Combating The National Republican Fear Campaign?

Combating The National Republican Fear Campaign?

It is well understood by communications experts that fear is an extremely powerful emotion to reverse. The RNC is executing a powerful national campaign of fear, based mostly on ISIL and Ebola. It is grounded in their national and local messaging strategy that government doesn't work, especially an Obama/Pelosi government.

Thursday Open Thread [10.15.14]

First Read: "But here is something else we need to say about the Ebola story: The level of panic doesn't match the crisis, at least not yet. So far in the United States, one man (from Liberia) has died, and two nurses have been infected from caring for him. And at this rate, it's possible another health-care worker (or two or three) might get infected, too. But compare this with the thousands who have died from the disease in West Africa, plus the thousands who die from the flu and car accidents each year." Three people out of three hundred and fifty million. Three people in one city, one hospital. Three people connected to only one incident. I wonder why that is. I wonder why the public is hysterical. Could it be that the media and certain Republican candidates are stoking the fear for ratings and votes? If the disease pops up in Cleveland and other cities based on that idiot Texas nurse did (she should be fired as a nurse and have her license forever revoked), then we can start to get a little bit concerned. If it spreads to more people and more cities after that, then we can start panicking.

Thursday Daily Delawhere [10.16.14]

The Wilmington Friends Meeting House, on West Street in Quaker Hill, Wilmington. The meetinghouse was built in 1817. Famous Delawareans, including John Dickinson, penman of the Revolution, Governor Caleb Bennett,…
Debate Night!

Debate Night!

There's a debate for Attorney General Candidates (I don't know if this includes all of the ballot-qualified candidates) at Widener tonight, starting at 6pm, conducted by WDEL. You can listen on WDEL or go over to Widener to see it in person. Delaware Public Media and the University of Delaware Center for Political Communication sponsor debates with the major party candidates for U.S. House and U.S. Senate tonight at Mitchell Hall. This website provides the times (House starts at 7 and the Senate starts at 8), and there are rules for the debates there as well. Not sure if you can still attend in person, but that is likely there at the website. You can also watch a live stream (I think!) of the House and Senate debate.

Wednesday Open Thread [10.15.14]

South Carolina Prosecutors Say Stand Your Ground Doesn’t Apply To Victims Of Domestic Violence. Well, of course not! Stand Your Ground is for white men who want to shoot people with impunity! So silly to think that an expansion of 2nd Amendment rights would apply to you women and colored people:
In the cases of women who claim they feared for their lives when confronted with violent intimate abusers, prosecutors say the Stand Your Ground law shouldn’t apply. “(The Legislature’s) intent … was to provide law-abiding citizens greater protections from external threats in the form of intruders and attackers,” prosecutor Culver Kidd told the Post and Courier. “We believe that applying the statute so that its reach into our homes and personal relationships is inconsistent with (its) wording and intent.”
Poll of the week discussion thread

Poll of the week discussion thread

Today's poll asks DL readers so indicate (in general terms) why they plan on voting for the person they will be voting for in the Carney vs. Izzo vs. August showdown for Congress in three weeks. Normally I'd choose "I just automatically vote for the Democrat" but since Carney cannot lose this election, I'm going for Bernie August this time to try and cut Carney's margin of victory by one vote.
Brenda Mayrack is Wiping the Floor with Tom Wagner

Brenda Mayrack is Wiping the Floor with Tom Wagner

I've been listening to this debate on WDEL and Brenda Mayrack is really crushing it here. Wagner is crouching behind a story that his is a technical and complex job, which is why he isn't doing accountability and watchdog roles -- even though he thinks he should be re-elected to do accountability and watchdog work. He sounded *very* condescending to her and she bypassed that BS to stay on her message. Wagner spent a great deal of his time explaining how the real work of accountability belongs to agency management and the legislature. Basically, Wagner wants you to know that:
Another reason to vote for Bernie August instead of John Carney

Another reason to vote for Bernie August instead of John Carney

John Carney's greatest accomplishment in congress, the accomplishment that he puts on the top of the list of reasons why he should be re-elected is that he "sat down with Republicans." Yes. The very Republicans who continue to scheme to undermine the economic recovery to further their own narrow political aims. The Republicans who have never even pretended to reciprocate John Carney's ardor for compromise and bipartisanship. John Carney just thinks they simply need to be "sat down" with. It is absolutely ludicrous that he is claiming "sitting down with Republicans" as a great accomplishment, but there you have it. So every Democrat has a choice in this election - reward that kind of obstinate ignorance with a meek party line vote, or vote in a way that affirms your Democratic values by saying "yes" to Bernie August.