Democracy for New Mexico

Never Give Up

Never give up No matter what is going on Develop the heart Too much energy in your country Is spent on developing the mind Instead of the heart Develop the heart Be compassionate Not just to your friends But to everyone Be compassionate Work for peace In your heart and in the world And I say again Never give up No matter what is happening No matter what is going on around you Never give up Tenzin Gyatso, XIV Dalai Lama (Thanks to Nancy G. for passing this along.)

Red + Blue = Purple

There's alot of discussion on the internet debunking the concept of a red and blue state America. Here's a map of the U.S. that shows allegiance to Republican and Democratic candidates in a more nuanced way, showing that most states are actually purple -- a mix of red and blue:

Click the image for a larger version. Thanks to BoingBoing via Daily Kos for the map and concept.

The idea is that Democrats can successfully appeal to a wider range of demographics if we frame our discussions of issues to emphasize our common ground and shared dedication to moral values that have always been in the democratic mainstream.

Nancy G. suggested what looks like an excellent book on the myth of a polarized America, which emphasizes how much common ground we all share, despite the recent emphasis on certain wedge issues by right-wing Republicans:

Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America

Authored by one of the most respected political scientists in America, Morris P. Fiorina's Culture War? supports a compelling narrative with polling data to debunk commonly believed myths about American politics -- particularly the claim that Americans are deeply divided on fundamental political issues. His use of figures and statistics visually engages readers and dispels common misconceptions about politics. This unique text examines controversial topics such as abortion and homosexuality and finds that even on these issues 'culture war' is a myth.

Here's the Amazon link.

Getting Back in the Saddle

After a supportive and even enthusiastic DFA/DFNM Meetup in Albuquerque yesterday that had many new faces, I'm ready to get back in the saddle -- if slowly.

There already has been alot of talk about what may have gone wrong and what we need to do to recalibrate our message. One of the issues that keeps emerging is morality or values, and how we can reframe (ala George Lakoff) the debate on this to include democratic (and Democratic) moral values, not just the Christian right's limited view that morality is almost solely about values surrounding women's choice and the moral aspects of sexuality.

Click for a link to an article today by Robert Reich on The Moral Agenda. He says policy and plans are important -- but they’ll get Democrats nowhere without more conviction.

If you've discovered other good discussions on the morality issue and how we need to incorporate it into our message, please share them here, along with your thoughts. -BW

Late addition: Check out Living Poor, Voting Rich by Nicholas Kristof of the NY Times on this issue. This was the editorial recommended by Howard Dean in last night's conference call at Meetup.

Thank You Lunch at ABQ Kerry HQ Today

From the Albuquerque Kerry-Edwards campaign:

Please join us today, at 1 PM, for a thank you lunch at Kerry/Edwards Headquarters, at 3301 Central NE.

Also, many of you generously lent us your furniture for our office. Please plan on picking up your items as soon as possible.

We hope to see you today at 1 PM.

Marci Youngmark
Volunteer Coordinator

Well . . .

What is there to say? Yes, there are still legal challenges and uncounted provisional and other ballots in Ohio, Florida and elsewhere. But regardless of the outcome, and I'm still holding out for a Kerry win, the fact remains that about half of our nation hates everything we believe in and would rather embrace fascism, economic terrorism and environmental murder than allow more enlightened minds to prevail. This is not America. It is every true American's, and every true citizen of the planet's, nightmare. I think too many people actually want Armageddon, even if they have to create it themselves by crucifying everything creative, thoughtful, intelligent, gentle, reasoned and natural in the world. This is what happens when blind faith replaces critical thinking, every time.

Are you ready for the country? Because it's time to go. To some country. Somewhere.

RECAP: Voting Places, Sample Ballot

(Photo courtesy Kerry Blog.)

NOTE: This post contains voting info for the 2004 presidential election. For info on the 2008 election, see this post.
*************

ELECTION DAY VOTING: Polling places around the state will be open from 7AM until 7PM. If you are in line by 7PM, you must be allowed to vote. To find the polling place for any precinct in New Mexico, click here for the Democratic National Committee's site and enter your zip code.

In Bernalillo County you can also go to the county clerk's office site for a listing of precinct polling places. In Sandoval County click here. In Santa Fe County click .

The NM Secretary of State's Office lists every polling place in the state by county and precinct. Your precinct is listed on your voter identification card. You can also call your county clerk's office to find out which precinct you are in. The Eager Voter Project page provides contact information for every county in the state.

RIGHT TO A PROVISIONAL BALLOT: If you know you are registered to vote but your name doesn't show up on the precinct list when you go to vote on election day, you can insist on filling out a Provisional Ballot at your polling place. It will be determined later when the provisional ballots are counted whether you are actually a registered voter or not.

VOTER PROTECTION: A coalition of many civil rights organizations and People for the American Way provides a . If you encounter problems voting you can call their toll-free hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Hispanic Americans who have questions about how to vote or about their voting rights can call a toll-free, bilingual, nonpartisan hotline at 1-888-839-8682 that's operated by The National Association of Latin American Elected Officials, Univision and the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund.

SAMPLE BALLOT AND INFO ON ISSUES, BALLOT QUESTIONS: The League of Women's Voters of New Mexico produces excellent, detailed voting guides and sample ballots each election for various counties. You can get a copy of their Guide in various locations around the state, or you can click here for an online version for your county as well as links to information on candidates and positions.

Sound Off! Fredda Martinez on Why a Kerry Victory Is So Important Today

We heard Fredda Martinez give this eloquent speech at the Moms for Kerry rally at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque this past Saturday. We found it so moving that we asked her for a copy of the speech so we could share it with you here. Another set of reasons why VOTING TODAY is so important to the future of our nation and our planet. - BW

Hi, my name is Fredda Martinez, and I’m a military wife and mother. My husband is in the National Guard full-time, and he recently returned from the war in Iraq. My son is in the Navy and he will be leaving for the Middle East soon.

I assumed while my husband was in Iraq that he had full body armor. I couldn‘t have been more wrong. Although there were alarms going off every day telling our troops to take cover because there was incoming fire, his only protection was a helmet and a flack jacket. Because he didn’t want me to worry, he didn’t tell me this until after he got home. Thank God he returned safely.

While our government spends $1 per day taking care of each soldier, $110 per day is spent on each employee who work for Halliburton. These employees stay at posh hotels that have room service, maid service, and laundry service. My husband slept first in a tent, then in a trailer. He had to pay an Iraqi to clean his room, and he had to do his laundry himself. The food was barely edible most of the time, and there were days when he chose to eat an MRE instead of eating at the mess hall.

Our military troops face serious equipment shortages. They often lack up to date equipment and supplies. It wasn’t until 15 months after they went into Iraq that troops received the newest version of body armor, and even today many still do not have adequate protection. My husband told me about make-shift steel armor he saw placed on vehicles that were a death trap before.

Guard and Reserve troops do not have full access to military healthcare. Twenty percent of these troops lack health insurance. For those who do have health insurance, premiums have increased significantly, prescription co-pays have more than doubled, and dental insurance in non-existent. This means that many of our troops who are asked to go and fight are not physically fit to endure the rigors of battle.

The Bush administration has fought hard to prevent them from having access to TRICARE, the same insurance that is given to government officials at the Pentagon. This administration says it is too expensive to offer it to our National Guard and Reserves. Too expensive? Yet, they ask these young men and women to put their lives on the line for us.

Now we have also learned that there are explosives missing from Iraq. While they are not classified as weapons of mass destruction, they are still very dangerous, and it is quite possible that our troops are getting killed by insurgents using these same explosives.

Also, yesterday Osama bin Laden was able to threaten us once again because this administration failed to put enough troops on the ground in Afghanistan to capture him two years ago. These are yet more examples of the failed leadership of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

While these are certainly some of the issues that concern me, there are many more that break my heart.

I have recently learned that many of our wounded soldiers, some missing one or both legs, some missing a hand or even both arms are not being taken care of the way they deserve to be taken care. While the medical care is, for the most part, adequate, many severely wounded soldiers could be facing poverty. Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly, from Abilene, Texas, who lost his right leg in Iraq, quickly realized when he returned home that the military had no real plan to take care of the injured soldiers.

National Guard Staff Stg. Peter Damon, from Brockton, Mass., lost both arms in Iraq. He assumed the military would see to it that he, his wife, and their two children had enough income to live on. He has not been taken care of and since his former careers were as a mechanic and an electrician, he has no way to make ends meet.

Then there is Army Spc. Tyson Johnson III., of Mobile, Alabama. He was injured in a mortar attack and was near death. He lived through it, but lost a kidney. He was brutally betrayed by our government. Not only did the military ask for his $2,700 signing bonus back, they demanded it. They placed it on his credit report as a debt and he was unable to rent an apartment. He now lives in his car. That story made me cry. After ABC news looked into it, the military now says he will not have to repay the bonus.

Also, many of the families that are left behind are below, yes, BELOW the poverty line! There are free food pantries opening up on bases across the country to feed these families. They are supplied through generous donations. Many of these families have small children who live each day not knowing when they will see “Daddy” or “Mommy” again, and the parent who is left to care for them is having a hard time putting food on the table.

Then there are those who will never come home again. Just this morning 8 Marines were killed and 9 wounded in Al Anbar Province. The death toll so far has reached well over 1,100 and George Bush has yet to attend a single funeral, nor will he allow us to view their flag draped coffins out of respect for their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their loved ones.

My son just turned 21. I have another son who is 25. Most of the young men and women getting killed in Iraq today are younger than my two boys. I know to the military they are young men, but to me they are my babies.

Some people believe that George Bush is strong on military issues. I don’t agree, and I have had personal experience for over 25 years. He has cut funding for our Veterans and to our bases. He has no plan to win the war in Iraq, much less peace in the Middle East. John Kerry has a plan.

How dare George Bush take us into a war under false pretenses! What right does he have to ask our children to die for oil. While Dick Cheney has made 2 million dollars from Halliburton, he and Bush tell us we’re freeing the people of Iraq. Have you seen the news lately? The people are less free today than they were under Saddam. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Saddam was a cruel dictator, but he had nothing to do with what happened to us on September 11th. Saddam had no ties to Al Qaida or Osama bin Laden.

I strongly believe that we are MUCH LESS safe in America and around the world today because George Bush chose to invade and occupy Iraq. While he and Dick Cheney tell the American people that if John Kerry is elected we are more likely to have a biological, chemical, or nuclear attack, what they DON”T tell you is that it is actually much MORE likely to happen under their watch just like it did the first time.

This administration chose to pretty much go it alone in this war. Oh, you can count Great Britain and a few other small countries for their generous contributions, but while we bear 90% of the casualties and 90% of the costs, it just isn’t enough help, and because George Bush has offended much of the world it is very unlikely he can gather a real coalition to help us clean up our own mess. John Kerry will bring a REAL coalition together to help us fight the war on terror.

I also have a 12 year old daughter. I know how fast the years pass, and before I know it she will be old enough to vote and defend our country. I believe that if George Bush continues on this path of destruction, while stretching our military way too thin, he is ignoring the real threats of North Korea and Iran. I believe under the leadership of George Bush and Dick Cheney a military draft is imminent.

But it is not just about foreign issues in this election. It is also about jobs, or lack thereof! With 45 million Americans lacking health insurance it is about healthcare reform! It is about education! George Bush tells you about “No Child Left Behind”, but because he has failed to fund the program adequately, he has left millions of our children behind!

There is something else I would like to mention before I finish. I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible. Although George Bush says he too is a Christian, in my eyes he does not act like a Christian!

Some people will be voting for George Bush because they are against abortion. That is their right, but I would like to tell them that abortion has actually INCREASED since George Bush has been in the White House, and I can tell you why. Many single mothers don’t make enough to support a family, and many are unemployed, many of the fathers are also unemployed, and many of them lack healthcare. It is George Bush’s policies that have put them where they are today, and THAT’S what’s caused the increase in abortion rates.

As a Christian I value the earth God gave us. Genesis 2:15 tells us that “God took man and placed him on earth to cultivate it and keep it.” George Bush has continually sided with big energy companies that destroy more of our planet every day.

On October 23rd George Bush signed the most sweeping rewrite of corporate tax law in nearly two decades. It doesn’t take care of the less fortunate, once again he’s taking care of big business. Genesis 1:27 says “God created man in His own image. Male and female, He created them.” So, I believe as a Christian, what right do we have to kill innocent Iraqi children? We are ALL children of God. We should be tolerant and respectful of other religions around the world. We all know that it is religious fanatics that caused almost 3,000 innocent people to die on 9/11. If George Bush believes, as he has said, he is on a mission from God, doesn’t that make Americans look like religious fanatics too?

So, I come here today to ask you, implore you, to vote for John Kerry and John Edwards on November 2nd, and take five friends with you to vote for them too!

John Kerry will fight for you and for our military troops, just like he did when he served in Vietnam and then came home and spoke on Capital Hill. He told the truth then and he is telling us the truth today. For it is in truth that we will have real freedom in this country.

I fear if we do not change the direction of this country on November 2nd our children will not be safe under the Bush Administration for four more years! Thank you.

Last Minute Voting Info

From NMPIRG: Perhaps you've already tuned out all the news coverage and campaign commercials, but with the election here tomorrow, here's one message you shouldn't miss: VOTE ON NOVEMBER 2!

To help make the process easy and hassle free, here is some need-to-know information:

1. Where to vote - call the Secretary of State's office at 1.800.477.3632 or your County Clerk's.

You can also find your County Clerk's number on: https://www.sos.state.nm.us/

2. When to vote - Polling places are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. If you are in line to vote by 7 PM, you must be allowed to vote.

If you are worried about long lines, try going to the polls during off hours, 10 AM to 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

3. What to take - Some ID and this number: 1.866.OUR.VOTE

If this is your first time voting and you registered by mail, you will need ID when you head to the polls. Take your driver's license or other picture ID. If the address doesn't match the place where you are registered, bring a paycheck, utility bill or government document that does.

1.866.OUR.VOTE is the number to call if you have any problems on Election Day. If you need advice on how to deal with any issues you're having at your polling place, call that number and you'll get to talk to a lawyer or trained staff person who will talk you through your problem.

Happy Voting! Forward this email on to your family and friends and remind them to also make their voices heard!

Sincerely,

Jeanne Bassett
NMPIRG Executive Director
JeanneB@nmpirg.org
https://www.NMPIRG.org

PS: Here's the link for DFNM's Recap on Voting information which includes many useful links, including one for the League of Women Voters' sample ballots.

Clinton Barnstorms Albuquerque

The official Kerry-Edwards Blog has a featured post on Clinton's visit to the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque yesterday, and provided us with the photo of the crowd above. And if you missed the rollicking Clinton rally on the Santa Fe Plaza on Saturday, you can view a video of it at CSPAN.

Pumpkins and Football

I had to add a parting Halloween pumpkin post to get you to check out the terrific photos of political pumpkins at Tagyerit Politics, all submitted by the carvers. One of my faves (click image for larger version):

Great news, too, that the Washington Redskins lost to the Green Bay Packers yesterday, on Halloween Sunday -- another positive omen for a Kerry win TOMORROW! Seems that every time the Redskins lose their last home game before a presidential election, the incumbent party loses. And every time they win that game, the incumbent party wins. It has been this way since the 1936 election. The probability of 18 elections in a row being decided this way is estimated to be one in 260 million, according to media reports. The score of yesterday's game was: Green Bay 28 - Washington 14 = Kerry wins!

We all know that the polls have been up and down and around, with the only consistency being that this race is close in terms of those being polled. But it's also true that new voters and those who have only cell phones are left out of most polls, and that most of those kinds of voters are ours. It's as simple as this: if we get a large turnout, we will win. If we don't, we are in jeopardy of losing. What are you doing to GOTV (get out the vote) today and tomorrow?