Elections Archives | Page 2 of 3 | Patriot NOT Partisan

BRINGING THE PEOPLE BACK TO THE HOUSE

January 18, 2018 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

While politics in the United States has grown more racially and ethnically diverse, and while women continue their march toward parity, the economic diversity of Congress has actually gone down. The shrinking of trade unions has removed the primary ladder for working people to rise to political leadership, and the result is a kind of economic segregation that marginalizes most

History Repeating Itself

January 17, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

James Madison, at the constitutional convention: “A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution. I’ve recently been doing a bit of historical research into impeachment. Given our current circumstances with Trump, it did seem to be the logical course of action. As I was reading, I began to notice trends in certain things. Similarities to that situation

Brianna Westbrook Biography

January 15, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

I first stepped into politics as a concerned citizen in February 2013 when I was nearly 30-years-old. I argued before the Phoenix City Council to support an Anti-Discrimination measure to include protections for members of the LGBT and disability communities in city contracts, housing, employment and public accommodations. Two months later I argued against AZ Senate Bill 1432, aimed at prosecuting

Americans Must Unite to Rescue Our Sinking Ship of State

January 12, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

We are in the midst of a national emergency, and the elections in November will signal whether America is still serious about being a democracy. A President is actively attacking democratic structures and norms while intentionally stoking racial tensions. Civility itself is endangered. Our elections are not secure and voter suppression is on the rise. There is an active campaign

Alt-Reich: The Reemergence of an Old Enemy

January 11, 2018 Civil Rights, Elections, General Commentary, Immigration

It did not begin in Charlottesville, but did not end there, either. In August, 2017, self-described White nationalists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, carrying Tiki torches and swastikas, chanting “Jews will not replace us”, and “blood and soil”. Any student of history knows from whence these phrases came. Our country fought a war to defeat this very ideology, and here it

#In300Days You Can Change the World – But You Must Start Now

January 10, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

Today marks 300 days before the Midterm Congressional election. That’s right – we’re nearing the halfway point of the Trump regime, and for many of us, this election will be the first chance we have to voice our disapproval at the ballot box. But you won’t be heard if you can’t vote. Last November’s elections proved beyond a doubt that

The Unlikely Lesson I Learned

January 5, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

It was a cold night on October 30, 2017, in downtown Chicago. I was in line, outside, with hundreds of people waiting to hear a speech. I saw people from all walks of life. The ladies from the Gold Coast, the men from the south side, the nice, elderly ladies from Suburbia, the college kids from universities far and near,

Take a Knee Bernie

January 1, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

A week ago, The Washington Post ranked the top 15 Democratic presidential candidates for 2020. The article appeared in The Post on Friday before Christmas weekend and was like a package that an unreformed Grinch would leave on the doorstep. If America is suffering now, trying to determine how to recover from the one-man circus that has corrupted the nation,

Hollow Populism

December 26, 2017 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

McKean County, Pennsylvania: I’ve been visiting this place since I was a kid. It’s quiet, with good hunting. Next to the Allegheny River, near the northern border of the state, it’s removed from pretty much everything. There’s a college town about 25 miles away, but in the winter, the mountain roads are often impassable. As a young boy, I found

WHAT MAKES A VIRGINIAN FIGHT?

December 20, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Growing up in Virginia gives one a unique perspective. We Virginians spend our formative years immersed in history, and almost daily we’re reminded of the role our state played in the forging of America. We’ve been on both sides of history, and our pride is tempered with a healthy dose of humility. When Massachusetts started a fight it couldn’t win

POLITICAL CARTOON

December 20, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Cokes the Self-Preservation Out Differing from presidents of the past, President Trump appears to execute the typical day in favor of personal interests. Each day the president engages in excessive social media use and cable television. President Trump continues to challenge normative presidential behavior. Appearing in the New York Times, Inside Trump's Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation states, "For other presidents, every day is a

Behind the Mask: A Look at Anonymity and Online Activism

December 19, 2017 Elections, General Commentary, Net Neutrality

Red’s morning routine could only be called normal. There’s coffee involved, and a kid who needs a ride to school, and in the empty spaces of the morning, he tweets. Just a few lines here and there, maybe a pic or a video to go with it. And over time, as practice becomes habit, and habit becomes a lifestyle, people

Little Boy Blue

December 15, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

The dust had barely settled on Alabama’s election, when the Trump regime kicked into full gear again to ram through its sham of a tax reform bill. On Wednesday, White House lapdog and sometimes Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell demanded that a vote be held on the tax bill…before Doug Jones is sworn in as Alabama’s new senator. Trump, McConnell,

Overturning Net Neutrality is Bad Business

December 6, 2017 Elections, General Commentary, Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is a hot topic this week and rightfully so as the future of the Internet is at stake. While most of the dialogue has focused on what this means for consumers, let’s not forget the big losers will be small businesses and independent contractors who will be strangled by an unfair online marketplace. In short, President Obama’s administration

Onward. Forward.

December 5, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

So, Democrats it's election night 2016, I’m excited I’m feeling confident going into the polls. I’m excited about voting for our next president Hillary Clinton. I, and so many others thought for sure we would have this election wrapped up a little after 8 PM. We were so wrong and I do wish to apologize I should have done more

Roy Moore and the Triumph of Tribalism

November 20, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Let’s begin with what is known. On November 8, 2017, Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore held a lead on his opponent of anywhere from seven to ten points, depending on the poll referenced. On November 9, 2017, The Washington Post published a bombshell article detailing a number of allegations of serious sexual impropriety, and at least one case of sexual assault, all

All Americans Need to Support the Recall of Brian Kemp

November 15, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Georgia’s Secretary of State has implemented America’s least-secure elections, and voter data has been compromised multiple times during his tenure. This has been a tough year for those of us who believe in the sanctity of American institutions. We’re tired of corruption and are growing impatient at the intentional degradation of norms from the Trump administration and Congressional GOP. Many

Making Elections Great Again: A Prescription To Increase Electoral Fairness in the Age of Citizens United

November 13, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

In 1992, I was a junior in high school in Manchester, the largest city in New Hampshire. At the time, Manchester had a population of about 100,000, and during that cold winter it seemed at least half of those people were presidential candidates. Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Bob Kerrey, and Jerry Brown all made appearances at my high school.

Looking for a Hero (White Horse Optional)

November 2, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

In November of 2016, my middle daughter, Rosabel, was able to vote for the very first time in our presidential election.I remember being so excited for her because, as many of us assumed, we were about to elect our first woman president. We were also painfully aware of the alternative a brash, arrogant narcissist; an accused sexual predator who had

Here are three key ways you can help fight Trump corruption and defend our Constitution

October 25, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Launched on the day of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling, Free Speech For People is a recognized leader of the movement to challenge big money in politics and unchecked corporate power — and now its team of legal experts is taking on the unprecedented corruption of the White House under President Trump. Here are Free Speech For People’s

When They Go Low, We Go Local

October 25, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

They say all politics is local. It’s where the magic happens -- where change happens one vote, one bill, one life at a time. It’s a quaint idea, imagining how truly powerful all of the Leslie Knopes of our country are, toiling day and night on legislation, holding town halls for their constituents, and fighting for what’s right. But is

Why am I Running? Two Storms, a Campaign and a Baby Named Zander

October 17, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Running for office was not what I expected. I knew I would have to devote time to campaigning and I knew I would have to put myself in an uncomfortable position of asking for money. But it has asked so much more from me - for while I recognize that I was not asking for money for me personally but

Hacking the Voters

October 3, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Why a British company has Americans voter data and how British law can help us get it back How did Cambridge Analytica get our data? Who did they get it from? How did they process it? Who were the recipients of our data? Can we opt-out? Can they justify lawful compliance under UK Data Protection law? Donate to the CrowdJustice

Democrats Messaging Misses Masses

September 22, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

The problem with the Democratic party is poor messaging. In 2016 people that voted for Trump, really had more in common with the Democratic Platform, but nobody explained that to them. A good way to share the Democratic message is through listening tours scheduled in high republican/Trump counties. Gerrymandering has painted too many districts deep red, but the individuals living

TrumpRussia: Where Are We Now?

September 14, 2017 Elections, General Commentary, Russia

"TrumpRussia" encompasses alleged ties between Russia and Donald Trump and his surrogates, along with Russia's interference in our 2016 election. By now, most Americans are familiar with TrumpRussia, whether or not they think that it's "Fake News." Spoiler alert: it's NOT Fake News. The TrumpRussia scandal is incredibly complex and allegedly involves real estate deals, global finance, money laundering, organized

Donald Trump is My President

September 11, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

I desperately want to be able to say, "Donald Trump is not my President!" I not only want to say it, I want to put it on a sign in my front yard and a lapel pin I can wear every day until his inevitable impeachment. I want to replace "Hello" with "Trump is not my President," and close all

A Libertarian’s Perspective on Trump

September 8, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

I am a libertarian. Libertarians believe in freedom; in voluntary association; that, because government is society's only mandatory institution (has power over all within its jurisdiction; may initiate force to impose its will), its only permissible function is to protect negative rights (freedoms; liberty); and that positive rights (the so-called right to be given other people's product) do not exist.

Impeaching Trump is All about Bob

September 4, 2017 Civil Rights, Elections, General Commentary, Russia

Day after day, we are bombarded by reports of more and more ties between Russia and Donald Trump and his cabal. It seems that EVERYONE on Team Trump "coincidentally" has ties to Russia, whether it's Trump "consigliere" Michael Cohen's negotiations for Trump Tower Moscow during the campaign, Paul Manafort's spider web of connections with Kremlin-linked oligarchs and mobsters, Donald Trump,

All The Fake News Fit To Print

September 1, 2017 Civil Rights, Elections, General Commentary

This weekend we suffered a tragedy in Charlottesville with KKK and American White Supremacists walking under a Nazi flag. The tragedy though was repeated when InfoWars went on the race baiting offensive claiming Jewish actors were part of the protest to make it look like Nazis were in Charlottesville. (InfoWars Video) The presence of David Duke confirms what we already

Make America America Again: A Canadian Responds to Donald Trump

August 31, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Canada is in a unique position when it comes to evaluating what has happened in America since the election of Donald Trump, so I thought I would share my 2 cents. We are, of course, a separate country, with separate traditions, laws, languages (English and French), along with a different system of government altogether. We are, however, just across the

High School Boys Treated Like Women in Congress | Field Tripped

August 25, 2017 Civil Rights, Elections, General Commentary

Men make up 80% of congress, which means they have the majority vote on issues that directly affect women. This EPIC high school teacher is on a mission to show his male students what it feels like for the women in congress who don't have an equal say on policies that specifically affect females. In a vote about school policies,

My Conversation With a Leading Election Technology Researcher Should Terrify You

August 23, 2017 Elections

Def Con is a 25 year old hacking convention where the worlds best hackers come together often highlighting security vulnerabilities in technology. This year, Def Con made news by raising awareness of our voting machine insecurities by challenging hackers to hack into the voting machines commonly used in this country for elections. These Def Con hacks took place in the

6 Decisions You Didn’t Know Were Made by State Legislators

August 22, 2017 Elections

A confession: Despite having voted along the party line for my state reps, I didn't know their names until November 9th, when I woke up and wanted to get much more involved in how decisions were being made in our country. The media reports a lot on what Congress and the Senate are doing, but state elected officials don't get

Finding Hope in the Heartland

August 21, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

On November 8, 2016, I, along with 63 million other Americans, entered the voting booth and cast my vote for Donald J. Trump. I want you to know that my decision to vote for Trump was the culmination of months of debating whether I could even bring myself to vote for either candidate. I, like a lot of Americans, found

Trump’s Thin Red Line

August 17, 2017 Elections, Russia

It's the interview that launched a thousand misguided thinkpieces. On July 19th, three New York Times reporters presented a tautology to the President of the United States: if former FBI Director and current Special Counsel Bob Mueller does the one thing his appointment by the Department of Justice prevents him from doing-investigate matters that have nothing whatsoever to do with

Us vs Them: How To Stay Friends While Trump is On Top

August 15, 2017 Civil Rights, Elections, General Commentary, Immigration

I'm a left-leaning immigrant who has recently graduated from UC Berkeley. And, to the surprise of many, I now live harmoniously with a Trump supporter. I know; everyone makes that face when I tell them. But it's actually not as heart wrenching as you may imagine. For either of us. In fact, there's been some really eye opening and faith-in-humanity-restoring

Tired of politics? You may want to check your privilege

August 11, 2017 Elections, General Commentary, Immigration

Let's go back to November 9th, 2016. Liberal or conservative, I think we can all agree that it was a pretty crazy day and most of us were feeling very passionate. Some were ecstatic, some were devastated but there was also an overwhelming amount of people that either "didn't care" or expressed how they wished everyone would stop posting about

We Need More than One Big Party to Save America

August 9, 2017 Elections, international

The Trump administration is actively deconstructing America’s democratic values and processes, but there is an even more dangerous underlying consequence of Trump’s rise to power. Too many people — especially those on the left — believe the fallacy that either Trump’s removal or his failure will automatically restore the nation’s balance. Uniting against Trump does instill a sense of purpose

Liberal Military Spouse in America 2017 #WeAllFearDifferentThings

August 9, 2017 Civil Rights, Elections, General Commentary

I firmly believe my use of "fuck" in my everyday life and on the internet pretty much ends all chances of my ideas and opinions being spread across the country, but they are my opinions none the less and any chance I get I will speak up! I am disheartened by the results of the 2016 election. I sat in my

One silver lining to Trump’s win: Democrats could win key governors’ races for 2020s redistricting

August 8, 2017 Elections

One silver lining to Trump's win: Democrats could win key governors' races for 2020s redistricting Donald Trump’s shocking victory over Hillary Clinton also saw Republicans win more power at the state level than in any election since 1928. However, there is one possible silver lining for the party that doesn’t occupy the White House. A whopping 36 states elect