My email to hero Boxer - w/ poll & her address
Thu Jan 06, 2005 at 11:45:24 AM PDT
Boxer rocks!
Please consider sending a note of support to the single most courageous, stand-up Senator of this post-election period. Especially if you are from California. I speak of course of by own champion Senator, Ms. Barbara Boxer, whom I celebrate in this diary.
Subject: Civil Rights
Title: You are a hero of Democracy!
Dear (and cherished!) Ms. Boxer,
I am so proud of you for standing up, alone among your Senate colleagues, to challenge the Ohio electors in order to draw our nation's attention to the dangerously undemocratic abuses in the implementation of our elections.
I wish all Senators and elected officials shared your courageous commitment to justice and fairness in our voting. On this our entire democracy depends.
In the history of our Democracy, you will count as one of the noble souls. Today, you are the one senator who most deserves the title, "Honorable."
I extend my deepest thanks, appreciation, and respect to you.
- (My name & town in California)
Here's the link to the webform for emailing Senator Boxer.
Estimate: Kerry needs 90% of Ohio provisionals
Wed Nov 03, 2004 at 12:56:34 AM PDT
We know by now that the election comes down to Ohio, and particularly, to Ohio's provisional ballots. Without Ohio, Kerry gets at most a 269-269 tie with Bush -- and Bush then wins in the House of Representatives. With Ohio and one other state, Kerry wins.
Update: With more states called, Kerry won't even get a tie without Ohio.
But what will it take to win Ohio? I've worked out some estimates on the percentage of provisional ballots that Kerry needs to win Ohio, and I'm very dissapointed in the result. Kerry needs approximately 90% of them.
This analysis isn't foolproof, but the estimate won't vary much unless we get big changes in the numbers that are already documented.
The analysis, assumptions, and documentation follow "after the fold."
my "straightline" projection - Bush wins FLA
Tue Nov 02, 2004 at 08:20:28 PM PDT
Warning: This data does not include all the absentee nor provisional votes.
I took data from all reporting FL counties as of 11:05 ET, and did a spreadsheet analysis.
Assumption: All counties will continue to report the same vote percentages for all candidates. In other words, a county with Kerry at 55% but only reporting 76% of their votes will still report Kerry at 55% when all votes are counted. I don't know how good an assumption this is.
I used the equation: total expected votes = current votes * (1 / current % of votes tallied).
Here's the result:
Bush 51.3%, 3,404,818 votes
Kerry 47.9%, 3,181,006 votes
Nader 0.04%, 29,418 votes
Others 0.04%, 26,756 votes
Kerry needs 223,812 votes to catch Bush.
there's more...
KRR- Kerry Bush Debate Q15: Backdoor Draft
Wed Oct 13, 2004 at 06:03:44 PM PDT
Question #15: How to reduce National Guard & Reservists deployments, the "backdoor draft."
Q15 Senator, the last debate, President Bush said he did not favor a draft. You agreed with him. But our National Guard and Reserve forces are being severely strained because many of them are being held beyond their enlistments. Some of them say that it's a back-door draft.
Is there any relief that could be offered to these brave Americans and their families?
If you became president, Senator Kerry, what would you do about this situation of holding National Guard and Reservists for these extended periods of time and these repeated call-ups that they're now facing?
Please try to keep the conversation in the comments focused on productive work--chatty comments should be directed toward the debate open thread. This is a place to do serious work. Thanks in advance for your insights, memes, killer counter-phrasings, facts, and references.
Main Rapid Response Thread
KRR- Kerry-Bush debate Q14: Roe v Wade; NCLB
Wed Oct 13, 2004 at 06:02:41 PM PDT
Update: Finished as of 12:30 ET, but please help with data and references via the comments if you can.
Question #14: Support for Roe v. Wade; also, answers re No Child Left Behind funding
Mr. President, I want to go back to something Senator Kerry said earlier tonight and ask a follow-up of my own. He said -- and this will be a new question to you -- he said that you had never said whether you would like to overturn Roe v. Wade. So I'd ask you directly, would you like to?
Please try to keep the conversation in the comments focused on productive work--chatty comments should be directed toward the debate open thread. This is a place to do serious work. Thanks in advance for your insights, memes, killer counter-phrasings, facts, and references.
Main Rapid Response Thread
KRR (Kos Rapid Response) - Debate Questions 1+2
Fri Oct 08, 2004 at 12:26:58 PM PDT
Welcome to the Kos Presidential Debate Rapid Response Forum for Questions 1 & 2.
*UPDATE:* Finished 11:50 ET. There are many critiques of Bush's facts and arguments, both in this diary and in the comments. I've also indicated some areas where people can help by noting data and references. Now let's roll out those LTEs & phone calls and use this and the other diaries' data to keep the media on track with truth.
This diary is one of several hosted by various community members who have volunteered today for the Kos Rapid Response Team. There is a navigation bar to the other diaries below. This project was initiated yesterday by Katerina in this diary. Kos also placed a mainpage listing for the project here
The whole idea for this project is to offer a focused forum for each debate question -- a dedicated thread for Kossites to...
- spot and debunk lies by Bush
- offer memes, facts and language to counter Bush's spin jobs
- discuss Kerry's answers, and how to utilize them in letters to the media
- offer additional idea development and facts/data in support of Kerry's answers
Our goal is to gather powerful ideas and crucial data that can be fed immediately to the media, to prevent distortions and lies from gaining a foothold in the post-debate news and pundit-talk.
Here are navigation links to all the Rapid Response Diaries:
1&2, 3&4,
5&6,
7&8,
9&10,
11&12,
13&14,
15&16,
17&18,
19&20
New research: thinking about death helps Bush (w/ poll)
Fri Jul 30, 2004 at 10:21:43 AM PDT
"...thinking about death made them tend to favor Bush."
Social psychologist Sheldon Solomon of Skidmore College has published research that explains some of the mechanisms by which Bush's fear-mongering drives people to his embrace -- even people who "in their right minds" don't like Bush.
The research, conducted among hundreds of research subjects, shows how fear eclipses people's more rational minds and pushes them to grasp for a charismatic leader who assuages their fear by "...helping people feel they are heroic, particularly in a fight against evil." The research specifically shows how leaders utilizing two other non-charismatic leadership styles lose huge amounts of support once fear envelops voters.
The more people dwell on death and destruction, the more Bush becomes their star.
This Rovian "Death Star" effect is something we have to diffuse, smartly. Here's some suggestions (based somewhat on my own background as a social researcher) about how to turn these tables...
Kos's face and words on CNN.com
Mon Jul 26, 2004 at 09:46:46 AM PDT
The face of our own dear Kos graces the top of a CNN.com
article about bloggers at the Dem Convention. Yea!
Quotes from Kos in the article...
"The whole point of blogging is this notion of participatory democracy," said Markos Moulitsas, who blogs at Dailykos.com. "And people appreciate that they are partners in this endeavor, that it's not just them taking marching orders, but it is them being asked their opinions, and their thoughts and suggestions on how to proceed."
Moulitsas, who will be blogging from Boston, Massachusetts, site of the Democratic convention, works closely with the party. He says he has raised more than $400,000 for Democratic candidates.
"I'm going to focus on what my audience really craves, which is information on Senate and House races, and the chances Democrats have in picking up particular races," he said.
These kinds of articles will bring many new people to learn and share with our dKos community. Our mission: to be clear and smart in our writings for readers, and to be helpful and supportive for new contributors.
Diebold lawsuit attacks their profits
Tue Jul 13, 2004 at 09:23:32 AM PDT
I like this. Two people from my state have
mounted a legal attack on Diebold for its unreliable voting system -- using a whistle-blower law. Their lawsuit "follows the money." The State is considering whether to join the lawsuit. From the article it appears that local election boards who bought Diebold have the right to join the suit as well. Hope they do.
SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Critics of electronic voting are suing Diebold Inc. under a whistle-blower law, alleging that the company's shoddy balloting equipment exposed California elections to hackers and software bugs.
The California lawsuit was filed in state court by computer programmer Jim March and activist Bev Harris, who are seeking full reimbursement for Diebold equipment purchased in California.
* * * *
"This is about money now -- a case of the capitalist system at work," said March, of Sacramento. "The laws on voting products and processes are unfortunately unclear. But the law on defrauding the government is really, really clear. Going after the money trail is cleaner than going after proper procedures."
(There's more...)
Single women could save our nation, but will they bother?
Mon May 10, 2004 at 09:21:00 AM PDT
Single women are largest number in U.S. who are, in essence, voluntarily disenfranchised.
An article in today's LA Times reports on detailed research on the voting attitudes and behaviors of America's single women. Single women voters chose Gore over Bush by over a 2 to 1 margin - yet 48% are non-voters.
The article reports that single women -- though spanning vast demographic differences -- are surprisingly homogenous in their thinking about politics. Key issues are healthcare and their own economic security. Compared to these, abortion is at best a secondary political concern.
The article explores the reasons why more of these women do not vote, yet also suggests ways to motivate them to exercise their latent power and change the face of American politics.
More details and selected quotes...
Whales: composers, poets, & jazzmen of the deep - a scientific interlude
Thu May 06, 2004 at 11:24:13 AM PDT
Despite the depressing dealings of mankind in the Mideast and other locales, a thousand miles out at sea, beneath churing waters, a different mammal
composes and sings their Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience.
(Apologies to Whitman, though I don't think he would have minded using his titles to describe these whales' poetic riffing.)
Humpbacks have a range that covers eight octaves, from a bass so low that humans can't hear it to a magnificent soprano, Clark said. Their highly structured songs include multiple themes that are constantly repeated and even rhyme.
The songs last up to 30 minutes, and the whales embellish like jazz musicians, seeing "who can improvise in some attractive way better than the other [whale]," Clark said.
When will mankind become as pacific and poetic as these noble creatures? I'm glad they're returning from the brink of extinction.
May we beckon to their Song.
Poll Tom Schaller overlooked: Iraq troops
Thu May 06, 2004 at 10:19:23 AM PDT
In the spirit of community initiative and at the risk of being cheeky, here's the poll Tom Schaller neglected to put into his otherwise decent mainpage posting about whether the US should ramp up, reduce, or keep the same level of troops in Iraq.
Kerry *way* behind Bush in outreach to Hispanic voters
Mon May 03, 2004 at 10:06:41 AM PDT
Is the Kerry campaign obtuse? An LA Times
article
details how Kerry is far behind Bush in reaching out to Hispanic voters.
At the New Mexico headquarters of President Bush's reelection campaign, maps cover the walls. One is a dense maze of color-coded pins tracking block-by-block recruitment of Bush precinct captains. For the six paid operatives who have worked here for weeks, the maps chart the battle to avert what happened to Bush in 2000: He lost New Mexico by 366 votes.
So far, it's an uneven fight. Two months after John F. Kerry in effect captured the Democratic presidential nomination, the Massachusetts senator has no staff or headquarters in New Mexico, the nation's most heavily Latino state.
In each of the three other battleground states where the Latino vote is pivotal -- Arizona, Nevada and Florida -- the same is true: Bush has staff and headquarters; Kerry does not. Bush also has run television ads in Spanish in each of those states; Kerry has not.
I can understand arguments that Kerry may be wise to save much of his advertising firepower until later in the campaign. But GOTV efforts and a campaign's "groundwar" take a lot of time to build. Is Kerry simply complacent and taking the Hispanic vote for granted? This is insane, because Hispanics represent one of the two or three most important blocks of swing votes or "tipping points" in this election.
Get on the ball John Kerry. Do you really want Bush&Minions to define you and the election with Hispanics? What the hell are you waiting for?
Iraqi prisoner abuse: detailed excerpts from secret report
Mon May 03, 2004 at 09:45:20 AM PDT
In addition to the New Yorker's Seymore Hersch, the LA Times has also obtained a copy of Gen. Taguba's secret report. Here is an
article revealing additional information, and
excerpts from the report. It's truly sickening, I'm sorry to say.
A huge portion of the abuse is sexual in nature. The article overwhelmingly proves that the abuse was systemic. Based on this, it's clear that the Army spinners such as Gen. Meyers are consciously lying when they report that the abuse was an abberation. Also, contract-mercs were among those who encouraged the soldiers to abuse the prisoners.
Here are some of the abuses Taguba's investigation found, based mostly on soldier whistle-blowers and confessions from the perpetrators. The link contains several others.
- Punching, slapping and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet.
- Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed and videotaped.
Terrorist attacks dropping! Err... w/o Iraq
Fri Apr 30, 2004 at 12:15:50 AM PDT
CNN swallows -- no, gulps -- the Bushco spin in the State Department's annual terrorism
report.
Here's CNN's Headline:
Worldwide terrorist attacks down in 2003
Here's the article's subtitle:
Report: Iraq now 'a central battleground' in war on terror
The catch? Terrorist attacks in Iraq aren't counted in the report!
Very relieving to hear we're not up against actual terrorists in our "central battleground" in the war on terror. But who then does Bushco say we're fighting? Certainly not legitimate combatants?
Bush's Orwellian Redux:
War is Peace-making.
Occupation is Freedom.
Terrorism is ?Freedom Fighting?
Kerry attack-dogs Bush on Iraq
Fri Apr 09, 2004 at 07:00:39 PM PDT
Kerry's mounted a quick attack on Bush re Iraq, calling Bushco arrogant, inept, and reckless. Kerry then moved back to his current message of economic improvements.
Kerry is saying the right stuff on Iraq, but not making it the centerpiece of his message these days. I'd earlier urged him at dKos to take a more aggressive stance on Iraq, but other Kossians convinced me that it's wise he's letting Bush get hammered by others. I agree with the several Kossians who say Kerry needs most now to define himself positively, while Bush's message isn't on Kerry. Some Kossians predicted that if Kerry says too much about Iraq, it'll just give Bush a chance to attack by saying he's playing politics.
This is exactly what happened today, but I think Kerry handled it well by challenging Bush and then moving on to his own (positive) economic vision.
(I checked about 40 diaries back and didn't see this reported yet. Hope I didn't miss one and end up w/ a redudant diary.)
From CNN.com, the quotes are out of order from the original
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- As the Bush administration and military commanders considered whether to send more troops to Iraq to deal with rising violence, John Kerry said President Bush should ask other countries for help...
More.....
A national memorial to our Iraqi dead
Fri Apr 09, 2004 at 10:34:15 AM PDT
A moving
post from Maryscott OConnor prompted me to share a vision that earlier formed unbidden in my mind's eye. Is this vision worthy of fulfillment? If so, have you any suggestions on how to encourage its realization?
:::::::::::::::::::
This morning, thinking about all the dead service people returning to America in their "transfer tubes," whom Bush hides rather than honors...
I saw a vision of a great, solemn memorial service -- conducted by common citizens, friends, and families of the dead. In this ceremony, held between the Reflecting Pond and the Lincoln Memorial, the names of all our unhonored dead are memorialized. A citizen; a veteran; or a friend, wife, husband, parent or child of the deceased reads a brief poem, or recounts something special from each fallen life. If the family concurs, a photo of the fallen is projected for the people.
No politics. No protest. Simply honor, and recognition of each individual's sacrifice, on a mass community scale. Let each participant, and each American -- take from this ceremony what their heart whispers, cries, and sees.
Since the President shrinks from honoring these individual lives, our people come together to mourn our fallen, and sear into the heart of America the weight of the sacrifice their leaders have ignored.
The real Kerry, but with Gusto!
Mon Mar 22, 2004 at 05:40:40 PM PDT
Following in the tradition of today's
critique by JeffLieber of Kerry's newest ad, here's my take on an earlier Spanish language ad the campaign produced.
The ad's good overall, but shows an crucial dichotomy in style between the narrator and Kerry's own voice -- a cultural and stylistic gap that needs to be better bridged to excite Hispanic support.
I suggest a specific way for Kerry to be exciting to Hispanics, without putting on an artificial self. And hmmm, if Kerry can learn to rockin' resonate with Hispanic Passion, maybe he can kindle fire with other Americans too.
(Also, see the poll in the extended copy.)
