By SJWNY, a Trail Mix Contributor
The other day I commented about how certain elements on the Right are recruiting, mentoring, supporting college students for future Leadership within their communities & national office. Establishing friendships & networks. Simple, smart. Scary if you don’t believe as they do.
Does the Democratic Party have such a plan or strategy? I ask this in all curiosity & concern. Who are the Leaders; are there Leaders; is there Leadership? The harvest you reap depends on the quantity & quality of the seeds you plant. The more you plant, the better odds of success against unforeseen obstacles & circumstances. Simple, smart, commonsense. The future is now.
While Eggs Roll at the White House
will heads (and whose) be next?
threadbare today? So much going-on to cover-up the continuing corruption of the trumpence junta. pretend prez pence rattling sabers in the dmz while turkey goes dictator and there is trump’s flynn and his turkish consulting. pence telling us he did not know about flynn’s antics during the general election. From the New Yorker —
Last week, after Flynn’s foreign-agent status became public, Pence described the news as “an affirmation of the President’s decision to ask General Flynn to resign,” and said that the reports of Flynn’s work for Turkey had been “the first I’d heard of it.” But on November 18th—the same day McGinley spoke with Flynn Intel Group’s executives—Elijah Cummings, a congressman from Maryland, addressed a letter to Pence, expressing concern about Flynn’s “being paid to lobby the U.S. government on behalf of a foreign government’s interests.” As more details about Flynn’s work become public—on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that he was paid tens thousands of dollars by Russian companies as recently as 2015—it may get harder for the Administration to maintain that he was operating in a vacuum.
Keep the sunlight on these guys. Div…great news about your daughter…we need her here in New Mexico…a right to die state and our current gov is trying to revive the death penalty. A complicated matter of life and death.
Good Morning Blonde Wino,
The Trail isn’t threadbare, ’tis a coat of many colors. Just needs us sewing on a patch now & then.
To Alleviate the angst of the world, I’ve kept you posted on Eagles of DC & the Tower of Giraffes in New York. How about visiting the Elephants of Tembe
SJWNY – Interesting post. In Texas the Republicans have been doing this for years. They are all over the University system – grooming college students, giving them a say in the party and party politics. I’ve talked to some who were involved during their college days – it’s a big organization.
I would guess the college republicans are doing this all over. I would also guess the Democrats aren’t.
What we’re seeing today is the direct result of grass roots organization by the republicans. Gerrymandering the snot out of local districts, controlling city councils, school boards – taking that ‘ol time religion and trying to insert it wherever you can get away with.
The successful party is evil, mean spirited, anti-environment and doing the bidding of the super-rich. The losing party, while good intentioned for the most part, is incompetent and lacks effective leadership.
Published on Apr 16, 2017
The presidential election in France could determine the political future of Europe. John Oliver visits an excessively French bistro to deliver an urgent message to voters.
Which State Sends Most Taxes to DC? Hint: It’s Not A State
DC residents pay $37,000/person in federal taxes. In West Virginia it’s $3,600/person (and they have 2 senators).
sjwny, thank you for the thread. this is for you
There are Young Democrats on most college campuses — they aren’t assholes like the Young Republicans who invite people like Milo Ynowahtever from Britebart to speak at their meetings/
There are plenty of opportunities with Dem parties and the organizations, they are allied with. Swing Left and Emily’s List are just two such groups.
plenty out there to read and learn about. The College Young Repubicans only produce corrupt and cheating players…kind of like Patrick McHenry now a member of congress…
great farm team if you are interested in manure
All they produce is Koch bros yes men …I do mean men
Let’s swing it, together: Progressive Democrats from LA in partnership with local Democrats in Antelope Valley knock doors, register voters, & invigorate our base in #CD25 to end Steve Knight’s reign of error. 1st of many monthly visits. #Together25 #HowWeDo #RedToBlue
this is what dems are doing .. not as the goopers are doing…..which is simply maintaining the status quo
Biggest recruiter for the republican party on campus in my area? Christians on Campus. Our gov’s campaign was run by the same individuals who used be the young christians on the NMSU campus. Jesus is still used as the best promoter of republican ideology (or so they believe). When our local Christian school had a fund raiser? They invited Ollie North to raise money…tells you where their politics start and their religion ends.
sj…my comment was transferred over from the Open Thread post before yours…not intended to be a comment on your excellent post.
Blondie – I couldn’t agree more. These guys move straight from the bible study to the college republican meeting. I couldn’t talk about the colleges in the more progressive states and on the coasts – but in Texas they’re firmly in place. I’ve also heard stories of the sex and booze parties with elected state officials and congressmen (and of course young girls). Scum!
Training in hypocrisy is a cornerstone of being a good gooper boy
Learn about the Young Democrats
https://www.yda.org/
ali north Christians. Hmmm, that’s kinda like embezzlers for Jesus
for some reason this type of planting reminds me of hitler youth…grab ’em while they are young!
Not sure what’s going on at our colleges these days. Dems were very active and Reps not so much back in the 70s – even at Bama – but then the Dem party was king in Bama back then. I suspect things have changed. For one, the then junior senator to be (Richard Shelby) was one of the up and coming dems in the state – and he’s a pugn now.
The fundraising by O. North.
Children of the Corn
Conservative students are one of the most heavily subsidized interest groups on campus today. Millions of dollars are pumped into the effort to find and train the next generation of reactionary leaders. For example, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) spends more than a million dollars a year to support conservative student publications on campuses across the country. It also spends more than $40,000 per year on a fellowship program for students in Washington, D.C., and funds a so-called “Honors Program” that is a week-long lecture series for undergraduates. The ISI spends all this money planting seeds in hopes that they will bear fruit. And they do—former ISI fellows have gone on to become leaders of major policy organizations and senior advisors in several Republican administrations. Ronald Reagan’s security adviser, Richard Allen, for example, is an ISI graduate.
Suggesting Democrats mimic goopers is kind of like hoping Air America will be a success.
To me the biggest failing of the Dems is ability to move quickly…there is no rapid response…anymore.
I go back to it repeatedly but the 50 state strategy is the path to success. Bring back Dr. Dean put him in charge..and Bernie and Tom can go around the country and have beers together.
KGC…you might be on to something. dems were digitally outmaneuvered during the last election cycle. the repugs stick to message and attract the scared and gullible to manipulate by machine learning and machine targeting. ALL candidates were flawed this last election and HRC lost by the ground game and not getting the vote out in the correct places. dems should be pushing for the popular vote as they have won the POTUS election twice, but lost the electoral college vote. Otherwise, the redistricting is continuing until the next census. Geographically, the dems will continue to lose until this imbalance is undone. The system is rigged, trumpty-dumpty tells us so.
Site is slow and glitchy today. Server company working on some issues. Ought to iron itself out eventually.
When commenting, if you get message below, it is NOT legit. Do not click any links in the message. We’re investigating. Comments are getting posted (but slow), despite the bogus error message.
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Dems cannot use the same strategy the thugs use. Dems are getting killed at the grass roots level – I believe because the local embryo of the thug grassroots movement is religion and the churches. The dems have no such organization like this on the ground. They’re getting killed in local elections, school boards and in state houses which gerrymander the crap out of districts. In cities that have minority councilmen, they change the seat to “at large” and voila – no more minority councilmen.
The dems need to find another strategy – get a little more vicious. I wouldn’t mind a Dr. Dean in charge. They can’t fix the problem unless they understand it.
testing, page builds getting better, but don’t think I’ve gotten to the bottom of this issue yet
GREAT bit by John Oliver on Gerrymandering
Craig, last couple of posts I’ve made – my screen just hangs and hangs and hangs. I have to close the browser tab and re-open Trail Mix. The post then appears. Hope this helps. dv
Just got an update from server technician — the shared server I’m using on their site is straining for resources, which they’re working on, and that error message i posted above is indeed legitimate, no hacking going on. I just had never seen that before and assumed the worst.
The below Letter to the Editor is from this morning’s The State newspaper.
Letters: Where do I send bill for road costs?
Columbia, SC
I am an old man and suffer from incontinence. I take my grandson to school every day. I always go before we leave. The route is less than six miles. Often, either on the way to school or home, I have an accident due to the rough road. This has forced me to purchase men’s briefs, which I call diapers.
Recently, I learned that I can bill the state for damage to my van caused by the rough road. Since my accidents were caused by the same rough road, can I bill the state for the cost of the briefs? Who do I send the bill to? The Transportation Department? The governor’s office? Where?
Robert Baxla
Columbia
Whew! Glad to hear it isn’t my computer. I did get that message and promptly ignored it.
I don’t understand why Democratic supporters feel a need to say nice things about goopers when they do the minimum of public decency
I think Ms Cracker is on to something. Dems need instant ed-on-the-issues programs, organizing, and most of all we must make repubs use our diction for political discourse.
For instance, if we characterize the latest nra act as Guns for Maniacs, we capture ruin republicanra claims that massacres are a ‘mental health’ matter, and peel people away from the 2d Amendment purity. If we re-cycle terms like death panels and apply them in ways that describe republican plans and actions, we can catch them off balance and blubbering. People will then be able to view the same old issues through new ‘eye wear’, to coin a metaphor, and suddenly come to brand new opinions.
basically there are no goopers in Cal yet when a republican voice is needed the local tv stations aways seem to have a live in person interview with one. but no dems. how does that happen?
Using new language to inform old issues should be very popular with young people, for the new generation ever hopes to inflict consternation on their immediate predecessors. Old-fashioned becomes old hat, becomes square, becomes moldy, becomes soooo yesterday, becomes flintstones.
Ms Cracker, I sorta wonder the same thing. Something happens, say a diaper shortage, and suddenly there is newt gingrich, pontificating on ‘Democrat liberals’ who are killing the diaper industry with high taxes.
xrepub – They better figure it out soon. Win the Pres election by almost 3 million votes and lose in the electoral college. The republicans play dirty, lie, make stuff up – and the Democrats play this “awe shucks not fair” card. Republicans are born angry, Democrats are not. As John Oliver said, the voters don’t pick their representatives – their representatives pick their voters.
one positive thing for Democrats I’m hearing is that fundraising is booming under Trump
Just listened to Sean Spicer lying on behalf of the lousy President we are stuck with. Need more giraffe.
actually, if we had mandatory voting, dems would win.
i don’t blame the party, the candidates, the media, the fat cats. I blame the folks who don’t vote. it’s an individual citizen responsibility thing. somewhere along the way we americans compared to other countries became irresponsible spoiled brats with regard to taking civic responsibility seriously. no wonder we have a leader now that reflects and epitomizes this.
pew research: U.S. voter turnout trails most developed countries
58 countries with better voter turnout than the United States
sjwny… great post!
In my little town there’s plenty of vigorous evangelical conservatives. But last month… a Trump hating liberal ran against one of their own for school board. The liberal won by 17 votes. It’s a start.
Republicans idea of get out the vote – is voter suppression
Our server technician reports they have done their tinkering and page build speeds should start improving over the next couple hours. Let me know if any trouble.
sure would appreciate a contributor post for tomorrow. Spent all day on tech stuff, saw no news, and gotta get away from computer, must now prepare my kabobs for smoker, tonight’s dinner (with a side of home made polenta).
The night before the election the Democratic Party held an “all-star” celebration of multi-millionaire entertainers. The Republican Candidate (and soon to be #45), on a marathon tour, seized the opportunity to comment “Look at me … I have no guitar … I have no piano …”
My reaction when I saw that was Uh-oh. My heart sank because I realized he got it while the Democrats didn’t. This was seriously bad optics for the Ds. After election comments by celebrities (which still continue) chastising certain groups about Why They Are So Stupid And Very Wrong to have voted for #45 don’t help the cause. Expecting someone to vote for you after you’ve told them what simpletons they are isn’t exactly a strategy, unless you want to remain the losing Party. Give voters something to vote for & clearly explain why you are the best candidate by talking to them, not talking down condescendingly.
Pelosi is the Post Mistress General of political fundraising: even if donations are up, how or why does it matter, unless it is spent wisely & as importantly, by wiser people than in the past?
SJ, did he say it standing in front of his 737?
Love to poobah, but barely got my head above water today, and the day ain’t over.
XR, newt would be sensitive to the diaper industry now wouldn’t he?
Librarians School Ivanka Trump After Tone-Deaf Tweet – The Huffington Post
https://apple.news/AhKNA4lhaRW6I29w_GzIfjQ
chicken, sweet peppers and red onion kabobs marinated overnight in lime juice, with Cajun seasoning just added, ready for low and slow smoking (90 min at 225 degrees) with Applewood chips soaked in apple cider vinegar. Now off to make the polenta (or molded corn grits, as we hillbillies say)
We shall have strawberries to lure the birds to our balcony. Beside them will be herbs, onions, Malabar spinach, tomatoes, aloe, jasmine, gerbera, with violets, impatiens, and a small plant that makes red spikes, and whose name I can’t remember. Most of these plants are edible. I don’t know about gerbera.
I’m roasting a corned beef brisket. I put a lot of allspice and garlic on it. I hoped to make the steer that produced it as proud as any steer can be.
Looks and sounds tasty, Poobah. And I loves me some polenta (even if you call it corn grits).
I don’t think I could get past the mold
Grilled Bratwurst, onions and Hatch green chili’s – and campfire beans for us (and maybe a screwdriver or two)
pogo, just bring to boil 2 cups water and teaspoon salt plus 1 cup chicken broth. Slowly stir in 1 cup real corn grits (Bob’s Red Mill my fav), simmer very gently and stir often to prevent sticking. After 20-30 minutes fold in tablespoon of butter, then dump everything from pan into oiled bowl, add shredded parmesan on top. Let sit for 10-15 minutes and turn over, dump on a plate, add more parmesan. Then cut into pie-like pieces for serving. Can make it in advance and keep warm in toaster oven.
here’s a look at tonight’s polenta (got carried away and added a touch of ground peppercorn on top)
Slice that polenta & grill it or fry it (sub veggie broth).
DNC Tries to Shame Bernie Sanders for His Email List – Observer
https://apple.news/AKKj7Yt6USnKO3vkcXAfPgw
From the link above:
“The Democratic Party hasn’t done anything to win over Sanders’ base of supporters, but that isn’t stopping them from pushing Sanders to hand over their contact information despite the fact that he raised more money for Democratic Party candidates than anyone else in 2016. While the Democratic Party accuses Sanders’ supporters for the party’s divisions, the vitriol from Clinton fans toward the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is just as toxic.”
You lost me with the parmesan. It smells like baby barf.
That poor steer is damned proud tonight. I ate about a pond and a quarter. I feel as though I am about to become the Big Bang 2.0
Didn’t like my offerings, eh Boss ?
what offerings xrepub?
Thanks poobah. Sounds easy enough even for me. (And as cooks go I’m a lazy one).
I just heard drumpf’s egg roll address. I think I’ll puke. What an A$$WIPE.
In the post box
didn’t find anything repub