And The Title Goes To...

This is a perverse matchup between two States

With the title going to the one that fails its citizens the most.

In one corner, Florida – Miami’s pulsing Latin beat,

Panhandle”s Old South slant, end pieces to

The Land of the Mouse, oscillating

Between Democrat and Republican allegiance.

In the other corner, Arizona – unmatched scenic beauty,

Jazz-infused sanctuary city Tucson,

Rouge County sheriff on a mission, and

Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly unbowed. 

The judges are two displaced NE liberals,

Who spiraled through space-time

To begin the next phase of their lives

In these strange and unsettling lands.

Round 1: Here’s To Your Good Health

The fight is over the expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare

To help millions of low-income people with health care

That can reduce suffering and save their lives.

But States can opt out of the program.

FL quickly knocks AZ to the mat with its annual refusal

To take the Federal dollars despite beleaguered hospital pleas.

AZ’s Republic Governor puts people before politics

And brings more than a million people into the system.

Round 2: Cruel and Unusual

With 92 executions since 1976, FL easily outpunches

AZ with a total of 37.

Texas remains unchallenged in the Heavy Weight class,

Weighing in with 531.

Round 3: Sun Packs a Punch

AZ is ranked in the top 10 states

For harnessing the power of the Sun.

With investor-owned utilities laying out the fight strategy,

FL, the Sunshine State, lags behind without a trace of irony.

And the title goes to FL – Worse State.

Arms raised in triumph, FL prances around the ring

As lobbyists and power brokers cheer in the arena.

Ordinary citizens watch on monitors

Out in the cold.

Is Lake Nona Blue?

I moved to Lake Nona 8 years ago because my older nephew had bought a home in the area, and the rest of the family was living close by. There wasn't much going on in the neighborhood. Medical City was still more a concept than a reality. Now the VA Hospital has opened along with UCF Medical School, Sanford Burnham Research Center and Nemours Hospital for Children. There is a new hotel to accommodate visitors to the various facilities. 

There is also a great deal of residential building - new apartment complexes and single family  homes. My mission is to seek out potential Democratic voters to get them registered and signed up to Vote By Mail. In 2012, working with the Obama campaign, I set up voter registration opportunities at the major apartment complexes. I will try to re-visit the older complexes and to introduce myself to the new ones over the next few months. 

There were more Democrats in Lake Nona in 2012 than many people thought. What will we find in 2016? Will Lake Nona be Blue?

Are We Stupid About the Economy?

"It's the economy, stupid" has its origins in the messaging strategy of James Carville for Bill Clinton's successful 1992 Presidential campaign. I work on not being stupid by reading Paul Krugman each Monday and Friday in the NY Times. Click here for today's piece on job creation. Most of the voters we will need on our side in November probably don't. How will the Democratic party talk about the economy, Wall Street, and income inequality to them? Is there a James Carville for today's political environment? I sure hope so.

My One New Year's Resolution

I made only one New Year's resolution: to try to hold on to what little sanity I still have. This goal is particularly challenging when I think about the Republican Presidential candidates. (The heavily armed men taking over Federal property that belongs to me and my fellow citizens come in a close second.)

My tactic is to take off my partisan campaign buttons and to put on the white coat of a scientist. For about 12 years I have been using the Myers-Briggs personality assessment in my executive coaching practice. It works. There are 16 personality types; I try to keep in mind that people are different. My type is shared by only 2-3 percent of the American population. So what I think is not representative of most of the population. (Key word here is "think" - my primary response. For most people, "feel" is the first reaction.) 

I then bring to bear Emotional Intelligence (EQ), in particular social awareness or empathy. How can I understand what is truly motivating the radical right who are keeping Ted Cruz and Donald Trump at the top of the polls? Today's test was keeping my composure while reading Frank Bruni's column in the NY Times. Click here to see how well you do. Are you ready for the scientist's white coat or for a straight jacket? I'm doing the best I can to keep my resolution.

Show Me the Money!

• The Koch brothers, through their various PAC's,  have pledged to spend $900 million in support of conservative candidates and causes through the 2016 election cycle.
• Planned Parenthood has endorsed Hillary Clinton, the first time it has backed a candidate during the primaries. At least $20 million is available to back that endorsement.
• A long-time political activist reached out to the Clinton campaign to ask how to help. The response: Donate $70 now.

Except in the early primary states, there doesn't seem much of a ground game (my specialty) to write about. It's all about the  money. Show me the money!

Canvassing

Canvassing

Guard dogs, killer ants.
Next time I'll wear longer pants.

No one's home.
No one cares.
Unsigned petitions spell despair.

Then a smile, a warm hello.
Sure, I'll sign; my husband, too.

That human connection makes my day.
I'll be out again next Saturday!

Voting Against Your Interests

On Wednesdays, I look for articles by Eduardo Porter in the NY Times Business Section. He definitely has a progressive view as he writes about income inequality and other economic issues of our day. Yesterday's article was more political, about the rise of racial identity and hostilities in this country as evoked by the 2016 Presidential primary debates. Check it out.