yallerdawg
yallerdawg's JournalSteve Bannon to support Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race: Report
Luther Strange or Roy Moore?82% of Alabama voters can jump into this Republican runoff Sept. 26 since they didn't vote in the primary!
Who'd be best for our Democratic candidate to face in December?
Source: al.com, by Howard Koplowitz
Politico pointed out that Bannon has close ties to Robert Mercer, a megadonor that bankrolled Breitbart and who could steer his wealth to Strange's campaign or outside groups that support the judge.
Moore, who was removed twice from the Alabama Supreme Court, is known for his social conservative positions and recently gained the endorsement of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. During the primary, he gained the support of action hero Chuck Norris and "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/steve_bannon_to_support_roy_mo.html#incart_river_home?li_source=base&li_medium=default-widget
The Relentless Alabamafication of America
Source: al.com, observations by southern historian Wayne Flynt
Replace every reference to "Alabama" with "America" and see if this doesn't ring true in your neck of the woods.
"They're conservative, and so they vote Republican, just as once upon a time they voted Democratic, and the Democrats were both racist and conservative. I think Alabama is still defined primarily by race, that's the most important issue."
"The most obvious example of that is blacks vote almost all together one way, whites vote almost all together another way. Blacks worship altogether in one setting, whites altogether in another setting. When blacks hit a tipping point of 40 or 50 percent in schools, all the whites tend to go to another school. When the neighborhood gets to be more than 50 percent black, all the whites move."
"Race defines Alabama completely and we're just now learning what I've been arguing for a long time, which is race defines America to a much higher degree than most people who don't live in the South understand....We live with it all the time. Right now, if you live in Washington state, you are in a state of shock because you can't believe what's happening in America, to which I would just say historians oughta come live in Alabama a while. They'd understand perfectly what's happening."
"Alabamians are anti-black, they're anti-establishment, they don't like Washington, they don't like the federal government despite the fact that Alabama couldn't exist without the federal government. We're the fourth largest recipient of federal transfer payments .. and yet Alabama detests the hand that feeds them."
The "original sin" of the founding of America continues to this day. This is the battle for the American soul.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/wayne_flynt_alabama_senate_con.html#incart_river_home?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
With Doug Jones, Alabama Democrats see potential for 'Mount Rushmore of political upsets'
Source: al.com, by John Sharp
Zac McCrary, Democratic pollster:
"Several things have to break the right way for Doug Jones to be genuinely competitive in this race," said McCrary. "At the moment, you are seeing things that are breaking in his favor. There is an opportunity for Doug Jones to be a vessel against this outrage of the alt right. It's the right candidate at the right time."
William Stewart, professor emeritus of political sciences at the University of Alabama:
"In the past, just about anyone who paid the qualifying fee could be the candidate of the impotent (Alabama) Democratic Party," said Stewart. "Doug Jones is a fine man and he has a good record of convicting Klansmen. I'm glad to see Doug Jones do so well. We know Alabama is a very red state, but Democrats deserve good candidates to vote for. Often in recent years, they don't have those good candidates."
Gary Nordlinger, a professor at the graduate school of political management at George Washington University:
"Mr. Jones already has the 'anti-Trump' crowd," said Nordlinger. "Now he needs to attract others to reach 50-plus in December."
"I doubt the 'national Democrats' will invest a million dollars or more into this campaign," said Nordlinger. "It could actually hurt Mr. Jones by tying him to 'national Democrats' like Senator Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, much the way Senator Strange's opponents tied him to Senator Mitch McConnell. However, if polls show Mr. Jones is within striking distance, then 'all stops' will come out."
"This is much more feasible than I thought three months ago," he said. "It's becoming much more realistic by the day and if it continues, it's feasible that national groups on the Democratic side could join the effort in trying to elect Doug Jones."
Read it all at: http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2017/08/with_doug_jones_alabama_democr.html#incart_river_home
Trump's remarks defending neo-Nazis were Fox talking points
Who's the best candidate for Alabama Democrats next Tuesday?
I would argue, it ain't a Democrat!
Do we want to send a message to Washington, DC? Or whatever property Fake Precedent may be promoting next Tuesday? Getting "sick of winning" all the time?
https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/895091395379245056
How can Alabama Democrats actually impact this election and have a say in who represents us?
This Senate seat has been held by a Republican since Howell Heflin retired. Last election Sessions received over 97% of the vote unopposed! Before that in 2008 he handily beat Vivian Davis Figures, a noted Alabama Democrat.
Last year, the Alabama State Legislature tried to fix a little problem we have had down here in Alabama.
Unique to Southern states, Alabama also has a runoff primary. The law requires that to win the nomination a candidate must have 50 percent plus 1 vote in the primary. If no one has a majority of votes, 42 days later the contest goes to a runoff between the top two vote-getters. The legislature has enacted a new law, effective August 1, 2017, requiring that voters who participated in a particular party's primary may vote only in the same party's runoff election.
Crossover voting has a long tradition here in Alabama.
Voters were so disgusted and outraged by the behavior of the Democrats that they elected Guy Hunt, the first Republican governor of Alabama since 1872 and the first to be removed from office. This election was instrumental in making the Republicans competitive in what had long been a one-party state.
In another election with a similar outcome, a number of Democrats apparently voted in the Alabama Republican primary in 2010 to sabotage the nomination of Bradley Byrne, whom many considered the strongest candidate for governor. Voters ultimately chose Robert Bentley. We all saw how that ended.
I'm going to be looking at the worst Republican candidate on the ballot next Tuesday. The one most likely to upset the apple cart. The one that could drive Alabama Democrats to the polls in December (come on, anything is possible!).
Know of any crazy, dysfunctional, unpredictable Republican candidate on the ballot?
Lunatic Trump Melts Down All Over Mitch McConnell With 3 Totally Insane Demands
Source: PoliticusUSA, by Jason Easley
In his middle of his golf vacation, Donald Trump took a moment to demand that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell repeal and replace Obamacare, pass an infrastructure bill, and pass a tax reform/tax cuts package. With this crazed tweet, Trump confirmed that he no idea how government works.
Trump tweeted:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/895686351529672704
Trump still thinks that the presidency is an episode of The Apprentice. Trump is telling Mitch McConnell to get back to work, while he is riding around his golf club in New Jersey. The reason why this president is a failure is that he doesn’t understand that his job isn’t to sit on his butt and wait for Congress. Trump is supposed to be leading. The White House has zero policy proposals for any of the three areas that Trump is demanding that a bill is passed.
The President is so unknowledgeable about the legislative process that he thinks legislation can be easily passed. The truth is that McConnell could spend the better part of a year on each item on Trump’s wish list.
Trump is totally clueless, and now he is melting down and making irrational demands because, in his view, his failing presidency is all Mitch McConnell’s fault.
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/08/10/lunatic-trump-melts-mitch-mcconnell-3-totally-insane-demands.html
Long Live the King of the Monsters: Haruo Nakajima Passes Away at 88
The creation of an icon!
In preparation for the role, Nakajima watched the original King Kong (1933) and animal behavior at the Ueno Zoo. However, the suit made it difficult to perform. Despite being able to open and close the mouth from inside, the suit's immense weight and interior heat left Nakajima blistered, exhausted and twenty pounds lighter by the end of the production. (Cups of the actor's sweat was usually drained between takes.)
Much more at: http://www.godzilla-movies.com/news/long-live-king-the-monsters-haruo-nakajima-passes-away-at-88
Zakaria: Why Trump won
Source: CNN, by Fareed Zakaria, article is adapted from the conclusion to "Why Trump Won."
*****
Here's the answer: America is now divided along four lines, each one reinforcing the others. Call them the four Cs.
The first is capitalism. There was a time when the American economy moved in tandem with its middle class. As the economy grew, so did middle class employment and wages. But over the last few decades that link has been broken. The economy has been humming along, but it now enriches mostly those with education, training, and capital. The other Americans have been left behind.
The second divide is about culture. In recent decades, we've seen large scale immigration; African-Americans and Hispanics rising to a more central place in society; and gays being accorded equal rights. All of this has meant new cultures and narratives have received national attention. And it's worried a segment of the older, white population, which fears that the national culture they grew up with is fading. One comprehensive study found that after party loyalty, the second strongest predictor of a Trump voter was "fears of cultural displacement."
The third divide in America today is about class. The Trump vote is in large part an act of class rebellion, a working class revolt against know-it-all elites who run the country. These voters will stick with Donald Trump even as he flails, rather than vindicate the elite, urban view of him.
The final C in this story is communication. We have gone from an America where people watched three networks that provided a uniform view of the world to one where everyone can pick their own channel, message, and now even their own facts.
*****
Read it all (and watch the show on CNN!) at: Zakaria: Why Trump won
By the way, Fareed and Nate Silver discuss a fifth C - Comey! 
It's Time to Shift the Economy into Fourth Gear Capitalism with Basic Income
(On the road to Fifth Gear Postcapitalism!)
Source: Medium, by Scott Santens
*****
The Gears of Capitalism
First gear was made possible by the invention of the steam engine which allowed for the beginnings of industry and the bridging of great distances with trains and steam-powered ships.
Second gear was made possible by the invention of electricity which allowed for industrialization to go into overdrive while bridging even greater distances with the telegraph and telephones.
Third gear was made possible by the invention of the computer which allowed for full globalization and the connection of everyone to each other all over the world with information technology and the internet.
So what is fourth gear?
Fourth gear is the handing over of labor to machines, and that does not only include muscle labor as was already true in lower gears, but mental labor. It is the long awaited freeing of humanity to pursue human interests, paid or unpaid, as payment is of less concern when machines are working for us… that is as long as we humans are earning the machines’ paychecks to purchase what they’re producing.
*****
Read it all at: https://medium.com/basic-income/its-time-to-shift-the-economy-into-fourth-gear-capitalism-with-basic-income-f13e0d6ec057
Nobody ever said on their death bed, "I wish I could have worked more."
Profile Information
Gender: Do not displayMember since: Fri Apr 4, 2014, 04:21 PM
Number of posts: 16,104
