A Call For Ideas Overlooked By The Campaign
Some weeks ago, I wanted to get a couple of ideas to the Obama campaign. So I wrote them up in an article and emailed it to just about everyone in my address book.
I asked my contacts to forward it to their contacts, especially to anyone they knew in the campaign - or even anyone who might know someone - but about the only response was the expected ataboys from friends. I pressed on, posting my piece on the various Democratic organizations and Obama blogs, submitting it to several magazine letters-to-the-editor, and sending it to MoveOn.org,. Finally, the HuffingtonPost's OffTheBuss posted and featured You Republicans Brought Us The Great Depression, Too
Throughout all this, I've learned that there are quite a few other people out there looking for a connection. It struck me that a blog focusing on good ideas that the campaign has missed, might attract the attention of Barack's senior advisors looking for fresh material. Because I still have not heard anything from Barack's people, I'm starting off this blog by posting this excerpted digest of You Republicans Brought Us The Great Depression,Too.
Perhaps because it is so obvious to us political junkies, the campaign seems to have overlooked the discouraging fact that most people do not know that the Republicans are responsible for the Great Depression of the 1930's.
"Following the 1929 stock market crash, Republican President Herbert Hoover's pro business-at-all-costs agenda beat us deeper and deeper into depression. "Only after the 1932 elections could Franklin Delano Roosevelt's people-first programs shepherd American through the hardships, pain and fear that burned lasting scars on a whole generation.
"But this time, we don't have to wait three years to vote for change." After warning that, "Far too much is at stake to trust another business friendly Republican Administration to enact, and enforce, the hard measures necessary to rein in our out of control economy." I conclude that, "It is the Obama Democrat Administration that you can trust to deliver the sweeping change that America needs."
People say that the historical context gives them a framework to really get a grasp on the economic crisis.
See what you think after reading the complete article at this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-white/you-republicans-brought-u_b_...
Hopefully, Barack will bring these ideas into the last debate. Also, I think that they would make for an effective campaign TV spot, and sure would fit in the October 29 stock market crash anniversary show.
Richard Alan White rawhite03@yahoo.com
PS: And something else people should not forget. As bad as things are now, it would be a whole lot worse had the Democrats not beaten back McCain and the Bush Administration's drive to privatize the best of FDR's programs. Imagine the panic sweeping the county now if Social Security payments - the only retirement security for millions of blue collar American wokers - were locked into today's stock market.
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Voting Machines Must Be Nationalized
Once again, case after case of voting machine fraud cram the blogosphere. But this time, rather than outraged, Democrats seem to be more cynical, even resigned. We console ourselves with the hope that Obama’s lead will be too great for the Republican owned machines to steal the election.
It’s almost as if we’ve given up, helpless victims of this untouchable, all powerful technology.
Nonsense.
Because of the danger to our economy, the government just seized control of the multi-billion dollar financial system. Because of the threat to American democracy, we must nationalize the voting machine industry.
The compelling case against allowing private industry to determine our elections rests upon the predictable flaws of human nature: the most massive electoral fraud in America’s history has been perpetrated since the introduction of touch screen voting machines.
Right now, the voting machine you will be using on November 4 most likely is sitting in your local election commission’s warehouse, protected by little, if any, security to prevent tampering.
And, because of the voting machines’ proprietary technology, only the manufacturer - such as Deibold or Carson - can legally access them. Whether purchased or leased, local election officials are prohibited from independently verifying their machines’ integrity.
As we have all learned, it is relatively simple to program a predetermined outcome, with an undetectable bug that turns itself on when the polls open, and vanishes after they close.
A federal government monopoly would manufacture voting machines employing the same degree of security enforced by the Treasury to print currency.
To further safeguard against tampering, the voting machines would be shipped under security to election commissions around the country. In between elections, their integrity would be guaranteed by storage in a secure federal facility.
The 2002 Help America Vote Act funds states to purchase or lease voting machines from private companies. The government could offer honest voting machines at little, or no cost. Moreover, by furnishing all polling places with sufficient equipment, people no longer will be forced to wait hours in line to vote. And, to minimize the inevitable delay caused by glitches, the contract could provide for a standby technician on election day.
Many people will not bother to go to the polls in this election, because they seriously doubt that the touch screen machines will honestly count their vote. Yet, in what amounts to a show of disrespect - that does not go unfelt by people so far unmoved by the campaign - neither candidate has even mentioned this widespread, legitimate concern.
Obama should make an unequivocal promise to nationalize voting machines. Making a vote for Obama a vote to guarantee that this will be the last election which forces people to trust in the discredited touch screens, might just be the issue to win over more than a few of those still undecided voters.
rawhite03@yahoo.com
I 100% agree
Thats a great idea for the Obama campaign besides the small fact that it would reduce the chance of a stolen elction.