What
This Is…
Issue #85- October 28,
2012
In this issue: Vote
Get
Out and Vote…
Early
voting started this past week here in Wisconsin
and we are less than 10 days away from Election Day. Elections always matter, but this year's
election has taken on extra significance for a variety of reasons. The rancor of the discourse has amped up the
interest as well. Here in Wisconsin we are not
only interested in the national races, but also in the local races that will
determine control of our state senate. A
GOP majority in the senate would allow Governor Walker to resume his
unobstructed attacks on public services and public employees.
I
would guess that for most citizens, November 6th will bring a sense of
relief. Relief from the constant barrage
of advertising and the vicious political dialogue that has poisoned our
airwaves and media outlets. Relief from
the robocalls and polling. A chance to
return to "Normalcy" and ignore politics for at least a year or
two. Even those of us who have been
"awakened" politically feel worn down and in many ways discouraged by
our nation's inability to engage in meaningful, polite discourse over the
issues of the day.
These
feelings of exhaustion and frustration lend themselves to a mood of
pessimism. Pessimism fueled by the
ongoing cacophony of attack ads and angry rhetoric that fills our airwaves,
mailboxes and newsfeeds. Citizens of all
political persuasions are expressing dissatisfaction with the process and the
results of recent campaigns. We face
widespread concern about the validity of our electoral process as well.
The
result is a curious blend of activism and apathy. On one hand there are a significant number of
people who are more involved now than they have ever been, while at the same
time a significant number of people are continuing to "opt out" of
the voting process. Look at the turnout
in the June recall elections in Wisconsin. With all the hype and significant reasons for
involvement turnout still only reached around the 60% mark. While everyone trumpeted the record number of
voters as evidence of the intense interest we cant forget that 40% of the population
still didn't make it to the polls.
There
are many reasons for the continuing lack of voter participation in elections at
all levels, but in the end there really is no reason that any eligible voter
should fail to cast a ballot. With early
voting, absentee ballots mailed to your home, free taxi rides on election day
and numerous other "Get Out the Vote" efforts we should see close to
100% participation by citizens fulfilling their most basic of duties.
Each
of us has a responsibility to encourage, cajole and motivate those around us to
get to the polls and cast a ballot on, or before November 6th.
Why I (Usually) Vote
Democrat, and Why I Will Do So Again…
I
claim to be an independent progressive when it comes to identifying my
political allegiances. However, it sure
seems like this means that most of my votes have been given to Democrats. This excludes a brief relationship that I had
with the Republican party in the late 1970's and early 1980's when I was drawn
to the color blue that was used to show states that had voted Republican. I guess it was to contrast with the gray used
for Democrats in a time when some viewers still had black and white TV's. As a Civil War buff I couldn't find a way to support
the colors of the Confederacy. I was
also around 10 so my political views were not fully developed either.
I'm
not alone in this and recent elections have only cemented the party
affiliations that many of us have. This
is true whether we fully support the party we cast a vote for, or even if we
have significant problems with the platforms they put forward. In a two party system like the one in America today,
there is little wiggle room for the independent voter. It feels to many like we are stuck voting for
a candidate because casting a ballot for an independent only serves to lend
support to a candidate we oppose.
I
hear dissatisfaction coming from both camps, even though the spokespeople of
the different parties do their best to mask dissension and spin any internal
conflicts to limit the appearance of disagreement in the party ranks. Since I am neither a conservative, nor a
Republican I won't speak to their squabbles over just how far to the right they
would like Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan to veer.
My concern is that the issues that many here in Wisconsin have with President Obama may end
up with people casting ballots for negative reasons instead of choosing the
candidate that most closely represents their interests while still having a
reasonable chance of winning.
The
issues that Wisconsin's
progressives have are many and legitimate.
We wonder where President Obama was during our struggles with Governor
Walker and why he provided so little support for our efforts to advance causes
that he claimed to have such passion for in his campaign of 2008. We look at his record on education and the
fact that worker's rights have continued to erode under his watch. Many feel that he hasn't gone far enough in
speaking out to represent those who supported his candidacy 4 years ago. In some ways it seemed like our resistance in
Wisconsin
fueled a change in Obama's words and actions and provided a spark that
strengthened his resolve and put him on a path towards becoming the president
we hoped to have when we elected him.
Yet,
it seems like it may be too little and too late for some voters. Their dissatisfaction leads them to think
seriously about casting a ballot for a 3rd party candidate. They do this with the knowledge that a vote
for anyone but Obama is a vote for Romney.
They do this with a clear motivation and a resolve to make a statement
about their perceived lack of choice in this election. I understand their feelings and opinions and
wholeheartedly support their right to cast a ballot as they choose. No one should be "guilted" or
coerced into voting for a candidate.
I
do hope that people consider all their options and cast their vote thoughtfully
and with care. We saw the results of a
divided and disconnected electorate in 2010 and are paying a heavy price for
those results. When you compare the
election results of 2008 and 2010 you see a huge number of voters who chose to
sit out the most recent election. These
voters silenced themselves and now face challenges much more significant as a
result. Wisconsin
provides an excellent example of a state where this occurred.
On
a very basic level it is true that we should cast our votes without thought
about strategy or political consequences.
I know that whenever I vote my first criterion is the candidates stance
on issues that I feel are important.
Political repercussions are farther down on my list, but certainly have
come into play at times. Unfortunately,
there have been elections where I felt I was casting a ballot for the
"lesser of two evils". Luckily
for me, the election of 2012 isn't one of those.
The
candidates on their ticket aren't perfect, but then no candidate ever is. In my opinion there are many reasons to get
out and vote Democrat in this election.
The most important of these reasons isn't based on any specific position
on a single issue. Based on recent
experiences at the local and state level, along with observations of what has
happened nationally it appears that the Democratic party offers the best chance
for more voices to be heard. Here in Wisconsin we have seen
the GOP use their power to stifle opinion and force legislation and policy
through the system without allowing for debate or discussion to occur.
I
know that within any demographic there is a wide range of opinions. Our nation's system of representative
democracy should mean that individual voices will be blended into policy that
(if our representatives do their jobs) will trend in the direction that
benefits our society. It may not happen
quickly and there will be setbacks, but by allowing for public input and debate
between representatives a common interest can often be reached. Even when we fall short of our aspirations
for our nation we still can see trends towards something "better". If we don't then it is our obligation as
citizens to rise up and make our voices heard.
The
key to the process is allowing multiple voices to be heard and for all parties
to approach the problem solving process in an open and rational manner that
looks beyond individual needs. Our
representatives need to defend the interests of those they represent, but not
at the cost of undermining the system or by excluding other opinions from the
debate. We see the GOP trying to silence
the voices of a majority of citizens and advance the goals of a minority in
many ways.
Voter
suppression is one obvious example of the Republican effort to limit
participation in the process. The
consequences for our democracy should be obvious and GOP control of any part of
our government (local, state, national) will help them in their efforts to
seize control of our nation.
Voter
suppression doesn't have to be done through legislation or public policy. In fact, when done through the workplace or
on a personal level it may even have a more damaging effect. Intimidation and threats are one way to get
employees to vote against their own interests.
Wisconsinites
have seen firsthand what happens when this current brand of Republican does
when they have full control of the government.
Public debate is silenced and/or ignored and radical policy is
implemented without due process. Who can
forget the image of Representative Barca trying to make a point while the role
is called to push Act 10 ahead.
On
a all levels our political discourse and culture has changed drastically for
the worse. The rules of our legislatures
and political entities are designed to facilitate discussion, but can be
manipulated and used to achieve just the opposite. We have seen the GOP use tactics to stall
initiatives that may have helped numerous citizens.
These
types of actions are done, not for positive reasons, but rather to undermine
the opposition. We know that politics is
all about public perception and "spin", but to bring our government
to a standstill isn't in anyone's best interest. I should take a moment to address the obvious
argument from the conservative point of view, isn't that exactly what the
Wisconsin 14 did last spring? I would
argue that the Democrat senators from Wisconsin
left the state because due process and legislative procedures were not being
followed. If the GOP controlled
legislature in Wisconsin had shown any sign
that reasonable debate was going to occur I don't know that the senators would
have gone to Illinois. We won't ever know, but they were facing an
unreasonable situation and their options were limited. There is a difference between making a stand
on an issue (one that could result in significant consequences for them) and
simple obstructionism for political purposes.
The
fact that the economic policies that these GOP legislators are advancing are
not in the best interests of most Americans makes their actions more
troubling. While attacking President
Obama's ideas the Republicans are offering an agenda that weakens our nation's
economy and harms many citizens opportunities to succeed.
This
is just as true in Wisconsin
as it is around the nation.
Dividing
the population isn't only done economically.
It is difficult to see how the GOP's policies benefit citizens who are
not white and male. I am hesitant to accuse
anyone of racism, sexism or other prejudice.
It is difficult to know another person's true thinking or the reasons
for their actions and accusations are often thrown around too quickly. However, it is just as difficult see how the
rhetoric or policies advanced by conservatives benefits groups outside what
they consider "mainstream America".
The
divide and conquer approach has been used effectively by the GOP in the arenas
of education and labor relations. In
both places we see conservatives using fear and intimidation, combined with
some envy and misinformation to pit groups that should be working together
against one another. The result is bad
policy that is supported by people who thought they were getting something
different.
This
is a great SNL skit that puts our economic and labor issues in a different
light.
In the end, the question
remains, who are our representatives representing? It certainly appears that many of them are
not representing their constituents, but rather their large money donors.
Chevron
Donates $2.5 Million To GOP Super PAC In Single Largest Corporate Donation
Post-Citizens Uni
The public struggles to
find accurate information that isn't politically motivated. Any action by any political figure or public
event is presented in ways to make a specific candidate or agenda look
good. This is politics as usual, but it
is politics as usual on an inflated scale.
The rhetoric around the attacks in Libya provide an example of pain
and suffering manipulated for political ends.
We face a critical
election that will have significant consequences. Our next president will, in all likelihood,
make multiple appointments to the Supreme Court. We face some difficult challenges in foreign
policy. Domestically, we need to address
our economic troubles and get our nation moving ahead. All of these issues demand strong leadership
on all sides, statespeople instead of demagogues.
The progressive philosophy
is one that looks for the greater good and emphasizes collective action. Now is not the time for us to abandon our
beliefs or to give in to more aggressive political agendas that claim to be the
quickest path to success.
What started in Wisconsin has been
spreading across the nation. We need to
cast our ballots in ways that will allow the movement to continue to grow. By voting Democrat we won't necessarily get
someone who represents our specific interests, but we will allow for debate and
discussion to continue.
There are other, more
influential, people who think the same as I do.
In
the end, no matter what your stand on politics is, we need to see huge turnouts
in the November 6th election. In Wisconsin it is even
more important for progressives to turn out to make sure that the senate
retains its Democrat majority. Every
vote counts, make sure to use yours.
