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Flap’s Links and Comments for August 26th on 18:21

These are my links for August 26th from 18:21 to 18:39:

  • California State Democratic Party targets mail vote to boost L.A. turnout – Los Angeles County is crawling with Democrats – 2.3 million, in fact, far more than the six San Francisco Bay Area counties combined and the foundation of blue clout in an overwhelmingly blue state.

    But all those L.A. Democrats have a peculiarity: They don’t like voting by mail.

    In part, that stems from county election officials who over the years were not aggressive in developing a vote-by-mail system, Democrats say.

    “First, it’s because (former registrar) Connie McCormack made it very difficult for vote by mail and, second, minorities are less trustful in general of voting by mail,” said Democratic consultant Steve Maviglio.

    “It’s a giant county and you literally have to open all those things (mailed ballots). In terms of manpower, it’s difficult,” he added. “But a lot of counties have figured out that vote-by-mail actually saves money.”

    The logistics of L.A. are daunting, particularly for those Democrats who may have long commutes and longer work days, and who find it difficult to get to the polls.

    Getting a ballot to them could make a major difference, said Eric Bauman, chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.

    “The voting day is over by the time they get home,” Bauman said. “That’s the kind of voter, the occasional voter, that you have to work hard to get out to vote. So the solution is to put a ballot in their hands, and that’s the starting point.” That means mailing registration forms to their addresses, then following up with a personal knock on the door.

    Another approach: Go to the swearing-in ceremonies for new citizens and encourage voter registration. For Democratic registrants, some nine out of 10 newly registered Democrats opt for vote-by-mail, Bauman said.

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  • Capitol Weekly: Big Daddy – Hey Big Daddy,
    So, finally, for the first time in modern history, there may be two-thirds Democratic majorities in each house after next year’s elections. Are you happy?
    –Wondering in Westminster

    Dear Wondering,
    I’m so happy I could spit.

    It’s been a long-time coming, as my favorite pock-marked singer noted in the 1960s. When you follow the money, as I do feverishly with every waking moment, the only way you get to Heaven is with two-thirds majorities, although it helps to have a Democratic governor to make sure you’re spending enough. But lately, Heaven has had to wait.  Looks like 2012 may be a magic year.

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  • The Cohabitation Revolution – The great divorce revolution of the 1960s and 1970s has faded. The great cohabitation revolution has begun.

    The divorce rate for married couples with children is almost back to the levels of the early 1960s, before the run-up that crested in the early 1980s. Considering the decades of social turbulence buffeting the institution of marriage between then and now, this is a notable restoration.

    But it only means that marriage is unraveling in a different way. According to a new study by the Institute for American Values and the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, cohabitation has increased 14-fold since 1970. About 24 percent of children are born to cohabiting couples, more than are born to single mothers, while another 20 percent experience a cohabiting household at some time in their childhood.

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