Author: Muskegon Critic

The Holland Sentinel is known for being a quite conservative newspaper, and parts of West Michigan are known for being quite conservative regions of Michigan. And yet…West Michigan saw one of the largest jumps in Democratic voting numbers in America in 2008 and in 2010 the Holland Sentinel published a glowing bio of Democratic Congressional Candidate Fred Johnson, titled “Portrait of Perseverance”

Holland, MI –

Most people don’t know the terror of sensing someone is trying to kill you.

Fred Johnson III knows.

He knew it while a band of four police officers stomped, kicked and punched him as a 15-year-old boy in Landover, Md., in 1974.

Armed with tear gas and batons, Prince George’s County police raided a summer block party Johnson had gone to check out that night.

[snip]

Most people would get angry. Some might want revenge. Fred Johnson wanted to understand.

[snip]

More than 30 years later, it’s clear Johnson has let no excuse stand in his way.

For the past decade, he’s been a history professor at Hope College, well-liked by students and respected by colleagues.

[snip]

Most West Michiganians couldn’t tell you the last time a Democrat won the 2nd congressional seat. Johnson doesn’t care.

When people ask, in jest or not, if he’s crazy, Johnson tells them: “You don’t understand – this is my country.”

The perseverance shows in his campaigning, too. Abandoned by the national Democratic party, Fred Johnson’s campaign broke a fundraising record this year for a Democrat in Michigan’s second congressional district at 119k and counting, and is pushing hard to get West Michigan’s minorities and young people to get to the polls and claim West Michigan. They’re running the following ad on BET, MTV and Comedy Central DURING the Daily Show’s Rally to Restore Sanity coverage.

Fred Johnson has a serious shot at winning this campaign. With incumbent Pete Hoekstra retiring and long time DC and Lansing insider Bill Huizenga running amidst anti-incumbent sentiment THIS is the year West Michgian can swing this district for Democrats…and Johnson is the only one who can claim to be getting his contributions from individual donors rather than PACs, corporate donors and special interests.

This year, we’re on the attack in West Michigan.

Help Fred Johnson keep his ad on air until election day!

[Cross Posted from Dailykos.com]

Last night I went to a meet and greet for US congressional candidate Fred Johnson (MI-2), and the man was absolutely brilliant. I went there with my two little boys (6 and 2), who I always seem to have in tow. Before the meeting I apologized in advance to Dr. Fred Johnson for the chaos my children would inevitably bring, and that I would try to keep it to a minimum.

Fred laughed and indicated that perhaps a little chaos would be good, overall.

As they played with the peanuts on the table later and made fussing sounds about M&Ms between my searing glances at them, Fred Johnson spoke about his candidacy to a room of supporters, not once flinching at the sounds from the various children in the crowd…though one kept cheering loudly.

I had spoken to Dr. Johnson numerous times before and heard him speak, but this time in the middle of his talk, while discussing his opponent…he paused and looked around the room and simply said “aren’t you tired of being scared?”

It was one of those moments where you notice you had been letting the usual information wash over you, and you take the question and mull it over…and the more you think about it…the more meaning it starts to take. The more personal it becomes.

Wait a minute…have I been scared?

Lately…I’ve tried to bury that down. But it’s been there, lurking constantly in the background. This fear. This fear that things are collapsing and I can’t do anything about it. And what else is there to do but try to forget it. Try to push it out of the mind. Replace that feeling of helplessness with general goofiness or anger so I can convince myself I’m not afraid of losing my childrens’ sense of security, my home, our ability to hang on.

And the whipped up fear from the Tea Party folks, from random stuff…just RANDOM made up stuff. Fear falling from the airwaves, whipping these people into a frenzy of anger over manufactured issues, dug up and refined in focus groups for maximum potency and then fed into the airwaves to push the buttons of those who are ready to be afraid of nearly anything.

And the ruling by fear we’re in for if the Republicans get back into control, like the elevated terrorist threat levels right before an election that I knew were a sham but still made my gut sink a little.

And I’m tired of just thinking money is going to roll over the average people, every single time.

I have been scared.

And, dammit, it seems to radiate from the same folks.

There’s a fear that mobilizes, like the Tea Party folks…

And there’s a fear that demoralizes…like feeling your mouth sink just under the waterline as you kick helplessly in icy water and you just can’t take a breath or seem to get out of your head.

I am tired of being afraid.

I’m TIRED of being ruled and motivated by fear.

I’m tired of my actions being dictated by fear of loss or humiliation.

I’m tired of being afraid.

I’ve spoken with Fred Johnson numerous times before.

As a college professor, Dr. Fred Johnson talks a lot about greater funding for our schools.

As a former Marine captain he spoke of doing right by our troops who have served with more robust veteran services, especially veterans in rural areas who otherwise have little access to the services enjoyed by those who live near a VA hospital and other services.

And as a guy who lives in West Michigan he talked about the pressing and uncertain economic issues all of here face…finding more aggressive ways to force banks to work toward options other than foreclosure, and rewarding the production of goods and services in the US

If you didn’t already know…I’m officially blogging for Fred Johnson’s campaign. We’re facing a hard campaign, but for the first time in a long time, there is no incumbent here…and now is the window of opportunity to replace Hoekstra’s seat with a Democrat.

The campaign is trying to raise $4000 to do a TV spot and get more yard signs. Five dollars…even ONE dollar will help out a lot to get this guy into office…Donate Here, please and thank you.