The Election and What I'm Doing About It

This is one of those election years where no one really knows what will happen. The "Brexit" vote in England went against all predictions. Politicians there borrowed from Donald Trump's playbook here: bash immigrants, "The Elite" and prey on the legitimate fears of working class Caucasians that they are being left out of this so-called "recovery." They have a point, except that immigrants, gays, and women having abortions are clearly not the problem.

I have never voted for a Republican, and I don't plan to start now. In my campaign for West Virginia Delegate, I aligned myself with the Bernie Sanders people. This was not political calculation on my part (although Sanders won in every county in West Virginia). I am thrilled that a candidate came up who was willing to talk about economic inequality, breaking up the big banks, and being inclusive of everyone in our country. Although Sanders is not traditionally religious, he embraces core Jewish values, whether he knows it or not.

I don't believe Hillary Clinton is a crook or even a bad person. She would have been a great candidate in 2000 or 2004. She lost to a brash outsider in 2008, and I believe she deserves to lose now. Only the system is rigged in her favor. Sanders pointed out in an interview in Rolling Stone that despite winning in every county in West Virginia, six of our eight superdelegates are pledged to Clinton.

Things are worse than that in West Virginia. Our Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin, did not appear at the state's Democratic convention, except at a lunch he sponsored in honor of the Democratic Party's West Virginia chair, Belinda Biafore. There was an election for a new state chair, and Chris Regan, a hero to progressives in this state, was defeated for the position of state chair. Still, we passed a progressive platform from the floor of the convention. I'm sure the platform will be ignored. That's how things roll here.

There's hostility in this state  from Democrats toward their anointed leaders. Jim Justice, a coal mogul, Republican until last year, and the wealthiest person in West Virginia, has not taken positions on most issues. Our Attorney General candidate, Doug Reynolds, has an anti-gay, anti-choice and pro-gun voting record. Ugh. And Hillary Clinton's record of being the Senator from Wall Street has not helped her with working people here.

I've been fending off people on Facebook who post horrible anti-Clinton stuff. Not Republicans, because I have "unfollowed" them, but Democrats. At this point, I'm hoping for a convention miracle that will give Bernie the nomination, or at least that the platform will accept his ideas, for what that's worth. Still, if Clinton gets the nomination, I will support her.

On the Republican side, there is shock and outrage every time Trump opens his mouth. Republican stalwarts are abandoning ship for fear they will be tarred with his legacy and shamed forever. To me, the Republican Party has pandered to racists and gay-haters for decades. Trump only says what they've been thinking all along, only with his Outer Borough lack of manners and WASP "tastefulness." They deserve him.

This year, we will have to eat shit (to put it delicately) and vote for the Democrats. For the future, I would hope progressives and unionists will form a new, more open party, pro-union, pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-diversity, and pro-environment. We can start by electing local leaders who can reach everyone , uniting anti-corporate, pro-worker, inclusive people of good will to overturn the status quo in West Virginia and in the United States. We have our work cut out for us.

The Democratic Debate

I spoke to some people from "West Virginia for Bernie" a few weeks ago, and I added myself to their Facebook page. I got a message that they were having a watch party Sunday, January 17, at The Ramada Inn's bar, just south of Morgantown. They were planning to start early, and have some candidates for office speak for a few minutes. I wrote and asked if I could speak also. Ultimately there were six of us, and one proxy for the Democratic incumbent, speaking at this event. There are five seats at-large in our district for the state legislature. Mike Manypenny, running for US Congresss against our Republican incumbent, also spoke.

We each had five minutes to speak, including questions. I had rehearsed what I planned to say. I talked about being a West Virginian-by-choice, and my marriage to The Rabbi, who I pointed to in the crowd. My agenda is right for the Bernie crowd. I am against union-busting, so-called right-to-work, for prevailing wage, pro-union. I also brought up environmental issues, gun control, the importance of the election of judges in May, and abortion. I am for strong environmental protection, pro-choice, and against concealed carry with no permit, which the Republicans want to push this year. I felt I spoke as well as the other speakers.

I had time for three questions. Joe, who had heard me rehearse, asked about diversity. I talked about the signs saying "Building a Diverse Community" at the entrances to Morgantown, and how I would like to make that promise real. Someone else asked if, knowing that people in the legislature can be closed off and suspicious of people who haven't lived here for generations, or who they perceive to be "different." I said  I would wow them with my "Hollywood sparkle" and my natural charm.

The debate started at nine. We stayed for the first hour. The event was organized by Bernie's followers, so they loved him. He stuck to his story about breaking up the big banks and revolutionizing the economy to reduce income inequality. He and Hillary traded barbs about their past records. For her part, Hillary was able to defend herself aggressively and attack.  Martin O'Malley pointed out how he had balanced Maryland's budget and brought down crime in Baltimore. The others brought up the recent problems with police and unrest in Baltimore. He only said that happened after he left office.

 O'Malley got in one dig,which I was unhappy about. When Sanders and Clinton talked about their memories of the Civil Rights March on Washington in 1963, he said it was the year he was born. I was thirteen at the time of the great Civil Rights March, and I remember it clearly. My parents refused to let me go, not that I could have gotten there without them.

I would vote for any of the Democrats over any Republican. Bernie is a Jew from Brooklyn, and idealistic about what he can actually accomplish. Hillary is cold and calculating, which might serve her better than Bernie's idealism serves him. She has both help and baggage from her husband. Martin did well for Maryland, including pushing through same-gender marriage. I'm not sure many people know who he is.

I met some people and distributed my card. Someone approached me Monday at the Martin Luther King birthday bash. He had seen me at the debate watch party.

This week, I was to go to a union meeting Tuesday and a Young Democrats meeting Wednesday at WVU, but it was too cold for the former, and two snowy for the latter.

Once the weather is better, I hope to be out more. The deadline to register to run for office is January 30. Then we will all know how many of us are running for this office.

I can see where being Jewish and gay in West Virginia is not necessarily a winning combination. Not impossible, though. All of the candidates were strong and forthright in their speeches and were clearly coached in how to dress and speak. I have experience from acting and teaching in how to get my points across, and I hope to use that experience.