2008- Leftovers (part 1)

I think going forward it would do us well to take a look back at things left unsaid, and those little items that made mention but were lost in posts that may have been on a different subject at the time.
A perfect example of loosing the forest through the trees is the sudden loss of interest in what plagued our state at the beginning of the primary season. Disenfranchisement of voters through a system that allows that a few select states will always be allowed to kill candidacies before other states may have a say. I think this antiquated system must go, and I have to chuckle at those Republicans that mocked the Democrats during this years primary for what can only be described as inter party turmoil. The GOP base must realize that McCain held advantages through this system that led to his nomination. Only now after the General Election are conservatives beginning to say that they were forced to back a candidate they would not allow to speak for them previously, and since.

Primary post-mortem

"While the country and the Republican candidates talked about the state's issues (which was the intent of those in the state who forced the change), the Democratic candidates were nowhere to be found. What followed was an absurd one-sided discussion which mostly focused on the same George Bush voodoo economics that hasn't worked and never will- and certainly not the cure for what ails us."

As for the Democrats, I fear that Pol's comment may very well explain how the recent conversation dealing with bridge loans to automakers was easily hijacked by GOP talking points meant to blame the workers in the UAW for the folly of executives in the auto industry. Without the firm footing of knowledge brought on by a vigorous primary campaign in Michigan, the Democrats gave conservatives the upper hand when trying to explain the difficulties we are having here, and what caused them.


The subject comes up again, while discussing the popularity numbers for our Governor.

Not as unpopular as they would have you believe

"I'd say that all in all this isn't bad news for Granholm who has taken the brunt of round after round of budget battles with belligerent opponents who can't accept defeat at the ballot box as a sign that the public is not with them in their quest to restrict investments in state infrastructure and education, as well as getting the blame for the economic downturn which was caused by the failure of the Big 3 to nurse itself away from production lines raking in vast profits making gas-guzzling SUVs before the price of oil rose and dried up their profits, leading to massive job layoffs in a state already hit with the effects of trade deals without sufficient worker and environmental protections to level the playing field."

A prediction could have been made at this moment that Republicans were not going to fare well in the coming general. Consistently being shown as the party of obstruction will have an effect on it's popularity.

Lights Out

A chance to discuss the Obama plan to rebuild infrastructure. Something the Granholm administration has pushed for the state for some time. It is clear to me that this will be something that will not be on the back burner in months to come. It is a great chance to help ourselves build our way to a better tomorrow. I am hoping that while much of this infrastructure re-building is done through works projects, that there will also be something in it for the companies that they may help grow and adapt to what will likely be one based on green technology. Let's face it, if I am to ever get my electric car I hope to be able to utilize the power grid in such a way as not to overtax it, and wouldn't want Pol to have to endure another three day weekend without power:

"I'm taking my chances with this post since many of you regular readers might be among those without power, but for those with some juice feel free to share your story about how you made it through the weekend. Enjoy your weather-related 3 day weekend... and give some sort of thanks to the crews working 'round the clock to get everything back up and running even as you wish they could do it even faster."

Another on the list of things to do is a suggestion by Pol that I hardly believe would bother either party, or the electorate as a whole in Barry County:

That's Debatable- Sheriff's edition

"While it makes sense for the Republican Party to host their own primary debates, I still would prefer to see the debates sponsored by the local media and/or a consortium of local civic organizations especially when it comes to the general election- at least when we manage to get a slate on candidates running on both sides of the political fence. "

Such a move would likely save some party money needed in the battle for election, but also free up the possibility of third parties to be more of a factor in coming local elections. Cries of bias will always be around, but they will not have as much weight if outside forces were to gain control of the agenda during debates.

This brings to close the first part of our feast, but stay tuned as the meat, and potatoes are yet to come.

Union Busting!

Thom Hartman is one of those people that can cut through the bull like a laser through butter. He was on Countdown recently to discuss the GOP's opposition to helping the Big3 automakers. As has been proven this has nothing to do with the amount of money asked for, or the viability of these corporations. It is purely revenge for the unions backing the Democrats in past elections, coupled with their vile hatred for organized labor.

Via Crooks and Liars (video cafe):

We have gone, when Reagan came into office we were the largest exporter of manufactured goods and the largest importer of raw materials on the planet. And the largest creditor. More people owed us money than anybody else in the world. Now just twenty eight years later we're the largest importer of finished goods, manufactured goods, exporter of raw materials which is kind of the definition of a third world nation and we're the most in debt of any country in the world. This is the absolute consequence of Reaganomics.

Making bail

The news since Election Day has been mostly filled with talk of the next administration which is akin to following the pre-season in sports. Well, as many Michigan residents may know the Lions went an undefeated 4-0 in pre-season and have yet to win any games in the regular season (0-12 as of now). For that reason, I've pretty much been ignoring most news lately.

The other big story has been the proposed "bailout" of the "Big 3" sort of-U.S. based automakers. Sadly, the manner in which the issue is discussed is the same old sensationalism and sponsor-based propaganda. I'm pretty sick of politics because I'm tired of the same arguments from the same people. And here we go again, more Monday morning businessmen telling the Big 3 how they should be run which becomes a sort of sick comedy when it's a Senator who has helped run up the debt and the deficit. It's even funnier when it's a newspaper editor or publisher in a dying industry that is losing jobs faster than Detroit telling us how to run the national economy. Except it's not funny when people are losing jobs and homes and health care.

Now, Congress acts as if it's not responsible for the dire straights of the automakers when they approved tax breaks for people to buy large SUVs for their small businesses when a smaller vehicle would have done the job, failed to pass stringent fuel-economy standards or instituted some sort of price controls to keep gasoline prices at a rate which would allow alternative energy to compete or done away with the tax breaks for "Big Oil" which allowed them a competitive advantage. It's also obvious how much our reckless trade deals have other countries sell their products on our shores while sending the profits to their overseas headquarters.

While it's true the automakers contributed to the mess, it seems odd to hear them get blamed for what is American business 101: maximize short-term profit and to hell with everything else. We now live in a country where many seem to equate regulated capitalism with socialism so it seems funny to hear those same advocates of unregulated markets turn around and blame the Big 3 for doing what was in their shareholders best and most immediate interest- a central tenet of capitalism! I find it odd that a culture that celebrates money above all else suddenly wants to wag it's finger at an industry that pretty much followed those rules.

Of course, to hear some people tell it, the real villains are the money-grubbing workers who wanted to be paid well for back-breaking labor which most people won't subject themselves to.
In their warped world-view the UAW is to blame for all of this. Let me say this clearly: the job of the union is to advocate for the employees. When they negotiate wages and benefits they are out to maximize what their members receive. It is the job of the corporate representative to negotiate with the best interest of the company in mind. The CEOs signed off on every single deal. If they thought wages or benefits were too generous it is up to the CEOs to not sign the deals, period. In fact, since Reagan's election in 1980 unions have been under seige and on the decline, yet almost 30 years later they are still a convenient whipping-boy of the corporations and the media who would like to ignore all the free trade agreements and other deals which created the mess we're in.

But let's get to one of the biggest unspoken and underlying reasons for the mess we're in: other countries can make products cheaper because health care costs are killing American companies and crippling their ability to hire new workers even in good times. The idiot's answer is to gut the benefits. Everyone else can clearly understand that if we took away the need for companies to supply health benefits then they'd be free of that burden and workers would no longer fear leaving their jobs because of the fear of losing health care benefits.

In fact, I maintain one of the biggest strangleholds currently on the entrepreneurial spirit in this country is people scared to start their own business because they risk having to go without health care. Imagine if health care was guaranteed how many new businesses could be developed? Some workers aren't even allowed to work over 35 hours because the company would then be forced to label them as full time and pay benefits which means lots of people might have jobs but nobody can pay their bills and they don't have health care when they get sick (they go to the emergency room which costs more which we still end up paying for which forces health care costs up even higher).

The good news is that this is being discussed. The bad news is that the discussion is still controlled by the same people who's economic solutions are akin to a medieval doctor who's cure just might kill the patient sooner than the disease. It just reminds me: what's the opposite of a bailout? Drowning...

Governor to Obama Cabinet?

MLive carries an AP story speculating on Governor Granholm's future:

Granholm has made attracting wind turbine manufacturers and alternative energy suppliers a key part of her administration's economic development strategy. Now, some are speculating that could mean Obama might be interested in asking ask her to lead the federal Department of Energy.

The Canadian-born governor says she's ready to work with Obama as governor until her term expires in 2010, but hasn't ruled out leaving for Washington. She's also been mentioned as a possible U.S. Supreme Court justice if an opening arose.

Granholm is term-limited and this would be a perfect opportunity to find her next job and set up a successor. I've been saying for a while to anyone who would listen that Granholm would make a great Secretary of Energy given her focus on and knowledge of energy issues and how those issues affect the domestic auto industry. This would also give a successor a head start on a win in 2010 and help Democrats retain the governor's mansion (although a repeat run from DeVos would practically ensure that anyway).

EARTHQUAKE

This is what a landslide looks like....

Michigan 2004:



















Michigan 2008:



















Hat tip to Eclectablog

Election Day Night

WOOD TV is reporting they exit poll showing Proposal 1 and 2 both passing by a wide margin, also Obama winning huge in Michigan. 7th House district, the only competitive West Michigan national race is tight with Schauer looking to take the seat- hasn't been called yet but how can Walberg overcome such huge Dem margins? Levin, of course, romps to victory. Supreme Court justice Taylor going down in defeat?

Still waiting for local totals... looks like Yarger and Calley win?

The Detroit Free Press is keeping track of all of the State House races here.

Election day resources

Well, here we go!

During the day tommorow you may want to check in with electoral-vote.com, they have comprehensive coverage of polling results. Or if you are a numbers freak I highly recommend fivethirtyeight.com. They will make you wish you payed more attention in math class, but also make it fun with updates, and blog posts that always have something interesting.

For the evening a couple of things:

First, I recommend that you be prepared for the evening with a scorecard. The best that I have seen so far is the one-page downloaded crib sheet .pdf from Kos. I recommend you download it somewhere with a color printer as it will be much easier to decipher. For those of you so inclined the comprehensive Election Guide has much more to offer.
Secondly, when the polls close locally, the results by precinct will be available on .pdf format here at barrycounty.org.

Oh yeah! You may want to VOTE!

Proposal 2

PROPOSAL 08-2
A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO ADDRESS HUMAN
EMBRYO AND HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH IN MICHIGAN

The proposed constitutional amendment would:

• Expand use of human embryos for any research permitted under federal law subject to the following limits: the embryos --
-- are created for fertility treatment purposes;
-- are not suitable for implantation or are in excess of clinical needs;
-- would be discarded unless used for research;
-- were donated by the person seeking fertility treatment.
• Provide that stem cells cannot be taken from human embryos more than 14 days after cell division begins.
• Prohibit any person from selling or purchasing human embryos for stem cell research.
• Prohibit state and local laws that prevent, restrict or discourage stem cell research, future therapies and cures.

Should this proposal be adopted?

Yes!

The easiest way to explain this vote is compassion versus ignorance. Compassion means allowing scientific research to take place that can lead to new discoveries. A no vote, cast out of ignorance means you will let your personal religious beliefs trump the good of all society. The Catholic church hierarchy and Right to Life lobbyists are fighting this issue on religious and moral grounds which might make sense if these embryos were not already being destroyed. If the "no" voters really had any conviction they would have their own proposal on the ballot to outlaw fertility treatments and in vitro fertilization. Allowing this research shows we are a society of reason, science and compassion. There simply is no reason to vote no unless you think a frozen embryo on the way to a garbage can has more right to 'its" life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness than someone suffering from a curable disease that won't be saved because the Puritans, witch-hunters and forces of moral purity have allowed their unfounded fears to take precedence over reason, compassion and science yet again.

Bogeyman arguments and superstition have been used to squash science for centuries (anyone remember the black helicopter crowd opposing flouride in drinking water not too long ago?). Fortunately, over time most of these absurdities find their way into the dustbin of history, another example of our ignorant past. Basing your vote against such a well thought out proposal, on the plots of science fiction novels is silly. The thought of not using these embryos that are already being discarded to save human lives is ridiculous and certainly not a "pro-life" position, it's also not a pro-science position or even a pro-economy position. Michigan has the potential to continue to press its investment in life sciences to build an economy for the 21st century and this proposal is one more step in that direction. We would be allowing scientists the ability to recycle materials for the possible betterment of mankind.

There simply is not argument to not vote YES on proposal 2- it's a matter of compassion.

Proposal 1

PROPOSAL 08-1
A LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE TO PERMIT THE USE AND CULTIVATION OF
MARIJUANA FOR SPECIFIED MEDICAL CONDITIONS

The proposed law would:

• Permit physician approved use of marijuana by registered patients with debilitating medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, MS and other conditions as may be approved by the Department of Community Health.
• Permit registered individuals to grow limited amounts of marijuana for qualifying patients in an enclosed, locked facility.
• Require Department of Community Health to establish an identification card system for patients qualified to use marijuana and individuals qualified to grow marijuana.
• Permit registered and unregistered patients and primary caregivers to assert medical reasons for using marijuana as a defense to any prosecution involving marijuana.

Should this proposal be adopted?

YES

Marijuana benefits seriously-ill and terminally-ill patients in that it provides pain relief and appetite enhancement. Any arguments about a slippery slope are nothing more than scare tactics that have nothing to do with the proposal as it stands. Many people have died in the state of Michigan without the ability to gain benefit from a drug that has proven to be of help in ensuring pain, and nausea relief. Allowing someone to die in any form of discomfort that is preventable, is nothing short of cruel. Marijuana gives doctors the ability help their patients terminal, or not and standing in the way are outdated, and cruel federal and state laws that turn a blind eye to the suffering of many citizens.

DDA should ante up with facts

When the Hastings City Council decided they wanted to tear down the old library building, citizen outrage forced them to reconsider the fate of the library which also once housed the local post office. Now, the beautiful and historic brick building that some wanted to be a parking lot (in a town filled with empty parking lots and available retail space) may be sold to an unknown consortium who turned in their bid well past the deadline, beating out the county which had made repeated requests to negotiate purchase of the building and was rebuffed by the city time and again. Many feel the late bid was made on behalf of one of the losing bidders in an attempt to get around the request for proposal (RFP) and the city's own rules.

The county wanted to have room for future expansion and felt the old library building which is right across the street from the courthouse would serve the purpose well. In addition, the city had an opportunity to ensure that any future growth of the county offices would be enriching the city's downtown. More workers downtown means more sales for local merchants even if the property is officially off the tax rolls. For some reason it seems the DDA or the city council did not want the county to purchase the property. Some feel this is the latest attempt by the DDA to grow at the expense of what is good for all of Hastings. In fact, it has now come to light that the DDA isn't passing along money from millages that should be going to services for the elderly, public safety and historic preservation. Many believe the fact that the property wouldn't enrich the DDA if it was purchased by the county is the main reason the county's attempts to purchase the old library were ignored.

Some important questions need to be answered by the Hastings City Council members and the DDA:
• Has the DDA become a beast too large to control, demanding ever-more tax money and choking off important services to the public such as infrastructure spending and important services? • Did the DDA turn down the lucrative offer from the county just so a losing bidder could slip in a winning bid well past the deadline after some insider informed them of what it would take to outbid the county? • Did the DDA violate it's own rules in awarding the bid to Encore whose bid was not only seriously late but also laughably vague- especially when part of the rules stated that the project would be awarded based on the creativity of the proposal? • Did members of the DDA tamper with the process? • Did members of the DDA have any communication with people from Encore or other bidders that could have resulted in a tainted and unfair bidding process which violated not only the spirit of the RFP but the letter of it as well?

It sure seems the answer to most of those question is a resounding YES to anyone watching the process. This highly questionable act happened right out in the open and so far there hasn't been much noise about it yet from the public. The original attempt to bulldoze the building was stopped by local citizens, This must also surely be rejected by an even more vocal public. The next meeting of the city council would be the perfect opportunity for opponents of the bungled bidding process to attempt to stop this injustice.

When the city council next meets, citizens of Hastings should be ready again to tell their elected officials that they are wrong, that the process was rigged and that someone smells in Hastings. The DDA is seriously out of control, attempting to become an independent government free from oversight, capturing valuable tax revenue and spending it on frills while the city infrastructure outside the DDA crumbles. Citizens with decaying curbs and gutters have serious reservations that the DDA has over-stepped it's bounds one too many times, that some people are power hungry and that the beast known as the DDA is choking off the oxygen to the rest of the city.

Many feel that the Encore proposal is really just a backdoor for the Gilmore Group, known for high end restaurants in West Michigan. This speculation increased when the secret plan hinted that it would require a large number of parking space for a business that would employ few full time employees. Many also worry that Hastings would gain a restaurant and perhaps lose 1-2 of it's existing restaurants. Should the DDA be trying to attract businesses that compete with existing business owners or should they be trying to find new ventures that would complement what we already have? For a town of modest means, Hastings has more than enough fine dining opportunities. What Hastings needs is more workers downtown to fill those restaurants during the lunch hours and more families in the city that can afford to frequent those places for dinner.

And now, out comes word that a city official accidentally slipped during a private conversation last week. A source told me that this public person talked as if Encore was one and the same as Gilmore. Perhaps it was a slip of the tongue and perhaps it was a Fruedian slip- a "tell" in the parlance of the poker tables. It's time for citizens to ask questions, to call their bluff.

It is not about equality...It's about ME!

Sitting inside tonight nursing a cold. It seems it always comes on like this during the last really nice weekend of the year.
Anyway I have a box of tissues next to me, and a half a pot of hot tea on the stove. I am thankful that my disease did not afflict me during the work week. I did come down with a scratchy throat on Friday afternoon, but was able to make it through till the end of the day. I will have to judge tomorrow night whether or not to go to work on Monday.
Luckily for me (or rather planned) I have enough sick days to be able to take it off if I need to. I know a lot of people who seem to always have theirs used up this time of year, and have to take it on the chin (wallet) when the flu and cold season arrives. I cannot say for sure but many of those that seem to have used up all of their sick days by now always seem to be the ones that can ill afford to have days lost. I recognize that may be a rude judgment on my part, and am always willing to evidence to the contrary, but it just seems that way in my eyes.
Perhaps it is because they have a family, and must use these allowed days in order to take care of a sick loved one. There are a lot of married w/children in my place of work, and quite a few are women. Not that women are always the parent of choice to stay home in such a situation, but recognizing the uneven pay scale they are likely to be the better of two options. Not always, but one would have to be a ostrich to not see the evidence of such a choice.
But I digress, as this is about me, and my needs.
To be honest I see a case where fair pay for women really enters into why "I" have a cold. If the responsibility were to fall on the other parent once in a while I could see where the likelihood of my coming down with what can only be called as the black death (I'm confident) as often, would be lessened. It may very well be the effects of the putrid flavored elixir I downed a half hour ago, but it seems to me that if the family coffee can had a little more even funding for such occasions, parents would not have to choose to go to work when they are sick themselves. Hence being trapped with the grouchy Agnosticrat who curses the air he breathes every time a co-worker sneezes would not have be an option.
So please when the option comes up...if there is ever a re-introduction of the fair pay for women act...think of me (sitting here now, thinking of going nuclear with the NyQuil, and planning on jotting down my final wishes on a lightly lotioned, half used piece of tissue) and push your legislator to pass it. If this is not enough, please feel free to give your adress so that I might send you the other half of my tissue.

Obama's October Surprise!

The following is a review I wrote about the first presidential debate between McCain and Obama. I withheld it in order to contrast my opinion on the outcome of that debate to the second one that took place last night. I have changed nothing since wrote it.

As someone who is often called angry, I appreciate it when others are called out on not being angry enough. It occurs to me that many of those that feel as though during last Friday's debate Senator Obama seemed cold, and disconnected to the average persons pain have not realized that there is a difference in Obama's debate style, and the substance of his agenda. While it is sometimes necessary to resort to indignant speech in order to make a point to ones adversaries, it does not altogether win the hearts and minds of those you wish to join your cause. Most that would wish for such a thing are already in your camp. I try to watch these things with a keen eye for moments of opportunity to attack an opponent, I can clearly say there were times I saw opportunity for Obama on Friday night, and as a skillful politician I am quite sure Obama did also.
Anyone that assumes from the debate last Friday that Obama is disconnected from the pain of the average person, needs to merely take a look at his platform to see that this is not the case. Growing our economy (once again) from the bottom up as the United States did in order to free ourselves from our last great depression is the cornerstone of Obama's plan. While he may not have claimed during the debate to "feel the pain" of the average worker, or muttered emotional post traumatic claims of love for them, average people still can get the message he cares.
As pundits claim that there were no angry assertions, and knockout punches thrown from Obama during the debate, they can hardly say the same for his opponent. Scowls, and and nervous cackles were employed by McCain as emotional counterpoint to Obama's use of clearheaded debate on policy. To McCain's detriment he came across as the angry old guy. Likely if these same angry responses came from Obama he would have appeared as an enraged young black man after an old and defenseless American hero. I say this not as excuse, but simply as truth. Nevertheless it is merely a personal talking point, and likely the least of what Obama may have been thinking.
As a politico I enjoy a heated discussion as much as anyone that finds themselves reading my words on this blog. We are politico's. We are, whether we will admit it or not, creatures interested in, and products of, the partisan politics that have permeated the airwaves, and bandwidth of our nation for the last decade. For anyone to have read a political blog, listened to a heated screed on the radio, or rifled through the Sunday paper for the comments section, to say otherwise would be a bold faced lie. The same is true for the members of the press that indulge themselves in judgment of candidates based on ratings share, and affirmation of personal political views as they have been doing all week.
At the end of last weeks debate it was far clearer to me that Obama's debate style is not one that will garner the admiration of politicos like us. It never has been.
During the previous debates there were calls for Obama to give a knockout punch. A perplexed contingent of political junkies posted time, and time again on liberal, as well as conservative blogs, that he must bloody his opponent in order to win the nomination of his party. That in order to prove he has a acceptable style of leadership he must be willing to mire himself in the the day to day filth of political battle.
We were wrong, and he proved it.
Is this affirmation of a return to a less contemptible approach to leadership?
Maybe. To be sure it has awakened many who do not respect our lust for partisan blood letting. At the very least it seemed to throw off the timing of McCain who surely came to a debate looking for a fight.
For now it seems as though our talking point for "more respectable campaigning" seems to have been hijacked by someone who may have the intent to follow through with it.
Obama may have disappointed those like us, that wanted to see a brawl. We tuned in to see a real political fight, and found ourselves listening to one man give clear respectful answers, while the other seemed to sulk and spin.

A precipitous withdrawl?

Today it was announced that John McCain is pulling his ads and campaign staff from Michigan and canceling a campaign event planned for next week in Plymouth, essentially giving up hope of winning the state's 17 electoral votes. Until recently many people saw Michigan as an important swing state where McCain had a chance to play offense, given his 2 primary victories in 2000 and 2008, and force the Democratic candidate to defend a "blue" state that John Kerry won in 2004. Both campaigns have blanketed the state's airwaves and made repeated campaign appearances. Obama especially seems to have focused heavily on the state, coming here to receive the important endorsement of John Edwards and then returning to get the endorsement of Al Gore.

According to Five Thirty Eight, the polling average in Michigan is Obama +4.9. New polls have shown Obama with a double digit lead, increasing what had been a fairly consistent lead, except for the bounce McCain received with the announcement of his VP selection and the GOP convention. With the economy coming into play as the major campaign issue, McCain had no chance to win in the state most affected by the failed philosophy of trickle down economics which supports tax cuts for the wealthy and falling wages for workers along with the disastrous effects of globalization which promotes trading high paying American jobs for cheap products made overseas.

Obviously, many Tuesday morning quarterbacks will wonder what nominating Mitt Romney might have done for the campaign campaign. However, I think it's safe to say Romney wouldn't have guaranteed a McCain win in Michigan and certainly wouldn't have garnered the enthusiasm among the right wing base of the Republican Party like the Palin pick was designed to do. However, he may have been able to handle the media and campaign independently of McCain who has been forced to stick close to Palin, thus reducing in half the number of campaign stops the ticket can make in swing states.

Schwarz switches for Schauer

The AP is reporting that Former Congressman Joe Schwarz has decided to endorse Democratic State Senator Mark Schauer over Republican Tim Walberg who defeated Schwarz for the 7th Congressional seat 2 years ago in the GOP primary.

Schwarz told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he decided to endorse Schauer over Republican Rep. Tim Walberg because the anti-tax Club for Growth began running ads critical of Schauer.

The Club for Growth injected more than $1 million into the 2006 primary, helping Walberg defeat Schwarz, then a first-term congressman.

(snip)

Schwarz says he couldn't remain neutral in the race once the group got involved. He says it's "the straw that broke the camel's back."

Dueling partisan polling shows leads for both candidates while external polling has shown Schauer closing the distance in what has generally been considered a strong pick-up opportunity for Democrats looking to increase their majority in the U.S. Congress.

A debate between Schauer and Walberg is set for October 7.

Local Lipstick Pork

While watching Governor Palin squirm her way through the part of the ABC interview dealing with the amount of earmarks she helped bring to her local village while mayor, I came upon the thought that this in itself may open eyes of local politicians on the effect that requests for federal funds may have on their political future.

It has always amazed me that voters would decry the existence of federal earmarks on one hand, and pat local politicians on the back with the other for coming up with matching funds, and outright give always from the nations coffers.

While we have had our attention misdirected on players in our nations capitol, homegrown artful dodgers, and Fagin's have their way with the change in our pockets.
Some are admirable, and well grounded goals, but I have yet to see a beautification project, or river walk help put food on the table, or help pay a laid off autoworkers medical expenses. It is merely putting lipstick on the problems we have as a community. Dressing up a locality in new logo's, and garnishing our sidewalks with brick walkways may well give the impression of affluence to corporate investors, but the hard sell comes when prospective employers see blocks with empty houses, announced school closures, and multiple pages of foreclosure notices in our local paper.
The sickness does not evolve from the proper idea that government can, and should help those in need. It comes from the idea that everyone else is getting a piece of the action, and if we don't ask for giveaways we will get nothing and lose our place in line. Two wrongs, don't make it right.
In tough times such as these we as citizens need to prioritize what may be needed, and what is merely a bump, and grab from the pockets of our citizens. The last time I looked, health care costs, mortgage scandals, and the economy were the biggest issues on the minds of voters. We have two wars to pay for, and the well being of people caught in disasters on our minds. Bridges to nowhere, over priced hockey rinks, and the mating habits of crabs need to be put on the back burner. We need to realize that every penny asked for from the federal government is going on a giant credit card given to us by foreign interests.
Those that would run up the tally, need to be admonished for not having the nations best interest in mind. Change is needed in the White House, but in order for it to be effective it must begin in our local governments houses.

Undecided idiots or Independent patriots?

A long while ago I posted on my own blog evidence of the visceral hatred I have for those that cannot decide the most important issues of their lifetime. In that post I pointed out that the mushy middle may very well be the catalyst for the problems that we find ourselves in today. Indecision or lack of knowledge on any given issue by any of these rail sitters merely puts more pressure on government officials who are charged with doing the bidding of their constituents.
This becomes more apparent when looked at through the prism of this years election.

I forgot about this until I recently had a discussion with a friend who told me he was thinking about voting for Obama, until McCain picked Palin as a running mate. He does not like McCain, but thinks Palin is the answer. He thinks Obama may be a muslim, and does not seem to care about policy.
He has voted in every major election.
He is afraid we will be attacked again.

On the other hand I work with a gentleman that had until the last eight years regarded politics as something other people pay attention to. He didn't vote until eight years ago.
I have noticed when traveling through his work station that he was listening to the news on his satellite radio. Without question this is a full turnaround from those years ago, when he would be more involved with trivia questions on an oldies music station, than the speeches of both the Democratic, and Republican presidential nominee.
He voted Republican in the last two elections.
He is worried about the economy.

-Agnosticrat

I can understand Agnosticrat's anger with so-called undecided voters but yet I find myself sympathizing with them, sometimes it would be nice to not feel so invested in whether one side wins an idealogical debate. I don't agree with the media fascination with them since I often wonder how many of them really vote. I also wonder how many of them vote based on anything more than an infantile "gut" reaction about who would be a good beer drinking pal or who's church attendance is most likely to inspire "morality" despite numerous examples of horribly crooked scoundrels who fooled a nation into seeing them as folksy and pious.

What scares me more aren't the people who may be seriously conflicted about which political party best represents them (for instance, a person who opposes the drug war but doesn't like the Republican theological wing, someone who is bothered by the idea that Democrats seemingly prefer Government solutions to private ones, or the person who wants government to help out people who need it in times of crisis but think life begins at conception and that abortion is murder) but it's the people who walk into the voting booth having no idea of who they support and end up just flipping a switch.

The fact that some people feel compelled to vote even when they seem to have no over-riding interest in the issues involved or a deep passion for who should win, makes me wonder why they don't just stay home. I don't care for the get out the vote messages that insist everyone HAS to go vote or the men who died at Normandy will have given their lives for naught. Some people just don't have a grasp of the issues or care much for what happens and therefore should be perfectly entitled to just "sit it out" if that is what they choose.

- Pol Watcher


Well that is kind of a pop answer isn't it?
Vote because someone died for you to have the ability to.

It really turns into a beast when you place lives as the cost of war as reason for anything. After all any responsibility we have as citizens, can and to some degree has been, sold through this kind of ultra-patriotism. From buying war bonds during previous wars, to joining the peace corps in the sixties, and voting. At some point the fact that people died for this right sounds like less of an ideology, than it does a slogan. Even the most ardent of patriots must admit that through over use, the phrase may have lost some of it's meaning. None the less it has till now shown itself to be a less than stellar call to action in getting the people to the polls

The answer in this case may not be brandishing the lives of those that fought so hard in the past, but must be (in my opinion) showing the voter that they are on the front lines in their own fight. That their own actions now, (rather than someone else's actions then) are the real meaning of patriotism. That they must fight for this democracy with ballots, and information every bit as hard as our forefathers did with muskets, and tanks.

In the early eighties there was a movement among minority activists to tell children that education was a legal right, but that they must demand it from the people in charge of teaching them. It taught the fact that they were being denied the right of an education through a system that seemed to expect apathy from both students, and parents alike.
It was successful.

Get out the vote, as far as I can see uses this to some extent in order to get people at the polling place, but with nothing more than a cursory knowledge of the facts concerning the candidates, (gathered most likely from television talking points), you will end up with at least one of the examples I pointed to before. Growing the will to learn more in depth what each candidate stands for, is the only way to beat the expectation of apathy from the system.

That expectation is that voters will be turned off when discussing anything more than lipstick on pigs, and who may be a secret Muslim. All of this in concert with those that would rather instill fears of a fixed system. That they all are crooks, and it is better to vote for the lesser of two evils, has got to have an effect on anyone may want to have more of a stake in the affairs of government, but have the idea that simply asking how, when, and where to get involved, may lead to derision.

Today I saw a talking head on television say that political forums in which each candidate answers questions separately is boring, and that voters can't wait until the melee brought on by the debates. It made me sick to my stomach to think there was someone that may have tuned in to one of the forums to hear what the candidates would have to say, but chose instead to watch a re-run on television, or almost anything but watch and listen to serious questions being put to the candidates.

-Agnosticrat


I'm glad you brought up education, because I think the one thing I can point to most responsible for the failures of our elected leaders is the failure of our educational institutions. Simply, the American people have lost all capacity to have a rational debate based on a thorough understanding of history, rhetoric and philosophy of government. We have a mass media that has replaced culture, we have pop trivia which has replaced a thoughtful understanding of complex issues. Our political debates are sound byte shout-fests made to grab attention and ratings.

The most important thing I ever learned in school was a college course in which we discussed fallacious arguments. The ability to see through a bullshit argument that relies of absurd reduction, straw man tactics or other cheap debate stunts is something every single citizen of our democracy must have. Too many people fall for the emotional line of argument Agnosticrat mentions in which people base their vote on the worship practices (or lack thereof) of the candidate. How many people stupidly fall for a small snippet of dialogue chopped completely out of context to make it sound like someone said something they didn't say (this elementary school tactic is a favorite of simple minds)?

The American educational system is too often devoted to producing good workers for our factories instead of good citizens for our democracy. I happen to think if we concentrated on producing a citizenry capable of free thinking and rational discourse we'd not only have the democracy we desire but our economy would benefit as well.

As much as the founding generation freed this nation from the tyranny of a brutal monarch with muskets, it was also the product of the Enlightenment and the power of the pen in the hands of an educated class that respected the right of people to be capable of rational thought and to come to the right conclusions, to stay engaged in the ongoing argument that is the constantly evolving idea of the United Stated of America. Every ballot cast is another musket aimed at the heart of the forces of tyranny that potentially would tear asunder this nation conceived in liberty. However, an uninformed voter is just shooting wildly into the crowd while it takes some thought and consideration to aim the vote in the right direction.

- Pol Watcher

In 100 words or less...

The Michigan Supreme Court defied the will of the people. Justices Taylor, Corrigan and Young agreed with the Court of Appeals while Justices Markman, Cavanaugh and Weaver said the the proposal was too complex to distill into 100 words or less. The disgusting decision ignores that complex issues are constantly distilled into short summaries, from history class (The Civil War was primarily a war over the right to own slaves but also one of state rights versus centralized federal government) to literature (Romeo and Juliet is the tale of two star-crossed lovers from warring families who engage in a doomed romance).

By the way, just for the fun of it I made the above paragraph exactly 100 words. Because of the Court of Appeals decision to create an absurd rational (which could in theory be used to strike down any ballot proposal in the future) to overturn the will of 415,000 valid signatures from Michigan voters partly based on the law of a completely different state, we now have to hold our breath and wait for the glorious Constitutional Convention we've been promised would come and save us from ourselves.

The Con Con (a double con, so to speak) will be made up of the very people who would have been negatively affected by the Reform Michigan Government Now initiative, just as the courts who struck it down were as well, so it would take a real dunce to expect real reform. What we will likely get is a couple of bones thrown out to keep the wolves at bay and the assembled brain trust will go back to their day jobs, continuing to ruin state government and put up road blocks in the way of progress in Michigan.

The politicians and special interests will manage to kick the can a little farther down the road, but the people of this state and this nation are slowly waking up to the destruction done to our democracy by the wealthy elite. Michigan government is dominated by the Mackinac Center's ruling class and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce which screws its own small business members by supporting policies that help China and Wal-Mart while destroying Main Street and small towns. The Republican Party will continue it's quest to dismantle any form of social safety net, public education, sensible health care reform that doesn't line the pockets of insurance companies and will continue to blame the Democrats for it.

The 70% of people of voters who said they would approve the Reform Michigan Government Now proposal should do well to remember exactly who stood in the way of letting them vote on this and understand why they did it. History has proven that when the people want change, the ruling class will do whatever it takes to stop them. It says something that the Michigan Chamber of Commerce fought so hard to prevent a series of reforms which had NOTHING to do with "small business" or economic policies. It says something that the corporate-owned media of Michigan relentlessly repeated Saul Anuzis' lies and spin. It says something that the powers-that-be could not let a reform effort backed by nearly half a million voters even get to the ballot. It says something, and it doesn't even take 100 words- Michigan voters are demanding change the politicians and power brokers who stand in their way will soon face their wrath.

One last note to the media: From now on, will you follow the same standard with every other reform proposal and allege that you know who wrote and funded it even when you don't? Will you dismiss any ballot measure because it comes from somewhere other than exactly down the middle of the road? Will you actively work to destroy any ballot measure than either side of the political spectrum alleges will favor the other?

False fact checking and biased balance

Obviously, I started this blog because I felt like the major news media was letting down the American people. I couldn't begin to chronicle the exhaustive list of abuses but one central theme I notice that seems to strike me as particularly disturbing is the notion that the truth must always lie between two opposing points of view. What may be seen as true in Buddhism ("the middle road is the path to enlightenment") doesn't necessarily always hold water in our political dialogue.

Take your average political TV show. You always have the "liberal" and the "conservative" to discuss the issues of the day. But first, is that what you really have? You see, often the so-called liberal is usually some slightly left-of-center person who is often called a strategist or is perhaps a newspaper columnist who's professional credo demands he at least attempt to be fair to both sides (not that this always applies- see Kristol, Bill or Will, George). The conservative is often a member of the far right wing who is backed by some institution with some patriotic name featuring the word "enterprise" or "heritage" where they have been taught the proper talking points. Often the moderator will discuss some hot button "issue" that the cable news people are obsessing about for a day that will be nearly forgotten tomorrow. The questioner throws the topic out to both sides and tries to get the sparks to fly and often the guests, who usually are there to sell their newest book, are all too willing to take their time on TV to raise their "brand awareness" and gain points with their side with a few quips or barbs directed at the other side. In the end, the viewer learns nothing about any policy proposals or issues, but is only aware that both sides tend to obscure their policies with rose petals and horse manure. In the end, the host usually declares they will continue the discussion some other day, declaring that both people have made their points, etc. What has been accomplished other than to convince people that if these people represent politics, then they should want no part of it?

Then, you have the journalist who pretends to want to help you figure out who is lying and who is telling the truth in a political debate. After a politician has given a speech or released a statement, the reporter calls on an "expert" to help enlighten the audience as to the veracity of the politician's words. Sadly, the experts are often not really much more than just another reporter who certainly doesn't wish to call out someone in power as having lied and then face the wrath of their supporters. While journalists love to sell their profession as being a legion of Woodward and Bernsteins, the truth is they more like a pack of sheep cowering in fear that an editor would receive an angry call or email about a piece they submitted, or worse yet an advertiser who is threatening to pull their account because they've been upset. What you often end up with is a sort of nimble soft shoe routine where the "fact checker" tap dances around the question of whether the politician was lying or not and may suggest that something was "untruthful" but in the end declaring that both sides fudge the truth (offered without evidence). Once again, the news consumer is left thinking both sides are of a kind of the truth must lay in the middle.

When one side is clearly lying and the other side is not, who will speak up and say so? In recent days, we've seen many news stories seeming to debunk a politician's claims yet in the end they always like to muddy the waters and pretend as if both sides do it exactly equally. This false equivalence is meant to dampen criticism that the media is being overly harsh on one side or the other and to reduce angry calls and letters that could cost a journalist their job. Often though, this criticism is simply a charade designed to play into a deliberate campaign where lies go unpunished, where truth no longer means anything and average people are left with nothing to do but vote based not on policies and issues but on wedges and code words.

This false debate debases our politics, but more importantly it's ruining our country.

A Democrat Can Win in Barry County

The history of government in Barry County is riddled with incompetence. All one has to do, is read back issues of the local newspaper for the last few years to see a pattern of government mismanagement, and malfeasance. These incidents seem to have one thing in common:

"Republicans"

An inbred local culture of politicians that do nothing better with our tax dollars than fight for who gets to live on the taxpayers dime first. Many without a clue as to how to perform their jobs effectively. From arguments against the old boy network in the not too distant past, to recent allegations against the former director of 911 last year, Charlton Park, gun rights battles in the streets of Hastings, and allegations of sexism in city hall.

The mismanagement of our area mirrors what has been happening at the state level, and in Washington, D.C. . Corporate lobbyists, and incompetent partisans placed in bureaucratic jobs fulfilling agendas that in no way mirror the wants, and needs of constituents. These people are so busy scratching each others backs, they seem to have forgotten their intended duties. Many seem to believe that their singular duty is getting elected.

Now please don't lump me in with the pessimists. I will not call for throwing all of the bums out here. Such rhetoric has only helped divide our nation, rather than mobilize voters to help complete the change that is needed.
Besides, there are no competitive parties that have ponied up alternatives in this county.

No Independent party members,
No Greens,
No Libertarians,
and most sadly of all, no Democrats.

Much has been made of whether or not a Democrat can win in Barry County. I think this is the wrong question. I'd ask why won't decent Democrats run in Barry County. I think the answer is that the local party has been a complete and utter failure, and that they fear the voters wouldn't listen anyway. There's also been a deliberate misinformation campaign that suggests Democrats have never won and can never win in the future. This is bull.

National polls have hinted for some time at a solid Democratic majority in Washington next January. Democrats could potentially take the State Senate and be in control in Lansing. And yet the local Democratic Party has failed to take advantage of this potential landslide and get warm bodies to fill up empty ballot slots. Not one Democrat ran for County Commission.

While many still walk around with the cartoon image of the 1960s Democratic Party in their minds, the truth is that the radical party in this country is the Republican Party. The Republican party is an echo chamber full of many supposed civil servants who have perfected the art of "group think". Positions filled (from cabinet positions all the way down to secretarial duties at local levels), have been done in such a way that only those that could pass the most stringent of purity tests need apply. Even here on these very web pages, many candidates are called out for being RINO (Republican in name only) candidates, and mocked for not putting party above principal, and contributing time, and money to sell agendas they may not completely agree with. The Republican party's "big tent" seems to shrink aggressively with every election cycle. Many would have attempted to throw their own presidential nominee to the curb, had he not towed the line in choosing his "politically acceptable" (god forbid) replacement if something should happen.

The Democratic Party since the defeat of Jimmy Carter has been moving closer and closer to the middle, in fact Carter himself was a centrist who defeated the more liberal Teddy Kennedy. While many swallowed the Rush Limbaugh hype about President Clinton, Clinton was an avowed centrist who favored market solutions over governments. He enacted welfare reforms, and other measures that were more akin to the traditional Republican platform than the Democratic Party's. All the while leading his party into a more progressive position.

Despite the fact that many Democrats wanted to see a hard leftward swing after 7 years of George W. Bush's far right governance, Barack Obama won his party's nomination with talk of conciliation and compromise. Now, the country stands poised to elect a Democratic Congress and Senate and Obama's prospects in November look decent. His promise of more responsive government is rooted in the idea that the president needs to take council from all sides of the political spectrum, in contrast to that of our present administration which asks for reverberation rather than option.

We have already seen the effects brought on by one party's incestuous government control. We've seen already the effects of smaller, meaner government, having too much power, in Washington, and right here in Barry County. We have seen the loss of employers, as well as that of job security here. Everyone is feeling the pinch of the economic disaster that was bred in Washington D.C.. Make no mistake, many of the Republicans in this county have fully supported the president, and his administrations actions that have lead to the problems we are facing.

Change can happen here, as well as in the nations capitol.

A Democrat Can Win in Barry County.

But in order for this to happen, we need more competent Democrats to run in Barry county, and give the voters a reason to believe that they can make a difference.
Democrats need to fight the battle for the people here, in order to ensure that they can do the same in the capitol. Republicans built their following from the bottom up, and the Democrats need to do the same. Democratic candidates cannot afford to be the fall back vote, or the angry protest vote, they must be the only logical vote. For this to happen there needs to be a ballot full of Democrats.

Why I love conventions

As a kid one of my reasons for becoming interested in politics was the quadrennial national conventions. As someone who loves language and its ability to move people, the lofty speeches that called out to our ideals was something I found awesomely inspiring. Every four years at least one person finds a way to tap into something deeper than the usual, stale monologues reciting party platform planks like menu items in a restaurant where every dish is red meat. And, like the Olympics, we watch because of the possibility that someone will catch fire, someone who's name wasn't well known on the national stage who immediately becomes a household word. The chance that a person will seemingly come out of nowhere and prove themselves worthy of attention makes it thrilling to watch because you want to say that you were there at that moment their spark caught fire.

Four years ago Barack Obama spoke to a nation and gave voice to a swelling number of people who felt that the President had failed in the days after 9/11. That, beside the bull horn speech, Bush never asked Americans to sacrifice and come together, in fact Bush's words increasingly divided as he used a national tragedy for political gain (when my staunchly Republican friends ask me why it is, as they see it, that Democrats "hate" Bush that is the reason I give- I remember watching the horrible events on September 11, 2001 and waiting for order from the President to conserve energy and other measures so that we could quit foreign oil but I was asked to go shopping). Despite speaking to a party that was craving more red meat and looking for someone to take on the hard right wing that had dominated the government, Obama called to the nation's shared ideals and showed himself to be someone capable of leading a nation through troubled times. It's easy for people to dismiss it as "just a speech," but it was more than that, it was a leader revealing himself live on the national stage when most people hadn't even heard of him. You can argue whether he's got the right policies and judgment but you can't argue that in one speech he revealed himself to be capable of the leadership it takes to move a nation.

While words can be used to deceive, they can also enlighten and inspire. I look to these political conventions for someone willing to boldly tell the truth and for someone willing to give the people a voice, someone willing to lead us from our self-absorption and ask us to work for a higher calling. Shallow patriotism, hollow platitudes and empty rhetoric won't cut it. Who will find the words to remind us of our shared fate and how we can either stand together or fall alone? The nation's greatest presidents are usually considered that because they found such words. That is why I watch...

The party is started!

Photo courtesy of Democratic party.

You can make a lot of claims right now, but slow news week is not one of them!

BarbinMD is Liveblogging the convention at dailykos.

I will try to link to some Michigan sites that are also taking a shot at liveblogging at the convention, but bandwidth seems to be lacking today. Wonder why?

Read more about Anger

West Michigan Rising recently ran a profile of the Democratic candidate for Barry County Drain Commissioner, Rose Anger. Part of the article also looks at the lack of Democrats running for office in Barry County. Take a look.

Parade politics provokes applause

Watching the annual Hastings Summerfest parade was just a bit more interesting this year for watchers of politics and the pols who use such events to campaign. Considering that Barry County has so few contested races after the August primary election (this year it seems even less than usual), I often forget such events are normally a good place for a politician to reach large crowds of people prior to the November election. Most of the time the politicians who show up seem to do it more out of public relations than a need to truly campaign and pick up extra votes since they're unopposed or might as well be. This year's parade had the expected local politicians handing out candy and campaign literature, including our State Representative, the two major party candidates for county Drain Commissioner, the Democratic candidate running against Vern Ehlers for the U.S. House seat and a surprise...

As usual, the parade kicked off with the American Legion color guard. The crowd of families and on-lookers seated in lawn chairs and on the sidewalks and curbs rose to greet the flag and gave an enthusiastic ovation. Just as the clapping had started to die down another round of marchers in military gear received some applause. Then the parade began in earnest with the Hastings High School marching band, which also received some polite applause- I half wondered if it was partly due to rampant rumors that due to a band director's schedule conflict and budget cuts which eliminated a second director position, that the band would be unable to attend the parade. Many other floats and marchers drifted by, my mind wandering more to mundane things like why there always seem to be such long stretches in between parade entries and how hot the people marching must get, a worry mostly focused on some of the older participants and those like the Society for Creative Anachronism crowd that rode in full medieval dress, including one in a suit of armor. Not to mention the smell of food provided a distraction from the lunch-time event.

Mostly, I watched for a couple friends riding in the parade and a niece that would be part of the procession. Many people in the crowd sat quietly the rest of the time, usually only broken when they shouted at someone they knew on a float or to attract the attention of the people throwing candy and Mardi Gras beads to the crowd of on-lookers. Now, the parade had settled into a routine of local churches, civic groups, charities and businesses along with local politicians. The only bits of applause coming for those entrants which were somehow connected to military or patriotic themes.

I brightened up a little when I saw the brave and foolhardy souls campaigning for a Democratic Presidential candidate in Barry County- one doesn't usually see much campaigning for President in these parts outside an occasional bumper sticker, lawn sign or letter to the editor but there was something like 5-10 people marching in support of Barack Obama. I'd heard a contingent would be there to march for Obama so that wasn't a surprise. What surprised me was how the crowd reacted. Normally, when local politicians campaign at such events they are greeted with a sort of polite indifference, most of the litter left after the parade seems to be the cheap photocopied flyers handed by local politicians. Unless a politician is a well-liked, local good old boy, most people tend to see the stumping politicians the way one always sees flies hovering around the rear ends of animals in the summer.

At least half of the crowd, it seemed to me, began to applaud the Obama campaign folks walking by. I even looked around to make sure it wasn't some trick being played on my ears or to see if there was another parade entrant sparking the applause. The crowd's greeting for the local Obama campaign was warm and enthusiastic and was matched perhaps only by the greeting given the stars and stripes at the beginning of the parade.

Now, I know some will read this and pretend as if I'm arguing for an Obama win in Barry County or in the electoral college based on a smattering of applause, though I think it does mean he has a better shot than the chattering class punditry would have you believe (it is obvious to me that the corporate media types need a close election to keep ratings high as elections have become a huge money-maker for the media in an age where people are turning away from traditional media outlets and network TV ratings continue to slide- there's a reason why, despite battleground state polling indicating Obama ahead the media relies more on national polling to show a "tied" race despite Presidential elections being decided in the Electoral College).

The fact that half the people on the street applauded the appearance of the Obama supporters has to be considered a sign of optimism for those who grumble that Democrats seemingly can't win here. I wonder also if that applause wasn't just a "show of hands" from those planning to vote for the candidate being represented but also a sign of approval for the fact that they are bothering at all. Despite being Republican territory in a state very friendly to McCain's previous national campaign, no one bothered to represent the McCain campaign, which also means I couldn't gauge the audience reaction, to compare and contrast.

What I'm actually trying to say is how impressed I am overall in Obama's shoot-the-moon 50-state strategy which has abandoned the often failed Ohio-Pennsylvania-Florida strategy that gave the White House to the GOP from 2000 to the present. Obama has invested a considerable amount of money and effort in new voter registration and opening field offices in remote locations in state which Democrats have failed to contest for a generation. In other words, as someone who follows campaign strategy like some study historical battle tactics, I'm impressed by Obama's embrace and understanding of reaching out to people who have long been ignored by traditional campaigns. And no wonder the media is thoroughly unimpressed- while traditional Presidential campaigns have basically been an air war fought in the millions of dollars of prime time TV advertising, Obama has turned his campaign into a modern Special Ops style campaign which is choosing its targets wisely instead of just going for Shock and Awe and getting outspent by the better financed and more well organized Republican attack machine.

From text messaging to YouTube videos, the Obama campaign is embracing all the tools of the 21st century to reach voters directly instead of allowing the gate keepers with the big media conglomerates to continue to dominate our political discourse. Part of the Republican domination of the last 20 years was built on their strength in direct mail campaigning, one of Bush advisor Karl Rove's claims to fame. Now we see the next phase and it's fascinating to see it play out on a local level.

The fact the Obama campaign has a field organizer in Barry County, not to mention at least one splinter group taking off their local chunk of geography to concentrate on, and that Obama's campaign has increased enthusiasm among people to bother organizing what has been seen for too long as a hopeless effort in Barry County, means that this campaign has already scored a victory for anyone who is troubled by the one-party domination of the area. It helps too that in some ways, the domination of the GOP in Barry County has been over-hyped. A perfect example being in the 2006 Governor's race when Jennifer Granholm took 13 of 26 precincts in Barry County and lost the county by less than 800 votes to almost-local boy Dick DeVos. While it will still be a tough fight, especially if Senator McCain picks almost-local boy Mitt Romney to join the ticket in the VP slot, the fact that the Obama campaign is shaking up status quo politics and conventional wisdom, bringing the fight to Barry County makes me applaud. They may not win, but at least they're fighting....

Calley, Not Nanny Enough

One of governments jobs involves protecting the welfare of its citizens. This includes making laws that deal with lurking dangers that may not be apparent to all.
In a move that many conservatives would consider furthering the "nanny state", this week Michigan representative Brian Calley (R) introduced legislation that would keep Michigan establishments from selling energy drinks to underage children.

According to the article at the Ionia Sentinal Standard web site:

"those younger than 17 would be prohibited from purchasing energy drinks with a caffeine content exceeding 71 milligrams per one 12-ounce serving, as well as containing taurine and glucuronolactone."

In an effort to bolster his opinion that such legislation falls into the mainstream, he points to the fact that children are already prohibited from purchasing music, movies and video games, and that his intent is put the decision in the hands of parents as to whether or not their children should be allowed to have access to what many say may be dangerous substances, especially when overly used by developing children.

To be against protective legislation such as this would be against everything that I believe to be true. Government must be able to protect it's citizens from harm, and government has to be a firewall between its citizens looking for safe products that enhance their lives, and corporations who's inherent goal is to make money.
Yet somehow I am apprehensive about the goal in this case. Mr. Calley claims that his intent is "to give more control to area parents, who can make choices for their developing children". The implication in such a sentence (that parents have no control over the buying habits of their children) gives me pause. While claiming control issues for parents on one hand , and writing state legislation that places said control, (and the repercussions of infringement) in the hands of the clerk at the quickie mart, in the other... seems to be a bit disingenuous.
If we find that these drinks have a detrimental effect on the people for who they are intended, and they contain large amounts of drugs that neither you, or I know the effects of, should we not consider more stringent legislation? They are either safe for use, or not. Until this can be determined, maybe these drinks should be under the control of the FDA, clearly labeled as dangerous, or outlawed all together. Pushing the myth that parents have no control over their children's buying habits, sidesteps the point that these drinks may be dangerous.
As I have said, (and as Rep. Calley apparently believes) government must help protect it's citizens. If in fact these drinks are that dangerous, any legislation regarding them, should do much more than merely allow the government to supersede parenting choices.

Primary results

Some surprising and not-so surprising results coming in. Leaf and Evans look to have comfortable leads (Sheriff's race a blowout). Drain commissioner race between Yarger and Englerth as expected. Jarvis and Smith neck and neck for Clerk post. Commissioner races: Lyons beats Ferris, Stolselberg wins, Bremer on top with 3 out of 4 precincts reporting, Houtman winning with 4 out of 5 reporting, and according to WWMT VanNortwick beat himself by 15 votes?!

UPDATE! According to WXMI: Jarvis takes out Smith, Evans wins, Leaf demolishes Sarver, Burghdoff wins, Yarger edges out Englerth. County board winners: Bremer, Houtman, Lyons, Gibson, Stolsenberg and VanNortwick.

UPDATE 2: Complete Barry County results can be found here. Warning: results are in PDF document- it's only 108 KB file though, so even dial up users should be able to access without a long wait.

Contempt

|kənˈtem(p)t|
noun
the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn : he showed his contempt for his job by doing it very badly.
• disregard for something that should be taken into account : this action displays an arrogant contempt for the wishes of the majority.

John McCain holds that Barrack Obama is deserving scorn. His attack ads this week are full of anger. Pushing the idea that Senator Obama is arrogant is the new "weapons of mass destruction" argument of the Republican party, as they muddle their way through a lackluster campaign.

Lather, rinse, and repeat as needed.

Much like during the build up to the Iraqi war, bad intelligence is dissembled along with fear rhetoric, in order to build an illegitimate argument. All the while, so called legitimate news outlets (in chorus) repeat these assertions, showing once again that news agencies are less interested in presenting facts, than joining in with the kind of "group think" that led us into war with a nation that was a less than adequate threat.

All of this is should be considered politics, as normal. Not merely reserved for those on the top of a political ticket, this strategy of hand slights has oozed itself downward into seemingly mundane ballot races. Even those that many would consider immune from gotcha politics.
Setup's, and name calling are used in such a way as to bait undecided voters into their unsavory arguments. If straight forward issues are easy enough to wade through for the voters, mirror flashes, and puffs of smoke are employed with seeming ease in order to remedy already formed decisions on clear cut choices.
Suddenly the subject of law enforcement is quickly changed from questions of previous performance, and crime rates, to highly contentious subjects involving gun rights. Forced to the forefront, in a confrontational manner, for political gain, not because there was an overwhelming need for people to strap on a deadly weapon for self defense, but because the non-issue issue could be employed as a means of showing contempt for the opposing candidate.

Blowback

The missing part in all of this is the reaction by the citizens that are being prodded, and harassed, through the claims, and actions of the attacking candidates. While it has been proven these tactics work in the short term, without a continuous stream of valid attacks they tend to fizzle out.
Tomorrow we may well know if the short quick actions taken by Sheriff Dar's camp were effective. So late in the game it may have had it's intended effect.
Though, I doubt it.
There has been enough time for the citizens in this county to see how their quiet, if not murder free, environment has been made fun of for political gain. Seemingly parallel in action, the attacks on Senator Obama using a suddenly vibrant electorate in order to paint him as a "rock star" may miss the mark, and rile the anger of said electorate.

As well it should

For some time now, here on this blog, and others, the mocking of an apathetic electorate has been great sport. On the streets of the nation, excuses for not taking up ones civil duty are myriad.

"Why should I care?, They are all crooks!"
"I am voting for the "lesser of two evils"

are but a couple of phrases used, in the call to non-action. I hear them more, and more as this election grows tired.

Tired, not because people have a choice that has a modicum of difference in platforms. To the contrary platforms have never been so different in intent. Tired because voters are being used as pawns in games of gotcha politics, and Voters themselves are being held in contempt by politicians.

Pol Watcher's Primary Picks

Here are my picks for the contested races in Barry County in the Tuesday, August 5, 2008 primary...

Barry County Board of Commissioners
Note: District 1 (the city of Hastings) and District 5 (Maple Grove, Castleton and Assyria Townships) have no challengers so the board will retain incumbents Don Nevins and Mike Callton. With two retirements and one commissioner seeking the Drain Commissioner post we know the board will see some turnover even without any incumbents going down. Surprisingly, given that in the last few years we've had some hot button issues on the county level including the Charlton Park millages, the County 9-1-1 charges and counter-suits and the TOST ordinance, most of these races have been low key, almost dull. Compared to the county-wide races, I don't see a similar level of spending or discussion of key issues. Outside of the open seats, it's looks like a good year to be an incumbent.

District 2 (Thornapple and part of Irving Township)- The retirement of James French has paved the way for a field of four challengers. This is a tough choice but I'd have to go with Mike Bremer. His long history of service and involvement with youth recreation make him a good choice. There's no doubt in my mind he's ready to do the job and will represent his constituents well.

District 3 (Hope and Rutland Twp.)- Joe Lyons is challenging incumbent Keith Ferris. I like Ferris' willingness to speak his mind and take tough stands. He's not afraid to lead. In fact, if Ferris wanted the job he could probably be chair- I have no doubt he'd be a solid one. Lyons hasn't given me much of a reason to dump Ferris who's been a very able commissioner and should get another term on the board. I give Lyons credit for running an honorable campaign, and maybe he thinks that enough people know him and will support him but I'd have liked to seen a little more as far as want he wants to do if elected, or even a reason why he's running.

District 4 (Carlton, part of Hastings Charter and Irving Townships)- Incumbent "Hoot" Gibson looked like a promising newcomer four years ago. Sadly, for four years Gibson has gone with the flow, told people what they wanted to hear and generally just soaked up taxpayer money to pay his salary and many per diems while ignoring his many promises from the previous campaign. Denise Straley hasn't run a great campaign but she represents a chance to ditch dead weight and make a politician pay for not fulfilling the promises of their campign rhetoric. Straley also earns high marks for being vocal in supporting the Drug Court.

District 6- (Yankee Springs and part of Orangeville Township)- Commissioner Mark Englerth is stepping aside to run for County Drain Commissioner. Four years ago Englerth ran a tireless campaign to take out incumbent Claire Tripp. Tripp is trying to get her odd job back and needs to be Craig Stolsenberg to do so. Stolsenberg is supported by Englerth who hopefully showed him what it took to defeat Tripp. Englerth doesn't always play well with others and had his trouble being one of 8 commissioners. Meanwhile, Tripp was always a reliable member of the "insiders" who represents the same old politics voters have rejected in the past. The voters of Yankee Springs and Orangeville need to keep Tripp off the board and pick Stolsenberg.

District 7 (Assyria, Baltimore, and Johnstown Townships)- Voters chose wisely four years when they picked Jeff VanNortwick over incumbent Tom Wing. Voters chose wisely again when Wing's supporters tried to single out VanNortwick and attempted to have him recalled for his support of the TOST ordinance. Mike Boles is simply yet another attempt by the same small group to enact political revenge. Voters should once again make the right choice and re-elect VanNortwick.

District 8 (Prairieville, Barry and part of Orangeville Township)- Wayne Adams is retiring and three seek his spot on the board. One, Mark Robinson, already dropped out for "personal" reasons. Issues have surfaced with candidate Robert Houtman who once got into hot water while working in Kalamazoo. The issue resurfaced too close to election time for a full airing of what happened, but it has left many wanting to avoid it coming up after the election is already over and distracting the board from dealing with new issues. Many people I've talked to are reluctantly supporting Jim Alden due to what they see at Houtman's "baggage."

This race is a good example of why I think the debate formula is flawed as it lumped all 8 county board races into one debate and didn't allow for any great back and forth between candidates in individual races or debate of issues specific to any particular race. Next time I hope we can see debates actually take place in the districts for those seats which should spur greater attendance and a more in-depth discussion of the local issues affecting each race.

Barry County Clerk - Incumbent Clerk Debbie Smith is under fire for the recent embezzlement of funds that took place within her office. Two of her employees were stealing money and her office procedures didn't catch the crime. I've never been a fan of Smith and as far as I'm concerned this is the last straw. However, with two challengers in the race we should see the vote split amongst those who agree that Smith's time as clerk should be over. Mark Whitney has ran a good campaign, spent lots of money and seems like a nice man. Whitney, however, is just simply not qualified to do the job and his campaign literature almost admits as much. Whitney might be an acceptable choice when compared to Smith, but voters have a much better choice in Pam Jarvis. Jarvis is experience, professional and fully capable of taking over the job on her first day in the office. Voters should choose Pam Jarvis to be our next County Clerk.

Barry County Drain Commissioner - For some reason the field is crowded with 7 candidates. Perhaps it's the economy. Perhaps it's that for the first time in a long time a Barry County official stepped aside with first appointing a successor. First, let's admit that Kevin Allerding has spent lots of money and campaigned hard but shows absolutely zero qualifications for the job. Jan Kelly seems to be popular in the Nashville area but given that his campaign has mostly consisted of people trumpeting his support from Right to Life (which might have something to due with his church affiliation I'm told), but unless the Drain Commissioners' job is to protect fetuses I'm not sure that means anything. Mark Doster might be qualified but pretty much admitted he's simply a kamikaze candidate aimed at taking down Mark Englerth. Englerth has spent tons of money in his campaign, maybe that money would have been put to better use paying his overdue tax bills. Englerth seems to feel inconvenienced that people, okay Doster, have brought up his delinquent taxes but this was also an issue four years ago and the problem seem to be getting worse. Even more, he's not even the most qualified person in the race. Dennis McKelvey seems very qualified but I haven't noticed any real campaign from him. In the Republican field, Russ Yarger seems to be the best choice if you are looking for experience and knowledge of the position and also looking for someone who can win. Yarger has ran a campaign to win and also has the backing of the current Drain Commissioner, Tom Doyle. In a crowded field there's a real chance someone unqualified could slip through, let's hope voters make solid choice. I think the best shot for voters looking for competence is Russ Yarger in the Republican primary.

You might be thinking I forgot Rosemary Anger. Anger chose to run as a Democrat, perhaps a wise choice given how crowded the GOP primary is and how much the candidates were wiling to spend. Anger is supremely qualified, smart and it would be nice to see a Democrat in a county-wide office for the first time in decades it seems. If one of the lesser candidates gets past voters on the Republican ticket, Anger could be the last chance in November. I'd like to the see the losing GOP candidates back Anger and help her raise money if it means stopping someone who can't do or doesn't deserve the job.

Barry County Prosecutor - Current prosecutor Tom Evans is a very nice guy. He's dedicated to the community and is involved in local causes. His wife is a very personable and friendly woman who has likely helped Evans get where he is. However, I just don't think Evans is a good prosecutor. I said as much four years ago when I decided Julie Nakfoor-Pratt was the choice for voters. However, some saw Pratt as protecting the insider's club and voters gave her the boot. I felt Evans wasn't able to make his case in the campaign and probably wouldn't do much better in court. I think I was proven right, though I'm not gloating about it. Evans went public with sensational charges against 9-1-1 Director Nystrom but seemingly couldn't back them up. Nystrom got a nice retirement gift from taxpayers and even gave back... a suit charging the prosecutor, the sheriff and the local newspaper publisher with a conspiracy to destroy his career. Frankly, Evans seems to me the one that blew it most, going in front of the media with accusations he didn't even seem to know the definition, much less that he could prove. A prosecutor shouldn't go with charges he can't make stick and he sure as hell shouldn't try cases in the media (something which got a former prosecutor in hot water, part of the reason he stepped down and Pratt took over). I don't feel like I'm entirely sold on challenger Kerri Selleck, but given Evans' rather weak record I think voters should give Selleck a chance to prove what she can do.

Barry County Sheriff - It took me a while to decide on this one. On the one hand I feel like Jerry Sarver is often too opposed to making information public, a problem that lead to some of the issues surrounding Barry County 9-1-1. On the other hand, incumbent Sheriff Dar Leaf is simply too cozy with the radical elements that use his support to further their fringe causes. Leaf has also not been a strong enough manager at the local animal shelter and we've seen a recent tragedy involving the deaths of many animals because of a refusal to allow volunteers to work in the shelter due to the presence of jail inmates and an absence of any leadership that would be able to continue the inmate work program and also allow volunteer workers. After the recent political stunt where advocates of limitless gun rights brandished their arms in downtown Hastings, making a circus in order to try to humiliate the Chief of Police in the waning days of a political campaign, I've come to the conclusion that Jerry Sarver should be the next Sheriff of Barry County. Sarver's three degrees (including a Master's in Public Administration) place him head and shoulders above Leaf as far as qualifications, and the fact that he didn't take the bait during the recent Pistol Parade through the downtown streets of Hastings (which, obviously was done with the blessing of Leaf since people heavily involved in his campaign were leading the charge) means he has the temperament to keep his cool when the heat is on.

UofM Wins Solar Race Again

The beginning of an article on the website UM Solar reads:

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team has crossed the finish line for the 2008 North American Solar Challenge after traveling nearly 2400 miles from Plano, Texas to Calgary, Alberta. The team finished ten hours ahead of its nearest competitors to bring back Michigan's fifth National Championship in nine races.

While some would have us waste time drilling, and spilling in hopes of being independent from foreign energy source, and destroying our environment, they should be working to see that we keep these wonderful minds in the state to help us in the transition to alternative fuel sources.

The only unanswered question on the minds of many in the state of Michigan is how much faster the car could have been had it been painted a more traditional racing color.