In which NTodd relishes our victories, looks at our defeats as opportunities, and considers our next steps down the long road of change. (30:42)
Features: Paula Cole, Sheena Easton, David Bowie, Sheryl Crow, U2.
Thanks to Jim, Jeremy, Chuck, Betsey, LeeAnn, Liza, James, Christina, Doug, Martha, Barbara, Natalie, Ralph, John, Nick, Altoon, Jeff, Charles, Sue, Kathleen, Trellis, Mo, Dan, Donna, Will, Kate, Country Squire Motel, The Littleton Community Center, All Around Beauty, David Plouffe, Jon Carson, Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama and you (you know who you are). You won this thing handily with a lot of hard work.
Take a day off out of petty cash. Tomorrow the real work begins.
Peace and love,ntodd
I'll have some reflections on the campaign and President Barack Hussein Gobama in a Paxcast and Friday's Special One Hour PaxLive, but for now a few parting highlights:
The sun sets on McCain and the GOP as we canvass Brown Rd.
ntodd
PS--Good security: the party took away my database access right away. Makes me a bit sad because it's truly all over, but I think I'll be back in the game next cycle...
Don't forget to tell them to stay, don't leave.
I'm calling and telling people to bring snacks and something to read and to make sure their vote gets counted. Even if you get one voter out, you have made a difference.
If people say they have had other calls, don't be worried. I just put a smile in my voice and ask them to please chalk it up to our passion and the importance of this election!
Peace!
“Mustard seeds for everyone” Credit to Rick
“Going positive, staying positive” Credit to Kev
“Cookies for everyone!” Credit to Auntie B
“Keep calling!” Credit to me!
“Peace & Love to All” Credit to Desert Dove Dan
“I came back because Barack asked me to” Credit to Lulu my love
“You can feel in your gut that something is happening here.” Barack Obama 11/3/08
Obama's elves hard at work on Election Eve.
Standing room only at the depot today, which makes our FO (in the Giants hat) giddy.
Signs destined for polling places in our 11 city territory tonight during Midnight Madness.
Yup.
Anecdotal confirmation: a couple Canadians dropped in looking for chum, told me that they'd visited the McCain office in Conway and there were 3 sullen people in there; quite a contrast with the dozens we have in our tiny office, all busy calling supporters for GOTV, scrambling around printing canvass packets, making signs (my hands are still greasy after 3 washings from wickets), etc.
We also have had lots of drop-ins today. "What can I do?" Would you be interested in knocking on doors? Making calls? Waving signs? Everybody wants to help in whatever small or big way they can.
Just had a guy come in needing four signs for his kids to hold during their own homegrown viz event. The kids planned it. Convinced him to put up a yard sign, too. Couldn't/wouldn't volunteer officially, but that real grassroots, visible support still counts.
Regardless what the polls say and what the results are tomorrow, we've got people engaged. That's only good news for democracy.
On the left, LeeAnn speaks with one of our canvass captains, Betsey. On the right, a family team gets a training spiel from Betsey's husband, Chuck. There were several kids knocking doors with their parents today.
Signing in and finding turf.
LeeAnn heads out with a canvassing partner to walk the area she wants to represent in the NH House.
OpEd piece in CSM:
Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again. I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I'm white, 55, I live in the South and I'm definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins. I am the dreaded swing voter. So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told. ...I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways. My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.
Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again.
I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I'm white, 55, I live in the South and I'm definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins.
I am the dreaded swing voter.
So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told. ...I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.
My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.
But would he want to have a beer with Obama?
I am a 40+ white mother of three from Vermont. I work 12 hours a week in a hospital and a few hours a week for myself. I believe in Barack Obama. This is the first campaign I have ever volunteered for. In the last year this campaign has been such an important part of my life. But more importantly, it has shaped my three children's lives. They have learned the importance of acting on your beliefs and standing up for what you think is right. They have watched me call all over the country and travel to Rhode Island in the primaries and weekends in New Hampshire now. I'm proud of this campaign and proud of my local actions and their impacts on my children!
Let's All Give!!!! It can be: our time, our $, our hearts, our prayers, our phonecalls, our faith, our visits to states, our passion, our editorials... We all have something to give!!!
Peace! Fired up and ready to go and calling Virginia today!
The Obama campaign has launched an all-out effort to help Hillary Clinton retire her debt. Obama’s national finance team members (bundlers) are being asked to go back to the well and get their donor friends to kick in up to $2300 (maximum allowed by law) to Hillary Clinton’s primary campaign. Donations will be designated for Hillary Clinton’s “2008 Primary Election Debt Retirement”. Donors are being assured that the money will not be used to pay back Hillary and Bill Clinton’s personal loan to her campaign, which they reportedly are recognizing as a loss. The campaign’s message is that this financial help is critical to ensure party unity and secure the support of Clinton’s backers – both donors and voters – for Obama in the general election. I’m not convinced.
The major sticking point with most Obama donors revolves around the nature of and reason for the debt, which are obvious to backers of both candidates. No one can blame Obama supporters for not wanting to pay off Hillary’s debts to Mark Penn and his firm, estimated to be anywhere from $2.5 to $10 million dollars. There is also the widespread belief that Clinton’s debt is due in large part to her drive to win a few more states and rack up more delegates even after her decisive loss in North Carolina and bare victory in Indiana made it mathematically impossible for her accumulate enough delegates to win the nomination.
Most small Obama donors also reason that Clinton should get those “die-hard” supporters of hers, those 18 million ceiling-crackers she keeps talking about, to kick in just a couple of bucks each and she’d be home free. Even without Limbaugh’s crossover chaos Republicans in Ohio, Texas and Indiana, who never intended to vote for Hillary in the general. Even discounting the poor white Democrats the Clintons mobilized so effectively in places like western Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Kentucky, who just can’t spare the change right now. Hillary should still be left with over 12-15 million voters who are not maxed out. But getting voters to back their electoral choices with cash -- even if it is only one or two bucks -- is as hard as getting them to agree voluntarily to pay more taxes to retire the federal debt. It ain’t gonna happen.
And how much unity do Obama supporters who dish out up to $2300 get for their money? So far, it looks like the answer is “not much.” In fact, some Hillary supporters like the Denver Group and P.U.M.A. who should be out there asking her voters to kick in are instead investing in confrontation with DNC Chairman Howard Dean and a strategy to revisit Chicago ’68 if she does not get the nomination after all.
An unintended consequence of these die-hards' efforts is that they are undermining efforts by serious Clinton supporters like that other former Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin to memorialize through a roll call vote Hillary’s historic achievement as America’s first major female candidate for President while confirming Obama as the party’s legitimate nominee. Until Hillary herself publicly rejects these distractions from unity and indicates she will personally call for the unanimous convention endorsement of Barack Obama’s nomination you maybe want to keep those 2300 dollars in an FDIC insured account.
wizinit is the nom de guerre of a veteran diplomat and fan of the late columnist Art Buchwald who writes serious analysis and political satire. If you would like to be notified whenever wizinit posts a new article click and join Food Tasters For Obama.
Head on over to aol.com and take part in their straw poll.
I have seen Hillary's numbers shrink week by week.
What a wonderful day in Littleton today!!! I started off by making my way into Littleton on I93 behind a grey Volvo with an Obama sticker!!! What a way to start the day.
As I was driving down Main St. Obama supporters greeted me with signs, smiles, and waves!! I honked like mad…I knew right then and there it would be a wonderful day. I joined my fellow Obama campaigners on the corner of Main and Clay in front of Littleton Headquarters for a bit and got many thumbs up and honks and smiles.
I went into the campaign office at about 11:30 (the permissible time to begin canvassing in Littleton on a Sunday) and got my assigned route. I teamed up with a wonderful young woman, Grace, who had traveled from New Jersey to help Senator Obama’s campaign effort from New Jersey.
Grace embodied every meaning of her name and we had a delightful time climbing the hilly streets of Littleton knocking on doors. Most people were not home as it was Sunday and relatively warm but our conversation was rich and filled with discussion about what drew us to supporting Senator Obama, what our hopes were for our own futures as well the countries, and how excited we were to be a part of this wonderful campaign.
Grace and her clan needed to head out early, she had to be at work in NYC in the morning and they all wanted to stop to go see Senator Obama in Salem on their way out of town. So I was reassigned to go out with Avi, a young intern from Brown who decided to help out with the campaign over his Christmas break. We also had a wonderful day, some walking, some driving, some republicans, some independents, and two Clinton canvassers in Bethlehem.
Which brings me to my much edited “Hilarity” story and when I wrote hilarity last night I did not realize it was a pun until it came ripping out across the page. While walking through Bethlehem, NH I came across a Hillary Canvasser (are these people paid?) who was a approaching a woman who was pulling in her driveway at about the same time I was. We both I thought at first in a little friendly competition quickened our pace (I was smiling the whole time ) walked up to the woman who was getting out of her car with a piping hot pizza.
I said “Hello, my name is Heather and I am a Barack Obama supporter, I hope you are planning on voting in the primary”. She said that she would be voting and I let her know I thought that would be great. The Hillary supporter said that “SHE!!!! Was supporting the candidate with experience…and turned to me with her poker finger out and declared that I was supporting the candidate who did not have experience” and yes I said poker finger for a reason. She gave me a little poke….no really she poked me…The Hillary canvasser poked me.
I looked at the Hillary canvasser in puzzled bemusement, looked at the woman with the pizza that was surely going to eventually be lukewarm and said “I am so glad that you are voting and I hope you will support Barack and have a great afternoon.”
The Hillary supporter must not have seen that big square box in that Bethlehem woman’s hand because she just kept on talking. As I was walking down the driveway dumbfounded by my poke I was even more puzzled by why this woman was so insistent on having the lady with the pizza sign something. I obviously did not stick around to hear what the Hillary Canvasser had to say. But my guess is that the woman in Bethlehem was biting into a piece of cold pizza by the time she was permitted to go upstairs and if she was going to support Hillary Clinton she probably was thinking twice about it.
Avi and I finished up canvassing around 4:30 and I was whooped. I do not know how these interns do this day in and day out for 15 and 16 hours a day. They are simply the machine behind this campaign. A bunch of really dedicated 18 -26 year olds who live and breathe this campaign. They believe in this campaign, they know this candidate, and I frankly am so immensely proud of every single one of them.
More later about my close encounter with Michelle, Alex the Rock Star, and a perfect end to a wonderful day in Littleton!!
I'm home alone right now and have been sitting here mulling over the past year and starting to think about Thanksgiving and family coming to visit next week. I've also been thinking about how lucky I am and how hopeful I am, and how much I understand at my core what Barack Obama meant with his ML King quote of "The firece urgency of now". I find myself worrying about some of the people I've met while out canvassing, people who have shared their stories with me, a total stranger, as if maybe somehow I could help, or at least understand. I feel a sense of urgency myself. It seems that there is almost a "perfect storm" of events that are going to change our world in many ways, and we won't get a second chance to get it right. I believe at my very core that Barack Obama is the right leader at the right moment. I hope we are smart enough to get it right.
I've also discovered an odd bond that I feel with many of the people I've come to know on this campaign journey. It's not unlike the bond I had with my fellow soldiers in Viet Nam, forty years ago. We were a diverse group, brought together and finding ourselves with a common goal and common concerns. We were as close as family. I became friends with people that under normal circumstances I would never have come to know at all. This is a lot like that. I'll go canvassing in New Hampshire again this weekend with the realization that I have been involved in this thing for an entire year. It was snowing when this all began and it's snowing again. I hope some of my new friends join me, we need everyone, but if they don't that's ok too. I'm retired and I have lot's of time. I know that most people have much busier lives then I do and have more obligations. It's fun to think about gathering with my new friends on election night in New Hampshire and sharing the moment when senator Obama wins. But for now I'll stay focused on what I can do TODAY to help. Then I will focus on Tomorrow. I can donate my time and energy, some can donate money, others have different ways to help. If you can canvass, canvass. If you can write postcards, write postcards. Whatever it is you can give, give. We're all in this together and we have it within our ability to prevail. We really do. Please sign up to help us, to help yourself. Talk to everyone that will listen, wear your button, visit nh.barackobama.com and find a way to help.
The first time I allowed myself to get talked into canvassing was in May, It sounded like something that was just slightly less fun then a root canal and I had lived through one of those so I gave it a shot. Thankfully, at the first few doors I knocked on nobody was home, but then I hit pay dirt, there I was face to face with a real live human being and they were of voting age. I introduced myself, explained why I was there and asked if they had any issues that were of major importance to them. That's all it took, for the remainder of the time I mostly just listened, and found that I shared their concerns. We had a very nice conversation and I walked away feeling as if I had made a firend, or at least met someone that I could become friends with. I figured that if no other candidate knocked on this door during the campaign that I had left this person with a positive impression of the Obama campaign. I was getting drawn in. This was not so bad after all. And so it went for the rest of that day, the more people I met, the more comfortable I became and I found myself wanting "just one more door" before I called it a day. I was hooked. These people WANT to talk about what concerns them, and they WANT to learn more about senator Obama. I've canvassed on many hot summer days and now as we enter the home stretch and the days are getting colder and shorter I feel a "fierce sense of urgency" to spread the word as much as possible, to help undecided voters gain the knowledge they need to make an informed decision. The voters are hungry for the information and I am always treated courteously at least and positively welcomed at best. I remember how hard it was to take that first step and actually say "YES", I will go canvassing, but it's a decision I'm glad I made, and like most things, the fear of it is simply the fear of the unknown, The reality of it is a positive and satisfying sense of accomplishment, it feels good to walk back into the campaign office with a few supporters cards filled out and the knowledge that I have made the prospect of an Obama presidency a bit brighter. This is important work, and there is not a lot of time left before the votes are cast. I'm hoping that you will decide to contact your local campaign office and ask to be paired up with a more experienced canvasser and hit the streets. You'll be glad you did. Maybe we will even get to meet, that would be nice.
