(no subject)

[usernamenumber]

MA People:

As you may have noticed from recent postings, this election has become very important to me. As it turns out, New Hampshire, previously a solid "red" state, is considered up-for-grabs this year and I'm seriously considering taking the Obama/Biden campaign up on their request for volunteers to spend a weekend there working on the election effort.

I know at least one person who has done this sort of thing in the past, for Obama during the primaries and for Kerry in '04. She said the work involved either registering voters in front of super markets and the like or going door-to-door to ensure that everyone knew where their polling place was and asking them to vote for the candidate (Kerry in that case). I have to say I am more than a little nervous at the prospect of going door-to-door, but if the Dems lose this one, at which point I think the last shreds of my idealism that survived '04 will finally be obliterated, I don't want it to be for lack of trying on my part.

The McCain campaign from the conventions onward has been downright slimy and I am sick of it. I've been pro-Obama all along, but have been becoming more and more anti-McCain as his campaign shows its true colors. I feel the need to do something about this.

Question: Is anyone interested in doing this with me? Of the dates they're looking for volunteers on, I'm available for any of the following...

9/27-28
10/11-12
10/18-19
10/25-26 (edit: my mistake, they appear to be taking that weekend off to prepare for intensive efforts 10/29-11/4).

I can drive. Who's in?

Comments

[bkdelong.livejournal.com]

My time is so incredibly booked but I am truly fearful for our country. Especially now that dear Palin just beat the drums of war for if Russia invades another country.

[wombatbanana.livejournal.com]

roguesylph and I went door-to-door for Obama in RI during the primaries. Only a small handful of the houses we went to had anybody home, but that district had just had their polling place changed, and none of the people there knew this, so at least we were able to help the few who we spoke with. We had a good time, though.

The wedding is on the 12th, and we'll be in Peru on the 18th-19th, so those are right out. We might be able to make it on the 25th/26th, but I don't know if it's terribly likely.

[tikva.livejournal.com]

I'd definitely consider it for an October weekend.

I'm more comfy with the supermarket gig than going door to door, particularly with the pup, but I'll do what's needed.

[sprrwhwk.livejournal.com]

I'm interested, and all of those weekends work for me.

I'm game for either supermarkets or door-to-door.

(Watching some episodes of the Daily Show last night restored some of my faith in humanity, if not my faith in the American body politic. I needed that.)

[tiurin.livejournal.com]

I'll think about it, but I'm probably going to end up not. Any remaining shreds of idealism about the political process died after volunteering for Kerry in NH in '04, and realizing just how many stupid ignorant people we have in this country.

[lmpshd.livejournal.com]

Great idea to organize people this way.

I obviously can't volunteer now (though I'd consider canvassing the Anglophone pubs around here :)), but I did do a little bit of work in New Hampshire in 2004... the day I went, they told us that the neighborhoods we were going to had already been overrun with people knocking on doors, so they had us just distribute some flyers to doorsteps without knocking. Pretty painless, and no idea if it was any use, but it's good to do something. (If I'm not mistaken, NH did go for Kerry, in any case.)

What really amazed me was the visible contrast on crossing the border from a non-contested to a contested state... in Massachusetts at this time of year, you'd hardly know from looking around that there's an election, but it's plain to see in NH. It really made me feel a bit angry about the electoral college.

Good luck!

[diary-invidia.livejournal.com]

They also have a phone calling gig from New Hampshire head quarters if you're worried about door to door. Obama will be in New Hampshire this weekend, if that gets any of your readers motivated to hike up there. I haven't been able to find out exactly where he'll be yet.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Does this mean that the undead of New Hampshire are officially endorsing Obama? =:)

[diary-invidia.livejournal.com]

Of course they are! LOL

And thank you for the heads up on Manchester!

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

"Change We Need" Rally
with Barack Obama and Joe Biden

Veterans Memorial Park
889 Elm Street
Manchester, NH

Saturday, September 13th
Doors Open: 8:00 a.m.
Program Begins: 10:30 a.m.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

It's from a set of icons that someone else on LJ made, but that I liked. And it's not meant to imply an endorsement of Obama or the democrats by the people pictured. Rather, it stems from the fact that both Guliani and Palin in their RNC speeches outright mocked Obama's background as a community organizer, scoffing at the title in a "You call that a real job?" sort of way. Though an implied (and I think well-deserved) endorsement of Obama's community-oriented work is hard to escape, it's much more a statement about the significance of organizers than a political promotion.

[faerieboots.livejournal.com]

I'm interested in going, too. Keep me posted.

oh also:

[faerieboots.livejournal.com]

How did you learn NH is considered up for grabs this year?

Re: oh also:

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

A mailing from the campaign and, coincidentally, a story on NPR later the same day.

[hanasaseru.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'll be available to help, but I wanted to ask if there's any way you can help me with something that's really bothering me. Pretty much the entirety of my mother's extended family, who are all normally democratic, are planning to vote for McCain, largely because they are buying every bit of the smear campaign against Obama. (some of whom live in NH, incidentally) Are there any, I don't know, websites you could give me links too - not bash sites, but reasonable, informed sites that either point out problems with the republican side, or show that Obama is not as bad as he's being made out to be, or I don't know, even a short, informative essay on your views of the situation? I mean, I might not be able to change their minds, but it's really bothering my mother and myself, and I want to try and see if I can have any effect through the help of more politically minded friends to encourage them to at least stop believing everything they're told. I already sent my mother the links you posted in this entry. Any help you might be able to give would be appreciated.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Just responded in a separate post here.