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American Politics XXII


Tormund Ukrainesbane

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How can news like this, and repeats of them, not galvinize the county into a revolution? The number of retirees really out-number others by that much? I'm just stunned that in the face of these evidence that people, even if they don't want illegal immigrants around, can still support this guy.

There are plenty of non-retirees that love the guy too. Look at the voting record of the Arizona congressional delegation. This is Hannity/O'Reilly/Beck country. There are a ton of people hereabouts who think that "being tough on crime" is number one for the sheriff. So if a few people get beat to hell or die in custody, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

Then there is the racist issue. Around 15%-20% of the state speaks spanish as their first language. You have a poor, less-literate, higher-crime minority that looks different and doesn't speak the same language. On the other side you have a cult-of-personality, cowboyish gunslinger who "stands up to the politicians", and keeps "our way of life" safe. It's appealing to a lot of people.

There really are 2 Phoenix's. There is the white, college educated Phoenix. They run the white collar industries, which coincidentally are the very republican-oriented industries. General Dynamics, Boeing, Intel, Motorola, Bank of America, Chase Manhattan (Defense contractors and war financers) all have major headquarters here. The immigrant population works the service industries and construction. Most of the house builders, all of the landscapers and pool cleaners and cooks etc. There are few medium-skill, medium-pay jobs available (ask Ztemhead). Those that exist are increasingly being taken by immigrants (or their children). This has created an atmosphere where the lower middle class white people are increasingly seeing "their" jobs "stolen" by "illegals". Joe Arpaio looks like a better choice than unemployment or relocation.

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stuff

What a bloody mess.

I can only hope that at some point, Sheriff Joe will have violated enough civil rights statures that the Federal authority will have to step in, and bring the National Guard with them circa Birmingham AL 1963.

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What TM said add in the fact that one of those groups votes and the other doesn't and Sherrif Joe has a job for life. I can't emphasis the "make the jails as horrible as possible" mentallity here. When Joe announced his jail "reforms" like making the prisons wear pink underwear, only 2 meals a day, no salt, pepper or condiments it was greeted like he just give the Sermon on the Mount. He claims he did it to contain costs but his budget has only gone up due to the lawsuits the illegal condintions on his jails among other reasons.

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I'd like to ask but is their any evidence that Arpaio's tactics even work?

Not really. Phoenix is in a rough spot crime-wise. We are the end point of one of the big drug/human smuggling pipelines into this country. The mexican border is only about 3 ish hours away.

BTW I read that the guy had a newspaper's offices raided because it published some stuff about some shady dealings, any of that true?

I don't think he raided their office, just arrested a couple reporters and an editor

The Phoenix New Times has a huge series of articles detailing the many abuses and crimes of the MCSO.

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I'd like to ask but is their any evidence that Arpaio's tactics even work?

BTW I read that the guy had a newspaper's offices raided because it published some stuff about some shady dealings, any of that true?

No they don't work. I've read the recidivism rate is higher in his area then elsewhere in the state, but I can't find those numbers. However he has cost us over $41 million in lawsuit-related money because of the numerous preventable deaths in his jail and the generally unhuman conditions they people there live in. Somehow his supporters can't connect that their taxes are paying for his crimes.

it turns out that the Kentucky census worker who was hanged committed suicide, rather then being the victim of some sort of anti-government loon.

I feel bad for his family. This is why I was saying we needed to learn the facts before jumping to conclusions.

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I am glad that when we learn that a man committed suicide that we are able to take heart and air our hyperbolic, snarky political grievances and cavalierly ignore the tragedy of it all. :thumbsdown:

Yeah, the failure to commit insurance fraud is a real tragedy.

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Not that there was ever any doubt, but Andrew Brietbart has uncovered some more ACORN documents detailing partisan/ideological efforts, using tax payer funding of course.

The second interesting feature of the document is how overtly partisan it is. At the beginning of the document, ACORN makes clear its goal is to put the Democrats in charge of the state Legislature:

"Second, become an influential organization by shaping a handful of strategic legislative districts that, by themselves, can change who controls the state legislature. In other words, by taking credit for controlling some swing seats that return state senate power to progressives in 2008 and the state house to progressives in 2010, ACORN may not have members in a majority of districts, but we will be seen as the force that is making Oklahoma a progressive state in the way that it was 100 years ago.

By using this power to win significant changes for working people, by the end of our 5 years, we will have legitimized the progressive takeover of the statehouse and head into 2012 with a real possibility of changing what Oklahomans look for and expect out of their Congressional delegation."

Consider this analysis from its top political priority, OK state Senate district #43, held by GOP Senator Jim Reynolds:

"The district’s south half will prove difficult, with more Anglo, Republican, and military families. The half to the north will be more fruitful. The entire district is working class, however, so it could respond uniformly to the right issue. This is the one of ACORN’s two targeted districts with a minority population above 25%"

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I like this astute commentary from poster "Cowboy Logic."

Obongo? I don't get it.

Oba Mao, I understand. Refers to his tendencies towards Socialism/Communism.

Obama Bin Laden, I understand. Refers to the fact that he seems to rather prefer hanging out with known terrorists.

I've never even heard "Obongo" before. What am I missing in this one?

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