Day: November 8, 2011

MASSIVE Victory For Workers’ Rights, Women’s Rights, And Voting Rights!

Ronald 1 Comment

A massive victory for Democrats, progressives and liberals, and the American people, occurred tonight on the 2011 Election Day, and it augurs a progressive victory in 2012!

In three states, particularly, conservative Republican and Tea Party forces were set back in their power grab to take away basic rights of workers, women, and voters!

Ohio rejected the anti public union bill passed by the Republican legislature with the backing of Governor John Kasich by a vote margin of about 60-40, therefore restoring collective bargaining rights for police, firefighters, teachers and other public employees. This is a warning to Scott Walker in Wisconsin, Rick Snyder in Michigan, Rick Scott in Florida, and Paul LePage in Maine, who also have been working against the rights of public employees, that the people will NOT tolerate the loss of labor rights won over the years, which have helped to grow and sustain the middle class! It also shows that conservative talk radio, Fox News Channel, and even the Koch brothers and other greedy, selfish, self centered billionaires are not going to be allowed to shape the country in their image. The Republican Party in Washington, DC should see this as a warning that if they continue to refuse to help job creation and just set out to defeat Barack Obama, they will pay the price in next year’s election!

At the same time in the conservative state of Mississippi, the proposed “personhood” amendment that would define a fertilized egg as a person was also soundly defeated by about 57-43 percent, a tremendous victory for women’s rights and Roe V Wade, and a strike against the extreme anti abortion fanatics who have no concern for the health and well being of women, and wish to take away their privacy rights!

And in Maine, we saw the defeat of legislation that ended the practice of allowing registration on the day of the election, a move being copied in other states to cut back voter registration and participation. This is another Republican and conservative attempt to cut back on voting rights with the false claim of massive voter fraud, which has never occurred anywhere in reality!

So it is clear that the conservative and Republican victories in 2010 and their abuse of power in the months since has been rejected. So in a way, it was necessary to have this occur to wake people up as to the need to be involved, to participate, to pay attention, to organize, and to realize that if one does not work at protecting their basic human rights, those rights can be taken away from them!

It is certain that the 2010 Republican victories will be overcome by a tremendous counter reaction in 2012, with 2011 being the first strikes against the right wing!

Misleading Statistic About Wealth Among Senior Citizens As Against Those Under 35

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A new statistic has been publicized, stating that those Americans over 65 have average assets of $170,000 as compared to those under 35 having assets of only about $3,600, therefore making senior citizens 47 times as wealthy as those under 35.

The first reaction is to be outraged that young people under 35 have so little in assets, but upon further reflection, the statistic is extremely misleading.

Remember that the average person 65 and older no longer works, and if he or she does, it would most likely be part time. If a senior does not have some assets from property and investments, there is no way for that person to improve his economic condition without full time work. Such a person has, hopefully, saved and invested and worked very hard to acquire his or her economic status.

On the other hand, the average person under 35 is early in his or her work life, has recently finished education, has recently been married, and would be unlikely to have as high an income as one much more experienced and older, but he or she has literally 30 years or more to invest, save, achieve success in work, and become a person who is likely to inherit some wealth from family as well.

The time for acquisition of wealth is primarily between 35 and 65, which is not considered in this discussion, so it is misleading to make a comparison between such young and such old Americans, and leave out the key years of 35-65.

Not many of today’s senior citizens had many assets when they were under 35, so let’s not fault them for having it after age 65, when they are dependent on their earlier level of success to sustain themselves in the retirement years!

Three “Red” States In Play For 2012 Presidential Election

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With one year to go to the Presidential Election Of 2012, discussion about the Electoral College has begun.

The question has been whether Barack Obama can hold on to most of the “swing states” which he won in 2008.

But at the same time, there are actually three “red’ states of 2008 that Obama has a possibility of winning–Missouri, Georgia, and Arizona–with a total of 37 electoral votes.

Missouri (10 electoral votes) was won by John McCain by less than 4,000 votes in 2008, and it took a few days to declare McCain the winner because of the very close vote. Missouri is also the ultimate “swing state”, as it ALWAYS has gone to the winner of the Presidency since 1900, except TWICE–going to Adlai Stevenson over Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 and to McCain over Obama in 2008.

Georgia (16 electoral votes) went to McCain in 2008 by 196,000 votes, a margin of a little over 5 percent of the vote, but now the growing Hispanic population could be enough to give the state to Obama.

Arizona (11 electoral votes), the home of McCain, went to the senator in 2008 also by a margin of 196,000 votes, a margin of about 8.5 percent, but with the rapidly growing Hispanic population there also, and McCain not on the ballot as a “favorite son”, the possibility exists that Obama could win that state.

So if Obama were to win one or more of the three states mentioned, he could afford to lose some of the “swing states” that he won in 2008.

The Conservative Assault On Mitt Romney Grows: George Will And Erick Erickson

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As the conservatives in the Republican Party move from one candidate to another in their search for the ideal conservative nominee for President, Mitt Romney keeps on chugging along with about one fourth of the vote in every national and state poll.

There is absolutely no inspiration or excitement among conservatives for Mitt Romney, with the feeling that he has no principles that he will not abandon in his quest for the Presidency, if it will gain support for his candidacy.

This is a real weakness that Mitt Romney would have to face if he ends up as the GOP Presidential nominee, and more conservatives daily are indicating they would be unable to accept him.

It is also clear that a Romney Presidency would face major hurdles, as if he gains a dominantly conservative GOP majority in Congress, he will have troubles dealing with them, similar to Barack Obama’s troubles.

The irony is that Romney would probably have more support at times from Democrats, although they also would not be willing to give him too many victories, so as to defeat him for reelection.

But first things first, as now in the past ten days,. well respected conservative George Will, and today, conservative blogger Erick Erickson have made it very clear they cannot accept Romney, and think he would lose to Barack Obama in the Presidential Election of 2012, and would take the conservative movement with him down the drain, and that they cannot tolerate.

So one wonders if a third party effort would develop, or if conservatives would just stay home, unenthusiastic and unwilling to vote for Romney, therefore giving Obama the victory.

So with one year to go to the election, and with growing dissatisfaction with front runner Mitt Romney, the odds in favor of Barack Obama seem to be improving!