s/o ideological politics of MoCo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an old school liberal. I think the extremist wing of the democratic party has become the opposite of liberal. I believe in funding schools, programs for the less fortunate, and supporting labor. But I don't want to mask mandates, vaccine passports, telling restaurant owners what they have to sell, and banning leaf blowers. I think some in the democratic party today are far too trusting of government and actually wanting to restrict ideas and speech. My parents are also old school vietnam war era liberals, and i think there is something to be learned from them.

It is not extreme to ban leafblowers. Why should I be forced to breath your polluted air?

Of course it is extreme. They are hurting working class jobs, often held by Latinos. A compromise like a voluntary rebate program would have been much more sensible. But the progressives here are extremists. Compromise is a dirty word. To them it means failure.

Electric leafblowers are a thing that exists, and people use them, including mow and blow crews.

You obviously don't do this for a living, or know anyone who does. The batteries don't last a whole day, so businesses are bringing gas powered generators to their work sites (your yards) to either plug in equipment or charge batteries.

Electric is find for homeowners. Not businesses. The tech isn't there yet.

That's interesting, because the mow and blowers use electric leafblowers at the condo building where I own a unit. The condo association required it, and hearing protection, too. Maybe the next time they're there, I should tell them that what they're doing is impossible.

dp.. your condo building probably doesn't have much grass or bushes. Electric blowers don't work well on leaves that fall on bushes and piles of it on the grass. I have both types, a lot of grass and bushes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an old school liberal. I think the extremist wing of the democratic party has become the opposite of liberal. I believe in funding schools, programs for the less fortunate, and supporting labor. But I don't want to mask mandates, vaccine passports, telling restaurant owners what they have to sell, and banning leaf blowers. I think some in the democratic party today are far too trusting of government and actually wanting to restrict ideas and speech. My parents are also old school vietnam war era liberals, and i think there is something to be learned from them.

It is not extreme to ban leafblowers. Why should I be forced to breath your polluted air?

Of course it is extreme. They are hurting working class jobs, often held by Latinos. A compromise like a voluntary rebate program would have been much more sensible. But the progressives here are extremists. Compromise is a dirty word. To them it means failure.

Electric leafblowers are a thing that exists, and people use them, including mow and blow crews.

You obviously don't do this for a living, or know anyone who does. The batteries don't last a whole day, so businesses are bringing gas powered generators to their work sites (your yards) to either plug in equipment or charge batteries.

Electric is find for homeowners. Not businesses. The tech isn't there yet.

electric ones are also less powerful, so it takes much longer to blow the leaves. I have both. I started with an electric. It didn't do a good job. So we got a gas powered one, and man, what a difference.

What a difference to your hearing, your neighbors' peaceful enjoyment, and the future of humanity on this planet, but hey, it doesn't take as long to blow the leaves!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

Wake me up when MoCo starts to vote like Texas. I'll wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

no, Trump won because of the Independents.

MoCo will never vote for a R, but on a national level, Dems cannot win with just the coastal states, as we've learned in 2016. They need Independents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an old school liberal. I think the extremist wing of the democratic party has become the opposite of liberal. I believe in funding schools, programs for the less fortunate, and supporting labor. But I don't want to mask mandates, vaccine passports, telling restaurant owners what they have to sell, and banning leaf blowers. I think some in the democratic party today are far too trusting of government and actually wanting to restrict ideas and speech. My parents are also old school vietnam war era liberals, and i think there is something to be learned from them.

It is not extreme to ban leafblowers. Why should I be forced to breath your polluted air?

Of course it is extreme. They are hurting working class jobs, often held by Latinos. A compromise like a voluntary rebate program would have been much more sensible. But the progressives here are extremists. Compromise is a dirty word. To them it means failure.

Electric leafblowers are a thing that exists, and people use them, including mow and blow crews.

You obviously don't do this for a living, or know anyone who does. The batteries don't last a whole day, so businesses are bringing gas powered generators to their work sites (your yards) to either plug in equipment or charge batteries.

Electric is find for homeowners. Not businesses. The tech isn't there yet.

That's interesting, because the mow and blowers use electric leafblowers at the condo building where I own a unit. The condo association required it, and hearing protection, too. Maybe the next time they're there, I should tell them that what they're doing is impossible.

dp.. your condo building probably doesn't have much grass or bushes. Electric blowers don't work well on leaves that fall on bushes and piles of it on the grass. I have both types, a lot of grass and bushes.

Why are you blowing leaves off bushes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

no, Trump won because of the Independents.

MoCo will never vote for a R, but on a national level, Dems cannot win with just the coastal states, as we've learned in 2016. They need Independents.

I'm a bit confused about when Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, and Minnesota started being coastal states and Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina stopped being coastal states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not another “omg Montgomery County is dying from communism” thread.

I am more curious from the birds-eye view standpoint as how MoCo became in the last 20 or so years so ideologically distinct from the rest of the region which is pretty mainstream and moderate. Previously, MoCo elected Connie Morella Republicans and Doug Duncan Democrats, as someone mentioned in another thread. How did we go from that to electing Marc Elrich, Kristin Mink, and Will Jawando?

You can say there is a less White and more diverse electorate, but that does not mean more progressive. Usually people of color vote for moderate Democrats, not progressives. You can also say it’s the dominance of Takoma Park/Silver Spring activists, but why? Why doesn’t the rest of the county outvote them? And what draws more left leaning people to places like downtown Silver Spring anyway? Is it some kind of self sorting like people with left wing views move here or is it a highly successful effort to drown out more moderate voices?

Your premise is faulty. There aren't any more "Connie Morella" Republicans. The Republicans got rid of them. Meanwhile, on the County Council: Friedson, Balcombe, Katz, Sayles, Luedtke, Albornoz, and Sayles.

The Democrats got rid of Morella by rezoning her district so Van Hollen could win.

The Republicans in Montgomery County could run "Connie Morella" Republicans, if they could find any. So, why don't they?

Because they would lose.

This life long Democrat has started to vote Republican in Maryland state elections, especially when there is a reasonable candidate. I voted for Hogan and then Moore.

Would you vote for a local Republican who is pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ, pro-environment, anti-trump, while anti tax-and-spend and pro-police and against substanceless DEI initiatives?

DP. In Montgomery County, we call those people Democrats. They run as Democrats, and Montgomery County voters elect them as Democrats. OP's issue isn't with Montgomery County voters, it's with the county, state, and national Republican parties.

Sorry, but anyone who stands in opposition to DEI measures and programs, is for status-quo with regards to police funding or opposes massive police reforms, or opposes spending on programs that help those with less, is NOT a Democrat in my eyes. Those are just another flavor of republican. Just because they oppose trump doesn’t mean they’re not scum.

Exactly.

We need to continue defunding the police and increase spending on programs that help people with less.

#BlackLivesMatter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

no, Trump won because of the Independents.

MoCo will never vote for a R, but on a national level, Dems cannot win with just the coastal states, as we've learned in 2016. They need Independents.

I'm a bit confused about when Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, and Minnesota started being coastal states and Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina stopped being coastal states.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but those blue states are on your list don’t have a growing Hispanic population but the red states do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

no, Trump won because of the Independents.

MoCo will never vote for a R, but on a national level, Dems cannot win with just the coastal states, as we've learned in 2016. They need Independents.

I'm a bit confused about when Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, and Minnesota started being coastal states and Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina stopped being coastal states.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but those blue states are on your list don’t have a growing Hispanic population but the red states do.

You're wrong, and also what does that have to do with geographic location on a coast?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

no, Trump won because of the Independents.

MoCo will never vote for a R, but on a national level, Dems cannot win with just the coastal states, as we've learned in 2016. They need Independents.

I'm a bit confused about when Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, and Minnesota started being coastal states and Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina stopped being coastal states.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but those blue states are on your list don’t have a growing Hispanic population but the red states do.

You're wrong, and also what does that have to do with geographic location on a coast?

Unrelated to geography.

Speaks to growing Hispanic population in red states.

In short: I think Latinos are more conservative than people realize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

no, Trump won because of the Independents.

MoCo will never vote for a R, but on a national level, Dems cannot win with just the coastal states, as we've learned in 2016. They need Independents.

I'm a bit confused about when Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, and Minnesota started being coastal states and Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina stopped being coastal states.

You answered your own question.

2016 Trump won, including those purple states.
2020 Trump lost, because of the purple states.

Those purple states went for Biden because of the Independents.

The national election is won by the Independents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an old school liberal. I think the extremist wing of the democratic party has become the opposite of liberal. I believe in funding schools, programs for the less fortunate, and supporting labor. But I don't want to mask mandates, vaccine passports, telling restaurant owners what they have to sell, and banning leaf blowers. I think some in the democratic party today are far too trusting of government and actually wanting to restrict ideas and speech. My parents are also old school vietnam war era liberals, and i think there is something to be learned from them.

It is not extreme to ban leafblowers. Why should I be forced to breath your polluted air?

Of course it is extreme. They are hurting working class jobs, often held by Latinos. A compromise like a voluntary rebate program would have been much more sensible. But the progressives here are extremists. Compromise is a dirty word. To them it means failure.

Electric leafblowers are a thing that exists, and people use them, including mow and blow crews.

You obviously don't do this for a living, or know anyone who does. The batteries don't last a whole day, so businesses are bringing gas powered generators to their work sites (your yards) to either plug in equipment or charge batteries.

Electric is find for homeowners. Not businesses. The tech isn't there yet.

That's interesting, because the mow and blowers use electric leafblowers at the condo building where I own a unit. The condo association required it, and hearing protection, too. Maybe the next time they're there, I should tell them that what they're doing is impossible.

dp.. your condo building probably doesn't have much grass or bushes. Electric blowers don't work well on leaves that fall on bushes and piles of it on the grass. I have both types, a lot of grass and bushes.

Why are you blowing leaves off bushes?

because the buildup of damp leaves on the bushes can hurt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MoCo is on a “self-fulfilling prophecy” journey.

The county’s older more affluent, white longtime residents are dying off or retired in Florida. The reliable tax base has decreased dramatically.

The county has diversified dramatically thanks to its sanctuary city status. Frankly, the affluent heyday prompted a boom requiring service workers.

Now we are entering a new phase where Latinos are the overwhelming majority in entire portions of the county. Mcps is prioritizing dollars to better support them…and beginning to realize (surprise!) they are religious and very conservative. And they aren’t the only ones! The west side of the county has growing Asian and Muslim communities that are also conservative.

ICYMI: the reliably blue MoCo is quietly transitioning. Sure, plenty of Latinos can’t vote…yet. But give it a generation or two.

I mean, who do you think votes in red TX? Latinos are generally religious and politically conservative. The mcps anti-lgbtq book thing was driven by religious non-whites. The times they are a-changing.

(White) Montgomery County Republicans keep telling each other this, and believing it.

Well, I’m a Dem with a social justice warrior type job who routinely interacts with immigrants.

Long story short: religious, anti-abortion, anti-lgbtq, anti-taxes, work under the table in jobs that deal in cash even when they are here legally to avoid taxes, etc.

Sounds pretty Republican to me.

Mcps abandoned Halloween festivities in response to their religious beliefs. Give it a generation and let’s see what happens.

Do you mean: let's see what happens when their kids vote? Ok. What will happen when your kids vote? What will happen when my kids vote? What is happening when Gen Z is voting now?

I think Dems have shifted right. I mean, how else did trump win?

I think shifting demographics coupled with economic struggles are driving voters to the dark side. Why? Because the Dems aren’t listening…they just lecture.

MoCo has a solid Dem machine. But I’m not confident it can withstand the current climate. I guess we will see.

no, Trump won because of the Independents.

MoCo will never vote for a R, but on a national level, Dems cannot win with just the coastal states, as we've learned in 2016. They need Independents.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna50692

Perhaps this piece on Latino Independents might be of interest?

Keep burying your head in the sand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not another “omg Montgomery County is dying from communism” thread.

I am more curious from the birds-eye view standpoint as how MoCo became in the last 20 or so years so ideologically distinct from the rest of the region which is pretty mainstream and moderate. Previously, MoCo elected Connie Morella Republicans and Doug Duncan Democrats, as someone mentioned in another thread. How did we go from that to electing Marc Elrich, Kristin Mink, and Will Jawando?

You can say there is a less White and more diverse electorate, but that does not mean more progressive. Usually people of color vote for moderate Democrats, not progressives. You can also say it’s the dominance of Takoma Park/Silver Spring activists, but why? Why doesn’t the rest of the county outvote them? And what draws more left leaning people to places like downtown Silver Spring anyway? Is it some kind of self sorting like people with left wing views move here or is it a highly successful effort to drown out more moderate voices?

Your premise is faulty. There aren't any more "Connie Morella" Republicans. The Republicans got rid of them. Meanwhile, on the County Council: Friedson, Balcombe, Katz, Sayles, Luedtke, Albornoz, and Sayles.

The Democrats got rid of Morella by rezoning her district so Van Hollen could win.

The Republicans in Montgomery County could run "Connie Morella" Republicans, if they could find any. So, why don't they?

Because they would lose.

This life long Democrat has started to vote Republican in Maryland state elections, especially when there is a reasonable candidate. I voted for Hogan and then Moore.

Would you vote for a local Republican who is pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ, pro-environment, anti-trump, while anti tax-and-spend and pro-police and against substanceless DEI initiatives?

DP. In Montgomery County, we call those people Democrats. They run as Democrats, and Montgomery County voters elect them as Democrats. OP's issue isn't with Montgomery County voters, it's with the county, state, and national Republican parties.

Sorry, but anyone who stands in opposition to DEI measures and programs, is for status-quo with regards to police funding or opposes massive police reforms, or opposes spending on programs that help those with less, is NOT a Democrat in my eyes. Those are just another flavor of republican. Just because they oppose trump doesn’t mean they’re not scum.

Many Dems oppose DEI because we know that most DEI is, at best, grift + lip service and, at its worst, racist and exclusionary. We also see "dEfUnD tHe PoLicE" as a terrible idea. Reform good. Defund bad. We also know that "spending on programs" is a great way to grow a non-profit or branch of government but a terrible way to actually make people's lives better. If you don't know these things, you should expand your conversations beyond fellow shoppers at the Takoma Park Co-op.