I'm not sure what you blue dots in red seas want to do with this, but judging from what you're saying on our blog today, it at least seems like you all had ought to meet each other. Personally, I'm hoping you'll keep sending us news and pictures and stuff from where you live. Tell us what you're working on and what you're seeing, and we can keep blogging it.
For now, some of your comments on the blog:
I'm a dem in Tarrant county as well! I wrote a DailyKos diary last week that got a bunch of eyeballs, to my surprise: Stop & Think Before You Tell Texas to Leave.
What we need is SUPPORT. I am advocating for a "No Seat Unchallenged" drive for 2014. There's no reason we can't start challenging ensconced tea partiers and gerrymanderers. In my old town, we were stuck with an incredibly mediocre tea party dude and we *never* challenged him, despite that our town went blue for Obama.
Dems not only need a 50 state strategy for winning; they also need a 50 state strategy for governing. It does no good, in the long-run, to accept our time and money, but then throw us under the bus when it's convenient.
Try living in Kansas, surrounded on all sides by ultra conservatives, and being a progressive or liberal. We even have a town named Liberal, how ironic is that? It is extremely frustrating and irritating to be completely overrun with right wing extremists and bible thumpers. Then there is the national disgrace of Westboro Baptist pitching their tent in Kansas. The electoral college is no help either, because it assures us that liberals are completely disenfranchised. Kansas marches unimpeded into the 18th century.
Despite the same-sex marriage defeat this year, and the state government being firmly Republican now, I'm still hopeful for North Carolina. The blue dots are more like ink blots, and growing, since they congregate in urban, university-heavy areas. And the coalitions forged during the Amendment 1 fight are holding and becoming stronger. Don't write off North Carolina as just another redneck holdout. There is much more to this state than old stereotypes can describe.
I know people say that yard signs don't vote, but if there was one thing I heard repeatedly this year in Texas was disappointment over the lack of availability of Obama/Biden yard signs. As a state party office worker, requests for signs far outnumbered any other types of calls received, especially from folks living in "red" counties where their neighborhoods were inundated with Romney/Ryan signs.
Just sayin'...
As a Virginian living in a blue town in a red county, this post and the NYT article make me so happy. There are a lot of us. I would love to see the media examine this whole issue with more nuance, rather than continuing to get off on portraying the nation as more deeply polarized than we really are. The left would get a lot more support in the South if we weren't constantly disregarded -- it's hard to stay energized when you're the subject of so much ridicule and so many insults, and when so many people refuse to believe you exist. And energy and activism are what the left needs, especially in these areas!
From Jay in AZ:
Here in Arizona's 2nd CD, we're delighted (okay, many of us are) that Ron Barber will be going back to Congress, and will be joined there by Krysten Sinema (and of course Raul Grijalva, which was a foregone conclusion). Maricopa County's huge population relative to the rest of the state, and overall conservatism, might keep the state red for another cycle or two, but there are plenty of liberals spread around the state, and particularly focused in Tucson. Moderate to progressive Dems can win here--remember, we only got Gov. Brewer after President Obama stole Janet Napolitano from us for his cabinet. Brewer and her cronies make us a laughingstock, but (especially as the Latino population swells), we'll be a swing state soon, and we shouldn't be excluded from the conversation.
I'm a Georgia liberal and although I'm definitely in the minority, I'm a "loud" minority. Someone made the comment that my vote "didn't count". I said that absolutely it did! I was able to cast my vote of My President. Although GA is a red state, my vote counted towards the total popular vote. We are one of those states that had to show picture IDs to vote. State government here is very regressive. What's most infuriating is when there is no democratic alternative on the ballot. Voting in this most recent election, the majority of the candidates for various local offices were unchallenged republicans. To add insult to injury, I grew up in Alabama during the Wallace years. Back then, no self-respecting Alabamian would ever dare vote Republican. I wonder what has changed over the years {sarcasm intended}





Ratch, why is getting on to your feed soooooooooo hard now days. I can't even contact anyone to help me????????????????????
I think it is MSNBC. I have had so much trouble with Eds' web page, I try to stay away from it, but I am so addicted, I just keep going back for another try.
Note to all those blue dot folks.
I'm pulling for you all! The tide is turning, change is coming. We just have to understand that it may not happen as fast as we'd like. But I am more hopeful every day, seeing the youth coming up and do not support anti-gay traditional marriage, etc. etc.
I heard something today (who was it? Matthews? I forgot…sorry)
They saw the movie Lincoln and said how ironic it is that the party of Lincoln now has many red states wanting to secede from the union that Lincoln fought so hard to maintain. But they cite Lincoln for his abolition of slavery.
I am not a proponent of secession. I don't see that happening, really.
Bright red Alabama has the highest union membership in the South and came within 19K votes of sending a majority Democratic house delegation to Washington in 2008.
http://www.leftinalabama.com/
I'm perched on a lovely blue dot, Austin, amidst a sea of dumbass red, Texas and I'm SO tired of feeling that most of my votes, except for local elections, don't count at all. God I miss Ann Richards!
Yes! Adrift in a sea of red is exactly how it feels here in central Texas, but at least we have Ann's daughter Cecile fighting for women's health issues. I do wish the rest of the country acknowledge that major cities in Texas, just like in most other "red" states, are generally blue. We are here! Don't cast us out with the rest of the rednecks. Seceding is just the last gasp from whiners who are afraid their time of running the country with impunity is nearly over, not a true battle cry.
Don't feel as if your vote doesn't count,, it does. The educated people of my county came out in force to vote and turned a formerly red county blue. The republicans did a fine job of disgusting many life long members here and also many just refused to vote so, we won!
It's amusing that in response to some of the state secession petitions at the White House, some cities are asking to secede from their states.
Steps required to secede.
It's amusing that among the state secession petitions at the White House one can find cities (blue dots) that wish to secede from their states.
Alas, I've moved from one Crimson Red state (Texas, Collin County) to another (Utah, Salt Lake County.) But at least we managed to NOT elect Mia Love *shudder*
To all those brave blue dots in Texas, I hear you! But be encouraged.
I think the day is soon coming when Texas will turn purple, then blue again. I first moved to Texas when Ann Richards was governor. It can happen again.
Rachel, just watched your interview with Frank Rich...you both said the Pubs have "no foreign policy" or spokespersons...
well I think you both "missed" the real foreign policy of the Pubs--outsourcing workers, businesses and dollars from this country to the rest of the low incomed world... they see the rest of the world as a place to "make money" vis a vis war or outsourcing or protected off shore accounting...
please don't discount or write off how this view is really at the heart of how Republicans view and treat foreign policy...
Seccessionists should try to think. After all this aint the 19th century. Do they want to have to show a green card to do business with the USA? Do they want all US military out of Texas? Do they want us to repossess the collider? Do they want to fend of Mexico without our help this time?
And yes,we understand that the nut jobs are not in the majority in these States, but it sure is fun to point at the loons--duhehehe.After all it is the monkey cage that draws the crowds at the zoo.
The seccessionists aren't thinking. They're crying and whining that their guy didn't win and they want to pack up their ball and go home.
"Seccessionists should try to think."
Oxymoron.
Yes I know, sort of like saying reactionaies should chill out.