Come and meet Wade Munday!

I got this from Kerry Hayes about an event taking place on Friday night at South of Beale at 5:30, and he has graciously allowed me to post this:

Hey friends - My buddy from Nashville, Wade Munday, who some of you have met, is running to become the next chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party. He's planning to join us at South of Beale on Friday evening and is interested in meeting as many young professionals and up-and-coming civic leaders as he can. We're planning to meet at 5:30pm at SOB (hopefully on the patio - fingers crossed for good weather!) and would love if you could join us. This is NOT a fundraiser or a big solicitation opportunity of any kind. Just a good guy from another part of our state who's trying to meet some smart good people in Memphis.  

Please join us and bring a friend! 

See you soon -

STOP! You need to go read something NOW!

And it's this.

THE VIEW FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE says it better than I did, and he is absolutely on point here, every word.  I don't even want to excerpt, I want you to go read it all, and then comment.

You will be glad that you did.

A few notes on what's happening now...

I just realized I hadn't written anything since before the holidays, and Trace gently reminded me of this on the phone last night, and she is right, as she always is.  

Truth is, I have been busy with my personal life; more on that by the end of the week, I hope.  Don't worry, it will be good!

Enough on that; you want to read something substantial.  As Trace and Joe Powell have noted, the GOP-dominated General Assembly begins tomorrow, with all the usual madness since the Democrats became an endangered species.  It appears that House Speaker Beth Harwell, who, unlike her Tea Party Republicans, actually believes that they are in Nashville to GOVERN and not showcase insanity, is trying to place limits on the number of bills a legislator can introduce.  Good luck with that.

Meanwhile, it appears that the race to succeed Chip Forrester as captain of the Titanic, er, chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, has gotten a jolt or two recently.  What started out as a race between TNDP Treasurer Dave Garrison and former Communications Director Wade Munday has expanded and contracted.

Rep. Sherry Jones of Nashville joined the fray, as did attorney Ben Smith of Nashville as well as labor activist Jane Hampton Bowen of Chattanooga.  Then came former State Senator and Congressional candidate Roy Herron of Dresden, and Jones and Smith dropped out, with Jones indicating that she thought a female could not be elected (really????) and Smith endorsed Herron, stating that he (Smith) could not win.  I met Smith at the DWSC Christmas Party, nice guy, but I was never sure how he thought he could win in the first place.

On the one hand, Roy has positives, in that A) he is NOT from Nashville, although he still spends a LOT of time there and B) he is from rural West Tennessee (Dresden) and would presumably be able to help the party rebuild in rural areas.  However, if he still had pull in those areas, 1) wouldn't we still have his State Senate seat (we had a great candidate in Brad Thompson) and 2) wouldn't we still have the 8th District Congressional seat?

I like Roy personally, and people like his ministerial background and his ability to connect, but we need someone, IMO, who can raise money and build an infrastructure to get the County parties active and moving.  It has been estimated, privately, that only 25 of the 95 counties in this stating have active, functioning Democratic Parties.  I am not necessarily certain that Roy can do that.

Believe me, I GET the concept of having someone, ANYONE, outside the 440 Loop as Chair, because the navel-gazing and focus on Nashville and Middle Tennessee has helped facilitate our downfall.  However, we need to ensure that whomever is Chair needs to get everyone moving throughout the state and bring in newer, younger people.  Without that, we are doomed.  We will ALWAYS be outspent, but we have to find ways to offset that through organization and rebirth in the rural areas.  

If you care about this race, and if you are a Tennessee Democrat, you SHOULD, you need to contact your TNDP Executive Committee member (Shelby County has Districts 28-33 until 2014) and ask them about it, because they are the ones who will choose the new Chair.  Talk to them about who has the best chance to revitalize the County parties and who can build the infrastructure that we need to elect a majority of Democrats to the General Assembly, Congress and the US Senate, not to mention the Governor's office.  You will be glad you did.

The sad descent of the NRA

As I have noted on countless occasions, I am a gun owner and I don't believe in gun confiscation.  Frankly, outside of maybe Rosie O'Donnell, I don't know anyone who does.  If the government even tried it, even if we had a GOP President, we would have an armed rebellion in this country.

I have been around hunting for most of my life.  I know hunters usually eat what they kill, and give away that which they cannot.  99% of them sit in a duck blind or a deer stand or walk a field, and do not visit any place that would  provide a "guaranteed kill", because that is the antithesis of sportsmanship.

When I was a child, my father, who was a part-time gunsmith when we lived in Northeast Arkansas in the late 1960s, was a member of the National Rifle Association, and subscribed to the AMERICAN RIFLEMAN magazine.  He hunted, and loaded his own ammunition.  Back then, the NRA would occasionally grumble about gun control laws, but they usually stuck to promoting gun safety and shooting sports, which is not a bad thing, I say, when done properly.

That was then, and this is now.

In their first major public statement since the tragedy in Newtown, CT a week ago, the NRA sent their leader and chief spokesman, Wayne LaPierre (who is a main reason my father grew to hate the NRA) out to speak on the matter.  Here is a transcript, and before I go any further, I would like you to stop and read this.

Go ahead, I can wait.

Denial's not just a river in Egypt , is it?

Everything is the problem except guns, and their easy access. Let us never forget that the National Rifle Association stands for nothing more than preserving unfettered access to guns to EVERYONE, regardless of age or mental illness.  They are NOT a gun rights organization, they are there to promote gun SALES.  To ANYONE, no matter what, even if it's someone who thinks the world will end and they are stocking up on guns and ammo to shoot anyone who may come near them.

By screaming that ANY attempt to restrict gun sales for ANY reason will lead to confiscation by ANY governmental or NON-governmental group that may pop into their heads, the NRA may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that eventually DOES lead to far more dramatic restrictions to gun ownership than any we have seen.

And that would not be a good thing, and it would be the fault of the NRA.  We NEED all loopholes closed regarding sales at gun shows (and KUDOS to my friend Councilor Myron Lowery, who is trying to get the gun show that is planned for the Agricenter cancelled) and there needs to be CLEAR definitions on what constitutes an assault weapon.  Like what former Senator Bob Kerrey said while running for re-election in NEBRASKA in 1994:



Exactly.  What the NRA is facing is a dose of unexpected reality.  The majority of Americans no longer believe that the Chinese are coming over the border to take our weapons.  If we have gun licensing and registration, it will not infringe upon my rights as a gun owner one bit.  Rights come with responsibilities, as EVERY conservative has ever told me, and our responsibilities as a society DEMAND that common-sense regulation of gun sales and ownership take place.

If we can do it for automobiles, we can do it for guns, or risk REALLY losing them.  Your call, NRA.

Sacred cows

The great cartoonist Bill Day has generously allowed me to use this cartoon, and I think this sums things up rather well:

Nothing makes me feel more like Christmas than this.

It's not the newest version, but it's still the best:

To My GMAIL List

It appears that GMail and Google is making their semi-annual attempt to force me into Google Groups.  I was restricted today when trying to send my first email to my list, which was a Scene column by Jonathan Meador.  Since the reasons that they give for slowing me down do not apply (no bouncebacks lately, among other things), I can only believe that they are coming at me because I send liberal columns in my posts.

I will let you know how this is going later.

Oh, and call the White House and tell them to KILL THIS DEAL.   We didn't work for Obama's re-election only to have him throw us all under the bus after the election.

And here we go again.

I presume that you are aware that some crazy fool walked into an elementary school in Newtown, CT today and shot 27 people, 18 of them being children.

I have been attacked on Twitter for responding too quickly and being disrespectful to the dead.  Really?  If we don't discuss this NOW, we will forget about it and another tragedy will occur, and then another.  If you want to prevent further tragedies, NOW is the time to think about it.  If you can't discuss this now, then WHEN?

The vast majority of gun owners (at least 99%, any way) are responsible citizens who would never do anything like this (and I am one of them).  However, the idea that we are powerless as a society to prevent mentally unstable people from owning weapons is ridiculous, and will at some point result in the loss of our rights to keep and bear arms.

Don't think so?  Let me ask you a question: if we can license people who own cars so that they may operate them, and require them to be familiar with their proper usage, why can we not do this for weapons, which are normally intentionally lethal?  We, as a society, refuse to allow people to drive if they insist on driving while impaired or are no longer able to properly operate their vehicles.  Why, then, can we not do the same thing for weapons?

While the licensing procedure doesn't eliminate DUIs or Grandpa driving onto the sidewalk and accidentally killing someone, it greatly reduces the occurrences.  There is no rational reason that we as a society cannot set up licensing requirements for weapons owners.  I, as a weapons owner since the age of ELEVEN, do not see how my right to possess a weapon would be infringed.

The National Rifle Association, dear readers, is NOT in business to protect the rights of weapons owners.  It is in the business to remove any and all obstacles to weapons manufacturers being able to sell their wares to everyone, no matter what age.  This is why they have gone far beyond what they once did, just to promote shooting sports and gun safety, which in and of itself is not a bad thing.  My father, who was a part-time gunsmith when we lived in Northeast Arkansas, was a member until he noticed how crazy they were getting.

We MUST, as a society, take more steps to insure that mentally ill people get the help they need, no matter the cost, and we must take steps to insure that they do NOT have access to weaponry.  While we will never completely eliminate this problem, there is no rational reason we cannot reduce the likelihood of re-occurrence.

We have a blogger that I didn't know about!

We welcome OFFENSIVE DEMOCRAT to our little blogosphere, written by our buddy at the TNDP, Brandon Puttbrese.  And really, aren't OFFENSIVE DEMOCRATS the best kind?? I certainly think so.  We are going to add him to THE ENDLESS BLOGROLL and I think you should add him to your RSS feeds.

Today, in particular, he has a lovely rant about Senator Brian Kelsey's veryclose friend, newly-elected Representative Jeremy Durham, who it appears had a seat drawn just for him!  It seems that Durham, representing Tennessee's most liberal county, Williamson (sarcasm should be duly noted here), thinks that the state's richest county can't afford TennCare for the poor saps who serve the people that live in their mansions in Franklin and Brentwood.

I urge you to read it, and I wonder how I missed OFFENSIVE DEMOCRAT for so long.  I won't make that mistake again, and neither should you!

West Tennessee fights back against Fincher!

This was passed to me, so I am passing on to you!

For Immediate Release

December 11, 2012

For more information:

Alma Jones: 731-358-0229

David Barber: 731-819-3281

 

West Tennesseans to demand that Stephen Fincher “stop threatening to take us over the Fiscal Cliff”
West Tennesseans concerned about the looming “fiscal cliff” will bring their demands to Congressman Stephen Fincher’s Martin Tennessee office Thursday, December 13, at 3pm.

“Fincher and the Republican Party are heading this country right over the fiscal cliff,” explained McKenzie resident Alma Jones.

If Congressman Fincher and the Republican-dominated House of Representatives do not take action before the New Year then on January 1, 2013, taxes on all Americans will rise: more money will be withheld from every paycheck and the average Tennessee family – already hard-pinched in the current economic crisis – will pay more than $2000 additional taxes for the year.

Most economic experts agree that this massive tax increase for middle class and working class Americans will sink the country deeper into recession.

President Barack Obama has already said that he will sign a bill which retains the current tax structure for all income below $250,000 per year.  The Senate has already passed that bill.

But the Republican-dominated House of Representatives has refused to let that bill reach the House floor for a vote.  The Republicans are insisting that the tax rates for Americans earning over $250,000 per year not be raised.

“In other words,” said Jones, “the Republicans are using the threat of higher taxes for 98% of the American people as a bargaining chip to retain lower tax rates for their wealthy friends and contributors.”

“We’re going to tell Congressman Fincher that the citizens of this congressional district aren’t going to accept this.   We hope many Martin, Dresden, Union City and West Tennessee folks join us this Thursday at 3 pm in front of Congressman Fincher’s office in Martin  on Lindell between Main and University.”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Celebrating Thanksgiving Day as as one should; here is the COMPLETE version of Alice's Restaurant:

And, here we go!

The first hat has been tossed in the ring in the race to succeed Chip Forrester as Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party.  Wade Munday states with this post what he believes must happen for Democrats to get back on the right foot in the Volunteer State.

It will be a long road back for any Democrat, even those of us in one of the blue islands.  Wade realizes this, and I hope, if you are a Tennessee Democrat, that you will read this and understand why he is running.

Good luck, sir!

Drinking Liberally moves to Frida's this week!

From our friends at DL: 

 After a year's run at Dublin House, we decided to find a smoke-free venue, and found Frida's Mexican Restaurante at 1718 Madison, where we will begin meeting this week at 7:30 P.M. in the upstairs area; ask the host or hostess to show you where the stairs are! We did not take this move lightly, and wish Dublin House well. However, it was important to our members to find a smoke-free venue. Please come and join us this Thursday evening at 7:30 P.M.!!!!

Bernie Sanders nails it, as usual

With a tip of the cap to Jed Lewison at DKos:

Avalanche on BS Mountain - Jon Stewart

With a kiss on the cheek to my beautiful Susan, who sent me this link:

A Great Response to Today's Post

My old friend Brad Bradley, who now lives north of Little Rock but grew up here and got his law degree from UTK, weighs in on today's post:

I just read your post about rebuilding the Democratic party. I think it is pretty much on point. I disagree a bit with the order of the things you listed. I think that it will be hard to win statewide races in Tenn. unless and until the party learns how important Memphis is to it. I wonder what percentage of the Dem vote is in Memphis and Shelby County?  It all goes back to race and the fear of scary, black, crime-ridden Memphis. Have you read William D. Miller's Mr. Crump of Memphis? It came out in the early 60s and details how Crump was able to make deals with East Tenn. GOPers because the rural/Nashville establishment hated Crump and wanted the power for themselves. I know those days are over but, as you say, there is more to Tenn. that the 440 beltway. The point is that the party has to work together to rebuild; it can't be three or more separate parties.

You are right that we have to do a better job defining the GOP for what they are-right-wing extremists who, like the Taliban, seek to impose their version of morality on the rest of the populace even though that populace does not agree with it. See the  4th Cong. Dist. for 1 example.

Also, we need to do a better job protecting the middle class, which includes protecting public education at all levels. Too many people in both Tenn. and Ark. do not value education. Instead, the place more value on hunting/fishing and athletics. But it is education that truly prepares one for a productive life and every college-educated person in the state is a block to build up the middle class. Less than 25% in Ark. have college degrees or better. The Dems. are complicit if they support vouchers in any form because they, for the most part, subsidize white kids already going to private schools. Our public education system was the envy of the world at one point, but not now. Yes, we need to improve some of the ways schools operate and some of the results. However, that does not include vouchers. It should include paying teachers more and recognizing/rewarding the importance of their jobs. It also includes reducing poverty because even the best teacher
cannot do the job without significant help from the parents and if the family is in poverty, that help isn't forthcoming. We also need to stop demonizing the teacher's unions; however, this isn't likely to change in the near future. The long-range demographic trend is for urban areas to expand and rural areas to decline. But, its like one of the other posts you sent out today: trying to stop a cultural tide with a picket fence.

One other thought: Education is the best economic development tool there is because business wants an educated workforce and the more educated the populace, the more likely business is to locate in an area. Getting back to the rural areas, part of the problem is the lack of communications infrastructure meaning high speed internet access at reasonable cost. This would address Trace's concern about rural folks only reading the local papers and would allow them to read papers from all over, assuming no pay walls. However, some big media, like ATT don't want to invest because of the cost and lack of density make it hard to be profitable on such services.  

Basking in the Afterglow (sort of)

Well now, we have a lot to talk about, don't we?

We live in a deep-blue city (just ask George Flinn) in a deep-red State (just ask Chip Forrester) in a nation getting bluer by the election (ask Karl Rove).  Let's look at each of these.

Well, Shelby County, what do we do now?  Barack Obama will never be on the ballot again, so how do we get the people who turned out in droves in this election to come back in 2014 when we desperately need them?  There are no elections next year, but every minute of SCDP time should be taken to reach out to keep contact with those voters, keep them engaged and involved and let them know that EVERY election is important.  Money has to be raised, but grassroots organizing needs to be done on a scale not really done here since Harold Ford Sr. was our Congressman.  Congressman Cohen, you and your crack election team needs to be involved with that effort to the largest extent possible.  You are our leader, and it's time to take the lead.

We need to do this so that we are not so grossly out numbered in the state.  Remember when the Democrats were in charge of the Legislature for 140 years?  Those days are gone forever, folks, and being a Democrat here means that we have to rebuild from the ashes.  While Bredenistas point the finger at Chip Forrester, I must remind you that he is not Calvin Coolidge, who led a similar debacle for the whole country, but Herbert Hoover, who inherited and mismanaged the Depression.

There are good people who work their butt off at the TNDP, and I do not hold them accountable for what happened last night, that has been in motion for years and came to fruition with this election.  There are some things with which we all need to come to grips if we are going to rebuild for the future.

1. NED MCWHERTER IS NOT WALKING THROUGH THAT DOOR.
The greatest Governor this state has ever known was a giant of a human being and had the capacity to inspire people and lead them.  He was the only one who could run on the theme ONE OF US and appeal to conservative voters.  His house seat, from which he served as Speaker of the House for 14 years, is now held by a goober Republican from Dresden named Andy Holt, who, to put it mildly, is a joke.  The Senate seat once held by the longest-serving Lt. Governor in history, John Wilder, is now held by a Republican from Somerville named Delores Gresham, who is busy helping to destroy public education.  And the last nail in the West Tennessee coffin was put in last night, as outgoing Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh's seat was won by yet another Republican.

We have to understand that if a Tennessean is going to vote for a conservative, they will vote for a Republican, because we have allowed ourselves to be defined by others and have not defined conservatism for what it is, elitism and quasi-feudalism.  What is now called moderate was once called right-wing.  We CANNOT win elections in rural areas on cultural issues and until we aggressively work to change that, we will be irrelevant in Tennessee politics.  We need to talk to people like Charles Curtiss, John Mark Windle and John Tidwell to see how they survive in this climate.

2.  ATTENTION TNDP; THERE IS MORE TO TENNESSEE THAN JUST WHAT IS INSIDE THE 440 LOOP.

This is addressed to not to Chip but to the ExecCom and to those who make their money off Tennessee Democrats.  They don't understand Memphis, they don't understand rural areas, they don't understand anything beyond Belle Meade, East Nasty and the West End.  They live in a world where it's always 1990 and Ned's been re-elected and all is right with the world.

IT ISN'T.  We aren't rebuilding the TNDP just so Bill Fletcher and Dave Cooley can make money, we are doing this to CHANGE AND AFFECT POLICY.  We have to re-think everything because how well we are able to do this will determine if we are EVER relevant again.  And that answer does NOT include being GOP Lite.  When you consider that even though Scott DesJarlais proved to be even worse a human being than we had suspected, and the DCCC sent money to help Eric Stewart, Eric STILL got stomped?  Either TN-04 is filled with wackjobs or we ran the wrong campaign.  It didn't work for Lincoln Davis two years ago, and it wasn't going to work for Eric now.

3. A 95-COUNTY STRATEGY NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE ASAP.  
We have to understand that while it is helpful to raise as much money as possible, when you are in the super-minority, not much cash will be tossed at you by high-rollers.  That, my friends, is not necessarily such a bad thing.  This forces us to be creative and to do something we are not that good at doing: ORGANIZING.

We have to do this at the County level in EVERY county, whether it's Shelby or Williamson or Washington or Lake County.  We need to engage young people in every county, for they are our future.  We need to ensure that there are College Democrats clubs on EVERY campus of higher education in this state and train them about elections and policy.  Without a great ground game, there is no chance of victory.  If you could buy elections, the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson would be a lot happier today than they are.

GROUND GAME WORKS; just ask the President of the United States.

4.  STOP BEING SCARED OF MEMPHIS; YOU NEED US AND WE NEED YOU.
If anything drives me crazy, it's when people talk about Memphis as if we are a leper colony.  We are the most diverse (and NOT just black-and-white, either) metro area in the state, and the largest.  Yes, we are different from the rest of the state in every way possible, but you need to realize that a higher percentage of the state than ever before lives in METRO areas.  The four largest metro areas contain if not a majority of the state's population, then might damn close.  We can help each other, because it is a necessity.  Every time you demonize Memphis, you shoot yourselves in the foot.  You may think you can't win with us, but the reality is that you cannot win WITHOUT us.

5. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE CAN'T WIN WITHOUT THE RURAL VOTE, EITHER.
Rural areas are hurting, and we can't abandon them.  If anything, we need to help these folks and help them realize that while they have been voting GOP on culture, it is KILLING them economically.  I believe we can do this; if we can't, then there is no hope for them OR their culture.  We cannot win on culture and we MUST find away not to play into culture.  As I said early, that worked for Ned because it was Ned; it ain't working for anyone else.  West Tennessee outside Memphis and Jackson is DYING and we have to reverse this trend.

6.  IF YOU DON'T STAND FOR SOMETHING, YOU'LL FALL FOR ANYTHING.
For cultural reasons, the old-time Tennessee Democrats did their best to resist being defined, which is a good thing.  They, however, often refused to define their opponents, which is a bad thing.  We have to define the GOP for what they ARE and not allow them to pretend they are something that they are NOT.  We have to define ourselves in the strongest terms possible.  A big tent is never bad, but it can't be so loose as to be vague.  People around the state came to see us as not standing for anything except re-election.  I understand that you have to be elected to accomplish things; but if you're elected and things still don't change, why should they continue to vote for you?

7. THIS AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT; BE PREPARED FOR A LONG DECADE.
The GOP takeover didn't happen last night; it had been building, partially because those in charge of Democratic politics either didn't see it coming, or DID see it and had no clue of what to do about it.  Tennessee is changing, and we need to SHAPE that change, or we will be consumed by it, and that's why the TNDP has to rethink everything, and at every level.

Please comment and let me know what you think; flame away and tell me if I am wrong, but say WHY.

UPDATE: Also, what Trace said.
UPDATE 2: And what Liz said.

I followed this plan and it made all the difference.

Hotline Numbers If you Have Trouble At The Polls Today

______________________________________________________________________

                   P.O. Box 40864               Memphis, TN 38174-0864                   (901) 323-3290                                          Van Turner, Jr., Chair

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  NOVEMBER 5, 2012

There will be an election protection effort like none other tomorrow here in Shelby County.  Below, I have provided a list of numbers for all of the individuals and organizations who are assisting with protecting the vote tomorrow.  The Shelby County Democratic Party alone will have approximately 100 poll watchers in the field tomorrow located at various precincts throughout the county to protect and monitor the vote.  

We have also created a strategic alliance with Stand for Children who will have an additional 150 poll watchers and canvassers out at the polls tomorrow.  Also, as you may or may not know, the local OFA group dispatched approximately 80 volunteers to North Carolina to knock on doors and to get the vote out for the President.  I know that with hard work and effort, we will re-elect President Barack Obama.  Finally, please join us tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel in the Grand Ballroom for the Official Watch Party and Victory Party for the 2012 Presidential Election. 

STATE ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINE	1-888-960-4394
MEMPHIS CITY ATTY’S OFFICE	901-636-6500
NAACP ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINE	901-521-1343
SCDP ELECTION PROTECTION	901-323-3290
WTDEM RESOURCE CENTER	901-435-6082
GEORGE MONGER, ELECTION COMMISSIONER	901-417-0488
NORMA LESTER, ELECTION COMMISSIONER	901-484-7767
DAVID COCKE, ATTORNEY AT LAW	901-351-1089
VAN TURNER, ATTORNEY AT LAW	901-283-5017
PHYLIS ALUKO, ATTORNEY AT LAW	901-494-5232
U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE	901-969-2920
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION	901-747-4300

We are less than 48 hours away from the Election.

I know I haven't written in a while; Susan and I have been house-hunting, among other things.

I know the tendency is to think, well, Obama will win Shelby but lose the state, and Cohen's going to win and no state legislative seats will change hands, so why bother.  With all due respect, may I retort,
BULLSHIT.

While much of that is true, if you did not early vote (as we did here) I am telling you that, no matter where you live, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND VOTE.  I think the President may well get 300+ electoral votes, but I know that the GOP is trying to suppress the vote wherever possible in the hopes that Romney will win the popular vote and they can attempt to STEAL the election.  Remember BUSH V.GORE?  Do you want THAT to happen again, with THIS Supreme Court?

NO?  Good.  Then make sure you vote on Tuesday if you were unable or simply didn't early-vote.

Why?  Let's give the President and our Congressman, Steve Cohen, every vote possible.  In this county, I want landslides for both of them, and votes for Democratic legislators and AGAINST Republican legislators where you are unfortunate enough to have one or more.  We need to show people that Big Shelby is still a force.

If you don't live in a blue county, please vote for EVERY Democrat on your ballot.  If you live in the 4th Congressional District, you have the opportunity to elect Eric Stewart, and vote OUT a Congressman who, as a practicing physician, is alleged to have slept with his PATIENTS.  If you don't live in the 4th but want to send last minute cash, go here.

If you live in Arkansas, help Scott Ellington in the 1st District or Herb Rule in the 2nd.  Don't live in Tennessee?  There are tons of people to help in these last few days.  We need every Democrat elected as possible, because the Greens are too busy trying to make statements instead of electing any one or having any REAL effect on the process.  I like Jill Stein, but so what?  Would SHE have a Congress that would pass her legislation? NO, because the Greens won't do what needs to be done.

So, right now, that leaves the Democrats.  We have a great one in Steve Cohen, and I want to see him get 80% if possible.  If you have friends who are registered but haven't voted, call them.  Drive them to the polls if necessary, but this is doable.

You can sit home if you like.  Just don't bitch at me when Romney and Ryan take away every social good we have built in the last 90 years.

Don't want that?  VOTE.