Bernie's launch. Filibuster Fast Track

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Wednesday November 12, 2014 · 9:10 AM PST

2014/11/12 · 09:10

We need to start winning again the white working class. I think a huge opportunity to do so would be to fight against these trade deals that the elites of both parties support.

Recent news suggests that it is precisely on these trade deals that Mitch McConnell is willing to "work" with the President. And the president seems willing to oblige.

So, when the new Republican senate takes up this bill, Bernie Sanders should do a real filibuster where he talks all day/night about the devastating consequences that these trade deals have dealt to the American middle class who have seen real incomes decline over the last decade and half.

THIS is the issue the Democrats need. It allows "angry" voters a proper outlet for that rage. Instead of allowing the Republicans to manipulate voters into being mad at immigrants, minorities, gays, etc. Bernie can focus that anger at the "crony capitalism" that uses the power of government trade deals to enrich corporations at the expense of workers both here and abroad.

The politics are good, the optics are great, and as the following link shows, the policy implications are right. It is win, win, win for any Democrat wishing to do better among white voters in 2016.

http://www.epi.org/...

No Fast Track Trade Authority

DemfromAZ

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Wednesday November 05, 2014 · 11:50 AM PST

2014/11/05 · 11:50

It appears that one of the "non-controversial" pieces of legislation that the Republicans want to send to the president is fast track trade authority. THIS is the issue that Democrats need to seize on. Fear is a highly motivating factor in elections as we found out last night. If the Democrats can find their voice on trade, I think it could go along way to reaching those working white class voters that vote so strongly for Republicans.

Stupid Democratic Ads

DemfromAZ

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Thursday October 30, 2014 · 2:05 PM PDT

2014/10/30 · 14:05

I don't know how the ads are going in the rest of the country but here in Arizona they have been atrocious. In the race between Tobin and Kirkpatrick the Republican ads are all about how Kirkpatrick is for the Obama/Pelosi agenda and how she is for Obamacare. Her ads are mostly positive with some thrown in about the Koch brothers.

You know who is less popular than the President? John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. Why don't we have ads that morph the Republican face into Boehner's face? Why aren't we talking about how much premiums will rise for those with pre-existing conditions the day after repeal? I'm sure we could find a case study showing someone who is now getting an Obamacare subsidy and compare that with someone going into the private marketplace with a pre-existing condition. The premium increase is probably like 4000%. Who cares if it is not a representative example. The Republicans don't care about the truth so why the Hell should we?

Stop playing defense and go on offense!

I think it's a mistake to dismiss white fear of black violence.

DemfromAZ

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Sunday February 23, 2014 · 6:31 PM PST

2014/02/23 · 18:31

I don't post very much but SemDem's diary has me seething. The only way Republicans can win in the future is if they make significant inroads among the white working and middle class in states like Wisconsin/Michigan/Ohio etc. The quickest route to losing white voters is to pretend that white fear of black violence is misplaced or misguided and nothing more than a figment of racist imagination.

While I don't dispute the statistics that most murder is intraracial, it really doesn't matter because people don't fear just any kind of violence. They fear the kind of violence that makes the news; carjackings, home invasions, convenience store hold-ups, robbery, etc.

Rather than deny the problem, it would be much more constructive to look to the root causes of it. We should point out that in traditional hunter-gather societies in Africa like the Hadza, murder is practically non-existent. Therefore, there is nothing genetic about black violence. Instead, it is a consequence of the brutal legacy of slavery and really bad governmental policy that has fallen disproportionately on African Americans.

Does the writer to the Orlando Sentinel have good reason to "find many black youth threatening?" I believe he does. But you will not solve the problem by more stand your ground laws or tougher sentencing guidelines. The solutions lie in better education and good jobs at good wages for all. In short, we need to elect more Democrats.

Obmacare on ehealthinsurance.com

DemfromAZ

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Saturday October 19, 2013 · 11:19 AM PDT

2013/10/19 · 11:19

I have found navigating the ehealthinsurance.com website extremely easy. They list out all of the plans that will be available on January 1st and have a calculator that lets you estimate your subsidy. I think the President should allow plans to be purchased through this site if they can't get healthcare.gov working soon.

Why not pass the Mini-bills?

DemfromAZ

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Wednesday October 02, 2013 · 1:05 PM PDT

2013/10/02 · 13:05

I think we are making a mistake by not passing the mini-bills.

Remember, the Republicans real goal is to defund/delay the ACA. These min-bills do not do that.

Harry Reid should announce that he will fund whatever part of the government the Republicans want to. When the Republicans stop sending him bills, He can say "why are you stopping there?" It is great optics for us and Obamacare funding continues.

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