Good morning!

Although I am calling today’s election day “Women’s Day,” because it is OUR day to make a difference, men need to get out and vote too. The more Dems at the polls the better chance we Dems have at winning, and making these last two years of the Obama administration successful.

At this point there is not much more to say. The voting part is easy. All you have to do now is go vote. And, help those that need help to vote.

June/Jane: You wrote me back in January informing me that you were a very successful female politician. I misread your comment and responded to you as “Jane” when you actually commented as “June.” Then you responded to me again, but this time signing off as “Jane.” :) Most likely you were being polite and not correcting me…and…the name you gave you mentioned was an alias so it probably didn’t matter :)

Well…This song is dedicated to you and all the women politicians that are working on securing women’s rights and equality, and bettering our political system so that women have power and a strong voice. I could not do what you ladies do but I applaud you and respect you so much for putting yourselves out there and being mentors and role models for our girls in the coming generations. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts, commitment and tenacity. And I support you wholeheartedly.

Let’s shake the tree and bring about change!

Waiting your time, dreaming of a better life
Waiting your time, you’re more than just a wife
You don’t want to do what your mother has done
She has done
This is your life, this new life has begun
It’s your day – a woman’s day
It’s your day – a woman’s day

Turning the tide, you are on the incoming wave
Turning the tide, you know you are nobody’s slave

Find your sisters and brothers
Who can hear all the truth in what you say
They can support you when you’re on your way
It’s your day – a woman’s day
It’s your day – a woman’s day

Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin’ the tree
Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin’ the tree
Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin’ the tree

There’s nothing to gain when there’s nothing to be lost
There’s nothing to gain if you stay behind and count the cost
Make the decision that you can be who you can be
You can be
Tasting the fruit come to the Liberty Tree
It’s your day – a woman’s day
It’s your day – a woman’s day

Changing your ways, changing those surrounding you
Changing your ways, more than any man can do
Open your heart, show him the anger and pain, so you heal
Maybe he’s looking for his womanly side, let him feel

You had to be so strong
And you do nothing wrong
Nothing wrong at all
We’re gonna to break it down
We have to shake it down
Shake it all around

Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin’ the tree
Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin’ the tree
Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin’ the tree

♥♥♥

Ladies: We don’t need to wait our time anymore and dream of a better life. It’s time to turn the tides in our favor. We are no one’s baby machine and nobody’s slave. There’s nothing to gain if we stay where we’ve been. Let’s make the decision, that we can change, inspire those around us, and be all we can be. Let’s taste the fruit of the Liberty and Equality tree, together. It’s OUR day – Women’s day.

Shakin’ the tree begins at the voting booth!

Howie: Thank you for encouraging my readers again to vote. I was also happy to see your comment in an effort to help Vivv and Adam. 

Al, Zen Lill: Thanks for your encouraging words to get out the vote too, sans the repub vote of course – they can hang out on the couch all day and think smugly thoughts.

Joan: Thanks. In my opinion, I am just being logical, and looking at the facts. If some women can’t see the war on women that the misogynistic repubs keep presenting to them, there is no HOPE for them, as unfortunately I don’t think anything I can say will matter. I wish it did! Let’s just HOPE that enough women support women at the polls that it won’t matter, and we can pull them along with us to a better place for ALL of us. That is my goal.

Social Butterfly:) Thanks to you too for cheering on to vote! Thanks for the tip on voting. In addition to that I want to add that if you are a vote by mail voter and you decide to vote at your polling place tomorrow instead, you must turn in your ballot AND its envelope to a poll worker. If you cannot turn in both ballot AND envelope, you must vote provisionally.

If you want to know who the California Democratic Party is endorsing for 2014, click here.

GO VOTE!! 

Thank you.

Blog me.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

For the past few days, I have been struggling with what to write for today, the day before election day. I have been perusing the net frantic for something that will inspire all of you to vote tomorrow. I usually write my blog the night before so that it is ready to post at 9:00 AM. But last night with my computer screen filled with various open windows, I went to bed earlier than usual, with nothing written.

I woke up this morning at 6:30 AM and surrendered to my thoughts and decided to just write what was on my mind.

I have always voted for as long as I was of legal age to vote. I have always voted Dem. However, I voted Dem because my parents did, not because I had any knowledge of what that really meant.

I wasn’t involved in politics. at. all. I never was interested in watching the news nor did I ever pick up a newspaper except to read the entertainment section. I knew very little about the president that I was voting for and even less about anyone in Congress. Hell, I didn’t even know what Congress was. I didn’t vote on policy because I had no idea what was happening, and frankly I really didn’t care. Politics was not interesting to me, and I felt that my vote and my voice didn’t matter much as it seemed to me, men had all of the power in politics.

Well…I was correct that men had all of the power, but what I didn’t realize is that it was because women gave it to them. However, I did learn that my voice did matter, and I saw proof of it. My way of getting involved in something bigger than myself was being a voice for those that didn’t have one. I got involved in the protection of animals and that was only because I had a good friend who introduced me to the horrors of how animals were treated in factory farms and animal testing. I realized that I could be a voice for animals and bring about change. And I did, very passionately.

When I started my blog in 2007 I had no idea what it was going to be all about. I just knew that I didn’t want it to be about one subject. So I named it “Michelle Moquin’s A Day In The Life Of…,” with a plan to blog about just that.

Because of the world wide web, I had more access to what was happening here and around the world. My eyes began to see and read things that I never would have seen and read. And as I began to blog, I could feel my world open up and my interests expand. As I researched my passions about certain things on the net, I was exposed to other things that interested me and inspired other blog writes.

It was then that politics started to peak my interest. The first reason being that you, my readers, I discovered were politically savvy. Most of my readers knew way more and were much more involved in politics than I was. You inspired me to dive in deeper, and better myself in the political arena

Secondly, I knew of the atrocities that happened to women but I began to be exposed to the plight of women on a grander scale around the world and it deeply disturbed me to my core. I began to see that how women were treated here and around the world, was directly connected to world politics.

The more involved I got the more I realized how little I knew. What I did come to learn very quickly was how I had put my future into the hands of others, and blindly trusted, because of my ignorance of the political environment.

I am a person who likes to be in control and here it was hitting me in the face, knowing that I had been giving up my power and control of my life, and my rights to others. And I could see that other women were giving up their power and control to others, as well. And those “others” were mostly men, who had no idea what was important to me and other women or what was in my and their best interest. It was a huge wake-up call.

Because of these reasons, a political animal was born. I found that I was watching the news 2-3 hours every night so that I could educate myself on the politics in our country and abroad, the political system in general, and be able to blog from an informed position.

I felt empowered in politics for the first time in my life, and I felt disenchanted by the political system.

Because of this dichotomy, and the fact that others felt as I did, I knew that in order to feel truly empowered, I needed to use my voice to inspire others so that we together could bring about change.

Barack Obama made it easy for me. From the moment I first heard him speak on the radio, I was so inspired by what he was saying, I had to pull my car over so that I could give him my undivided attention. I discovered what he valued and who he was as a person, so when he announced he would run for president, I knew that he was one man who would support women’s rights and issues if he was given the opportunity, and had a majority in Congress.

I do not believe in coincidences. I think things happen for a reason. And as I look back over the years, it is clear to me now why I started my blog.

Many people call my blog a “women’s blog.” And it is.

If there is one thing that I can leave in my legacy is that I HOPE I was able to be there for women and empower women.

Through my blog, I give women a platform so that you can voice your challenges and your successes and be heard…

By showing women that even if we don’t share the same values, we can respect our differences and come together and support our sisters so that we all have the freedom to chose what we know is best for us and our bodies…by showing women that when we do come together we have the strength and power in numbers that can bring about change and empower all women.

And most importantly show our daughters and granddaughters by example, that women are valued. That our opinions and our intelligence do matter. And by coming together in support of each other for each other, we can get what we want.

That we do not have to get approval or permission from men to do what we know is right for us. That we are the controllers of our minds and bodies, our future, and anything else that affects our personal livelihood and well-being.

All we have to do is demand it and it is ours. We aren’t going to be handed our power – we have to take it. We women alone, together, are strong enough, powerful enough, wise enough, to make the decisions that are best for us that will change our lives and the future of our daughters and granddaughters.

Ladies: I HOPE today to give you the courage and strength to demand your equality by using your voices and the power of your vote. I wish with all my heart that you will open your hearts to all other women, seize this moment because it is OUR time, to come together for womankind and take what is rightfully ours, just by being born a woman, a human being.

Unlike what I thought a many years ago that my vote and voice didn’t matter, it does. Even more so today. Please do not be how I was for so many years, giving control of what mattered to me most over to men, trusting they would do the right thing, as if they knew what was best for me.

Men are a powerful part of the political system, and that cannot be avoided, yet. :) But we do have the choice to chose which men we want to partner with. I don’t need to go into what has been said over and over again, and what has been shown over and over again through their actions, just what the repub men think of women. We all know how truly sickening it is.

But the good news is, those days can be over because we women have the power to change it. I have faith and I trust that you will use that intelligent mind of yours and vote Dem with me tomorrow on election day. Do not worry, (Don’t buy the BS that if you vote Dem in Iowa your neighbors will know you didn’t vote repub.) NO ONE will know how you voted unless you tell them. It will be our little secret that we women came together at the polls to support each other.  That is why I am calling election day, ”Women’s Day,” because if we come together and support each other it will truly be a day we women will not forget.

This is it. It may be Obama’s final term, but it could be the beginning of something amazing and empowering for women, because if any male president will kick some ass for women, it will be our president Obama. I believe that if we women pull through for our president…if we vote and create an administration that gives him the power to do what we as women want, he will pull through and fight for us.

Let’s not give up our power like we have for so long. Let’s show up for each other. Our power comes when we take it…when we come together for each other and support our sisters. I’m doing all I can and counting on you all to do the same. Let’s do this together. Sending you so much love.

Blog me. 

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

The comments referring to Al and the article that he posted inspired me to post this write. If you don’t think other republicans think the same same way, you are very mistaken, and up for a rude awakening. Vote the racist and sexist repubs OUT. Your chance to do that is NOW. Don’t miss out.

From the Huff Po:

Next Time Someone Says ‘White Privilege Isn’t Real,’ Show Them This

Think white privilege doesn’t exist in America? Consider just how much the color of a child’s skin changes his or her odds of escaping poverty later in life.

Roughly 16 percent of white children born into the poorest one-fifth of U.S. families will rise to become a member of the top one-fifth by the time they turn 40 years old, according to a new study by Brookings Institution researchers for the Boston Federal Reserve.

Those are fairly bleak odds, but for poor black children the odds of making it to the top are even longer: Only 3 percent of black children born into the poorest one-fifth of families will ever make the leap to the top income group, according to the study.

Even if they don’t always make it to the top of the income ladder, poor whites escape the worst forms of poverty more often than poor blacks. Only 23 percent of poor white children will still be counted among the poorest Americans when they turn 40, while a whopping 51 percent of poor black children will, the researchers found.

This chart shows the social mobility levels for white Americans. The horizontal axis shows where families start out on the income ladder, and the vertical axis shows the percentage of children from those families that end up at each income level by the age of 40.

As you can see, the poorest white Americans have a decent shot of ending up in a higher tier than their parents — 58 percent of white children from the poorest families end up in one of the top three income brackets.

But for black Americans, escaping poverty is far more difficult:

Just 22 percent of the poorest black children manage to get into the top three income brackets by the time they are 40. And note that there aren’t even enough black families in the top income bracket to do statistically significant analysis.

The findings in the paper, co-authored by Brookings economists Richard V. Reeves and Isabel V. Sawhill, run counter to the beliefs of some, like Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who argue that racism in this country has diminished to the point that white privilege no longer exists. O’Reilly visited The Daily Show last week and argued that any person, regardless of race, can get rich in America so long as they work hard.

But opportunities for success are clearly not that simple, for a host of reasons: The myriad legacies of slavery and Jim Crow, decades of racist housing policies,educational disparities, employment discrimination, and a race-fueled War on Drugs.

Where you start in life financially matters a lot, too: If you’re born in the poorest 20 percent of families of any race, yet still earn a college degree, you have roughly the same chance of being stuck in the poorest bracket as rich high-school dropouts do of staying in the richest bracket (16 and 14 percent, respectively).

Upward mobility is a much harder climb than it would seem.

*****

Readers: You think upward mobility is tough now. Put the repubs in charge and you’ll experience just how tough it can really be (since they don’t seem to think “white privilege” even exists! – yeah right. They’re just racist and choose not to see. You know nothing will get done to with that kind of thinking)

Or…do the smart, logical thing and ensure the Dems are successful and experience just how much more Obama can really do for you…for everyone. The choice is yours. Your future lies in your hands, and how you mark that ballot. I trust you’ll do the smart, logical, right thing, that is best for our country.

Blog me.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Candi et al: Yes, I am. The write was about single women, but I am calling ALL women too…married, divorced, old, young, all women of all color. Because this is it. If we’re going to give Obama, the only male president that I am confident that will go to bat for women, a chance to be a support to women and this country…to bring it home in his last run as president, this is the time that we, the Dems, need to be at the polls voting for the Dems.

So, yes if it sounds like that is what I am trying to do, believe me, it is what I am trying to do…it is all I think about lately. And most likely…it is all I will think about until we vote on Tuesday, and we are victorious.

Tony: I HOPE you had a safe flight back. Enjoy the Parade! It will be a gorgeous sea of Orange and Black – no better way to celebrate the beloved Giants and one of my favorite Holidays. Stay safe and dry. It is a wet one today.

Thelma: I blogged this a few days ago, but it was definitely worth a re-post. Thanks!

Readers: Whatever name you package the Right with…they are all the same same. We do not want the ruthless repubs in control. We’ve already heard from a few readers what is the most important issue in these midterm elections. In case you don’t know how bad it could be with the GOP in control, please let this be a wake-up reminder.

Mary, Frank, Harold, et al: This write is for you. 

From Think Progress:

10 Things To Expect Next Year If The GOP Wins The Senate

Readers:  This is not a future that we want. And no doubt there is and will be more than just these 10. (Wilhelm: That’s a nod to you) I don’t know why any decent man and especially a woman in her right mind would vote repub.

Reading all of your comments this morning gave me HOPE that we can do this.

Mike: I’m just going to assume you were joking. But then again, you may not be a decent man.

Anthony:  Thanks for being a loyal reader and finally making your first comment. :) Nicely stated. “Their tenure might be short but their slash and burn agenda will leave congress in ruins.” Unfortunately you are right on. My stomach’s been in knots for awhile now but I have faith in the American people.

Paul: Thank you. There will be lots to be thankful for when we are successful this Tuesday. Let’s just be sure that we are and work it up until the last minute.

Jim: Smart move! Happy that you see the illogic in the GOP plan. Please pass it along to your friends – have an impact and get them to change their vote. The trickle down theory never trickles down. It didn’t with Bush and it won’t ever under any repub run country.

Gordon: It will if we all think logically and Country first – not just in our own best interest, but what is best for everyone.

Nice to see all of you men here voting Dem and supporting a party that supports women and OTWs, etc. Thank you.

I need to run. I’ll read the rest of the comments later on this afternoon. Thanks for being here with me and showing your support!

Thoughts? It’s Friday. Blog me. Remember…with effort, WE CAN DO THIS. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Have a fun and safe one!

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

From the National Post:

The most expensive U.S. midterm election ever: Why both sides know they have everything to play for

It’s the most expensive U.S. midterm election ever, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CPR), which estimates that almost $4-billion will be spent. CPR, which tracks money spent in politics, reports that an “explosion” in outside cash is a dominant theme of the election.

The group says at least $663-million has been spent by outside groups, like Super PACs, but estimates another $233-million will be spent in the last 12 days, a rate of $19.4-million a day.

And the race for the Senate, which could flip from Democrat to Republican, has attracted huge sums of outside spending — about $338-million, according to the group. The North Carolina senate race is expected to be awarded the dubious honour of being the most expensive in U.S. history with a total of $100-million being spent.

Both sides know they have everything to play for. If Republicans can capture six seats, they can take the Senate and control of Congress. Republicans could then aggressively push policies of free trade, tax reform, and deficit reduction as well as the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline to carry oil from Canada to the U.S. The election is Nov. 4. So which are the key states to watch and how much outside money has been spent in them?

National Post GraphicsClick or tap to enlarge

Here is a look at the most interesting Senate races ahead of the midterm elections on Nov. 4:

ALASKA
This state could be a key decider. Democratic senator Mark Begich is up against Republican candidate Dan Sullivan. The state was Republican for years, before opting for Begich in 2008. Polls suggest Sullivan has a slight lead, but in the state they are notoriously inaccurate and untrustworthy.

THEY SAID IT: Begich with 90 staffers (as opposed to Sullivan’s 14) has campaigned heavily in Alaska’s far-flung communities. “We have knocked on every single door in rural Alaska. This is unbelievable. No one’s ever done it like this — ever,” he told The Washington Post.

ARKANSAS
Democratic Senator Mark Pryor is trailing Representative Tom Cotton in the former Democratic bailiwick. Pryor’s support for President Barack Obama’s agenda, most notably the Affordable Health Act, is the stick Cotton is using to beat Pryor. Pryor counters Cotton is an extremist, pointing to his votes against the Farm Bill, the Violence Against Women Act, etc.

THEY SAID IT: Foreign policy — especially the threat posed by Islamic terrorists — is providing an unexpected boost for Cotton, a former infantryman in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. “Folks want to look at people making those decisions and know they’ve walked the walk,” said Kevin McLaughlin, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

COLORADO
Mark Udall, the Democratic incumbent, has made abortion and contraception the centrepiece of his campaign, attacking the stance of his Republican rival, Cory Gardner. But Gardener is ahead in the polls, despite backing “personhood” amendments in Colorado that would redefine a person’s rights as beginning at conception, making contraception and abortion illegal.

THEY SAID IT: Gardner’s success suggests Republicans have learned how to counter the perception they are anti-women and voters are being turned off by the issue. “If Colorado’s Senate race were a movie, the set would be a gynecologist’s office,” said an article in the Denver Post, which surprised many by endorsing Gardner.

GEORGIA
Money in a Swiss banking account has become a key topic for debate in the open race to become the U.S. senator from Georgia. Democrat hopeful Michelle Nunn is squaring off against Republican David Perdue. With barely two weeks to go, pollsters agree on only one thing — the race is too close to call.

THEY SAID IT: Nunn’s campaign is asking pointed questions about Perdue’s reported $1-million stashed in a Swiss private bank. He “needs to be honest with Georgians about his investments, career and how he made millions while those who worked for him often found themselves worse off,” says a Nunn spokesman.

IOWA
Even though it’s the 21st century, Republican state Senator Joni Ernst is trying to become the first woman U.S. senator from Iowa in her race against Democratic U.S. Representative Bruce Braley. This is although Republicans typically do well with male voters, Democrats with female ones. Ernst, who is also an officer in the Iowa Army National Guard, is hoping to change that.

THEY SAID IT: Stumping for Braley, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told voters billionaires aren’t going to decide who will be their next senator, hinting at Ernst’s alleged ties to the conservative donors Charles and David Koch. “I think you are going to decide,” she said.

AP Photo/Orlin Wagner // AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, FileRepublican Pat Roberts, right, was thrown for a curveball when his Democratic challenger dropped out of the race, leaving it just between him and independent Greg Orman, left.

KANSAS
What started as a three-way race has turned into two-man slugfest after Democratic hopeful Chad Taylor dropped out. Now Republican incumbent Pat Roberts is trying to fend off a serious challenge from Greg Orman, an independent businessman. But as voting day approaches, the gap has narrowed.

THEY SAID IT: Roberts’ campaign has been hammering away at Orman’s links to private equity firm CEO Raj Gupta, convicted of insider trading in 2012, and financier George Soros. “As we’ve begun to educate people about the real Greg Orman, his support has begun to rapidly decline,” a source close to the Roberts campaign told Business Insider.

LOUISIANA
In an ultra-red state that went for Mitt Romney by a landslide in 2012, Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu is sounding more like an anxious novice than a seasoned lawmaker, with 18 years under her belt, as she battles Republican challenger Bill Cassidy. The presence of a third contender, Rob Maness, could lead to a runoff vote.

THEY SAID IT: Landrieu has attacked Cassidy for not turning up for candidates’ debates. “If you are not man enough or strong enough to come to these debates, how in heavens are you going to be strong enough to represent the citizens of Louisiana?” she asked. A Cassidy spokesman dismissed her complaint as “silly.”

MICHIGAN
In one of the few races to offer comfort to Democrats, their candidate, U.S. Representative Gary Peters solidly leads the Republican Terri Lynn Land, a former secretary of state, in every public poll. Even Republican observers agree she has little chance.

THEY SAID IT: Part of the problem for Land is the lack of excitement. The race has been “sort of boring,” says Democratic consultant Mark Grebner. There has been no game-changing remark. There were no debates. so there was “no zinger moment,” adds Republican consultant Dennis Darnoi.

MONTANA
Steve Daines could carry the state for the Republicans after the Democratic incumbent John Walsh withdrew, admitting he had plagiarized a paper while at Army War College. Instead, Daines will face state Representative Amanda Curtis, a relative neophyte, whose left-wing views, freely viewable on You Tube, could turn off voters.

THEY SAID IT: Curtis emerged as her party’s choice after other prominent Democrats, including former Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the actor Jeff Bridges, declined to enter the race. Nonetheless, she says she running to win and “is not a sacrificial lamb.” Analysts put her chances as slim at best.

AP Photo/Jim ColeU.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, left, and former Massachusetts Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown before a live televised debate.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Former Republican senator Scott Brown from neighbouring Massachusetts could be poised to upset Jeanne Shaheen, an institution in New Hampshire. In doing so, he has to combat charges of being a carpet bagger and opportunist by running in the state where he has a vacation home.

THEY SAID IT: Despite the recent threat posed by the newcomer, analysts believe the former governor will win the day. “Shaheen is such a known quantity. She’s been part of politics in the state for such a long time. And she’s running a really good campaign,” said Jennifer Duffy, of the Cook Political Report. “The only election she’s ever lost was the Senate in 2002.”

NORTH CAROLINA
The senatorial contest in North Carolina appears certain to become costliest in U.S. electoral history as Republicans try to take over the upper house. An estimated US$100-million is being spent to promote two candidates most people have never heard of: Senate Democrat Kay Hagan, who is clinging to a razor-thin lead, and Republican Thom Tillis.

THEY SAID IT: Tillis has been building grass-roots support, reports Politico. Amid shouts of “You’ve got my vote, speaker,” and “There’s my next U.S. senator,” at the North Carolina State Fair last week, he was all confidence. “I think things are going really well,” he said, as he ate fried chicken, milked a cow and hung tobacco leaves for curing with fair-goers.

SOUTH DAKOTA
Four-way race between former Republican governor Mike Rounds. Democrat Rick Weiland, former Republican U.S. senator-turned independent Larry Pressler and the Tea Party’s Gordon Howie. Rounds is tainted by a scandal over how the state administered its visa program designed to attract foreign capital and which led to an aide’s suicide. The Keystone XL pipeline could also be a factor.

THEY SAID IT: Rounds has been hurt by Weiland’s hammering away at the visa scandal, to the extent coverage of all other issues has been nearly non-existent. “I’m running for the Senate but I ain’t a big wheel. I don’t have an RV just my automobile. Hey, hey, no one’s bought me,” sings Weiland in a folksy, cheeky video.

WEST VIRGINIA
Two women are facing off in West Virginia to fill the Senate seat of Democrat Jay Rockefeller, who is retiring: the Republican U.S. Representative Shelley Moore-Capito, and the Democratic party nominee, Natalie Tennant, the West Virginia secretary of state. Whoever wins, it will be historic — the state has never sent a woman senator to Washington.

THEY SAID IT: Barack Obama is so unpopular in the state because of his policies on coal, Tennant refused to mention him by name when asked who she voted for. At a candidates’ debate, she would only say she “voted for the Democratic party,” before citing her objections to the president and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy.

 

*****

Readers: Whew! Did you get through all that? My suggestion is that you focus on your state and then go out there and do it. Do whatever you can to get the Dems on board and voting.

Congratulations San Francisco Giants!

Blog me.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

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michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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