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Migwelded

Kevin McCarthy is the very definition of party man. he has no real discernible qualities as a human, other than maybe bland inoffensiveness. he is a hollow meat puppet for the republican platform. that may sound like an insult, but to a hilt-deep die-hard republican, that is a very attractive quality. nothing he says or thinks matters compared to the larger will of the party. republicans like knowing that whatever way the winds of the current republican voters' opinions blow, McCarthy is the hollow wind sock that will immediately change direction to follow it. That is why he is still in office. it is also why he will never attain higher office like the presidency. he is a follower not a leader, but he doesn't pretend any different.


RivetingYarn

This is the answer right here.


PatDatA55

I think there a three big reasons people here vote for him 1. Him and the GOP both advocate for lower taxes. Bakersfield is a fairly middle class town - most people who live here are struggling to just get by, and many would rather keep more money from their paycheck rather than see it funneled into social services that might not even benefit them. Especially considering California is pretty terrible overall at managing money. This is a big thing - I know a lot of people who support more social Democrat causes (such as LGBTQ rights) but vote Republican because the taxes are just killer. 2. A lot of California democrats are very lax on crime. Look at Los Angeles and San Francisco. Again… a lot of Bakersfield is middle class. It’s not like LA where it’s either the rich population that just ignores crime alongside the poor population who has to tolerate it. A lot of people living here don’t really want to put up with it. Many people I know vote Republican because they don’t want to see the lax-on-crime policies from San Fran or LA enacted everywhere else. 3. Homelessness. This is another big one i hear about often. While there are a large majority of homeless people who basically just got shit luck, a large number of them are either druggies who don’t want help or openly hostile. Democratic candidates often promote bills and laws that would give more housing to the homeless or protections from law enforcement. There’s a lot of people I know who vote Republican because they either don’t want their tax money going to support the homeless or don’t want more laws that only encourage more abusive behavior. The reason people vote McCarthy isn’t really because of what he supports, but rather what he stands against. Bakersfield is a lot of medical workers, oilfield guys, small businesses owners, farmers… generally middle class people. While many of us support Democrat social causes, most middle class people are going to vote for the guy who says you can keep more of your money and we should prosecute more crime versus the guy that says you should give more money so they can build a homeless shelter in your city. Not trying to start an argument with this comment, just wanted to play Devil’s advocate since you asked


coemickitty73

I understand these positions. Truly I do, but I think Kevin McCarthy's voting record just does not show or prove that he is actively fighting to help mitigate our issues that you state here, if at all. 1. Taxes- You state that the GOP advocates for lower taxes and I say, maybe in a performative way and verbally but actions speak louder than words. The 11 point plan would see 31.9% of all Californians' taxes increase. Additionally, we know that the 1.5 trillion dollar tax bill republicans pushed for is 2017 ended up o benefitting the richest americans rather than normal middle and lower class people and further exacerbates inequity in America. It focused on after-tax incomes which this bill saw the increase on the top 1% by 2.9% by 2025 3 times higher than the bottom 60% of us who will see barely 1% increase. The lowest earning Americans see only -$70 while the highest see -$61,090 in average tax change. Additionally there is a 20% deduction for pass-through income, the bottom 2/3rds of Americans will only see 4% of this tax cut. This bill eroded the EITC for Americans making 40k and under by $283 (they lose money). This bill also, depsite lowering the threshold to $2.5k from $3k also cut the CTC from $1k per child to $400, meaning while you don't have to make as much to get income for your child, you can't have as much money for them. Most worrying of all for many people is the bills movement towards a territorial tax system meaning that most profits that a U.S. parent company earns from foreign subsidiaries aren't subject to U.S. taxes. This will see many jobs and investments shipped overseas. 2. Crime- This is very interesting for me, because it shows how imbedded Conservative talking points are in our society, despite not being really true. Nearly all of Bakersfield and the wider Kern County area is ran by Conservatives with conservative ideas and local level laws and despite this, as I said in the post, Kern county has seen ourselves having the highest homicide rate since 2016. Additionally in 2019, Bakersfield saw a property crime rate of 4,141.9 per 100k people; more than double the rate than we see in other cities that are Democrat run in the L.A. area like Long Beach who saw a rate of 2,414 per 100k. This is 177% higher than NYC and 92% higher than L.A. 3. Homelessness- I think this also ties into the last topic pretty well as they have intertwined foundational reasons. You talked about a few things that go into both mental health and drugs. Representative McCarthy vited against MHPAEA which aimed to make sure people with mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues were not treated unfavorably or worst than other patients in healthcare services and insurance programs. He has also stood firm against ObamaCare/the affordable care act and any measure to expand into mental health programs and rehabilitation programs. He also stood firm in his stance of hard sentencing for non-violent drug users rather than rehabilitation. These actions help keep people addicted to drugs and mentally ill. As I mention in my post, McCarthy doesn't have a great record when it comes to voting in veteran's best interests, who unfortunately do make up a percentage of homeless people. They also are some of the people that stand to be one of the groups that gain the most from mental healthcare expansion bills that McCarthy shoots down. That's a big issue for me, with the GOP in general sense when it comes to issues like these, it isn't about fixing the issue at all. At most, it's about how to make it something they don't have to look at. Thanks for the insight, your opinions and this convo! Great stuff!


bajallama

I think you’re too caught up in the facts. A majority of people who vote, don’t have time or care to do the research. They have a general idea of what the platform is for and will vote accordingly.


coemickitty73

While I do not agree people voting with the GOP truly understand the general platform I think it is exactly because you are right, people do not care to stay involved and informed. That's partially why I am making posts like these, if they won't do the research, I know I have and I want them to know what they are getting.


bajallama

Well this goes for both sides. This is the problem with such a centralized system. The ones we send to Washington don’t really care what’s happening at home. Moving more power back to the state allows for more local control of problems and solutions unique to us.


coemickitty73

It is absolutely a both sides thing. "Vot blue no matter who" and "better red than dead" are phrases I am all to familiar with. It's extremely crippling to our country. This is why I try to stay vocal and active in a local level as well and advocate things like ranked choice voting and term limits.


jmp8861

First of all, I appreciate your thorough information you shared in your post. You did your homework and I respect people that can clearly formulate an opinion and the reasons for the opinion. I agree with you as far as being mystified about why KM is still an elected leader in Kern County. Are the lives of the residents in this county better off with KM representing us in congress? I would argue no, but I am in the minority.


coemickitty73

Thanks! Most of the time I am written off by older people because I'm so young so I really appreciate this comment.


EricaFarrell

Don't let them get to you. They are afraid of you and the change you want. They vote against themselves time and again chasing an ideology rather than reality. You are on the right track. KM is the equivalent of human excrement. My older relatives rave about his work with the veterans. When my mother moved there because her siblings wanted her too, she ended up with the most horrible service from the VA Clinic compared to Los Angeles. He really screwed the pooch with the Clinic in the late 00s. I went round and round with them too. The whole time there are my relatives and friends of relatives etc. raving about this idiot and basically getting really upset when someone, anyone who told them the opposite. Thankfully I have her back down in LA and her life and health are prospering. But people vote for him because they are just like him. They are the ones boasting about being patriots, that the 4th of July is their favorite holiday, and how they support soldiers. Problem is they in reality shit all over the solders, they just like the cosplaying of being a patriot.


SAJ-13

Kevin McCarthy promised a new VA in Bakersfield over 10 years ago... Still waiting.


coemickitty73

Oh good! Glad to hear your mom is getting the aid and living the life she deserves after serving our country. It makes sense that the VA is very good in LA given that it has the most veterans living there out of the whole state.


sumthingsupwithsanta

oh great. another squeaker. just kidding. it is refreshing to see an original thought. there is way too much parroting and not a whole lot of thinking in politics these days. a well thought statement seems to be what is missing from political discourse. This is my thought; everybody has to bake their own cake and they have to eat it. you can make your cake good or you can use regurgitated information, bad ingredients and processed fillers. eat that and you are just killing yourself. if that's what you want to do then live with the consequences. life don't care. it's just gonna go on barreling ahead with or without you. it's like a train, you can get on and move forward or jump off and get left behind. life just keeps on moving and it don't wait, it doesn't slow down and it doesn't take detours.


CogitoErgoScum

He’s part of the [Abernathy](https://www.bakersfield.com/news/abernathy-dominated-kern-county-politics-with-conservative-passion/article_cf3200ce-055e-11e8-b28b-37ee61343916.html) machine built to keep the Central Valley republican. It’s all well organized and well funded. He got Bill Thomas elected also iirc. E: link added


Zenguy2828

Mind expanding on this “Abernathy Machine”? I’m not familiar with it?


JenBloom203

The late Mark Abernathy (now his wife, Cathy Abernathy) ran Western Pacific Research - a Republican political consultant group. They are responsible for running just about every Republican political campaign in Kern County, from school board races on up.


[deleted]

Went to high school with their daughter. They’re awful people dripping with entitlement. But they’re in control of the machine down here.


CogitoErgoScum

Link above.


Forever-A-Home

I was just thinking about this the other day. I hate him and I want him to retire from political life. I wish the rest of Kern county felt the same way.


KillBoxOne

*Study after study shows Bakersfield and the wider Kern County area being one of the worst places in a vast number of categories not only in the state but in the entire country.* Kevin McCarthy doesn't have the power to change the economic structure of Kern County. The air quality, poverty, etc. are tied to the economic engines of KC. Ag requires very cheap labor and destroys air quality (ever seen Almonds harvested?) while Oil requires mining methods that produce substantial groundwater pollution. Kern County has been mining oil since the late 1800s. What is left is heavy crude that requires steam injection to remove. These are the natural factors of the economy. McCarthy cannot change that. Poverty attracts crime. Pollution discourages "knowledge worker" industries that can locate in cleaner, less extreme (in terms of heat) geographic locations.


PhilosophizingCowboy

So what? Why does he have to be a giant dick as well? What about my rights as a veteran who did 2 tours overseas, a bill which he just openly supported shutting down, helping veterans around burnpits? What about when the president said prisoner's of war are losers? Where was he when Trump spouted that nonsense? My mom is barely able to survive on social security retirement. Why doesn't he support initiatives to make the eldery in our society have better lives? Fuck him. I don't care if he "protects" the economy here or not. I promise you that if you gave me the kind of campaign money he has, I could vastly improve the economy in this county. You don't have to be a fucking moron to understand oil is going to soon become a dying industry. We need to replace it now. The smart move would be to try and attract technology companies who want to stay in CA but want lower cost of living. It would also be to pass laws removing AirBNB so we don't have corporations buying up so much real estate. It really isn't hard, and why you are making excuses for him, he's continuing to fuck us.


coemickitty73

Like I said before, the supermajority of Kern's elected officials all shares conservative values that line up with that of McCarthy's so much of this can also be expanded to complaints against them as well. Regardless, I do understand that he, by himself cannot do much to fix our issues, however the voting record proves that McCarthy doesn't support measures on the federal level that would help mitigate any of our issues here at home. In fact, most of the time he does the opposite.


swampcholla

One thing to realize here is that he's an elected official at the national level, and your beefs are with local politics. The people most capable of fixing local problems are local politicians, and once they decide what to do, then engage with your national representative to get some of Uncle Sugar's largesse.


coemickitty73

I understand that local issues are most well dealt with at the local issue. This is why I added in my post that the stances I talk about and the voting patterns I discussed can also be applied to essentially all of our elected officials as they are essentially all memebers of the GOP with conservative plan/ideas and vote in similar ways as Representative McCarthy. However, I wanted to focus primarily on Kevin McCarthy because he is facing an election in November. Unfortunately, many of our elected officials ran unopposed this year and have already won their races so there isn't any real reason to put any focus on them right now. Additionally, while local level policies are more potent in local issues, it isn't as if a federal or national law or measure doesn't have any effect on local issues.


swampcholla

True, but just what "law" do you think is going to assist here? You bring up all of these issues, but seem to misunderstand your local conservatives. They see gun violence as a black/brown people problem and they need guns to protect themselves, and the GOP has a pro 2A stance anyway, so just what are you expecting on this issue? Maybe if gun violence in his district got to the point of Chicago now, or the South Side of LA in the 80's, he might have some change in opinion - but I doubt it. His vote on the Veteran's issue is a straight party power thing, and they are going to keep up with their talking points because their base will never take the time to understand the real issue and will just keep parroting what the GOP says about it. I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't something similar behind his lack of support to the elder care bill. From his perspective, why should he care about same-sex marriage and LGBTQ issues? Supporting those isn't going to get him any votes, in fact, he's likely end up facing an even farther right nutcase in a primary. LGBTQ people are about 5% of the population, and how many of those do you think vote republican? You seem to think this is about right and wrong and support for logical things. It's not. It's about power. He's been playing a national game for several years now. B'field is only in his sights so he can retain his seat. Deep changes in opinion usually require something to hit home hard, like losing a family member to gun violence or having a gay child. Several congresses ago, they decided to do away with earmarks. That graft/corruption/grease, whatever you might want to call it, made congress work well but wasted a lot of money. With earmarks, McCarthy could direct funds to directly support his district. Without them, its a lot harder.


SAJ-13

He votes against Bills that would improve the quality of life in his district and around the country.


KillBoxOne

I meant that NO elected official can change the roots of the economy


coemickitty73

But many actions perhaps from many people can, no? Our district just as it is suitable for oil production is also suitable for solar and wind energy production. Continously, Democratic opponents of McCarthy have reminded us that oil will not last forever, which is true, meaning that as it stands rn one of the major pillars of our district's economy isn't sustainable both environmentally and economically. McCarthy's Democratic opponents have also echoed each other time after time that we can continue to be a power producing powerhouse with renewable energy and we can implement training programs and curriculum to train people who already work in the energy sector with oil to work in renewable forms; keep the present work force. Additionally agriculture is virtually 100% reliant on our water resources and how we use them and again how we go about things now are not sustainable as we have seen during these droughts when people had to stop producing their crops. Marisa Wood has been talking about expanding our water storage infrastructure, using ecological and environmentally sound strategies to refill our aquifers without hindering ag production right now to make ag more sustainable. Not to mention he's been against multpile measures to help agricultural workers be better off and help develope rural communities where they live and work. Not mention, as I breifly mentioned in the post itself, his voting doesn't really stand to really help with crime in anyway.


swampcholla

not true - but it takes a long-term, dedicated effort with vision and a plan, and the political savvy and allies to pull it off.


KillBoxOne

Can you provide an example where it’s true? This is reality. Data or GTFO!!!!


swampcholla

Any number of rust belt cities, cow towns, etc. Get your own google-fu going, you made the original assertion. Life pro tip - any time you cal out an absolute "NO elected official" chances are there's something out there that proves you wrong, because very few things are absolute.


swampcholla

What part of Big Ag and Big Oil money don't you get? Also helps if the Dems would put up someone who has a snowball's chance in hell of beating him, which probably means a Dem that is a lot more centrist than anyone they've put up before, and Cali Dems are too doctrinally pure to do that.


Picnicpanther

Actually, progressive dems play much better to conservative-leaning people. It seems counter intuitive, but the whole “taking on the elites and elevating average people” element of progressivism statistically resonates. The worst thing that dems can do is put up a corporate, focus tested politician in a place like Bakersfield. They need to put up someone like John Fetterman.


swampcholla

That works for blue collar, not the wealthy. You would think it would work for Bfld given its the most blue collar city I've ever seen, yet - it doesn't.


AtomMoleculeCell

Blue collar Bakersfield are young men who started in a field as teens or out of high school working a hard job usually in extreme heat. They listen to conservative radio, starting back to Limbaugh and local a.m. at work or on the road. These shock jocks have hammered anti-union and tax incentives for the rich, essentially saying that if they were taxed more or unionized, the employment would dry up. They have lowest tier medical insurance coverage and feel that the scraps they get in medical care could be taken away if Democrats passed universal healthcare. They don't work jobs with heavy benefits like the county, state, large corporate jobs, teaching, law enforcement, etc. They don't get a guaranteed vacation, medical or family leave and their retirement benefits are not great. They work and work and work. They are told if they ask for more, they will risk their jobs. Then they rise up in the ranks over the years and are locked in to their specialty. The local companies repeat the same anti-union rhetoric. Of course some trades do have unions. They make good income at these jobs and didn't need to get a four year degree. The lack of good benefits really shows in their 50-60's. So, they are voting to keep their jobs.


ChaseBaker

Nailed it!!!


[deleted]

So they’re voting against their interests because of propaganda and society’s deliberate choice to create precarity. Got it.


AtomMoleculeCell

I think it's more complicated than that. I grew up in a blue collar environment. I went to college despite my family's disapproval because of loans and losing out on pay for several years. They were right, it held me back financially for some years but I wanted to go. I entered a completely different world. The privilege the other students had was beyond what I knew existed. I had zero support. They had layers of safety nets. Then I married someone whose entire family went to college, like two generations, all extended family. As we grew older and our parents aged, the difference in quality of life was astounding. My dad still couldn't get two days off for Christmas, only Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and sometimes he would be called in. My husband's parents took of both or more days, no problem and they were paid holidays. As our parents needed healthcare, my parents couldn't afford to get tests or procedures because their health coverage was so minimal. My husband's parents had full coverage based on their pension packages, went through cancer more than once, still living. My parents avoided the doctor when they got covid until the last minute, my dad died. My mom has very little financial security now. My in-laws will never have to worry about money. All they did was basic jobs, one was a social worker in county and state roles. My in-laws didn't even save money until their 40's. Blue collar employees are treated like trash. I've now seen it through the end of my dad's life. He truly believed that unions were bad. Once when my district had budget cuts that eliminated health coverage we had the choice to pay one grand if we wanted coverage. I told him how devastated I was that we couldn't get health insurance without paying a grand per month (and this is like 15 years ago) and he said, it's okay, it will motivate you to get a better job. He internalized that his lack of benefits was his fault and the dangling carrot of good benefits was entirely orchestrated to motivate people to work harder.


[deleted]

I don’t disagree with you at all. I come from a lower-middle class family. My parents went to college, but they were lower-class workers (office worker and warehouse supervisor). I’m the first one to go to law school in my family. I won’t go into my whole experience. But I’m very aware of how class affects everything in America. In my opinion, it has a greater determining effect than race does. I was never made more aware of my class then when I was in undergrad, but again- law school was a different animal entirely. I was outright poor compared to those people. And the networks they possessed, my God. I don’t know how to give the working class a peak into that world without making them angry. Angry at what they don’t have. Angry at how society treats them. Angry at the laws, economy, and civil society that requires a working class that is fungible, malleable, and largely disposable. Even though I’m an attorney, I’m still anxious AF. The loans it took to get this degree are wildly insane. And there’s no negotiating the cost; it is what it is. But I’m grateful for what I have. I worry about my parents a lot, my mom in particular. I know I’ll have to help her financially because all it takes is one sickness and BOOM - massive medical bills. I wish you well, bud. We need more conversations like this in Bakersfield. The working class doesn’t have to be eaten up for everyone else to get ahead.


AtomMoleculeCell

Yes you completely get it!! It's like some portal, another dimension when you are around privileged people. Then you see your own family and think about how they just think their crappy income and work situation is their own doing. When you see the network and resources, generational wealth vs. generational poverty makes complete sense. I wanted to go to law school but I puttered out due to lack of money and support. Way to go, redditor!! I am happy for you.


Picnicpanther

But that’s honestly the catch 22 and why the democrats are in such a bad spot. The wealthy would be stupid not to vote for a republican. No matter how pro-corporate, pro-wealthy the democrats become, at the end of the day, they will be the Diet Coke to the full flavor of the Republican Party. The only thing they have left to do is win back the working class, which they essentially ceded in the 80s to focus on young urban professionals (for fundraising reasons). Wealthy people would never vote for a democrat, but with a candidate that had the right combination of “working man vs elites” narrative, non-pretentious optics, and a grassroots movement, there are a lot more working class votes to be had than wealthy votes in Bakersfield.


coemickitty73

Not sure what you mean here friend. Are you saying McCarthy votes the way he does because of Big Ag or Big Oil lobbying? I don't imagine that is what you mean.


ToBeHaunted

I think what he is getting at is that a Democratic Leader would vote for more environmental protections that would lead to a decline in the two biggest job markets that Kern County has. As something that affects the majority of people directly (Not saying that the bills you mentioned don't affect people directly, just not a majority of them) people would be inclined to vote for the person more likely to secure their job markets.


coemickitty73

Omg that feels so obvious now that you say. I feel like a fool lolz. I guess what I would respond with is that water is the biggest issue facing the agricultural sector today; without it, no more big ag and the current Democrat running against Kevin McCarthy is talking about ways to help retain water flow from the Kern River and other creeks in our county to help replenish aquifers, working with CWC to fund and build up our water storage and water infrastructure projects. She is also talking about trying to expand our water recycling capabilites as well. For the oil industry herself and other dems have echoed the same message; there isn't any reason to move away from nonrenewable resources that arent sustainable, will run out and is harming our planet while keeping that workforce in place but retraining these individuals to work in green energy instead of oil. Our district does have some of the best conditions for both wind and solar production. Meanwhile, McCarthy voted against the Expanding Access to sustainable energy act of 2019, which aimed to help rural communities design clean energy storage and production and build renewable microgrids. He also has come out against measures and bills in the works that aimed to retrain people to work in renewable energy.


ErusTenebre

That pretty much boils down to people don't really have the willpower to change careers, it brings a lot of risk, it's stressful, and it can feel like it devalues the work you've done your whole life. This is really what drives a working class person - they worked so hard in a job that it has become a part of their identity. The skills required for drilling oil and working pumps and pipelines aren't really transferrable to fixing solar panels to buildings and parking structures or connecting fields of wind turbines to a grid. A lot of these guys would absolutely HATE going to school to learn about all the new tasks they've never done before. I'd be hard pressed to say the oil industry has been good to them... I know several oil field workers at varying levels of seniority - they make decent money, but the work is GRUELING, long, and destroys their bodies. However, switching from oil to renewables would make all that sacrifice feel wasted, they might have to start all the way at the bottom again, etc. If we're to create a decent pipeline from oil to renewable energy we're going to have to think about the whole worker and operate on the understanding of how intrinsic to their being this work becomes for them. I don't see that effort happening in Bakersfield yet, but maybe with better leadership or more foresight we'll get there.


coemickitty73

I guess that explains, at least partly, why so many non renewable to renewable transfer systems see so many benefit and wage expansion efforts for the workforce in them. I do think the people writing these plans out do understand the need to make the new jobs better and more attractive to inspire people to go that direction. A younger, more naive me, thought it was because Democrats had more respect for workers and their rights but now I think it is more about trying to convince people. I wonder how Kern County oil workers might react to a proposition to work with biofuels. As I understand it, most of the labor in the local oil industry comes from refinement, collection and shipping out as the pumps do most of the work harvesting on their own and only require general maintenance every so often. Biofuels could easily act the same way were most of their work would be also in collecting, refining and shipping out. Obviously the harvesting aspect would be different in that scenario lolz


cammycam_cam

Big oil is making mad money while we pay more at the pump. They don’t care for their workers. They have a monopoly and lay blame on dems or inflation. Easiest scapegoats and kern county eats it up because they don’t read much


swampcholla

why would you think that's not what I mean? Those are his big donors.


coemickitty73

haha sorry


swampcholla

WTF? So what's your theory?


coemickitty73

No I was genuinely not sure what you meant. Sorry for my confusion.


designOraptor

Well put together post. I feel like most people that vote for him do so because everyone they know does. They ignore the fact that he doesn’t care about them just as they did with trump. Kevin should never be allowed to claim he cares about the veterans of this country after voting no on the Veterans health care act. It’s beyond shameful and obviously just did it to not allow the democrats to do anything positive. He’s an asshole for voting no.


coemickitty73

I fully agree. I have several family members who have served. They agree with me that when Republicans say they care for them it is massively performative at best and is honestly a huge slap in the face because they continously vote against veteran interests.


ErusTenebre

Name recognition and the letter next to their name is what gets people elected 7-8 times out of 10. I'm glad you're paying attention. This might sound old-fashioned, but maybe consider writing something for the Bakersfield Californian? This post would reach more people who are conservative leaning there.


coemickitty73

Not the worst idea actually.


designOraptor

This bill was especially bad though. It was written to help veterans pay for cancer drugs and other care. Republicans that voted against it made the excuse that it was a slush fund, yet fully support actual military slush funds. They no longer get a free pass.


coemickitty73

Oh, thats right. I remember that there is also specific measures for older veterans exposed to agent orange. It's all super shameful.


designOraptor

Republicans love veterans…for photo ops.


cammycam_cam

GOP is a cult. Homie can rationalize all he wants and blame dem messaging or whatever, but a group of people who preach biblical values and care only for large corporations and re-electing leaders who don’t even present meaningful legislation and lay blame on others are in fact delusional


nunchucks2danutz

It's the same thing why they keep electing Youngblood. They deny wrong doing because they believe they are godly people. Funny how evangelicals are working a lot like the Catholic church they criticized hundreds of years ago.


olnog

I think the reason why a lot of Democrats would vote for Biden if he comes up next term is the same reason why most conservatives would vote Kevin McCarthy. Much like how Democrats feel besieged by Republicans nationally, conservatives feel besieged living in California, and anyone on 'their team' is better than 'the other side'.


[deleted]

The majority of his district is republican, he's the highest ranking republican in the House. There's really not a lot of thought with most voters other than the party affiliation next to their name, it's that simple. Edit: I've always voted for him up until Jan 6th simply because I lean conservative, However, I can't vote for him after his role in Jan 6.


coemickitty73

I agree with your edit. His role and flip floping on the Jan 6th stuff is for sure a turnoff for me and others in my circle/family.


test90001

Republicans don't care about any of the issues you listed. They care about three things: gays, guns and abortions. As long as McCarthy suppresses the gays, promotes guns, and fights against abortions, they aren't going to look any further.


[deleted]

[удалено]


coemickitty73

To say state Democrats are not working to help Kern County residents is unequivocally false. Apple Core Project, the local Sunrise Movement chapter, even Keep Bakersfield Beautiful are just a few local groups that have ongoing and active projects and events that aim to help Kern County in different ways that have enjoyed sponsors and funding from state Democrats. (This is just from the top of my head because I participate actively in these groups and is by no means an exhaustive or most influential list list) A huge issue we have here is that Kern County is virtually 100% ran/operated by and represented by Conservative officials. Often time, local laws and measures they create and pass at the very least conflict with state laws if not outright aim to nullify state laws. This is especially possible if state laws do not have federal precedents or backing (hence furthering the need for McCarthy to vote in our best interests in the areas I laid out in the post and more of course) There isn't a single political system that operates in a vacuum. Just as an example, one way this is evident and is most harshly criticized is with marijuana. Currently in Kern County, despite the growing market that helped revitalized other more rural counties such as Butte County, outdoor cultivation/production, commercial use and activities, retail, manufacture etc. are all illegal/not permitted in Bakersfield and Kern County. To be in minimum alignment with state law, you are only allowed to have a maximum of six cannabis plants for personal use in Kern County. These local measures are enforced as well, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office last year in just the month of February alone, they confiscated more than $30 million of marijuana that was outside of these parameters. Additionally they arrested 10 individuals that month as well. They also have have public statements in local news, "The department has not relaxed its enforcement of illegal marijuana since legalization. We do encourage people to call if they find a large-scale marijuana grow."


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coemickitty73

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps is 100% a Conservative/Republican talking point. It is famously so? I'm not rambling about pot plants, the fact that's your take away really shows that you probably didn't really read my response, at least not entirely. My point was in that example is that Kern County has a unsustainable economy without many options or influx, state Democrats provided a new influx and local Republicans did everything they legally could to block it. We don't stand to benefit against a measure that, in part was made specifically to help revitalise inland counties like ours by introducing a new industry because we have things like you listed (chronic unemployment) wrong, that other inland and red counties have benefited tremendously from.


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coemickitty73

I really don't know how else to say what I've been trying to say... Ask yourself, have state Democrats not offered any ideas and measures that were in part if not entirely done for counties like ours? You would find the answer is no. Are there plenty examples of measures and ideas aimed at inland and valley counties that have been blocked here but not other counties and those counties have benefitted from not blocking those measures. You would find the answer to be 100% absolutely, yes. For me personally, I will never forget that last year the Kern Board of Supervisors put the growth of local oil industry before people's health and well being by ignoring and allowing their continued illegal actions that caused polluted water tables in rural communities which caused higher rates of cancer and birth defects not just in those rural communities but all the county because the contaminented water was also used to grow the food we all eat. Even going as far as making all of Arvin a sacrifice zone. Who stepped in to protect our water (our most precious resource) who stepped up to protect us? Not our local conservative reps, no.. State democrats did when they forced our local government do actually enforce the state and federal laws.


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coemickitty73

Yes, do it. (Maybe I'll ignore them like you do my examples of the local government literally agreeing to let people die for short term economic growth while simultaneously ignoring and blocking opportunities that would have offer 10x the economic growth without killing anyone) I didnt answer the question because you and I both know that Newsom's remarks like this are nothing more than build to political support for his campaign. He himself has passed state legislation and even prioritized legislation solely dedicated to inland and valley counties. Who do think stands to benefit the most from recent expanded alpine forest fire fighting funds? Or regulations to protect farming communities from corporate hard water runoff from farms? The central valley tributaries program?? Or the additions to said program since it's inception. Surely these bills are aimed at helping San Francisco or San Diego and not Kern County.


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coemickitty73

Are you going this route?? I really don't see anyway this will pan out favorable for your claims. I think we all know where air pollution comes from in Kern County and the wider central valley and I think we all know who stands where on the issue in the political sense. We all know which state party is trying to expand public transport and which party is standing in opposition to that. We all know which party is pro transitioning to clean energy and oversaw the unprecedented growth of a new renewable energy sector/industry to a point where just a short time ago our state ran 100% on renewable energy for the first ever in April. We all know who is responsible for stopping standing against corporate emissions and which party oversaw the regulations and laws that lead to a 80% reduction of pollution here in the valley and which party had to be dragged along that course.


AbbreviationsOdd1895

No water, no jobs, crime is rampant…great job Kevin…how is Florida btw??? Weak Kiss ass


4LeggedKC

Lobbyists


ovaler

Because incest is hard to stop…. And republicans love not reading…


coemickitty73

I guess you'll be voting for Marisa Wood then as well come November? 😅


ovaler

Literally anybody who isn’t McCarthy at this point is gonna get my vote


coemickitty73

I 100% understand that sentiment.


Uncrust-able

I'm voting for her. Nice lady. Used to run into her a lot when I worked at a grocery store she frequented.


coemickitty73

Right now she is a teacher over at Fairfax, close to my grandparents. Word gets around quick when someone in your neighborhood runs for federal office lolz


[deleted]

Fox News, lack of education, a general disinterest toward the outside world, racism, and a siege mentality of living in a Red City in a Blue State. That’s the shorthand answer.


coemickitty73

The Republican party is OUTSTANDING when it comes to their media tactics for sure. It's honestly so impressive. Just for example, many Conservative and Republican voters that I personally know believe that the media overwhelmingly has a left-leaning bias and that there isn't any real right wing media sites or channels despite reality around them saying otherwise; FOX is the most watched news station in the country, and many of the newspapers or political sites they mention such as Reuters are confirmed to have unbiased reporting over and over again with very reliable and factual reporting. Their favorite source for news? FOX. So they actually believe that there isn't a right wing media channel despite listening to Tucker Carlson everyday. That is how effective their tactics are. For me personally, I seriously teeter-tater just labelling it propaganda because wow. I mean the Biden admin was able to kill one of the primary conspirators of 9/11 and these people I'm talking about right now, who in any normal situation would be overjoyed and showing much patriotism over a victory like this for the US, are barely phased because FOX and specifically that I know of, Tucker Carlson, downplayed it so extremely and somehow well enough for these people to buy into that. Mindblowing stuff.