an alert to voters in the USA

[lagilman]

Via ellen_datlow: Is Your Vote Safe? Are You Sure?. All it takes is a single typo on the part of a clerk, and they can remove you from the registry. If so, since half of my official paperwork says "Laura Anne Gilman" and the other half says "Laura A Gilman," according to this article I may not be allowed to vote, despite both being valid legal uses of my name, and having registered properly. You might want to check with your local regs to make sure this isn't happening in your area! (or do as many folk are doing and get an absentee ballot).

I've checked around and not found a yea/nay debunking, so I have to assume that this is a valid warning (or risk being unhappily surprised in November). Voter discrimination is nothing new -- it's as much a part of our history as voting itself. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be fought, tooth-and-nail. If you give up your vote, you give up everything, even if you don't realize it at the time.
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Meanwhile, off a discussion in another LJ... a challenge:

Tell me something about John McCain and/or Sarah Palin that will make me think well of them as candidates. Not as human beings, but as political candidates who have something to make me sit up and pay attention.

I'm serious. I'm here, I'm willing to listen. Tell me.

EtA1: okay, the man himself has answered. CNN Breaking news: "-- John McCain suspends campaigning to work on economy, requests postponing Friday debate; asks Obama do the same." Yeah, it could [and probably is] just be a ploy, seeing as how his approval numbers are sinking faster than Palin's desire to attend a NOW convention, but it's still, IMO, a good response to an undeniable crisis (whatever you may think of the cause or the lets-protect-the-offenders suggested-so-far solutions) I still want to see that debate, though. Son-of-ETA: someone reminded me that this is McCain of the Keating 5 scandal. Nevermind, forget about what I said, let's all agree to keep McCain the HELL away from any discussion of any possible cure. Onward with the debate!

EtA2: Oh, somebody fkcued up. Either that, or something nasty's being said in politics. My sister just pointed out that the the VP debate was scheduled for erev Yom Kippur. That, for those of you without a single observant Jewish friend, is sort of like scheduling it on Easter Sunday and Christmas Eve, all at once.

Nice. Very nice. /sarcasm

Comments

[jslinder.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to do the same thing. Up until about 2 months ago, I would have said John McCain is consistent in his positions, but we know how that's changed.

I'll put out a backhanded compliment to McCain. McCain is right about a lot of things, he just takes them too far.. Offshore drilling for example. As green as I am, I recognize that it should be a PART of an overall strategy, just not the WHOLE strategy.

Despite his recent rhetoric, he is a deregulator at heart. Same thing. Minimally necessary regulation is good. FULL deregulation=bad.

One point I will generally give him high marks for is spending control. He really does seem committed to trying to reduce federal spending, which is a good thing (again, potential for going to far). If I had to list his main positive that would be it.

I can't find a dang thing to praise about Palin. I'll posit a follow up question. Can anyone name something OTHER than gender or ideology that Palin brought to the ticket with her. (As an example, Biden added foreign policy skills and experience, Gore added a certain amount of technical and science based approach and knowledge to Clinton).

[burger-eater.livejournal.com]

McCain and Palin: They mean well.

[stephen-dedman.livejournal.com]

Maybe, but for whom?

[burger-eater.livejournal.com]

I love that icon.

[deannahoak.livejournal.com]

I called, and I'm still registered to vote. All my information does match, which could help.

I find it interesting, though, that my husband (who's registered Republican) received a new voter card in the mail last week, while I have not. The voting person I talked to this morning assured me I don't need my card to vote.

[house-draven.livejournal.com]

McCain's been my Senator for 11 years. In that time, I've written to him on numerous occasions, and P writes him about once a month on a piece of legislation. We *always* get a prompt response back. The response states his position, which may or may not be ours. He then tells you why he holds this position, and what he intends to do about it. Most Congresscritters don't bother to invest that much of themselves into their correspondence.

He's also been wonderful at helping me get VA benefits for two disabled veterans who were bounced out of the VA system For No Apparent Reason Other Than Petty Bureaucrat Could.

[lagilman]

If the best you -- I was counting on you, damn it! -- can come up with is that he has a responsive home office staff....


(that should be SOP for any repeat offender official, no matter what their stripe. Their JOB is to take care of their people. The ones who forget that should not last more than a season in D.C.)

[house-draven.livejournal.com]

I don't know that that's my *best* reason, but it's one that's important to me, because I know just how few Congresscritters actually do respond. (The numbers really are very low.) I should have added that oftimes when he thinks something should go one way and his constituency thinks it should go the other way, he'll vote the other way.

But you want other reasons...let's see...

He would radically reform how POWs and "persons of interest" are handled. There would be no more waterboarding, no more sleep deprivation and light games. We'd go back to respecting the Geneva Convention.

I like the outline of his health care platform, particularly the Guaranteed Access Program.

I like his strong support for NASA and the Constellation Program and commitment to the ISS National Lab.

While not perfect, I think his grasp of the immigration problem is infinitely superior to Obama's (not dissing Obama, but he doesn't live with the problem the way we do) and I think his plan for paths to citizenship is fairly equitable, and I like his emphasis on keeping families together and learning English.

I agree completely and thoroughly with his efforts to support my second amendment rights. But you already knew that.

He's in favor of increased funding to support the National Parks. He wants greater wetlands protection.

I'd give you more, but am running late for the doc's. But do bear in mind he's not my ideal candidate -- I was for Ron Paul.

[lagilman]

I'm curious -- How do you feel about his seemingly endless run of financial scandals and pocket-palling with persons of proven criminality, especially in light of the current economy's woes? Specifically the long string of associations with the Keating 5? This is troublesome to me....

[house-draven.livejournal.com]

As far as the Keating 5 goes, he was cleared of wrongdoing but was told he'd used "bad judgement" -- and there's no doubt that's been the case on several occasions. Thing is, it just doesn't bother me that much -- in my experience, virtually *all* politicians are pocket-pals to one unfavorable person or group or another. The only exception I can think of is Ronald Reagan. (We're talking just my own personal experience and knowledge, just to be clear.)

I mean, look at JFK and where *his* funding came from. *shudder*

I think McCain has integrity. I think he also has blind spots where someone has earned his friendship and/or trust that can cause him to make errors of judgement. I don't think there's all that many of them, though -- certainly not more than some Dem presidents in the last century. I guess I'm just betting the system of checks and balances would curb any actions those blind spots might lead him to take.

Obama has his share of gray ethics. There's the question of just how tightly Obama is wound into the gears of the Chicago political machinery, including mayor Daley, former U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley, the mayor's brother; convicted political fixer Tony Rezko; Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Obama's political godfather, and Gov. Blagojevich, whose administration has been rife with federal corruption investigations into hiring and contracts. Purportedly, Obama is quite cozy with Blagojevich -- according to the Sun-Times -- but Obama denies it, so I don't know what to think.

I just miss Ronnie. Things were so clear-cut for me back then. *sigh*

[house-draven.livejournal.com]

And keep in mind as you read that I'm zombified up on new meds today and have not been allowed caffeine before these tests, so if my sentences don't make sense or something, that's what's up with that. I'm awfully bubble-brained today.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

Until recently, when he began to cozy up to the far right, I thought Mc Cain was a President I could with, though I wouldn't vote for him. I thought he was consistent and had integrity. Becoming the candidate has changed his style and his rhetoric. I don't know if I could live with him any better than the Shrub.

[lagilman]

That's really the most damning thing about him, and one of the reasons I'm anti-McCain -- he clearly is willing to do and say anything to get elected, even if it means changing his position three times a day, without guilt or embarrassment.

[uspresidents.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it's just once again evidence that the skill set required to be a good candidate for President is not congruent with the skill set required to be a good President. In the case of McCain, I'd look at his record prior to announcing his candidacy as a better indication of who he is and what he stands for. His changes during the campaign, to me, say that he's learned some of what is required to be a good candidate and put himself in a position to win. Key here is that you can't win without the ardent support of those who would never, ever, vote for the other party; their acquiesence is not enough, they have to want you in order to donate time and money, which are the things that get people elected.

So the question in my mind is, "If McCain wins, how quickly will he dump those who got him elected and go back to his own principles?" I wonder that, because I doubt he's thinking of himself as a two-term President.

[lagilman]

saying that someone is willing to do whatever it takes to win, including dump the things, people and principles he's espoused until then, as a point in their favor is sort of like extolling someone's virtues because they don't play with their victims before they kill them. Good of that kind, maybe, but not the kind I want....

[uspresidents.livejournal.com]

Sorry, wasn't using that as the "here's a good thing about him" answer. It was more of a "I don't know how much of the current screeds will carry over into a potential McCain Administration." And while I still don't know who I'm voting for, it's just one of many things I'm considering.