SoCalDem
SoCalDem's JournalBallotpedia.. very useful tool to identify state races we should start on for 2014
Efforts like souls-to-the-polls would be a LOT easier if the legislatures were more blue than red. Many of the Draconian laws passed recently could be undone..
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Florida_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2014
Some good news from Florida
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Democrats-make-gains-in-Fla-Legislature-4018340.phpDemocrats make gains in Fla. Legislature
BRENT KALLESTAD, Associated Press
Updated 11:44 p.m., Wednesday, November 7, 2012
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Still badly outnumbered in Florida's Legislature, more Democrats will soon be at the Capitol following perhaps their most encouraging Election Day in some two decades. Republican leaders may be looking over their shoulders after losing a supermajority in the Legislature and possibly their pick to be House speaker in two years. State Rep. Chris Dorworth trailed Democratic challenger Mike Clelland by 37 votes on Wednesday, a day before Seminole County officials count provisional ballots. The result would then be sent to state officials, who determine whether a recount is needed. Dorworth's departure would create a scramble among Republicans to replace him as speaker-designate
snip
"It's a great day to be a Democrat in Florida," state party chairman Rod Smith said Wednesday. "This is the best night we've had in Florida ... since I've been casting votes much less since I've been in politics." Smith, who served in the Senate from 2001 to 2006, said Tuesday was the first time in 30 years that Democrats had a net gain in the state Senate, where they added two seats in addition to possibly five in the House.
snip
Republicans, however, still enjoy a 26-14 advantage in the Senate and will have a 76-44 edge in the House should Clelland survive the recount. By breaking the Republicans' supermajority in both chambers, Democrats improved their position to negotiate with their legislative colleagues.
snip
Zimmerman, Dentel and Danish ousted GOP Reps. Peter Nehr, Scott Plakon and Shawn Harrison, respectively. Rodriguez, meanwhile, knocked off former state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla, a Republican who was trying to get back to Talllahassee in the House seat vacated by the resignation of former Rep. Richard Steinberg, a Democrat, after admitting he'd sent suggestive emails to a female federal prosecutor.
But Democrats couldn't capitalize on another vacancy that also resulted from a sex scandal.
It's time for the "media" to own and correct their deficiencies.
Even after the drubbing given to right wingers last night, there is still somehow, lots of face-time being given to the people who continue to say non-factual, nonsensical stuff like:
McDonnell (VA)..."...even though we were virtually tied just last week..."...and "the race was tied for most of the whole race..."
He also seemed truly surprised at the outcome, but insisted that keeping the house and increasing the governorships (now 30) was what was really "important".
The time has come, for the press (or what's left of it) to step up and start to report on what is important, and what needs to be done. They need to stop the "campaign-mode" reporting, and start inviting EXPERTS...real experts who can shed some light on the serious issues we face as a nation.
We do not need to see or hear (to name a few) :
Michael Steele
Dan Senor
Rudy 911-iani
Mark Halperin
Tom Brokaw
Ed Rendell
Harold Ford
The LEFT won a decisive victory, and it's time to govern now. It would be helpful for the media to start spreading the truth, and leave the liars, the Debby-Downers, the DLCers, the middle-of-the-roaders to do their hanging-out at Fox.
A good old shunning is in order.
These people were W R O N G , from start to finish. Nothing they have to say is of much value, so why waste air-time on them. Let them hawk their books on FOX..or maybe they could BUY ad-time to sell them.
There are liberal voices that have been silent for far too long. It's time they were given a chance to get some tv-time.
I remember when Clinton was in the White House. All the media, all the time, had his detractors on the air, bad-mouthing him...and when Bush came along, we had the same people on, singing Bush's (ill-deserved) praises day in and day out. Then Obama comes along, and guess what?..the same people trashing him daily, or the "mild" dems who offer him "helpful" advice.
Enough is enough..
Romney lost. We do not need to rehash his miserable campaign. We all watched it unfold.
We need a steady diet of economists (academics..not pop-culture economists)
We need to hear from Robert Reich
We need to hear from real climate scientists
We need to hear from people who truly advocate for health care initiatives
We need to hear from people with new ideas about voting practices
For decades, we have only been shown the right-wing-way. It has FAILED
Before it's truly too late, we need a new diet.. a diet of truth and facts.
The people we have been "offered" have fed us useless information for too long.
Factless people belong on FOX. Let them go there
2014 senate race starts NOW..no time to waste
The map is UGLY.. It's hard to see ANY "R"s who are vulnerable,m but WE have a LOT of possible flips.. We cannot count on the tea party handing us three in a row "presents".
As hard as it is to stomach, I sincerely hope that there is an intensive search on right now for "acceptable" candidates who could oust some red-staters.. ( I know that Ashley Judd is being mentioned as a threat to turtle-man, but I doubt she could do it)
Senate Seats up for election:
blue... Democratic incumbent
red..... Republican incumbent
gray.... No election
Elections have consequences. Husband and wife both lost jobs because of it
and I am doing the happy dance 
...................................
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/terrible-night-connie-mack-and-his-wife-mary-bono-mack
Connie Mack, who was easily dispatched last night by Sen. Bill Nelson, has another kick in the pants this morning. It appears his wife, California Rep. Mary Bono Mack lost her re-election battle.
"One of the most contentious elections the desert has ever witnessed saw (Raul) Ruiz take a less than one percentage point lead over incumbent Rep. Mary Bono Mack in the 36th Congressional District with nearly 40 percent of the unofficial results counted," writes the local paper. "But Bono Mack early this morning said based on historic voting trends, she expected Ruiz to prevail."
link to Mary Bonehead's local paper article....and a sad pic of her
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20121106/NEWS03/311060037/Ruiz-has-slim-lead-Bono-Mack?nclick_check=1
Republican-Heavy Counties Eat Up Most Food-Stamp Growth
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-05/republican-heavy-counties-eat-up-most-food-stamp-growth.html?cmpid=otbrn.sustain.storyRepublican-Heavy Counties Eat Up Most Food-Stamp Growth
By Frank Bass - Nov 4, 2012 9:00 PM PT
This is from the other day, but I found in interesting.
..........................................
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said in May that he’d written off votes from 47 percent of Americans who are collecting government aid. Turns out many of them are part of his political base.
Republican Counties Defy Romney in Leading Food-Stamp Growth
Seventy percent of counties with the fastest-growth in food-stamp aid during the last four years voted for the Republican presidential candidate in 2008, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data compiled by Bloomberg. They include Republican strongholds like King County, Texas, which in 2008 backed Republican John McCain by 92.6 percent, his largest share in the nation; and fast-growing Douglas County, Colorado. That means Romney is counting on votes from areas where lower-income people have become more reliant on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps. Mark Baisley, who heads Douglas County’s Republican Party, said many recipients will back Romney in hopes he’ll improve the economy.
“Would you rather be sitting at home wishing you had a job and relying upon the kindness of neighbors?” Baisley said in a telephone interview from Colorado, one of the swing states that Romney and President Barack Obama are battling over. “Or would you rather be self-supporting, with a job that sustains your family?” In a video from a May fundraiser, Romney said “there are 47 percent who are with him,” referring to Obama, “who are dependent on government.” They “believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing.”
Stay Classy, Ole Miss
be sure to check out the comments
http://www.wmctv.com/story/20025451/riots-brew-on-ole-miss-campus
(WMC-TV) – While you were sleeping, protests were happening on the Ole Miss campus in Oxford, Mississippi.
SLIDESHOW
Reports originally came into Action News 5 that "riots" were brewing on the college campus.
According to witnesses, about 300 to 400 students protesting on the campus.
The demonstration snowballed on social networking sites overnight. Photos were posted all over Twitter, and a video was even uploaded to YouTube. Photos show huge a huge group of people on the campus, some even lighting Obama-Biden signs on fire, in response to the presidential election results. We have been told some students were arrested during the riot. According to people on the scene, students were heckling one another and racial slurs were even yelled out in the crowd.
Ole Miss journalism student Margaret Ann Morgan posted to Twitter, "Onlookers say people- black, white, etc- throwing rocks at cars." She continued, "Students of all races yelling on rebel drive. Lots of racial slurs." Morgan also mentioned she is ashamed at what she saw and heard on her campus following the election.
However, Nicholas Carr claims no rocks were thrown and the majority of the people at the protests were there to see what was going on.
snip
A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way (from UK paper..lots of pics)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2227739/Hurricane-Sandy-Heart-warming-photos-Eastcoasters-rocked-Sandy-came-time-need-random-acts-generosity.html?ICO=most_read_moduleA little kindness goes a long way: Heart-warming photos show how Eastcoasters rocked by Sandy came together in their time of need with random acts of generosity
By Helen Pow
PUBLISHED: 13:50 EST, 4 November 2012 | UPDATED: 04:02 EST, 5 November 2012
A heart-warming collection of photographs and tweets has captured the myriad acts of kindness from the past week, as the hardships of Hurricane Sandy brought devastated communities across the tri-state area together. From the Mayor of Newark inviting constituents into his home to charge their phones and watch DVDs to an East Village doctor offering free treatments and kids selling cookies to raise money for the relief effort, the stories encapsulate how, in their time of need, people were helping each other.
Many were not prepared for the onslaught Superstorm Sandy dealt New York, New Jersey and other east coast areas on Monday night and thousands of residents had refused to leave their homes after a mandatory call to evacuate.
snip
Feeding the hungry: Emily Ellington, pictured, of Staten Island gives out one of 40 pizzas she bought to distribute to residents on Friday as they coped with the damage that Hurricane Sandy brought
snip
Medical care: Dr Dave Ores posted on his tumblr, 'I'm open today if I can help anyone. Until 6pm Spread the word. Thanks. 189 east 2nd street btw A and B'
snip
Yet despite the enormous emotional and physical challenges, residents could rely on the kindness of strangers to help them through the worst of it. There have been so many altruistic acts during the storm and its aftermath that a Facebook page called 'Hurricane Sandy Acts of Kindness' has been set up, giving those who received help the opportunity to thank their saviours and share their stories.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2227739/Hurricane-Sandy-Heart-warming-photos-Eastcoasters-rocked-Sandy-came-time-need-random-acts-generosity.html#ixzz2BNWwYr5X
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
No one waits 8 hrs in line to vote for county assessor or city council
HAVA was a pathetic joke meant to salve the wounds from the 2000 debacle, but it did little (if anything) to solve the REAL voting problems..
I know that individual states "run their own elections", but every 2 years ...and especially every 4 years (when presidents are chosen) we see that little has improved voting for the masses.
City council races in Lima, Ohio...or Dubuque, Iowa...do not matter to me at all, BUT the choice of their congressperson/senator/and especially president COULD cost me my health, change my tax rates, and so much more.
We HAVE to devise a SIMPLE ...UNIFORM ballot for all states to use for races that involve positions in DC.
What they choose to do for their local/state stuff is no matter, and they can use origami ballots, counted on diamond-encrusted Diebold vote-snatchers for all I care....but when it comes to their choices who will ultimately determine the composition of SCOTUS, whether we go to war , or any other "national" issue, it IS a BIG F'n Deal to me...and should be to everyone.
IRS forms are uniform, military forms are uniform, credit card applications are uniform...in fact most "applications" are pretty much uniform.
A SIMPLE "downloadable" application with presidential choices , and an option for each state to add the names of congressional candidates and senatorial candidates (if applicable that year) is a no-brainer way to solve our voting lines and issues.
Make an "Express Line" for anyone who just wants to vote in those races.. It would take very little time at all to vote.
Absentee/mail-in is NOT the answer, since any little deviation from the "instructions", disqualifies the whole ballot.
We should have "Voting-season"..starting 6 weeks ahead of the cut-off day (current 1st Tuesday). It should include 6 weekends, with "late" hours on Friday & Saturday.. Whatever extra it costs...well that's the price of democracy..
Profile Information
Gender: Do not displayMember since: 2001
Number of posts: 103,856
