from New Hampshire:
"We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will
only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been
asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against
offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been
anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible
odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't
try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a
simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.
Yes we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the
destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail
toward freedom through the darkest of nights.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and
pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the
ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and
prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this
world. Yes we can.
And so tomorrow, as we take this campaign South and West; as we learn
that the struggles of the textile worker in Spartanburg are not so
different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the
hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are
the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we
will remember that there is something happening in America; that we
are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people;
we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter
in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to
coast; from sea to shining sea -
Yes. We. Can."
This is our President.
]]>Got extra money lying around? How about giving it to one or all of these candidates, all of which are in extremely close races, all of which are winnable, and all of whom will have a huge impact on the next Congress. Remember, small donations, even $5 or $10, can make a huge difference. This is how we win.
Join me in giving money to each of them today!!!
Elwyn Tinklenberg: Do the words "Michelle Bachmann" fill you with mind-numbing hatred and disgust? Elwyn Tinklenberg is running in Minnesota's 6th congressional district against Bachmann, who you may remember as the Minnesota congresswoman who said the press should investigate Democratic members of Congress for anti-American activities; who said in reference to multi-culturalism that "all cultures are not equal" (the Islamic one for instance compared to the European one); and who, shall we say, is not a huge fan of gay people. She is horrible and her departure will not be a moment too soon. Plus we've got a great candidate in El Tinklenberg, who's the subject of this rap song, which is awesome. Donate here.
Al Franken: I've said it before, I'll say it again: we need to win this one, if for no other reason than to see the look on Bill O'Reilly's face as he is compelled to say the following three words: "Senator Al Franken". Plus the RNC is running what may be the sleaziest campaign commercial of the year. Saturday was the sixth anniversary of Paul Wellstone's death. This was his seat. Let's win this one back for Paul. Donate here.
Victoria Wulsin: Wulsin is running against "Mean" Jean Schmidt, so named for her tirade in Congress calling John Murtha a "coward" for opposing the Iraq war, and innumerable other outrages. As an added bonus, this is the second district of Ohio where I'll be working on GOTV for the next week. You wouldn't want my travels to be in vain, now, wouldja? Wulsin is a great candidate, and Schmidt's defeat couldn't happen to a nicer person. Donate here.
Mark Begich: Begich is running for US Senate in Alaska against incumbent Senator Ted Stevens, who's been in the Senate since the dinosaurs roamed the earth (and probably thinks they still do). This is an extremely close race. How can that be, you might ask, given that Stevens was found guilty today of seven charges of official corruption? Let's not wait to find out. As an added bonus, Stevens gets to join Sarah Palin on the list of Alaska Republicans we send packing. Donate here.
Bruce Lunsford: Lunsford is running for the US Senate in Kentucky against Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell. Perhaps the most farcical moment of this race came in the last few days when this happened. It's something you really need to read to believe. Imagine how demoralized Senate Republicans will be having their leader deposed. Donate here.
More to follow.
Check out the difference between what Zogby reports on his own site re: post-debate polling and what he reports to Reuters:
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1596
"The debate appears to have had only a little affect on likely voters nationwide."
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49G0V320081018
"Today was the first full sample post-debate and there's a clear indication that McCain is moving up."
Keep in mind what we're talking about is a .7% move up for McCain and a .9% move down for Obama, putting the race nearly exactly where it was two days before the debate. In reality, the worst you could say is that Obama's post debate bounce has dissipated.
I guess the horserace moves units.
]]>A couple of weeks ago, I wrote how my momma, a Jewish grandma in Boca, is supporting Barack Obama. And not just her, but all her friends. Turns out there's something Jewish grandmas find even more scary than voting for a shvartser, and that's voting for Sarah Palin.
But wait, there's more.
My momma was out to dinner with her friends the other night, older Jewish couple, the man a staunch Republican. And by staunch, I mean STAUNCH. 80 year-old grandpa, former corporate exec, never voted for a Democrat in his life, voted for Bush twice. You get the idea.
As often happens these days, the subject turned to politics. My momma starts talking about what a mess the Republicans have made of things, how negative McCain's campaign has been, how much she hates Sarah Palin. Having had this conversation before, she knew what to expect: a spirited discussion, a heated exchange of ideas, the occasional appeal to reason. But she never expected what she got: agreement.
Turns out gramps has changed his mind and is now voting for Obama.
Why? Two words: the economy. This was the evening after the first meltdown, and this lifelong Republican was disgusted with what George Bush and his party had done to the economy. In his book, someone needs to be held accountable, and if that means throwing the bums out and voting for a Democrat, then so be it.
Now, admittedly, we're dealing with a small and not necessarily representative sample here. But if what's happening with my momma's friends is happening with other Florida seniors (and there's reason to believe it is), John McCain might want to watch his back in Florida - grandma's comin' out to vote, and she's bringing grandpa with her!
The future of America under a McCain/Palin administration.
I'm just saying.
]]>Relationships Matter (or How to Win Ohio)
In the week before the 2004 election, I went out to Cincinnati with a friend to work on the Kerry campaign. We arrived at the campaign office to a flurry of activity, found someone to give us our marching orders, and we were off.
For the next six days, we knocked on doors of primarily empty houses. Occasionally, we'd get a retiree eager to chat or a door slammed in our face, but not often. Inexplicably, with the most important election of their lives only days away, people were still going about their business as usual.
In our travels we ran into other canvassers from MoveOn and ACT, also from out of state. Awesome, I thought. We've got this town COVERED!
Election day was rainy and cold, but there was hope. We had nine people stationed outside the precinct, ready to spring into action if someone needed a ride to the polls or a call to remind them to vote. The Republicans had a single operative outside.
Turns out their guy was a longtime resident of the neighborhood, churchgoer, involved in community affairs, someone who knew everyone and who everyone knew. As we were talking, voters were walking into the polling place, and their guy knew them all. "How's it going Joe?", "How's the Mrs.?", "See you at church on Sunday?".
Towards the end of the day, we checked the numbers. 84% of the people in the precinct had turned out to vote. My friend commented how great it was -- higher turnout means Democrats win, or so went the conventional wisdom. Problem was, this was a 75%-25% Republican precinct.
We went back to the office. The place was still buzzing, but it was different this time. If you've ever seen footage of bees in slow motion, you know what I'm talking about. Instead of the well-choreographed dance it appears in normal speed, turns out bees are constantly crashing into each other, crashing into the hive, walking around in a daze. It's a miracle they get anything done at all.
And so it was at the office -- hundreds of campaign volunteers, mostly from out of state with no connection to the community, looking busy, trying to be useful. Lots of activity but not a lot of organization.
Reports started flooding in from around the state. Massive turnout, Democrats beat their targets in nearly every precinct, minority turnout was high, student turnout was so high they were waiting in line for hours. We were going to win this thing!
But that's not how it turned out. Yes, compared to previous elections, Democratic turnout was off the charts. But Republican turnout was even higher. Democrats had gone with a decentralized model, stressing numbers of boots on the ground, with layer upon layer of duplication between the party and groups like MoveOn and ACT. Republicans used an AMWAY model stressing personal relationships. With fewer troops, Republicans were able to reach a greater number of voters and turn them out to vote. Democrats simply got beaten on the ground.
The moral of this story? Relationships matter. A single organizer from the community is worth a dozen from out of state.
So what to do with this information. If you're in a swing state and want to help, start by walking your block. Introduce yourself to your neighbors, make sure everyone who supports your candidate registers and is ready to vote on election day. Take personal responsibility for your neighborhood. No one will do a better job organizing your neighborhood than you.
If you're not in a swing state, make a list of everyone you know who is in a swing state and make it your personal mission to call every single one of them, try to get them involved where they live. At a minimum, make sure they turn out to vote. No one will be more persuasive with your people.
Most importantly, whether you're in a swing state or not, make sure you and everyone you know is registered and motivated to vote. If we learned anything from 2000, it’s that every vote matters. Make some calls. Talk to your people. Get organized.
And remember, there's no time to waste. The election is five weeks away. Let's get to work!!!
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