We’re in the midst of a pandemic where not enough testing has been done in the US and no vaccine is in sight. And it’s an election year. That’s so frightening to me. In my lifetime, I honestly feel that this is the most important election in my lifetime.
I highly recommend listening to the May 11, 2020 podcast from Terry Gross at NPR; ‘How Protecting Voter Safety with Mail-In Ballots Became A Partisan Issue’. Ms. Gross interviews Emily Bazelon, Staff Writer for the New York Times Magazine who wrote a recent article entitled ‘Will Americans Lose Their Right to Vote In The Pandemic?’.
The podcast is very informative for all of us to understand the real complexities of what is happening NOW on the Vote by Mail issue.
Here are some issues that concern me about what our government is doing or not doing;
- Trump opposes more funding for Vote by Mail saying on tv that we’d never have a Republican elected again with vote by mail. This is a LIE. There is NO DATA supporting this comment and he is spreading fear. Again.
- Trump is at war with the postal service at a very critical time. It seems like another strategy to help his own election by threatening the US Postal Service and preventing future funding that is much needed. Mail service in the US is down about 30% due to the pandemic but the post office has a 74% or higher (depending on the poll) favorability rating among Americans. They need help from the Federal Government.
- Louis DeJoy is our new postmaster general and will take office in June. DeJoy gave more than $2 Million to Trump and others in 2016. This is such a conflict of interest and DeJoy has NO BACKGROUND IN POSTAL SERVICES!
- Not having a wider offering of vote by mail will certainly put our health at risk, even in November.
- Tons of polling places have been closed in areas where there are more African American voters. If this DOES NOT feel wrong to you, rethink the pride we take in democracy and we are ‘ONE NATION UNDER GOD’.
Bottomline, we all deserve a well-run and organized election in 2020 even during a pandemic. There is STILL TIME. States need the right resources – NOW. If you are fortunate to be able to vote by mail, do follow the instructions to a T and remember to sign your ballot.
Stay informed and voice your concerns! #vote2020 #votebymail
Sandra
Seven Notable Election-Related Podcasts
Here’s a list of recommended podcasts should you need some suggestions or a quick catch-up. Please share any others that you also enjoy. Happy podcasting!
How Trump’s Candidacy Has Divided Conservative Media
2. Secondly, from WNYC, who creates a lot of great content, check out The United States of Anxiety. You’ll hear from real voters and take a look back at what got us, US voters, to this point in the election. It’s a podcast about real people living real lives in America and there are only 3 episodes available and all are worth hearing if you want to get a perspective from suburban America.
How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going?
3. I’m not going to recommend just one podcast from Slate’s Political Podcast but nearly all of them! Pick any, you cannot go wrong!
http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gabfest.html
4. Again, anything from Trumpcast is worth a listen and this podcast is also produced by Slate.
http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/trumpcast.html
5. And from The New Yorker, their Comment podcast. There are many great political/election podcasts in the recent months, but the most recent is worthy of a listen and it’s shorter.
Three’s a Crowd
6. FiveThirtyEight is another podcast focused on the election podcast and the podcasts are very informative. The most recent covers the rundown on the second debate.
A Late-Night Podcast to Recap a Very Strange Second Debate
7. Last but not least is an interesting little podcast from StoryCorp on a woman who ran for president 50+ years ago. In the 1964 presidential election, Republican Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona ran against Democratic incumbent Lyndon Johnson who had assumed office following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. LBJ won in a landslide, but there was another candidate in the race who has largely been forgotten by history: Mrs. Yetta Bronstein, a Jewish housewife from the Bronx!
Vote for Yetta and Things Will Get Betta
For those with a bit more time, here’s a bonus podcast worth a listen. These days, when Alec Baldwin is not playing Donald Trump on SNL, he also hosts a long-running podcast called ‘Here’s The Thing’. It normally is not very political, but the recent podcast features Bob Garfield. Each week, more than 400 radio stations across the country air “On The Media,” a program that takes a hard look at the boldfaced names in the headlines—and the smaller names in the bylines and this show is co-hosted by Garfield.
Radio Host Bob Garfield on Trump and Telemarketing
Enjoy some or all of this content and share the podcasts that you really enjoy. Here’s a list of the top News & Election podcasts if you are looking for other options;
Happy listening and make sure you and all your family and friends are registered to vote in the US election.
Sandra
@sandrasick