So, what is a candidate to do? Millennials are up for grabs, but only if someone with real solutions could inspire them. This focus group study from Democracy Corp is a must read for anyone that even cares about our future. Bernie Sanders could be proof because of his support by young folks.
I was thinking this morning about our Democratic Party in NM. Where are they? Admittedly, I stopped taking their emails because I just couldn't stand the sophomoric statements in those missives. They are certainly not composed by someone who has any idea at all of what young people are dealing with in their lives. Student Loans, lack of jobs, and non existent leadership have resulted in them bailing out of politics. All we get is same old mantra from the Democratic leadership. Probably the best thing that could happen to the Party in NM is to get a Chair that is under 35 years old. That might change things from a party of old-timers to a party of futurists. It can't come soon enough.
I was thinking this morning about our Democratic Party in NM. Where are they? Admittedly, I stopped taking their emails because I just couldn't stand the sophomoric statements in those missives. They are certainly not composed by someone who has any idea at all of what young people are dealing with in their lives. Student Loans, lack of jobs, and non existent leadership have resulted in them bailing out of politics. All we get is same old mantra from the Democratic leadership. Probably the best thing that could happen to the Party in NM is to get a Chair that is under 35 years old. That might change things from a party of old-timers to a party of futurists. It can't come soon enough.
9 comments:
A Demo Party Chair under 35? Very wishful thinking. At that age, most people are still getting established in their professions or jobs and supporting and raising a young family. Being State Party Chair is a thankless job usually requiring alot of "out-of-pocket" money and the aging party loyalists get resentful when they are not listened and catered to and become vengeful to the point of ending political careers. Just ask John Weirtheim and Brian Colon. It is people your age who have nothing to loose, no further political ambition, that need to be party chair
Yeah, that is the kind of thinking Baca was pointing out. So things the same ole way and get the same ole results.....failure!
Pat Davis?
Pat Davis would be good, but first he needs to show his leadership credibility on the Council. He should ask for an outside expert and facilitator to look at that Central Avenue transit plan.
Jim you don't need an expert to see that the central ave. project is just a feel good project. No one rides the busses because they only go up and down central and getting anyplace that is not on central is impossible. ABQ has the longest un occupied busses running all day. Did you ever wonder why the city chose to "wrap" the busses in ads? It's works as a great camouflage. You can't see that the busses are really empty eighty percent of the time. How many times do you think the great Alcalde has hopped aboard the bus from four hills to city hall? How come not one bus route to the biggest enterprise the city has, the Zoo. Pat Davis just needs to stand on the street to see that the busses are empty !
Dear Anonymous.....isn't your car empty most of the time, but still very useful when you need it? The busses are crowded during certain times of the day and empty certain times of the day. So don't use that rightwing hatred of public transportation to make a point. However, I think at independent look could give everyone a better sense on whether this project is worth the effort. Does that worry you?
The buses are in fact very crowded at certain times. They add a whole set of routes for the morning and afternoon commutes and those are packed. That's what new drivers do their first few years. On Saturday some buses are very crowded with shoppers. When I drove bus for a year several years ago I drove a Saturday route that went up Menaul and came down Montgomery and I could hardly keep on time the whole day. Central of course is worse. Some drivers prided in doing Central.
Millenials now officially outnumber Baby Boomers, I've been reading. For anyone who grew up a Baby Boomer and recalls being told over and over how massive a group we were, this should be a significant fact to consider. As Jim says and as the report he links makes very clear, these young folks are impressionable, "up for grabs." Remember also that we Baby Boomers created the country that exists today and that, in essence, we took JFK's words to heart and started out with much promise in the 1960s but were led astray by Ronald Reagan and the political class he created. In essence.
Note also that the thing the Millennials respond to the most is a simple class based economic analysis, and you don't have to be a Marxist or even call it class based to acknowledge that. The phrase "pocketbook issues" used to be used a lot in politics, but as Democrats increasingly became Republicans who are liberal on a couple of social issues, namely gay marriage and abortion, it fell out of favor precisely because, in the context of the working class voter, it highlights the economic interests of the working class -- which is people who work for a paycheck and includes the so called Middle Class. If young people ever get interested in politics they could quickly transform this country into whatever they want it to be. The identities, race baiting, immigrant bashing, Islamophobia and all those things that divide those of us who vote immediately become insignificant when economic populism surfaces. That's our history. That's why there's Social Security and a 40 hour work week. That's how I-40 and I-25 got here.
Most of the young people that I have registered to vote are choosing to register as an Independent because they see both the Democrats and Republican parties as corrupt. They do vote and they are informed on the issues especially economic ones.
Jim. I am referring to the busses that run empty from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 11:pm. Yes they are full during rush hour but the rest of the day they are empty and they are the biggest busses on the road. Why not smaller less fuel consuming busses during this time? I am not at all against public transportation just wasted fuel to run empty busses. Like I said when you are out and about check out the number of empty busses running and you will be very surprised. By the way my car is empty when I am not using it to shuttle some elderly friends to Dr. and Personal appointments, that is how I became aware of the empty bus situation. Most of these friends would take the bus if the routes were more accommodating. The on call program the city offers riders is great but so often full that one is forced to have one or two back up plans for appts.
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