How Do You Turn a Red State Blue?

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Sunday October 04, 2009 · 11:37 AM PDT

2009/10/04 · 11:37

I live in South Carolina, and I don’t know the answer. Yes, I’m from the land of Jim DeMint, Joe Wilson, and Mark Sanford. Yes, I’m from the state that other Kos commenters constantly ask, “What’s wrong with them?” (oh, and I can tell you, asking that question doesn’t actually help). And yes, I’m from the land where it can feel awfully lonely being a liberal; where people walk over to the Democratic Party booth at town festivals just to make trouble; where running as a Democrat in some parts of the state is the mission of a martyr; where so few Democrats run that our primaries can be commandeered by libertarians (I’m looking at you former senate candidate Bob Conley).

Poll

32 votes Show Results

Have you given to a candidate outside of your state this year?

32 votes Vote Now!

Have you given to a candidate outside of your state this year?

Yes

19 votes

Not Yet, But I Will

3 votes

10 votes

The State Newspaper Held Info About Affair for Six Months

allusionist

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Wednesday June 24, 2009 · 3:14 PM PDT

2009/06/24 · 15:14

The State newspaper has published excerpts of e-mails between Gov. Sanford and the woman with whom he had an affair. This little detail is at the beginning of the excerpts:

Below are excerpts of e-mails, obtained by The State newspaper in December, between Gov. Mark Sanford's personal e-mail account and Maria, a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

So, The State newspaper has known of the affair since December, but did not publish the information. Should they have? My gut says no, as long as he wasn't using taxpayer money to fund his affair. However, they sure were quick to publish them.

Poll

115 votes Show Results

Should The State Have Published the Affair Sooner?

115 votes Vote Now!

Should The State Have Published the Affair Sooner?

Yes

80 votes

22 votes

Doesn't Matter

13 votes

Apparently the Post Office Can Throw Your Mail Away w/ Poll

allusionist

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday June 04, 2009 · 5:09 PM PDT

2009/06/04 · 17:09

I moved a little over a month ago. I'm currently living with my wife's parents. During this time, we've been having our mail forwarded to our new house. However, as a graduate student, I'm constantly ordering books from amazon. I've been having these shipped to my in-laws' house because, you know, I have to read them. Well, my last order, I accidentally forgot to choose my in-laws' address and I left the Shipping Address as the Billing Address (my checking account was still linked to my old address at the time of purchase). I didn't worry about it, however, because I knew it was being shipped via USPS, so the mail would just be forwarded to my new address...or so I thought.

Poll

139 votes Show Results

So, what's your reaction?

139 votes Vote Now!

So, what's your reaction?

Holy Crap! I didn't know that!

102 votes

Sucks for you, but whatever.

25 votes

(Nelson Muntz style) Ha-ha!

12 votes

Six Days in Fallujah Video Game: An Update

allusionist

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday April 27, 2009 · 9:10 PM PDT

2009/04/27 · 21:10

By now many of you have heard that Konami has decided against publishing the controversial Iraq War game Six Days in Fallujah, a title I previously discussed here. However, the creators of the game have yet to scrap its production, so it's possible that another publisher with more of a taste for controversy could publish the game.

allusionist

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Thursday March 26, 2009 · 5:41 PM PDT

2009/03/26 · 17:41

So the Republican Committee released its alternative budget blueprint. While it's being routinely mocked on the internet for its surprising lack of details and its "are they serious" parroting of the old faithful idea of "more tax cuts," I thought I'd weigh in on what amounts to a glorified press release that repeats old Republican talking and attacks the President's budget with largely ideological posturing and misinformation. Here are a few of the "highlights":

Poll

120 votes Show Results

What do you think of the Republican "Blueprint"

120 votes Vote Now!

What do you think of the Republican "Blueprint"

It's Crap, Just Like We Expected!

93 votes

Meh-I don't pay attention to them anyway

7 votes

It's got potential

0 votes

Why didn't I think of it?!

6 votes

Can we please top talking about Republicans...

14 votes

Republican Poseur Alert! w/Poll

allusionist

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday March 24, 2009 · 7:40 PM PDT

2009/03/24 · 19:40

Flipping through today’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal I noticed this picture with the headline, "Lawmakers roll up sleeves to fight stimulus plan." For those of you not from the Upstate, the men pictured are, from left, Sens. Lee Bright, Shane Martin, Kevin Bryant, David Thomas and Rep. Joey Millwood. Isn’t it good to know that Republican political posturing isn’t limited to Washington, D.C.? It’s literally in our own backyards.

Poll

51 votes Show Results

Do you take comfort in knowing the Republicans try the same stupid tricks everywhere?

51 votes Vote Now!

Do you take comfort in knowing the Republicans try the same stupid tricks everywhere?

Absolutely! It makes them so easy to mock!

25 votes

Meh-I don't pay attention to them anyway

10 votes

No-They drive me crazy!

9 votes

No! An intelligent opposition party is central to a successful democracy!

7 votes

Just Another Health Care Story, and That's the Problem

allusionist

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday March 09, 2009 · 2:37 PM PDT

2009/03/09 · 14:37

The health care debate has begun, and most of the current debate centers around the concept of universal coverage, private vs. public insurance, and mandates. These are the “sexy” parts of the debate, but sometimes it causes us to miss the larger point: health care as a whole, is broken.

Let’s start with the obvious, and it’s something people rarely think about unless it happens to them: it’s hard to find a doctor on the weekend unless you go to urgent care or the ER.

Now I know everyone loves the weekend, and everyone deserves a break, but something has to be done to improve the quality and availability of care not just on the weekend, but in general. This is just another health care story:

allusionist

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday February 18, 2009 · 11:15 PM PST

2009/02/18 · 23:15

Over the past week and a half, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, my hometown newspaper, has printed a series of letters to the editor that debate the divine providence of President Obama. The first letter to the editor, printed on February 9, was printed with the title, “Another Moses Is Chosen.” The writer says,

allusionist

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Tuesday February 17, 2009 · 9:33 PM PST

2009/02/17 · 21:33

One of the emerging trends that I’ve been seeing in the news, on the internet, and on TV is a variation on the theme of “When is President Obama going to get to…” and I’m here to tell everyone: Calm Down. It hasn’t even been a month.

Poll

104 votes Show Results

How long should we wait before getting outraged?

104 votes Vote Now!

How long should we wait before getting outraged?

Wait? I'm there already!

11 votes

About now.

4 votes

Give it another month.

11 votes

Give it a year.

22 votes

I don't see myself getting outraged.

56 votes

American Capitalism and American Exceptionalism

allusionist

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Sunday January 25, 2009 · 12:14 AM PST

2009/01/25 · 00:14

With Barack Obama’s inauguration this past Tuesday, the United States has ushered in a new era in American history. Throughout the campaign, President Obama promised a new ear of diplomacy focusing on international cooperation, and his inauguration speech and Secretary of State Clinton’s remarks indicate that he intends to keep that promise. However, are Americans really ready? Our cultural consumption suggests we may have some work to do.

allusionist

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday January 20, 2009 · 5:37 AM PST

2009/01/20 · 05:37

I’d like to say I saw it all coming. I’d like to sit here and tell you that four years ago, when I could barely get out of bed the day after John Kerry’s electoral defeat to George W. Bush to face my jubilant class of conservative college freshmen, that on January 20, 2009 I would be feeling more optimistic about my country than I have in my entire life, and that I knew that we would elect a President who seems genuinely interested in governing, genuinely interested in moving the country forward. But I really didn’t see this coming, and in many ways, that’s what’s so astounding.

allusionist

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday September 24, 2008 · 8:23 PM PDT

2008/09/24 · 20:23

When I heard this afternoon that John McCain had suspended his campaign and called for the cancellation of the first debate, my first two reactions were, “Huh?” and “He doesn’t really think this will work does he?”

Well, at least one person does (other than John McCain): Hugh Hewitt, the inimitable conservative commentator, referred to this as brilliant leadership that would make this look like Obama’s “Katrina moment.” I have one response for Mr. Hewitt: this is McCain’s “Mission Accomplished.”

RSS

How Do You Turn a Red State Blue?

The State Newspaper Held Info About Affair for Six Months

Apparently the Post Office Can Throw Your Mail Away w/ Poll

Six Days in Fallujah Video Game: An Update

The Republican Blueprint: Thank God These Guys Aren't Architects w/ Poll

Republican Poseur Alert! w/Poll

Just Another Health Care Story, and That's the Problem

Democracy, Not Divinity: From South Carolina

Let's All Calm Down w/ Poll

American Capitalism and American Exceptionalism

Hope Lives Today

Johnny Drama; Or, McCain Pulls a Zack Morris and Calls a Time-Out