Falling Down

 I learned so much from falling down. I had things planned that day. First, take husband to his physical therapy. Then, get stamps at post office and pick up a few groceries before going home for lunch. Got the first thing done but the other two had to wait till another day. I fell in the parking lot of the post office and ended up in the ER. My BFF Linda picked up my husband and took him to our house and waited with him to see if I would be okay. The ER staff took good care of me and after a couple CT scans to prove there was no serious damage, I was released to drive myself home. 

So, I learned that getting up is vital if you hope to make progress. I learned that we often need to rely on the kindness of others if we hope to have success. And I learned to have patience with myself and others because none of us has achieved perfection. 

The Blame Game

 I am sharing this post that was written by a Facebook friend, Michael J C Taylor. Dr. TAYLOR is an American constitutional historian. https://www.facebook.com/dr.mjctaylor 

We are always looking for somebody to blame.

Yeah things are rotten all over. It’s because of the immigrants flooding our borders looking for a hand-out. It’s because of all these damned minorities demanding their “rights”. It is because of breakdown of the traditional family. It’s because of the Democrats or the Republicans we can’t get anything done. It’s because of one thing or another my life has gone straight to hell. 

And because of it everybody is a racist, a fascist, a homophobe, a redneck, a misogynist, a feminista, a religious nut, an atheist freak, or something else insulting. Of course when we assign blame we are obligated to involve ourselves in name-calling. It is as American as apple pie.

For every dysfunction and misery we experience in our lives we assign blame to others. It is much easier to assign culpability to someone else than it is to ruminate and dissect the nature of our problems and seek a solution. And in doing so it is also required we isolate ourselves within small hordes of like-minded people because there is strength in numbers no matter how wrong we may be. And yet we still wonder why human civilization is coming apart at the seams.

Though this phenomena has gone on since before recorded history social media has both exacerbated and amplified it. Longtime friendships have ended because of petty disagreements over nonsense, as well as family members disinheriting one another due disagreements. And all place the blame with the other. Blame is easy, assuming the responsibility to mend and maintain vital relationships that is hard, in fact too hard for too many.

Not only do we expect everyone within our families and communities to act congruent with the rules, but we jump down on them hard when they deviate. Why did that young man run from the cops when he was being arrested? It’s obvious he was guilty of something. Why did the cop draw his weapon and fire? It’s obvious the officer thought they were in imminent danger. Yet when we make such judgments and place blame we are doing so without knowing all of the circumstances and facts of the incident in question. We just assume we do because our chosen medial tells us so.

I hate to be the one to break it to you but people are not perfect and are prone to make mistakes. Big ones and often. Yes every one of us. Due to the constant battle between our rational and emotional selves we all eat it once in a while. And believe me when I tell you I am just as guilty of this as you. I am in no way, shape or form perfect, but because I am not I do my level best to refrain from passing such judgments of blame upon others until I am well acquainted with the provable facts of any situation.

If we are to heal as a people, as a community and as a country we must stop looking for somebody to blame. We must look beyond blame and seek a solution to the problems which afflict us all. In our common struggles there is a unity of purpose, but if we continue to dwell in the despair of division the miserable doldrums of our lives will never change.

So must we always look for somebody to blame. I am doing my best not to, but I am human and will fail occasionally. And for that I am the one to blame.

Thoughts on ‘A Promised Land’ by Barack Obama

I just finished reading the first chapter. Like his other two books that I’ve read, this one does not disappoint. President Obama speaks with clarity and insight that gives the reader a peek into the people and processes that shaped his worldview. He asks questions we must resolve ourselves. Such as the one posed to him by his mother, Ann Durham, when she learned he’d been involved in a bullying episode. “What kind of person do you want to be?” She explained that there are people who only think of themselves and there are people who imagine how others feel and make sure they don’t do things that make others feel bad. This is a guiding principle akin to the Golden Rule. 

As he reflects on events shaping his life, Obama pondered What made some movements successful, while others failed. He looked at compromise and wondered when it was acceptable and when it was selling out and how could one know the difference. Each person must consider which principles will guide their relationships and how far they are willing to go to live by those principles. Lastly, how does societal change happen and how can we be sure everyone’s voice is heard? 

On to Chapter Two. 

Prescription Drug Costs

I don’t know if my story applies to many others, but here goes. My husband received a kidney transplant in October 2009. Since that time, he’s been on three different daily doses of anti-rejection drugs. Fortunately, our employer-provided health insurance has covered them and his other medications with very reasonable copays. The highest has been $15 for a month’s supply. Imagine my surprise when last week I was notified by our pharmacy that the copay for one was now $100 for a month’s supply. It’s very shocking when you are on a fixed retirement income and so many other costs are rising. I called our prescription drug provider and was told that as per the agreement, if a month’s supply was under $1000 the copay was $15 maximum but if it exceeds $1000, then the copay becomes $100. His myfortic acid had gone from $967 to $1027, a $50 increase. So, now our copay increased from $15 to $100, an $85 increase. Insane, I told the insurance customer service person. She reminded me of all the years it had only been $15 and said I could be grateful for that.

I called the pharmacy and was told they could try to submit it to Medicare Part B if they had a prescription from his nephrologist listing his diagnosis. So, I called the doctor and requested they send the pharmacy an updated prescription. Imagine my delight and surprise when I got notified by the pharmacy that his prescription was ready to pick up and the copay was ZERO! I’m happy but wondering why this wasn’t done way back when he first started this medication. Oh well, as least it’s covered now and I hope and pray Republicans don’t find a way to cut Medicare in the future as those cuts hurt people in ways the lawmakers can’t even imagine. If any of this resonates with you, please pass it on or comment. Thank you.

Pigeonholing People

Political pundits get into trouble when they insist on pigeonholing voters. Yet, they persist in trying to lump people together. Here’s an example: An over 70 rural white voter, according to the pundits, most likely is conservative, feels threatened by people of color and immigrants, feels “economic anxiety” and is most likely a Trump supporter. Isn’t that how many in that demographic are characterized? Yet, I and many of my friends are over 70 rural white voters and we voted for Hillary Clinton.

Another example: A 40 year old, white, non-college educated male factory worker. Again, the pundits pigeonhole this person as most likely threatened by immigrants coming to take their jobs and most likely a Trump supporter. But, is it true? I know several men who fit this category and they are avid Bernie Sanders supporters.

The point is that political pundits err when they insist on trying to find simplistic explanations for complex issues like why certain candidates are popular. For a more nuanced explanation than I can give, see

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/19/opinion/trump-corporations-white-working-class.html

Political Polling

According to the NCPP, there are 20 questions that journalists should use in looking at public polling data. I think they are actually good for all of us to know. Are you interested in knowing how the NCAA suggests a reporter analyze a poll? If so, please go here for the article:  http://www.ncpp.org/?q=node/4   Maybe even copy and paste it to your favorite journalist! Here is a PDF file you can send to them:  http://www.ncpp.org/files/20%20Questions%203rd%20edition_Web%20ver_2006.pdf

In short, here are the 20 questions:

1. Who did the poll?
2. Who paid for the poll and why was it done?
3. How many people were interviewed for the survey?
4. How were those people chosen?
5. What area (nation, state, or region) or what group (teachers,lawyers, Democratic voters, etc.) were these people chosen from?
6. Are the results based on the answers of all the people interviewed?
7. Who should have been interviewed and was not? Or do response rates matter?
8. When was the poll done?
9. How were the interviews conducted?
10. What about polls on the Internet or World Wide Web?
11. What is the sampling error for the poll results?
12. Who’s on first?
13. What other kinds of factors can skew poll results?
14. What questions were asked?
15. In what order were the questions asked?
16. What about "push polls?"
17. What other polls have been done on this topic? Do they say the same thing? If they are different, why are they different?
18. What about exit polls?
19. What else needs to be included in the report of the poll?
20. So I've asked all the questions. The answers sound good. Should we report the results?   

Each of the questions is discussed in depth in the article. I hope you will be better informed and not so quick to panic at the next dire polling report you read or hear about.

For a quick minute explanation go here:  http://www.takepart.com/video/how-political-polls-work-civics-minute-video

The Right to Vote

Did you know that the U. S. Constitution did NOT originally define who had the right to vote? It deferred that decision to each state. As you can imagine, this created much confusion. Many states only allowed Caucasian male property owners the franchise. Some allowed Caucasian males with taxable income to vote. New Jersey even allowed women to vote if they met the property requirement. In some places freed slaves and non-white Americans were allowed to vote, again if they met the property requirement. Many states and local jurisdictions started requiring poll taxes be paid to vote and literacy tests passed. By the time of the Civil War, most white males were allowed to vote whether they owned property or not. By not clearly defining the right to vote, the framers of the Constitution created chaos. Many citizens were kept from voting because they were deemed to be "undesirable". Now, if any of this is beginning to sound like what is again happening in our country, you might want to start paying attention!

Carol Anderson, Professor Of African American Studies at Emory University, and best selling author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth Of Our Nation’s Divide, has a new book on voting rights entitled, One Person, No Vote. Available on September 11, 2018, this is the story of how absolutely fragile the voting franchise is in our country. Anderson details how these rights have been challenged before leading to several amendments to the U. S. Constitution that guarantee citizens' right to vote. Unfortunately, there are always those who want to make voting harder, especially for persons of color and poor people.  Professor Anderson's newest book is very well written with extensive notes. It is a must read for anyone interested in learning about the history of voting in the United States of America. 

In 1965, our Congress also passed the Voting Rights Act. See this link for brief timeline of voting rights up to 2016:  https://www.aclu.org/timeline-history-voting-rights-act As you can see, citizens are again having to face efforts by some in power to keep others from be able to vote. In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States, in Shelby vs. Holder, gutted a critical protection of the voting rights act, section 4. This allowed states to begin enacting voter new restriction laws. Since then there have been numerous court fights and decisions to restore voters' rights. A simple review of the ACLU timeline linked above is illuminating. There is no ABSOLUTE right to vote. Voting can be restricted. 

No one should take their right to vote for granted. To learn if you can vote this year by clicking this link:  iwillvote.com Then, please check this link to learn all you can about voting and access to resources to help you exercise your rights. http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting/Learn.shtml

I am a Democrat

I am a Democrat. I vote for and support Democrats. The Democratic Party Platform lays out what I believe.  https://www.democrats.org/party-platform Every four years, we craft a new platform in consultation with Democrats from all over the country.

During the 2016 election cycle, Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, was allowed to run for president in the Democratic primaries and caucuses. I did not support him because as I said, I vote for Democrats. But, I did like some of his ideas. Some of those actually made it into the party platform. I am thankful that Senator Sanders caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate and votes with them frequently.

I supported Barack Obama when he ran for Senate here in Illinois in 2004. And I supported him in 2008 when he ran for president. I would have been just as excited if Hillary Clinton had won the nomination that year as I'd always liked her.

When Hillary ran for president again in 2016, I was 100% behind her. As a staunch supporter of Hillary, I was often attacked on social media. I was called a Hillbot. And worse. Many attackers claimed to be supporters of Bernie Sanders. It was so terrible for me and others, that many considered leaving social media. Hillary supporters began calling them Bros. And a huge divide split the party.

Many feelings were hurt by the name calling and attacks from both factions. Republicans and third party candidates were thrilled. The more Democrats and Bernie supporters attacked each other, the less heat they felt. Some of the vilest attackers weren't even true Bernie supporters. They were paid to divide the left.

In the end, most Bernie supporters ended up voting for Hillary. But, the most ardent, the ones for whom everything is a "purity test", either voted third party or chose to sit out the election.

One of the consequences is that we have Trump as president. Another serious consequence is that as a party, we still have divisions that will impact our ability to win elections. Republicans also have divisions, as we've seen with their efforts to repeal ACA. But, Republicans don't let their divisions get in the way of electing Republicans.

I want to win elections as much as any other person. But, I don't want to see the Democratic Party win by becoming like the Republicans, who will do and say anything to win. Democrats are on the right side of history. We support issues that affect every single American.

We don't have to cheat or compromise our values to win. Republicans have won because they have tons of money for advertising and because they stopped millions of people from voting!

We are the majority! We won the popular vote. We can win if we stay true to our Party's values. If you think like I do, then I ask, are you willing to put your money on the line? Two of my friends have started a SuperPac for progressive Democratic candidates. This is a legitimate SuperPac with all of the legal requirements. It is called Democrats Work for America. Here is our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DemsWork4USA/ We also have a website:  DemocratsWorkForAmerica.org  We have a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/DemsWork4USA

Recently, Angela Marx wrote about us in DailyKos: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/7/30/1685365/-ATTN-Candidates-Democratic-Party-Chairs-DemocratsWorkForAmerica-org-a-SuperPAC-for-you

Please consider donating. We carefully screen any candidate we chose to support. Thank you.

We're Stuck

There's no easy way to say this. We are stuck with Trump. When voters stayed home or voted for 3rd party candidates, Trump was able to get just enough votes to squeak by in 3 key states so he could get a victory in the Electoral College. It doesn't matter that he LOST the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. Some say that enough voters were disenfranchised in those states to achieve the EC victory.

The reality now is that we are stuck. Don't put your hopes on Republicans impeaching him. His base will stick with him no matter what outrageous thing he does. Republicans won't even think of impeachment unless his base somehow decides he's trouble.

So, what are the 72+million of us who voted for someone else going to do? As I see it, we can protest, pay close attention to what he's doing, and most of all, we can vote. Midterms and special elections aren't as sexy as Presidential elections. Democrats don't usually bother. But, not this time. This time, Democrats must realize that we don't have the luxury of not voting. The right is busy winning elections, from school board to state legislatures to US Congress. Are we just going to sit back and cede our country to them? No! We are going to make sure we are registered, help others to get registered and we're going to vote like our lives depend on it. Because they do!

Playing by the Rules

Would you play a chess game with someone who played by a different set of rules than you? That really wouldn't make sense would it? Especially if your set of rules put you at a disadvantage. Yet, this is exactly what some critics would expect of Democrats. Critics want Democrats to pass some kind of purity test that says they shouldn't take campaign monies from Wall Street or corporations while their opponents continue to rake in the big bucks.

When Barack Obama was first running for president in 2008, he promised to pursue with his opponent the course of using only public financing for their campaigns. When he saw how primary opponents were gaming the system using 527 groups (now called Super PACs) he reversed course. The linked article explains his reasoning. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061900914.html.

As is everything in politics, it's complicated. We now have many critics of the Democratic party who want us to play by a different set of rules than our opponents. Democrats are expected to win races, but are asked to follow rules that would hinder their chances of winning.

It would be great if we had a system where presidential candidates could only use public financing and that prohibited outside groups from collecting monies or holding fundraisers for candidates. But, we don't have that. Our Supreme Court has ruled that corporations also have free speech rights under our Constitution. Their money is their speech. So, we have a system that allows PACs and Super PACs and we cannot require Democrats to play by a different set of rules than their opponents. If Democrats don't win elections, they don't have much opportunity to enact laws to change the system or to implement their platform.

Right now winning is vital. Be wary of any critic who wants to improve the Democratic Party by requiring Democrats to play by a different set of rules than their opponents.

"A Vision of Mutuality"

Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world where all people respected and valued each other? In such a world, there would be no domination of one set of people over another. We'd all be seen as having equal value and potential. Do you believe that such a world is possible? Are all created equal but some are just more equal than others? This simply cannot be.

A long time ago, some very patriotic and wise men got together and came up with this:  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Do you recognize it? Yes, it's from the Declaration of Independence. Look back, it says "all men are created equal". Did they really mean that? All - men - ??

The Founding Fathers eventually framed a constitution that said slaves were 3/5th a person and women could not vote. So, it appears what they really meant to say was that ALL WHITE AND FREE MEN (who were landowners) are created equal. Since that time Blacks and women have had to fight to be treated equally by this Constitution. We've had to amend that Constitution several times and we've had to take issues to the Supreme Court to ensure that ALL are created and treated equally. And we aren't done yet!

Perhaps you've heard this quote, "Women's rights are human rights." It's from a speech given by Hillary Rodham Clinton in 1995. You can read the whole things here:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm

That's over 20 years ago!  Are we closer to a world where all people respect and value each other? Or do we still have work to do? If you believe we may have come a long way baby, but, we still have work to do, you might just be a feminist.

There, I said it. A feminist. Do you want to be labeled a feminist? Some think it's a dirty word describing a man-hating woman who wishes she'd been born a man. Nothing could be further from the truth.
According to Bell Hooks, who is one of our most eminent feminist leaders, feminism is, "a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." Anyone can be a feminist then. I am a feminist and I raised my three sons to be feminists. I'm proud they value equality for all. Feminism is for Everybody is the title of a book by Hooks published in 2000. Grab a copy. It's small, but, powerful.

I believe feminists need to be political. I believe ignoring politics is not an option. We need awareness of what's happening at every level in our political system. We cannot afford to ignore it. Not if we want to keep the rights we have. There are plenty who would love to see our political system return to the way it was when the Constitution was framed. 

 Are you interested? Are you willing to get involved? If you are new to political activism, start with Ballotpedia. It is a "nonprofit, nonpartisan collaborative encyclopedia designed to connect people to politics and elections at the local,state and federal level."  https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

There is carefully researched information available on the site. According to wikipedia, Ballotpedia was "Founded in 2007, it covers American federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy." Everything is referenced and it is free of partisan opinion. 

Here are some things you can do to make a difference: write a letter-to-the editor, attend a town hall, go to a city council meeting, volunteer for a candidate or organization you support; you get the idea. Act. 

Join me and others who want to make this world a place where mutual respect is the norm and all people are considered to have inherent value. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."   https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/margaretme100502.html

The First Hundred Days

I am thoroughly exhausted by the chaos that is Trump's presidency. He has gathered a cadre of people about him who all seem to have some connections to Russia and are willing to lie about it. In just 70+ days at least 3 have resigned or been fired. Now, we have a president who's campaign staff are under FBI investigation for their ties to Russia and possible collusion with Russia to influence the outcome of the November election. How on earth did we get here? Many pundits far wiser than I have been trying to figure it out. Some blame the victim of this Russian interference by saying Hillary Clinton was an awful candidate. Some blame the DNC and the head at the time, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Others blame the media for not doing their investigative duty and informing voters of the extent of Donald Trump's ties to Russia and his vast businesses that would present many opportunities for conflicts of interest.

I think there's plenty of blame to go around but let's now stop looking for someone to blame. Now is the time to figure out what to do with an amateur administration that doesn't know how to function effectively in DC or in world affairs. Not knowing is one thing. (No one expects them to know everything.) The most troubling aspect in my opinion is their willful ignorance. From my view, it looks like they don't even care to know. That's just sad.

We can only hope this administration begins to accept the extent of their ignorance and tries to remedy it by getting expert advice. Having a former media president with no experience in government advise Trump is no way to govern. The apprentice president needs experts in the room, not his children nor his in-laws. If we make it to day 100, it will be because wiser heads than his prevailed.

Action Required

It wasn't just President Obama's nightmare coming true. Most Americans were horrified to learn that Donald J Trump had won the necessary Electoral College votes to secure the presidency. President Obama had to eat his own words predicting that Trump would never be president of the United States. He had to be gracious and kind to the man who was anything but gracious and kind to him during his two terms in office. Most of us who had supported a different candidate went through the stages of grieving; many getting permanently stuck in the anger stage. Many of us finally reached the acceptance stage only to wake each morning to the reality of Trump's presidency and a new round of outrageous tweets, ridiculous surrogate statements, and bizarre Congressional committee hearings. We are only just 3 weeks into this presidency and yet nearly half of Americans polled would like to see him impeached. So, where do we go from here? As a long time Democrat, my plan is to resist most of President Trump's agenda. I don't support most of what he's proposed to do as president. I will support any Democrat in office who also opposes President Trump. I will work to encourage people to vote for Democrats who are running for office. If you share my sentiments, please find something you can do in this article on how to oppose President Trump and commit to taking action.
https://qz.com/846940/a-yale-history-professors-20-point-guide-to-defending-democracy-under-a-trump-presidency/

The Resistance

According to a magnificent article  by Liel Leibovitz in Tablet Magazine we have three obligatory tasks ahead of us if we are to survive. You can read the article here: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/217831/what-to-do-about-trump

I'm going to share the three points here. First, "The first, and most obvious, is this: Treat every poisoned word as a promise. When a bigoted blusterer tells you he intends to force members of a religious minority to register with the authorities—much like those friends and family of Siegfried’s who stayed behind were forced to do before their horizon grew darker—believe him. Don’t try to be clever. Don’t lean on political intricacies or legislative minutia or historical precedents for comfort. Don’t write it off as propaganda, or explain it away as just an empty proclamation meant simply to pave the path to power. Take the haters at their word, and assume the worst is imminent."

The second follows:  " Don’t waste any time, then, trying to understand: Then as now, many were amused by the demagogue and moved by his vile vision."

Finally, "Refuse to accept what’s going on as the new normal. Not now, not ever. " The point here is exactly like what the poet Maya Angelo said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." 

He has shown us and the Republican Party led by Paul Ryan has shown us. Let's get our act together and fight them every step of the way. 

We can throw them out of the White House and both houses of Congress if we can stop our infighting and act as a united party. I hope Democrats have the wherewithal to do it. Time will tell. 

Updated: Democrats and a very few Republicans will be the salvation of our democracy. When folks try to get you to vote against a Democrat because he/she isn't currently voting the way they want, check Ballotpedia for that member of Congress' voting record. Most likely they vote with Democrats the majority of the time. If that person were defeated in the primary and lost to a Republican in the general election, do you really think the Republican would vote with the Democrats the majority of the time? Folks who tell you to vote against an established Democrat, especially in areas the are Republican strongholds, may have a hidden agenda. Consider if they are trying to strengthen the Democratic Party or trying to blow it up. 

Love vs Hate

I wrote this last year before the election. Sadly, somehow, America chose hate and fear. Will we survive? Yes!! We will resist this charlatan every step of the way. Need help?  Go here:  theoppofile.com or find a local group of individuals who are also committed to Resistance.


Hate builds walls. It destroys and leads to violence and death. Hate sets people apart and creates fear. Hate divides and labels people.

Love builds bridges. Love brings peace and joy. Love unifies people and creates trust. Love brings compassion and serenity.

One candidate trades in hate. He labels people to create distrust and fear. He promotes violence and promises walls and policies to keep people separate.

My candidate talks about love. She wants to unify America. She promotes community and kindness. Her voice is raised for ALL AMERICANS. I trust her. She has my support. Which will you choose? #ChooseLove

Bernie's Revolution

By definition revolution is:   "an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed." http://www.dictionary.com/browse/revolution

The term can also mean: "a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence."

Some of Bernie Sanders' followers seem to be of the second persuasion. But, is that what Sanders himself is seeking? Just yesterday, he continued his call for revolution at a rally in San Jose, CA. 
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_29909443/san-jose-bernie-sanders-continues-call-political-revolution

Careful review of his message will show that he is not talking about the second type of revolution. Yes, he is unhappy with the status quo within the Democratic Party. And no doubt he will have some influence at the DNC National Convention in July.

In the meantime, Sanders' best efforts need to be directed at taking down Donald Trump and helping turn the Senate Blue by electing Democrats to some of the seats currently held by Republicans.

Rather than view the DNC, the Democratic Party, and Hillary Clinton as the enemy, Sanders and his supporters must focus on defeating Republicans if their revolution is ever to have a chance of changing anything they so disparage about the current political system.

#ImWithHer

I'm a 67 year old woman, wife, mother, and grandmother. I came of age in the 60's. At that time young women were mostly looking to get married and raise a family. Young women who wanted a career were mostly tracked into nursing, teaching, or secretarial work. Before The Pill, women were often derailed in their career goals by their biology. At that time women were subject to and trained to be submissive to their husbands. Many were told who to vote for by their husbands. If they worked outside the home, they were still expected to accomplish all or most of the household tasks.

It was a time of transition. I got married in 1970. Because I had access to birth control, I could finish my education, start my career, and plan the birth of my first child. My husband was a traditional man but he learned to adapt to the changes and together we have helped raise his four children and the three we had together.

I am supporting Hillary Clinton this time because I believe she will be good for America. I have looked at her past actions and her current policy proposals. I like her emphasis on early childhood education and paid family medical leave. I like that she got the children's health program passed. Her plan to make college affordable seems to me more reasonable than free college.

I trust her judgment and respect her diplomatic expertise. Hillary Clinton is no war monger but she isn't a pushover either. She has experience at the statesman level and is the best qualified candidate to ever run for president. That's why she has my vote. And my husband's!

Trump Supporters are Delusional

The reality is that no one person can possibly be all the things that Trump supporters claim him to be. I offer as evidence this article from The Atlantic: 
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/donald-trump-voters/401408/

The article was published last August and the author invited Trump supporters to write to him with their reasons for supporting the egocentric billionaire. Connor Friedersdorf, the author, explains that the responses tend to fall into two broad categories. "Broadly speaking, the men and women who wrote fall into two categories: Those who earnestly believe that Trump is the best choice to lead America and those who are motivated by giddyness at the chaotic spectacle of his success."

Here for your enlightenment are a few of their responses: 
 "A Liberal Who Wants America to Win––“I feel that Trump is our only hope in this next election. This is coming from someone who voted for Obama in the last election!”

Trump is Low Risk, High Reward––“I will vote for Donald Trump (and to a lesser extent Bernie Sanders) because he represents hope… And how much damage can he really do?”

Desperate People Cast Desperate Votes––“Wall Street, the banks, and even illegal immigrants seem to be prospering more than the average American citizen. We are desperate.”

Trump is a Gamble Worth Taking––“I am of the belief that he is conceited and arrogant enough to avoid failing in front of the world at all cost.”

Trump Put Illegal Immigration Front and Center––“We have horrendous problem with illegal aliens, sanctuary cities & crimes.”

Trump supporters rely on magical thinking. They believe him when he tells them to trust him to work out the details. They relish in his bravado. They commend him for being brash and insulting. In other words, Trump supporters are as scary to many of us as he is. 

Try to imagine him as our president. What type of image would he present to the world? If you don't find that a scary thought, then, I worry about you. 

Super Tuesday is Just Around the Corner

March 1 is Super Tuesday. Twelve states will be holding their primary events. More delegates for the party's nominating convention can be won on this date than on any other. "Since Super Tuesday primaries are typically held in a large number of states from geographically and socially diverse regions of the country, Super Tuesday typically represents a presidential candidate's first test of national electability. Convincing wins in Super Tuesday primaries have usually propelled candidates to their party's nomination. The particular states holding primaries on Super Tuesday have varied from year to year." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Tuesday

Which Democratic party candidate will Super Tuesday favor? According to a recent article in The Washington Post, Super Tuesday came about because the Southern Democrats wanted a larger say in selecting the party's nominee. The Southern Republicans agreed.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/02/22/why-super-tuesday-is-so-dangerous-for-bernie-sanders/ 

There are 11 states plus American Samoa are participating in this year's Super Tuesday. Nearly 40% of the convention delegates are at stake next on March 1. Texas has the most at 252. Then there's Massachusetts and Georgia at 116 each and Virginia at 110. 

Can either candidate claim the nomination after Super Tuesday? Probably, not. Yet, clear victories by Hillary Clinton can set her on the path to win the nomination. 

The Senate is Up For Grabs

Assuming we elect a Democratic president on November 8, 2016, she/he will need a different Congress than the one we have now.  The good news is that the Senate is up for grabs. Can we grab more seats for Democrats? There are 34 Senate seats up for re-election on November 8.  If Democrats hope to take back control, we need to elect five seats. Because the majority of seats up for re-election in November are held by Republicans, especially Freshman Senators elected in 2010 midterms, we may have a shot.

According to Ballotpedia, Democrats have made gains in Senate seats during the last two presidential elections. So, we can reasonably hope to do the same this year.  https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections,_2016  Right now Democrats hold 44 of the 100 Senate seats. We are unlikely to gain enough to get a filibuster proof majority, but, we can hope to regain the majority.

There are five states that Ballotpedia has designated battleground states where Democrats have a chance of taking a Republican seat away in November.  They are:  Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Florida. Three more states have the potential to turn into battlegrounds: Colorado, North Carolina, and Ohio.

Democrats in these states need to get active in the Democratic candidate's campaign. We need to volunteer and donate to help them get elected. There are many things you can do to help. We need you to get involved and help elect Democrats this November.