Two day layoff

I hate running. That's all I have to say about my choice of exercise to keep my weight down. I'm not giong to give up my favorite foods and I detest gyms so that leaves running. Before I got a shin splint, I was running four to five miles a day every couple of days, now I am barely doing two after a two month layoff. Enough with this crap and my whining, let's sink our teeth into some red meat.

Harold came down and threw a breakfast and donated the large sum of 2500 to the party. A good start, but not enough in my view. Junior spends a lot less time down here then he should. If he was actually down here more often, does anyone think that David Cocke would have lost.

A rant that I have given to crackerman several timesis finally about to spew. Sit back and enjoy.

My list of issues with the SCDP is long, varied, and solvable in most cases. The main problem I have is solvable, but is going to take a fundamental change in how this party functions.

That problem is recruitment. Not on election day. Not in candidates. No, our problem is something that if we don't stop it now, will kill this party in twenty years locally. That problem is the ignoring of people between 18 and 25 by the local party.

This is evident in the lack of suport in continuing College Democrats except at election time. The Republicans keep their party going year after year, gathering new members and laying a foundation for future members and fundraisers. Admittedly, many of these members are elitist white frat boys and girls and are thus way more inclined to want to support issues that ensure daddy keeps his money and them from having to find real work.

That is another area we have abandoned. We don't even try to recruit in frats and sororities that are white. I have no problem in getting support from the Q's, Omega's, and Alphas. My best friend from high school is a Q-Dog (why does that statement soound so like an apology). However, abandoning these groups without a fight is dumb. they have to do service anyway, helping out on our causes is a natural progression then republicans can.

Targeting people in this area that aren't in these groups is just as valuable. The war in Iraq, equal access for all people, freedom from government intrusion, more money for schools and Universities, and health care should be our focal points. Kids leaving for school want to know they are safe and that they will have health coverage after they graudate and before they get a real job.

For too long we have ignored kids that could become solid Dems by the age old saws. They have no money, they're more prone to flake out, and they have paid their dues. Well, howsabout some of you old campaign vets give up some damn power and let others have input on campaigns. Just because the old ways have worked for this long doesn't mean you can't change it. The coalition provided a shot of new blood that has been shut our for two long.

This shouldn't have happened. We need to recuit them young when they are most impresisionable. This will help us in providing future donors and candidates. Having to go hat in hand to our few relieable donore in off years just to keep the office going is embarrassing and donations will go down if we lose the state senate and possibly the house.

Many of you who will read this joined the party in the fire of the sixties and seventies because you wanted to take back the country for the good. You are baby boomers who have had a voice for twenty years. You are at the fore front of politics today. You are where you are because the previous generations let you come in and provide new ideas. Don't you think it is time to do the same for my generation and the ones to come?

Pass it on

Hasta La Vista Employment

CAFTA passed. Hey it's great for farmers for now, and bad for every one else forever. I knew Tanner would support it when I saw him on Bloomberg last week. He talked for 5 minutes on gerrymandering reform when everything on their bottom line told about his support for CAFTA and what it woul do.

The only dues we should be required to pay for the SCDP is two pennies. The same two pennies that you have to pay the ferryman. This is just another stupid idea by our own people that will make us look weak and dumb to voters. It is a last ditch grasp to regain power by those that lost the chairmanship race.

Novak was told TWICE by the CIA not to reveal her name and did so anyway. I don't care that he can't have charges brought against him, string the lying sack of shit up or better yet, imbed him for a year in Iraq with Judy Miller. Ever notice that those who supported the Presiden tthe most in national news went over there the least with one exception, the excreable Geraldo Rivera.

Sports-Braves are going to win again. The Nats were a great story, but reality and a slew of injuries have killed them.

A-Rod, baseball's Dan Marino?

Peyton Manning-the new Dan Marino?

Jack-Jack-27 days to go until the due date.

Out, more tomorrow

www.msnbc.com

Add me to the list

Of people who have been lied to by Dell Gill. Strickland sent me a further clarification stating that he has never worked on a Dixon campaign and that Dell is not a good source of information. I already knew this, but, being a complete idiot, I at least felt that Dell would remember who was on a campaign and did some heavy lifting for it and caused someone to garner flak.

Further comments: Dell is one of the people who has put forth a idea to charge (poll tax) people to be members of the local party or sit on exec comm. He wants people to pay their dues, literally or figuratively. D-U-M-B idea. Just what we need, a way to alienate people from joining, smart, very smart.

Gonzalez says that SC Judges can take personal feelings into account when deciding cases, and ignore that tricky thing called the law. Could he make it a little more obvious that he is sucking up to Christers in the Republicrat party. He wanted that nomination bad and must feel this is a way for him to get it.

But what about Brown, it overturned Plessy, because the SC thought it was wrong. Yes, without question. But how did they know this, Virginia? Evidence, years and years of evidence that proved seperate was not equal. This same evidence does not exist excpe in Pat Robertson and Eric Ruduloph's heads. The evidence I've seen make about as much sense as the right's position on global warming.

He might have pleased the right, but he has no shot of being nominated successfully now.

Out, more to come

More than Hornet's, Killer Bees

Got a nasty email from Jim Strickland today. He was 100% correct in telling me that I make it seem that he was responsible form Roscoe losing. I was not saying that. I was informed that Roscoe campaigned with him in U and Near East Memphis by Dell Gill in 2000. This is the election I was referring to. Jim says that he did nothing for Roscoe, not even talk to him. I have to conclude that he was referring to 2004 and my information stated 2000. I am not being facetious in saying that I assumed you would know what year I was referring to. I apologize again.

The crux of my argument remains though and for that I do not apologize. I feel that Roscoe could have made a bigger impact by getting Carol and Mike to help him with door to door as they know their districts and how they vote better than Jim does. I'm sorry, that's the truth, they have won elections from those districts and could have gotten out the vote as neither faced credible primary challengers. At least Jim was asked to help do campaigning, most of the time the only thing you find in non-power base precincts is a sign on a major intersection.

Enough of rehashing for now. On to more things.

Jane Fonda-National book tour in vegetable oil powered bus. It's hot enough now that when she goes through Texas on this tour they won't have to turn the fryer on.

Hillary-Another DLC sellout who will probably get the nomination. Here's hoping she tacks to the left unlike Bill who tacked right.

Plame-Rove should be fired, tried, and hung along with Bush, Rummy, Cheney, and Wolfowitz for crimes agianst America

Trading Deadline-Braves not going to do anything, hoping the Cards have injuries, and West Tenn bounces back.

John Roberts-unqualified wingnut

Gonzalez-the foundation of our Judicial system, precedent, is null and void if a SC judge personally disagrees with it, more on this tomorrow when I simmer down.

Out

Hornet's Nests

Dell Gill set out an email that said essentially I am an idiot who doesn't know what I am talking about. About many things this can be said to be undeniably true. In this case he is wrong.

Let's see, Roscoe lost because he spent 50% of the time campaigning in East Memphis. Okay, I'll take your word on that. Unfortunately, he did this with a man who has a decided lack of charisma for inspring people, Jim Strickland. I like Jim because he helped bail Mike Kernell out several times, but a man that is inspitational and willmotivate people in working class white neighborhoods to get out and vote for a black candidate? No.

You say that it was North Memphis blacks who lost him the election. Hmm, could it be because there was no mail outs to any of these districts? You do a mail out and they would have known that Roscoe Dixon is a black man who just happens to have a name that sounds like a Dukes of Hazzard fan.

Roscoe never did door to door or anything in my district in 2004. I know a lot of people consider the University District East Memphis, it ain't. East Memphis starts at Oak Court. The people in the neighborhoods near mine are closer to Mid-Town then East Memphis. Come to Mid-Town and give people a reason to vote for you.

I don't get it. When you see a canidate for office or people you know are on his campaign and you tell them, hey, we are doing door to door for the X campaign, save your money and just give us some literature and a quick explanation and we'll do it for you, you would expect to get some information, right?

A black can win county wide. Witness AC Wharton. How did he win? He outworked his opponents, took nothing for granted, and told the detractors within his campaign to shut it and get in line. If you don't follow this example, you are doomed for failure every time.

Calling people out

A lot of people from both sides are whining about Herenton being in control now, blah, blah, blah. No, he isn't. Why? Just because his people helped get Kuhn elected doesn't mean he is now the Don again.

The Coalition is doing something that is vital to the future of the SCDP. They are getting true believers who want to take back the party at a state wide and national level. They are not the insulated people who only want to win local elections and get elected people who will return pork barrel patronage to the local areas. Also, these people are getting younger people involved and energized about the elections. It's a good thing when they are with me or can be patted on the head and told to wait their turn while nothing happens and eventually they give up. Well, the Coaltion isn't going to do this. I am not one of them. I know none of their leadership. I don't like some of them. But I applaud their tactics.

Leon Gray has a talk show. Good luck Leon. Those first few weeks of people bitching about traitiorous Dems is going to be fun to listen to. I'm just pissed that I can no longer get Majority Report. I can't stand Randi Rhodes. I like Sam and Jeannine.

Dell Gill has sent out an email stating that whitey is selling out black candidates by voting for them in the primary, but against them in the general. Well, no shit. All politics is local, said Tip O'Neil.

I know I just mangled that. But a lot of the candidates he refers to will not campaign in majority white districts. Roscoe could have won if he had just sent literature out in Kernell and Marrero's districts with their door to door people. I hate to say this, but relying on the Whitehaven-South Memphis turnout to win you an election ain't going to happen. If you don't campaign in white working class areas of Mid-Town, Raleigh, Frasier, Millington, and Arlington, your not going to win.

I agree that the polling numbers for those areas don't skew our way. But, you got to give people a reason to vote for you. If you just ignore an area, then our progressive message will not get out. People will believe everything they see on TV. Oh, here's another tip, give out a home or at least a cell number where you can be reached for comments. Calling a headquarters at election time, you office (long-distance) in Nashville, or your local one don't count when the one's here are never open.

Out

back again

Jeez, has it been almost three months since I last posted. Why, yes it has. Simple explanation, computer crash+new job+60 hours a week working+moving=no time for blogging Dr. Jones.

I guess the reason I am back is to comment on the recent craptoberfest that has been the SCDP executive counsel elections. What I gots to say is go to be long and chock full of that wnderful drug called vitriol.

Let's see, for all those on each side going batshit crazy over it, get a life. This is not the end of the world that your candidate/faction lost. Suck it up, be a man (or woman), join hands and sing Kumbaya, my lord, the Republicans are going to die, my lord, Kumbaya.

The Republicrats win because they stay on message. We all know this. I've heard it from every side of my beloved party. Unfortunately, this is usually followed by a that person (Jodie Patterson) is not a Democrat because she voted twice in Republican primaries. News Flash, a lot of us do so not because we want them to win (Dell Gill), but because you can get crazy wingnuts nominated that have as much chance of getting elected as my dog. My reason though it that it gets me on the Republican mailing list and get all their crazy John Birch society crap.

My bud the Cracker has people complain about all sides in the debate. Upton is a tool (yep)...of the Fords. I like David and the man is the best at fundraising locally I've ever seen, but his dismissal of rural West Tenn., i.e. everything but Shelby, is going to kill Junior. The Herenton people are Republican lite. Maybe, who cares We should get rid of him because after so long in office you have inertia set in and without a doubt, he is the most polarizing figure locally. The Coalition are al newbies and are rude. And, this is important how?

People say that they will ignore exec. comm., or they will try to get along with these people that we just don't know, or they will wait two years and lead a charge of the light bri..er, old hands and take back the party. Sorry, you just got a flag for incompetant boobery. I admit that I haven't been as involved as I need to be. My excuse is simple, it is the old hands fault in placing a virtual freezeout on new, young blood joining. I go to exec. comm. meetings in 2003-2004 and by a good twenty years, I'm the youngest in the room.

There are exceptions, Cracker, Quintrell, and Patterson. All three are nuts and are far more liberal than I. They are focusing on recruiting us people in their early to mid twenties. Yes, people with money are important, but if you can't get get new people and don't effectively freeze them out by not keeping College Dems going, how are you going to get progressive people in ten to twenty years that have money now. The lack of a real College Dems outside of the Presidential elections will hurt in us beginning in 2012.

One final note, to the guy who said we don't need a bilingual website because Hispanics are less than 1% of the electorate, I want you to walk up and tell Lupe that to his face. Better yet, why don't you just write off the Number one minority in the country? Hey, hey, why don't you piss off a group of people who 60% of voted for us including the Cubans who hate our guts.

More later, on Dell Gill, Leon Gray, the Braves and whatever else pops in my head.