http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsieAmgCbUE&feature=player_embedded
Dear Friends,
I am quite relieved that Obama actually won. I would like to attend an event on the 13th or the 14th in the Alachua/High Springs area. I used to have some space that would be perfect, but I do not have any place in mind today.
I could see if the community center in Alachua is available, if that is the best choice. Please email me if you would like to help find a place to gather and talk about the changes that we would like to see from Washington in 2009.
Many thanks to all of you for your hard work. I did knock on quite a few doors, but it doesn't show on this website.
Obama is the kind of leader I can believe in and I hope that some much needed change does come about soon.
DJ
Early Voting for the entire state of Florida has just been extended.
Every Early Vote location in Florida will now be every day from 7am-7pm up through November 2.
Please pass along this great news to everyone you know who will be voting in Florida. Click here to find your nearest early vote location.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS ~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~October 28, 2008Contact:GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. "I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote." Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting. Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting. Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29. Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217. STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217 WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties; WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; andWHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008. GOVERNORATTEST:SECRETARY OF STATE
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS
~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~
October 28, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting.
Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting.
Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29.
Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217.
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217
WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and
WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and
WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and
WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties;
WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; and
WHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008.
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
My partner Wendy and I attended Gainesville's Early Vote for Change, and waited for 4 1/2 hours to see and hear Michelle Obama. We arrived in downtown Gainesville at 11am, voted early at the county administration building, waited in line, made some fun friends there, and had a great time! It was tough in the heat, but it was well worth the wait to see Michelle Obama in person, and hear her strong speech for Barack Obama.
Here's a link to some pictures from the event.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazyredlizard/sets/72157608274436412/show/
I reached my fundraising goal! But I cheated by donating more than half of that at the last minute.
Time is running out. If you happen to be online and catch this in the next 45 minutes, and you haven't spent the amount of time making phone calls or going door to door that you hoped (like I did), make up for it by making a donation.
Now! Go! You have like 40 minutes left!
Are you worried that McCain's smears may be gaining traction in your state or district? I've been worried about Ohio, so I wrote a series of replies to fight back. Please feel free to use one of my letters as a model and send your own letter-to-the-editor of a local paper. Time is running short: many papers have cut-off dates for election-related letters, so do it TODAY! Small town papers are a better bet for getting printed than big-city dailies that receive tons of letters. Also, those "pro-American" towns might need some balance about now. Find lists of newspapers here: http://www.50states.com/news/ and here: http://www.usnpl.com/It's always wise to check in advance if your paper has a length limit. They often don't tell you this on the website, so a quick phone call can save wasted time. Most will accept letters by email, so ask for the editor's (or relevant person's) direct address, too. Always include your address and phone number. They will not print these, but may call to verify that you are the sender.At the bottom, I've included a list of the papers where I sent my letters, so if you live in Ohio--don't duplicate! That would make a really bad impression. Please leave a comment to let others know where you've sent a letter. Of course, you can also revise any of these letters in your own words.
270 Words:Dear Editor:John McCain is a great American who deserves better than to see his Presidential campaign run into the ground by careless and unscrupulous advisors. To deflect attention from the economy, they declared their only hope was to go negative. But in focusing on questionable associates from Mr. Obama's past, they've laid their own candidate open to the rattle of skeletons in the closet. Independent journalist Murray Waas broke a story last week about William Timmons, who heads up McCain's presidential transition team. Founder and "Chairman Emeritus" of Timmons & Company, which calls itself "Washington's premiere lobbying and consulting firm," William Timmons conducted a 5-year project for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Two underlings who served on the project later pled guilty or were convicted of acting as unregistered agents of the Hussein government.The lobbying campaign was dedicated to easing international sanctions against Saddam in the mid-1990s. The sanctions aimed to prevent Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction. Timmons produced regular talking points that were reviewed by Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and circulated to American officials. Timmons and his associates also positioned themselves to take advantage of a lucrative oil deal, once their lobbying efforts paid off and sanctions were lifted. All this took place at a time when Iraq was considered a rogue state and sponsor of terrorism. Timmons' activities could hardly stand in sharper opposition to John McCain's views of Saddam's regime. It is tragic that ignorant advisors to the campaign would allow such an association to develop. If the focus on smears and distractions continues, we must expect to hear more about unsavory links like these.
[[I sent this letter to the following papers. Do not duplicate!
to The Advance Reporter (Wms Co., OH) The Sandusky Register, OHThe Progressor Times, Carey, OHBellefontaine Examiner, OHCelina Daily Standard, OHThe Piqua Daily Call, OHThe Mount Vernon News, OH
Floridians. Now that early voting has started, it is extremely important that everyone encourage down ticket voting. In my area, we have a 20 year incumbent Republican Congressman, voted with Bush 95% of the time, yes, worse than McCain. If we want the kind of change we all seek, it is important we stress voting out people like Cliff Stearns in the Florida 6'th Congressional District by Nov 4. Otherwise, people like this will be obstructionists, and vote NAY on anything and everything Barack wants to do.
Please encourage everyone you know to vote for Tim Cunha for Congress.
Here is a link to his TV spots. Spread the word to your friends and neighbors. Change must happen within Florida as well as nationally.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDQR48SFn1k
Join Michelle Obama outside the Hippodrome Theater in downtown Gainesville on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 2:30pm. People can start arriving as early as 1pm. Streets in the area will be closed to accomodate the expected crowd. The Hippodrome is located at the point where SE 1st Street dead-ends into 2nd Place.
Michelle's visit is part of a statewide effort to encourage Florida voters to voter early. Early voting in Florida starts Monday. Given the length of the ballot this year, and the surge in new registrations, election day (Tues. Nov. 4th) is expected to be crowded (which is great news!). By voting early, we can all help ease the crunch on election day, and perhaps volunteer an hour or two election with the Obama campaign--driving older voters to the polls, handing out literature, making sure friends or family members and especially new voters turn out to vote.
"This is a 51/49 country, not a 60/40 country... If you want to elect Barack Obama, go to Florida, go to Ohio. Go to the battleground states."
Obama supporters are more confident now than at any time this year. (Who even remembers the depressing days right after Sen. McCain chose Gov. Palin?) The media echo chamber is largely reinforcing this confidence, just as they have in months past. The powerful endorsement by Colin Powell today on Meet the Press will likely dominate press coverage for a day or two, with only two weeks and two days left to election day. That is huge.
But we should keep our eye on the ball! Lets focus our attention on the battleground states, because if Obama wins only one of these, we likely win the whole ballgame: Florida, Colorado, Ohio. And the single thing that will tip the balance is a significant move by older voters, particularly in places like Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The Great Schlep
Sarah Silverman gives a funny take on our mission: go to your grandparents, your parents, your friends and family in these toss-up states, and make sure they are on board. It would be great to win North Carolina or Virginia, but it is essential that we will our share of toss-ups.
Fair warning: this humorous video does contain expletives.
http://www.thegreatschlep.com/
Conservatives sing the praises of Barack Obama
"I sense in this guy a first-class mind who might just do smart things." --Christopher Buckley
"Barack Obama is the sharpest knife in the [Democratic] drawer." --Rush Limbaugh
Colin Powell is now endorsing Barack Obama on Meet the Press.
"I have gone back and forth between someone I have the highest regard for, John McCain, and someone I have been getting to know, Barack Obama." Both candidates would be good presidents.
However, Barack Obama displays "intellectual vigor, intellectual curiosity", and he is surrounding himself with people that will give him the advice that he needs. "I think he is a transformational figure... I will be voting for him."
While Powell continues to love and admire John McCain, who he has known for more than 20 years, he is very concerned about the rightward direction of the Republican Party. "We must stop polarizing our country. John McCain is an non-polarizing as anyone I know, but there is a polarizing element in the Republican Party."
The effort by the McCain campaign to tie Obama to terrorism (via his relationship to Bill Ayers) is a "terrible stretch, its demogogary" and its further evidence that the McCain campaign has been "narrow, ... too narrow for America." Powell tells a compelling story about a young man who was 14 at the time of 9-11. This young man was born in New Jersey, and waited until he was of age to join the military and serve his country. That young man was killed in combat, and is buried in Arlington Cemetary. His gravestone has the star and crecent of his Muslim faith, just as others there have a cross or a Star of David. The McCain campaign effort to tar Obama as Muslim (despite the fact that it is not true) insults the memory of this young man, and the millions of American Muslims who should be able to aspire to serve this country, and yes to become President of the United States.
Barack Obama will electrify this country, and the world. He has established himself as the right candidate. At this point in history, we need a president who will be transformational, a generational change. That is Barack Obama.
Please come over to our house (820 NE 5th Ave) this Thursday at 7pm for a presentation on the Wild Spaces/Public Places sales tax initiative. Wild Spaces/Public Places is a citizen-led effort to protect natural resources and improve public recreational facilities in Alachua County, and will also be on the ballot Nov. 4th. If approved, it would add a one-half cent to the sales tax for two years. Half the funds would pay for a specific list of park improvements in Gainesville, Alachua County and the county’s smaller cities. The other half would pay for Alachua County and City of Gainesville land conservation. (See http://WildSpacesPublicPlaces.org for more information.) This is an important opportunity to continue investing in our public parks and natural areas. The meeting gives you a chance to ask questions of primary sponsors of this initiative—and we hope to lend your support to the effort. Please RSVP to conexos@gmail.com or 335-8874. Your comments on this or any other matter are welcome. Thank you, Randy and Ondine Wells 820 NE 5th Ave tel: 352-335-8874 conexos@gmail.com PS—If you would like to receive future notices (like this) on the economic vitality, environmental health, and social wellbeing of our community, please e-mail conexos@gmail.com. Your e-mail will never be shared or spammed. Thank you.
MakeFloridaCount.com archives articles, videos and other organizing resources to use with undecided voters.
I am developing section on Conservative and Republican endorsements of Obama. Please send me your suggestions (by e-mail or by commenting on the blog).
See extended blog for more detail of what is available on the site.
New organizing resources are added daily. In unity. Barbara Myers
barbmyrs@gmail.com
Watching the recent McCain/Palin rallies reminds me of the Jodie Foster movie "The Accused" where the attorney charges a group of men for contributing to the commission of a crime (rape) by yelling, chanting, and creating an atmosphere of peer pressure and mob mentality… but in this case, McCain and Palin are the ones guilty of deliberately leading people to form false conclusions (implying Obama is a terrorist), creating a frenzy of hate, and when the words “terrorist” and “kill him” are yelled, they smile with great pride at their achievement and continue to work the crowd; however, this is not a movie, and the people screaming these comments are not actors.
I understand neither McCain nor Palin graduated at the top of their class, and while they might try to pass this off as "politics as usual," they can't be THAT stupid. I'm sure they both know exactly what this sort of thing can lead to. This is irresponsible, reckless, and dangerous behavior. Unfortunately, I don't expect either of them to stop. Like many in the Bush Administration, Palin behaves like she's above the law (refusing to testify in Trooper-Gate), but her recent campaign trail stunts are beginning to lead me to the conclusion that this "Good Christian Hockey Mom" has convinced herself she’s above God’s law as well: The 9th Commandment (Thou shalt not bear false witness). For everyone's sake, I hope these stunts just alert voters as to how low these two will sink to win an election, as the other outcome that I fear and dare not say is completely unacceptable in a civilized society, yet if it were to happen, I will always remember McCain and Palin's participation in that crime.
Why animal lovers should vote OBAMA/BIDEN '08:
Dear Barack,
For better or worse, I'm back; I have nothing to offer, but wind-swept words; I believe in you.
I've not believed in us for a long time, but I believe in you.
Personally, I'm virtually bankrupt, but I've chosen a path of poverty; I return to you begging, as you become our president, please, don't forget all dreams are different; when you ascend, the powers of wealth will attempt to discredit; please, remain peaceful, remember the other cheek is for turning.
American wealth has been stolen, funneled and tunneled; we are a nation built on broken backs; please, don't forget this; say what you may and must, but never forget, manifest destiny was a streak of slavery, genocide and manipulation; we must make amends.
Other folks remember; across the world, they remember; take care as you proceed, sowing sorrow breeds danger. America is ripe, in time, as republics fall to dictators; please, Barack, save us; protect yourself until, and after, the election.
I have been absent, poor and ungiving; I have been dealing with my own issues; selfish, or protective, I have prayed for your benefit.
Please, Barack, remember: Peace is the ultimate answer.
Peace and Love,
Undeen
PLEASE USE THIS SAMPLE LETTER, COPY AND EDIT, TO CREATE YOUR OWN--SEND TO NEWSPAPERS IN YOUR LOCALE OR REGION. THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS 349 WORDS LONG. MANY PAPERS ENFORCE A STRICT WORD LIMIT, SO CHECK ON THIS BEFORE YOU SEND. ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR NAME, SIGNATURE (if sending by snail mail), ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. THEY WILL NOT PUBLISH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, BUT MAY CALL TO VERIFY THAT YOU INTENDED TO SEND THE LETTER.
Even before the current financial crisis, economists at the Tax Policy Center endorsed Senator Obama for President by a 66% to 28% margin. This is a nonpartisan research group including former economic advisers to the White House and Congress under both Republicans and Democrats. Among their reasons for favoring Obama, many cited inaccuracies in John McCain's proposal to slash earmarks: some of his own economic advisers now acknowledge that only a fraction of the amount first claimed could be saved without damaging priorities like military aid to Israel. Others cite the explosion of deficits resulting from further tax cuts favoring the super-rich and eliminating domestic discretionary spending. Among Obama's supporters are many who oversaw the strong economy of the Clinton years: Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Larry Summers, former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker and renowned academic James Galbraith. Examining the proposals of both candidates, they affirm that Obama's plan gives a larger tax cut to a greater number of Americans—95% of working families—contrary to claims of the McCain campaign. (For graphic, please see http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/giveupdefunk/tax_leaflet_back.png) In fact, 100 million Americans receive no tax relief under McCain's proposals. Now that the Bush Administration is begging for quick action on their $700 billion bailout scheme, Obama has shown the honesty to concede that some of his initiatives on health and energy may need to be delayed. To address the crisis, he advocates common-sense safeguards:Taxpayers should not fund executives' "golden parachutes."Power to spend billions in taxpayer dollars cannot be left to the Treasury Secretary's sole discretion.Taxpayers' investment deserves some return, instead of simply buying up devalued assets.The solution must also help deserving families facing foreclosure.By contrast, McCain's philosophy of trickle-down economics was never designed to protect the common wage-earner. Over his 26 years in Washington, McCain's fight for deregulation led to many of the risky dealings that are collapsing around us today. It would be a grave mistake in these troubled times to entrust him with an already teetering financial system.We need real leadership through these difficult times. Vote Obama for our economic security.
PLEASE USE THIS SAMPLE LETTER, COPY AND EDIT, TO CREATE YOUR OWN--SEND TO NEWSPAPERS IN YOUR LOCALE OR REGION. THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS 267 WORDS LONG. MANY PAPERS HAVE A LIMIT OF 200 OR 300 WORDS, SO CHECK BEFORE SENDING. ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR NAME, SIGNATURE (if sending by snail m ail), ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. THEY WILL NOT PUBLISH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, BUT MAY CALL TO VERIFY THAT YOUARE THE AUTHOR.
