VOTE BLUE! - its the Home Stretch and we can WIN BIG!

We are in the last phase
of the 2016 national election. 

THE FUTURE IS AT STAKE
AS AT NO TIME BEFORE.

That's right...Donald Trump is NOT who we are. And that includes his TrumpTrain of weak-kneed GOP followers that created their candidate and that are afraid to stand up their candidate.

VOTE THEM OUT! 

NO MORE OBSTRUCTION!

Right now, we have to do everything we can think of to help the Democrats to gain the House majority in order TO PASS THE ESSENTIAL LEGISLATION TO AVOID RUNAWAY GLOBAL WARMING. 

Here are some basic things almost anyone CAN DO:

1. Sign up to volunteer to give as much time as possible to the local Democratic campaign organizations 
2. Where registration to vote is still possible, get involved  
3. Next, increased voter turn-out is A KEY TO VICTORY – spread the word as widely as possible, every BLUE vote is important; explain that 3rd Party votes and NOT VOTING = Trump votes! 
4. On election day, help in whatever way you can – make calls, driving voters to their polling places, etc.

I’m very hopeful that we will have a Democratic President elected with an unquestionable MANDATE.

I’m also hopeful that we will have a Democratic majority Senate, in spite of the vast dark money supporting Republican candidates by the Koch network and others.

IF we get a Democratic Majority in the Senate, it is very likely that a Supreme Court, with at least one new member approved during the next Congress, will reverse the utterly partisan decisions and general direction of the Scalia Court. Perhaps the Court can take unlimited individual and corporate donations and spending out of the American political process!

VOTE FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO PASS POLICIES 

ESSENTIAL TO SUFFICIENTLY SLOW GLOBAL WARMING.

THE FUTUTRE IS AT STAKE. 

BE AN ACTIVIST. 

GIVE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN.

DEFEAT CORPORATE CONTROL= DEFEAT TRUMP!

The Republican Party is supporting an American variant of Fascism. 

Americans know 20^th century Italian and German fascism from afar – nothing like that can happen in our democracy. Or can it? The Republican Party candidate in 2016, Donald Trump, stands for, at least, two pillars of the European experience of fascism.

Trump has unquestionably taken positions that contradict Constitutional limits on the power of the Executive branch. Here are some of the despotic uses of Executive/State power Trump supports.

• proposed or praised closing mosques 
• proposed new forms of limitations of speech, 
• favors water boarding (i.e. cruel and unusual punishment”) 
• favors executive action power to incarcerate (noncriminal) subgroups within the population
• favors a partisan judiciary - not an independent check on the Executive branch

Although Trump certainly does not challenge “free market” capitalism, he and the Republican Party share with European Fascism the protection of large corporate profit as long as it does not conflict with the goals of a far more authoritarian State. 

3rd party vote = Trump vote

No vote  = Trump vote

Register & Vote BLUE!

#NEVERTRUMP 

DEM POTUS & Congress = A FUTURE!

(Credit: Jeff Malet/maletphoto/everlite via iStock/Photo montage by Salon)

A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENCY & CONGRESS would END REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE ROAD BLOCK, SLOW GLOBAL WARMING, and PROVIDE an ECONOMY for the 99+%. 

It is our BEST CHANCE to ENSURE a FUTURE for GENERATIONS TO COME.

Trump will continue, at every turn, to demonstrate his ignorance, leadership incompetence and threat to the safety of Americans and the world.

Unacceptable behavior accepted: The media has continued to fail to provide Americans with a minimum of critical analysis of Trump’s claims and emotional provocation - and the result is that lying, deliberate distortions and anger that “suggest” that partisan violence is acceptable are treated as legitimate/acceptable behavior. 

Likewise, the uncritical support by the Republican Party Leadership, especially House Speaker Ryan (the spokesman for legislative gridlock on behalf of economic interests of the very wealthy), also legitimates the anger/hatred and pervasive bigotry and dehumanization consistently demonstrated by many Trump supporters.

Trump’s assertions that Obama and Clinton are “founders” of ISIS illustrate Trump’s use of deliberate distortion and misstatement that both misleads his followers and provides extraordinary recruiting propaganda for ISIS.

The continued silent support of the Republican leadership reinforces the acceptability of Trump remarks that increase the risk to Americans (and all that might oppose the ultra-violent extremists) of ISIS and other violent anti-American groups AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS on the battlefields and on all the “soft” targets everywhere: schools, entertainment events and, indeed, ANY PUBLIC GATHERINGS!

Yes, Trump’s defeat is obviously essential BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH!

First and foremost, AFTER YEARS of THE COAL, OIL and GAS INDUSTRIES "buying" the Republican Party, we URGENTLY need a CONGRESS with SUFFICIENT DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES TO PASS LEGISLATION TO SLOW GLOBAL WARMING.

We also need a DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS TO ROLLBACK THE DECADES LONG REPUBLICAN ATTACK UPON THE QUALITY OF LIFE – economic, health, educational & employment opportunities… - FOR THE 99+%. 

The MOST IMPORTANT WORK you can do IS HELP WIN A DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE! 

The HOUSE is the BULWORK that the REPUBLICANS HAVE CONSTRUCTED TO PROTECT THE VERY WEALTHY AND THEIR ECONOMIC CONTROL OVER OUR LIVES! 

The GOP has: 

1. redrawn House districts to disadvantage Democratic candidates
2. utilized unlimited “dark money” support from extremely wealthy individuals and corporations
3. encouraged the creation of State laws to limit or discourage likely Democratic voters

              

• BECOME ACTIVE. 
• SPREAD THE WORD. 
• HELP WHEREVER & WHENEVER YOU CAN.

Vote Clinton/Kaine!

#betterthanthis

VOTE OUT #GOP

VOTE BLUE: Help WIN a DEM House MAJORITY

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is unqualified in every relevant way to be President. 

In particular... 

• his explosive, angry behavior makes him an extremely dangerous President in the age of nuclear war
• his behavior and hate-filled, prejudiced remarks are deepening an ugly, potentially violent divide in American society

Make no mistake, however, the majority leaders in the Senate and the House, Paul Ryan, uncritically support Trump.

Ryan endorses Trump

Why? PRIMARILY because Trump’s behavior and wide ranging hate-mongering are acceptable so long as HE CARRIES THE BANNER OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OPPOSITION TO APPROPRIATELY HIGHER TAXES ON THE WEALTHY AND ON LARGE CORPORATIONS – to undo the Republican tax reductions and special benefits, starting with President Reagan, that have SHIFTED THE TAX BURDEN TO THE OTHER 99+% OF AMERICANS.

Seats Democrats must win to retake the House

To pass new tax legislation that is fair to the LOWER 99+%, 

we MUST WIN a DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY in the HOUSE. 

YOU CAN HELP. Vote Out #GOP! Vote In Democrats!

This is the election year of your life! 

2016 Republican Candidates: More Wealth to the Wealthy, Fear in the Streets, Prejudice Against Women, Blacks, and Many Immigrant Groups - PLUS an Authoritarian Presidency

Latino protesters - We need all voices, all votes for a Democratic win!

The 2016 Republican candidates, including the GOP POTUS candidate, are running based on:

1. A Party Platform that advocates GREATER WEALTH FOR THE WEALTHY. 
2. The Republican Presidential campaign emphasizes FEAR OF CRIME (thus, the need for “law and order”) – stereotypically committed by illegal immigrants, blacks, and Islamic terrorists. 
3. The Republican Presidential campaign clearly and PROUDLY RESURRECTS AND PROMOTES PREJUDICE against women, blacks, various ethnic and religious (immigrant ) minorities. 

Probably even more important a problem for American democracy, the Republican Presidential campaign has raised the possibility of a demagogic President who has expressed views of Presidential power “above” the Constitution – closer, in fact, to authoritarian or even DICTATORIAL power.

The election of a DEMOCRATIC POTUS and a 

Democratic Congressional MAJORITY is CRITICAL! 

We MUST ALL #uniteblue and #VoteOutGOP by voting in Democrats! 

NO WRITE-IN VOTES THAT WEAKEN THE DEMOCRATIC VOTE AND INCREASE THE GOP CHANCES OF WINNING!

The Supreme Court - after the 2016 election

Actively working for and voting for a Democratic President & Senate, in particular, is critically important!

Beyond the more recent partisan decisions of the Supreme Court like the 2010 Citizens United decision and the 2013 decision weakening the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the post 2016 Supreme Court will have the opportunity to influence America’s future in many different ways.

US Supreme Court - 2015

Therefore, the new President and majority in the Senate will have historic influence. While a replacement for Justice Scalia will be the first step in changing the reactionary direction of the Court, it is important to note there are likely to be additional changes in the Court in the near future since Justice Ginsburg is 83, Justice Kennedy is 80 and Justice Breyer is 78 and, thus, at least one additional appointment is virtually certain. 

               

Again, actively working for and voting for a Democratic President & Senate, in particular, is all the more important! 

These "right wing" Justices gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Be aware that a Democratic President, Senate majority and  House majority are essential to pass absolutely crucial legislation to slow global warming emissions as well as a wide range of legislation that benefits the general public, the 95%+, rather than only the very wealthy. 

VOTE FOR A DEMOCRATIC POTUS 

& A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY!

We must do our work! We must not become complacent! 

All Democrats MUST UNITE to DEFEAT TRUMP!

All Republicans, Independents, Liberals, etc., who see that TRUMP IS DANGEROUS to the USA and to the WORLD must VOTE BLUE to DEFEAT TRUMP!

Not voting or writing in a candidate WILL ELECT TRUMP as the next POTUS! THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!

VOTE FOR A DEMOCRATIC POTUS
& A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY!

VOTE BLUE - The Republican Party Stands for Inequality

VOTE BLUE!

Democratic POTUS & Congressional Majority!

Senator Sanders has forced a greater public discussion of the “exceptional” inequality in America. Whether we measure inequality by...

• the extraordinary concentration of wealth in the hands of so few
• an extremely regressive tax structure (including sates taxes etc.)
• the extreme (for rich nations) percentages of persons living in poverty
•  the exorbitantly high cost of health care and higher education

 ...inequality in America is a result of the policies aggressively and openly promoted by the contemporary Republican Party.

In particular, the public position of the Republican House majority is to:

• radically reduce corporate income tax rates (from 35% to 20%)
• radically reduce individual income tax rates for the wealthy (from 39.6% to 33%)
• reduce individual income tax rates for capital (investment) profits and dividend income at less than 50% of the rate for wage income

The Republican Party even argues for the elimination of the estate tax. All of these changes overwhelmingly, disproportionately benefit the extremely wealthy.

At the same time, the result of Republican tax policy changes, starting with President Reagan, has been to:

• increase the overall tax burden on the, at least, 95% of Americans with lower incomes 
• squeeze/reduce Federal spending that would reduce poverty, reduce health care (especially drug) spending, reduce the cost of higher education 
• and, most notably, to reduce the effectiveness of corporate regulation – INCREASING NUMEROUS RISKS TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.

It is CRITICAL that we VOTE & VOTE BLUE!

A VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS IN 2016 is a VOTE for INCREASED INEQUALITY in America - in ALL ITS FORMS!

UNITE & Vote BLUE!

Profits are a higher priority than public safety

We cannot allow "big business" to continue to mislead us, influence our country, and harm us for their personal profit!
Fight back with your voice and your VOTE! 

Georgia Congressman, John Lewis,June 22, 2016

"...Sometimes you have to get in the way. You have to make some noise by speaking up and speaking out against injustice & inaction..."

With the current focus on new legislation to help prevent the kind of violence against innocent members of the public that recently occurred in Orlando, it is important to step back and put the issue in a larger historical and social context.

AK-47

To start with, economic interests groups like the tobacco industry, the fossil fuel industry, and the military-style weapons and munitions industries have many obvious characteristics in common.  In each case, these industries seek greater profits for their mainly wealthy shareholders by selling “products” that clearly do or may, as in the case of the recent Orlando mass shooting, put the general public at risk of terrible harm. Whether we are talking about the risk of lung cancer and other smoking related heath damage, global warming and its catastrophic impacts in the present and future, or the increasing incidents of massacres of innocents in America, profits have been and continue to be a higher industry priority than the public well-being.

At the same time, such industries have continued to try to misinform the public about terrible adverse impacts of their “products” by using many different arguments that, in fact, have been and are consistently deliberately misleading and demonstrably false.

• The cigarette industry touted the association of smoking with lung cancer as actually due to stress, personality type, etc.
• In America, we still hear from almost all leading Republican politicians and candidates that global warming is a hoax or that the consensus of climatology scientists should be ignored because
• not enough research has been done OR
• there must be no uncertainty in climate science before policy makers should accept that the main driver of global warming is human activity (and therefore, we may be able to slow the warming by what we do).
• Likewise for the military-style weapons and munitions industry, their front men have been so successful that the arguments and discussion about protecting the public from harm has moved so incredibly far away from banning all “machine guns” (National Firearms Act of 1934) and their potential for mass killings/injury to who is Constitutionally “entitled” to own such weapons (as well as who is entitled to own munitions that put law enforcement wearing protective vests at risk). 

In the U.S., more than other capitalist countries, very profitable economic interests have typically used every resource, notwithstanding their prior knowledge of the risk of harm to the public, to insure their continued profitability. A key resource is always the effort to mislead the public, policy makers, law enforcement, media, etc., about known harm to the public.

Although not universal, profits before responsibility to the public well-being has become a tacit norm of corporate behavior.

Orlando, FL shooting response

Fight back with your voice and your VOTE!

Don't give up! Vote them out!

#votethemout