Tomorrow, November 6th will be the crucial midterm election in recent memory. In fact, it might be most imperative midterm vote in American history. That might seem cliche, but between 2016 and this year I don't think I've seen democracy at a greater crossroads. This election is undeniably a moratorium on President Trump and the perceived long-term damage he is doing to the United States.
Like millions of Americans, I voted early. I was relieved not only to see so many people brag on social media about voting before November 6th, but a disproportionate number under age 40 do so. For some, who you voted for is no one's business but your own (and maybe the Russians) and you can boast about participating in the process without expressing a specific political stance. I'm sure at least one person reading this disagrees vehemently with my political views, and that's your right. Your participation in the process is what matters most.
Granted, a fair percentage of the candidates are not your cup of tea. For the umpteenth election in a row, the governor's race in my home state is an uninspiring shitshow. For the unfamiliar, a proto-Trump multimillionaire political novice is running for reelection against a bizarro Trump multimillionaire political novice. In reality, the political power in Illinois still rests in the hands of the prematurely fossilizing, Emperor Palpatine wannabe we call our Speaker of the House. Someone will win, but Illinois keeps losing.
Even if a handful of races are unsavory or a lost cause, that should not deter you or anyone else from filling out a ballot. If 2016 was undercut by progressives' inability to coelesce behind a common cause, this is our one opportunity to redeem ourselves. The notion of a liberal litmus test is ridiculous. Maybe some of the stereotypes are true: we're too sensitive, whiny, needy and anal. That by no means is meant to de-legitimize triggers and aggressors. For one day, we have to show a united front, and check our egos at the door.
In other words, don't let the bullies win.
This is the seventh election (midterms, presidential, or otherwise) in which I've given a pre-vote pep talk to anyone willing to read my ramblings. This is the second such pep talk I've given where I've been unabashedly partisan; our president is a narcissistic, con artist buffoon who still demonstrates a remedial knowledge of how the world works after nearly two years in office. If we can't get rid of Donald Trump, then we can at least undercut him.
In short, for the love of all things good, please vote.
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Showing posts with label Bruce Rauner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bruce Rauner. Show all posts
Monday, November 5, 2018
Saturday, April 30, 2016
The New Springfield Stalemate
Is Bruce Rauner a failure?
This loaded question was raised by an op-ed the Chicago Tribune, who suggested that the current Governor of Illinois was ineffectual beyond redemption, a mere 15 months into his first term. Succeeding the doddering Pat Quinn was one thing; to make Illinois forget their two immediate predecessors, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, is another. And yet, Rauner's strategy of running the state into the ground in order to build it from the ground up might be too daring a strategy to work.
Let's start with Rauner's alleged "turnaround agenda." In order to bring business back to Illinois, it seems that he wants to make companies that are already in-state even richer, while also filling the coffers of the super wealthy. Unfortunately, in order to justify this late-arriving attempt at trickle-down economics, Rauner has blocked any reasonable state budget, holding hostage contractors and state universities that rely on public money. Rauner conjures images of people (and businesses) bolting Illinois for greener pastures, but statistics say that's utterly false. It would be easy to blame the dictatorial State Speaker Michael Madigan, but in this case the fiscal crisis is not the fault of a calculating career politician.
In an election year where a shrewd, eccentric businessman is turning the GOP upside down, a multi-millionaire in Illinois is proving you can't run government like a business. Bruce Rauner could be a case example of putting hubris over responsibility, but the Republicans (and the country) are distracted by a primary race gone haywire. The word "failure" may linger over Rauner's head, but the window of opportunity to prove his brinkmanship right is shutting fast.
This loaded question was raised by an op-ed the Chicago Tribune, who suggested that the current Governor of Illinois was ineffectual beyond redemption, a mere 15 months into his first term. Succeeding the doddering Pat Quinn was one thing; to make Illinois forget their two immediate predecessors, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, is another. And yet, Rauner's strategy of running the state into the ground in order to build it from the ground up might be too daring a strategy to work.
Let's start with Rauner's alleged "turnaround agenda." In order to bring business back to Illinois, it seems that he wants to make companies that are already in-state even richer, while also filling the coffers of the super wealthy. Unfortunately, in order to justify this late-arriving attempt at trickle-down economics, Rauner has blocked any reasonable state budget, holding hostage contractors and state universities that rely on public money. Rauner conjures images of people (and businesses) bolting Illinois for greener pastures, but statistics say that's utterly false. It would be easy to blame the dictatorial State Speaker Michael Madigan, but in this case the fiscal crisis is not the fault of a calculating career politician.
In an election year where a shrewd, eccentric businessman is turning the GOP upside down, a multi-millionaire in Illinois is proving you can't run government like a business. Bruce Rauner could be a case example of putting hubris over responsibility, but the Republicans (and the country) are distracted by a primary race gone haywire. The word "failure" may linger over Rauner's head, but the window of opportunity to prove his brinkmanship right is shutting fast.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Random Notes, January 2015
I've got politics on the mind:
+ I'm not that keen on Bruce Rauner, at least not yet. He still comes across as an out-of-touch millionaire who promises more than he can seemingly deliver. Either way, the first Republican Governor of Illinois in 12 years has his work cut for him, a bipartisan mess that dates back to the turn of the 21st century. Corruption has become an assumption in his office, and even though Rauner beat a weak, doddering incumbent he still needs to win Illinois' trust. The bar has been set fairly low.
+ Speaking of Illinois, we're about two months away from the next Chicago mayoral election. Rahm Emanuel has his detractors and rightfully so --especially given his inability to reduce street violence-- but his opponents for reelection are a hodgepodge. He's currently polling at 50%, and depending on whether any of his three challengers gain any momentum, the odds of him winning a second term are fittingly about 50/50.
+ Meanwhile, on a national level, this year's State of the Union was probably the most tangential address to Congress in recent memory. If you looked at it at face value, the speech was President Obama discussing job growth and domestic security while also defending his still-controversial overhaul of health care. If you read between the lines, Obama was discussing the next four years, and the long-term impact of his administration. With less than two years to go and a GOP-controlled ready to nix anything he puts in front of them, this might be the closest this president might ever get to another victory speech. The Obama years might seem like a mixed bag (or worse) but he doesn't seem to be giving up just yet.
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+ I'm not that keen on Bruce Rauner, at least not yet. He still comes across as an out-of-touch millionaire who promises more than he can seemingly deliver. Either way, the first Republican Governor of Illinois in 12 years has his work cut for him, a bipartisan mess that dates back to the turn of the 21st century. Corruption has become an assumption in his office, and even though Rauner beat a weak, doddering incumbent he still needs to win Illinois' trust. The bar has been set fairly low.
+ Speaking of Illinois, we're about two months away from the next Chicago mayoral election. Rahm Emanuel has his detractors and rightfully so --especially given his inability to reduce street violence-- but his opponents for reelection are a hodgepodge. He's currently polling at 50%, and depending on whether any of his three challengers gain any momentum, the odds of him winning a second term are fittingly about 50/50.
+ Meanwhile, on a national level, this year's State of the Union was probably the most tangential address to Congress in recent memory. If you looked at it at face value, the speech was President Obama discussing job growth and domestic security while also defending his still-controversial overhaul of health care. If you read between the lines, Obama was discussing the next four years, and the long-term impact of his administration. With less than two years to go and a GOP-controlled ready to nix anything he puts in front of them, this might be the closest this president might ever get to another victory speech. The Obama years might seem like a mixed bag (or worse) but he doesn't seem to be giving up just yet.
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