Do Something: The Reprise
A little over a month ago, I wrote a post called Do Something.
I wrote about my feeling that we are in a fight for the very soul of our beloved country. That was before McCain and Palin started inciting violence at their rallies. That was before an Obama volunteer got punched in the face. That was before tires got slashed. That was before we had video evidence of the simmering anger that some on the right are feeling at the thought of an Obama presidency.
Well, it's crunch time. Two weeks left. Fourteen days. The last chance to take back America. Our opponents are trying everything they can think of to reverse the tide and our victory is not inevitable.
We know we have the momentum. We know we have the numbers. We know we have the moral imperative. But it is not enough to know. We also have to do.
So, please. Give more money. Talk to every single person you know. If they're on the fence, convince them. And, most importantly, make some time to knock on doors or make phone calls.
You're not too busy. Trust me. Unless you're in labor, there is pretty much nothing that can't wait two weeks.
Here's a list of things you can do, or put off, to carve out hours for volunteer time:
- don't make your kids' Halloween costumes. You can support your local economy by purchasing the crappy plastic ones.
- put off the yardwork. The leaves aren't going anywhere (unless they blow into your neighbor's yard. If your neighbor supports McCain, BONUS.)
- cut down on sleep. These kids that have been working for the Obama campaign for two years have likely shaved months off of their life expectancy by giving up sleep. You can lose a few hours.
- skip the weekly visit to the mall. You can't afford it anyway. (Unless you're going to buy your kids' costume. Then, just make it snappy.)
- tivo Dancing with the Stars. Those sparkles can wait. You'll be so busy volunteering, you won't know who got booted anyway.
- forget about nutrition. Fourteen days of Hamburger Helper will not have a permanent negative impact on your family's health.
Those are just a few ideas to get you started. If knocking on doors is intimidating to you, I've got two words for you: President McCain. Oh, and three more: Get over it. One more: NOW
So, to recap: donate, talk, and walk. Get to it. Your country is waiting.
Now THAT'S political organizing - O-Style. Some further tips Orlando gave me & asked me to pass along:
1. Can the washroom breaks. You can hold it. Bloat for Obama. Worried about the price of gas? Make your own!
2. Incapacitating pro-McCain neighbors takes less time than persuading them. Duct tape - more uses than you thought.
3. Double Bonus Point Idea - Eat The Cat! Saves on food shopping for you, and the ex-cat.
4. Sell your Hall & Oates albums @ yard sale. Take down the license # of all buyers. Def' Republicans. Then... Duct Tape.
5. Quit TPM. What kind of an arse spends hours mocking losers like that anyway?
6. Does That Picket Line REALLY Need You? Thought not. Children neither. Tough love, baby, tough love.
7. Sell your vote to a friend. That way, 1 trip to the polls covers off 2 voters. (Avg Price - A Mickey of the good.)
8. Eat Neighbors Cats. Hell, one cat ain't gonna get you through two weeks. How stupid are some people?
9. Help Orlando. Them corn-heads can barely keep their teeth in, much less know how to vote. Repeat - McCain will take your CORN!
10. Insert 8th Day Into Week - Quinnday! "And on the 8th day, you shall go door-to-door. In Indiana. Suck it up."
Quinn (On behalf of Orlando.)
October 20, 2008 4:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Printer's Error: There is no point #7.
October 20, 2008 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quinn, you have a truly twisted mind. I dig that about you. And when I canvass this week, I'm telling everybody that McCain wants to take our corn. It's a winner.
October 20, 2008 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remember #2 & #8 when canvassing. I hope my list covers all other eventualities. I put a lot of thought into it.
October 20, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I object to #8: eating neighbor's cats is vile in principle and distasteful, in fact.
October 20, 2008 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmmm... "Distasteful, in fact."
First-hand knowledge?
October 20, 2008 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Life was tough after the hurricane. Owl is awful. Particularly with innard of cat onboard.
October 20, 2008 8:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very timely, Orlando...Loved it then, love it even more now!
October 20, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
As usual, O does it better! For those who are interested, here's my slightly different take on the same subject. My suggestion is not to recommend my post, but just leave this link here, so folks can check out if they like. No point in clogging the system with redundancies!
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/californiapaige/2008/10/complacency-the-sleeping-menac.php
October 20, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Different, not better. Duh.
October 20, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was just trying to be efficient. Clearly that doesn't work with this crowd.
October 20, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Herding cats. Next time, offer catnip.
October 20, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also, here is redbush's simple chart:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/redbush/2008/10/danger-of-complacency.php
October 20, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just checked, Paige. And it seems you aren't "Following," Orlando. Don't wanna start anything, but that seems a mite unfriendly.
October 20, 2008 6:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paige is the first person I ever followed. She's my ultimate sherpa.
As an aside, you can pick up reading glasses at the dollar store on the cheap. I heard that sometimes older people need those to see things up close (like Paige's avatar, for instance).
October 20, 2008 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speak up willya?
October 20, 2008 6:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you need a push, read this:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015278.php
October 20, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paige and Orlando, yet again proving that great minds think alike, heh.
October 20, 2008 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, and the first person to come by here & write, "And fools seldom differ" gets a kick in the patootie.
October 20, 2008 6:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
quinn seldom differs
October 20, 2008 6:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry. Missed it by [thaaat] much.
50 cents please & thanks for playin'.
October 20, 2008 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
You really need to get a sense of humor, dude.
October 20, 2008 8:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whaddya mean? I sent away for a sense of humor once - cost me 50 bottlecaps, 20 wrappers and $10.95.
I thought it worked great! Ok. Let's test-drive it. "Didja hear the one about the sweet, happy-go-lucky, li'l chicken... the big wide road... and the GREAT BIG FUCKIN' 16-WHEELER THAT CRUSHED IT ALL TO HELL?
Whew. You may have a point bwakfat. Maybe this Sense of Humor does need a tiny tune-up.
October 20, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
w00000000t!
I like it! Oblivion!! It'll have to wait until after the election, though, I have some coop calls to make.
October 21, 2008 6:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Woot!
October 20, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
W00T!!
October 20, 2008 8:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm Donal Fagan, and I approve this message.
October 20, 2008 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
October 20, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Spend an hour a day on right-leaning blogs, extolling the virtues of Bob Barr.
October 20, 2008 7:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's the spirit. And don't worry. Quinn wasn't talking about you in #8. (And if he was, you've got a good disguise. When's Easter?)
October 20, 2008 8:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
When's Easter????? That's EVIL. Now he's not only gotta worry about WW the Cat-eater, but O the Bunny-killer.
Oh what the heck. Here Bun-kitty Bun-kitty.....
October 20, 2008 8:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I *so* dare you to say it to our face:
http://www.lingr.com/room/TPM-aholics
October 20, 2008 8:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
No way quinn'll show up, O. He's scared of us.
October 20, 2008 8:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nah, he's no chicken.
October 20, 2008 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you willing to bet on that, Bwak? Say... a pie?
October 20, 2008 8:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I heard that republicans and Canadians were cowards. We'll see.
October 20, 2008 8:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
You been talking to the corn again? Or the cows?
Wait a minute..... just saw that "pie" reference...... mmmmmm....
October 20, 2008 9:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Completely off-topic, but the NYT just put out a new poll showing: Women have a GREATER net favorability ratings of Palin (and McCain) than MEN do! And LOWER net favorability ratings for Obama (and Biden.)
Can we refight yesterday's fight based on TODAY'S poll? ;-)
October 20, 2008 10:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm back!!! I will save my punjabi brothers and sisters, I don't care about the other regions! Salsa mhaur kalsa rupaj!
oops! Wrong blog!
Never mind! I'm gone!
October 20, 2008 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Laughin' my ass off Lux.
You been hangin' with Jacob again? Dude'll kick your Punjabi butt.
October 20, 2008 11:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
(Seriously - check his post on the Delhi factory where the workers killed the manager. Sheesh.)
October 20, 2008 11:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I will relay your advice to my programmer. Lux never hangs with Jacob. Lux kicks no one's asses and vice versa. Lux cares deeply about interspecies harmony.
[signed]
Lux's super-computer "Fredkin"
October 21, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Orlando,
Given all that you posted as suggestions (and I think that proper nutrition, making your kids Halloween customs - if that's your things - are *incredibly* important and should never be tossed on the side of the road), I can't believe you didn't make the most obvious suggestion:
Stop posting on TPM where one is merely preaching to the choir!
Yes, I saw the Quinn made this suggestion, but I'm going to amplify it since I think it should be made seriously.
One should always keep a perspective on life - health and family should never be sacrificed in this way. They are what life is about.
Even Obama is taking 2 days out of his campaign to deal with his ailing Grandmother.
October 21, 2008 12:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hi Clearthinker,
I know you like to start fights, but I'm just not that interested. So, I hope you have a really lovely day. I hope that, during that day, you work in some volunteer time, like I plan to do. Because I think it's really important that we elect Barack Obama.
On your preaching to the choir note, I'm pretty sure the same post at Red State isn't going to generate a lot of volunteers for Barack. But if you feel differently, you have my permission to copy and paste the whole post over there. You can even elminate the suggestions that you find objectionable. Probably you should. I don't think the folks at Red State have a sense of humor either.
October 21, 2008 8:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I highly rec'd your post... and this great response!
October 21, 2008 10:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Orlando:
a) You have a hard time separating message from messenger. Even more amazing since, all that is expressed here are thoughts -- so the message is front and center.
b) Like so many "progressives", you apparently don't relish diversity of thought -- only in the solidarity of your own view. You see my comment as "starting a fight". Hardly. I guess you see it as a major challenge to your person for deigning to disagree with you. And then, only in part!
c) It's amusing to assume that I meant to post the same post on the right of center sites. I know and respect your intelligence too much to let you get away with that comment -- you know that wasn't what I meant.
In fact, I was really surprised by your (I'll assume) serious comments about neglecting health and family -- you normally are more rational. I do note that you neglected to respond that even Obama recognizes the importance of these issues given taking away 2 days of campaigning in the last two weeks (nearly 15% of the time left!).
Apparently you don't feel like you have a sense of humor, Orlando. I feel bad for you. Without one, a person can quickly become sour.
I'm sure it's fun to feel comfortable here -- especially in light of your aligned thinking to the rest of the group. The fact is, yes, I do post on right of center boards on occasion (and just to let you know, it's under a different name). I make arguments there to attempt to sway people to be more open-minded -- to see how Obama would make the better president. And you know what? Often their attitude is amazingly similar to yours. They, too, feel very comfortable in their aligned thinking to the rest of the group.
Something to think about.
October 21, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
la la. Hope you're day is going well.
October 21, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oops. Typo. I hope YOUR day is going well. And I hope YOU'RE feeling quite good about it.
October 21, 2008 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mistakes like that belie a certain emotional state, don't they? ;-)
October 21, 2008 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mine:
1.Put off writing your dissertation.
2.Accept the first (okay 3nd) apartment you look at because you know you have to find a place to live before you run off to Florida for the weekend.
3. Let your laundry pile up in the middle of the floor. Wear the same thing every day, rotating between two sweaters based on who you will be seeing.
4. Skim this post and skip reading the 40 comments , assuming no one else's suggestions relate to your life since you don't have kids and you always buy your own halloween costume anyway.
P.S. I did calls at the campaign office today! whoohoo!
October 21, 2008 12:46 AM | Reply | Permalink