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September 02, 2022 10:06 PM UTC

Labor Day Weekend Open Thread

  • 41 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

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41 thoughts on “Labor Day Weekend Open Thread”

  1. With all of the articles talking about the Democratic voter registration surge, I was interested in seeing what was happening in Colorado last month.

    Colorado Voter Registration Active
    09/01/22……………DEM……….GRN…..LBR…….REP…….UAF……..Active Total
    % of reg……………27.86%…..0.23%…..1.08%…..25.01%…..45.30%…..100.00%
    month’s change……..4,275……….94 …….91 …….1,336…….31,085…….37,124
    6 month change…..(31,212)…….195 …..337 …..(22,623)…….36,660 …..(15,930)
    Since 11/1/2020…..(90,916)…..(287)…(1,470)….(95,719)….147,903 …..(38,711)

    Democrats over Republicans 3 to 1. However, UNAFFILIATED [default status for new registrations] outgained the two parties added together by 6 to 1.

  2. News outlets bit hard on the announcement of a poll in Colorado's Senate Race:  there were a spate of articles claiming Bennet’s race was “suddenly more competitive.”  For example, Colorado Public Radio said:  As the US Senate race looks increasingly competitive, Michael Bennet and Joe O’Dea hit the campaign trail to win over Coloradans

    How do we know it is “increasingly competitive”??

    • polling? “Polling on the Senate race is a bit all over the map; a recent poll from a Republican firm found the two men are running dead even, while one aligned with Democrats gave Bennet a double-digit advantage.”  CPR is comparing
      • an internal poll showing Bennet as +1% and within MoE of 4.1%, so “dead even” — but it was commissioned by the Republican Attorney General’s Association, done by Tarrance (R), on their version of “likely voters,” and released only as a press release (no demographics, no crosstabs). One released detail adds to the mystery:  the press release says O’Dea is losing Unaffiliated by 4%.
      • to an external, unsponsored poll by PPP (D), fully released (demographics, toplines, & crosstabs) and showed Bennet up 11%, and a 3rd party candidate taking 7%.
    • money?
      • “Bennet has a huge financial advantage in the race, with almost 10 times as much cash on hand as O’Dea according to the last filing. And while the GOP Senate campaign arm has put about a quarter million dollars into the race, it still pales in comparison to the millions the group has spent in key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Georgia.”
    • Voter registration?
      • Rep. 25%, Dem. 28%, and both continue losing ground to the Unaffiliated 45% in the most recent release from the Secretary of State.
    • Other campaigns and partisan climate?
      • CPR finishes with a description of a central factor to a representative voter:  “Smith’s disaffection comes down largely to Donald Trump and the party’s continuing embrace of the former president, who lost Colorado by more than 13 points. It was a hesitation CPR News heard from numerous moderate Democrats and unaffiliated voters, that even if they might want to give O’Dea in particular a chance, they are more concerned about boosting the party he belongs to.”

    So, despite ALL indications of the piece going Bennet’s way, it is “increasingly competitive.”

    1. Is there some online petition that the Trump/MAGA people use for grass roots petitions? If so, someone needs to start one requesting Trump to do a campaign event here in Colorado to support the full set of Republican candidates.

      And all of us politically active Democrats then go sign it immediately to give it a boost and get it front page news. The MAGA zealots will then all sign on and at a minimum we get all the news stories of Trump supporting the Republican slate.

      And the best outcome is Trump does a rally here reminding the voters who the Republican candidates follow.

  3. Colorado newsrooms bite on anything because they are understaffed, underpaid and generally inexperienced. As newspapers continue to decline it’s only going to get worse.

     

  4. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is truly a Labor Day parable.  

    There is a deep truth that the Jewish concept of Jubilee recognizes, namely that the more one accumulates the more the desire for more increases.  This eventually becomes the kind covetous greed that destroys community and makes the many into the slaves of a few.  In ancient Israel, individuals don’t really “own” the land,  the land belongs to God and it is God’s to distribute.  This is the basis of the “debt code” where land could be redistributed every Jubilee year, that is, the year when all debts were cancelled and the land redistributed. 

    It’s also crucial to realize that those who work the land have a deep connection with it; to say that it is owned only by individuals, or even corporations and that the workers should have no say in how much they are paid, their overtime, their health and safety conditions, is an affront to God.

    Jesus is telling this parable to get those who work the land to recognize how different this “landowner’s” viewpoint is from what is traditional Jewish belief, that God gives the land and human beings work in community to create abundance for all that all may live.

    How would we organize our companies today if we truly believed that everyone had a stake in the economic well-being of the company, and that God’s justice is at stake in how we work and how we get paid?

    Tough words from the Prophet.  Would he recognize our American system of 'it's mine', 'I built that', 'you're expendable' as one consistent with his teachings?  Would he be fighting to defund health care?  To make draconian cuts in the supplemental nutritional assistance program? To keep the migrant worker who picks your vegetables and cuts your meat in the shadows of the richest society ever known to mankind?  Questions every one of us as Americans should be contemplating today as we celebrate the worker – both those who were fortunate enough to be born 'American', and the millions who live in the shadows – yet contribute to a significant portion of our growing national wealth. 

    On the day after Thanksgiving in 1960, CBS News aired the documentary "Harvest of Shame". Fifty-three years later it would be hard to argue that we've advanced a single step regarding the way we treat the migrants in the "sweat shops of the soil".  Today, our country incarcerates more young black men than the aggregate number of slaves at the time of the Civil War. 

    Let's let this day be a day of reflection of the lapses of our past responsibilities – and an opportunity to embrace the kind of future where every human being is treated with the dignity we are called to give them. 

    Happy Labor Day, 2022

    1. Very well written, Michael. It deserves to be a diary, not merely a blog comment. 

      Is the “jubilee year” forgiveness of debt still celebrated anywhere?

      Debt forgiveness would seem to be deeply rooted in Judeo Christian beliefs. The idea that land is entrusted to us by the Creator is also common to most Native American tribal theologies. 

    1.  

       

       

       

      There is so much more to know about the decline in scores.  I would like to see a comparison between students in a state with lockdowns and students in a state without the lockdowns,  Also, within the student population there is so much variations.  There are English language learners, handicapped kids, and really smart kids.  There needs to be a breakout of each different group to determine the consequence of the Covid guarantee.  Will it happen?  I doubt it.

  6. A concern & an opportunity

    First off, I hope Bennet's (and others) are not following Udall's failed campaign of making the election solely about Abortion. It's a biggie, but it's not sufficient to win.

    Second, every Democratic federal candidate needs to be hammering, in addition to Abortion, protecting our Democracy, what the Democrats have accomplished (many of the bills with no Republican support), what they will do going forward, and that inflation is being tamed.

    Oh, and that the Republicans are looking at passing federal laws outlawing abortion, same sex marriage, & birth control.

    And hit them hard that they will vote for it. Joe O'Dea may have his preferred anti-abortion legislation, but hit him hard on the fact that when the Republican party puts forward a draconian bill, and O'Dea's choice is not for his preference, but the draconian bill or nothing – he'll vote for the draconian bill. Hammer all of them hard on this.

    As for all the state level candidates, campaign that a Republican sweep means the legalizing abortion bill is undone and an anti-abortion bill will then be passed. Followed by an anti-gay marriage bill and restrictions on birth control

    And… pulling the same B.S. as the Arizona legislature has implemented where the legislature can overturn the voting results if a Democrat wins. The federal level can help protect the vote (if we get enough Senators willing to overturn the filibuster). But the state level is where the damage is done.

    And again, the state level candidates need to talk about what they are going to do going forward. (Hint, promise to solve the water & homeless problems without listing any specifics.)

    1. Key points for this election:  Democratic candidates up and down the ballot need to be stressing concern about crime and inflation, and offering programs AT LEAST as specific as their opponents. 

      Public safety would be enhanced with better policing and other services — including response to emergencies that involved trained counseling and medical personnel rather than uniformed, sworn & gun-carrying officers.  And property crimes would go down with more & better addiction treatment programs. 

      Inflation is challenging all over the world, not just here in the US.  National politicians could point to the success of the Child Tax credit (and subsequent increase in poverty when Republicans blocked the extension).   Everything being done for job development helps families deal with inflation better than if they had no job (as would happen with Republican policies). All of the efforts to cap drug prices, provide subsidies for health insurance, and provide low-cost services — well, all of those can help residents until inflation drops.

      2. JiD, in reference to your second point, that’s what Denver is doing. And it’s working. Cities around the country are taking notice and looking to start their own programs:                                  https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Public-Health-Environment/Community-Behavioral-Health/Behavioral-Health-Strategies/Support-Team-Assisted-Response-STAR-Program

    2. Thank you.  I have been thinking the same thing. Althought in 2014, abortion was not the national issue which is now. 

      I was trying to reply to DavidThi808; I don’t know if I did or not.

    3. I saw O'Dea's ad where he has a statement about COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY.  It was so hard to believe that he is some kind of maverick who isn't going to reliably vote Republican on every issue.  It's also an admission that Republicans are known for being party boot-lickers.  Trump is the anchor around his neck and Bennet should reinforce that subservience as much as O'Dea's muddy female body autonomy positions.

      Autonomy: self-directing freedom and especially moral independence personal autonomy

  7. Headline in the Washington Post…

    "It is time for Republicans to save themselves."

    If you listened to any of Trumps' Wilkes-Barre speech, you might get the sense it is urgent.

  8. So it turns out CU Regent and gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganhal’s husband was awarded a concessions contract at CU. 
     

    I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. 
     

    #IOKIYR

    1. He appears to be following existing law. Those not liking it need to seek a legislative remedy at the state legislature. Good luck taking on the "water buffalos."

    1. I’d reverse those proportions – 38% that voted for 

      The proposed constitution, which had the support of leftist President Gabriel Boric, included 388 articles that would have significantly extended social rights, increased environmental regulation and given the government wider responsibility for social welfare programs. It also would have provided full gender parity and added designated seats for indigenous representatives

      But you’d prefer the dictator Pinochet’s constitution, implemented with full support of the CIA and fruit corporations, that legalized torture, criminalized dissent, and “disappeared”;thousands. Good to know where you stand.

      1. Don't know much about the effort, but when I quickly read a couple of articles, it sounded like the effort to write a new constitution quickly became a fairly one-sided project to pull LOTS of items which had been on the progressive/left list into the Constitution. The 388-article, 178-page document included a number of things far beyond what had been passed into law.

        A vast majority want change … 80% of Chileans voted in favor of changing the constitution. The elected delegates had a male-female balance, but did not reflect existing political parties.  So, the country will consider how to abandon the despised existing constitution. . 

         

        1. My view is that the Pinochet era constitution is still considered better than the giant far left cluster-f**k. A new constitution needs to be much more compact.

            1. Jesus Christ KW – the choice is not between the existing constitution and the proposed far left wet dream. It's between the proposed constitution and get back to work and write something more reasonable.

              And Chile is not a dictatorship. It was, but no longer is. The fact that they had a vote on this is pretty clear proof of that.

              1. No. The “ down vote” happened in the flood of disinformation, likely spread by the Chilean versions of MAGA cultists, and aided by corporate interests, just as Pinochet’s coup was.

                . Pro_ constitutional people were threatend and run over by right wingers. 
                So…water is privatized in Chile, with multinational ag and mining getting first dibs. Since the Constitution was voted down, there is no government responsibility for clean water.

                Women are relegated to second class status, and have no right to abortion. There is no government- sponsored healthcare or aid to the poor. Indigenous people continue to lose their lands and cultures for profit, and now have no voice in government. 
                That is what you are celebrating. As I said, good to see where you actually stand. 

                1. If you’re that upset about the far left proposed constitution going down to defeat in Chile, maybe you need to be there for a while to rally the troops, so to speak.

                  “likely spread by the Chilean version of MAGA cultists…..” What, it’s not a proven fact?

                  I’ve actually been to Chile a few times. Have you, or just parroting the usual far left propaganda?

                  1. A dear friend spent years there and wrote and spoke about about the pro-democracy movement, the coup and its aftermath, including the present brave effort to, yet again, try to create a more fair and susainable Chile.

                    You went to Chile, I assume, as a tourist and a mountain climber. What did you see of the lives of working class Chileños?

                    As far as MAGA type disinformation, yes, it was widespread- through the same channels hat our own MAGA nonsense was spread. And the same right wing “ Libertarians” who demand liberty for corporations and autocrats have been vocal, as well. 

                    1. You assume wrong regarding what I did in Chile. And the commentary from a “dear friend” isn’t a substitute for actually being there. 

                      I like Chile almost as much as I like Bolivia; my two favorite countries in South America. Then there is Paraguay and Uruguay, which I visited in 2016.

  12. Trumpy Federalist Society Judge loyalty demonstration.

    Any asserted "executive privilege" claim is an admission that Trump was in possession of US Government documents to Mal-a-Lago.

  13. It is pretty common knowledge around these parts that our 3rd District congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, is a front runner ( in the company of Marjorie Tayor Greene, Louis Gohmert, Jim Jordan, et al ) in the “That is the Stupidest Thing I Have Ever Heard” sweepstakes.

    Her latest pair of PR turds, includes a mention of the “closed forests” containing billions of dead trees left there by “environmentalists”

    But…the creme de la creme, the actual dumbest thing I have ever heard..
    “Colorado already produces some
    of the cleanest natural gas in the world”.

    No further comment…

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