The Vermont Primary is August 26

The Vermont primary is an open primary so any registered voter may vote in any party's primary. Vermont does not have online voter registration. It does have early voting that begins 45 days prior to the election.

Neither Senator from Vermont is up for reelection this year. The one Congressional representative, Peter Welch (D), is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. There are two candidates for the seat in the Republican primary.

The current Governor, Peter Shumlin (D), has a Democratic challenger in the primary, H. Brooke Paige, who appears to have also filed to run for Attorney General. It is unclear if she will be on the ballot for both positions. https://www.sec.state.vt.us/elections.aspx There are 3 Republican candidates for governor on the primary ballot.

In the Vermont legislature, Democrats currently hold 21 of the 30 senate seats and 96 of the 145 representative seats.

There are no ballot measures on either the primary or general election ballots.

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The Florida Primary is August 26

Florida is one of 12 states which holds a strictly closed primary. Only registered citizens of a party may vote in that party's primary. The are no Senators to be elected this year in Florida. Early voting begins 10 days prior to the election.

The are several Congressional races to watch. In the 18th, Freshman representative, Patrick Murphy (D), has no Democratic challenger in the primary. But there are 6 Republicans running to challenge him in November. Murphy narrowly defeated Allen West in the 2012 election. His seat is considered to be very vulnerable. Also in the 26th district the incumbent, Jose Garcia(D), has no Democratic challenger in the primary but there are 4 Republicans running to challenge him in November.  In the 1st district, incumbent Jeff Miller (R), had a primary challenger and also faces opposition from James Bryan (D) a wounded veteran. Many in Miller's district are retired military who are not happy with Miller's leadership on the Veteran's Affairs Committee.

The Governor's race is also quite interesting. Former Republican Governor, Charlie Crist, is running in the Democratic Primary. He is challenged in the Democratic Primary by Nan Rich, former Democratic State Senator. On the Republican side, incumbent, Rick Scott, has two primary challengers.

In Florida's state legislature the Republicans currently hold 26 of the 40 seats in the Senate, and 75 of the 120 seats in the House.

Please share with family and friends who live in Florida. For more information on Florida elections see: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/candidate/Index.asp

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The Alaska Primary is August 19

"Alaska is one of 21 states with a mixed primary system. Parties decide who may vote in their primary election. The Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party and Alaskan Independence Party allow any registered voters. The Alaska Republican Party allows only registered Republicans, nonpartisan or undeclared voters."    
http://ballotpedia.org/Alaska_elections,_2014

A Senator will be elected this year in Alaska. Sen. Mark Begich (D) is the incumbent. He has a Democratic primary challenger, Will Bryk. If you remember, Sen. Begich voted for the ACA and Republicans may unite behind their candidate and unseat him in November. There are 3 Republican candidates running in the primary for the Senate.

Alaska has early voting that begins 15 days before the election. Alaska only has one Representative in Congress, incumbent Don Young (R). He has three challengers on the Republican side and two Democratic challengers. The is also on Libertarian, Jim McDermott on the primary ballot.

Alaskans will also be electing a Governor and Lt. Governor this year. There are four Republican candidates for governor on the primary ballot and two Democratic candidates, one Independent, and one Constitution party candidate.

for more information on elections in Alaska, please check here: http://www.elections.alaska.gov/ci_pg_cl_2014_prim.php

Finally, Alaska has a veto referendum ballot measure on the primary ballot. "The Alaska Oil Tax Cuts Veto Referendum, Ballot Measure 1 is on the August 19, 2014 primary ballot in Alaska as a veto referendum. The referendum seeks to repeal Senate Bill 21, also known as the Oil and Gas Production Tax, which was passed by the Alaska State Legislature and grants tax breaks to oil companies."
 http://ballotpedia.org/Alaska_Oil_Tax_Cuts_Veto_Referendum,_Ballot_Measure_1_(August_2014)

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The Arizona Primary is August 26th

Arizona is one of 21 states with a mixed primary. That means voters can vote in either party's primary, but, if they are registered with a party, then they may only vote in that party's primary.

Neither Senator is up for reelection this year. There are several interesting races for the House of Representatives. Arizona has nine congressional districts. In the 1st, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) is facing re-election in a district that has voted for Republican presidential candidates. Her winning margin in 2012 was only 3.6 percentage points. She has no Democratic challenger in the primary.

The AZ 2nd is also currently held by Freshman Democrat, Ron Barber who won his race in 2012 by even less that Kirkpatrick. He also does not have a primary challenger.

The newly drawn 9th district seat is currently held by Rep. Kyrsten Sinema. Her seat is considered a battleground seat this year by Ballotpedia. http://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_elections,_2014 She also does not have a Democratic primary challenger.

Arizona residents can register to vote online here: https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/selectLanguage

The Governor, Jan Brewer, is term limited from running again. There are 7 Republicans running in this primary to be the candidate for the November 4 General Election. Whoever wins will face the Democratic candidate, Fred DuVal in the November election.

The Arizona state legislature consists of House with 60 members. Currently 36 are Republicans. The Senate in Arizona consists of 30 members with Democrats holding 13 seats. The Democrats were able to pick up 7 seats in the last election so that Republicans no longer held a super majority.

It is easy to register in AZ, so if you live there, be sure to get registered and be sure to vote for Democrats.
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Are You Thinking of Not Voting?

If you are someone or know of someone who says they are thinking of not voting, please know that this is not an informed decision. Many give excuses such as: I don't have time, I want to send a message I'm against the system, my vote doesn't count, I don't know enough about the issues, it's too complicated, and politicians are all the same anyhow. These excuses and others are simply unacceptable. In other words, they suck.

Here are a couple of excuses that don't suck: You are dead, you are not a citizen. That's it. The rest are BOGUS. For suggested responses to the most common excuses, see this: http://yourexcusesucks.com/

Instead of NOT VOTING, consider the alternative. VOTE. Make your voice heard by showing up. In today's world you can often register on-line. Many states have early voting or absentee voting options. Some states are actually trying to make it easier by having mail in ballots!

If you are still thinking of not voting, then, I am asking you to please watch this video before you go: http://www.upworthy.com/4-people-who-had-way-better-excuses-than-you-for-not-voting-and-still-voted

Thank you and I hope to see you at the polls.

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How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Believe it or not, the editorial page is one of the most widely read sections of the newspaper. This post is about ways to write an effective letter to the editor in support of a candidate or cause. As in everything, there is an easy way and there is an effective way. One of the easy ways is to go here: http://www.dccc.org/page/speakout/dailies enter your zip code and select the newspapers you want your message sent to and then tailor your message and hit send.

In researching for this post, I came across several good sites with suggestions for writing effective letters. I will share a few. The first is http://reclaimdemocracy.org/effective_letters_editor/ Here they give great suggestions on things to DO and things to AVOID.

A few of the DO's:

• Focus on one important point (don’t try to address separate issues in one letter). Be sure to follow the guidelines and word count limit of the target publication (up to 250 words is typical for local and regional papers, but many larger newspapers are limited to 150 or so and some magazines limit letters to less than 100 words)."
• Maximize your chance of being published by removing every non-essential word. For example, don’t say, “I think…” It’s obvious. This also minimizes the chance of editors changing the letter.

and the AVOID's: 

• Don’t overstate/exaggerate your points. One overstatement makes every following point suspect.
• Don’t insult your opponents.

The National Education Association also has a great site with tips for effective letters to the editor: 

http://www.nea.org/home/19683.htm

 "Letters to the editor can be effective in influencing public opinion and legislators' views. The "Letter to the Editor" section is one of the most widely read parts of most newspapers, offering a chance to reach a broad audience. Letters to the editor can provide readers with information and insights on issues with which they may be unfamiliar, and can also inspire readers to take action." A few of their tips include: Keep it brief, get to the point, and personalize the issue. The others are common sense and help make sure your message is selected to be published.

 

The Oregon League of Conservation Voters also has some great tips on their site: http://olcveducationfund.org/node/5267 

So, whether you take the easy route and click on the DCCC site or choose the more effective method of writing your own personalized letters, please try to do at least one in the coming weeks. 

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Can You Help GOTV?

You may be wondering what you can do to help get out the vote. Well, I have found some answers for you. Here are some wonderful ideas that a group of Democrats from Pennsylvania have shared:

What have you done today to help win in November? 

What will you do tomorrow? Check all that apply: 

___ Donate to a Democratic candidate
___ Knock on doors/canvassed
___ Phone bank 
___ Talk to a voter
___ Register a new voter
___ Share a political post
___ Attend a meeting/rally/event
___ Write a letter-to-the-editor
___ Wear Democratic/progressive gear
___ Comment on a post or newspaper article 

These two were added to be specific to this Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back page.

___ being on the Brass Knuckle Progressive's Radio Show

___liking and sharing the #PDMFNB Facebook page and page on Twitter and G+

One a day is good.
Two a day earns you a berth on our All-Star Team.
Doing all 10 in a month gets you into progressive heaven! 

From: http://www.kennettareademocrats.com/news/62-resources

Seriously, folks, isn't there something on this list that YOU can do? If you have other ideas, please share them in the comments section. Do something TODAY and EVERYDAY to GOTV! See you at the polls!

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How Important are Primary Elections?

In case you were wondering, primary elections are vital pieces of Democracy. They are one way that political parties select their candidates for general elections. Tuesday's primary run-off election in Georgia is an interesting example. The run-off was necessary because neither Republican candidate received enough votes in the regular primary to get 50%. (The Republicans who sat out the primary may rue that day after the November election.) In the run-off, David Perdue was narrowly selected as the GOP candidate to run against Michelle Nunn in November. http://www.gpb.org/news/2014/07/23/wrapping-up-georgias-primary-runoff

Perdue is a former senior vice-president who will have to explain how Haggar out-sourced jobs overseas under his leadership. He will also need to explain why he opposes raising the minimum wage, wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, and favors replacing the Federal Income Tax with a National Sales Tax. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/23/1316015/-Georgia-GOP-taps-job-outsourcer-and-pay-discriminator-as-Senate-nominee

Democrats may have a solid chance to win in November with Michelle Nunn (daughter of former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn). Also on the November ballot is Jason Carter (grandson of former President Jimmy Carter) who is running for Governor. How well Nunn is able to position herself with Georgian voters who are not hard line Republicans may determine her chances to win.

So if anyone says they are sending Congress a message by not voting, please remind them of how many elections are decided by just a few voters who care enough to show up.

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The Wyoming Primary is August 19

Wyoming's primary is strictly closed so that only registered voters of a political party can vote in that party's election. This year Wyoming will elect a Senator. The incumbent is Sen. Mike Enzi (R). For a brief time he had Liz Cheney as a primary opponent. She has dropped out due to questions of residency. There are four other primary challengers, but, none are expected to un-seat the incumbent. There are four candidates for the Democratic Party nomination, one Independent, and one Libertarian.

Early voting is allowed in Wyoming and begins 40 days prior to the election. Voters do not have to give a reason.

Wyoming only has one Congressional district and the incumbent, Cynthia Lummis, has a Republican challenger in this primary. There is one Democratic candidate and one Libertarian candidate.

The Republican Governor, Matt Mead, has two Republican opponents in this primary.

In the Wyoming legislature, Republicans hold 26 of the 30 seats in the Senate and 52 of the 60 in the state House.  For more information on the Wyoming elections, please see: http://soswy.state.wy.us/elections/Default.aspx

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Face to Face Voter Contact Works

How do we get people to vote? One proven technique is face to face, door to door, contact. When we take an afternoon or two or more and canvas neighborhoods in support of our candidate or ballot measure, we can make the difference and motivate a potential voter.

Here are four (C's) to make it happen: The first is CONNECT. Be interested in the person. Let them know why you are asking for their time. Be nice, ask questions, and then LISTEN! Really! Listening is your way to show that you are interested in what they say. Ask what issues most concern them and their family. Ask if they plan to vote and will they consider your candidate or cause. Second, set the CONTEXT for why voting matters. Tell them your story and why you care about the cause or candidate. Let them know that others in the area are also committed to voting and why. Third, get a COMMITMENT from them that they will vote. Will it be early voting, on election day, by mail-in ballot, etc.? If they hesitate, ask them what it would take to get their commitment? Finally, CATAPULT into mobilizing them into action. Ask if they would be willing to canvas with you next time? What else might they be willing to do for the cause or candidate? If yes, be sure to follow up by getting their name and contact information. Then contact them again for your next outreach effort. This really works. If you've never done it before, find someone at your candidate headquarters or the local Democratic party office to go with you and help you the first few times.

This information and much, much more is available here: http://neworganizing.com/content/page/gotv

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Beware the Propaganda Machine

As we get closer to the 2014 General Election, we all need to be very careful of what "news" items we accept and pass on to our followers and friends. Popular news media often specialize in propaganda techniques to skew the message and influence their viewers. Here are 14 of the most popular: 

1. Panic Mongering: "This goes one step beyond simple fear mongering. With panic mongering, there is never a break from the fear. The idea is to terrify and terrorize the audience during every waking moment."
2. Character assignation/ad hominem: Here the media "go after the person's credibility, motives, intelligence, character, or, if necessary, sanity. No category of character assassination is off the table and no offense is beneath them. "
3. Projection/Flipping: " involves taking whatever underhanded tactic you're using and then accusing your opponent of doing it to you first. "
4. Scapegoating/othering: "The simple idea is that if you can find a group to blame for social or economic problems, you can then go on to a) justify violence/dehumanization of them, and b) subvert responsibility for any harm that may befall them as a result."
5. Rewriting history: "This is another way of saying that propagandists make the facts fit their worldview."
6. Conflating violence with power and opposition to violence with weakness: "it has the potential to make people feel falsely emboldened by shows of force - it can turn wars into sporting events. "
7. Bullying: "Bullying and yelling works best on people who come to the conversation with a lack of confidence, either in themselves or their grasp of the subject being discussed. The bully exploits this lack of confidence by berating the guest into submission or compliance."
8. Confusion: "As with the preceding technique, this one works best on an audience that is less confident and self-possessed. The idea is to deliberately confuse the argument, but insist that the logic is airtight and imply that anyone who disagrees is either too dumb or too fanatical to follow along."
9. Populism: "This is especially popular in election years. The speakers identifies themselves as one of "the people" and the target of their ire as an enemy of the people. The opponent is always "elitist" or a "bureaucrat" or a "government insider" or some other category that is not the people."
10. Invoking the Christian God: " This is similar to othering and populism. With morality politics, the idea is to declare yourself and your allies as patriots, Christians and "real Americans" (those are inseparable categories in this line of thinking) and anyone who challenges them as not. "
11. Saturation: "There are three components to effective saturation: being repetitive, being ubiquitous and being consistent. The message must be repeated cover and over, it must be everywhere and it must be shared across commentators."
12. Disparaging Education: "There is an emerging and disturbing lack of reverence for education and intellectualism in many mainstream media discourses. "
13. Guilt by Association: "Here's how it works: if your cousin's college roommate's uncle's ex-wife attended a dinner party back in 1984 with Gorbachev's niece's ex-boyfriend's sister, then you, by extension are a communist set on destroying America. Period."
14. Diversion (also known as Wagging the Dog): "This is where, when on the ropes, the media commentator suddenly takes the debate in a weird but predictable direction to avoid accountability. Any attempt to bring the discussion back to the issue at hand will likely be called deflection, an ironic use of the technique of projection/flipping."
This information is shared from this article: http://truth-out.org/news/item/1964:fourteen-propaganda-techniques-fox-news-uses-to-brainwash-americans

As we enter the final months leading to probably the most important election in recent history, please watch out for anyone using the techniques and call out the ones who choose to use them. 

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The Wisconsin Primary

There are several races to watch in the Wisconsin elections this year. Governor Walker is up for reelection as the state has no term limits. He has a write in candidate for a primary opponent, Steve Evans. Democrat Mary Burke also has a primary opponent, Brett Hulsey. She has strong support from Emily's List in her run to unseat Governor Walker. http://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/mary-burke

Another interesting race is the congressional primary of Paul Ryan. Ryan has a primary challenger named, Jeremy Ryan. His Democratic opponents are Rob Zerban and Amar Kaleka. Assuming that Paul Ryan and Rob Zerban both win their primaries, the November election will be interesting to watch.

Wisconsin has open primary system which means any registered voter can vote in a party's primary. Currently, Democrats hold 3 of the 8 congressional seats.

Both chambers of the state legislature are held by Republicans in Wisconsin. There are 33 Senate seats and Republicans control 18 of them. In the state assembly the Republicans control a greater margin by holding 60 of the 99 seats.

For the latest information on elections, a good source is: http://www.dailykos.com/blog/elections#
Also good is: http://www.politico.com/p/pages/2014-elections

Same message, different day: Be informed, get registered, vote, help others get registered and vote.

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Minnesota Primary Election

Minnesota (MN) is August 12. Minnesota has an open primary system. Citizens do not currently have online voter registration. One Senator will face reelection this year. Senator Al Franken has a primary opponent, Sandra Henningsgard. http://ballotpedia.org/Minnesota_elections,_2014

There are 8 Congressional districts in Minnesota. Currently, 5 seats are held by Democrats. The 8th district incumbent, Rick Nolan, faces strong competition in the general election, from Republican Stewart Mills, with neither candidate having a primary opponent.

The Democratic Governor, Mark Dayton, does not have an opponent in the primary. There are 7 potential Republican candidates for governor running in the GOP primary. Since MN has an open primary system, any registered voter can vote in any party's primary. This could get interesting.

Democrats currently control the MN State House with 73 of the 134 seats. There are no state wide ballot measures on the primary ballot.

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The Connecticut Primary is August 12

Connecticut has a mixed primary election but is considered closed because neither Democratic nor Republican parties will allow any voter but those registered with their party to vote. Online voter registration was passed in the legislature in 2012. Citizens can register here: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do

There are 5 congressional seats up for reelection and all are currently held by Democrats. None of the incumbents have challengers in the primary. Neither Senator from Connecticut is up for reelection this year.

There are 6 state executive positions up for this election. The Democratic Governor, Dan Malloy has an opponent, Lee Whitnum, in the Democratic Primary. There are 7 Republican candidates and 3 independent candidates also running for the position.

Candidates for the State Legislature are also on the ballot. The Senate is currently held by Democrats with 22 seats. The Republicans hold 14 seats.

According to Ballotpedia,  "A total of three incumbents will face primary competition on August 12. Six incumbents are not seeking re-election in 2014 and another 27 incumbents advanced past the primary without opposition. The state senators facing primary competition are:

• District 2: Incumbent Eric D. Coleman (D) will face Shawn Wooden and Len Walker in the Democratic primary.
• District 22: Incumbent Anthony J. Musto (D) will face Marilyn Moore in the Democratic primary.
• District 23: Incumbent Andres Ayala, Jr. (D) will face Scott Hughes in the Democratic primary." http://ballotpedia.org/Connecticut_State_Senate_elections,_2014

The State House in Connecticut is also currently held by Democrats with 97 of the 151 seats. Regarding the competitiveness of the race, Ballotpedia says that, "In 43 of the 151 seats up for election, there is only one major party candidate running for election. A total of 27 Democrats and 16 Republicans are guaranteed election in November barring unforeseen circumstances.

Two major party candidates will face off in the general election in 108 of the 151 districts up for election." http://ballotpedia.org/Connecticut_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2014

For any other questions about the August 12th primary or the November 4th general election, please check the Secretary of State's website: http://www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3172&q=525432

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A Brief History of How We Select Candidates for Public Office

Candidates for political office in the United States of America are pre-selected by various methods. One method is the primary election. In primary elections, candidates must file nominating petitions with the Secretary of State and follow established procedures to get on the ballot. Some candidates are supported by their political parties, but, anyone can file the proper papers and get on the ballot.

Another method of pre-selection is the party convention. Some states use this for setting up the slate of candidates that registered voters see on their ballots. Delegates to the convention are usually selected by voters and these delegates then select the candidates that appear on the ballot.

A political caucus is another way to select candidates. A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party to select candidates for election to political office. Registered voters of a political party attend the meeting. Candidates are nominated and voted on at the caucus. Candidates with the highest number of votes win the caucus and appear on the general election ballot.

Because candidates for political office are voted on by all registered voters in primary elections, some voters believe this is the most direct way to represent the wishes of the citizens.

"Primaries are common in the United States, where their origins are traced to the progressive movement to take the power of candidate nomination from party leaders to the people."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election 

Whichever method is used in your state's election process, registered voters ultimately determine who gets elected to public office. Registered voters who chose not to vote and citizens who do not bother to register or vote have NO SAY in who gets elected. Your vote is your voice, be heard!

Two More Early August Primaries - Tennessee and Hawaii

Tennessee is one of 14 states that still have open primaries. A registered voter does not have to be a member of a party to vote in that party's primary election.  http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Tennessee,_2014

This year TN will elect one Senator who will fill the seat currently held by Lamar Alexander. Sen. Alexander has 8 Republican challengers in this primary. And there are 4 Democratic candidates, 10 Independent candidates, and 1 running as Tea Party.

Tennessee has 9 Congressional Districts. Currently two seats are held by Democrats and seven by Republicans. The Republican Governor, Bill Haslam, is up for re-election in November. He has 3 Republican challengers in the primary.

Tennessee is one of 34 states that allows early voting with no specific requirements on who can vote early. The state house is currently controlled by Republicans in both chambers. If you are interested in knowing which races to watch, please check out this article: http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2014/07/12/10-races-to-watch-in-tennessees-august-primary/12550083/

Hawaii's primary will be interesting as it is a special election to fill the seat in the Senate that was vacated when Sen. Daniel Inouye died in 2012. At that time the Governor appointed the Lt. Governor, Brian Schatz to fill the vacancy. For a detailed history behind this special election, please see: http://ballotpedia.org/Hawaii_elections,_2014   The primary battle between Brian Schatz and Colleen Hanabusa was highlighted as one of the top five primaries to watch in 2014.  

The Hawaii legislature passed a measure to authorize online voter registration, but it has not been implemented. Hawaii has open primary system but the Democratic Party filed lawsuit in 2013 asking that it be close for this special election.

The Democratic party holds the majority in both chambers of the state legislature. There are two House districts and both seats are currently held by Democrats. The state executives are up for re-election this year and all faces primary challenges. If you are interested in learning more about races to watch in Hawaii, then please check out this site: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/11/4000404/hawaii-campaign-watch-this-week.html

If you are in Tennessee or Hawaii or have friends or family in those two states, be sure your vote counts. Your vote is your voice.

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Missouri and Washington have August 5th Primary Elections

The Show Me State has an open primary system. As we know, that means registered voters do not have to be a member of a party to vote in that party's primary. Last year Missouri Secretary of State appointed a 11 member commission to review the state's elections laws with goal of increasing early voting. Current law allows early voting, but only for those who won't be home on election day. The commission made recommendations to expand and remove restrictions on early voting but they have not yet been implemented.

Missouri has 8 congressional districts. Two seats are held by Democrats who are running for re-election. The Senate seats are not up for re-election this year. There are 4 legislatively referred ballot measures on the primary ballot and 3 on the November 4th ballot. http://ballotpedia.org/Missouri_elections,_2014#tab=Statewide_ballot_measures

Washington is the Evergreen State. Washington is one of three states to use a blanket primary, or top-two system, which allows all candidates to run and all voters to vote but only moves the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, to the general election. In the congressional race, Democrats hold 6 of the 10 seats in the House. Neither Senate seat is up for re-election this year. The state executives are also not up for re-election this year. There are 4 ballot measures but they won't be decided until the November election.

Conservatives are telling their voters that primary elections are more important that the general elections. http://onemancan.org/your-primary-election-matters/

We on the left must also get that message across to our voters. Sitting out elections this year will be a mistake that will cost us for many years to come. Please take a look at this: http://dccc.org/content/home

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The August Primaries

Next month there are 14 primaries and one primary run-off election. Let's start with the August 5 primaries. Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington will be holding primary elections that day.

Kansas has a closed primary. That means selection of candidates is limited to registered party members only. The state also has online voter registration. Currently, all four House of Representative seats are held by Republicans. One of the Senate seats is up for re-election this year. Pat Roberts (R) has held the seat since 1996. In the race for Governor, Sam Brownback has a serious contender in Democrat Paul Davis in the general election, assuming both make it through the primary election of their parties.

Michigan has an open primary system. This means that registered voters do not have to be a member of a party to vote in that party's primary. This year Michigan voters will fill an open Senate seat current held by Carl Levin (D) who is retiring. The Washington Post has named this race as one of the top ten Senate races of 2014. The Republican party currently holds 9 of the 14 congressional seats from Michigan. The 1st district is very competitive as the current representative won the 2012 election by only 0.5 percentage point. Rep. Dan Benishek (R) is one of the most vulnerable Republicans and here is a chance for Democrats to take back a seat in the House of Representatives. The Democratic candidate is Jerry Cannon. He is a former county sheriff and retired Army General. This is his website if you'd like more information: http://www.jerrycannon.com/ The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has a jumpstart campaign that is focusing on helping Jerry this year. Check out this link for information on all 35 red-to-blue campaigns:
http://dccc.org/blog/entry/dccc_chairman_israel_announces_first_35_districts_in_red_to_blue_program_hi/

If you are able, please consider a monetary donation to this cause. If you aren't able financially to support the effort, please consider signing up for the phone banks. There are many ways to help us take back the house: http://dccc.org/content/home

Please take a moment to view this video about the Democrats' efforts: http://www.dccc.org/media/jumpstart_round_1/ We can do this with your support!
Later, we will consider the other August primaries.

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Are You a Responsible Citizen

All citizens have rights and responsibilities. We have been covering them in the last few blog posts. Today, we are looking at several responsibilities of good citizens. We are taught that a good citizen respects the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others. How well are we all doing that on social media? When was the last time you were called an idiot or called someone else a moron? Is it okay that someone else has different ideas, beliefs, and opinions than you? A term that I was taught for this is civility. Webster defines civility as: " polite, reasonable, and respectful behavior" http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility

The Institute for Civility in Government has some guidelines that we should note: "Civility is about more than just politeness, although politeness is a necessary first step. It is about disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening past one’s preconceptions, and teaching others to do the same. Civility is the hard work of staying present even with those with whom we have deep-rooted and fierce disagreements. It is political in the sense that it is a necessary prerequisite for civic action. But it is political, too, in the sense that it is about negotiating interpersonal power such that everyone’s voice is heard, and nobody’s is ignored. And civility begins with us." http://www.instituteforcivility.org/who-we-are/what-is-civility/

Before he reached the age of 16, our first president, George Washington, transcribed some rules to guide civility. You can read them here:  http://www.history.org/almanack/life/manners/rules2.cfm

It is a sad commentary on social media that we have strayed so far from common rules of decent behavior. I hope this inspires the reader to think twice before you type another insult to someone who disagrees with you. 

We are also called as good citizens to participate in our local communities, pay taxes, serve on a jury and defend our country if needed. There are endless opportunities to participate locally. When a person is engaged in serving others in their community, voting is becomes another way to contribute to the general good. Please be sure you are registered so you can vote in November and in every election.

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Three Rights of Citizenship

Would you like to work for the Federal government? If so, then, the first requirement is to be an American citizen. Did you know that? Well, guess what? There are exceptions! See this: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Employment_of_Non-citizens but anyone seeking employment with the Federal government needs to start here: https://www.usajobs.gov/

Right to run for elected office is exclusive right of citizenship. Do you want to run for an elected position? How do you find out what you need to know? There are many sources of information available to citizens who wish to exercise their right to run for elected office. Here are just a few that I found: http://www.wikihow.com/Run-for-Political-Office

http://www.completecampaigns.com/article.asp?articleid=13

http://lwvwra.org/Booklet.pdf I highly recommend this booklet. 

The best and most accurate place to start is with your Secretary of State. Each one has a guide book for candidates giving the latest and most accurate details. You can find contact information for your state's SOS here: http://www.nass.org/contact/sos-members/

The last right of citizenship is:  Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

What does that actually mean today? Those terms were explicitly stated in the Declaration of Independence. What do they mean to you? Here's what Founding Fathers thought: "The Declaration specifically mentions three rights which human beings possess by birth or by nature-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. No one may rightfully deny us these things. Nor, since they are "unalienable," may we rightfully surrender them." http://www.founding.com/the_declaration_of_i/pageID.2423/default.asp

I believe we would all be better citizens if we spent some time considering what those terms meant to our Founding Fathers and what they mean to us in the 21st century. Do we still consider them to be inalienable rights? If so, what are we doing to protect and defend those rights against those who actively seek to take them away? Do you believe that those rights are slowly being eroded? Then, now is the time to get involved in politics. I know it is a dirty word to many. But, if you and I don't get involved, then we have no one to blame but ourselves when rights we take for granted are denied to others and to ourselves. Get involved and vote. 

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More R & R for All Citizens

All American citizens are guaranteed the right to a prompt, fair trial by jury. Do you know what part of the Constitution has that guarantee? Check it out here: http://billofrightsinstitute.org/resources/educator-resources/americapedia/americapedia-bill-of-rights/speedy-trial/

American citizens also have the right to vote in elections for public officials. Are legislators in your state making it easier or harder for people to vote? What can you do if you object to current voting regulations in your state? Do you even know where to start? This website has basic information about elections and where in the Constitution those rights are guaranteed. I would also suggest that you begin with the Secretary of State for your state. You can find your Secretary of State with information on how to contact them here: http://www.nass.org/contact/sos-members/

The two responsibilities I want to examine today are: the responsibility to participate in the democratic process and the responsibility to obey all federal, state, and local laws.

Voting is one way we participate in the democratic process, but, there are many others. A participatory democracy is essential if we are to preserve and protect our freedoms. Did it ever occur to you that protesting is another way we participate in the democratic process? In fact, it is guaranteed in the Constitution as another right! When you write a letter to the editor or publish a blog post and share it, you are participating! When you contact your representatives or attend a meet and greet for a candidate, you are participating! When you vote early and volunteer to drive others to the polls or help people get the necessary identification to register to vote, you are participating! The message here is: DO SOMETHING! There are many ways to be a responsible citizen and participate.

Last, we have the responsibility to obey the laws. What if the law is unfair? What if we disagree with that law? Have you heard the term "civil disobedience"? Much has been written on this subject. Here's a great place to start if you want to explore the topic in more depth: http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil.html Civil disobedience is defined by Webster as: "refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something"   I was taught in my civics classes to obey the existing law and work to get is changed if you disagree with it. However, there are times when a citizen may need to practice civil disobedience and must be willing to suffer the consequences. It is something citizens must decide for themselves. 

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The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

Let's look at two rights and two responsibilities today. The first right is freedom to express yourself. Our Bill of Rights has that as number one. Yet, is that right unlimited? Of course not! In America, we have freedom of speech, but, we can also be charged with slander and other crimes if we choose to abuse that right. The second right is freedom to worship as you wish. Sadly, we have some who think that only means the way they worship. If others try to assert their faith or atheism, they are condemned as starting a war on religion. If we are to preserve these two rights, then we must defend them even for those who say things we don't like or who practice a religion different from our own.

Now let's look at the first two responsibilities of a citizen. The first is to support and defend the Constitution. When was the last time you looked at the Constitution? Just for fun, why not try some of the quizzes here: http://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-constitution-kids/us-history-quiz/ How well can you defend something if you don't know what it is that you are defending? ConstitutionFacts.com has several useful places on their site to help you strengthen your knowledge of our Constitution. Build up your knowledge so that you can be a strong defender and supporter.

The second responsibility for today is to stay informed of the issues affecting your community. Sure, the local evening news cast is a place to start. But, do not become complacent and think that is all you need to do. There are many other sources of information. In order for a citizen to be truly informed, one must actively seek out multiple sources of information. If you want to know what your representatives think or believe, whether on your city council, your county board, your state legislature, or in Congress, then learn who they are and how to best contact them. Attend public meetings where you can listen and learn about the issues.
No one is going to do this for you. To be informed is an active and unending process.
Every election year is important, but this one may be pivotal. Be informed and vote. That is your responsibility and mine. Just do it!

Could You Pass the Naturalization Test to Become a Citizen?

On July 4, 2014, President Obama hosted a naturalization ceremony for members of the military and their spouses. These are people who signed up to serve in our military and then became citizens. The roster included 15 active duty service members, two veterans, one reservist, and seven military spouses. http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/04/politics/military-citizenship/index.html 

For a first hand account of what it is like to prepare to become an American citizen, I recommend this article by Moni Basu http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/01/living/moni-basu-american-citizenship/index.html

So, do you think you could pass the test? Here is a practice test with 25 questions that you can take on-line: http://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/quiz/learners/study-test/study-materials-civics-test/naturalization-self-test-1

I challenge the reader to take the quiz. As it says in the introduction, "The actual civics test is NOT a multiple choice test. The civics test is an oral test. During your naturalization interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100 questions. You must answer 6 out of 10 questions correctly to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test." 

I took the quiz and missed one question out of the 25. I should not have missed that one. The point that I am hoping to make is that many of us take for granted what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America. Maybe we had a civics class in high school, but, for many of us that was awhile ago. 

I found the text on citizenship rights and responsibilities to be quite moving. This is on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website: "Citizenship is the common thread that connects all Americans. We are a nation bound not by race or religion, but by the shared values of freedom, liberty, and equality. Throughout our history, the United States has welcomed newcomers from all over the world. The contributions of immigrants have helped shape and define the country we know today. More than 200 years after our founding, naturalized citizens are still an important part of our democracy"
.http://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/citizenship-rights-and-responsibilities It then goes on to list some of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship:

Rights

Responsibilities

Freedom to express yourself. Freedom to worship as you wish. Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury. Right to vote in elections for public officials. Right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship. Right to run for elected office. Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Support and defend the Constitution. Stay informed of the issues affecting your community. Participate in the democratic process. Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws. Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others. Participate in your local community. Pay income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local authorities. Serve on a jury when called upon. Defend the country if the need should arise.

How Can You Be a True Patriot?

Patriot is defined as one "who loves and fights or strongly supports his or her country." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriot It is far more than attending Fourth of July parades. It is far more than going to the picnics and fireworks displays. It is far more than waving the American Flag or yelling, "Go USA!" at the World Cup.

A true patriot is one who learns about the issues, stays informed about what their representatives in Congress are doing or not doing, gets registered to vote, helps others get to vote, and most importantly, VOTES!

Charles Pierce says it better than I ever could in his essay here: http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/24558-focus-you-have-no-excuse-for-not-voting-not-anymore I hope everyone will take a few minutes to read it and realize how precious the right to vote is.
Many people have sacrificed all for our right to vote. How can anyone take it for granted?

So, on this patriotic day when Americans celebrate our independence, why not make a promise to yourself and your country and get involved in the election process? Here is a great place to start: http://www.rockthevote.com/   And another great one is: http://www.mytimetovote.com/

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What is a Twitterbomb? And Its Uses in Clicktivism

Do you know the answer?  It is the use of a hashtag, i.e. #NotOneMore (on gun violence) from multiple accounts to direct attention to a cause or product. What is use of hashtag? "

• People use the hashtag symbol # before a relevant keyword or phrase (no spaces) in their Tweet to categorize those Tweets and help them show more easily in Twitter Search." https://support.twitter.com/articles/49309-using-hashtags-on-twitter 

When a large number of people start tweeting a hashtag at one time, it triggers a Twitter Trend. People on Twitter notice what's trending because Twitter gives them a listing. Then, they come to the hashtag to see what's going on. How do you get people to start tweeting a hashtag at the same time? Sometimes it just happens naturally, but usually, for political purposes especially, it is best to plan them in advance and then communicate through direct messages and email the planned hashtag and the time to start tweeting.

According to Zach Green, founder of UniteBlue, the beginner should plan to do a twitterbomb in the evening when there is less news breaking. He has great information on twitterbombing here: http://140elect.com/twitter-politics/set-time-to-detonate-twitter-bomb/

You can also go to the www.UniteBlue.org website and submit your idea for a twitterbomb. uniteblue.org/join

Check out this message from UniteBlue's founder regarding the impact of a twitterbomb: http://uniteblue.org/community/2013/03/the-value-of-a-twitterbomb-timetoact/

You don't have to be a member of UniteBlue to participate in a twitterbomb, but, you do have to be a member to receive advanced notice of the hashtag to trend and the time to begin tweeting.

If you are on twitter and notice a UniteBlue hashtag trending, please join the fun. Also, please consider joining UniteBlue so you can know in advance and submit ideas for future twitterbombs. You never know when we'll be launching another one!

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Do You Want to be Part of the Solution?

November 4, 2014 will be a pivotal moment in our country's history. You can be part of the solution. We need everyone to realize how vital it is that Democrats keep control of the Senate and hopefully, gain a few seats in the House of Representatives. So what can you do to be part of the solution? Well, if you have a Facebook account, you can join groups that help spread the Democratic message and "like" pages that give good information. Then you can share those pages on your own FB time line so that people who are your friends can get informed.

Next, you can get a Twitter account. Learn how to do great tweets and build up your following so that you can help inform and encourage potential voters. Here are two places to get great information on doing Twitter the right way:  http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/ and http://140elect.com/twitter-politics/100-rules-of-effective-political-tweeting/

Also, join http://uniteblue.org/ On that site, you can find many other people who will encourage and support your efforts. I have personally gained over 13,000 new followers since I joined in April of 2013.

Another great place to share information and meet other Liberal activists is Google Plus. First, you get a gmail account, https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?service=mail  .

Activate the Google Plus and find your friends and join Communities that also support the Democratic cause.

Google offers many helpful tools to make your work easier: https://plus.google.com/communities/115758385206378551362/stream/e353677a-5dd5-452c-b9b5-66cbaecd59c9
 If you do these things, you will become a clicktivist. http://www.clicktivist.org/what-is-clicktivism/

Make your clicks count! Tell people about candidates you like and support. Encourage people to vote.
Tell them where to find voter information. Share where your nearest Democratic party headquarters are located. Offer to meet someone there. Sign up for phone banks. Attend candidate meet and greets. There's so much YOU can do if you want to be part of the solution.
Go here for more on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref_type=bookmark

and be sure to check out @PDMFNB #PDMFNB on Twitter