Maximum Age Limit for Voting ?

A question posed at Quora: Should there be a ‘Maximum Age Limit’ for voting in elections?





Oh dear! A quote: “Discrimination on the basis of age is as unacceptable as discrimination on the basis of any other aspect of ourselves that we cannot change.”
― Ashton Applewhite, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism.

Elections, in the UK, USA and in most other countries are an opportunity to vote for representatives in government (local and national) for a limited period - 4 years, 5, 6 and with the opportunity, in future elections, to extend, within limits, those periods. Older voters most certainly have a stake in how their city, town, county, state or country will be governed during the next few years. To argue otherwise has no basis in fact.


A few snips from Quora answers:

At what point do you feel a Senior Citizen’s opinion has become so worthless that his/her Constitutional right should be revoked? As I see it: understanding, knowledge, experience, preferences, and opinions do not come with a shelf life like a carton of milk. (from Al Nolf's answer)


But just to be devil’s advocate, the best reason to limit the voting right of the very aged (say 85+) is that they are not going to have to live with the long-term consequences of their vote and so their votes should not have as much sway. My own parents actively decided not to vote once they got to be in their mid-late 80’s for just this reason. They felt the world belonged to the younger folks and they should be the ones to decide how it went forward.
(From Ellen Garbarino's answer.)


Yes, there should be a maximum age limit for voting. It’s better known as death. Up to that point — but hopefully not beyond — we need the input from people who have actually been around the block a few times.
(From Susan C Weber's answer)

Absolutely not. Only someone young and inexperienced who has not experienced the process of aging, who has not looked back on their lives with regret in regards to the assumptions they were so sure about would propose such a ridiculous idea. (Ridge Green's answer)


Mark Hartman wrote (with the added disclaimer "/sarcasm"):
I am all in favor of imposing a maximum age limit, and raising the minimum age limit.
No person below the age of 30 should be permitted to vote.
No person above the age of 150 should be permitted to vote.



And Al Eisenmenger wrote:
If it were not for the Senior Citizens that fought for your right to vote you wouldn’t have a Country to vote in….

Saturday and Sundry Thoughts on 2 More Would-be Presidents : Jay Inslee, John Hickenlooper.

Two more hats flew into the ring recently: those of Jay Inslee and John Hickenlooper. I'm not sure whether either is a well-known name outside of their own communities.

Jay Inslee politician, author, and attorney serving as the 23rd Governor of Washington State, and a member of the Democratic Party. Before being elected governor, Inslee served in the United States House of Representatives and the Washington House of Representatives. His priority: dealing with global warming. (Do I hear an "About time!" from any stray reader?)
(Wikipedia)


From The Atlantic

If there is a new Democratic president come 2021, he or she will get pulled in all sorts of policy directions. Inslee says he has one priority: global warming. It’s not theoretical, or a cause just for tree huggers anymore. Putting off dealing with it for a year or two or kicking it to some new bipartisan commission won’t work, he says. He plans to focus on the threat that climate change poses to the environment and national security—the mega-storms and fires causing millions in damages, the weather changes that will cause mass migrations, the droughts that will devastate farmers in America and around the world.

Even more so, he wants to talk about the risk to American opportunity. “We have two existential threats right now: one is to our natural systems, and one is to our economic systems,” he said.

Born on February 9, 1951 in Seattle, Washington. Chart is set for noon as tome of birth is unknown. Moon and ascendat positions will not be as shown.

All I'm doing in these posts (others in this series are linked at the end of this post) is searching for any astrological indication of major change in the lives of candidates, change which could indicate ascent to the presidency, or to a more important position in government. Transits of the outer planets, Jupiter to Pluto are those to watch, in comparison to the candidate's own natal planets.


Significant transits between now and November 2020
Uranus will traverse the last few degrees of Aries and up to 8 degrees of Taurus
Neptune: between 14 and 20 degrees of Pisces
Pluto: between 20 and 24 degrees of Capricorn
Saturn: between 11 and 27 Capricorn
Jupiter: between 11 Sagittarius and 22 Capricorn


Governor Inslee does have Neptune transiting his Pisces stellium of Venus/Jupiter/Mars currently, by 2020 Neptune will have moved on past those planets, but still within range of being significant. I'm not sure that Neptune is quite as powerful in indicating major change of this type as Uranus, Saturn or Pluto. The conjunction to his Pisces stellium could relate to his decision to become a candidate. Saturn will reach his Aquarius Sun by 2022 - maybe indicating a second run for the 2024 election - and a more successful one?

John Hickenlooper politician and businessman who served as the 42nd Governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

From New York Times

He jumped into the race on Monday as a long shot with limited name recognition. But he has a biography and a résumé that warrant attention. He didn’t enter politics until his early 50s, after a hugely successful career in beer — in brew pubs, to be exact. And he talks, persuasively, about what a customer-service business like that taught him about courting people rather than confronting them, about pacifying instead of inflaming.

As the mayor of Denver from 2003 to 2011 and then the governor of Colorado from 2011 until the start of this year, when he left office because of term limits, he was known for swearing off negative political ads, for gravitating away from divisive issues and toward whatever common ground he could find, and for a style with substantial measures of goofiness and geekiness but barely a pinch of truculence. That said, he marshaled toughness and persistence........... to build a light rail system in Denver, expand Medicaid in Colorado, enact gun control and tug the state from recession to boom times that were the envy of other governors.

Born on 7 February 1952 in Narbeth,PA. Chart set for 12 noon as time of birth unknown. Moon position and ascendant will not be as shown.

Saturn will be visiting John Hickenlooper's natal Sun - but not until early 2022 - so in similar vein to Jay Inslee, he could be more likely to make a stronger, or more successful impression as a candidate in the election in 2024, after getting himself more widely known during the current run.

I like these two candidates, possibly more than any others I've investigated, so far - other than Bernie Sanders of course! I suspect what their charts are telling me is also a fairly rational outcome too. Neither candidate is currently a household name, but they both will become much better known during this run, up to 2020, and likely to be more successful in the 2024 election.


Other posts in this 2020 series:

http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2019/01/saturday-sundry-thoughts-would-be.html
http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2019/02/saturday-sundry-observations-another.html
http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2019/02/two-more-would-be-presidents-of-usa.html
http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2019/02/saturday-and-sundry-thoughts-bernie.html

Saturday and Sundry Thoughts: Bernie Sanders' Astrology & 2020

The entry of Senator Bernie Sanders into the 2020 presidential race is, by now, old news. He announced his intention to run early in the week. To match the pattern I've followed for other hopefuls, hats already in the ring, I'll peruse Bernie's natal chart for any clear signs of change of status, due in late 2020. For now, I'm limiting these 2020 posts to that process.

Anyone who read this blog in 2015-2016 might remember that I was a firm Bernie Sanders supporter then. That has not changed. Bernie, for me, is "the real deal", has been since 2008 when he first came to my notice - a politician with focus always on what can, and should, be done to benefit "We the People".

There'll be more to write on the whys and wherefores of the campaign proper with its cast-list of hopefuls during coming months, for now all I'll add to my investigation of Bernie's chart is to quote closing paragraphs of an article by Benjamin Studebaker:
Why Bernie Sanders Matters More Than People Think

Bernie Sanders is a democratic socialist building on the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. He understands that inequality is the core structural factor in economic crisis and that growth in real wages and incomes is required for robust, sustainable economic growth. He recognises that the Democratic Party must fundamentally change to tackle this problem. He has been an independent and kept himself separate from the party machine because he recognises how corrupt and lethargic it has become over the years. He’s running not just to change the country, but to change the Democratic Party into the kind of party that can deliver for poor and working Americans.

All the rest is noise. This is not about just this election, or just the next four years. This is about whether the Democratic Party is going to care about inequality for the next decade. We are making a historic decision between two distinct ideological paradigms, not a choice between flavors of popcorn. This is important. Choose carefully.

ASTROLOGY

It is unfortunate that there is no reliable time of birth available for Senator Sanders. Astro.com has some rectifications noted, but do not rate them as reliable. One has Scorpio rising, with a birth time 27 minutes after mid-day; the other rectification, based on Bernie's history, has Gemini rising. The chart below is set for noon, so Moon position, as shown, will not be accurate, though Moon would be in Aries, whatever the true time of his birth. Rising sign has to remain a mystery, absent further information.


A reminder of the transits of outer planets in the time span under investigation:

Between now and early November 2020
Uranus will traverse the last few degrees of Aries and up to 8 degrees of Taurus
Neptune: between 14 and 20 degrees of Pisces
Pluto: between 20 and 24 degrees of Capricorn
Saturn: between 11 and 27 Capricorn
Jupiter: between 11 Sagittarius and 22 Capricorn

Born on September 8, 1941, Brooklyn, New York City.

Right now transiting Jupiter is opposing the Senator's natal Jupiter, it'll be criss-crossing the same general area and back again in exact conjunction this summer. Here's an astrologer's interpretation of this aspect:
https://astrologyking.com/jupiter-opposite-jupiter-transit/. It certainly reflects the record-breaking huge (Jupiter) first-day fundraising haul Bernie achieved!


Transiting Neptune will exactly oppose Bernie's natal Sun several times in coming months and during part of 2020. I'd interpret that as a warning to the Senator to be careful in whom he places trust - something of which I feel sure he is well aware, and will have chosen his new group of assistants with that in mind. Still, though, there will be be members of the Democratic establishment and corporate media ranged against him, as well as President Trump and the Republicans.

Transiting Mars will be conjunct Bernie's natal Moon (exact dates depending on exact degree of Moon) and natal Mars, while also opposing natal Venus in weeks surrounding the election in 2020. This isn't a sign of success, but an indication of significant energy or dynamism being present at that time; it could also be related to non-election issues.

I have to say that I don't see, in the information available, any stand-out indication that Bernie Sanders' status in the public eye will change, or that his run will end in success, whether in the primaries or, if nominated, in the General election.

The lack of time of birth is particularly frustrating in this case!

Much as it pains me to write it, if I had to bet on any of the people investigated so far, relying only on my astrology, bets would still have to go to Elizabeth Warren or to Cory Booker (if his time of birth can be established as being accurate). But we do need Bernie's voice to remain in the mix - loud and clear!

Other posts in this 2020 series:

http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2019/01/saturday-sundry-thoughts-would-be.html
http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2019/02/saturday-sundry-observations-another.html
http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2019/02/two-more-would-be-presidents-of-usa.html

Saturday & Sundry observations ~ Another Would-be President of the USA: Cory Booker

Yesterday Cory Booker, Junior Democratic Senator, New Jersey, added his name to the growing list of contenders in the presidential election, 2020. I've "had my eye on" Cory Booker for around 10 years, feeling pretty certain that we'd see this happen, sooner or later.






Below are links to my archived posts on Senator Booker:

Drive-by astrology - Cory Booker (2008)

Cory Booker (2013)

Booker, VP? (2016)


He was also mentioned in these posts:

With Bells On (2017)


Another Broken Reed (2017)


Some current thoughts:

At the time those posts were written there was no information available as to Cory Booker's exact time of birth, so charts at these links were calculated for 12 noon, meaning that his true ascendant sign and degree remained unknown. At some point an astrologer, well-known at astrodatabank, Sy Schofield, produced a birth time for Senator Booker - 1.10AM, said at the website to have been provided by Booker himself, from memory. The time is given an "A" rating - so deemed reasonably reliable. Here is Senator booker's natal chart using the time of birth provided at astro.com:

Cory Booker, born in Washington D.C. on 27 April 1969 at 1.10 AM

For me this, in this regard, time of birth makes a huge difference. My cynical side begins to wonder at what point did the Senator come up with this time of birth, and does he have any astrological knowledge himself, or has he taken astrological counsel? Why? Because this particular time of birth gives Senator Booker a rising sign of 1.20 degrees Aquarius. Transiting Saturn will be conjunct this point in November/December 2020 at election time. Saturn is the planet most often connected to law/legal matters, public status, profession. Saturn transiting a person's ascending degree often indicates a change in one or all of those areas.

I wouldn't bet that, in Senator Booker's case, it means the presidency - we need to see the full line-up before making that kind of bet! I would bet, though, that it means at least some change of status in the public's eye. If not the presidency, then an important post in the administration, perhaps.

All of that, of course, depends on the time of birth now available being accurate, and not provided in the hope that it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy! (I must try to control my cynical side!)

Another interesting factor relating to Booker's natal Saturn is the Yod (Finger of Fate)linking natal Saturn by two quincunx (150 degree) aspects to sextiled Neptune and Uranus/Jupiter. This Yod stands irrespective of ascendant placement. As I wrote in one of the posts linked above of this Yod :

Here the point of the arrow hits Saturn - law maker. Astrologers say that the planet at the arrow point indicates a compelling focus on the energies of that planet, driven by the combined energies of the two in sextile, here it's Uranus/Jupiter and Neptune. So this Yod can be translated thus: optimistic dreams of social reform brought into focus via laws and hard work.

That focus is quite a classic Aquarian focus, so finding Aquarius rising is a bit like Cinderella finding the glass slipper to fit!

From my post on 19/20 January I found that Elizabeth Warren also had indication of change coming around election time 2020, I'll add Cory Booker, tentatively, to that and wait to find out who else will throw their hats into the ring.

Saturday & Sundry Thoughts ~Would-be Presidential Ladies: Tulsi Gabbard, Elizabeth Warren & Kirsten Gillibrand

It's early days to be blogging about the USA's presidential election in November 2020, nevertheless I've been interested to read recently of three potential candidates from the Democrats - three ladies who appear to be preparing to throw their hats into the ring, hoping to be part of what's likely to be a crowded platform of candidates. These are: Tulsi Gabbard, who supported my guy, Bernie Sanders strongly in 2016; Elizabeth Warren, who should've supported Bernie in 2016 but didn't; and Kirsten Gillibrand who is an unknown quantity to me, so far. I shall take a quick look at the natal charts of the three ladies, not to interpret their personalities, but to decide, from coming planetary transits, which of them is most likely to experience massive change in the next couple of years.

I suspect that the time is ripe, now, for a female president - perhaps one of these ladies?


Transits of the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, along with Jupiter and Saturn are those I'm looking at in relation to these charts. If any of these planets will be making close contact or aspect to natal planets of one of these ladies, then she'll be the one to watch.

These charts are all set for 12 noon, as no birth times are available, so house positions, rising signs and exact Moon positions will not be accurate as shown.

Between now and early November 2020
Uranus will traverse the last few degrees of Aries and up to 8 degrees of Taurus
Neptune: between 14 and 20 degrees of Pisces
Pluto: between 20 and 24 degrees of Capricorn
Saturn: between 11 and 27 Capricorn
Jupiter: between 11 Sagittarius and 22 Capricorn







Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district since 2013.

Elizabeth Warren, academic and senior United States Senator, Massachusetts, since 2013.

Kirsten Gillibrand, attorney and politician, junior United States Senator from New York since January 2009

CONCLUSION

No doubt at all in my mind - Elizabeth Warren has the best chance of major change happening after November 2020. Look to her natal Jupiter at 0 Aquarius. Saturn, planet which most signifies profession, public position, law, will be exactly conjunct her natal Jupiter by mid-December 2020, just after the election, and will be close enough, on the date of the election, to be considered conjunct. That signifies, at the very least, some big change in her professional public life; if not the presidency, then at least a move to a more significant position in government.

Time isn't yet ripe for Tulsi Gabbard or Kirsten Gillibrand. Ms Gabbard is probably too left-wing, at this time, for main-stream Democrats, and media characters under control of "big money" (all of 'em), who will put her down in any way they can, or alternatively ignore her completely between now and 2020, as they did in respect of Bernie Sanders candidacy in 2015/16. Main stream Democrats will wish to keep their ties to big money sources, and those sources will look on any truly leftist positions, as set out by Bernie Sanders and his followers, including Ms Gabbard, as an anathema to be opposed at every opportunity.

Elizabeth Warren is definitely the most likely of this trio to do well in the election - if she does choose to run, and that is due to much more than her astrology. She did not support Bernie Sanders in 2016, she supported Hillary Clinton - for which I do not forgive her, but that is a fact main-stream Democrats will have noted. Senator Warren knows the way to the presidency much better than I do, of course - or for that matter, better even than Bernie, whose main aims, always, has been to try to improve things for "we the people" in any way he can.

As weeks and months pass, we'll be seeing more presidential hopefuls throwing their hats into the ring - on both sides. I'll repeat this exercise later on, with a different cast of characters.

BELLA DONNA

You can ride high atop your pony
I know you won't fall
'Cause the whole thing's phoney....
(From "Bella Donna" by Stevie Nicks.)

Oh my! So what is Donna Brazile up to now?

"Before I called Bernie Sanders, I lit a candle in my living room and put on some gospel music. I wanted to center myself for what I knew would be an emotional phone call.

I had promised Bernie when I took the helm of the Democratic National Committee after the convention that I would get to the bottom of whether Hillary Clinton’s team had rigged the nomination process, as a cache of emails stolen by Russian hackers and posted online had suggested. I’d had my suspicions from the moment I walked in the door of the DNC a month or so earlier, based on the leaked emails. But who knew if some of them might have been forged? I needed to have solid proof, and so did Bernie....."

What is she up to?

I guess she's up to a few things at once:

1) Peddling her book, fishing for invitations to the several Late Shows and suchlike. Hmm - discovering how they'll square their constant on-going Hillary Clinton ass-licking with Ms Brazile's words could even persuade me to watch!

In July 2017, Hachette Books announced that it had acquired the rights to Brazile's forthcoming book, Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House, set to be published on November 7, 2017. Hachette said the book would be "equal parts campaign thriller, memoir, and roadmap for the future." (Wikipedia)

Ms Brazile could also be:
2) covering her own ass, in case of future revelations touching on other, erm...iffy goings on, where she could be seen as having been involved.
Or:
3)trying to position herself for a prominent post in some new and "cleaned up" version of the Democratic Party, should that come up on the near, or far horizon.

Most likely: a combination of 1), 2) & 3).

As someone at Twitter, or elsewhere on the net commented:

"Not since the words "Et tu, Brute?" were uttered has the backstabbing been this spectacular."

However, nothing Ms Brazile has now "exposed" was really news to anyone not blinded by the special, and no doubt paid for, HRC bullshit peddled constantly at so-called liberal blogs, websites, shows and pundits. The Podesta/Wikileaks e-mails gave us this same news many months ago....oh yes...but of course, how could I forget? "Russia!"

As commenter, "prisonersdilema" wrote (at - I think - Common Dreams ?)

Lots of ink has been spilled defending the DNC, and Hillary Clinton. Turns out that was mis guided at best. Much of that ink contributed to the divisive politics, that was designed to confuse people and mislead them. This is part of the way the elite rule, and it is the root of identify politics, to divide and conquer. The DNC, is gone say goodbye, this is the last nail in the coffin. I can only hope that there's a jail cell with Hillary's name on it.

I'm not entirely in accord with that commenter's last sentiment, I'd rather that she simply exited gracefully stage left from the political scene - never to return!

"Moons and Junes and ....."

During my week off-blog a glut of news stories fought for prominence. I didn't read or listen to much from the hyper-ventilating writers and characters on TV - just enough to realise the core of events and results.

The face of James Comey greeted us each morn in the breakfast areas of our hotels, thankfully with TVs' sound muted. The moving news clips at foot of screens offered us as much as we needed, or wished, to be knowing. So far nothing of great value appears to have emerged, other than fodder for journalists, TV pundits and hyperbolic bloggers and commenters. A side-effect, for me, has been lots of hits on my June 2016 post about James Comey..."it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good".

I was interested to discover the UK's election result, however, and though Ms May held onto her position by the skin of her teeth, it was good to see Jeremy Corbyn's excellent showing. The UK's tide might, at last, be turning leftward after many years of conservative or pretend-left (à la Blair) experiences. The election result kind of mirrored USA's 2016 campaigns, with regard to Bernie Sanders' burgeoning support - though here that was undermined by You Know Who and her dastardly minions.

One result of the UK's election that I definitely dislike is Ms Mays' proposed linking up with the DUP - Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionists, in order to form a stronger government. A side effect of this could easily be a resurgence of those horrible hate-filled, blood-soaked and dangerous years of The Troubles. I trust not, but am not optimistic. Brexit ? It's going to be a rough ride!

It's Music Monday - let's see - what song would best reflect current atmospheres? I'm feeling a tad flummoxed in general - how about Joni Mitchell's song from the 1960s: "Both Sides Now" - here sung, for a change, by Judy Collins -



Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all.

Voting Day Eve

Eve of General election - and it's Music Monday. How can I relate this peculiar American election season to something musical?

Some fellow native Brits of mine, all northerners too, might be of help. I'll stitch together a medley of some of their famous song titles to tell the tale for me.

Here we go:

It has been A Magical Mystery Tour from start to finish. There has been Too Much Monkey Business goin' on throughout. A Paperback Writer would have had difficulty keeping up with the crazy we've experienced.

When I think of my candidate of choice, Senator Bernie Sanders, I think of Yesterday and My Guitar Gently Weeps about loss of his wished for Revolution. He advised his supporters and Clinton's to Come Together - but Clinton gave us a Ticket to Ride - doesn't like us, thinks she doesn't need us.

Choosing between Her Majesty and one who makes as much sense as I Am the Walrus makes for A Hard Day's Night.

It has been a Long and Winding Road to reach this point, though it's just another Day In The Life of wily politicians and media drones.

I've got through it, With a Little Help From My Friends.


BUT...Imagine...

Deplorably

Anyone who nodded knowingly when Hillary Clinton made her declaration concerning a proportion of supporters of Donald Trump belonging in "a basket of deplorables" should take a look at what Paul Street had to say on Monday, at Counterpunch


Hillary Clinton’s Basket of Deplorables
Snip:

“Deplorables?” How about Madeline Albright, the noxious woman who championed the mass-murderous bombing of Serbia and told the nation on CBS News that the death of half a million Iraqi children thanks to U.S.-led “economic sanctions” was a “price worth paying” for the advance of U.S. policy goals? She is Hillary Clinton’s very good friend and was former First Lady Clinton’s choice as Bill Clinton’s second Secretary of State. She is a fierce advocate of dangerous Western aggression against nuclear Russia. Hillary has put her to work the campaign trail this and last year. She’s dreadful.

Another gone one is Henry Kissinger. “Among the war profiteers, bankers and industrialists that Mrs. Clinton counts, opportunistically or not, among her friends” .........

The author goes on to identify other members of Hillary's own deplorable basket, outlining their deplorability factors: John Podesta, Ken Salazar, Robert Rubin, Tim Kaine and her husband, William J. Clinton.

And, from Mr Street's last paragraph:

I am not so inured to the neo-fascistic evil of the Trump phenomenon and the horrific prospects of a Trump presidency that I would not at least entertain the possibility of following Reed's [Adolph Reed, Jr. ] advice to “vote for the neoliberal warmonger” HRC to block the Donald. Still, whatever I or other radical lefties (a very small part of the total U.S. electorate) do or don’t do on the Electoralist High Holy Day, Democratic politicos will have no legitimate business blaming “the left” if Trump beats the odds and triumphs over the Clintons. The main fault will lay with the Clintons and other deplorable dollar Democrats, who have opened the barn door for right-wing white-nationalist fake populism and who will have given the game away to the rightmost of the two reigning capitalist parties. It won’t be with left progressives who couldn’t bring themselves to mark a ballot for either of the reprehensible major party options in this deplorable double dumpster-fire of a presidential election.

Living in reliably Red Oklahoma, never likely to be a swing state this side of the far horizon, and bearing in mind the peculiar Electoral College system in place in the USA, I have the luxury of "voting my conscience"; yet I cannot do so because neither Jill Stein nor Bernie Sanders will appear on our Okie ballot papers, nor will the opportunity to write-in either of those names. I could choose Libertarian Gary Johnson as a protest vote against the "big two", knowing full well that he has little to no chance of winning. Extra support for Johnson, for Okies the only alternative to Clinton or Trump, might push a message through that the people of Oklahoma are angry about not having the same variety of choices people of most other states enjoy.

There will be no presidential choice I can even half-heartedly support, so simply leaving the presidential choice box empty will be my best plan. Considering the flippin' frustrations I encountered in order to become a citizen of the USA, eligible to vote, the situation itself, in Oklahoma, is deplorable!

Expectedly...or not

I wander into a blog called Mock Paper Scissors occasionally. Yesterday they had numbers. Their post is linked to the origin of numbers featured there. I was going to write that those numbers make depressing reading, but any indication that a President Trump is becoming increasingly unlikely can't really be said to be depressing.....and yet, and yet...

Only something quite unexpected is likely to change current prospects. What, for instance?

Trump withdrawing for whatever reason/accusation he might offer, real or imaginary? Trump being ousted by the RNC through some newly minted RNC law, tailored for just such a purpose?

In either of those situations Trump's chosen VP, Mike Pence would probably be slotted in as candidate, or, if it were indicated that someone who had, at least, had votes cast for them at some point...Ted Cruz...or even Mitt Romney? Whether any such change would make a Hillary Clinton landslide in the General election more or less likely could be hard to estimate. I'd say a landslide in favour of Clinton would be likely reduced to a slight rockfall, its strength depending on name of the new candidate.

If something unexpected should cause change, on the Democratic candidate's side - for instance: Hillary Clinton's health issues? If such issues do exist, and were to become more obvious, calls could arise for more detailed medical examination with publication of results. New revelations regarding her e-mail debacle or the Clinton Foundation shenanigans, more damaging to Hillary Clinton than any before (via Wikileaks)? If circumstances in either scenario were serious enough, her chosen VP, Tim Kaine would come into more intense focus, perhaps acting as candidate. Or, the DNC might decide to choose, as replacement, someone for whom public votes have been cast, or someone of proven ability at national level: Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden? I doubt the DNC would ever countenance Senator Bernie Sanders as candidate, no matter how many states he carried in the primaries, Wall Street and the oligarchs who rule the DNC wouldn't allow it. Joe Biden though could, I suspect, improve slightly the Dems' chances in the General. Fewer voters, especially former Bernie Sanders supporters, hate him with the same intensity they hate, or distrust, Hillary Clinton. Tim Kaine, though...not so sure, nobody really knows him. A more likely scenario, should some unexpected event(s) befall Clinton, would be to somehow, if at all possible with the current president's influence, push her through the difficulties and into the presidency, then worry about other issues arising.

Unexpected general changes: a non-candidate related "October Surprise"? Some national emergency, for example major terrorist activity; major emergency due to climate/earthquake/massive-scale never before experienced flooding....etc; or unexpected uprising of some major sector of the population - from whatever cause, with martial law being declared: General Election postponed.

Those are a few possibilities, however unlikely they might seem right now. Astrologers would be looking for Uranus, planet of the unexpected to be involved, somehow, at some stage, in some natal or national chart. We shall see...or not. As some character in a TV series we watched last night said, "Sometimes things work out - don't question the universe!"

Trumpily

During the time we were away from home, last week, we saw more politically-slanted TV fare than has been the norm all through this year. I've avoided all politics on TV, apart from the primary debates and results programmes, minus the waffle from MSNBC and CNN which followed them.

Ye gods! How can people watch this garbage? Most of what I saw was all Trump all the time - not pro- but supposedly avidly anti- with the very occasional neutral-sounding commentary.

TV, newspapers, and much political material on the internet are in full Trump mesmeric mode. They use their time putting all his many and varied faults on display, front and centre, over and over and over again, leaving Hillary Clinton's many and varied faults, and the dangers inherent in her presidency mostly hidden, relegated to minor, semi-critical articles in the backwaters. Major space and air-time is being taken up by Trump, Trump, Trump. (Note: I haven't ventured to watch or read on overt Republican sites or TV channels where, of course, there'd be a different emphasis.)

Thought provoking piece by Andrew O'Hehir:
Trump Is Channeling a Deep-Seated American Urge Toward Self-Destruction
Is Trump sabotaging himself? Wrong question — he's channeling a deep-seated American urge toward self-destruction.

SNIP

Donald Trump’s suicide mission is not personal, first of all. If I had to guess, I would say that he wants to be president but doesn’t know why, and has no idea what he would do with the office if he wins. Trump wishes only for his own glorification; he isn’t intelligent enough or complicated enough to yearn for his own destruction. Whether that translates in practice to a desire to lose the election, with the side benefit of endangering democracy by claiming that the system is corrupt and the results were rigged — well, that sounds like a pretty good guess, but as I said earlier I don’t know and I don’t really care. Trump’s suicide mission is ultimately about something much larger than his own presidential campaign, and also much larger than demographic clichés about the declining white majority.

America is experiencing a health crisis on an enormous scale — a crisis that is simultaneously physical, psychological and spiritual and is hardly ever understood in holistic terms. If Trump is the most prominent symptom of this systemic disorder at the moment, he is not its cause or even its leading indicator. For starters, this crisis encompasses epidemic rates of obesity and epidemic rates of suicide, dramatic evidence of a wealthy country that is literally killing itself. It’s about a nation of worsening social isolation and individualized info-bubbles and pathological delusion, a nation that spends more per capita on healthcare than any other major Western power to achieve worse outcomes, and where Baconator Fries are $1.99 at Wendy’s.

Trump, his campaign, and his supporters, are often accused of authoritarianism. A piece at Counterpunch, by Bernard Weiner , yesterday is an example: Trump and Authoritarianism. Most will accept what they read or hear on this, and could be right to do so. Yet the Clinton campaign is not innocent in this same regard. The following comes from a report by a Democratic delegate who attended the Democrats' convention. It's a single anecdote, but smacks of the general atmosphere.

I gave one woman, a Clinton delegate, a sign that said ‘I Support Palestinian Human Rights.’ She wanted to wear it, but her friend said, ‘We can’t do that, we’re not allowed to.’ They don’t want to question party leadership on any level. Even the simple thing of taking a button and putting it on your body is a big no-no for them. I didn’t think the party was this authoritarian.

From commentary about a different report by another Dem. delegate, taken from naked capitalism website

3.14e-9
August 8, 2016 at 8:42 am

Re: Bernie delegates speak out, it’s all in this one line:

[Party leaders] assume that we’re irrelevant for the long term.

They get told to shut up, their signs are confiscated, they’re threatened with revocation of their credentials, the Clinton delegates treat them like a communicable disease, and they know the Democratic Party will never accept them. And still, they’re going to vote for her, because we must defeat Trump.

I’ve read tweets and F[ace]B[ook] posts from by a couple of other delegates, one of whom had her arm twisted so hard by a Hillary supporter that it left her with a huge bruise. The entire time, she was surrounded by security, who even followed her into the ladies room.

But if we don’t defeat Trump, he’ll turn our democracy into a fascist dictatorship.

Carolinian:
August 8, 2016 at 9:21 am

Sounds like Sanders delegates were getting the roughing up that so upset many when it was applied to protestors at Trump rallies. Who’s the fascist again?

In other news: things I learn by reading online:

TL;DR, or tl;dr = short for "too long; didn't read". Internet slang to say that some text being replied to has been ignored or as a signifier for a summary of an online post or news article.

The abbreviation is based on the principle that, if the writer does not invest the time to convey their message concisely, the reader is justified not investing the time to read it. Alternately, it might mean that there is insufficient material of value or interest to justify the time required to read it. (Wikipedia)

If this post rates a tl;dr - what can I say?!

(ME: By the way, Wiki, it should be "alternatively", not alternately.)

And:

Betteridge's Law of headlines is an adage that states: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no." It is named after Ian Betteridge, a British technology journalist, although the principle is much older. As with similar "laws" (e.g., Murphy's law), it is intended as a humorous adage rather than always being literally true.

Bernie Endorsed Hillary

It had to happen, it was always going to happen, in spite of what many of Bernie's supporters were suggesting.

Bernie Sanders declared, from very early in his campaign that, should he be the loser he would support the Democratic nominee. He has held out from doing so for as long as he could, while attempting to have some of his campaign issues included in the party platform (wobbly though that platform may prove to be, in time), and to edge Hillary Clinton leftward in her stances.

I watched the whole joint Hillary/Bernie campaign speeches from New Hampshire this morning, felt for him, and for his legion of supporters.

I hope some benefit accrues to Bernie for his efforts on behalf of the Democrats, I hope he will attain some prominent position in the next administration - he certainly deserves it. I shall always remain a fan, as I had been for years, long before the 2016 campaign began. I shall continue to trust his judgment and integrity, whatever happens from now on.

Hillary Clinton's speech was fair to Bernie, and for that much I'm happy.

GULP...

There's so much going on just now that it's not easy to focus on any single issue for long.

Brexit and the fall-out from that : who will be the new Prime Minister? How will she/he deal with what has to be dealt with in regard to the UK's exit from the EU, not forgetting that Scotland, and possibly Northern Ireland are likely to try (again) for their own independence from England/Wales, so that they could remain part of the EU. That internal UK tangle really needs sorting out first! Some establishment members of the opposition Labour Party want its current leader to stand down, but he, Jeremy Corbyn, is reluctant to do so - rightly, because his supporters, and the unions still believe in him. Then there's the Chilcot Report due for release this week; possibly fear of what the Report will reveal has been the driver of goings on in the previous sentence.

Nearer to home: Hillary Clinton's three and a half hour interview with the FBI on Saturday, result due in weeks to come. Bill Clinton's rather (ahem) opportune meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch at an Arizona airport the day before Hillary's interview. Party Conventions later this month. What will Bernie do? Will Donald Trump ride out his storms with the RNC? Who will be chosen as Vice Presidents for the two nominees?

SCOTUS is still a Justice short of a full court. Republican congress is still being as obstructive as ever, if not more so.

Outside of the political, I'm still keen to know what caused the Egypt Air plane to crash into the Med. a few weeks ago, as well as being still bugged by the disappearance of MH370, 2+ years ago, presumably sunk deep in the Indian Ocean. Those matters have disappeared from news media.

And: ISIS, Olympics, climate change, Zika virus......PHEW!

Are we there yet? Almost !

Primary season is almost over, at last! Today voters in New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and California will declare their preferences. At the weekend primary voters in the Virgin Islands and in Puerto Rico had their say, Hillary Clinton was winner in each case making Bernie's already tough task that much more difficult. In Washington D.C. Democrats will vote on 14 June - that is the finishing post! There'll then be a break of several weeks before parties' conventions in July, when nominees will be officially chosen. There'll not be much of a break in media coverage in the meantime though, nor of parties' wranglings, attempting to bring their people into line.

I'll be watching for any shenanigans from MSNBC this evening - such as declaring Hillary Clinton the Democratic nominee hours before California votes are counted - before voters there have even finished voting - see videos below.






It's going to be a nail-biting evening for me, hoping that Bernie Sanders continues to add to his delegate haul and list of "states won". California, with its large number of delegates, is going to be a major focus of attention. I'd be especially happy also if my favourite state to visit, New Mexico, would give Bernie a win. I don't hold out much hope for a Bernie win in New Jersey but the rest may be, as they say, "in play".

P.S. ~ For John Laurits' latest rousing piece of writing do read his

"Bern the vote & #Stay in Line".

Primarily...Kentucky and Oregon

 Primaries today - aqua; already held - cream.

Voters in Kentucky and Oregon cast primary votes today.

I know nothing about Oregon, other than that one of my husband's grandsons now lives there.

Kentucky - we've driven through the state, with overnight stays there on two occasions, when travelling home from visiting husband's younger son in Ohio. My impression of Kentucky, both times was good. On the first occasion (2007) I recall stopping off in La Grange at an Irish pub/restaurant for a snack, late afternoon. The menu was unusual and very tempting. We ate some delicious rissoles - vegetarian and full of all manner of unexpected textures and flavours - went down well with a glass of Guinness ! On the second occasion (2013) we spent a day and night in Paducah, an arty sort of town we both liked a lot, and intend to re-visit one day. A TV series Justified we've much enjoyed, part via DVD part Netflix, is set in Harlan County, Kentucky.
There's even a song (at the link) about Harlan.

Do good for Bernie, please Kentucky!



And, please Oregon - ditto!

Primarily ...West Virginia

  Dem.Primaries held - cream. Primary today -West Virginia- aqua

West Virginia voters do the primary deed today, in Nebraska Republicans only are still to vote.


West Virginia - that name always brings to mind yet another song of John Denver (yesterday's post featured three of 'em). What the heck... here's another for good measure:

West Virginia's is an open primary which will award 37 delegates. Another win would give Bernie further reason to continue his campaign, following his victory in Indiana last Tuesday; he is polling slightly ahead of Hillary Clinton in West Virginia at the time of typing.

The state relies heavily on coal mining, an industry which is nearing its last days if strong action to slow down climate change is to be taken.

The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research (Wiki - link above)

The coal industry issue could go against Bernie or Hillary almost equally - though it does appear that the demographics of the state favour Bernie, if earlier patterns are repeated. West Virginia has only a tiny percentage of African American voters, a pattern which, in past primaries has helped Bernie.

Updating 2008 - rhyming but not repeating

As we wait, on tenterhooks, for results of the New York primary later today, I've decided to play around with an old post of mine from early 2008 during that election season, adjusting the detail - just for fun. The post was titled:
Spirit of Idealism in the USA:

It's fascinating to observe the patterns and passions erupting, from a variety of perspectives, during this long election season in the USA. The conundrum I puzzle over a lot these days: sidereal versus tropical zodiac, nags me regularly as I browse news articles.

There's an interesting phenomenon occurring in the USA now. On first thought it seemed to me to be classic Uranus in Aquarius Aries, tropically, but in the sidereal zodiac, Uranus is now in tropical Pisces. Sidereally Neptune is in Aquarius.

"Change", a keyword of Uranus and Aquarius, is the buzzword of the moment here. American youth has suddenly become avidly interested in politics, passionately supporting their almost messianic hero, presidential candidate Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, whose message encapsulates Aquarian ideals.

The movement towards Aquarian ideals isn't only for the youth of the USA. Those left unmoved by Obama's oratory and celebrity endorsements Bernie Sanders' proposals are enthusiastically supporting an equally determined Hillary Clinton, who passionately demands very little change from the way the country has been run for the last 7 years. Even the old-fashioned Republican party has taken a wee step towards more Aquarian thinking by supporting being shocked by the unexpected in the form of Donald Trump John McCain, who, though still something of an egomaniac warrior, is considerably ever so slightly more humanitarian (Aquarian) in his views on a scant few fronts than his party would traditionally have been.

Uranus in sidereal Aquarius Pisces initially seems like an odd good fit, but because we currently have Neptune in tropical sidereal Aquarius and Uranus in tropical sidereal Pisces, the two planets are in what astrologers call "mutual reception", each is in the home sign of the other. Astrologer Robert Wilkinson says (here) that mutual reception "is a very strong influence. It is as though the two planets feed each other, and grow stronger, for good or ill, in their ability to dominate those affairs in the chart." Using the sidereal tropical zodiac, Neptune currently lies in Capricorn Pisces, mutual reception with Uranus in Aries is absent.

It's not a clear-cut choice to decide which fits the situation better, sidereal or tropical zodiac. It could be argued that Uranus in sidereal Aquarius tropical Aries is a good match for events in the USA, it could also be proposed that Neptune's influence is involved from its home sign, Pisces. In a paragraph above I used the word "messianic" quite automatically, and only later, when searching for information in my astrology books, noticed that Grant Lewi, when describing Neptune in Aquarius in his book "Astrology for the Millions" said
"There is a tendency to messianic feelings of social and economic reconstruction, perhaps an inclination towards dubious methods of accomplishing worthwhile goals (an "end justifies the means attitude")".

Rosa Brooks' article "A National Mood Swing", in the Los Angeles Times discusses the current phenomenon (see here)
In conclusion, she writes: [my deletions and additions for 2016]

"It’s far too soon to say if the newfound spirit of idealism that’s sending voters (including many independents) to the Democratic primaries in record numbers will endure, paving the way for an era of energized new social movements and reforms. But I’d bet that we really have turned a page. On the Republican side too, there’s a palpable desire for a candidate who doesn’t fit into a rigid ideological box, one who can tap into and reflect our best instincts instead of our most craven fears.

Whether the idealistic yearning for change endures probably has little to do with who wins and who loses the Democratic nomination (or even the White House). Losses can galvanize social movements just as much as victories, and whoever wins the White House will be president of an America different from the one that greeted Bush’s inaugurations in 2001 and 2005 [ added: or Obama's in 2009 and 2013] It will be a more hopeful, less partisan nation, one united in its rueful awareness of the ways former Bush presidencies went wrong, a nation [hopefully] more ready to pull its socks up and get to work to put things right."

Conclusion: Tropical zodiac may describe this particular situation more exactly than sidereal, depending on one's viewpoint, but sidereal would still describe it well enough.

Astrology aside, the hope in the hearts of everyone is surely that the phenomenon occurring here [among young voters] survives the election, then grows and blossoms, so the world and the planet itself will benefit.

Chaos Thy Name is Eris (or vice versa)

 Glyph used by Discordians

A couple of recent astrological articles have focus on Eris, and how that minor planet's position - now - might be reflected in current mundane events.

From Mountain Astrologer: article by Arielle Guttman
The Goddess of Discord, The U.S. Chart and the 2016 Election

From Diary of a Mundane Astrologer by Raye Robertson:
An Astrological Fairytale: The Evil Fairy, Prince Charming & the April 19 New York Primary.

 Alternative glyph

Eris, being so distant from Earth, with a l-o-n-g 560 year orbit, hasn't seemed to me to be highly relevant, other than maybe, for fun, playing around with the mythology involved in the name Eris. Goddess of Discord she's called. We have lots of that - all the time!

Astrologers professional, amateur, and mere dabblers like myself have no idea, (if they/we are absolutely honest), of what it is they/we are dealing with in astrology, so it's worth experimenting, using new possibilities, in the hope of discovering which, if any, proves to be a good fit. It's akin to Prince Charming's experiments with the glass slipper (he's mentioned, in another context, in one of the links above).

I've dallied with Eris in the past. Three of five relevant posts are:

PUMA Reflection of Eris ? That one harks back to the 2008 election season and PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) -remember that group?

Eris Cycles from 2011.

Still Cycling...With Eris from July 2014.

I'm still feeling much the same as astrologer Jack Fertig, in the PUMA post linked above:

Jack Fertig: "I want to caution here that I don’t really hold with the notion that the name that astronomers give a planet necessarily defines it. Remember that according to the astronomers, Pluto and Eris aren’t even full fledged planets right now.

Uranus could have appropriately been named Prometheus, and I do think Bacchus would be a better name for Neptune. We relate a lot to the mythological gods through our experience of the planets, and we attribute a lot to Uranus that frankly had nothing to do with the Greek Myth. We also see a lot to Neptune that the Greeks and Romans didn’t. And it’s perfectly fine to update the myths to contemporary realities.
...........We are starting from scratch and can at least use the mythic Eris as a touchstone for beginning investigations."

ALSO, from Jack Fertig (who surmises that Eris might rule Libra):

"But what I do see here with the so-called goddess of strife, is in fact striving, competition. I see her as an agent of group dynamics, how we define ourselves vis-à-vis others, not just as individuals but also as Libran team-mates, as members of a group within a larger group. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis she introduced a competition that set off the Trojan War. But she’s only directly responsible for the competition; not the war!"

Primarily in April..."We Open in" Wisconsin

Our April primary calendar, borrowing from Kiss Me Kate, musical version of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. I've adjusted a song from that show about a travelling band of players/entertainers. What else is our own travelling band of politicians? A video version of the original song follows.

We open in Venice Wisconsin
We next play Verona Wyoming
Then on to Cremona New York
Lotsa laughs in Cremona in New York City,
Our next jump is Parma Delaware
That dopey, mopey menace,
Then Mantua, then Padua Connecticut, then Maryland
Then we open again, where? In Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

So...primaries and travelling players trundle on, all the while pundits, columnists, bloggers and commenters becoming ever more decidedly partisan. That was to be expected, in any election year, but especially in 2016, with two candidates opposing the establishments of their chosen parties. Not only do we have the usual Democrat versus Republican election game being played (prematurely, because we're still in primary mode), we have Hillary versus Bernie, and Trump versus Cruz (and/or Kasich or A. N. Other).

I have only memories of the 2008, 2012 and this election seasons (+ mid-terms), so have not wide experience from which to compare 2016 with long-gone election seasons. The internet has been a great cyber playground available in all US elections of my own experience, with increasing importance as years have passed. This is a good thing, a very good thing, because it unites groups of supporters, aids candidates, highlights untruths - but there's always a dark side.

My own internet reading this time has been confined to websites known for being, at least left-leaning if not exactly progresssive (some might call themselves progressive, but they're truly not and have proved it this time). Feuding between Hillary's and Bernie's supporters, including genuine and planted commenters, has become more unpleasant by the day. This is a side effect of Bernie Sanders' campaign's unexpectedly strong showing. Not much more than a year ago it was expected that Hillary Clinton would be a shoo-in for the Democrats: it was "her turn", "she is a female, the glass ceiling of the US presidency should be broken - it's past time"... etc. When that kind of propadanda began to show cracks, bad feeling began to erupt first from one side, then from the other.

Something I've discovered more clearly this time is which websites and blogs are truly progressive, i.e. they support Bernie Sanders. They are few. The rest are either overtly or covertly supporting Clinton and openly or snidely damping down potential Bernie support from readers. Columnists, and some bloggers, I've respected and enjoyed reading in the past now have been mentally given black marks, never again to be trusted. Yep - I'm as partisan as the next person - in the privacy of my own mind and my own blog.

As commenter "Newton Finn", under a piece at Alternet at the weekend wrote:

[we]have come to the realization that many of these comfortable liberal - primarily concerned with personal or social issues instead of hardcore economic ones - are not comrades in the struggle but rather share the mindset of what Marx called the petite bourgeoisie. Moving forward with a true democratic revolution that fundamentally alters status quo concepts and structures necessarily entails leaving these third-way liberals behind, shaking the dust off our feet, and instead reaching out to the exploited and increasingly desperate working class, so many of whom have lined up behind Trump because the left has often ignored them and looked down on them. There is no better voice to listen to in this regard than that of the late great Joe Bageant.

The 2010 piece at the link is a very, very good read by the way.

I'm conscious of the fact that my support for Bernie has lost me at least two former commenters, two I could ill-afford to lose in this Facebook infested world - yet that's the way it has to be. I couldn't feel right sitting on the fence on such an important issue.

All that remains to be said today: GO BERNIE!