Election

Joe Monahan Slips

Like a lot of others, I have made it my habit to read Joe Monahan’s blog on New Mexico politics regularly. Sure, I’ve been bothered by the cheesy ads, which now have crept into the daily headings, but the meat has kept me coming (note to advertisers: I will actively avoid you).

I started feeling uneasy after Joe seemed to give Duhbya such glowing reviews for his appearances in New Mexico and his alleged post-convention bounce. And I was disappointed that he didn’t reply to an email question about protests during Duhbya’s visit. No, I don’t expect Joe to oppose Duhbya, but I had come to expect balance that suddenly seemed lacking.

Now, today, Joe has really gone too far. He has linked Judge Wendy York with Judge John Brennan. In other words, he has equated her with a convicted drug user. She deserves better. Judge Wendy York, cancer survivor, is one of the most respected judges in New Mexico. I agree she fucked up on this, but that shouldn’t be equated with Rush Limbaugh’s drug addiction (hmm, wait, I don’t recall Republicans calling for Lush’s ouster). A career is made up of many actions; this one should not end hers.

Note that the Republican’s could have brought this info out before the ruling but slyly waited until it went against them. Clever dicks.

Joe’s not just reporting, he’s spinning. Say it ain’t so, Joe. mjh

Joe replies:

“It ain’t so,” Mark. Judge York herself saw the light and decided to withdraw her ruling keeping Nader off the ballot. It was an unfortunate ethical lapse and even more damning coming on the heels of the Brennan affair and the questionable Thompson Voter ID ruling. Her lapse was not equivalent to Brennan’s misdeed and I did not say they were, only that our district court should be on red alert after that fiasco which severely damaged it in the public eye.

I am not going to carry water for any of the Prez candidates. Bush undeniably had a successful visit here. His poll numbers reflect that as well as the screw-ups of the Kerry campaign. Be assured, that I will continue to call them as I see them without regard to party affiliation. Keep up the good work.

Joe

Dump Duhbya

New Voters Project, Rock the Vote, Greens for Impact

MSNBC – Young voters register heavily in key states
18- to 24-year-olds are nation’s newest swing voters
The Associated Press

Voter registration drives aimed at young people are turning 18-to 24-year-olds into an important variable in the presidential election, especially in decisive battleground states such as Michigan — where nearly 100,000 young people have registered in recent months — and Wisconsin, where the numbers are even higher.

They are the nation’s newest swing voters, with polls showing their support for the major candidates has vacillated in recent months. A Harvard University poll found that, in a five-month period, 19 percent of young potential voters changed their minds about whom they’d support.

“It’s a big population of fluid voters, and they’re largely unknown,” says Ivan Frishberg, outreach and communications coordinator for the nonprofit New Voters Project, which has registered tens of thousands of young people across the country. …

Officials in several other battleground states — New Mexico, Ohio and Florida among them — see clear signs that more young people are interested in this election. And some election experts believe that polls of “likely voters” often miss young people because the population is so mobile. …

At that rate, he says Rock the Vote’s registration numbers may surpass those from 1992 — a year when young voter turnout topped 50 percent for the first and only time since 1972.

One political scientist says he’s particularly interested to see what happens this time in Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, where voters can register on Election Day. Data has shown that young people are particularly likely to take advantage of same-day registration.

Home – New Voters Project

The New Voters Project Presidential Youth Debate

President Bush and Senator Kerry have agreed – in writing – to address your 12 greatest concerns through The New Voters Project Presidential Youth Debate. We’re proud to give under-35 year olds their first-ever opportunity to choose the questions answered by the top presidential candidates.

Rock the Vote – Welcome
789,905 People Registered!

Greens For Impact

Greens for Impact is an organization of principled, pragmatic Green Party members and progressive populists dedicated to the goal of defeating George W. Bush in his bid for a second term as president, while simultaneously furthering the growth of the Green Party as an independent alternative to the corporate-dominated parties.

Election

Very Interesting Electoral Development

Colorado Initiative Could Be Key to Presidential Race (washingtonpost.com)By Jo Becker, Washington Post Staff Writer

On the Nov. 2 ballot is a voter-driven initiative to amend Colorado’s constitution and make it the first state in the nation to award electoral votes based on the percentage of the popular vote each candidate wins, effective this election. That could have a profound impact on who is elected president.

It means that Kerry could lose the state but still win four of its nine electoral votes, according to Democratic backers and Republican opponents. That prospect has prompted the GOP to mount a fierce challenge to the initiative even as they prepare for a possible post-Election Day legal showdown.

Leave it to the GOP to fight the will of the people on this. This is, of course, the way the whole nation is headed. It is a way to keep the old electoral system while updating it to proportionality. mjh

Mine

You Look Like a Kerry Supporter

Latir Wilderness

We were hiking near Cabresto Lake which is surrounded by but not in the Latir Wilderness. I paused on the trail as 4 horsemen approached. They were dressed in fatigues head to toe, more likely hunters than fisherfolk. I asked the first, “are we close to the wilderness boundary?” “Yeah,” he answered, “about 15-20 minutes ahead.” Looking down at me, he asked, “You a Kerry supporter?” I laughed, surprised and puzzled. “Yeah. Why do you ask?” “You look like a Kerry supporter.” Riding a bit further he said, “Good luck to your boy in November — he’ll need it.”

Too late, I thought:

“Know what I don’t like about Kerry? He’s a hunter.”

“Why do you ask? Cuz I’m not sitting on my ass letting someone else do all the work?” (the horse)

“Let me get a picture. I’ve never seen a jackass on a horse.”

“You make $200K/year? You got a huge estate? No? Why are you pro-Bush?”

“White guys in camo — who would guess you’re Republicans.”

I’ve stewed over this much longer than I should, which is exactly what he’d like to hear. mjh

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." — Sam Adams