Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2018)
November 14, 2018 Page 13 O PINION MCS Still in Business Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area and Hallway Midterm Takeaway: We Need More Democracy Vote backstopped by suppression, gerrymandering p eter C erto I can’t be the only one who spent the night of the midterms tossing and turning. Though I managed to shut off the coverage and try to sleep, spasms of anxiety woke me repeatedly throughout the dreary hours. Ultimately, Republicans picked off sev- eral red-state Senate seats while Democrats won back the House and at least seven gov- ernships. A Democratic House will serve as a bad- ly needed check after two years of aggres- sive Republican monopoly, but I can’t help feeling uneasy. For one thing, I can’t shake the last days of the campaign. For a while, Republicans “merely” lied about their policy agenda. Rather than campaigning on the $2 tril- lion tax cut for rich people they actually passed, they promised a middle class tax cut they never even had a bill for. And after spending all last year trying to throw 20 to 30 million Americans off their health care, they (unbelievably!) promised to defend Americans’ pre-existing condition coverage — even as they actively sought to under- mine it. But the lies took a much darker turn as the White House took hold of the narrative. by Led by the president, GOP propagandists turned a few thousand refugees — over a thousand miles away in southern Mexico — into an “invading army.” The White House put out an ad about it so shockingly racist and false that even Fox News stopped air- ing it. Unashamed, President Trump kept re- peating the obvious lie that the homeless refugees were funded by Jewish philan- thropist George Soros — even after a refu- gee-hating extremist murdered 11 Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Such vile hatred may have been key to red-state Republican gains in the Senate. But where that wasn’t enough, it was back- stopped by voter suppression and gerry- mandering. Suppression may have helped the GOP governor candidates fend off strong chal- lenges in Florida and especially Georgia, where tens of thousands of voters were scrubbed from the rolls and lines in Dem- ocratic precincts ran up to five hours long. And thanks to gerrymandering, it took an extraordinary effort for Democrats to win even a slim House majority. They’re up only a few seats despite decisively win- ning the popular vote by at least 9 points. Had it been “only” a 4 or 5 point win, Vox’s Matthew Yglesias estimates, the GOP might have retained its majority. Also worth noting: Democratic Senate candidates actually racked up over 10 mil- lion more votes than Republicans, even as Republicans picked up Senate seats on a GOP-tilting map, To me these results show that Republi- cans can’t win with their actual policy agen- da — not even in many red states, judging by some ballot initiative results. For instance, red-state voters in Mis- souri and Arkansas raised their minimum wages against the wishes of state Repub- licans. Missouri also legalized medicinal marijuana, along with deeply conservative Utah, and purple-state Michigan voters brought legal recreational marijuana to the Midwest. Along with Utah, ruby red Idaho and Nebraska expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, a big win for health care. These progressive policies are far more popular than their right-wing alternatives. So Republicans rely on a potent combina- tion of lies, fear-mongering, and rule-rig- ging to win. If Democrats ever hope to really come in from the wilderness, they need to support a host of radical pro-democracy reforms. In that they can take inspiration from a stunning movement in Florida, where vot- ers re-enfranchised over 1 million of their neighbors with felony convictions. And from Michigan, Colorado, Utah, and Mis- souri, which all passed initiatives to support citizen-led redistricting. And from Mary- land, Michigan, and Nevada, which all made voter registration easier. Uneasiness is part and parcel of drawing breath in 2018. But if I sleep a little better tonight, it’ll be thanks to movements like those. Peter Certo is the editorial manager of the Institute for Policy Studies and the edi- tor of OtherWords.org. Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Pre-Spray) Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949