With the Senators and Congressmen taking requests from friends and family, many of Obama volunteers and supporters may be left in the cold. So, why not take the lemons and make lemonade? One group here is suggesting to host our own parties. I agree and want to take it one step further (thanks Anthony). I hope the Obama team will use their clout to talk to stadium owners to let supporters watch the inauguration throughout the DC area and the country. That way, we can tailgate; have free concerts; and do not have to spend a lot of money for dress-up clothes.
What are your thoughts?
Bush is at it again. This slid under the radar on Friday, October 25th. President Bush has ordering the Attorney General Mukasey to investigate voter fraud in Ohio even after the Supreme Court threw the case out. Bush did this in 2006. Check this out (http://tinyurl.com/6nzpw5) and pass it on. Tell your friends in Ohio (and nationwide) to push hard to vote early before Nov. 4th before the DOJ starts interfering.
Overloaded Schedule? You Still Can Help This Week!
1. Sign up under http://my.barackobama.com to get the latest and click Issues to see where he stands and Download for signs, flyers, etc.
2. Early Vote or Vote Absentee in Person if you can. Take a neighbor or two.
3. Make sure your family members are set to vote with IDs, etc. Go Early if possible.
4. Watch Barack Obama’s presentation on October 28th at 8pm with family or friends, or by yourself (with a glass of wine).
5. Log in to the Neighbor 2 Neighbor on http://my.barackobama.com/n2n download a phone list and a script to help Obama make his closing arguments in battleground states.
What Can You Do on Election Day?
The Obama campaign did the work for us. Consider taking off on Election Day and volunteer. Check out this site. http://my.barackobama.com/takethedayoff.
We must stay Fired Up. Share your plans to help Obama win.
Cheers, Crystal
I sometimes run a running commentary on politics and Life. I can also work with twitter through my cell phone (on the web side) Here is the address: http://twitter.com/crtconsu. Look forward to you joining me. Cheers, Crystal
Laurel Cell Phone Call Center - John McCain’s Anger First Campaign http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/devintucker/gGgHCD This call center made over 10,000 calls working only weekend. Bravo to Mark, Maureen, Devin, and Wendy, et al.
Neighbor to Neighbor: Reach Out and Make a Difference http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdate4/gGgbMr
We Are Fired Up…Ready to Go100,000 in St. Louis, MOhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/18/obama-rally-in-st-louis-d_n_135826.html
75,000 Kansas City, MOhttp://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/18/213024/26/738/634881
10,000 in Fayetteville,NChttp://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=307920
$500 Million in the Obama War Chest (and Still Frugal) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=a4Pz1EAmXk50
Crystal’s Registration DrivesI worked as a Registered Voter Registration Volunteer in MD. I had the opportunity to personally register over 100 new voters from August 23 to October 4. Thank you, Mom and Dad at their building, Miles Barbershop, Gold’s Gym, and Starbucks. What humbled me most were the people served their time. They stood up a little taller when they learned that they could vote. Awesome.
Some of this information is universal, if in doubt go on this web site and find your state's rules and regulations. If you do not need this information, please forward it to someone who might. This may eliminate some of the rumors floating around or you can verify things for yourself. Just get your friends, family, co-workers out to register and vote your whomever your candidate is. http://www.longdistancevoter.org/ Information from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, INC (LDF) The concern for college students registration, students who consider their Maryland school address to be their "official" or "permanent" home may register to vote in Maryland,even though their Maryland school address may be different from their temporary address. However, verify whether changing their residency will impact their eligibility for financial aid that they may receive from another state or jurisdiction. They can file a absentee ballot and have it sent to the school address. People in jail who are awaiting trail and have not been charged, can't make bail, or serving sentences for non felony misdemeanors are still eligible to vote by absentee ballots also. If convicted of a felony, have completed serving a court ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any terms of parole or probation for conviction, you are eligible. If any one needs more information in this area go to this handy website. Form and laws for all states. http://www.longdistancevoter.org/ If you are a first time voter, talk picture ID or bill with name and address. New rumor just in- 3:10 PM, 09/24/08 - McCain is trying to cancell the debate. And the beat goes on. The situation about the foreclosures if you do not still live in your house and have no fixed address to receive mail, you still have a problem. Your residence is some where you receive mail, and or pay bills.Maryland State Board of Elections Rumor Control
Rumor: If my home is in foreclosure, will I be allowed to vote?
Fact: Maryland’s Constitution (Art. I, § 1) guarantees each citizen who is 18 years old and a resident of the State the right to vote. The fact that your home is in foreclosure has no bearing on your right to vote. It may, however, effect where you vote. If you have left your home and taken up a new residence, you will need to update your voter registration (by October 14, 2008) and vote in the election district and precinct for your new residence.
Rumor: If I wear a campaign button or t-shirt into the polling place, will I be allowed to vote? Fact: A voter may wear campaign paraphernalia (buttons, t-shirts, or stickers) into the polling place while he or she is there to vote (the voter may not linger in the polling place after voting). However, an election judge, challenger and watcher, or other person stationed inside the polling place or within 100 feet of the polling place may not wear or display campaign materials.
Source: http://www.elections.state.md.us/ http://www.elections.state.md.us/documents/Electioneering.pdf Don't get angry about the false rumors! Do something! Volunteer for and Donate to help Barack Obama get Elected.
Call your congressman and senator and tell him or her that you want them to support Obama's plan to help Main Street. If Wall Street wants our help, then they must pay a price. They are working on action this weekend. Call them. Blow up the phone lines.
See Obama's speech on the Financial Crisis http://us.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/19/campaign.wrap/index.html?iref=hpmostpop#cnnSTCVideo.
Make the call today.
Fightin' Mad,Crystal
I got more than a little frustrated with the mainstream media giving the McCain campaign free air time for its commercials, meaning McThug would air the commercial on the web and the media would give free ad time by discussing it. So, I decided to create a few of my own commercials to counter the McCain campaign, but I need your help.
Here are links to the individual commercials. There will be more to come.
Your help to spread the word is vital and its truly appreciated.
CheersCrystal
Poll Madness: McCain Takes Lead Even As Democrats Out-Register Republicans?Seth Colter Walls
This week's mainstream coverage of the presidential horse-race has been dominated by a series of polls showing the McCain-Palin ticket with its first stable lead over Obama and Biden. Gallup's tracking poll, USA Today and CBS News all show the Republicans with some kind of lead over the Democratic ticket. But, interestingly, all three polls were also conducted using a higher sampling of Republican voters than in July, raising a question of methodology.
In a year in which Democrats have a lead of 11 million registered voters over Republicans, and have been adding to that advantage through a robust field operation, are pollsters over-sampling Republicans?
Despite a raft of advantages in the electorate for Democrats, in September's first Gallup tracking poll, an equal number of Republicans and Democrats were surveyed (including "leaners") from Sept. 3-5, compared to a 10-point Democratic identification advantage two weeks ago. That partisan makeup of the polling pool resulted in a 5-point lead for McCain in Sept. 5 tracking poll. Meanwhile, the new CBS poll features a 6-point swing in partisan composition toward Republicans, which plays some role in the poll's two-point lead for McCain. Finally, the latest USA Today poll, which claims a four-point edge for McCain, was arrived at after a 10-point swing in partisan makeup toward GOP respondents.
Some polling experts say the changing state of party affiliation in the field is slow to be reflected in polls themselves. Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg told the Huffington Post that "when it comes to registration and turnout, the polls often do a very bad job of taking those [factors] into account," because newly registered voters aren't in the voter files used by firms that survey public opinion. "You could make the argument they are under-representing new registrants," she said, which would mean that the Democrats new edge would not be taken into account.
Monday's USA Today poll had a 48-47 split between Democrats and Republicans surveyed. That represents a nearly 10 point shift in party identification toward Republicans since USA Today's July polling. When asked for comment, USA Today polling editor Jim Norman wrote that "it's possible" that their latest sample includes too many Republicans. Though he added, "it's also possible that we have too many Democrats," because "there's always the chance of an over- or under-representation" in polls.
Still, Norman admitted that the GOP identification in the latest survey has spiked. "The party ID in our most recent poll does show a shift away from what Gallup has been getting in earlier polls, going all the way back to 2005," Norman said. "But previous conventions -- the Republican one in 1988, the Democratic one in 1992, the Democratic one in 2000 -- have also shown shifts in party ID toward the party that had the convention, and those shifts seemed to last, to greater or lesser degrees, though the election. Further, I've been told by Gallup that their tracking poll has shown a similar shift in party ID since the Republican convention. ... I guarantee you we will be watching closely in all of our polls between now and election day to see whether there are further shifts in party ID in either direction."
And it's true. Gallup's own GOP identification (including leaners) has swung six points in the last month, from 42 percent of voters to 48, according to tables provided to the Huffington Post. Meanwhile, solid and leaning Democrats have fallen from 52 to 48 percent of those polled. For political scientists who believe that partisanship is largely stable over time -- and who take note of the advantage in voter registration being experienced by Democrats during the same period -- the newly GOP-heavy poll samples can raise eyebrows.
Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz is highly skeptical of the new Gallup, USA Today and CBS polls. About the latter, which showed a statistically insignificant two point lead for McCain, Abramowitz said: "One reason for the dramatic difference between the two recent CBS polls is that the two samples differed fairly dramatically in terms of partisan composition. The first sample was 35.2% Democratic, 26.2 percent Republicans, and 38.6 percent independent. The second sample was 34.9% Democratic, 31.1% Republican, and 34.0% independent. That's a change from a 9 point Democratic advantage to a 3.8 point Democratic advantage. That alone would probably explain about half of the difference in candidate preferences between the two [CBS] polls."
If these polls are improperly reflecting the partisan makeup of the electorate at large, it certainly would go part of the way toward explaining anything beyond the quick "dead cat bounce" after the Republican convention. And if the convergence of polls around a small McCain lead has anything to do with sampling error, it would render any claims about a new equilibrium in the race somewhat moot.
One day before USA Today announced its new poll numbers, it also ran an Associated Press story with the headline "Democrats Post Big Gains In Voter Registration." In that article, the AP noted that, during the primary season, "more than 2 million Democrats [were added] to voter rolls in the 28 states that register voters according to party affiliation. The Republicans have lost nearly 344,000 thousand voters in the same states."
The article proceeded to lay out a variety of statistics that favor Democrats:
Nationwide, there are about 42 million registered Democrats and about 31 million Republicans, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.
The Democrats have posted big gains in many competitive states, including Nevada, New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado and Florida. They have also been targeting historically Republican southern states.
Since 2006, the Democrats have added 167,000 voters in North Carolina, while the Republicans have added 36,000.
Still, that doesn't discount the fact that Republicans have definitely made some gains. As Greenberg notes, "Sarah Palin came out and gave a really good speech. She certainly exceeded the low expectations. And then more people watched McCain's speech than Obama. And now it appears there was a bigger bump for McCain than there was for Obama. ... But there always been more room to grow his vote." Greenberg says the prior lack of enthusiasm among Republicans could have resulted in an inflated rate of survey respondents identifying as independents. "The CBS panels show most of the movement came to McCain from undecided voters, people who were probably holding back from McCain," Greenberg said.
Despite that, Abramowitz simply doesn't think the overall spike in Republican sampling among all three polling firms is an accurate reflection of the electorate. "It's just not likely," he says. Given how important polls can be in the coverage of the race, even a slight assist to McCain during a period in which he is exciting the Republican base could help him solidify a new narrative in the race, regardless of the partisan facts on the ground.
Response to Governor Palin's Speech - ENOUGH!!!
Governor Palin:
I heard about your speech last night especially that bit about community organizers. But you forgot to mention another difference; community organizers actually HELP, not leave the community with $20 million dollars debt like you left the town of Wasilla. Yup. Yup. You spent what you did not have which is a typical Republican policy - Spend, Borrow, Beg, and Act Self-Righteous when you don't get what you want.
It is sad to witness the party of Lincoln disintegrate into a party of takers - the ownership society with drip down policies of economics with a foundation of fuzzy math (like my budget). So far, your party, the GOP, (or is it the Alaska Independent Party who hates America and her D--ned institutions?) - Oh for the sake of convenience - the GOP has taken the following from the American People:
1. Our Economic Security with the loss of tens of thousands of jobs shipped overseas, high gas prices, massive trade deficits and foreclosure rates,
2. Our Physical Security by selling our buildings and ports to foreign investors, lack of response during Katrina, and picking fights with other countries for no reason, and
3. Our Individual Freedom and Mental and Physical Well-Being by scaring us everyday with the terrorist threat colors.
And you have the nerve and the audacity to ridicule the community organizers who have to clean up the mess that Republic Party always creates.
Governor Palin and Senator McCain: Thanks, but No Thanks. We have had enough of you and your party. You are being put on notice. We are organizing now to ensure that you get a one-way ticket back to your hometowns on November 5th.
Crystal
Vetting Sarah Palin- What the Media is not Telling You
I was hoping to take this weekend off after Obama's wonderful speech. (Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv8eiDvrHJ4). However, McCain thought he could pull off this upset and media fell for the Maverick stunt again. It seems that the repugs (or rethugs) are recycling Huckabee's argument about being head of the state national guard puts you over the Commander-in-Chief threshold. The Main Stream media is running with it without thought. So, I wanted to some email information about Gov. Palin and her so-called executive experience.
http://www.codepublishing.com/AK/Wasilla/Wasilla02/Wasilla0216.html#2.16
Palin: What Does a VP Do?http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin-what-exactly_n_122514.html
Palin Investigated for Abuse of Power as Governer (Audio included) http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/211769.php
Palin's National Experience - Alaska is Next to Russia http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/cindy-mccain-on-abc-today_b_122759.html
Laughter at Someone Else's Pain (Audio included) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/31/palin-laughs-as-opponent_n_122776.html
Mother-in-Law: I Don't know What She Brings to the Table http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/republican_race/2008/08/30/2008-08-30_sarah_palins_motherinlaw_uncertain_about.html
The All-American Family...Gandma Palin or Mama? Keep your eye on this story... http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-69834
Palin- For Obama before She was Against Him http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/09/08/080908ta_talk_gourevitch
Reformer or Still Building the Bridge to Nowhere? http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/30/palin-wanted-nowhere-bridges/
Left $20 million in Debt As Mayor of Wasillahttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12987.html
John McCain's Recklessness - VP Offer after 1 Meeting http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/29/andrea-mitchell-john-mcca_n_122517.html
Diverting Resources from Gustav - McCain/Palin Selfish Political Motives http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2008/08/mccains-disastr.html http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Hurricane-Gustav-John-McCain-And-Sarah-Palin-Visit-Mississippi-To-Inspect-Preparations/Article/200808415090119?f=rss
As we roll to Election Day, we will commemorate the 7th Anniversary of September 11th. The day our nation was attacked. The Pentagon was attacked. I wrote these thoughts, my feelings in 2007. However, they are applicable in now (hence the present tense), as I listen to Bush and McCain. How profound that I should run across this blog entry! When I thought about the events of that fateful day, I thought about the past and present and the level of emotion and spirituality in the country and myself.
On September 11, 2001, I remember working at a law firm on 7th and Penn Ave, NW, just a few blocks from the Capitol, the Washington Mall, and a 10 minute walk from the White House (to be honest, you can walk to the Pentagon). My co-workers and I were shooting the breeze in the IT department when the emails from our Boston Office started rolling in about the planes hitting the Twin Towers. I received a frantic call from my sister to come to her house right away. While I started to get my gear and to find out what was happening, we started to get more emails about more bombs, in the subway and on the National Mall. I can remember standing with Kathy and staring at the smoke on Penn Ave wondering how I was going to get home. When I returned to the office, Stephanie alerted me to an email from Teresa giving rides across South Capitol Street Bridge. Of course, I took her up on her offer. Cynthia offered to take me the rest of the way to my sister’s home from the station. When I checked in with my boss to find out what to do, the Twin Towers in NY began to collapse. The administrator told to us to get out. His wife just saw a plane cut close to her car on I-395 before it hit the Pentagon. An hour in an underground parking garage...an hour or more getting to the Douglas Bridge...Then, an eerie silence of too little traffic as we whizzed into SE, Washington or East of the River. Cynthia was nice enough to drop me off at my sister's once we reached the station where her car was parked.
When I was with my family, I can remember watching the news a lot. When I was alone, I cried a lot. You see, I worked in New York in late 1999. I stayed at the Millennium Hilton. I even brought a hat from World Trade Center 5. I worked in Crystal City for Department of Navy several years and commuted from the Pentagon while working for USDA. A few days after the attack, our company brought a former FEMA counselor to check in on us. It was funny that most of the attendees were single women. I could remember the Iyanla Vanzant interview on Tom Joyner Show when she stated that the single members of her staff were having the most difficulties handling the situation.
My security was shattered because I was always told as a kid that if a plane flew over the Pentagon that it was supposed to be shot down. There are two Air Force bases in our area, but a commercial plane had hit the Pentagon. On that plane, there were 3 kids from DC Public Schools who earned a trip to California from National Geographic. The mom of one the kids mentioned that she done all she could to protect from son from the streets and from harm, yet he was taken away from her. If you lived in SE, DC back in the day, you can definitely relate.
Emotionally, I felt like a victim. I had enough of crying and watching the news. So, I limited my news intake. I was getting stronger….Then…Wham!!!…September 24, 2001, a F3 tornado hit (http://www.weatherbook.com/collegeparkmain.html) the High School in Laurel, MD (5 minutes from my home) and killed 2 young women in College Park, MD. In December 2001, I was let go from my job one week after returning from surgery. So much for power. September 2001, became a metaphor for my Life. I saw the paralysis in our country and paralysis in myself. I lost my job, but decided to pursue my dreams of training minor league baseball players and almost lost my shirt (I did not plan well at all.). October 2, 2002, I returned from working in Lexington, KY and sniper shootings had just begun that very day. Three weeks of terror. Many of the murders took place close to home. I decided live in oblivious awareness to maintain control of my real fear.
Let’s flash forward to September 10, 2007. When I recount the crash at the Pentagon, the F3 tornado that came through Laurel, and the terror of beltway snipers, I also recall the many ups and down over the years. Many times, I felt like a victim of circumstances. Do you remember how the phrase “Let’s Roll!” on Flight 93 (PA) changed the mood of the country? We became our old feisty selves with an awareness of what’s important. As I roll through my Life, I found that the best revenge against terrorists, snipers, other people’s problems and the naysayers of my Life, is to LOVE GOD, LOVE MYSELF, and LIVE WELL. Who I am as a person is what I attract in my Life. The state of creation will bring abundance while competition creates lack in all aspects of Life. In spite of this knowledge, I still get hit by events and circumstances (sometimes upside the head), but it nice to know that I can continue to lean on GOD and JESUS and have my dreams to keep me going. Let’s Roll!
Thank you so much for signing up for this event. I look forward to sharing ideas to help to shape the DNC platform.
Agenda,
2. 5 minutes – News of the Week
3. Overview of DNC Platform discussion
4. DNC Platform (1½ hours) - We will discuss policy issues to shape the DNC Platform to submit to the Obama campaign. So, take a look at your positions and then Obama's positions under Issues on the site. Bring 3 issues with ideas for solutions.
5. What’s next?
6. Closing Remarks
Cheers,Crystal
Good Evening, All:
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, ideas, and enthusiasm. We have made so much progress. At the same time, we have more work to do. After hearing Sen. McMumbles this week, I am fired up and ready to go.
Wendy, we missed you, girl!!! Welcome Shelley, Arlene, Pat, and TuWauna.
WHAT WE HAVE COVERED SO FAR:
July 5th Parade in Laurel, MD
Kudos to Wendy for getting us into Laurel’s July 5th parade. She went old school with kids, friends, signs, and lollipops. Jemma led us in the call and response. Pat and Elliot glad-handed the adoring Obama crowd except for the thumbs down grandma. We were loud and proud that day.
Everyone is encouraged to become a voter registration volunteer. As stated in the blog, you can stop by the election board to between 8:00-and 4:30pm. Better to go individually versus in a group. We decided to conduct the registration on August 23rd at Laurel Lakes Senior apartments (Crystal will work on getting the space. Logistics will be discussed during the conference call.)
Shelly mentioned holding an event near the Mall and for workers who commute to Arundel Mills. Marion mentioned pass out reminder flyers at Greenbelt Metro. Ann will do the flyers. Her computer has now been set free.
City elections are coming up on September 9th referendum on slots may be on the agenda.
What do you all think of collecting request for absentee ballots along with registration?
Do you want to do reminder flyers or registration for the Laurel elections?
Where are the kids
Wendy is looking into the cost for the park and Arlene is looking into access to the roller skating rink.
Election Day
Shelly is looking into process of how we can get a shuttle w/ driver to drive people to polls.
We are actually on target with our tasks, but there is one task I would like to refine…
Number of Emails to compile- I am suggesting up to 50. Do the best that you can. Keep it in electronic format and get permission from the addressees that we can send information to them.
July 26th -2:00pm-4:00pmFood for Thought Meeting – Building US Policy
Aug 6th-8pm- 20 minutesConference Call – 8pm Details to follow up
Aug 8th-COB for US Postal ServiceLast day to register to vote in Laurel City elections
Aug 11th - 4:30pm-7:30pmCafé Barack at Starbucks at Contee Rd
Aug 23rd - 10:00am-3:00pmVoter Registrations – Laurel Lakes Senior apartments
Aug 28th - 5:00pm-11:00pmNomination Party (if I don’t score tix toDenver)
My Mind is empty. Let me know if I forgot anything. Have an awesome week.
The day started with a little rain and a lot of enthusiasm. Our little group packed a walloped at the end of the line. Jemma lead us in the calls and response. Elliott and Pat worked the crowds. Wendy went “old school” by designing cool signs and passing out lollipops. We made sure that we had the U.S. Flag waving for all to see.
The Chants:
Vote for Obama…There’ll Be No Drama
Yes we can! Si Se Puede!
Spectators cheered us on. We had one thumb down, but our spirits were high. I felt like I was in the zone. Then, my 16 yr old nephew said, “Aunty, I’m tired.” I told him that the marchers in the Civil Rights Movement did not have walking shoes or bottled water. I don’t know if I told him that Aunty took a nap after the parade.
For those of you, who have participated in the parade, please share your thoughts with us.
Cheers,
