Democrats Need to Recognize the Self-Employed

There are over 23 million self-employed Americans. They account for nearly three-quarters of American businesses, with over a trillion dollars in receipts. The labors of the self-employed are as old as agriculture, and as new as computer programming. The self-employed cut across political party, age, sex, education, religion, creed and geography. They are the backbone of rural and many local urban economies. Because of the Self-Employment Tax, they are acutely aware of their identity as “self-employed,” but not of their large numbers and diversity in the United States. The self-employed are also the fastest growing and largest untapped voting block in the country. Their influence can easily swing future Congressional and Presidential elections.

From 1980 to 2000 non-farm sole proprietorships doubled from 8,892,000 to 17,905,000, while union membership declined about 1.5 million to 16,258,000. By 2006, union membership had declined to 15,390,000, while the number of self-employed had increased by 3.5 million to over 23,000,000 (including farmers). This hugely important change in the demographics of the American workplace must be recognized and acted upon by the Democratic Party, if it is to build its majority in Congress and retain the Presidency.

Unfortunately, the Democratic Party, like the Republican Party, has little recent history of supporting legislation that would help the self-employed. Federal, state and local governments have made the self-employed the highest taxed, most regulatory burdened, least protected citizens. Consequently, the majority of the self-employed are voting Republican in the hope that government will leave them alone. The self-employed are the backbone of rural America, and any change in the political direction of rural America will come about only when Democrats recognize and promote the importance of the self-employed to the rural economy and its quality of life.

Politicians indirectly refer to the self-employed as “small business,” but the term “small business” is code to the self-employed for being ignored. The Small Business Administration gives the self-employed less than one-tenth of one percent of SBA loans, and the SBA defines a “small business” in manufacturing as a firm with less than 500 employees.

Republicans use the term “small business” often because they have calculated that using this term will win Republicans votes; their avowed economic policies, however, have not helped the self-employed.

Democrats can turn the Republican Party’s small business mantra to their own advantage by reaching out to the 23 million self-employed Americans by name and recognizing their issues.

If the Democratic Party wants to reach the self-employed, they must first use the name of this producer group: “self-employed.” If proposed economic plans do not refer exclusively to the self-employed, but include other small businesses, then Democrats should use this phrase: “small business and the self-employed.”

The Racial...No Political Profiling of Moderate & Conservative Democrats by the Liberal Left

If you're a moderate or conservative democrat nowadays, be prepared to be racially, no wait, politically profiled by the left wing democratic leadership. One thing I've noticed over the last few years, especially this year is how paranoid democrats have become when a candidate describe him or herself as a Bluedog or Conservative Democrat

Why?

The party has seen a mass exodus of Conservative leaning Democrats from its ranks who switched to the Republican Party. Many left because of Ideological difference with the party or because of changes within his/her district or political aspirations. There was a time when the democratic party as open to all points of view, now there's not that much diversity of opinion in the party. If you are a moderate or conservative democratic male or female nowadays, get ready to be profiled! If you have two strikes against you from the so-called "Big Tent Party" who supposed to accept other people's opinions and embracing their differences.

Every candidate that runs for office is not cut from the same cloth. In today's democratic party if you a self-described moderate or conservative, it means that you're a republican. A decade ago, that wasn't the case. But with Redistricting & Gerrymandering, the party is now made up of majority African-Americans & Liberal Caucasians who represent either urban areas or a few blocks in a community. Because the Republican Party seek to get rid of GOPers who aren't conservative enough doesn't mean the democrats should seek to get rid or prevent candidates for office who aren't liberal enough.

Why liberals have such disdain for Moderate & Conservative Democrats? Think about it for a minute.

Like it or not, but there are plenty of Black Conservative Democrats coming up through the ranks on the local level who's eyeing a run for the State Legislature in the future. One notion I want to put to rest is that ALL AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE NOT BIG GOVERNMENT LIBERALS!!!! Many are fiscally conservative, socially conservative who believe in self-help & personal responsibility. Sadly though today's democratic party cannot accept the fact that any African-American would call him or herself a Conservative Democrat. Look at Artur Davis, former Alabama Democrat. The Black Democratic establishment over there was so upset with him for not supporting the president's initiatives that they voted for the challenger Ron Sparks.

In today's democratic party if you're pro-life, pro-gun, anti-abortion...even  religious, you're looked upon as a closet republican.

Look at John Barrow for example...he's not a party loyalist & he votes with republicans most of the time. He voted against the Healthcare Legislation among things. Will democrats here put those things aside & hold their noses & support Barrow? Or will they just vote for President Obama & skip the Barrow-Anderson Congressional Race because Barrow is too conservative for their own taste? We'll see on that one.

If the Democratic Party is truly the Big Tent Party, they need to stop profiling democrats based on Ideology & in certain cases, Race!

44 Years Ago: The Night that Re-defined the Democratic Party in the eyes of Middle America

Given that the Democratic Convention is this week, I decided to take a look back at the event that re-shaped the democratic party & ushered in the Neo-Liberals who eventually took control of the party years later

Gulf War Veteran & Peach Co Commissioner Mike Dinkins Endorses Tom Coogle for August 21 Runoff for HD 139

HD 139 Candidate  & current Peach County Commissioner Michael Dinkins (D-Fort Valley) has endorsed Businessman Tom Coogle (D-Montezuma) for the August 21 Runoff Election to be held next Tuesday. Dinkins, a graduate of Fort Valley State University, veteran of the Persian Gulf War & current Commissioner for Peach County who carried the city of Fort Valley with over 55% of the vote threw his support behind Coogle after his unsuccessful bid for HD 139 seat which covers Peach, Macon, Dooly & Taylor County.

Dinkins in a statement (which you can also see on Coogle's Campaign Mailer) said: "I am formally endorsing Tom Coogle as the best candidate for State House District 139. Tom has the right path to help our district and our state. He will help to bring jobs and serve all the citizens in our district. So join me in voting for my friend Tom Coogle on Tuesday August 21".

Coogle who hails from one of the poorest counties in the state, (Macon) is what you consider a 'Rare" Breed in today's politics, a rural white, christian democrat who's socially & fiscally conservative who's managed to build a solid coalition of Black & White Voters in his first bid for public office. Gerrymandering has basically wiped out the majority of Georgia's Rural White Democrats; (Only Debbie Buckner, Rick Crawford & Barbara Massey-Reece remain as the last rural white democrats in the Georgia State House of Representatives)  The runoff election is next tuesday!

Race Card now being Used in HD 139 Race

On August 21, voters will go back to the polls to elect a new representative for HD 139. Thomas Coogle & Patty Bentley will meet in a runoff to determine who will succeed Lynmore James who retired after this year's legislative session.

But as expected. the use of the Race card is now being thrown around in attempts to keep HD 139 "BLACK" or in Black Control.

My high ranking sources down in Vienna & elsewhere have been emailing me, as well as texting me that retiring State Representative Lynmore James, along with his Bentley this week alone has been making the rounds in the swing county (in which Coogle got 47.9% of the vote, while Bentley got 34%) telling voters & county/city officials that the district needs to be, it has to be represented by a Black, not a white & that folks in Atlanta are used to seeing a black face representing HD 139 (formerly HD 135). In other word..LET'S KEEP HD 139 BLACK

Now, the district has a 57% Black Population, 62% minority population with hispanics included.

Let me cut this short because I have to get back to work, but if this is what's going on, then it shows (1) How desperate candidate Bentley & James are becoming & (2) Her message isn't resonating with voters of HD 139.

When things get tough for a liberal, always use the RACE CARD. It never....well  most of the time it always fail! If a white candidate were to do the same thing toward a black candidate, boy I swear he or she would be called a Bigot!

Coogle has gotten the support of Peach County Commissioner & former Gulf War Veteran Michael Dinkins who came in third during the primary, but overwhelmingly carried Peach County with close to 60% of the vote

Coogle, Lucas Headed Towards Runoff; Other Tidbits from Last Night

In the race for HD 139, Conservative Democrat Thomas Coogle (D-Montezuma) will face Patty Bentley (D-Butler) in the August 21 runoff. Coogle received 40%, while Bentley got 39%. Peach County Commissioner Michael Dinkins finished third with 20%.

In the race for SD 26, former State Representative David Lucas finished with 49% while incumbent Miriam Paris, who won in a special election to replace the late Robert Brown got 45% while 5% of voters wasted their votes on Irving Martinez.

Incumbent State Sen. Cecil Staton dodged a upset bid from Upson County Republican Spencer Price. Staton received 51% while Price got 49%

Over in HD 137 Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City) beat back challengers Travis Chambers & Kuwonna Mahone Ingram garnering 55% of the vote. It goes to show that messaging wins elections, not playing the race or gender card!

Retiring State Rep Sistie Hudson won her bid for Hancock County Commission Chairmanship beating incumbent Samuel Duggan & Terrell Reid. Congrats to Rep Hudson. If there's anyone who can turn Georgia's poorest counties around, its you!

SD 15 Ed Harbison (D-Columbus) easily wins re-election over Reginald Pugh with over 70% of the vote. Harbison obtained many of the counties fotrmerly held by George Hooks (D-Americus) who retired after 30 years serving in the Georgia Legislature.

Down in Telfair County Challenger Chris Steverson defeated Incumbent Johnny Smith with 51% of the vote. Steverson will face Republican Grady McGhee in November

The T-Splost passed in the River Valley, Heart of Georgia, Central Savannah Regions, but failed in the Middle Georgia Region.

McClendon Vying To Be First Black Superior Court Judge of Dublin Judicial Circuit

History could be made over in Laurens County next Tuesday where Harold McLendon, a African-American is challenging Jon Helton, a Nathan Deal appointee for Superior Court Judge in the Dublin Judicial Circuit of the 8th District. The circuit includes Johnson, Laurens, Treutlen and Twiggs County. Helton was appointed by Nathan Deal to the seat after Judge J. Stanley Smith resigned. No African-American has ever held a seat on the Dublin Judicial Circuit.

McLendon has significant support in both the Black & White Community and he has a really great shot at becoming the next Superior Court Judge for the Dublin Circuit

McLendon was born & raised in Dublin, married for 32 years & has 5 children. McLendon is a graduate of Columbus College, '77 where he obtained a B.S. Degree & then attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Law, '81. He has been a Associate Juvenile Judge, Assistant D.A. Public Defender, Dublin Bar President, Trial Attorney for 28 years.

His motto is Elect Experience, Elect Integrity, Elect Harold McLendon Superior Court Judge.