You can find previous entries from our Blue Army series, our get out the vote, pre-election organizing sprint to the finish line, here. To help us overcome or at least diminish the Republican advantage in voter organizing, we need your help these next few days, if you can offer it. It's easy. My local race for Jim Webb over George Allen even allows me to do phone banking from home. I made some calls this morning using their terrific, easy online interface guide: it was fun! Here's how you can get involved, no matter where you are:
- Remember George Stern from last week? Contact Do More Than Vote and use their easy interface to get connected to the right volunteer organization for you in your area. DMTV is now up to 57 chapters in all competitive states, etc. Chapters are now taking the project offline to get more activists and volunteers involved. You can help this effort by distributing DMTV fliers. If you're in one of the 57 cities and are willing to pass out fliers at events, at meetings of your progressive groups, at a block party, on street corners, or to friends and neighbors, email george at @domorethanvote dot org and he'll get you going. If you can't distribute fliers or you aren't in one of the 57 areas, you can help support the printing and shipping costs of this project by donating at their Actblue link. All 57 cities are listed below.
- Nervous about the idea of door knocking? Don't be: people are very welcoming, especially this year. Look at the polls: people have Had Enough and they want change. Here's a great introduction to canvassing from a diary at Dkos (hat tip to Blue Army member xyz).
- Volunteer to become a poll worker. Let's not just complain about fairness at the polls: become part of the solution. Go here. They've been asking for poll workers in my area onthe radio, so I'm sure your area could use help, too.
- Volunteer for Howard Dean's new army through your local Democratic Party.
- MoveOn has a great online interface that can allow you to phone bank from your home for any race in the country where help is needed. Markos wrote about it last week. It's called Call for Change, and it's fantastic. Chris Bowers at MyDD has also gone gaga over it, with good reason. Check it out!
I know we all find it hard to give time. I'm super busy myself, and my list of things to do is long, but then again, I can't look at myself in the mirror if I don't pitch in for this election. Not all of us can give money, but all of us can find at least half an hour to phone bank, or do something else, through a short donation of time.
One thing: when you get in touch with any volunteer opportunities, be a little patient. These are, after all, volunteers, and their organizations are basically new and all the kinks have not been ironed out. If you have to call more than once, do it. If it takes a few tries to get to the right person who can get you started, please be patient and forgiving. One of the best ways to find a way to help is just to show up at a local campaign office: they'll usually figure out what to do with you.
As for the video, I don't quite get the whole fish costume thing, but hey, this was a show in Vegas: it doesn't have to make sense. Bathhouse Betty is having some serious fun up there, and if you get involved, you can meet some people and have some fun, too. Please jump in. We need you, and we only have twelve days.
In the comments, please let people know what you're doing. Leave an online record. Outsiders need to know what the netroots are up to in the "real world." Represent!
DMTV Cities:
AK: Anchorage
AK: Fairbanks
AK: Juneau
AZ: Phoenix
CA: Los Angeles
CA: Sacramento
CA: San Fran
CO: Denver
CT: Bridgeport
CT: Meriden
CT: New Haven
CT: Norwalk
CT: Vernon
DC, Washington
GA: Atlanta
IL: Chicago
IA: Des Moines
KA: Wichita
MD: Baltimore
MD: Bethesda
MI: Detroit
MI: Lansing
MI: Monroe
MI: Muskegon
MI: Saginaw
MN: Mpls/St Paul
MO: Jefferson City
MO: Kansas City
MO: St. Louis
MO: Springfield
MT: Helena
NV: Las Vegas
NV: Reno
NJ: Central
NJ: Northern
NJ: Southern
NM: Albuquerque
NY: New York
OH: Cincinnati
OH: Cleveland
OH: Columbus
PA: Bethlehem
PA: Philadelphia
PA: Pittsburgh
RI: Providence
TN: Chattanooga
TN: Jackson
TN: Knoxville
TN: Memphis
TN: Nashville
TX: Austin
VA: Arlington
VA: Charlottesville
WA: Seattle
WI: Green Bay
WI: Madison
WI: Milwaukee
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fitz !
Phone banking for Wetterling in MN-06, Klobuchar for Senate, and Hatch for Guv’na.
Door knocking on the 7th from 8:00 AM till noon, then hitting my theater seats in the basement. I like to watch.
Hmmmm… this has to do with doing nothing more than voting. I have given money, but have not stopped by Dem HQ. Bad me.
Here’s the voting thing. Most of the local races on my absentee ballot are uncontested R. I can’t bring myself to fill in those ovals. The question is:
Write in or leave blank?
I’ve signed up with Lamont’s office for anything they need on election day..
Primordial, I’d leave ‘em blank. Sure they’re still gonna win, but how embarrasing if they only get a few hundred votes.
Dolores DeLago!
Balrog @
2
Bal,
I left you a query at the end of the last post.
Editor of local blue organization newsletter; secretary of central Ohio coalition of Democratic and progressive organizations; Precinct Captain; phone banking for Strickland and Brown; phone banking for Franklin County (OH) Democratic party; canvassing; lit drops — you name it, I’m doing it. I have HAD ENOUGH. Yesterday I heard Howard Dean on Ed Schmidt (not one of my favorites but sometimes I listen). Dean said that any voter can call 888-DEMVOTE if irregularities occur on election day. He said there are something like 7,500 lawyers available across the country, each one ready to step in should the situation warrant it. Have hope and VOTE EARLY.
I hope to go to CT this Sunday (my once a month Sun. off) and then next Sunday after the service is over I plan to head back to CT until it’s all over. The situation with the write-in candidate to replace my state rep. who died suddenly is settling down. Everyone has gotten behind one person which is good and she should prevail. SO, that’s the plan as of today.
Oh, and I’ve done phoning for Deval Patrick who is destined to become our next Gov. WOOHOO!
fahrender @
7
OT I believe the two bands are now defunct, but the Suburbs played a mini-set before the first Twins-Oakland playoff game.
Primordial Ooze @
3
ooze, i’d go for the write-in (or drip-in, for the more liquid voters)…
the write-in allows you to ensure public recognition of your opposition to gooperdom.
what’s not to like?
Pach,
I love the stuff you pick for music. Nothing could fire up the troops more…….
Nice post, Pach!
Well, Massachusetts is not on your list, but I am streetwalking for Patrick –
OOOooops don’t let Healey hear that!
And good luck to all and stay strong!
immanentize @ 13
imm, Thanks for doing this. It helps me feel a little less guilty for crossing the border and going to CT.
I did Call for Change last night. It was great. And easy. Check it out. If my puter is back up I’ll do it again tonight. They don’t ask you to campaign, you’re just reminding people in Democratic leaning areas to get out and vote.
Last night I was surprised by the number of folks in the Cincy area who have already voted.
CNN/Sit Room reporting on Laura Bush making the rounds in swing states as the most public/visible face of the Rethugs. She may be the nicest woman in the world. But it’s not Laura Bush this Congress is rubberstamping. It’s George.
And when are Jenna and not-Jenna going off to fight their daddy’s war?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I’m phone calling for John Laesch, opponent of Dennis Hastert.
http://www.john06.com/
Go John! The only candidate for Congress born in Monrovia, Liberia!
Something ate part of my comment:
***********************
***********************
A moment of silence for 96 Americans already killed this month on the front lines in Iraq.
And 3 firefighters killed today on the front lines in California’s forest fire.
May they all rest in peace. And may we never forget their sacrifice…or relax one iota until the election is complete.
Get Out Our Vote.
http://www.boingboing.net/2006….._vote.html
BoingBoing pollwatching tips.
CNN/Sit Room reporting on Laura Bush making the rounds in swing states as the most public/visible face of the Rethugs. She may be the nicest woman in the world. But it’s not Laura Bush this Congress is rubberstamping. It’s George.
Laurabot is not nice, she’s self medicated how else could she stay married to that evil corrupt empty suit of a husband.
Pach – do you have any info on how the Webb campaign will be educating voters about the fact his last name won’t appear on some ballots?
One more idea: Party at the Polls
Boost neighborhood pride and increase voter turnout with community-oriented celebrations.
Sign up today.
RevDeb @ 14
Actually, RevDeb, I think you made the right choise. But I am so outraged at Healey’s rape campaign that I want to help her get CRUSHED.
Maybe a big win against such ugly will help people like Ford in the future.
Thanks, theotherWA and kirk. I’ll have to go by Dem HQ in Pullman and bounce that question around there, eh?
uh-ohuh-oh
via Americablog
After Charlie Brown was featured on Howie’s Act Blue page, I signed up for his campaign against John Doolittle in CA-05. I have spent several Saturdays doing voter canvassing door to door. In this heavily Republican district, that means talking to Republicans as well as Democrats and undecideds, because the support of Republicans who are fed up with Doolittle’s corruption is critical to a Democratic win.
I plan to volunteer full-time during the final four days. It feels good to be doing something to make a difference.
Pollster.com has a pretty neat map of House races up – showing Dems at 219!
Thanks for all the great work you’re doing, everyone. I can’t believe there are ONLY 12 DAYS LEFT!
lemma @ 21
While I’m appalled at the apparrent lack of testing and dismissive attitude on the part of election officials toward the ballot problem, it’s actually not as serious as it sounds. The names are cut off on the confirmation page, not on the initial voting page. To my knowledge, it’s in three jurisdictions, all of which are strongly Democratic, so do at least feel confident that there will be prominent signs at the polling places explaining the situation.
Wolfie doing a segment on single women voters, “Sex and the City Voters”
I just got word that I’ve been selected as an honest-to-goodness Election Official by the Virginia Board of Elections! I have training on the (dah dah DUM!) touchscreen machines tonight.
Now, where did I put that source code disc . . . ? (Kidding, BOE, just kidding!)
George @ 28
I know! I can’t decide which I’m looking forward to more, seeing the fruits of our labors, or getting some sleep!
CatStaff @ 31
Excellent!
OT- for those of you who just arrived, voting is still open for the most egregious quote by Lieberman, same by Bush. Previous thread. GOTV!
Thanks Pach!
Sorta OT – The oddest twist of all? Rep Clay Shaw (R-FL) trumpeting his bipartisan relationship with… Bubba!
Thanks TPM.
http://electioncentral.tpmcafe…..th_clinton
Looks like Arizona might get intersting.
John Kyle(R-Pudville) has a poker posse gunning for him.
-GSD
Frustrating for me – these last twelve days before the general election. I’ve been volunteering, donating in more ways than I EVER have before. Turning into hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. But between now and the middle of November I’m rehearsing or performing all but two nights, and they’re Sundays!
But I’m getting up at 0430 every day and writing articles and letters and helping in any way I can between classes. gigs and travel. We had an inch of snow last night and travel is way slowed down, or should be. One thing which amazes me about Alaska is how friggin’ many people forget how to drive on ice and snow over the summer.
But I’m energized like never before, especially after our progressive slate did 5 to 6 % points better than anyone thought possible in the early October Borough elections. If we can get Diane Benson that close, she WILL beat Don Young!
All we need to do is apply our special Pach to all the e-voting machines, and the country will be safe.
Pach would, however, be quite tired.
ET- you are an inspiration. Can you provide the egAB link again? Benson deserves to win. I will go add more $, especially in light of your earlier comment that $5 for her = $100 for some other races.
OT
Lakers.. how do you account for the apparent rising up against the reich with years and years of continuous MSM propaganda?
Middle America is not exactly all over the blog universe… and is actually impact on their lives which is causing the turn around? Or is it an appreciation of the larger stack of lies that we (they) have been told to believe?
The tidal wave seems to be coming…. what do you think was reason for this change in the public?
Ed*ard Teller @
36
Wow, this is awesome. You’re awesome. Keep on trucking.
Moderator(s) – please close what appears to be an open italics tag starting at comment 20.
http://nedlamont.com/blog/1979/googlebombin
GoogleBombin’
Joe Lieberman’s supporters in the extremist right-wing are waging a coordinated GoogleBomb attack against Ned, and we’ll need to enlist your help in fighting back on your blogs and website.
http://googlebombct.blogspot.com/
Stephen Parrish, CPA @
41
Thanks for the head’s up. Done.
Valley Girl @ 42
I think we broke it.
Pat is on the job in the Libby trial … whoo-boy …
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor…..90489.html
Dear Ghu, they’ll twist anything they can get their fingers on. ‘Move our party back to the middle’ – he means away from people like us, I’m sure, because we’re all wacko liberals with San Francisco values.
A right kind of Democrat
GOP-held House seats are threatened by a crop of conservative foes.
By Janet Hook, Times Staff Writer
[snip]
Republicans are ringing alarms about what the House would be like if the GOP lost control: a throwback to the unreconstructed liberalism of big-government activism, tax increases and a weak-kneed defense policy. They point with Halloween-season horror to the likely lineup of Democratic committee chairs, including Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles) and other liberal old-timers.
But, like Shuler, many of the Democratic candidates most likely to be elected are cut from a different cloth. Sixteen of them have been endorsed by the Blue Dogs, a coalition of conservative Democrats. Several used to be Republicans. Shuler was recruited to run as a Republican a few years ago but opted not to.
In the waning days of the election campaign, candidates are increasingly debating what a Democratic-controlled Congress would be like: Would the tone and agenda be set by the Heath Shulers of the party, or its Henry Waxmans?
[snip]
“The Democrats are going to retake the House of Representatives by electing conservative and moderate Democrats,” said Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. “We’re going to move our party back to the middle.”
No comments for 11 minutes at the Lake?
Have we been nuked?
Dixie Chicks on Tweety
anon @ 45
Holy crap! Fitz took on Elizabeth Loftus, not just a memory researcher but the premeire eyewitness memory expert in the field of psychology, and critized her research. Ha ha ha ha ha ha… sorry, just a psych phd dropout enjoying this little fact. Ha ha ha.
RevDeb – I don’t know. (I’m supposed to be working. But it’s tedious staring at lines on a screen for eight hours a day.)
RevDeb @ 44
I should have added that I know nothing about google bombing. Does “I think we broke it” = good news as in “broken now”? Or just where the news came from?
Valley Girl @ 51
This is the message I get at that link:
I don’t think this is good.
I think the tooobz are clogged again.
UptownNYChick @ 53
Do we need extra strength Drano?
I think Blogger is down again. I just tried CTBob’s site, and got the same Internal Server Error.
Does that work on NSA plumbers?
Valley Girl @ 55
If that’s the case we are screwed on election night.
Americablog is down too.
Somebody ask sen. Stevens to get the trucks moving please.
UptownNYChick @ 58
That would explain a lot.
RevDeb @ 57
I know I keep bringing this up, but this is another reason to have a txtmob group. It’s a back-up communications plan.
From Tweety: Cox and Cumulus Corporations (own a lot of radio stations) blacklisted the Dixie Chicks.
Here’s what I found on Blogger’s Web site: http://www.blogger.com:
Down for Maintenance
Blogger is temporarily unavailable due to planned maintenance.
This maintenance will last 90 minutes from 2 pm to 3:30 pm (PDT)
John Casper @ 62
That is not nice.
John Casper @ 62
And the radio boycott was from being bombarded by Free Republic. I didn’t know that
Thanks Coz.
Swopa has posted a new thread: Iraq: No Exit?
UptownNYChick @ 2:57 pm (#62)
Valley Girl @ 55
If that’s the case we are screwed on election night.
I know I keep bringing this up, but this is another reason to have a txtmob group. It’s a back-up communications plan.
Is that like a mailing list?
Anyway, Glenn Greenwald’s site is also down. Blogspot’s having some serious difficulties, which might be due to any one of a number of things. Someone pointed out on the Late Night thread yesterday that the last time they did some maintenance, the site was down for a while.
Thanks Pach for all your work to help progressives retake Congress and the nation. You, the Ladies, Howie, and so many other here are amazing.
The next twelve days and the GOTV effort will be crucial, and I’ll be joining the fdl family in giving my available time and energy to this effort.
The count will also be crucial. Therefore the goopers want to steal and corrupt it.
The Blue Army and the Firedoglake community will have good company for voter protection efforts on November 7th and 8th.
I’ll be hoping for a victory party Nov 7th.
But if we’re taking out the pitchforks and torches that night – or that week – we’ll have powerful allies.
The Ruckus Society – veterans of a decade of successful mass direct action – will be coming to the voter protection party.
If Karl steals this vote, there’s not enough tear gas in America to stop the protests.
So I hope those concerned about voter protection will keep devoting their energy to the election and – possibly – keep November 8 free.
It will be a good day to celebrate democracy – and defend it, if need be.
Cujo359 @ 68
I know I keep bringing this up, but this is another reason to have a txtmob group. It’s a back-up communications plan.
Is that like a mailing list?
Anyway, Glenn Greenwald’s site is also down. Blogspot’s having some serious difficulties, which might be due to any one of a number of things. Someone pointed out on the Late Night thread yesterday that the last time they did some maintenance, the site was down for a while.
kind of, but text messages on cell phones. so on election night, you could get send out results as the polls close.
Blogger is still screwed up- although it is possible to get the pages, when I try to post a comment I get an error. Hope this gets fixed.
UptownNYChick @ 61
Uptown, I totally agree about the value of the txt mob tool! I love txt mob for sharing info “outward” from a single point.
Cujo359 brings up the idea of mailing lists – that sounds to me like another great tool when/if we have to work around website disruption.
As long as people have dial-up net access, pre-established email lists would allow us to have fallback contact in real time. The messaging isn’t as attractive as the Lake, but we could still share our thoughts.
An even more basic level of computer contaact works even without ‘net access. The old BBS (bulletin-board systems) of the 80’s were computers connected to dial-in modem banks. Users called into a central number (or numbers) to connect – through the modem – to a central computer which acted as an electronic “bulletin board”. Users would type out comments for all to see and others would respond.
In the BBS era, one needed a list of phone numbers to call for different BBS operators. The BBS operators often kept their own lists of other sites, so although the connections were distributed (no common physical internet) the information base could be commonly revised and accessed.
Now that dial-up is dirt cheap, fancy software/hardware emulates modem banks, and lots of folks have unlimited long-distance, a combination of internet-dependent email lists together with internet-indepedent BBS discussion sites would provide two successive fallback lines allowing group communications such as that we enjoy on fdl.
Anyone in silly valley with a garage full of BBS equipment seen their dustmops lately?
Justin @
22
Dammit, I forgot that one. Next week, I promise.
Just a drive post here. I spent 2 hours Tuesday night calling folks to work election day in NJ for Menendez. As mad as I am about his torture vote, we need the seat to remain blue.
I got a commitment out of 5 people, 2 of whom pledged to get a few of thier friends. I’ll be back on Saturday to do more.
I’m focusing on what I can do to help. If anyone is in southern NJ don’t be affraid to jump in.