Victory Party and Inauguration

Hey everyone :) Things have been slowing down finally and life is getting back to normal for Kevin and me. I'm back at State Farm full time (any insurance questions, etc call/email me!) and working with Kevin in the off time. We're going to continue to go to the Democrat Club Meetings (1st Thursday of the month http://www.cecildemocrats.org/) and the Young Democrat Club Meetings (1st Tuesday of the month http://cecilyoungdems.org/) to continue to stay involved. We'd love to see more of you there! Join us!

Anyway, I wanted to have some sort of Victory Party because everyone worked so hard for this Election and we need sometime to celebrate (and to get together and hang out again!). We could have it here at the HQ but the space is limited, so if anyone has ideas let me know. We'll probably just have everyone bring something so we can keep costs down. Any ideas on dates? Anyone want to take charge and plan it? Let me know!

Inauguration- we are going with some friends from New Jersey. If we don't get tickets, we're still going just to be there...anyone want to get a group together to go together, let me know!

I hope everyone is doing well...I haven't talked to you in over a week so I wanted to reach out! It was very nice getting to meet all of you- we've really had a great time this Election season...and I hope that we can keep in contact with you all in the future. Don't be a stranger!!

Cecil County Young Dems

If anyone's interested- Cecil County Young Dems are meeting tonight Tues 6:00 at Chilis in Elkton. Join us!

Update

We had $203 left in our club from shirt sales, etc, and we donated that to the Obama campaign two days before Election Day (they were still asking for donations!). Thanks to everyone who donated and helped out during Campaign Season!

I was worried the day after I donated the rest of the money because I realized that I forgot to buy the movie tickets for the Canvassing and Phonebanking Contests, but figured Kevin and I would just eat the loss since we've had the contest ongoing....

well...I just went through every week and tallied up the winners...for phonebanking I'm the winner!! with 110 calls made from our lists here at HQ, and Kevin's the canvassing winner with 7 canvassing trips from our group. It all works out quite nicely..and ironically! But now we're not out any money! :)

Top 5 phonebankers:
Alissa
Amy Yarnall
Garrett Billmire
Steve Gottlieb
Mike Arms

Top 5 canvassers:
Kevin
Henry Burden
Mike Arms
Pat Timberg
Alissa

Congrats guys! We all worked so hard and we really made an impact! Obama won (previously republican)Chester County PA 54%-45%!!!

What to do with Lieberman?

I found a petition online to have Joe Lieberman removed from his chairmanship on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government. I think that this is actually a pretty important issue for the Dem. senate to reconcile before Obama becomes the President. Joe had the opportunity to respectfully disagree with Obama and the democrats on several issues this campaign, but instead he choose to take every opportunity he got to make slimy claims that Obama does not "put the country first", and being the keynote attack dog at the Republican National Convention. I have no doubt that left in a leadership position, Joe will once again attempt to scam and screw over the Democratic party to further his own self interests and pursue his vendetta against the party that voted him out in the Ct. Senate Primary. Anyone interested in signing the petition go here:
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/petition/nomorejoe

Change is coming

Watch this episode of "Super Barack"...a change is going to come

Now what?

I talked with some of the group members about having a final get together for everyone to relax, chat, eat, and be merry...some sort of Victory Party maybe. So we're working on that and details will follow. Any ideas/suggestions/comments, let me know!

-Alissa

WE DID IT!

Wow! I can't believe it...we really did it! Obama is going to be our next president!!!! Thank you to EVERYONE who donated time, money, energy, and enthusiasm. We couldn't have done this without any of you!

Our group went up to Coatesville on Sunday, Canvassed PA and Cecil County on Monday, and did lots of poll watching in Cecil County and canvassing in PA today. We actually had a Democratic presence at EVERY poll in the County!! We're hoping to keep that up in the future!! We really had all hands on deck- we even had people come in and make phonecalls today. Apparently MoveOn.org signed us up as a call center for GOTV and didn't tell us...haha.

We met up at the Howard House tonight to tally up the votes with the Weygand Campaign. Hodge is leading Sharon by less than 300 votes so we're going to wait for the absentee and provisional ballot tally to come in on Thursday or Friday to find out the final winner. The Kratovil campaign was 1% ahead by about 3,000 votes with 91% reporting when we left the Howard House at 1:00 am...so we'll probably have to wait for absentee ballots for that as well. We all know how the Presidential Race went tonight :) Here are some pictures from canvassing in PA and from the Howard House tonight.

Thanks again everyone! Yes We Did!!!!!!

People around the world are following our Election

"JAKARTA, Indonesia – When Sri Murtiningsi asked her third grade class what they wanted to be when they grew up, the answers ranged from doctors to a pilot. One curly haired boy raised his hand: Barack Obama said his dream was to be president of the United States.
Forty years later Murtiningsi — like the rest of the world — is watching closely as Americans prepare to head to the polls Tuesday.
Many believe Obama's international experience would go a long way in helping repair damage caused by the unpopular U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with recent opinion polls from more than 70 nations favoring him a resounding three-to-one over Republican John McCain.
"Obama the best hope for U.S. revival," an editorial in The Australian Financial Review said Monday, arguing that "the world craves American leadership and never more so than now." The Gulf News, an English-language paper in the United Arab Emirates, had a similar take, saying only he could "undo the great damage done by the Bush administration to America's image," especially the Middle East.
Few if any in the sleepy Japanese coastal town of Obama — which translates as 'little beach' — would disagree. Images of the Democratic candidate adorn banners along a main shopping street and preparations for an election day victory party were in full swing Monday.
Koichi Inoue, who makes traditional Japanese sweet bean cakes, said his factory was working at double normal production because he had promised free handouts for every customer if Obama won.
"It looks like he is going to win from the polls so I've got to be ready," he said.
Interest in the U.S. election is high in Vietnam as well, in part because many people know McCain was shot down in Hanoi while flying an A-4 Skyhawk during a 1967 bombing run and then held prisoner of war for more than five years.
As a U.S. senator in the 1990s he played a key role in helping normalize relations between the two countries.
Many in Pakistan, a close ally in the U.S. war on terror, say they will be glued to television sets and the Internet on election day. The results, they say, will have broad implications for their own country and neighboring Afghanistan, where American forces have been battling the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies.
Violence has spread in recent months from tradition border regions to the capital, Islamabad, where a suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel recently left more than 50 dead.
The last eight years have "affected our economy and our peace," said Mohammad Zubair, a 33-year-old lawyer in Lahore, who like others was widely anticipating an Obama win. "I hope the election will bring change to Pakistan as well."
The mood at the Indonesian elementary school where Obama studied for two years, meanwhile, was especially upbeat Monday with a crowd of 500 offering prayers for their former student at an early morning flag-raising ceremony.
Former teachers, classmates and friends fondly remember the then-chubby 8-year-old as a hardworking, good-natured and, to their amusement, sometimes naughty child.
Though she is now 69, Murtiningsi's memories of Obama are still strong. She describes standing in front of her class of third graders one Monday morning telling students that when she was young, her dream was to be a teacher.
"You too should follow your dreams," she said, asking the children what they wanted to be. "Barry was the only one who said he wanted to be president. ... I hope his dream comes true." "

Weekend Recap

Happy Election Day Eve! It's all very exciting and nerve-wracking. Well we've had many volunteers from our group going into PA and Cecil County to volunteer canvass and phonebank for Obama and our local Dems Kratovil and Sharon Weygand. Today (Monday) we had the same, and we've had an influx of people wanting to make phonecalls who haven't volunteered yet, so that's a great sign!

Tomorrow's the big day. Right now I suggest you go back to the old post "Les Misbarack" and watch it, then go forward to the post "Disappointed in Mike" and watch that. We can be excited and nervous- but we have to still pass out the word to EVERYONE to vote! Kevin and I and a few others from our group will be meeting at the Acme parking lot in the Big Elk Mall tomorrow at 2:00 pm to go up to Coatesville to help canvass all night. The new office in Coatesville is located at: 750 W Charles St Coatesville PA in a Union Building (they've expanded!). We'd love for anyone and everyone to come join us! If you can't make it up to PA, stay and help in Cecil County...146 E Main St in Elkton is where Clay will be with the Kratovil campaign. He's got about 50 people or so signed up to come in and help, and I know he needs more...also you can go to the obama website: www.my.barackobama.com/call and make calls right from your house. ANYTHING you can do will help.

Call/email/text message your friends, family members, and co-workers to remind them to get out there and vote for Obama/Biden and our local Dems! Polls in MD and PA are open from 7am-8pm and as long as they are in line by 8pm they will be able to vote!

LETS DO THIS! YES WE CAN!!

FUNNY!

Most of you know that Kevin photographs events for the University of Delaware. Well, Joe & Jill Biden will be there today speaking...so it was funny when he got the phonecall requesting him to photograph the Counter Rally held by the College Republicans today. HAHA! Oh well, it should be interesting anyway :).

GOTV Starts tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! Please help out any way you can! The Kratovil Campaign is working out of 146 E Main St in Elkton and we're working with them. Stop by over there if you can help. If you want to go to PA, email me and I'll get you set up with an office. 4 1/2 days left!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Don't get complacent- Less than a week!

Sign up for a Get out the Vote shift for Tuesday! If you can leave the state some of us will be going door to door to get out the vote in Coatesville PA, and a few others will be taking a trip down to Virginia. If you would rather stay in Cecil County, the Kratovil campaign will be doing get out the vote canvassing. Give us a call if you need any more details: 443-406-2258




No one wants to be this guy :)

Obama Rally Pictures from the Kilby Farm

We had a very sucessfull rally yesterday at the Kilby Cream Farm. The Kilbys were very generous and allowed us to have our rally on their property. We had a great turnout of over 60 people even though it was freezing cold and rainy. The Wallis Brothers (who play on Fridays at the Grist Mill in Perryville) generously played excelent music for a good part of the night, as well as did Melissa Cox from Mythica Music. "Krazy George" also helped get the crowd riled up for Sharon Weygand, Clay (from the Kratovil campaign), and B. Daniel Riley (MD house delegate for Cecil County).

This week's phonebanking winner!

Thank you everyone who came in this week to phonebank! Our weekly winner was Geraldine Lucas-Haji! Congrats Geraldine! Come by the HQ to pick up your prize!

Next week we'll have phonebanking on Tuesday and Wednesday 3-9 (Monday is cancelled due to the GOTV Rally). Come by HQ and we'll set you up with a list and FREE ice cream from Kilby Farm! We're calling Virginia undecided voters.

Don't forget- We are splitting Wednesdays with the Kratovil Campaign. They have phonebanking every night, but on Wednesdays you can go to their Elkton HQ (146 E Main St) and make 1/2 calls for Kratovil and 1/2 calls for Obama. They have phones there for you to use.

Tomorrow we're going to Lionville, PA to canvass. Leaving at 12:30 at the Acme Parking Lot- hope to see a lot of you there! Next weekend is it!!!!!!!!!

11 days left!

GOTV Rally

The Rally's on Monday 5-8 at Kilby Cream Farm in Rising Sun. Things are all coming together and we have most of the items needed. We're still looking for people to help out the day of the event. We're going to need people to man a few tables that we'll have set out, so if you're interested, please email me ASAP (alissaq@kqwedphoto.com). We're still waiting on the Obama Campaign to see if we'll have a speaker..but otherwise it will be a great event. The bonfire is going to be supplemented with Smores, we're going to have live music and a professional cheerleader (Krazy George www.krazygeorge.com) to get the crowd going. I will probably have a raffle also, to track how many people we get, and to give away some Obama merchandise. Please pass the word on, we want to have a good crowd! Let me know if you need me to send you the flyer to print out or pass on!

We're still going to PA to canvass on Sunday- so if we don't see you on Sunday, we'll see you on Monday!

Videos

Instead of usefull information, I would like to lighten the tense mood a little bit with a few more funny videos from the internet. Not all of them are comedy :)

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Vote Barack!

Cute rap video sent to me by Pat. Warning- some of it's a little offensive...but it's very catchy!

Suprised at Mike

Mike Burns seemed like a good guy... :)

Scared yet?

I am posting this to let you guys know that all the work we are doing in Pennsylvania is worth it. Between now and election day, PA will be the most heavily contested state in the US. If Obama wins PA it will be extremely difficult for McCain to win the election. On the other hand, if Obama loses PA it will be very difficult for him to win the election (even if he wins NM, CO, VA, and IA). Please help in the less than 2 weeks left. Election day is the most important day to volunteer to go door to door to help get out the vote for Obama, but there will be a way for you to help out (canvassing or phone banking) any day you have time to spare

Harris is recycling old ads

Check out this local newscast about Harris vs Kratovil...
http://www.wbaltv.com/video/17748454/?taf=bal

Obama will be a great President...

I sent the full passage to all of you in an email- but here's an excerpt:
"A hundred years from now Obama's portrait will be placed next to that of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. Long before that we'll be telling our children and grandchildren that we stepped out in faith and voted for a young black man who stood up and led our country back from the brink of an abyss. We'll tell them about the power of love, faith and hope. We'll tell them about the power of creativity combined with humility and intellectual brilliance. We'll tell them that President Obama gave us the gift of regaining our faith in our country. We'll tell them that we all stood up and pitched in and won the day. We'll tell them that President Obama restored our standing in the world. We'll tell them that by the time he left office our schools were on the mend, our economy booming, that we'd become a nation filled with green energy alternatives and were leading the world away from dependence on carbon-based destruction. We'll tell them that because of President Obama's example and leadership the integrity of the family was restored, divorce rates went down, more fathers took responsibility for their children, and abortion rates fell dramatically as women, families and children were cared for through compassionate social programs that worked. We'll tell them about how the gap closed between the middle class and the super rich, how we won health care for all, how crime rates fell, how bad wars were brought to an honorable conclusion. We'll tell them that when we were attacked again by al Qaeda, how reason prevailed and the response was smart, tough, measured and effective, and our civil rights were protected even in times of crisis..."

2 WEEKS LEFT TO PITCH IN AND WIN IT FOR OBAMA. WE NEED YOUR HELP PHONEBANKING AND CANVASSING. PLEASE CALL OR COME IN TO HELP!

This past weekend

Just a weekend update. The winner of phonebanking this past week is Amy Yarnall with 38 phonecalls. Congrats Amy! Come by and pick up your prize :) We had 4 people go up to Coatesville on Sunday and they got to a bunch of houses! We're really getting down to the wire here and I really appreciate all of your help! With 2 weeks left we need ALL HANDS ON DECK. Especially for Get Out The Vote which will take place the final Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (Election Day). We'll have plenty for everyone to do here in Cecil County, or up in PA, wherever you'd rather be!

We're getting ready for our Rally next Monday (October 27th 5-8 pm Kilby Farm in Rising Sun) for Get Out The Vote Volunteers. We've confirmed the two bands: Mythica Music and The Wallis Brothers, and we're going to have Krazy George (he invented "The Wave!") to get everyone excited. We really need a good showing and theres NO CHARGE so please spread the word and try and come! If you need a copy of the flyer, let me know and I can email it to you! Try and put it up anywhere you are allowed to (please ask first!).

2 WEEKS LEFT!

Washington Post Endorses Obama

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat Barack Obama won the endorsement of The Washington Post in an editorial saying the Illinois senator "has the potential to become a great president."
The newspaper said its choice was made easy in part by the "disappointing campaign" of Republican candidate John McCain and his decision to pick Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his vice presidential running mate for the November 4 election.
"It is made easy in larger part, though, because of our admiration for Mr. Obama and the impressive qualities he has shown during this long race," the Post said in the editorial for its Friday editions published on its website on Thursday night.
The paper, which endorsed Democrats in the two previous presidential elections, praised Obama as a "man of supple intelligence, with a nuanced grasp of complex issues and evident skill at conciliation and consensus-building."
It said Obama also has a sophisticated understanding of the world and America's place in it and that he was committed to maintaining U.S. leadership.
In endorsing Obama, the Post said a McCain presidency would not equal four more years of Bush administration policies. But the paper said McCain would draw on many of the same policymakers who have brought the country to its current state.
"We believe they have richly earned, and might even benefit from, some years in the political wilderness," the editorial said.
(Writing by JoAnne Allen; Editing by John O'Callaghan)"

Raffle Winners!!

We have the raffle winners!

3rd prize: American Flag and Book: Mike Burns
2nd prize: IPOD Nano: Purdie Bernard
1st prize: $250: Kathy Billmire

Congrats to the Winners! Come by the HQ to pick up your prize, or email me and we can make an arrangement!

Love Everyone

Here's a blog post that Garrett read and passed on to me:
" You know what I really love about Barack Obama? No matter what has happened, no matter how ugly it's gotten, and it has gotten ugly, Obama has remained unflappable. He is true to himself and his goals and doesn't let the pettiness get to him, at least not pubicly.I wish I was more like that. As the days before the election draw near I wonder, what will I do if Obama wins, and, more importantly, what will I do if Obama loses? Whoever wins, my reaction needs to be the same. If Obama inspires me to be bigger than myself, to reach out to connect with and help others, then that response will be even more important if Obama loses.
It has gotten so ugly, and even scary. I'm seeing so much fear and anger. The irony is, I believe Obama would be just as much the president of the people slandering him as he would be of me. But I don't get that feeling about McCain. Palin highlights the differences between the McCain and Obama followers, pitting us against each other. Obama doesn't do that. So I think I have to stop pitting myself against these people, too, and attempt, as Obama does, to reach out to them in love and acceptance.I am tired of the division. I'm tired of the mistrust and the judgements.At the end of Bill Clinton's recent interview on The Daily Show, Clinton said,
But let's get real here. The purpose of this election is to win. We need to do what gets votes. We already got all the people that love us on this side. We gotta get some others. We gotta love them, not expect them to love us."

Debate Tonight @ 9pm!

Don't forget to watch the debate tonight, and if anyone is looking for a place to watch it you are welcome here at the Cecil4Obama headquarters. In the meantime, here is a a clip of Marvin Gaye singing the national anthem.

Voter Registration in MD article

Here's an article from the Baltimore Sun about the Voter Registration effort from the Wicomico County for Obama Office:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.register11oct11,0,7939227.story?page=1

Great Idea for stolen signs

Stop the Hate!

I just received an email with this info so all those that are interested, have at it:

"Dear friends, It is of the upmost importance to make our voices heard and do what we can to stop this Hate Campaign that the McCain campaign has been engaging in. It is destructive and dangerous to everyone in this country. We should not and cannot tolerate this. This is a bipartisan issue. I implore you to call and write John McCain, his campaign and the Republican headquarters, your representatives, newspapers, friends. This is a crucialtime to have your voice heard and change the direction in which we are moving. I have never witnessed this type of personal attack and unbridled ambition like this in an election campaign before.....to incite fear, anger,and hate and to focus it on Barack Obama, a person of such integrity, is without conscience. To use these tactics at a time when our country and world is in crisis. I hold John McCain personally responsible. As he stateson his ads "I agree with this message". This is not demonstrating the qualities of a leader or a model for our youth and our embattled world. I called the York GOP headquarters yesterday to get information andexpressed my feelings. They are actually in agreement and said that theywould pass along the message to their party headquarters as well.
John McCain 241 Russell Senate Office Bldg.Washington, DC 20510202-224-4814
Nat'l McCain Campaign Headquarters-John McCain 2008 PO Box 16118Arlington, VA 22215"

I know we have some letter writers here so if you're interested, it's a good cause!

Voter Registration Efforts

Elena and I hung out in Redners on Sunday from 9-1pm and got 14 people to register! Today it was me, Phyllis, Suzy, Clay and Rob (from the Kratovil camp), and Sharon. We registered 17 people today! Our total new registered voters since Fall Fest is 64! Great job guys! Thanks to everyone for their help! Tomorrow's the last day so if you haven't already, hit up some people in the parking lot at the gas station or at a fast food restaurant. You can bring the forms to me to data enter, or if time's getting short, just get them over to the Board of Elections Office on Chesapeake Blvd (near Walmart and the MVA).

See ya Wednesday for the Debate Watch Party!

Obama in Philly!

Here is a link to a great post with alot of photos from Barack's visit to Philly today:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/11/17256/458/741/627767

50/50 Last Call!

We're going to pull the drawings for the 50/50 on Wednesday (the day after the Voter Registration deadline). It is open to our members and followers as well! First prize: $250, Second prize: Ipod Nano, Third prize: an American Flag, and a book by Carville and Begala. Tickets are $1, or 6 tickets for $5. The proceeds benefit our group, and if we have any left over in the end, they will get donated to the Obama Campaign. We're most likely going to use the money to put out an ad in the paper for the Fall Fest Rally Event on October 27th at Kilby Farm. Let me know ASAP if you want tickets!

Autumnfest in Perryville

I was joined by 3 new volunteers this morning at our Autumnfest Table. It was a much smaller event than the Fall Fest in Elkton was, but it was still great to be there. We gave out some Obama literature, talked with some people, and sold A LOT of stuff. I have to go replenish our supply again! - that's definitely a good thing!!

We got 2 people to register to vote, and two others came over to us after registering at the GOP table. One of them had their form still so I took it and told her I'd hand it in for her (hopefully the other one gets turned in too! I'd hate to think the worst...I'm sure it will).

The band playing there was GREAT (The Wallis Brothers). They played Neil Young, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, etc. They offered to play at our rally on the 27th! Now we have TWO bands: The Wallis Brothers and Mythica Music. More info on that to come.

Here's a picture of our table today. After this photo was taken, Kevin and Pat joined me and relieved the others of their shift. The weather was BEAUTFUL! It felt like summer!!

Meeting and Sign Wave 10-10-08

We had a great time last night! The sign wave started at 6:00 pm as a one man show by Paul. He wore his Obama hat and shirt, carried around a lawn sign and an American Flag, and whistled for one full hour! He was shortly joined by the rest of our group (along with some newcomers!) and we got a lot of cheers and honks. With that of course we did have "thumbs down", and middle fingers, but we just kept cheering on. All in all you can tell there is A LOT more support in this area than most people think!! We'll have some pictures of the wave shortly- Bob got some for us and they look great :)

After that, we all went down to Woody's for some food, drinks, and socializing. I briefly went over things we have coming up such as DEADLINE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION IN MD ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 14TH, and our FALLFEST RALLY MONDAY OCTOBER 27TH 5:00 pm. We're going to have a table at Redners Sunday 9-2 and Monday 3-7 to register voters (we have to be bi-partisan), but if each of you took one hour of your time before the deadline (9:00 pm on Tuesday) you could get some more people registered in gas stations or parking lots, just by asking someone if they'd like you to register them. More often than not, the people we're registering are voting in our favor, so it really is to our benefit to get some more registered!

Voter Registration Tip: if someone has a felony, but has already served time (and isn't on probation) they CAN register to vote. A lot of people don't know this so they aren't registering. Be sure to spread the word!!

For our FALL FEST RALLY at Kilby Farm in Rising Sun, we're going to have TWO bands, possibly some Broadway Performers, a hayride, cornmaze, bonfire, and ICE CREAM!! I'll have flyers ready soon!!

Here's some photos from Woody's to share:

Racism...

Salina sent me this, and it's so true:

"How racism works. What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review? What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class? What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said 'I do' to? What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no longer measured up to his standards? What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable organization? What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard? What if Obama were a member of the 'Keating 5'? What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference. "

This week's quick update

Phonebanking results this week:
First Place: Garrett Billmire 60 calls, Second Place: Peg Dillner 39 calls, Third Place: Donna Ward: 27 calls. Garrett wins the prize of the week!! Garrett, your prize is a free 11x14 print of Obama or Joe Biden! Good job everyone! This coming week we're starting PA and VA calls...we need your help. Remember Mon-Wed between 3 and 9! Come to HQ!

Wednesday night we had a voter registration table at Acme. Ken Drier, Pat Folk, Mike Burns, myself, and Sharon Weygand helped register 11 new voters! (all democrats too!!) I'm going to try and get more tables elsewhere, I'm bringing voter registration forms to the meeting so everyone can have some, and we're going to talk about this wonderful list we have. Joyce Fitzpatrick was successful just going to a gas station, so we all can spare an hour by Tuesday to try and get some more Cecil Countians registered! We'll have a table at Autumnfest on Saturday as well. We can win Cecil for Obama!!! We can do it!!

As you can see we were in a beautiful sea of mums :)

First time canvassers- here's another survey for you to read :)

We had a few first time canvassers this past weekend so I had them take a short survey to explain their experiences. It sounds like this group really had a great time!

Ngeri Nnachi:

1. Have you ever canvassed before? No I have never canvassed before.

2. What preconceptions did you have prior to going out? I was just eager to see what kinds of responses I would receive from people.

3. What was your experience overall? Good or bad? I absolutely loved my experience in Coatesville and would not mind doingit again.

4. Was the training helpful? The training definitely helped.

5. Would you do it again? In a heartbeat.

6. Do you have any tips or advice for others who have never canvassed? Just be yourself and be open to all kinds of opinions. Do not limityourself to just the homes on the list, do the whole block if possible.You never know what kind of potential support could be next door.

Pat Timberg:
1. NO.
2. No preconceptions. I was looking forward to it.
3. The experience was great. Made some new friends. Got to see another part of the country and another town and the issues they deal with. I enjoyed going to the houses and talking to the people there and getting to know them. I even managed to get some teenage girls to volunteer to help in their neighborhood and pushed people who had registered to check in their neighborhoods on election day to be sure everyone gets out to vote. Left phone numbers for those who did not answer the door to contact the office if they needed help.
4. There was a brief training at the campaign office but it was not complicated. I had a partner who had done it before and that helped initially. I was able after our first round of houses to go on my own even though he was fairly close by.
5. Of course I would do it again. I'm disappointed I got involved so late. If there were people to drive, I would consider going for a day to Virginia or some other close toss up state. I would even stay over if there were accommodations. I am not able to spend a lot of money traveling, getting lodging etc. but if that were provided (with just chipping in for gas money) I would try to do more.
6. My tip would be...Be sure you like people because that is what works. Wear good shoes, sunscreen and probably have a partner if you are in unfamiliar neighborhoods. I think it's best if the campaign office can match a new person to the area with one from the area. It helps and I think you can be more successful because the local person knows the territory so to speak. But if there are not enough locals to go around, it is still good. Teams are good though.

Thanks ladies for completing our survey! I just want to tell all of you out there who are interested in trying canvassing, but still a little nervous about it that you just need to try it ONCE. If you don't like it, you don't ever have to do it again...but chances are, you'll love it and have a lot of fun! Pat even said she's sorry she didn't try it earlier! I urge you to join us this Sunday or next. Only 27 days left!! WE NEED YOU!

Undecideds

A brakedown of who still remains undecided :)

Old Obama Photos

I was going through some photos on my computer today, and I came across some photos I took while photographing the Jefferson Jackson Award Dinner in Washington DC a few years ago. The dinner was held in June of 2006, four months before Obama announced that he was even considering a run for the presidency. Ironically, I remember that I was disappointed that Joe Biden didn't make it to the dinner, because at the time Biden was already rumored to have been planning a run for the presidency. I remember being a little disappointed that I didn't get to see someone that could become the next president :)

The Debates (take 2)

Alissa and I (and Paige from our group)went up to Newark Delaware to watch the 2nd presidential debate tonight at Timothys. Delaware for Obama had organized a debate watch party there. They had a great turnout, with 50+ people all eating (1/2 price nachos and $.35 wings) and drinking and watching the debate. Overall, I think the debate went very well. Obama came across very well, and did a better job of connecting with viewers (without the need for jokes about hairplugs :) ). In the end, McCain needed a game changing moment, and it certainly was not. My biggest complaint would be with the debate layout and moderator. Brokaw added absolutely nothing to this debate. His strictly adhering to the "no follow ups/responses" rule made it much less exciting and interesting of a debate than it could have been. So far this year, the only moderator who came even close to doing their job was Jim Lehr. In the end though, as in the previous debates, the Obama-Biden team performed very well and I would bet brought a few more undecideds over to their side. To McCain's credit, he did not get as dirty as his campaign has in the past few days, as I was expecting him to.

The Debates (take 1)

Alissa and I and several others from our group went to the Kratovil vs. Harris congressional debate at Cecil College tonight. If you get a chance, I would suggest meeting, or attending something with these two candidates. The difference between them is stark. Having not met or seen either of them before in person, I did not know what to expect. Most of the debate between them pretty much resembeled the debate we have been seeing on the national stage between Obama and McCain. It was almost eerie how the personalities mirrored, to a large degree, that of Obama and McCain. Andy Harris comes across as condescending, arrogant, and nasty. About the kindest word I could use to describe his stage presence and word choices is "smug". On the other hand, Kratovil came across as a generally nice guy that was calm and genuine in his answers (although he fumbeled his words a few times). In the end what it came down to was that Kratovil stood up there throughout the debate advocating for the middle class, while Harris seemed more concerned with his "Club For Growth" priorities of repealing capital gains taxes.

The real John McCain

Salina forwarded this on to me. It's a good video to watch: 3 minutes long.

Phonebanking Monday

Just wanted to tell everyone that we had TWO phonebankers yesterday and they made 99 calls!! They recruited 6 new volunteers! Peggy called 39 and Garrett called 60! They did an AWESOME job! We're almost done with our volunteer list. Then we'll be going to VA and PA undecided voters lists. In the meantime, I also have an Ohio Early Voting list. We'll be calling those undecided voters to see if they've decided yet, and if they have we're going to try and get them to vote early. These are calls you can make from home as well with the neighbor to neighbor tool on www.barackobama.com. If you need help, let me know.

Mavericktastic!

THIS WEEKEND

We had a great weekend registering PA voters!! We had Paul and Carol Abuto in York PA, Ken Drier and Susan Peterson in New London Township PA, Henry Burden, Mike Arms, Pat Timberg, Ngeri Nnachi, Beverly and Gordon Tozer in Coatesville PA, and Kevin and I in Coatesville this afternoon. That's an awesome effort made by our group! I can't wait to see the final numbers of how many PA people were registered to vote this election season! Thanks again everyone!!

I know of two people from our group that were able to go see the Springsteen concert in Philly on Saturday and heard they had an attendance of 50,000 people! Everyone who went had to register to vote or sign up to volunteer in order to get in. 50,000 some-odd volunteers!! This campaign is doing AMAZING!!

Kevin and I have an interesting story from our Voter Registration effort this afternoon. We were outside of the "Giant" (supermarket) with clip boards registering people to vote. We had some stickers and Obama brochures and I was wearing an Obama shirt, because we weren't told that we had to be bipartisan. We asked tons of people coming in and out of the store, and most people that were already registered actually thanked us for asking. We registered 10 new voters and gave out 5 more applications for their friends or family members at home. We approached people by asking them if they were registered to vote. If they said yes, we said "Great!" If they said no, we said "You can register right now. Today's the deadline and every vote counts!" Most people didn't seem bothered by us. Towards the end of the afternoon, Kevin asked a man if he was registered to vote. He didn't answer the question, but asked "who are you voting for?". Kevin said, "Well I'm personally voting for Obama, but anyone can register to vote here". The man didn't respond and just walked away. A few minutes later he returned with the store manager telling her that we were forcing people to vote for Obama. He told the manager that his sister called him and told him to come to the store because we tried to force her to vote for Obama. Kevin explained that the man was clearly lying and we were registering anyone to vote. We actually did have one woman who said she was a Republican, but registered with us anyway and was very nice (you could tell she was on the fence!!). Anyway, the store manager was actually quite nasty with us telling us to "get rid of" the Obama stickers and brochures (which we had on our clip boards to give to people that wanted them) and said we had to be bipartisan. We explained that we had no problem doing that and weren't told before that we had to be bipartisan, but she continued to be kind of nasty. The man kept saying he wanted her to get rid of us and stood there. We decided not to deal with the harassment (and we had to get ready to come back anyway...) so instead we walked the parking lot asking people that were outside their cars if they were registered. Once we did the whole lot it was time to go, so we really didn't miss much by that little encounter.

We're not surprised that someone did this, but we were annoyed of course. Then we thought about it. The reason he's probably so "angry" with us registering voters is 1: because most of these newly registered voters wouldn't vote Republican, and 2: he's probably upset because he knows his team's LOSING and that's all he could think of to do!

Anyway, we thought it was an interesting story to tell :)

Thanks again for everyone's help. We have phonebanking Tues and Wed 3-9. Tuesday night there is a Debate Watching Party at Timothy's in Newark. They are offering 1/2 price nachos and drink specials! We're going to try to go to that, let us know if you want to come with us! We have a voter registration table on Wed Evening in front of Acme from 4-8 (we're ALLOWED to have Obama Literature, but no signs), and our next meeting is Friday October 10th. We're meeting at the parking lot on the corner of rte 272 and 40 at 6:15, going down to Woody's at 7:15. We'd love to see you!!

Keating 5

Here's a short documentary (13 minutes) on the Keating 5 blunder that McCain was a part of. We all need to watch this and pass along the info!
http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/keatingvideo

In case you missed the VP debate

Here's a clip of the highlights:

It's worth a watch!

UPDATES

Phonebanking Mon-Wed went well this week. We had 6 volunteers come in and make a total of 124 calls! Great job everyone! This week's rankings: 1st place: Mike Arms with 50 phonecalls! 2nd place: Ken Drier with 32 phonecalls! and 3rd place: Tiffany Lydon with 25 calls! Thanks so much everyone! Mike- wins the prize of the week!

Democrat Club meeting:~ The Kratovil front porch chat is coming up this Sunday (Oct 5th) and they'd really like a good showing. ~ Tuesday October 7th is the Kratovil/Harris Debate, as well as the local government debates, at Cecil College at 6:30 pm. If anyone in North East is willing to have a Presidential Debate Watch Party that evening, we may be able to get some more supporters at this local debate! ~Also, the Oct 11th Dinner Party for Sharon Weygand is going to be a night of fun, so join us to enjoy dinner and dancing with an AWESOME local band "How's My Hat" (they played at my and Kevin's Wedding!). ~ The Dem Club is doing literature drops/canvassing locally on Tues, Thurs, and Saturdays so if you're interested in helping out locally contact Pat Folk: 302-593-3576 or Alena Bandy: 410-392-6367. Election Day Poll Coverage: we still need help covering all the polls all day.

VP Debate: Joe rocked the debate! Sarah did better than expected because she had her notecards in front of her and she didn't have to answer specifics since there weren't any follow up questions, but overall it didn't seem to be a "vote changer". It was fun to watch and play "Palin Bingo". I won with the words: Alaska, Special Needs, Hockey Mom, Terrorist, and "Free Space".

THIS WEEKEND: is the last weekend for Voter Registration in PA. We need EVERYONE to help in PA if they can. The Coatesville Office (128 E Lincoln Hwy, Coatesville, PA 19320) needs lot of help and they requested that we send up as many people as possible. Anyone who would like to go on Saturday or Monday, please email me so I can try and get a group together. We're still sending the crew out on Sunday at our normal meeting time (12:30) and place (Acme parking lot in Big Elk Mall). I have a few people signed up to go and would love a few more. Also, I have someone who wants to go on Sunday but doesn't have a way of getting to Acme or back home so if someone is going and lives in Perryville, please let me know so we can try and carpool. If you have signed up to go, please email me and confirm. If you can't go out of the state on Sunday, we're having the Bridal Show in town from 1-5. We'd like to have a voter registration/information table out front of the HQ Email me if you're interested.

NEXT WEEK: Monday, we'll be in PA registering voters so the phonebanking from 3-9 will change to 5-9. Sorry for the inconvenience! Tuesday and Wednesday we'll be having some more phonebanking and Wednesday we'll have a VOTER REGISTRATION TABLE in front of the Elkton ACME from 4-8 pm (their busy time) and we CAN have Obama and other Democratic information out, but NO large signs about it. We don't have to be COMPLETELY bipartisan but they don't want us largely advertising our group. I think we can handle that!
~If anyone can think of a good high traffic area in the Rising Sun side of the county, let me know ASAP so we can try and get a table over there. MD's deadline for Voter Registration is October 14th and I just received a list of 28,000 people in CECIL COUNTY that are NOT registered to vote. We need to break into this list. If anyone is interested in going door to door registering voters, I'll have lists here for you to pick up and go through a neighborhood getting people to register. If anyone has any other ideas or ways we can quickly use this list, let me know!
~We're currently working on an event at Kilby Farm in Rising Sun (thank you Phyllis!) where we'll have a hayride, a bonfire, ice cream for sale and a voter registration table on Monday October 13th. I'm still working on the details but all input is appreciated!

NEXT MEETING: Friday Oct 10th: sign waving on the corner of Rte 272 & 40. We'll meet in the parking lot near Burger King at 6:15/6:20 and start the sign waving at 6:30. Wear your Obama shirt/pins/hats and bring any signs you may have. After the sign waving at 7:15, we'll meet at Woody's to get out in the public and go over everything we have coming up (especially the registration event on the 13th), and have some food, drinks, and socializing :).

HELP I NEED: I need help with Data Entry here at the Office for the calls we've been making to Cecil County Residents. I'm getting through some of it today, but I could really use some help next week. I also need help trying to get through the voter registration list of 28,000 Cecil Countians. I need ideas of how to get through that list (setting up tables, etc), and also help planning the event on October 13th. I need people to canvass/help with voter registration in PA this weekend and canvassing in PA next weekend, and I need people here phonebanking Mon-Wed. Anyone that can help, please email me.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
~I now have Obama/Biden lawn signs! I also have 5: 3XL t-shirts being sold at cost for $10, bumperstickers, signs, and cell phone/key ring/zipper pull chains, hand made by our own group member Donna Ward, available here. Come by or send your friends :)
~We have access to 5: 4x8 Obama signs. If there is interest (and donations) for the signs, we can get some, but I have to know soon-they cost $48/piece. We'll need a truck and 2 people to get them also :)
~I have copies of the "Democratic Herald" (the Democratic Club's newsletter) here at the HQ so be sure to pick up a copy and check it out. Mike Burns is the editor, and he did an awesome job with it!

Thank you all of you who have helped out in these past weeks! If you can spare any time this week and plan to come in, please let me know. To those of you who are have not been to any events yet, please join us! We're looking for help in all different areas and if you could spare even a 1/2 hour, we can find something for you to do! Don't forget- we have a CONTEST going on!! :)

32 days left!!

Sarah Palin Ad and Bingo

She's a hot topic tonight so I wanted to do a short post about her. I just received this in my email and thought it would be good for everyone to see. It's an ad run by the Wildlife Fund about Sarah Palin. I'm an animal lover so it was hard for me to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQobIUE1zTU

why isn't the news covering this ad? they cover all the ads about Obama...

On a lighter note, here's something to keep the debate more amusing:

www.palinbingo.com

Print out a few sheets and play bingo while watching the debate! We're having a watch party here at Headquarters so if you don't have plans, come on by! I have some bingo sheets ready :)

Here is a great story on a local woman's (York PA) amazing efforts to help get Obama elected

Here is a story about a woman that lives about 1 hour away from cecil county. Although she had never been registered to vote before, she became extremely interested this year (like many of you). Although she has an extremely demanding work week (80 hours in 7 days), she found the time to donate nearly every day to helping sign up new voters like herself. Although she had never done it before, she has now registered over 1,100 new voters in her county, which happens to be more than 6% of the new voters in all of York County.
Read her story for some great inspiration for this weekend's final push to sign up voters in PA before the deadline Monday night (October 6th):
LINK: http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/one-american-1136-new-voters

Then, come and HELP THIS WEEKEND IN PA!

VP Debate Party- at HQ!

We're having a debate party at HQ (208 George St) for the VP Debate on Thursday. Come by at 8:30 or 8:45 and watch the debate with us! Beer and wine welcome. We have some snacks left over from last time :) Should be fun!

CANVASSING IN PA THIS WEEKEND

We're going to need all hands on deck this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The PA voter registration deadline is MONDAY. Coatesville says they really need us since they have a large population of unregistered voters. Kevin and I have a wedding on Saturday and a Bridal Show on Sunday, but we'll be up there on Monday. We would still like those that can go out on Sunday (normal time at Acme parking lot) to go up and bring others with them. In addition, if anyone has time Saturday also (or instead of Sunday or Monday), please go up there and help out. They need you! We would love to have people with us on Monday!

Coatesville Office 128 Lincoln Highway Coatesville PA

Canvassing Survey

Here's the survey questions I sent to this weekends canvassers (from our group)
1. Have you ever canvassed before?
2. What preconceptions did you have prior to going out?
3. What was your experience overall? Good or bad?
4. Was the training helpful?
5. Would you do it again?
6. Do you have any tips or advice for others who have never canvassed?

Here's some responses (some of them are shortened...):
Henry:
1. Yes I have canvassed before.
2. No preconceptions
3. Great to be out talking with folks
4. Training is always helpful, you never know when you are going to learn something new.
5. Yes I will do it again.
6. It is a great way to help change government and talk with regular people about common problems.

Nanette:
1. I canvassed in California--this was quite different--I liked the organization of this one--less wasting time on folks who clearly will not vote for Obama. The definte Obama supporters welcomed us--and were for the most part interested in the campaign---only two undecideds welcomed us and seemed interested--I think the other "undecideds" had already made of their minds but were being polite--My main issue would be that we need better maps so we can see where we are going--
4. the training was helpful and the script was helpful--
5. We'd probably do it again.--It might be good if the information we were leaving had some method of sticking to their doors--
6. maybe bring some scotch tape--a lot of folks weren't home....

Mike A:
1) never canvassed before
2) I thought we'd be doing a much harder "sell'" trying to convince voters to change their minds
3) very good experience
4) the training was useful... but much more helpful was going out the first time with someone who had been there before and could lead the conversation
5) I'd be glad to do it again
6) try it!

So I'm urging EVERYONE to try it at least ONCE. Both phonebanking and canvassing. It's a lot more fun than you would think..and it's a lot easier than you would think. You're definitely not debating with someone to change their mind, you're letting them know that you're a volunteer and that you care enough to spend your free time talking to people to try and get Obama elected. That personal touch really could sway voters all by itself...which is the point of reaching out to these undecided people. This weekend the main focus in PA is going to be Voter Registration since their deadline is MONDAY!

An Email I received- Candidate's Education

"It stands to reason that the basic requirement for our next president must include a substantive educational background demonstrating the capability to understand the issues and
complexity of our present world. Since we've heard so much about experience (the second item on most resumes), I decided to find out our candidates' educational credentials. Here they are for your consideration...

Obama
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a specialization in International Relations
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude.

Biden
University of Delaware - B.A. in History
University of Delaware - B.A. in Political Science
Syracuse University - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

McCain
United States Naval Academy - class rank 894 of 899

Palin
Hawaii Pacific University - one semester
North Idaho College - two semesters - General Studies
University of Idaho - two semesters - Journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - one semester
University of Idaho - three semesters - B.A. in Journalism

It has been argued that the education of Obama/Biden represents "elitism." This argument befuddles me since an appropriate education is fundamental to even getting an interview for most jobs, let alone the presidency of the most powerful nation on earth! Again sufficient education and certification are basic requirements for so many professional fields, such as medicine, law, etc. Surely the next president will need even better qualifications to serve the needs of our country!"

WOW

CANVASS IN KENNETT SQUARE

Unfortunately I didn't take any photos...I should have taken some before we left since we all returned at different times. Anyway, the day was very successful. We had 7 people total go up to Kennett Square and we went to a bunch of doors and talked to people who were undecided or Obama Supporters. My group didn't have anyone that said they were a McCain supporter...so we had a great list! We did have A LOT of rain, so that put a damper on things a bit. But a lot of people were home and willing to discuss what issues were holding them back. My partner Mike said he was so surprised to learn how many people there are that are undecided. They truly are deciding the election so we need to reach out to them! I asked everyone who canvassed to answer a few questions and I'll have the answers available to everyone shortly. I want you all to know how fun and easy canvassing can be! You have to at least try it once! If you don't like it, you don't have to do it again! I know my partner Mike really enjoyed it and said he would definitely do it again...so come join us! Every Sunday!

Debate Watch Party 9-26-08

We had a brief meeting last night to discuss last week/weekend's activities and the ones we have coming up this week/weekend. Here's a recap:

Red Lion Sweep was a success in PA- are there any areas in Cecil County with high visibility that could use a cleanup? We could have a voter registration table/people walking up to cars while others clean up the area. Let me know your ideas...

This week in phone banking: 318 calls made, 120 people reached, 198 messages left GREAT JOB!

High Level Campaign Meeting: we went to a meeting in DC for the campaign on Thursday and learned that they have set it up so there are a lot of ways to win. If we win all of the Kerry States, we need to win 1 out of 8 states in order to win (Fl, IN, GA, MO, NC, OH, VA, and one more..). There's a huge influx of newly registered voters in all states...also people registered but didn't vote in 04. For example: Florida has 600,000 African Americans and 900,000 people 18-35 that were registered but didn't vote in 04. The GOTV effort will be HUGE and very advantageous to Obama.
-Attorneys are always needed: www.mybarackobama.com/counselforchange
-Will be long lines at polls on Election Day- tents? drinks? entertainment? we need to help keep those people in line!

Voter Registration: need to have more activities since deadline approaching. Page mentioned going to the Senior Center, or putting a table at Acme- most likely has to be bipartisan. Anyone willing to look into either would be great.

Events coming up are on the calendar...Sunday Canvass is in Kennet Square PA this week: 11 people signed up!

Phonebanking: Mon-Wed between 3 and 9pm come by and help! We're having a contest!
Most calls/week: mystery prize
Most calls from now until Election Day: $20 gift certificate for the Movies & Obama goodies
Most doors knocked/canvass trips: $20 gift certificate for the Movies & Obama goodies

Let the competitive spirit come out!

If you want to phonebank from home: Neighbor to Neighbor tool at your leisure- I can show you how to use it, or I can give you a list BUT you MUST report all calls to me that day because I have to report results to the campaign!

Phonebanking tip: Say "My name is Alissa and I'm a volunteer for the Obama Campaign"..it may make them listen to you a bit more and realize that you're not asking for money! I personally haven't had a problem yet, but its a good approach..

We'll be ordering more shirts, pins, and possibly lawn signs...still have some left. T-Shirts left are (5) "Shore Nough Obama" in size 3XL. They will be sold at cost $10 so we can get more different shirts in different sizes.

We need more writers for the Whig! Official Obama website has form letters and contact info. The Ulrich's are getting their 2nd letter in there, and Garrett and Mary sent letters in as well. Keep it up! 250 words or less, CANNOT endorse a candidate, HAVE to state facts (which are in our favor anyway).

Kratovil Campaign is looking for help too: Tues, Thurs, and Sun canvassing, Phonebanking on Wednesday. Contact: Clay Schramm 254-709-7837 HQ: 136 E Main St Elkton, MD

Next "Obama Siting" date TBA. We'll be doing a sign wave on Rte 40 and 272 and then meet at Woody's after for a drink/food. Still working on that date.

Democrat Club meeting Thurs Oct 2nd 7:00 pm- John promises it will be over early so you can get home and watch the VP debate at 9:00 pm.

4x8 Signs: there are 5 that we can buy at $48/piece. I had feedback suggesting we should raise the money separately if we want these signs. Anyone interested? Also, WARNING. There are organized groups stealing and trashing democratic signs...it happens all the time in Cecil County. If you see this happening, call the police. Keep an eye out! We need to stop this from happening!

After the meeting we watched the debate. All in all Obama had made excellent points and kept the focus on judgement and the Middle Class. McCain performed better than expected, but didn't really get anywhere in stating how he'd help us...the commentary on Olbermann and Maddow after was great! Thanks to all who came!