so I really made no special plans to dress for voting.
ProfessorGAC
(65,381 posts)My wife actually likes me in red
Something about my skin tone makes red, white, black, or beige right.
My wife been saying that before we got married 38 years ago!
Go figure, that I'd look good in red!!!!
yellowdogintexas
(22,292 posts)on Election Day. In fact, I put on some kind of blue top every time I walk out of the house (unless I am doing something candidate specific; a lot of our folks are using other colors for their campaign shirts.)
I am considering attempting a Tshirt quilt with all my campaign shirts. Don't hold your breath though I am famous for great concept and really bad followthrough
nolabear
(42,002 posts)Glad youre putting up an OP and delighted for Florida! 🌴🐊🌊
coeur_de_lion
(3,688 posts)Response to GulfCoast66 (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)Red tide, racism, social security, Medicare, Medicaid cuts....and now the immigration and birthright issues. Florida has massive number of immigrant naturalized citizens, if THEY jump in and VOTE, no telling what we wake up to on Nov 7th and see
mitch96
(13,942 posts)Is the Red tide rolling up on the beaches....
m