I'm doing voter protection in NH on election day, I think.

The phone fundraising solicitations are damn annoying lately. You have to either blow them off quite rudely or get a 10 minute guilt trip that only grows in heavy-handedness to the point you regret trying to be nice.

I've painted dozens and dozens of "Vote Now" and "Vote Today" and "Vote Here" signs for early voting, which starts on Monday. Sunday night we'll be putting them up all over town. Plus a little phonebanking to recruit local volunteers.

I'm not seeing much complacency here, though ours is a combined campaign office for Obama and local and statewide races. The office is buzzing much of the day. When we do direct asks, we get a pretty good response. Last night we signed up a bunch more volunteers at a debate-watching party.

WDYDTGOETW?

I voted for him.

Here on the first day of early voting, the lines at Durham's Board of Elections were huge. My ballot was #79, and when I left, the line was out to the road and around the corner. Obama's chances in NC hinge on massive turnout in cities like Durham, so this is a good sign.

Also, this is the second election in a row that I voted for a high school friend (last time was school board, this time was Soil and Water Commissioner). It kinda makes me feel old.

the lines at Durham's Board of Elections were huge

Awesome!

I have ceded to another participant the absolute right to post in this thread the news of the very awesome thing we did to get Obama elected this week. But trust me, it was totally awesome.

And I'll be working voter protection on the last day of early voting as well as election day.

the lines at Durham's Board of Elections were huge

Lines for the first day of early voting are cut off at 5:30pm today. I get off work at 6pm. I've been asked by my chief judge to come in after work - getting there around 6:30 or 7 - to help process everyone who was in line at 5:30. She expects we may be there until midnight. Early voting in NC isn't just a good idea, it's practically going to be a requirement in order for election day itself to be at all manageable. My early voting precinct is on the campus of NC Central University and they're having a march, a rally and a block party today, all geared towards early voting.

I finally caved in and signed up to go door-to-door in NoVa this weekend. Unfortunately, I forgot about my doctor's appointment Saturday, so I plan to phone-bank instead.

It's what I had been hoping for - it's canvassing geared to independents and leaning-Democrats.

Oh, and I should add, at least for the time that I was in line, it almost had the feel of a party with people laughing, slapping each other on the backs, and hugging the Dem volunteers handing out the endorsement cards. I love living in the most Democratic county in North Carolina.

I signed up to volunteer to help the no-on-8 people.

Yay for early voting! And for Ben trying to take down Prop 8!

I'll be canvassing in Indiana this weekend, and probably each weekend until the election. A friend of mine who's managing much of the national phonebanking operation will train me to be her datamonkey on election day, so that's how I'll help then.

I'll be canvassing in NoVA this weekend, and maybe some data entry if needed. I stopped by the Fairfax Obama office yesterday to pick up a bumper sticker and the nice lady convinced me to give canvassing a try. I'd been planning to just give money because I'm a misanthrope, which kind of impairs my people skills, but what the hell.

Hmm. I'm not so happy with the Obama people's data in my district. First, they had me on a sporadic voter list (I was called by a friend who was using the list). The only possible elections I've missed in the past eight years are school board elections, I have volunteered at the last two caucuses, and I was one of several hundred people to vote in my district's city council primaries. Next, they've stopped by my house no less than 8 times, and called more than that, despite the fact that each time I tell the person(s) that I've already requested my absentee ballot and that I am a guaranteed Obama vote. This is all after I went to the Obama headquarter's grand opening and had my name put on an email list for potential volunteers (yet I haven't received a single email). I have no doubt that many voters, in my district at least, have been turned off by the Obama campaign's GOTV efforts.

They Built It, You Should Come

You're damn right, you saucy little troublemaker. I approve of the new focus on objectivism and hero worship at this blog.

12: Where are you based?

(The sporadic voter thing is based off public records of voting going back way more than 8 years, and probably some other demographic modeling, so that may be why you're marked as such)

Where are you based?

Iowa City. I understand campaign's focus here; it's the most liberal and active Democratic area in the State, and they're trying to make sure that the base doesn't get too comfortable. But it's really pissed me off a couple of times. Like when the middle-aged couple knocked on my door during a Cubs-Dodgers game and announced they were from Springfield, Illinois and wanted to talk to me about Barack Obama. I don't remember if I exactly told them to fuck off, but that was the idea.

WDYDTGOETW?

While trying once more to fine-tune the new carburetor in my scooter in my driveway because the light is better there I glanced up to see a pair of canvasser's leaving my one neighbor and walking towards my house.

I could tell they were authoritarian followers because they looked fearful, they were slim (from burning all the calories with their fearful fidgeting) and the kicker was they were older woman, one with blue hair, and should have looked like sweet elderly ladies, the kind you want to serve tea and cookies to and listen to their stories of all their grandkids even when you don't really want to do it, but instead they had that pursed lip scowling sourpuss face of disapproval only a true authoritarian follower can not only summon up but not ever get rid of.

So even though I was kneeling next to my scooter, which face it at 50ccs jacked up to 70ccs is still the pitiful baby brother to any self-respecting motorcycle in the world, I looked unblinking at them in my best scientology glare and remained in a perfect Hannibal Lector in his cell waiting for Clarise like a spider watching a fly stillness.

The ladies sensed the innate danger and skipped my driveway and went on to my other neighbor, a nice Catholic family who normally would tend to vote with them but I knew a secret: the good Catholic parents next door were not home and their good college-age son, fresh out of the closet, would be answering the doorbell.

I admit I gleefully watched the ensuing transaction between two parties each dissaproving but trying not to show it and putting on their game faces for each other before turning back to my air/fuel mixture screw, turning it another quarter turn and hoping, once again, to get my spark plug the elusive but highly desired chocolate brown color showing the absolute perfect mixture of oxygen and petroleum products required for explosive combustion.

So WDIDTGOETW?

Not very much I am afraid.

15: Yeah... I'm just surprised because I thought there were only supposed to be about 3 contacts, with one of them not due until the 4 days before the election. Hmm.

So I haven't done anything for Obama this week because I'm a lazy sourpus. I write, however, to tell you about my girlfriend, who has been a religious lurker of these pages for the past several years, but who has been too shy to ever post to y'all. Anyway, she has been phone-banking, calling Orange and Granville Counties in NC, almost every day for the past few weeks. Further, she almost has me convinced to phone bank and canvas with her.

That's all.

ps, we want to know more about the festivities as NCCU--are they all afternoon?

Woohoo, shy lurkers!

I'm feeling pretty good about Obama. I'm redoubling my efforts to defeat Proposition 8, which is looking like a much rougher task than originally. My slender reed of hope is that people in California really like voting "no" on stuff.

I wrote a BLOG POST! It convinced at least two people to donate to NoOnProp8.com.

I also took Election Day off and made plans to volunteer for the Working Families Party on a State Senate race in Queens. The race is one of several that could tip the partisan balance in the state legislature and enable all sorts of progressive goodness in New York state.

Obama's national margin has actually been narrowing a bit in the tracking polls over the last two days (pre-debate). Becks might be right that it's way too early to become complacent.

But it's really pissed me off a couple of times. Like when the middle-aged couple knocked on my door during a Cubs-Dodgers game and announced they were from Springfield, Illinois and wanted to talk to me about Barack Obama. I don't remember if I exactly told them to fuck off, but that was the idea.

This is what worries me about going door to door. I got a lot of irritation reactions in 2004 too, might just be me though.

The yes on Prop 8 ads are effective. They imply that the state will turn your children gay, whether you like it or not. It happened in Taxachussets. Fact.

The "it's not fair" rebuttal campaign is less effective. I'm afraid the election will not turn on tolerance, but bigotry.

After becoming convinced that I shouldn't hold a fundraiser, I convinced my family to hold a fundraiser and volunteer rally Tuesday night. It was small but successful--we raised a decent chunk of change (mostly for the NC campaign), several people signed up for GOTV efforts, and we had a bunch of fun. Thanks to some of you on (and apparently lurking on) this list for the help!

My five-year-olds have done more this week to get Obama elected (specifically) than I have, but they're my spawn, so I claim partial credit. I'd feel worse about not being able to put in time on the campaign if Obama weren't assured of a landslide victory here.

I've signed up to GOTV and canvass the weekend before Election Day in Pittsburgh (what on earth would be the point of volunteering in NY?), but I'm still figuring out if I'll be able to make it.

I'm the aforementioned shy lurker. Regarding the issue of irritation due to multiple calls, home visits, etc., my experience hasn't been too bad. Where I am, we're not really trying to reach persuadables. It's GOTV for known suppporters, mostly. And while a few people are touchy about the constant harassment, I've been surprised by how many people are just really excited about Obama, or else actually need some kind of information the vagaries of election policy. These people actually thank you. So, I've found the positive reinforcement more than enough to overcome the negative.

And I'm really motherfucking socially phobic, people.

Since this is the political thread:

For the few LA regulars, and if there are any LA-area lurkers, it's incredibly important to vote yes on Measure R (that's where I've been doing my volunteer work lately, although I've given money to Obama). It's our best chance at getting a better public transit system in 20 years.

Sorry to push a local issue, but this one's really a big deal that's flown under a lot of people's radar, even here.

ps, we want to know more about the festivities as NCCU--are they all afternoon?

No clue - best to go by and check them out in person. My chief judge didn't know the details when we spoke over the weekend and I don't know the details now except that I need to go over after work. I would imagine they will be going on for a while, though.

28: Huh. I'd remembered you as outgoing and jolly, until you got all miserly.

Jesus kids are toxically cute. It's really unethical to put them to political use.

They seem to want to make it a daily thing. I'll see if I can get some video.

31: I know, I know. The name doesn't work at all. I just like the sound of it. I've been reading the book while half asleep lately, so when I hastily picked a moniker out of my not-terribly deep subconcious, out it came all floppy and incongruous-like.

I volunteered for a State Senate race here a few days ago, but so far I haven't heard anything. I signed up as part of a League of Conservation Voters drive to find recruits (they pass your information along), but maybe I should contact the campaign directly.

34: Nothing wrong with that. If you keep commenting, though, we will have to find a literary man with a wooden leg to read to you.

I signed up to be a Comfort Captain!

It's our best chance at getting a better public transit system in 20 years.

On a similar note, I've been seeing huge billboards for this the past few times I've driven back and forth between here and Albuquerque, so today I finally looked at the site and it looks like a really good idea that will hopefully be approved. Public transportation in the area is currently atrocious, but there have been some encouraging steps lately, and this is one of the biggest.

Posted by: NC Planning Student

Interesting.

1. I plan on writing a response to an email about Frannie & Obama that my mom sent out today.

2. It seems like phonebanking is my main volunteer option here in CA. How fluent in his policy positions should I be before I do this? I know they give you a script, but surely they can't guarantee that the person you call will allow you to stay completely on script. I don't want to end up in a situation where I do more harm than good by making the campaign look bad.

Phoning in advance for GOTV? I'm clearly missing something. My image of GOTV is all election-day calling and driving the van around to the senior center. Today they may be excited but on the 4th they'll be crazy busy and have a cold and....

Those in California may be interested in this, about races beyond the presidential campaign.

I plan on writing a response to an email about Frannie & Obama that my mom sent out today.

Man, the last (and only) time I did this in response to an email my mom forwarded me, she and I never spoke of it again. As in: no, parsimon, I'm pretending that you did not send me that reply; no, mom, I'm pretending that you did not send me that email.

41 - It would be insanely great if Brown won in CA-04. That's what I should do...

From the link in 41:

The money national Republicans earmarked for White in New Mexico and for Paulsen in Minnesota will likely go instead to protect GOP incumbents who once looked like locks for reelection.

Excellent. White's in a pretty close race with Martin Heinrich, about whom I know little except that he's the Democrat.

Phoning in advance for GOTV? I'm clearly missing something. My image of GOTV is all election-day calling and driving the van around to the senior center. Today they may be excited but on the 4th they'll be crazy busy and have a cold and....

I think it's a multistage process. Today you call to encourage them to vote, and hopefully get them to commit to voting. Then you call them again closer to election day to remind them.

40: Remember that a lot of places have early voting, as well. The organizers and volunteers in the battlegrounds were focusing on registrations, and now have mostly shifted toward getting known supporters to vote ASAP in order to make election day as easy as possible.

Also, a lot of visits and calls are focusing on identified sporadic voters and independents/leaning dems who we might need to convince. Obviously, this is not 100% accurate as Grumps shows, but it's groundwork that needs to be laid in advance of the voting.

It would be insanely great if Brown won in CA-04. That's what I should do...

I phone banked for Brown in 06, it was oh so close...down ticket races, everybody!

I contributed some $ to Al Franken the other day. I cannot tell you how much America needs a comedian in the Senate. I mean, someone who deliberately does comedy.

My sister and niece sent out a hoax email supposedly from Letterman but actually from Newsmax. One of my brothers and I said it was stupid, and I documented the hoax. No response.

I convinced my mother, resident in the province formerly known as Deep Redstatia but now verging on swing state status, to offer a ride to the courthouse for early voting to some straight-ticket-Dem-voting elderly neighbors.

White's in a pretty close race with Martin Heinrich, about whom I know little except that he's the Democrat.

Vote for him:
http://www.martinheinrich.com/

I tried to volunteer for him, too, back in perhaps March. His campaign manager put my info on a tiny little post-it note, which I presume he then lost. I voted for Heinrich at the Democratic Party pre-prmary nominating convention, anyway.

I'll be in Ohio the last week of the campaign (thanks to a free ticket Sir Kraab had that must be used by November 6th; thanks, Sir Kraab!). So far I have been given no details by the Ohio Obama people of where exactly they'll send me. I'm flying into and out of Cleveland but that's really all I know at this point.

I'll probably be very busy, as will I'm sure members of the Cleveland Area Unfoggedetariat, but once I know more details perhaps we might see about the possiblity of an Ohio WDYDTGOETW meetup?

Here in Austin, I have done very little so far, as I've been incredibly busy running Fall Dig-Ins and helping organize our upcoming Fall Festival, but the Ohio trip plus all the work Sir Kraab has been doing make me feel slightly less guilty about that.

Have we abandoned all hope for Unfogged DCon, III?

m/tch:

Please email me. I have someone who might want to pick your brain about copying your project.

52: I don't think so. AWB made noises about holding it in California at one point, but I don't know what became of that.

Richmond is fabulous in the December.

52: In D.C. for the Inauguration!!

Such traffic and so many people.

How about a pre-Inauguration party?

will, you've been e-mailed.

My wingnut uncle in FL (who was actually raised on the UES and in Swiss boarding schools, but who reimagined himself as a redneck in his 20s) sent my mother an extremely foetid email of the seekrit mussulman variety. My mother is deeply in the tank for O, so, when she forwarded it to me, she did it so I would debunk it and she could write a snotty email back to my uncle. I hadn't seen any of that stuff before. Horrible.

51: I might be up in NE Ohio. I did P'burgh last election and then felt afterwards like I should have gone up to the parent's area in Ohio ('cuz I was personally going to add like 100,000 votes ....). So still holding out on "where" decision for now, but right now am assuming Ohio more critical than PA.

m/tch: are you "lonelygirl" or "Grow your penis!"?

52: I don't think so. AWB made noises about holding it in California at one point, but I don't know what became of that.

Someday I'll put up a post about this.

AWB made noises about holding it in California at one point, but I don't know what became of that.

Yeah, with the MLA happening in SF this year a west-coast Unfoggedcon'd make sense, but unfortunately I don't know that we have a venue. Magpie and I would host, but our house is way too small to have a decent party. One option that did occur to me was getting a banquet room or something similar, but I don't know if people would be down to contribute cash for that.

61: Look will, do you want the $16 billion diverted from the Nigerian treasury or not? Just give me your bank details already!

Apparently I really like bringing things up and then shooting them down.

our house is way too small to have a decent party.

Don't we have some unfoggeders out in flyover country with a 3,500squ ft abode? Volunteer to host UnfoggedCon and we'll totally forgive you your selfish excessive carbon footprint.

I don't know if people would be down to contribute cash for that.

Remember you gotta make ben pre-pay. Motherfucker always tries to weasel out of the bill.

weasel out of the bill.

You misspelled "w-lfs-n".

68: Come to think of it, don't Texans typically have oversized houses? Just sayin'.

69: Now that you mention it, heebie and jammies' house is the PERFECT place to have UnfogggedCon III!

The third-trimester hostess is truly the hostess with the mostest.

71: I hear they sometimes refuse to host parties based on concerns about their "health".

Back to the original topic:

I went to see Bill Clinton stump for Obama this evening. (I think the show of support counts as helping the campaign.)

It was a long long wait for the man of the hour to arrive, and impatient children and uninspired speeches from local labor leaders made it seem longer. Brief relief came from intentionally misinterpreting the phrase "bridge, structural, and ornamental iron workers."

"Who's that guy hanging around?"
"Oh, he's just an ornamental iron worker."

President Bill himself was a big lift. He had a nice bit where he argued that we don't need to worry about people being secretly racist in the voting booth. We all have stupid, irrational predilections and prejudices, he explained, but we know to put them aside when life as we know it is on the line. "nothing focuses the mind as much as the prospect of being hanged the next day," as Sam Johnson said.

President Bill also deployed the famous Winston Churchill quote that Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing after they have exhausted all the other options. It was really weird to hear that line at a rah-rah patriotic rally. Clinton's claim was that for the last eight years we have tried everything but the right thing, so with this election, the voters can be counted on to vote wisely.

The application of the quote seemed strained and bleak. But I suppose those are the times.

teofilo, The Golden Dustman tells me that you are interested in going to planning school. I'm a first year in the master's program at UNC. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

73, 74: It sounds like President Bill acquitted himself well. He often does, it would seem.

36: I'd settle for a cutie to hold my pencils.