It's generally not considered polite to use the f-word. It is generally used by people of low sophistication, who use it primarily to shock their audience when they can't think of anything better. It is used far more often than it is needed, but sometimes things can't be said any other way.

I am talking about fascism.

There is a well organized, well funded, and growing fascist movement in America. It is, as Upton Sinclair once said, "wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross".

A few random thoughts on election 2006.

I have always voted and I have always followed politics, but this is the first election I really got involved in. I canvassed for the Democratic Party for the SC House 7 race in southern Anderson County. Even though we lost, I believe I made a difference down the ballot at State Supt. of Education.

This, combined with spending WAY too much time blogging, has given me a different perspective on the political process. I present a few random notes and observations below.

Most Kossacks are cheering a Democratic landslide across the country.

However, here in South Carolina the mood is pretty glum.

Despite fielding what many are considering the best slate of candidates the Democrats have fielded in years, Republicans appear to have swept all the constitutional offices, except Superintendent of Education, where Democrat Jim Rex leads Republican Karen Floyd by 214 votes with one precinct in Greenville County uncounted.

So what happened? Democrats were outspent. Badly.

Crossposted at LaurinLine (http://72.232.224.170/...)

One of the biggest issues in politics is "school choice". This is where parents would be able to use vouchers to send students to the school of their choice, public or private. This is one of the major issues in the SC-Gov and SC-Superintendent of Education races.

Voucher supporters like to use the argument that the free market will force the public schools to become better now that they will face competition. Voucher opponents say that vouchers will result in public money being used to fund private schools at the expense of the public schools with no real gain.

Let's see what will actually happen in the free market.

The uninformed voter is one of the most important parts of the Republican base.

Democrats argue on the issues, which is a mistake. Wonks like us care about the issues. Most people don't. Most people just care about one or two issues and vote on those issues.

Brad Warthen of The State (Columbia, SC) tells it like it is about Gov. Marshall Sanford.

http://www.thestate.com/...

Highlights after the break. This is Olbermann good.

Most Kossacks from outside the State of South Carolina could care less about any of the elections in SC. There is no Senate race and in the only competitive House race, John Spratt (D-SC-05) looks like he will hold his seat.

However, underneath the surface of races so boring and pedestrian that Saturday Night Live makes fun of their obscurity, there is something very interesting going on beneath the radar.

It just so happens that wealthy special interests are trying to buy the state of South Carolina.

According to a new poll, statewide races are getting close in the usually reliably Republican state of South Carolina.

http://www.wltx.com/...

I had a conversation with a Bush supporter yesterday. Yes, one of the proud 30% or so who thinks Bush is doing a good job. The discussion was heated, but civil.

While neither one of us was able to change the other's mind about anything, the conversation provided valuable insight into how a Bush supporter thinks and how effective Republican propaganda has been.

"Democrats are girly men."

This has been the theme of the Republican noise machine since 2000, and especially since 9/11.

From anti-gay marriage initiatives, to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, to Dick Cheney's comments about John Edwards's good hair, to mean Jean Schmidt's comment about "cowards cut and run, Marines never do", these seemingly unrelated attacks all have a common theme - Democrats aren't manly enought to run the country.

Unfortunately, the Democrats seem oblivious to the overall theme of the attack, which is why it has been so effective.

Here's something that slipped through the cracks.

Dick Cheney has a lot of money. Want to know what he's doing with it?

According to the Bush Administration and other conservative groups, a single-payer health care system just won't work. The y say that the "free market" is the best way to control health care costs and deliver the best health care to the most people for the least amount of money.

The plan they have come up with is the  Health Savings Account (HSA). It goes like this: You buy a high deductable health plan (HDHP) that has an out-of-pocket maximum below a certain level (~$5,000/yr individual/~$10,000/yr family). You pay for your health care costs with your own money until you hit deductable. Then the insurance kicks in and pays above this level. The HSA is available so that the money you use for health care can be saved tax-free.

This is supposed to allow more people to afford health insurance and to allow people to have more control over their own health care.

Well, it just so happens that I have an HDHP/HSA...