If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
With every election, individuals with little or no chance of success willingly take on the significant financial burden and unyielding workload that comes with running a local, state or national campaign. Why do they do it?
Nevada is far more diverse than Iowa or New Hampshire and presents a set of challenges on economic, energy, environmental, and social policy that any party interested in governing had best be accustomed to.
We see firsthand the gritty details and feel the frustration through stories about obstructionist clerks who are determined to keep public documents private. The book is presented as a diary of sorts, each chapter alternating authors.
Judging from the variety of post-mortems following President Obama's address last night and this morning, yesterday's State of the Union was no exception to the range of responses typically elicited.
If anyone still has a doubt as to the true intentions of Republicans in the House and Senate, all they needed to do was watch President Obama's State of the Union Address.
Let me suggest a surefire way Barack Obama can win a second term: stand in the doorway of a post office scheduled for closing and declare, "Not on my watch."
On the issue of universal healthcare, Carmona stays away from "highly charged phrases like universal healthcare or single-payer" because those words can shut down conversation and negotiation. ..But Carmona didn't mince words when he added that all Americans should have some basic health coverage, prompting hearty applause from the audience.
The United States and the world are facing critical decisions and continued turbulent times. This election will help determine our destiny and we need President Obama there for another four years.
As for the politicians, both the incumbents and those seeking to replace them, they'd do well to begin to engage in those discussions rather than merely scoring points against each other -- and to take the lead in the search for new strategies and new solutions.
Precinct 66 nominated well-known Occupy organizer Ed Fallon to serve as Republican Caucus Secretary, customarily an innocuous role when held by a traditional member of the party. Fallon is not what you would call a traditional member of any party.
The first midterm election in the post-Citizens United universe was a Republican rout. Going into 2012 I fear that the smug predictions of an inevitable Obama reelection are premature.
As a holiday gift to the party that, while not perfect, does an awful lot of good things for America, let's look back and appreciate the five biggest Democratic victories of 2011.
We may be at an interesting inflection point in Washington. The latest debacle -- the fight to extend unemployment insurance and the payroll tax cut -- appears to have demonstrably hurt the Republicans and helped the Democrats, especially the president. Moreover, one can probably expect that ensuing fights will redound similarly, as the public appears to be internalizing the meme that the Democrats are fighting for the middle class while the Republicans are fighting for the rich. Politically, this is a dangerous possibility for Republicans, especially in an election year. Could we be looking at the moment when the hyper-partisanship undermining our democracy began to crack?
So, the Republican glee of last spring -- when Obama looked like an easy mark -- is gone. Some in the Republican establishment are hoping for a deadlocked convention, and a brokered new face.
The apparent insanity dominating our political culture reflects, to a great extent, a fear response to the disintegration of the old order.
Though there are no words, I can only say today thank you to every American woman and man who served in Iraq. I will always be grateful for their sacrifice, and grateful for the women fighting to make sure that sacrifice is honored.
