President/Vice President
Donald Trump/Mike Pence, R incumbent
What can one say? Here’s an aspiring “president for life” who is now leading his followers in chants of “another 12 years” and announcing that he will not accept any election results that don't favor him. By then there will be no country to reclaim. As it is he and his mob pals have hollowed out and reversed every agency and department of the government, violated every law – with evident impunity – and created a mob culture of stealing even those things that are nailed down.
Lately this mobster has taken to glorifying the right wing mobs who are openly gunning down Black Lives Matter protesters in the streets, occupying cities, and terrorizing citizens. That’s his idea of “Law & Order.”
No, this administration was not responsible for COVID-19 reaching our shores. But they very much are responsible for having shut down the agencies created by the Obama administration to deal with exactly this kind of emergency. The net result is 200k dead bodies and counting, a country shut down, lives trashed, people hurting. The response? “Its happening in blue states. Let them rot.” and “I don’t take any responsibility” along with the subversion of the CDC so their word can no longer be trusted.
The latest move is an Executive Order to stop collecting Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes. The cover is that this will help poor people. Well, no. Poor people aren’t working so aren’t paying payroll taxes. What this will do is bankrupt Social Security in about 3 years.
Every day there’s a new outrage. As of 9-3-20 he was calling wounded veterans “suckers” and "losers." Really?
And now we have the revelations from the New York Times about the great grifter’s income taxes and how he does not pay them. He’s incredibly good at losing money and exploiting loopholes. I’m not even sure its about the money itself, but rather about his ability to abuse the system, his way of coming out on top - and of hiding his obligations to foreign countries and their banks. Having a president in office who has upward of $400 mil in personal loans coming due in the next 4 years does not sound very good for making decisions on behalf of the country.
It is already glaringly, blatantly obvious that the intent is to steal the election, as evidenced by the deliberate destruction of the US Postal Service – on top of the voter suppression, gerrymandering, shutting down of polling places, his open direction that people should vote twice “to test the system” - and his insistence that he will not accept any result but winning. The painful reality is that the mob has moved in on our government and is turning our country into mob turf fascist fiefdoms. There is no more rule of law.
Jo Jorgensen/ Jeremy “Spike Cohen” Libertarian Party
https://jo20.com/about/ https://www.lpallegheny.org/blog/our-blog-1/post/meet-jeremy-spike-cohen-2020-lp-candidate-for-vice-president-42
“Don’t waste your vote on Trump or Biden”
Your classic libertarians. Not gonna waste a lot of time on this. “Also ran”
10-30-20 hot new update. It seems that Cohen is aligned with the Boogaloo movement and is using Boogaloo Bois as "security" at appearances. So, not so classic libertarians but rather fascists. The story reports that these two are on the ballot in all 50 states and are apparently actually polling at around 5% of the vote.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/libertarian-vp-candidate-seen-with-boogaloo-group-claiming-to-work-security-for-him/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rww&utm_campaign=bestof
Howie Hawkins/ Angela Walker Green Party
I’m actually furious with the Green Party, whose underlying platform I support, for very deliberately and with malice aforethought siphoning desperately needed votes away from Biden/Harris. Their stated purpose is not to win but to “grow the party.” If the current criminal administration is allowed to stay in power there will be no room for any party. If we want to retain the tattered remnants of a Constitutional democracy, we need every single vote for Biden/ Harris. “Also ran.”
Gloria La Riva/ Sunil Freeman Socialism & Liberation party
https://www.lariva2020.org/meet_the_candidates
Here’s another party whose underlying platform I support, but whose candidacy I cannot support in the current circumstances. Yes, I agree with their 10 points, but unless we remove the current criminal administration (are you beginning to catch a refrain here?) there will be no room to argue any of those points. “Also ran.”
Alyson Kennedy/ Malcolm Jarrett Socialist Workers’ Party
https://themilitant.com/2020/02/01/the-swp-candidates/
These are the classic splinter group, the Trotskyites. They’re still fighting the old union wars from the 1940s and 50s. Even if this were not such a vital election, I would not be voting for these well intentioned but rather out of touch people. “Also ran”.
Joe Biden/Kamala Harris, D
Its hard to get excited about Joe Biden. I was all for a co-presidency of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Imagine all the good we could accomplish with those two in charge. Sadly, the worst enemies of progressive thought are the mainstream Democrats. Joe is a nice guy. Its being emphasized that he is a decent guy – in sharp contrast to the current incumbent. He has empathy for people who hurt, and that is a laudable trait. He’s just not an exciting guy.
I did have one revelation during the Dem convention. The young man who credited Biden with helping him get over his stutter made me think about what it would be like to be in a position of public exposure and have the words just not come out of your mouth. So I’ll give Joe some leeway in his presentation. He may be working to get words out whole. But that doesn’t affect the ideas he is expressing, which for the most part are mainstream, pedestrian, and supportive of the corporate powers that be. He won’t even support Medicare for All and is just now beginning to warm to the Green New Deal. Good start.
And now we have Kamala Harris on the ticket. She is well to the left of Joe Biden, which is good. She is far to the right of where I would like to see our government. How on earth can she not support universal health care? She’s made her way all the way toward the Green New Deal, but that has been, from day one, a tiny first step in the right direction.
I do enjoy watching her use her cross-examination skills on the likes of Louis DeJoy.
A bit of time has passed since I wrote the above, and I'm seeing more spine and spunk in Biden. Good. I want to see him riled up and hitting back. As you may have noticed from the fires all up and down the west coast, the icy winds in the midwest, and the whole parade of hurricanes in the southeast, climate really is an issue, and the Green New Deal is a start in acknowledging that reality. I like my politicians to acknowledge realty.
Bottom line: while I am not particularly inspired by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, I am terrified of Donald Trump and Mike Pence and their stated intent to end our democracy. I will be voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Congressional District 2, US Representative
Tim Hazelo, R
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
aircraft simulator operator, retired Navy vet
lives in Oak Harbor
https://www.timhazeloforcongress.com/
He complains about anti-American activism, burning and looting, destruction of our history (if this sounds racist, that’s only because it is). Democrats are allowing this mayhem.
(hard to read because he is not particularly literate)
He complains that the silent majority goes unheard. I love this one. I do not hear how we are to discern the voice of the silent majority.
He name calls “Absent Rick” and “Nasty Nancy”
His platform:
Economy, debt, & budget
government v economy - get government out of the way of free enterprise
support constituents hurt by COVID
end pork in bills, cut pet projects
lean government, balance budget, end deficits
bring manufacturing back to the US
This is the classic right wing mantra. He wants government to provide services but does not want it to collect taxes to be able to provide the services. Free enterprise will do it, right? I’m sure the health care industry will be happy to provide services to COVID patients without demanding payment. Right? And of course getting out of the way of free enterprise will cause manufacturing to come back to the US – just as soon as we do away with the minimum wage and environmental protections which get in the way of profit.
Healthcare & Drug Costs
America has the best health care in the world. Reduce unnecessary regulations to make it affordable. Prevent frivolous litigation.
Open health insurance across state lines. Free the capitalist market.
Competition brings more accountability, better service, lower prices.
Private insurance brings choice.
Allow drug companies to shop at the lowest production costs on non-emergency drugs.
Reduce regulations to free up the marketplace and create lower prices.
Critical drug production should stay in US.
This one is a classic. Get government out of the way of corporations. All those fussy regulations about making sure drugs don’t kill patients. And those claims about “best health care in the world” are looking just a tad thin right now. And lets not forget to prevent all that frivolous litigation – like holding drug companies and health care insurers accountable.
Immigration & Reform
legal immigrants are great
the system is broken & being abused, which overwhelms resources
he wants a merit based immigration permit system. Gee, he’s in luck there. The current resident of the White House has mandated just that. Employers are freaked out because they can’t get the workers under that merit system, which truly amounts to who can offer the biggest bribes.
And of course he hates Black Lives Matter. Those are all just rioters and looters who are waking people in the middle of the night and demanding to occupy their homes. Huh? This man has drunk the Trump kool-aide – by the gallon.
Rick Larsen, D incumbent
Here’s the current report on Rick:
538.com reports that he votes in favor of Trump 20.5% of the time. That’s too much by my lights.
His ratings by various organizations:
NARAL abortion rights 100%
ACLU civil rights 92%
human rights 85%
Children’s Defense Fund children 100%
League of Conservation Voters environment 100%
AFL-CIO labor 91%
AFSCME education 100%
Council for a Livable World defense 62%
We pretty much all know Rick Larsen and where he stands on issues of concern to us. I did a lot of research 2 years ago and find that most of that is still relevant. Here it is:
And then the coup of 2016 happened and suddenly Rick is a new man. He voted against the Trump budget, against many of the insane and egregious proposals coming out of the fascist right. And he now believes in dealing with climate change, including cap & trade as one means to limit CO2. One has the distinct impression that the farther right the fascists push, the farther left Rick leans.
On the environment
~ He now cites his voting record of trying to eliminate subsidies for the oil industry.
~ He co-sponsored a bill to rejoin the Paris Agreement.
~ He fought to keep transit/light rail funds in the federal budget, and sponsored a bill to fund zero-emissions buses and ferries.
~ He supports salmon habitat restoration, protecting critical habitat areas, and conserving open space.
~ He worked to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has now been re-funded.
~ He signed a joint letter to NOAA fisheries and Army Corps asking them to deal with the Atlantic salmon fish farm disaster by not permitting any new or refurbishment of existing pens.
~ He voted to prevent logging of the Tongass Roadless Area in Alaska.
~ He supports keeping our public lands (Bears’ Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante) public.
On economic development
~ He claims to have secured impact aid for schools with children of active military.
~ He’s against the Trump tariffs, as they hurt US workers and businesses.
On people issues
~ He supports Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and is fighting to prevent the destruction of both.
~ He cosponsored the DREAM act.
~ He objected vehemently to the Trump policy of breaking up families and imprisoning children and participated in Keep Families Together rallies in Mt Vernon & Bellingham.
~ He co-signed a petition to his fellow congress members to fund rebuilding of Puerto Rico.
~ He added an amendment to the Defense Spending Act to address Growler noise.
Now here’s an interesting one: He issued a press release demanding that the Navy explain why it is insisting on putting all its Growlers in the Whidbey basket and expressing his concerns for Whidbey communities. Aw shucks and golly gee. We didn’t know you cared. There is some question about how this translates to his support for NAS Whidbey.
Here's the 2020 update:
He believes COVID is real, and offers Dept of Health info. He has supported the various relief bills in congress. He asks that people give blood to help out.
He works to provide PPEs and emergency child care to health care workers.
He voted for impeachment.
There are several trends which seem to be crossing here. There is the rightward drift of the “mainstream” Dems, who seem to believe that the only way they can hold onto what little power they still have is to emulate the repugnant Republicans. As the Rs pull farther to the right, the Ds, who should by rights be countering with equal or greater energy toward the left, are in fact simply shifting the center farther right. This then gave rise to the progressive wing, who are trying mightily to pull the Dems back to what used to be mainstream Dem thinking and is now seen as somehow far left.
This raises the question of whether Rick Larsen is part of that rightward leaning ‘mainstream’ or not. What I am seeing of Rick over the years is that for a long time he went along with the ‘mainstream’ Dems, but that with the theft of the 2016 election he rethought his priorities. He has been moving steadily farther left. He is by no means a genuine progressive yet, but he’s getting there – to the extent that he is even questioning his former unqualified support for the military and fossil fuel infrastructure. The man appears to be educable after all. That is a good thing.
He is endorsed by a long list of civic organizations, representing human rights, environmental, pro-choice, anti-gun, and LGBT, and an even longer list of unions.
I was really looking forward to a genuine debate between progressive Jason Call and Rick Larsen. Should’ve known that wouldn’t happen. I don’t consider there to be much to debate between a slightly left Rick and a loony R. I will be voting for Rick Larsen.
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