I just finished some citizen grassroots grunt work Tuesday night at about 8:00. It was an end to a day that started at 6:10 AM at a local church. I gave of my nearly 14 non-stop hours for a cause. I served as a precinct Poll Manager. Manager is a title given to South Carolina Poll Workers. The actual boss is the Poll ‘Clerk’.
It wasn’t totally altruistic. I was paid $120 for the 14 hours, the previous night’s set-up work and 2 training sessions of about 4 hours. That figures out to roughly $6.00 per hour, not to mention the home study and additional on-line training. No, you don’t do it for the money.
The average age of the workers was around 70. One story-telling Navy vet was just short of his 82nd birthday. Another dear senior opined as how this coming November might be her swan song. She’s older than the vet. Several others were pushing 80. There were 7 of us altogether. I’d say 5 were really committed right-wingers who during the slow periods (and there were many) talked ‘Fox’ to the rest of us. One of the helpers was a former State Supreme Court Justice. He was married to the Clerk. They would yell at voters as they were leaving to be sure to sign the petition of a far-right candidate for a county office. I’m not sure that’s even remotely legal, but didn’t get too excited insofar as my liberal wife signed as well, with her good liberal, school-teacher reasoning of “everybody has a right to run.”
The turnout in the precinct was well under 1% of eligible voters. You read that right. There was but one race on the primary ballot and it was a couple of democrats vying for the right to run against the million-dollar plus Koch-infused war chest of congressman Trey Gowdy. The lady beat the pawnbroker, 71-29%.
Let me explain the 1%. A state registration snafu kept 246 potential candidates of both parties off the ballot giving a decided advantage, as if they didn’t already have one, to the incumbents. In my precinct many republican voters apparently didn’t get the word. When they requested a republican ballot, we had to tell them there were no contested republican races. We did add that they could vote in the democratic race. You’d have thought we had said, “and, by the way, you can vote for your favorite Nazi if you wish.” Almost to a right-wing voter, they held their noses (I mean literally) made faces, raced for the exit and acted as if they had been exposed to some dread disease.
So with 7 worker bees at the poll, the total official vote count was 17. That’s in a precinct of some 2,200 voters.
As you can imagine, there was plenty of time for gathering round the cracker-barrel circle of chairs and talking politics. In my case it was mostly listening to others do the talking because I didn’t want to bother refuting the nonsense and creating ill-will. It didn’t take long for a Tea-Partyish type to grab the reins. Essentially out of nowhere, one of my male counterparts volunteered that even though Finland has universal health care, its citizens pay dearly for the privilege. “The Fins pay a 70% tax rate for their health care and socialist programs, I was assured. And what have they got to show for it?”
Welllll…even the most cursory research would reveal – plenty! On many levels. Yes, they do peel off a fair number of Euros for their universal health care, education and other ‘socialist perks’. And, given that most polls identify Fins as just about the happiest, healthiest and best educated people on planet earth, maybe a dash of universal this and that might be just what the doctor ordered (pardon the pun) for the U.S.
Finland has long concentrated its medical efforts on preventive care and research. To that end, some nasty diseases have disappeared – this is the kind of extinction I can encourage. The ladies can expect about 82 years of life; men around the mid-70′s. Infant mortality numbers are 2.6 deaths per thousand, routinely right there among the lowest rates in the world. The U.S. on the other hand hovers around 40th. Even Cuba cleans our clock.
The state and locals share the health care burden. Top tax rates can hit 60% (The top base rate is 31%). The basic tax system is progressive with the poorest paying the least. Ask the next Fin you run into if he/she would rather live in Finland or the U.S., then check emigration numbers.
A slow day nestled amongst political enemies (albeit, nice people) is an excellent learning experience. Take the visitor who identified himself as a first-generation American citizen who fled Ceausescu’s communist hellhole of Romania in the mid-80′s. This highly emotional gentleman was exhibit ‘A’ of republican right-wing propaganda successes, no matter how insipid, stupid and downright untrue that propaganda may be. This gentleman appeared to be around 50 or so. He was clearly a rabid republican and when told that there were no republican contests to vote for though he could vote democrat if he wished, raised his voice about 100 decibels in declaring that he would never vote for the party of that ‘COMMUNIST’ Obama.
Paraphrasing, “I know what it’s like to live under communism. I am Romanian. Let me tell you what happened to me. I went to school to become a Metallurgical Engineer. I went to work for a large state plant. One time they said they were going to use steel in one of their fabrication projects. I told them to use a certain alloy because if they used steel, the product would start to crack within one or two years. They ignored me and used steel.” He got even more worked up as he gestured emotionally and cried out, “That’s exactly what happened. It started to crack and they came to arrest me. Fortunately, I had back-up proof that it was the idea of my superiors to use steel and I had tried unsuccessfully to talk them out of it.”
Fox News, other right-wing propaganda outlets and elected officials have long called Obama a socialist and communist. Reasonable progressives have shrugged the descriptions off as being so absurd that nobody would possibly believe them. This poor man’s rant is proof-positive that there are people out there who do believe even the most outrageous lies and distortions.
So that’s how I spent a tiny fraction of my summer vacation. Doing my bit for democracy and biting my tongue for most of my 14 hours. The opponent’s strategy is working. The right-wingers genuinely hate democrats and most of their number is willing to believe anything.
Be advised!
PoliticusUSA
G+
Facebook
Rmuse
Jun. 13th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
In California, it is illegal for a poll worker to promote candidates, petitions, or whatever. However, that doesn't stop them from actively campaigning inside the building on Election Day. A big part of the problem is which party holds the registrars office, and the lack of funding to police, monitor, and regulate the offenders who are always of the conservative persuasion. You have my gratitude and respect for working in close proximity to conservatives. It is something I aspire to, but haven't the discipline to accomplish. Good on you!
loading...
A Walkaway
Jun. 13th, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Thanks for saying this. I see this in our area… I got treated to a big dose of Faux Lies today, followed by "Liberals tell lies!". Along with a helping of "Those horrible unions!" Oh, and a side of "Gays want to force churches to marry them." (Person didn't want to believe that in Florida, it's against the law for gay or lesbian couples to get married.)
Funny thing, but I only learn of a lie now and then (none in recent memory) from our side… not constant as you get from "Good Conservatives".
loading...
Reynardine
Jun. 13th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
Gays want to force churches to marry them??? Most gay people I know would never want to marry a church!
loading...
A Walkaway
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 12:08 am
Uggh… you got me!!!
loading...
A Walkaway
Jun. 13th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
I might mention that I heard reports of political banners and posters at polling stations… placed way up high so that people could see them from the polling booths. They were mostly of the anti-abortion variety from the reports, but with some anti-liberal stuff thrown in too.
At our polling station (in a mainstream church), the people are very non-political, which I appreciate. I don't know what they were saying to one another, but then we've got a lot of voters in our area and they're usually fairly busy.
loading...
robyn ryan
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
I object that most polling places in New Orleans are in churches.
loading...
A Walkaway
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
I wish that we could get them out of churches here in Florida as well. Too many of the churches here have been openly politicking and getting away with it – and from the reports I've heard/read, they pull all sorts of nasty tricks to try to influence people towards the Republican party and their stances on issues.
loading...
Sugapea
Jun. 13th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Dennis…Love your article.
There's so much the RightWing knows…that just ain't true! The GOP Propaganda Machine is out of control!
Take a gander at some of the absurd things they're being fed…and eating up: www.tysknews.com/Articles/articles.htm
loading...
Shiva (Moderator)
Jun. 13th, 2012 at 9:27 pm
I have a good one too. An email I received today
“Obama’s “signature” HealthCare legislation takes over a full 1/6th of the American economy. Such a massive threat to our free-market system is a serious matter indeed. However, the bigger issue – one that should strike fear in all our hearts is the issue of CONTROL; not just government control of our economy, but government control of OUR BODIES.
ELENA KAGAN MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE COURT – NOW
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. FAX YOUR INJUNCTION IMMEDIATELY!
THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE! – SELECT HERE!
“You know we’re going to control the insurance companies.” Said Vice President Joe Biden in yet another of the accidentally candid moments where his “Reach Out To The Average stupid American” speech reveals the true intention of an out of control Unconstitutional Government’s plans.
Control of the insurance companies gives the government the ability to dictate every single aspect of your healthcare. If Feds can legislate things in and out of your body, they can and will “mandate” away the rest of your rights….. and TYRANNY ensues.
ObamaCare MUST be stopped. And the only way to do that is to remove Obama’s stooge Elena Kagan from the Court. Kagan was planted on the Court to ensure ObamaCare is implemented as planned and Obama finalizes his . There is no time to waste. FAX YOUR INJUNCTION NOW!
ELENA KAGAN MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE COURT – NOW
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. FAX YOUR INJUNCTION IMMEDIATELY!
THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE! – SELECT HERE!
Obama Threatens the Supreme Court… Again
President Barack Obama has again threatened the Supreme Court over ObamaCare – this time indicating that if the Court does not rule his way, he will take his revenge on senior citizens by destroying Medicare.
Martha McCallum of Fox News reports that the “Administration has been sending ‘missives’ to the Supreme Court threatening that if it doesn’t rule in Obama’s favor on the healthcare law; Medicare will face disruption and ‘Chaos.’ Apparently, should the Supreme Court fail to submit to Obama’s demands, and rather chooses to rule in favor of the Constitution, Obama & Co will begin a campaign to destroy Medicare Payments to doctors and hospitals.
This isn’t the first time Barack has threatened the court over ObamaCare. In Obama’s first threat to the Supremes, he condemned the Justices by stating that it was “Unprecedented” for an “Unelected group of people” to overturn a law that was passed by a “Strong majority” of Congress. The 5th Circuit Court later admonished the Justice Dept. for those statements.
We have heard Ginsberg recently state she doesn’t believe in the Constitution, we know Kagan doesn’t through her works and past and the President who appointed her said he doesn’t believe in it either. It only makes sense that Obama appointed Kagan as a socialist stooge to subvert not only the Supreme Court, but also the Constitution. There is no time to waste. We cannot afford another day of Elena Kagan on the highest court of the land. Our liberty is at stake!
ELENA KAGAN MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE COURT – NOW
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. FAX YOUR INJUNCTION IMMEDIATELY!
THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE! – SELECT HERE!
EVIDENCE OF KAGAN’S LONG INTENT
TO SUBVERT THE SUPREME COURT
Evidence surfaced that was (intentionally?) withheld from Congress during Elena Kagan’s confirmation hearings. The evidence appears to confirm what we have suspected all along:
Elena Kagan’s lifelong goal has been to subvert the court system and fundamentally change the America and her Constitution to better suit a radical Socialist goal.
Documents have been uncovered that include a handwritten note from Elena Kagan to Left wing extremist professor Derrick Bell. You may recognize Bell as the author of the subversive “critical race” theory.
Correspondence between Bell and Kagan clearly expresses a desire for a “more liberal court” achieved through “skillful lawyering” and the creation of a “common crisis” to bring about the change necessary to accomplish the Leftist extremist’s goals.
ELENA KAGAN MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE COURT – NOW
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. FAX YOUR INJUNCTION IMMEDIATELY!
THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE! – SELECT HERE!
And now this “skillful lawyer” sits on the highest court in the land, during what can clearly be seen as a time of crisis. Now that Elena Kagan holds the position she has always desired, what is to become of America?
ELENA KAGAN MUST BE STOPPED!
Time is extremely short – we MUST be more effective in all our actions – we MUST now flood the offices of Congress with faxes to COMPEL them to remove the wolf from out door.
What would you say if you learned that a member of the highest court in the land has spent the last 30 years openly advocating for the destruction of the US Constitution and even went so far as to accept $20 million from Shariah Law proponents to accomplish her goal?
That Supreme Court Justice is Elena Kagan.
TELL CONGRESS: REMOVE KAGAN
FROM THE COURT! SELECT HERE NOW!
The year after Ronald Reagan entered the Oval Office with the goal of restoring America to greatness; Elena Kagan penned a telling and disturbing senior thesis titled “To the Final Conflict: Socialism in New York City, 1900-1933.” In that body of work, Kagan lamented that “a coherent socialist movement is nowhere to be found in the United States”; and that,” no “radical party” had yet “attained the status of a major political force.” Kagan went on to sound a rally cry for “those who, more than half a century after socialism’s decline, still wish to change America.”
Apparently, this was no mere college dalliance, as the Elena Kagan has spent the rest of her career working to remove the underpinnings of freedom and destroy the American Constitution from within. And Kagan’s grand plan has worked very well indeed.
After graduate school Kagan went on to become Dean of Harvard Law, where she removed Constitutional Law classes from the curriculum, and replaced those necessary and time honored classes with required studies of international law. And in what appears to be a game of using a mutual enemy’s resources to accomplish ones’ true objective, Kagan also accepted a $20 million grant from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal – a noted Shariah Law proponent – to implement an “Islamic Studies” program.
TELL CONGRESS: REMOVE KAGAN FROM THE COURT!
SELECT HERE NOW!
Lest we think Kagan’s intentions are ancient history, take a look at her line of questioning when hearing the ObamaCare case last week. Rather than question the thinly veiled socialist Trojan horse as an affront to our Constitution, Kagan almost seemed willing to defend ObamaCare and salvage the master plan to fundamentally change America into a new Euro-socialist model.
By definition, our Supreme Court is charged with upholding, defending and preserving the United States Constitution. The Judges on the Supreme Court are meant to protect our freedom, not destroy it. To do otherwise is nothing short of treason.
TELL CONGRESS: REMOVE KAGAN FROM THE COURT!
SELECT HERE NOW!
“Oran’s Dictionary of the Law (1983) defines treason as an attempt to ‘overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation].’”
Destruction of the Constitution is an attempt to overthrow and seriously injure America. Elena Kagan’s lifetime of actions lay bare a clear intention to subvert our Constitution and its founding principles, thereby rendering her UNFIT FOR DUTY as a Supreme Court Justice.
ObamaCare is not the end of the line. The Supreme Court will continue to weigh the Constitutionality of numerous cases. The fact is that Elena Kagan is an activist judge with hatred toward the very document she is sworn to protect. As such, Elena Kagan must immediately be removed from the bench if our Constitution and America is to survive.
TELL CONGRESS: REMOVE KAGAN FROM THE COURT!
SELECT HERE NOW!
Defend America,
Alan M. Gottlieb
Chairman, AmeriPAC
“
loading...
newmeximan
Jun. 13th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Dennis – I also worked the polls, in New Mexico. I was asked by my Postmistress, as the County Clerk neeed an even number of Republicans and Democrats. I changed my registration in 2008 from Independent to Democrat so that I could vote in the primaries.
I was at the Volunteer Fire Station at 5:30 to measure the campaign signs to chack distance from polling entrance. My poll worker training was all of 15 minutes at the County Clerks office and a pamphlet, I stopped by the Clerks office the day before while running errands in town.
My village has about 68 people, and 33 are registered to vote. New Mexico was expecting a 20% turnout, and we beat expectations by having 14 voters – 4 were Democrats. I was also payed a small stipend, and given mileage for the training.
I offered to serve as an Elecction Judge (same job, different title) to be part of the electoral process. The over-14 hour day in a stuffy fire station with outside temps over 100 degrees made me think frequently of better places to be. But I did get the 2 Republicans to talk about their perspective of slutions to wage inequality, paying for the Defense Department, restoring home equity, retirement safety nets, the rising cost of health care delivery.
The other Election Judge also had a heart attack (mine was in 2010) recently, and he also required a Life Ambulance Heli flight to the hospital. He was surprised that as a Democrat my opinions were as moderate as they are. We were quite close on many issues, an if freed by party labels, we could have worked out compromises.
I believe that the majority of Americans are closer to the center on most issues, but the loudest get the most the attention, and right now it is the extremeists who are getting the airtime and press.
loading...
GeneralLerong
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 12:31 am
Y'know, I often wonder why we don't just have the guts to say,
"You're full of fucking shit!" when these rabid nutcases mouth off. To hell with refuting them. Why are we such passive aggressive mice? Why can't we realize when the situation calls for is a good sharp smack on the metaphorical face? 5 words. Just keep repeating them.
Or, why I'm not an election worker.
loading...
A Walkaway
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 1:05 am
Some of those rabid nutcases pack guns, and telling them they're full of it is an invitation to them treating the speaker a taste of the misuse of the "Stand your ground" law.
loading...
AcidQueen
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
That presumes that the person calling the rabid nutcase out isn't armed him/herself. Not all progressives fear guns.
loading...
A Walkaway
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
True. We all may need them before this all said and done… to defend ourselves against a dominionist takeover/coup attempt.
I hope not, but it may come to that if they keep winning (more likely an accelerated erosion of freedom and civil/human rights in that case) – or if they loose in November.
loading...
j
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 8:06 am
I had a wierd experience yesterday, 3 men came to my door, as a retired female who grew up with a background in the Church of England and who cannot understand many 0f the churches in the south anyway, I was confronted by 3 mormons, two looked like reasonable young men the third was older and looked scary, I could not get rid of them, I was respectful as I would be to anyone but they freaked me out, I cannot believe these people have the right to come to my home and question me about my religion!
loading...
Shiva (Moderator)
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 8:28 am
you’re lucky you don’t have a Jehovah’s Witness church at the bottom of the hill like I do. Once a month every Wednesday they stop by to see if I’m still an atheist. I have had one occurrence of Mormons coming to my door and they were two young men who were very nice and not pushy at all. They did however leave when I told him that I ate Christians
loading...
A Walkaway
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 11:57 am
You may have to put up a No Trespassing sign, and believe me, being courteous or polite to them is a waste of time (and some churches teach that it's a sign of interest). The nastier and more vicious you are to a proselytizer, the quicker they will leave.
(In our area, Mormons along with the Jehovah's Witnesses are a rare occurrence because of all of the dominionists who are violently hostile to them… the usual proselytizers we encounter are Southern Baptists and Pentecostals – and even with our "No Trespassing" sign, they still come by every once in a while.)
loading...
AcidQueen
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
A polite but firm "I am not interested, stop coming here or I shall be forced to call the police and file trespassing charges" will deter further visits.
loading...
SueinCA
Jun. 14th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
I worked the polls here in California as an Inspector. My pay for the whole shebang will be 175.00 but I can buy a whole lotta beads and jewelry making products with that so I am ok.
I live in a small town just outside SF and the majority of the voters were Democrats however even the republicans, for the most part, seemed like the old style republican. We all know the ones that you can actually carry on a conversation with? It was alot of work and our turnout just at that polling place was 256. 201 of those were dem voters. There were three polling places in the town but I am not sure what the other's counts were.
We saw some different things going on: parents bringing their kids to see them vote, people who had declared a certain party not understanding their limited voting choices, declaring non-partisan and wondering why they had no prez candidate. In CA there are three ballots you can choose from in that case and the majority chose Dem.
It was interesting and I will do it again in NOv.
loading...
Jann Swanson
Jun. 18th, 2012 at 9:00 am
I got rid of the Mormon missionaries (I am originally from Utah) by insisting over and over I wanted to be put on their “Do not knock” list. They, of course do not have one. After the fifth of sixth visit I asked if they had a list of people who were interested in conversion. Oh yes indeed they did. Then put me on that one, I told them, circle it in red and write in the margins “This lady has said she will call the police if we come to her house again.” That was four years ago and I haven’t seen them since.
loading...