November 4th: Up at 4:30AM in the Gloucester C.H. campaign office just after 6:00AM. As per usual, JP and Kim and steady at the Helm in the C.H. Office. The weather is cool with a soaking rain falling, forecast to continue most of the day. Driving by the Gloucester High School, I saw large crowds at the poll with similar scenes at the two C.H. polls as well... this is good! The day was a blur; to summarize, I put 150 miles on my vehicle on Election Day, driving from the Piankatank to the York, and the Ware to King and Queen County, visiting 90 doors and placing door hangers as reminders early on and knocking on doors by the end of the day to encourage late voters. The day on the Gloucester campaign circuit ended as it started, in the dark and rain and back at the Gloucester C.H. office with JP and Kim. This day was not about finding or educating voters, it was about making all the hard work we have done over these past months pay off by getting our voters to the polls.
I went back to my house at 7:00PM after the polls closed, picked up Willy (my Corgi dog) and we went off to the Gloucester Point Campaign HQ to watch the election results together with all the Gloucester volunteers. The scene at the HQ was a bit slow at first, with about 20 people sitting around watching the election results trickle in on MSNBC. Willy made friends with the other dog in the audience, Steve’s 3-legged mutt. Willy also socialized with the 2-legged people, easily moving amongst group as his short size allowed him was to walk under the chairs, stopping to sniff the food and drinks placed on the ground and get stroked by all the 20-something women who loved how fluffy Willy’s fur is. Willy is such a flirt.
The night was initially tense, with returns for Virginia showing McCain ahead. It was said that one of the paths to victory was for Obama to win both Virginia and Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the call for Virginia would come after 11:00PM. Our spirits were buoyed when we learned that Obama had won both PA and Ohio. I was certain that with theses two states in the bank, Obama would almost certainly win the election. As the clock approached 11PM, MSNBC said they would have some big announcements to make at the top of the hour. With 99% of the vote counted in Virginia and Obama pulling ahead of McCain as the votes were counted from the cities, we hoped that the pundits would call VA for Obama. Instead, MSNBC called the election for President Elect Barack Obama and we all went wild.
For me, the moment of the announcement was not pure joy, but rather serine happiness in the knowing that, with all our hard work, the nation would finally be governed by a competent and intelligent leader. As a white man, I can only imagine that rapturous feelings my African-American friends must have with Obama’s victory. Barack Obama rise to the Presidency of the United States is the summation of effort on the behalf of thousands of heroes over hundreds of years. On the historic election day of 2008, America practiced what it preaches, demonstrating to the world our values and principles.
Long after the declaration Obama’s historic win, we learned that Virginia had went the way of the nation in voting for Obama. Virginia has not voted for a Democrat since 1964, 44 years ago. This was not an accident; rather the win is the result of the tireless efforts of thousands of volunteers. This effort was unfortunately not a result of changing the minds of card-carrying Republicans (who increasingly seem oblivious to reality), but by registering new voters in huge numbers and welcoming these new voters into the Democratic Party. Proof that these new voters made a difference is shown in the election results. In 2008, about 300,000 new voters were registered; the 2008 election results show almost all these new voters choose Obama as their next President thereby increasing the number of people voting for the Democratic candidate by 393,000 votes. Conversely, those voting for the Republican candidate in 2004 and 2008 remained nearly the same.
Virginia election results:
Dem Repub 2004 1,400,254 (45%) 1,667,198 (54%) 2008 1,793,671 (52%) 1,639,421 (47%)
Presidential Voting in Gloucester County, Virginia
Dem Repub 2004 5,105 (31%) 11,084 (68%) 2008 6,742 (36%) 11,737 (63%)
Registered voters in Gloucester County: 2004 21,900 2008 25,000 (74% of these voted in the 2008 election!)
While we did not get the majority of votes for Obama in Gloucester County, we did our part to deny McCain the opportunity to run up the score here. Like Virginia, our newly registered Gloucester County voters largely made a difference in narrowing the gap Republicans held over the county by 10%. However, our efforts are not fully captured in the voter statistics. By confronting the Republicans, encouraged healthy debate on the nation’s priorities, and challenged them to consider why they vote Republican. It is my hope that the spirited level of debate continues and we are (one day) able to work to form consensus rather than continuing the language of division.
This is my final post to the MyBO blog. Thank you for the wonderful experience of being part of this campaign and the friendship of BJ, JP, Emily, Diane, Kim, Joe, Maury, Brad, Keisha in Gloucester. God Bless you all, Barack Obama, and America.
Obama just retold the story of Edith Childs' "Greenwood chant" at the Manassas, VA, rally tonight. The video on CNN showed Obama leading the entire crowd of tens of thousands singing "Fired up!" "Ready to Go!" Very impressive. Here is the original Greenwood rally video.
Barack Obama has done everything humanly possible to get his campaign to a place where victory is possible. Its up to us now. Now is the time to complete our long labor of love. On Tuesday from early in the morning until 7PM, we must do everything possible to get voters to the polls. Let's get out there and change the world Virginia!
"Fired up!" "Ready to Go!"
Today was on par with the GOTV theme, contact as many of our voters as possible. JP said the Gloucester C.H. campaign office knocked on more doors on Monday than any other day, including this past Saturday and Sunday. I was able to hang about 80 door tags in the 8 hours I was on the road. I didn't get the chance to speak with many voters, but driving Salem Church and Lees Neck Farm Roads, I was able to appreciate Gloucester County more rural areas. The recent dry spell seems to have intensified the autumn leaf color change, resulting in a brilliant yellow, orange, and red pallet. Gloucester is a beautiful place from the Bay to its interior rivers and hills!
Upon returning from my last knock route (which was shorten by darkness), I was told of the passing of Barack's beloved grandmother, Madelyn Dunham. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Obama family in their grief.
Republican End-Game Sleaze Hits the Airwaves and the Blogosphere
While McCain said he would not attack Obama’s church, he is perfectly OK with so-called 529 “advocacy” groups getting the message of slime and sleaze out. The National Republican Trust Political Action Committee (NRT PAC) is a month-old anti-Obama group says it is spending at least $2.5 million to buy TV time to air a Rev Wright commercial in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and the Virginia Tidewater region. NRC PAC is the “Swift Boat” hate-monger of the 2008 campaign. I find Republican slime machine to be endlessly creative when it names its attack organizations; in typical cynical fashion, the intent of the organization’s name is opposite of the actual name. Point in fact: “Republican Trust.” Your suspicions should be fully raised by an organization that combines the words in sequential order, “Republican” and “Trust.” In actuality, this is not an official Republican organization (useful for deniability purposes) nor does it produce messages can be trusted. Worse, using ‘Republican’ in an organizational name does not bring to mind the notion of “trust” in any measure.
More on National Republican Trust Political Action Committee (NRT PAC) From FactCheck.org: End-Game Sleaze
The National Republican Trust PAC came into being Sept. 26, when it first registered with the Federal Election Commission. By Oct. 15 it had reported raising $463,000 for its anti-Obama campaign. (Update: In an e-mail to supporters on Oct. 29, the group said it had raised more than $3 million.) It has reported spending a total of $902,604 to attack Obama, according to the most recent report filed Oct. 26. It has reported spending substantial sums to the conservative Web site Newsmax and to other vendors for "email communication" opposing Obama's election, and to a Virginia company called Integram for "direct mail." It has also listed expenditures for "media production" and a "media buy." Its Web site lists its executive director as Scott Wheeler, who also writes articles for Newsmax, which the NRT PAC pays to distribute anti-Obama e-mail messages, many of which are little more than fundraising pleas. It's not uncommon for the final weeks of the presidential campaign to bring out some of the most deceptive ads of the cycle. We thought it would be tough to top the whoppers we've seen already, but it looks as if some of the third-party ads are out to prove us wrong. If this gem from the National Republican Trust PAC is any indication, we'd best brace for a blizzard of balderdash.
Where is NRT PAC getting its cash???
From the Daily KOS: Scott Wheeler - the executive director of The National Republican Trust PAC which is producing smear ads against Obama - ads which have already been debunked - used to write for Sun Myung Moon's Insight Magazine. It is likely that the cult leader Moon is funding NRT PAC to whip up right wing fears and angst using foreign money. Nice.
What is being written about the NRT PAC Attack Ads?
From the CATO Institute: NRT PAC’s message doesn’t bring credit to Senator John McCain. In fact, it hurts him. To folks who don’t know campaign finance law, it looks like a desperate and venal grasp by McCain for an issue against Obama. Hyping terror threats damages our country by provoking over-reactions that can be more damaging than direct attacks themselves. This message from the National Republican Trust PAC is offensive.
From the Columbus Dispatch, by Tom Feran Obama Repudiation of Rev. Wright: The pastor's more inflammatory remarks led Obama to deliver a major speech on race last March in which he rejected the remarks as "not only wrong but divisive." After Wright's subsequent comments and dismissal of the speech, Obama angrily denounced him personally and cut all ties, saying: "When I say I find these comments appalling, I mean it. It contradicts everything that I am about and who I am, and anybody who has worked with me, who knows my life, who has read my books, who has seen what this campaign's about, I think, will understand that it is completely opposed to what I stand for and where I want to take this country."
How does National Republican Trust PAC seed its lies into the Internet? It pays other companies to be its surrogates in spreading its message of hate to create a Republican Internet echo chamber.
OpenSecrets.org indicates NRT PAC paid the following companies to spread its lies:
Total ↓ Company Date Purchase Assess Type
$2,530,000 Philips Brook Group, Inc 10/31/08 Media Buy $1,200,000 Philips Brook Group, Inc 10/30/08 Media Buy $880,000 Philips Brook Group, Inc 10/29/08 Media Buy $231,750 Newsmax Media, In 10/30/08 Email Communication $176,000 Philips Brook Group, Inc 10/27/08 Media Buy $174,000 Philips Brook Group, Inc 10/23/08 Media Buy $82,350 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/31/08 Email Communication $79,650 Newsmax Media, Inc 11/01/08 Email Communication $75,150 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/27/08 Email Communication $74,700 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/28/08 Email Communication $58,050 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/29/08 Email Communication $44,550 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/24/08 Email Communication $27,450 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/26/08 Email Communication $25,425 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/23/08 Email Communication $25,000 Newsmax Media, Inc 11/01/08 Telemarketing $24,300 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/25/08 Email Communication $18,000 Eagle Publishing, Inc 10/22/08 Email Communication $17,325 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/21/08 Email Communication $11,396 Intrepid Media 10/29/08 Media Production/Distr $11,320 Intrepid Media 10/27/08 Media Production $10,350 Townhall.com 10/24/08 Email Communication $10,350 Townhall.com 10/27/08 Email Communication $10,000 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/30/08 Banner Ads $9,000 Newsmax Media, Inc 10/22/08 Email Communication $8,000 Intrepid Media 10/31/08 Media Production/Distr $7,090 Integram 10/23/08 Direct Mail $7,082 Intrepid Media 10/23/08 Media Production $6,875 Intrepid Media 10/27/08 Media Production/Distr $6,000 Endeavor Media Group, LLC 10/25/08 Email Communication $6,000 Endeavor Media Group, LLC 10/26/08 Email Communication $6,000 Eagle Publishing, Inc 10/27/08 Email Communication $6,000 Endeavor Media Group, LLC 10/27/08 Email Communication $6,000 Endeavor Media Group, LLC 10/28/08 Email Communication $6,000 Endeavor Media Group, LLC 10/29/08 Email Communication $6,000 Eagle Publishing, Inc 10/30/08 Email Communication $5,000 Verafast Corporation 10/23/08 Phone Calls $3,000 Triangulation Strategies 10/23/08 Email Communication $3,000 Verafast Corporation 10/26/08 Phone Communication $2,500 Newsmax Media, Inc 11/01/08 Html Web/Email Design $1,750 Intrepid Media 10/23/08 Media Production/Distr $1,680 Verafast Corporation 10/29/08 Phone Communication $1,500 Triangulation Strategies 10/27/08 Email Communication $1,500 Triangulation Strategies 10/28/08 Email Communication $1,500 Triangulation Strategies 10/29/08 Phone Communication $1,500 Triangulation Strategies 10/31/08 Banner Ads $1,500 Triangulation Strategies 10/31/08 Email Communication $1,500 Triangulation Strategies 11/01/08 Email Com/Banner Ad $1,400 Intrepid Media 11/01/08 Media Production/Distr
I was in the Gloucester C.H., VA, office earlier today at 1:00PM to get a jump on the setting sun (canvassing in the afternoon is more difficult with the time savings change). I have to tell you, the scene in the office was impressive with the phone bank buzzing away, and every canvas package out on the road with tens of volunteers on the street making contact with Obama's likely voters, and increasing the probability of their getting to the polls on Tuesday.
The ultimate impact of the campaign is to totally motivate Obama's supporters such that they cannot wait to cast their vote, like a spring getting tighter and tighter, with its spring ready to be released with a sudden pulse of energy. All this underscores Obama's success in establishing a high performance organization that is disciplined and methodical in its pursuit of the Presidency.
Back to the canvas... I was paired up with Brad, and off we went to complete a second round of contacts in the GOTV action.
1. Bush has sown, and McCain now reaps. Our first knock was at the home of a middle aged couple with six kids. We were tasked to contact the mother/wife, who answered the door. We could see the kids running around the living room, probably over-amped from Halloween candy. The woman said she could not tell us who she was voting for as her husband was in the military (this is not correct), and she was still considering the candidates proposals anyway. Then, the woman's husband came out on the porch. He seemed agitated (fuming?) and quickly sat in a chair at the far end of the porch, not making eye contact. Brad and I complimented the couple on their impressive large gauge train set permanently setup in the front yard. The small talk was not working in breaking the ice so we decided to bail. Mark this one down as a 'refuse.' I don't think most Democratic voters hate most Republican candidates, but it is clear a substantial percentage of Republican voters hate Obama; such is the spawn of years of Rove/Bush wedge politics, and now McCain's campaign is continuing to propagate the Bush slime operation (I expected so much better from McCain).
2. Goats, chickens, and cats, OH NO! Brad and I pulled into a dirt driveway with large ruts and mud holes and I try to keep my truck out of the mud. Being highly trained crack Obama canvas workers, we quickly noticed the large goat fence in the front yard containing several goats, chickens, and a few cats. Of course (and unfortunately), we would find out that the wild-life was not altogether constrained by the flimsy goat fence. We made our way to the front door, taking care not to twist an ankle on the crumbling sidewalk and knocked on (I advised Brad the cadence of 'shave and a haircut, two bits' is a non-threatening knock). Our target survey person was a young woman, but instead our knock yielded the woman's mother. We asked if she and her daughter had determined who they would be voting for. The mother (50-ish) answered, while she did not have any specific issues that tilted her decision, she was definitely voting for McCain. Usually, people do not have their guard up when you first walk up on them, and the mother showed us her true feelings when she said that she and her daughter had done some 'research' that said that Obama's idol as a young man was Hilter. Yes, Hitler. Brad and I turned and looked blankly at each other, in disbelief. Conclusion: We are dealing with, as the McCain staffers like to characterize Gov. Palin, a "whack job" and it was time to go. Enter a "5" in the knock list and beat-feet out of the goat ranch.
3. As JP says, Democrats are dog lovers: We are on our very last door-knock of the day, and as I am about to pull into the driveway, I see a van coming the opposite direction and I wait in hopes the van will pull into the driveway too. Sure enough, our luck was good and the 50-something woman on our list pulled into the driveway. I rolled into the driveway behind the van, and saw a large German Shepherd dog on the loose, along with several 'Beware of Dog' signs posted throughout the yard. Brad and I stayed in the truck until the woman secured the dog in it's pen. We start talking with the woman and she says she and her husband are undecided, but are starting preparing to make a decision very soon! Brad and I make good progress in engaging the woman with the pros of electing Obama as president. I diverge off topic and say I too have a German Shepherd dog, so we are really hitting it off now. While we are having this discussion, a young African-American man working on a car in the driveway start waves and gives us the thumbs up, acknowledging us as Obama supporters. We start to close the deal with the woman and the young man and it is clear we have made progress with the pair, especially with the woman. I give up my Obama sticker to the woman, Brad gives his Obama pin to the man, and we leave Obama literature with the woman to discuss with her husband. I left my phone number with the woman so we could get our GS dogs together after the election. True love, indeed.
From the Daily News: The man for the moment: Hillary Clinton makes the case for Barack Obama
"We cannot afford four more years of the same broken ideological policies. Barack Obama must be our President. Joe Biden must be our vice president. And Democrats must once again clean up an economic mess the Republicans left behind. We've done it before, and we'll do it again."
Thanks Hillary, we will never forgot your vigorous efforts to get Obama elected.
Blog Bonus: Play with the "Palin as President" web page, you and your kids will love it!
I was given a fat 50+ walk-list today (thanks JP!), which is a tough list for the area of Gloucester, VA, I was in. If Obama can take it to McCain in Arizona, I can go into the lion's den of ruby-red Gloucester too.
I have a hard time relating to undecided voters after tens of debates in the primaries, 3 debates between Obama/McCain, and a 30 minute TV message by Obama, plus tons of information on the Internet, in mailers, and through calls and knocks. So it remains a surprise to me that with total 24 contacts on my canvas, I still had 3 of these as undecided.
A couple undecided voters I met today:
1. Mid-60's gentleman who is a Vietnam Vet who spoke with me for a good long time. I walked around with him while he did some chores. He is very concerned with the future of the nation. Like many white people of his generation who are not overtly racist, Obama's skin color is not lost on him. I emphasized with him that, to solve America's problems, Obama wants to work with all Americans: black/white, red/blue, brown/yellow. This is the strength of Obama's unifying message. He said he would be voting, but could not say for whom as I departed.
Read more on Obama's vision of America in Frank Rich's article in the NY Times.
2. A mid-40's man came outside to say he, while registered, was not planning to vote (in my book, an undecided voter). I suspected he was a disaffected Republican (I have met many) who was disgusted with the state of the nation. I briefly engaged in a short discussion, but I don't think I sealed the deal with him. There was some hope with this man, as his young son joined us saying enthusiastically that he would be casting a vote for the first time. I encouraged his son to take his father to the polls.
3. A 19 year old young lady. She, like many of her age, have not assimilated enough information to make a decision. She did not know her polling place. She did not have any specific issues that concerned her, except she wanted to find a job. She seemed stressed over the thought of making a decision on who to vote for, and going through the whole voting ordeal. I advised her of her polling location, and tried to quickly touch on Obama's priorities for helping young people attend university and pull the economy out of the hole Bush/McCain put it in. Hopefully she was more at ease with making her decision and voting in the wake of our conversation.
My response to late-undecided voters is probably too strident... too many people have fought and died for our right to vote, many have struggled for woman's suffrage, and many have marched, protested, died to end Jim Crow and win voting rights for ALL Americans. Lord help me to be empathetic and encourage the undecided.
I really liked Obama's show yesterday, very well done. But why the need for a multi-station 30 minute uninterrupted info-mercial? I guess it is like Sarah Palin likes to say, sometimes you want to speak directly to the people without a "media filter." The need to reach out to the remaining undecided voters with just 5 days before the election is reason enough. Barack's need to get his story and his plans out to voters has been made more important by the constant deluge of negative ads from the McCain/Palin and Republican National Committee slime machines.
McCain has been whining about Obama fund raising advantage that allows Obama to purchase the media time for his video. George Will has an article in the Washington Post, "John the Careless" that commented on public verses tax payer financed elections:
McCain revived a familiar villain -- "huge amounts" of political money -- when Barack Obama announced that he had received contributions of $150 million in September. "The dam is broken," said McCain, whose constitutional carelessness involves wanting to multiply impediments to people who want to participate in politics by contributing to candidates -- people such as the 632,000 first-time givers to Obama in September.
Why is it virtuous to erect a dam of laws to impede the flow of contributions by which citizens exercise their First Amendment right to political expression? "We're now going to see," McCain warned, "huge amounts of money coming into political campaigns, and we know history tells us that always leads to scandal." The supposedly inevitable scandal, which supposedly justifies preemptive government restrictions on Americans' freedom to fund the dissemination of political ideas they favor, presumably is that Obama will be pressured to give favors to his September givers. The contributions by the new givers that month averaged $86.
One excellent result of this election cycle is that public financing of presidential campaigns now seems sillier than ever. The public has always disliked it: Voluntary and cost-free participation, using the check-off on the income tax form, peaked at 28.7 percent in 1980 and has sagged to 9.2 percent. The Post, which is melancholy about the system's parlous condition, says there were three reasons for creating public financing: to free candidates from the demands of fund raising, to level the playing field and "to limit the amount of money pouring into presidential campaigns." The first reason is decreasingly persuasive because fund raising is increasingly easy because of new technologies such as the Internet. The second reason is, the Supreme Court says, constitutionally impermissible. Government may not mandate equality of resources among political competitors who earn different levels of voluntary support. As for the third reason -- "huge amounts" (McCain) of money "pouring into" (The Post) presidential politics -- well:
The Center for Responsive Politics calculates that, by Election Day, $2.4 billion will have been spent on presidential campaigns in the two-year election cycle that began in January 2007, and an additional $2.9 billion will have been spent on 435 House and 35 Senate contests. This $5.3 billion is a billion less than Americans will spend this year on potato chips.
The Bush administration's first priority, created by an Executive Order on January 29, 2001, was establishment of the National Energy Policy Development Group, aka the super-secrete Cheney Energy Task Force. Cheney proceeded to haul in all his oil buddies to see how he and Bush could make them obscene quantities of cash. While it is universally agreed that Bush and Cheney have failed at everything they have touched, their efforts to line the pockets of their oil patch friends has been wildly successful, as shown in this Washington Post article today:
Exxon Mobil Corp. smashed its own record for quarterly profits today, ringing up $14.8 billion in net income in the third quarter powered by soaring summertime crude oil prices.
The oil companies, and their Republican apologists, would have you believe that they are re-investing the majority of these vast quantities of war profits into exploration; this is just another Republican "drill baby drill" fairy tale. No it is all about cash for the CEO and the shareholders, again from the WP:
During the quarter that ended Sept. 30, Exxon Mobil also spent $8.7 billion buying back its own stock. Exxon says this helps return money to shareholders, but some critics have argued that the company should be using the money to expand oil and gas exploration or to invest in renewable energy.
Is there any hope that McCain/Palin's priorities would be any less biased towards big oil than Bush/Cheney? Quit dreaming! The McCain campaign is stuffed with oil industry lobbyists, and it receives by far its largest contributions from the oil industry.
See the Exxon-John McCain video (worth a look).
Early voting has long been a Republican strength, with older white voters locking in their votes for Bush by a wide margin of 60% to 40% for the Democrats. With predictions of a historic number voters casting their ballot in 2008, many voters are trying to avoid potential long lines next Tuesday (November 4th) by voting early. This motivation is supported by surveys which estimate about 30% of all voters will cast their vote before Election Day (did I mention that is November 4th?), a much higher percent than in 2004 when 22% voted early.
The Obama campaign has encouraged absentee and early voting for all his supporters (I did!) who can use this option. In this election year, it is the Democrats who opting to seal the deal in record numbers with estimates of 16 million casting their vote thus far, and this number could grow to over 40 million early voters before next Tuesday.
All Obama supporters who are able should vote early so you are available to support your local campaign office all day Tuesday.
NT Times - Early Voting a Success: In the more than 30 states that allow early or no-excuse absentee voting, voters have been casting ballots in record numbers. Early voting has many advantages. The main one is that it makes it likely that more eligible voters will participate in democracy.
NT Times - The Decided Go in Droves to Vote Early: In 2004, 22 percent of voters cast an early presidential ballot, and the number is expected to climb to 30 percent to 35 percent this year. “We have predicted a third of the electorate; I expect that we will meet that,” said James Hicks, research director at the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College in Portland, Ore.
Washington Post - Early Voting Breaking Records:
"The aggregate number was shocking," said Michael McDonald, an associate professor at George Mason University who compiles early-voting statistics, who added that his running total of early voters now tops 16.5 million. "Looking at them, they're defying all the trends we've seen in early voting."Paul Gronke, director of the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College in Portland, Ore., said that "typically early voters have been older, whiter, higher-income, better educated. This year, they've been younger, African American and more Democratic." "It's hard," he said, "to spin these numbers in any way that looks favorable to the GOP."
"The aggregate number was shocking," said Michael McDonald, an associate professor at George Mason University who compiles early-voting statistics, who added that his running total of early voters now tops 16.5 million. "Looking at them, they're defying all the trends we've seen in early voting."
Paul Gronke, director of the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College in Portland, Ore., said that "typically early voters have been older, whiter, higher-income, better educated. This year, they've been younger, African American and more Democratic." "It's hard," he said, "to spin these numbers in any way that looks favorable to the GOP."
FYI... Director Steven Spielberg and his pals made a video encouraging you to (not) vote:http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2008/10/5-more-friends.html
... Harrison Ford, aka Jack Ryan, says get off your ass and vote!!!
People Get Ready (Curtis Mayfield, 1965)
People get ready There's a train a commin' U don't need no baggage U just get on board All U need is faith To hear the diesels hummin' U don't need no ticket U just thank the lord So people get ready There'a a train to jordan Picking up passengers Coast to coast Faith is the key Open the doors and board them There's hope for all Among those loved the most There ain't no room For the hopeless sinner Whom would hurt all mankind Just to save his own Have pitty on those whose Chances grow thinner For there is no hiding place Against the kingdom's throne People get ready There's a train a commin' U don't need no baggage U just get on board All U need is faith To hear the diesels hummin' U don't need no ticket U just thank the lord
Link to the song:
http://www.last.fm/music/Curtis+Mayfield/+videos/+1-6j8WfHBZmPg
*****************************
Peace Train (Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam)
Vintage YouTube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjSHazjrWg
So what is your plan for closing out this campaign? You weren't thinking about sitting around watching football next weekend??? No way, this election is too close and there is too much fun to be had talking to our neighbors to get out the vote for Obama.
Here is the checklist to free up your time to support dual shifts Saturday through Tuesday, November 1-4:
1. Get your absentee vote to the Board of Elections before October 28th (today!). Like they say in the airplane with the oxygen masks, you got to help yourself before you can help others.
2. Schedule leave or get time off from school
3. Get motivated and listen to Obama's 30 minute special on Thursday from 8:00PM to 8:30PM on CBS, NBC, and UNIVISION. Think of it like a peep rally before the big home-coming game!
4. Drop the kids, dog, cat, assorted reptiles, birds, etc, off with the in-laws, mom/dad or grandma/grandpa.
5. Sign up with the campaign to walk/drive/call/whatever. I'm scheduled to be in Gloucester for the duration. If you don't know where you might do the most good, volunteer to help at one of the 16 battle ground states through the Obama page. Sign your friends up too!
6. Check the weather... looking cool but no rain for Gloucester, VA, this weekend!
7. Stock up on power bars and cup of noodles, pack you bag with your tooth brush and extra strength deodorant.
8. Play one last game of Obama Policy Jeopardy with your friends to sharpen up on Barack's plans
9. Gas up the car, check the oil, and get to where you need to be.
10. Get out there and make history!
I guess I have knocked on 400 doors for Barack Obama in Gloucester County, VA, over that last couple months. During this week's Get-Out-the-Vote canvas, I encounter three people that really touched me.
The first was a 60-ish year old married woman first said she was undecided, but then admitted she was probably going to vote for Obama. She was obviously a woman of faith, wearing a cross pendant on her blouse. She said she was against abortion, and had saved 8 babies in the last couple weeks by encouraging their mothers to carry their babies full term. She knew in the last 8 years under that Bush administration, the number of abortions had not decreased, and she had concluded that the Republicans were using abortion to manipulate evangelical Christians. She also believed that Barack Obama was not for abortion. In what was a painful decision for her, she would vote for Obama hoping that people like herself would be given the opportunity to work with organizations like Planned Parenthood to give woman choices, and ultimately decrease the number of abortions. She told me that the pressure by her church to vote Republican was very strong. She said her church recently played a John Hagee "fear of God" video that said "vote the Bible" and everyone was going to vote for McCain, except her. She confided that she believed Obama was an intelligent and compassionate human being and would likely be a good president. In the end of our 15 minute conversation, she promised she would bring her husband to the polls on November 4th and they would vote for Obama.
The second person that I really felt for was a man, around 64 years old. He was working on his house, a very nice ranch style home, when I knocked on his door. He said he had never taken an interest in voting in all his adult life and had only just registered this year. He said that the past 8 years of the Bush administration were terrible and he was motivated to do his part to help the country make a change for the better by voting for the first time in his life. His life, in particular, has undergone painful changes in the last two weeks. He lost his job as a builder estimator/plans developer after more than 20 years in the business. The area's new building starts were slowing and his ability to use CAD drawing software was limited, a skill demanded by the new management that took over his company. The combination of limited technology skills and slowing business cost him his job. He said he would start getting an unemployment checks in a week, but he didn't think the money would pay his family's bills.
The last person I met this weekend was, although not on my official "knock-list", a 19-ish year old who brought me my burger at the local Sonic (Sonic burgers are a personal weakness). I had just completed my walk and submitted my tally sheet, and then stopped at Sonic. After bringing my food, I asked the Sonic "hop" if he was going to vote. He said, "no, my vote doesn't matter, especially in Virginia where they always go Republican." I told him that his vote would indeed make a difference, and Virginia might just vote for a Democrat for President for the first time in 44 years. I said that Obama was ahead, just barely, in the state-wide polls, and EVERY vote is important. He seemed surprised, but then said he would vote. When he came back to give me my change, I gave him my Obama pin (sorry JP, it was the cool one you gave me on Sunday with the red and blue circles). He said "thanks" and walked away smiling.
Seeing people in distress does not give me any joy. However, I share with them in the comfort that Obama, once elected at the 44th President of the United States, will have the middle classes' problems as his top priority.
This Tuesday, October 28th, please join Barack Obama in Norfolk, where he will talk about his vision for creating the kind of change we need.
Change We Need Rally with Barack Obama
Harbor Park 150 Park Avenue Norfolk, VA 23510
Tuesday, October 28th Gates open: 7:00 p.m. Program Begins: 9:30 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required; however an RSVP is strongly encouraged. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Limited on-site parking is available. Guests are encouraged to use the MacArthur Center Garage and other downtown lots.
Limited handicap accessible parking will be available on site.Carpooling and alternative transport is strongly encouraged.
For more information about transport and parking in Norfolk please visit http://www.norfolk.gov
For more information about the event or to RSVP please, call 757.228.4439
For security reasons, do not bring bags and please limit personal items. No signs or banners permitted.
This video is a hoot!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03fcGelz8Hw
Turns out that Gov Palin's $150,000 outfit bill, ran up in less than two months, is not the only make-over expense that is draining McCain's campaign coffers. Now we learn that the highest paid staffer on the McCain payroll is Palin's hair stylist @ an annual salary of $557,000 per year!!!
With Obama having leads in numerous battle ground states (PA, VA, CO, FL, NH, etc) and Bush strongholds up for grabs (FL, MO, IN, NV, NC) and Obama out spending and out staffing McCain 3-to-1 in these states, one must question McCain's judgment for not only picking Palin in the first instance, who's dearth of experience is glaring, but also for his decision to make a proverbial runway model caricature out of the governor of Alaska.
From the NY Times:
Chief Make-up Advisor and "Communications Consultant" to McCain's Campaign: Amy Strozzi
"Ms. Strozzi, who was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on the television show “So You Think You Can Dance?”, was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone, according to the records. The campaign categorized Ms. Strozzi’s payment as “Personnel Svc/Equipment.”
Chief Hair Stlyist Advisor, Get-Out-the-Vote Consultant, and Cindy McCain BFF: Angela Lew
Angela Lew, who is Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, got $10,000 for “Communications Consulting” in the first half of October. Ms. Lew’s address listed in F.E.C. records traces to an Angela M. Lew in Thousands Oaks, Calif., which matches with a license issued by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board said Ms. Lew works at a salon called Hair Grove in Westlake Village, Calif. W Magazine’s blog reported earlier this month that “the Guv has been traveling with a hairstylist named Angela, who usually works out of a salon called the Hair Grove,” and that she was directed to the salon by none other than Cindy McCain.
Angela Lew, who is Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, got $10,000 for “Communications Consulting” in the first half of October. Ms. Lew’s address listed in F.E.C. records traces to an Angela M. Lew in Thousands Oaks, Calif., which matches with a license issued by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board said Ms. Lew works at a salon called Hair Grove in Westlake Village, Calif.
W Magazine’s blog reported earlier this month that “the Guv has been traveling with a hairstylist named Angela, who usually works out of a salon called the Hair Grove,” and that she was directed to the salon by none other than Cindy McCain.
We need no additional proof that McCain's judgment is critically flawed, his twisted priorities are wrong for the nation, and he values are terribly out of touch with suffering American middle class.
From the Washington Times: McCain criticizes Bush Administration
"We just let things get completely out of hand," McCain said of his own party's rule in the past eight years."Spending, the conduct of the war in Iraq for years, growth in the size of government, larger than any time since the Great Society, laying a $10 trillion debt on future generations of America, owing $500 billion to China, obviously, failure to both enforce and modernize the [financial] regulatory agencies...failure to address the issue of climate change seriously," McCain told the Washington Times aboard his campaign plane en route from New Hampshire to Ohio.
"We just let things get completely out of hand," McCain said of his own party's rule in the past eight years.
"Spending, the conduct of the war in Iraq for years, growth in the size of government, larger than any time since the Great Society, laying a $10 trillion debt on future generations of America, owing $500 billion to China, obviously, failure to both enforce and modernize the [financial] regulatory agencies...failure to address the issue of climate change seriously," McCain told the Washington Times aboard his campaign plane en route from New Hampshire to Ohio.
More from Politic.com: Un-named source (Rove) criticizes McCain for criticizing Bush
A senior Republican strategist, speaking with authority about the view of the party’s establishment, issued a wide-ranging critique of the McCain high command: “Lashing out at past Republican Congresses, … echoing your opponent's attacks on you instead of attacking your opponent, and spending 150,000 hard dollars on designer clothes when congressional Republicans are struggling for money, and when your senior campaign staff are blaming each other for the loss in The New York Times [Magazine] 10 days before the election, you’re not doing much to energize your supporters.“The fact is, when you’re the party standard-bearer, you have an obligation to fight to the finish,” this strategist continued. “I think they can still win. But if they don’t think that, they need to look at how Bob Dole finished out his campaign in 1996 and not try to take down as many Republicans with them as they can. Instead of campaigning in Electoral College states, Dole was campaigning in places he knew he didn’t have a chance to beat Clinton, but where he could energize key House and Senate races.”
A senior Republican strategist, speaking with authority about the view of the party’s establishment, issued a wide-ranging critique of the McCain high command: “Lashing out at past Republican Congresses, … echoing your opponent's attacks on you instead of attacking your opponent, and spending 150,000 hard dollars on designer clothes when congressional Republicans are struggling for money, and when your senior campaign staff are blaming each other for the loss in The New York Times [Magazine] 10 days before the election, you’re not doing much to energize your supporters.
“The fact is, when you’re the party standard-bearer, you have an obligation to fight to the finish,” this strategist continued. “I think they can still win. But if they don’t think that, they need to look at how Bob Dole finished out his campaign in 1996 and not try to take down as many Republicans with them as they can. Instead of campaigning in Electoral College states, Dole was campaigning in places he knew he didn’t have a chance to beat Clinton, but where he could energize key House and Senate races.”
From Politico.com - RNC appears to shell out $150,000 for Palin fashion
So while McCain/Palin are posturing how they represent the salt-of-the-Earth, Joe the Plumber, Joe Six-Pack, Maria the Maid (oops, Maria is voting for Obama), and asking for these hard working "Real Americans" to fork over their hard earned cash to the Republican National Committee (McCain took $84 million in taxes from us, so he can't technically receive direct campaign contributions), Sarah Palin ain't been paying for her new big city, upscale, (wait for it)... elitist high dollar wardrobe and matching accessories.
The RNC showed the Palin and family's wardrobe mark-over expenses as “campaign accessories" in its September monthly financial disclosure report under “itemized coordinated expenditures.” Palin got her new outfits at the following posh establishment:
* Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74
* Neiman Marcus shopping spree in Minneapolis during the RNC National Convention - $75,062.63
* Hair and markup bill in September - $4,716.49
* Accessories from Barney’s of New York - $789.72
* Something to wear for her big SNL debut? Bloomingdale’s New York - $5,102.71
* Macy’s in Minneapolis, site of the RNC National Convention - $9,447.71
* Grand Total Cost to the RNC for the Palin and family wardrobe markover - $150,000
Shall we call these diversions in campaign finances Palin Wardrobe Pork??? If McCain/Palin are so excessively frivolous with campaign donations, what does this say about how they would manage the U.S. Treasury?
I hope all the Republicans who got all worked up over John Edwards’ $400 hair cuts will hold their candidates accountable for a change. This is probably to much to ask since most still think George Bush can do no wrong.
