Why the Democratic Nominee Needs Obama

I was looking at pictures of Hillary Clinton the other day on Facebook, and I found that although I am not a huge supporter of hers per se, I find her much more appealing when she is standing next to the president. 

Nope, not Bill. 

Barack.

I am a moderate person, typically independent. I like to choose which person I vote for after the conventions and after they pick their running mates so that I can make a truly informed decision. I tend to lean left on most things, I readily admit, because most of the issues on which I lean left are social issues that are my personal business - birth control, abortion, gun rights, gun safety, religious freedom, separation of church and state, civil rights, LGBT rights, etc. 

But I found that I prefer Hillary standing next to Obama to pictures of her standing next to Bill. For some reason, she seems more likable standing next to Obama because he is very likable. He still has decent approval ratings. Compared to the last president in his last year of office, Obama's approval ratings are far better, even higher within his base. 

If we learned anything from the mid-term election, it was that the Democrats ran from Obama - nobody wanted him out stumping for them, nobody wanted to be pictured with him, etc. 

As a result, the Democrats LOST.

This election they should not run FROM Obama, but instead should run TO him. Get his support, and rally your base if you intend to win. 

And with Trump or Cruz as the Republican nominee, this election really is yours to lose, Democrats. 

Concept to Completion

This article was written by me for an online magazine called Fuzzfur in 2006. Ten years later, I have the same beliefs and this November 2016 is a big election for our country.

Concept to Completion

Action Required

by Jodi Jones, October 2006

When the editor told me the theme for this month’s issue was “concept to completion” I tried to think how I could tie it into one of my favorite subjects to discuss: politics and government.  As November rolls around, I am reminded of the event that occurs in November.  No, not Thanksgiving… Election Day. 

Most people forget Election Day and some people don’t even vote when that day in November rolls around… but those same people will be the first to complain when in May or June the government, or elected officials, do something they do not like. 

Let me just say – if you are too lazy to get up and vote on November 7, then you forfeit your right to complain about who wins the election.  And when I’m standing next to you and hear you complain, the first question I will ask you is, “Well, did you VOTE?”  Nine times out of ten, I hear, “No, my vote doesn’t really count anyway.”  First of all, that’s not true (but that’s for another issue).  Second of all, if you voted, then please feel free to complain all you want. But if you didn’t bother to vote, then I don’t want to hear your crappy-ass complaints!

The concept for those people is they don’t like what the government is doing, they want a change, they are unhappy with the president, governor, senator, mayor, etc, but when it comes to completing their thought through ACTION (i.e. voting) they are nowhere to be found. 

The key to completing any concept is through action. If you do not like your job, and you complain everyday, but you do not take any action of quitting your job or finding another one, then the question is: do you really not like your job or do you just like to complain?  If you dislike your elected official, complain about them all the time, and then do not show up at the voting booth on Election Day, then are you really unhappy with your representatives or do you just like to complain?  I see a pattern of complaining here…do you?

When an idea or concept comes into your head and you want something done, you have to take a step forward, and do something to make sure you complete your thought. People imagine that they can just wish their government to change and it will.  They think they can just wish the President or Congress would do this or wouldn’t do that, but is wishing for it actually going to make it happen?  No, it’s not.

People don’t seem to understand that no concept can ever be completed without some sort of action on their part. You can’t just wish for a new car and suddenly have one (well, if you can, please let me know how you did it) – you have to actually go buy a new car. You can’t wish to lose weight and have it happen – you have to DO SOMETHING in order for it to happen.  And you can’t change the government or political system through wishing and wishful thinking, either.  You always have to take a stand and do something in order to complete your concept.

Bush administration vs veterans

Bush Administration cuts $1.5 billion from military family housing. The Bush Administration cut $1.5 billion for military family housing, despite Department of Defense statistics showing that in 83,000 barracks and 128,860 family housing units across the country are below standard. ("Nothing But Lip Service," Army Times, June 30, 2003; "House Appropriations Committee Approves $59.2 Million for Ft. Hood," U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards Press Release, June 17, 2003)

Bush Administration underfunded veterans' health care by $2 billion. The Bush Administration's 2004 budget underfunded veterans' health care by nearly $2 billion. ("Vets Health Low on Bush's Priority List," The Hill, September 17, 2003; "Support for Troops Questioned," Washington Post, June 17, 2003; U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs, September 2002)

Bush Administration proposal would end health care benefits for 173,000 veterans. More than 173,000 veterans across the country would be cut off from health care because of Bush Administration proposed budget cuts and its plan requiring enrollment fees and higher out-of-pocket costs. ("Support for Troops Questioned," Washington Post, June 17, 2003)

Bush Administration budget cuts force more than 200,000 veterans to wait for health care. Over 200,000 United States veterans have to wait more than six months for a medical visit because of health care shortages. ("VA Health Care Funding Alert," Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Press Release, January 31, 2003)

Bush Administration opposed plan to give National Guard and Reserve Members access to health insurance. Despite the war efforts of America's National Guard and Reserve Members, the Bush Administration announced in October 2003 its formal opposition to give the 1.2 million Guard and Reserve members the right to buy health care coverage through the Pentagon's health plan. One out of every five Guard members lacks health insurance. ("Bush Opposes Health Plan for National Guard," Gannett News Service, October 23, 2003)

Bush Administration cuts $172 million allotted for educating the children of military personnel. The Bush Administration's 2004 budget cut $172 million of impact aid funding. Impact aid funding assists school districts by making up for lost local tax revenue from tax-exempt property, such as military bases. These education cuts will especially affect school-age children of troops serving in Iraq who reside on military bases. ("Support for Troops Questioned," Washington Post, June 17, 2003)

Rand Paul represents the future of America's politics

Rand Paul represents the future of America's politics.

People today want someone like him. He's a fiscal conservative and social libertarian.

But the establishment of the GOP will never let him get very far once it comes to light that in addition to not supporting welfare and food stamps he also doesn't support social security, Medicare and wants to cut military spending. They will turn on him in a heartbeat when this comes to light.

He has some great ideas though. And young people will vote for a person who is willing to legalize marijuana and gay marriage and keep the government out of our personal lives. But would a congress let him do any of that if he was elected?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/27/rand-paul-is-politically-divergent-and-so-he-must-be-stopped.html

GOP candidate with white supremacy ties, arrest record forced out

A candidate for the Colorado legislature was forced out by the Colorado GOP only five days after his candidacy was announced because it was discovered that he has ties to white supremacy and an arrest record.

The candidate said he was not media savvy and thought he would have the time to explain his arrest and "clean up" all the things he's said online about minorities and Muslims before it was discovered by the media.

Apparently he's not intelligent enough to be in public office anyway if he didn't realize all those things would come to light. Also the party obviously did not properly vett this guy before handing him the nomination.

Unfortunately this isn't the only one like him who supports the republican party. Fortunately, the party kicked him to the curb once those things came to light. I am certainly glad to see that. Maybe that shows something good for the GOP in that state.

Personally I am surprised that one like this was trying to run in Colorado - if he'd been from the South it would have seemed more normal all things considered. But I would have thought people in Colorado were more progressive. However if he had been from the South, they may not have kicked him out of the running because those kinds of people are their base in the South.

The sad part is there are thousands more just like him and those people are not always shunned by the GOP. It seems lately more of the Republican party is embracing those who support discrimination bills against women and minorities based on religious grounds. How they can support that I don't know. Whatever happened to the GOP of the old days, back when being conservative didn't mean being a douchebag.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5049149?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000013

the gop screwed Ukraine out of global aid just to hurt Obama

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/26/the-gop-just-screwed-ukraine-out-of-billions-to-hurt-obama.html

It's funny how the same people who claim that Obama needs to be tougher towards Putin in Russia for his treatment of the Ukraine are the exact same people who voted against and aid package to help the Ukraine. Just because they don't like Obama. It is not just American money they are limiting - it was a global aid package.

They claim Obama looks weak to the world because of the was he is basically not declaring war on Russia but they are doing everything they can to make him look weak to the world. It is not Obama who is weak. It is the republican party in the congress who are weak and who are jealous and scared of Obama's popularity. People naturally like Obama. And people do not like the old white men of the GOP.

People do not like those old white men in the republican party because of the way they treat women, minorities, and the poor. They align themselves with the richest people and alienate the intelligent people in the lower classes who see what they are doing. They align themselves with these religious zealots who misconstrued the bible to mean Christians are able to openly discriminate against women, minorities, gays, and anyone else they want. They are trying to make these Talibangelical Christians happy by putting these religious beliefs into the laws of the country.

The GOP constantly talks about wanting to send messages to get women and minorities to.vote for them but they shoot themselves in the foot by the way they say disparaging remarks about those same people to whom they are trying to appeal.

They do not like Obama and they do not want him to succeed in his presidency at all. They don't care if they hurt everyone else in the process as long as they hurt Obama too. It is ridiculous to play politics in urgent situations. It is stupid to try to make the president fail because what he's doing is leading our country. They don't care if the United States fails and suffers from what they are doing. It is absolutely essential to them to do this to win elections next year.

But if they continue doing this they are not likely to win anyway. The media is reporting the things they are doing. I don't know if people are listening but I am hoping that they certainly will. If the GOP ends up running this country we are in for a terrible time. They want more war that we can't afford and if we got into.we wouldn't win. They want to force everyone out of their freedom. They want people to have limited access to information. They want to spin the truth.

The GOP of today is not the GOP of the days past. These people are not honorable. They have no dignity. They have no pride in America. They have no concern for this country. They care only about themselves and money and being in power. They don't care about anything else and it is extremely obvious.