I am feeling sadness for my friends who are good people and are Republicans, usually for one or more of just a few reasons--
They believe that birth begins at conception (some Catholics seem to believe that it begins before conception, and I respect their right to believe as they do, and I also want them to respect my right to believe as I do, which is that I can't run another person's life), and they do not think a woman should have a right to choose.
They are against Unions, because they think that people who belong to unions are unreasonable and ask too much of management. (Some are surprised to learn that, although I was in management for a good part of my career, I belong to a Union and I think I have a pretty logical argument for the need for labor unions, related to the natural tension between management's emphasis on the profits and worker's concerns about themselves, for example, safety in the workplace, and their concerns for their families, their customers, etc.).
They are in the upper income brackets and want to protect their own pocketbooks. (Not seeing the bigger picture...what good is your having money if the entire economy, the environment, national security, maybe your own retirement fund, etc., are falling down around you?)
These friends of mine are intelligent, well educated, compassionate, and reasonable people. I think that some of them may not spend a lot of time exploring all the issues. But they are good people. I sincerely feel sorry for them, that their party has abandoned them for the extremist right wing folks who are the mean spirited and even violent haters that seem to have become what is supposedly the base.
Barack Obama and this movement for real change will help us come together to get things done.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Too intense
Although I am constantly reminding people to ignore the polls, I must confess that, about a week ago, as I was driving to work, I heard on the radio that Obama was increasingly ahead in the polls for battleground states, and I just burst out sobbing tears of joy. I had flashbacks (the best kind) to Des Moines the night of our victory in the Iowa Caucuses, when, as we left the acceptance speech by Barack, I told Kelvin, "Our lives will never be the same." It will happen. We will keep working to make it happen. God Bless America and the World.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Another day to remember, forever and ever
Today we did our first Dry Run for Election Day. I am the Staging Location Director for Obama Campaign Headquarters, since HQ is located within our neighborhood team's geographic area. The Barack & Rollers Neighborhood Team (31st to 39th, State Line to Troost) merged with the Blues 4 Barack Team (39th to 47th), to form Barack'n Blues, for GOTV (Get Out the Vote). We started bonding as a team at the all-day Neighborhood Team Leader (NTL) training October 19, and, since then, have held joint organizing and leadership team meetings.
Today's Dry Run was a day for the history books...my personal history books, anyway. Except for the night we heard Barack at the Hyvee Center in Des Moines when he won the Iowa Caucus and we knew our lives would never be the same, it was the most moving experience of this campaign, which means it was one of the top 3 or 4 moving experiences of my life! So many Neighborhood Team Leaders did such a great job of organizing and inspiring so many volunteers who showed up to help...we probably had 3 times as many volunteers as we'd expected (it didn't hurt that our staging location was HQ and people sort of randomly came in to offer their support and services!)...and it all worked like a charm! Today gave me total confidence that we are going to win this state and the election. I think I had been subconsciously anxious about my role as the Staging Location Director for our Neighorhood Team, but I saw today just how POWERFUL this neighborhood team model is, even with me in a major role! :) Nothing is going to stop us! Barack even called the MO Neighborhood Team Leaders on a conference call this afternoon...it was tremendous! Journalists were here from the Netherlands. Volunteers drove from Oklahoma City for the day, and a woman from Houston helped us...It's only going to get more intense, but in a fantastic way!
Today's Dry Run was a day for the history books...my personal history books, anyway. Except for the night we heard Barack at the Hyvee Center in Des Moines when he won the Iowa Caucus and we knew our lives would never be the same, it was the most moving experience of this campaign, which means it was one of the top 3 or 4 moving experiences of my life! So many Neighborhood Team Leaders did such a great job of organizing and inspiring so many volunteers who showed up to help...we probably had 3 times as many volunteers as we'd expected (it didn't hurt that our staging location was HQ and people sort of randomly came in to offer their support and services!)...and it all worked like a charm! Today gave me total confidence that we are going to win this state and the election. I think I had been subconsciously anxious about my role as the Staging Location Director for our Neighorhood Team, but I saw today just how POWERFUL this neighborhood team model is, even with me in a major role! :) Nothing is going to stop us! Barack even called the MO Neighborhood Team Leaders on a conference call this afternoon...it was tremendous! Journalists were here from the Netherlands. Volunteers drove from Oklahoma City for the day, and a woman from Houston helped us...It's only going to get more intense, but in a fantastic way!
I voted Thursday!
I had taken my son, Kel, to the Plaza Library to meet with his math tutor. I needed to pick up a non-driver volunteer for a phone bank at our house later that evening, but decided to check out the Absentee Voting location in the basement of the library, prior to making that run. Well, I impulsively talked myself into voting, since there was no wait and I decided to just get it done, even though Kelvin and Kel were not with me for this momentous occasion.
They did not have paper ballots at the Plaza Library, only the touch screen machines. But there was a paper printout of what I entered on the screen, that was to be sent in with the electronic data from the machine, so I felt secure about voting this way. I had carefully studied all the propositions and issues on the ballot, and went through the process fairly efficiently. When I finished voting, I felt like shouting and jumping for joy. Unfortunately, my dearest friends and family were not there to experience my elation with me.
I felt like something additional should be happening...like I should have purple ink on my finger, or some other symbol of my liberation, in being able to do my part to rewrite of the future of America and this planet.
I found comfort in the knowledge that I didn't have to worry about when and where I could vote prior to election day, since I will be tied up working for the campaign that on November 4, starting at 5:00 a.m.
They did not have paper ballots at the Plaza Library, only the touch screen machines. But there was a paper printout of what I entered on the screen, that was to be sent in with the electronic data from the machine, so I felt secure about voting this way. I had carefully studied all the propositions and issues on the ballot, and went through the process fairly efficiently. When I finished voting, I felt like shouting and jumping for joy. Unfortunately, my dearest friends and family were not there to experience my elation with me.
I felt like something additional should be happening...like I should have purple ink on my finger, or some other symbol of my liberation, in being able to do my part to rewrite of the future of America and this planet.
I found comfort in the knowledge that I didn't have to worry about when and where I could vote prior to election day, since I will be tied up working for the campaign that on November 4, starting at 5:00 a.m.
Colin Powell advances my faith in humanity
Like Barack Obama, Colin Powell seems to be a person of conscience and integrity.
We decided to be late to Sunday School last week, even though we are the teachers (!), so we could hear General Powell on Meet the Press. This was one of those historic moments that we just had to experience in "real time."
It had to be a very difficult thing for Powell to cross party lines and endorse Barack Obama, but he did what he knew was the right thing to do, and his explanation for WHY he supports Senator Obama should have made it crystal clear to everyone why Obama is the superior candidate. General Powell said things that we have been waiting many months to hear expressed so eloquently and cripsly--and probably no one else could have said these things in a way that so many non-Obama-maniacs could have really heard...about Barack's ability to lead, about the fact that, even if he WERE a Muslim, what's so bad about that? A Muslim American child should be able to aspire to being President of the United States, too! The confluence of Barack Obama's leadership and current events just make me and others convinced that some kind of divine intervention is going on here. We need to save ourselves from ourselves, and I think we are doing so!
We decided to be late to Sunday School last week, even though we are the teachers (!), so we could hear General Powell on Meet the Press. This was one of those historic moments that we just had to experience in "real time."
It had to be a very difficult thing for Powell to cross party lines and endorse Barack Obama, but he did what he knew was the right thing to do, and his explanation for WHY he supports Senator Obama should have made it crystal clear to everyone why Obama is the superior candidate. General Powell said things that we have been waiting many months to hear expressed so eloquently and cripsly--and probably no one else could have said these things in a way that so many non-Obama-maniacs could have really heard...about Barack's ability to lead, about the fact that, even if he WERE a Muslim, what's so bad about that? A Muslim American child should be able to aspire to being President of the United States, too! The confluence of Barack Obama's leadership and current events just make me and others convinced that some kind of divine intervention is going on here. We need to save ourselves from ourselves, and I think we are doing so!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Change does not equal more of the same--Colin Powell agrees
How can a political party base a campaign on the same old tactics with which the American people are clearly disgusted, and expect to be taken seriously as being committed to "change?" Colin Powell said it so eloquently today.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Never again, not in the United States of America
The hate, lies, and brainwashing that have been stirred up by people like Rush Limbaugh, have been reflected in the angry shouts of the people at McCain and Palin rallies--"traitor," "terrorist," "treason," "liar," and even "off with his head," in reference to Barack Obama. The Secret Service had to investigate e person who had shouted "kill him," (Obama) at a Palin rally in Clearwater, Florida, on Monday.
AP writers Beth Fouhy and Joe Milicia reported that "Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania an author of 15 books on politics, says the vitriol has been encouraged by inflammatory words from the stage. 'Red-meat rhetoric elicits emotional responses in those already disposed by ads using words such as 'dangerous' 'dishonorable' and 'risky' to believe that the country would be endangered by election of the opposing candidate."
For me, these malicious attacks and the lies upon which they are based bring to mind of the dangerous and ultimately deadly culture of hate and fear that led to the Holocaust in Europe and to the lynchings in the South (of the USA), and other forms of oppression and violence against people deemed to be "different."
The silver lining in this story is that, for the first time in my life, I have faith that the MAJORITY of the American people will stand up to the haters and fear-mongerers, and follow the example set by Senator Barack Obama; that we will apeal to the best parts of our humanity and reject fear and hate
AP writers Beth Fouhy and Joe Milicia reported that "Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania an author of 15 books on politics, says the vitriol has been encouraged by inflammatory words from the stage. 'Red-meat rhetoric elicits emotional responses in those already disposed by ads using words such as 'dangerous' 'dishonorable' and 'risky' to believe that the country would be endangered by election of the opposing candidate."
For me, these malicious attacks and the lies upon which they are based bring to mind of the dangerous and ultimately deadly culture of hate and fear that led to the Holocaust in Europe and to the lynchings in the South (of the USA), and other forms of oppression and violence against people deemed to be "different."
The silver lining in this story is that, for the first time in my life, I have faith that the MAJORITY of the American people will stand up to the haters and fear-mongerers, and follow the example set by Senator Barack Obama; that we will apeal to the best parts of our humanity and reject fear and hate
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The electorate is set!
When Regional Field Director Ryan Cooper announced Monday, October 6, that our goal was "48 (hundred voter registration cards) in 48" (hours, prior to the 5:00 p.m. voter registration deadline on October 8), I didn't understand the frame of reference...I just didn't imagine it would be for this lil ole Jackson County! Well, guess what. We got 5300 in Jackson County!
I can't believe that Voter Registration is over. The last few weeks have been totally crazy...running from here to there, getting people started at voter reg. sites, at the canvassing staging location, at the phone bank at our house, sometimes all within the same hour or two. I've become comfortable walking Troost all by myself (where I came to the conclusion a few weeks prior to the deadline that most African-Americans around here were already registered) and also Armour Blvd., just a block from my house, but previously someplace I quickly crossed over in my car or on my bike. I have made friends with the Tenant Services manager of MAC Property Management, a delightful woman named Patricia Harris, who let us put notes about the voter registration deadline on all the doors of the 7 apartment buildings owned by her employer, and set up a voter reg. table on the sidewalk outside her office three weekends in a row. The last weekend before the deadline, I put flyers on the exterior doors of the apartment buildings along 36th and Armour, appealing to folks to register at the table. One young woman called my cell phone number, which was on the flyer, after we'd taken down the table, and we met up and she signed the form. An elderly African-American woman I met outside of her apartment building responded to my automatic "Do you need to update your voter registration?" with, "No, thank you. I've already registered. And so have my children, and my grandchildren, and my greatgrandchildren..."
Tuesday night Kelvin hosted a fundraiser for Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. She is a an incredibly talented, smart, and ethical leader, who gives me a certain amout of confidence in our process for the elections. I look forward to her running for higher office at some point (just my wish; I don't know what her actual plans are).
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II talked to Robin and me about the challenges we will face if there are long lines at the polls and first-time or other voters are not significantly motivated to stay and vote; and some things that have been done in the past to address such challenges. I later talked to field directors for the Obama Campaign and found that the campaign is on top of all the possible scenarios and we have people and processes in place to address these concerns.
Prior to last week's organizing meeting, at the request of our Field Organizer and the F.O. of another Neighborhood Team, three of us on our team met with folks from another team, about how we function as a TEAM. I guess the campaign staff people think we are doing a good job. That was gratifying :)
Wednesday Kelvin and Claire McCaskill held a news conference about Barack's health care plan. Kelvin expected that he would be one of a group of doctors involved; turned out it was just Kelvin and Claire! He believes very strongly that Obama's plan is just as good as McCain's plan is bad, but, per the style of this campaign, stayed on message about what Barack Obama's movement will DO FOR the the American people.
Wednesday night we held a nonpartisan Late Night Voter Registration for Procrastinators, at three locations and the Plaza Library (the Election Board person couldn't stay at the library, so one of our volunteer Deputy Registrars filled in there). I'd had this approved by the KC Election Board and the store managers in advance, and found Deputy Registrars to do the work. I did press releases to radio and TV stations. When it was all said and done, we had registered an additional 112 Kansas Citians, who otherwise would have been too late and missed out!
I can't believe that Voter Registration is over. The last few weeks have been totally crazy...running from here to there, getting people started at voter reg. sites, at the canvassing staging location, at the phone bank at our house, sometimes all within the same hour or two. I've become comfortable walking Troost all by myself (where I came to the conclusion a few weeks prior to the deadline that most African-Americans around here were already registered) and also Armour Blvd., just a block from my house, but previously someplace I quickly crossed over in my car or on my bike. I have made friends with the Tenant Services manager of MAC Property Management, a delightful woman named Patricia Harris, who let us put notes about the voter registration deadline on all the doors of the 7 apartment buildings owned by her employer, and set up a voter reg. table on the sidewalk outside her office three weekends in a row. The last weekend before the deadline, I put flyers on the exterior doors of the apartment buildings along 36th and Armour, appealing to folks to register at the table. One young woman called my cell phone number, which was on the flyer, after we'd taken down the table, and we met up and she signed the form. An elderly African-American woman I met outside of her apartment building responded to my automatic "Do you need to update your voter registration?" with, "No, thank you. I've already registered. And so have my children, and my grandchildren, and my greatgrandchildren..."
Tuesday night Kelvin hosted a fundraiser for Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. She is a an incredibly talented, smart, and ethical leader, who gives me a certain amout of confidence in our process for the elections. I look forward to her running for higher office at some point (just my wish; I don't know what her actual plans are).
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II talked to Robin and me about the challenges we will face if there are long lines at the polls and first-time or other voters are not significantly motivated to stay and vote; and some things that have been done in the past to address such challenges. I later talked to field directors for the Obama Campaign and found that the campaign is on top of all the possible scenarios and we have people and processes in place to address these concerns.
Prior to last week's organizing meeting, at the request of our Field Organizer and the F.O. of another Neighborhood Team, three of us on our team met with folks from another team, about how we function as a TEAM. I guess the campaign staff people think we are doing a good job. That was gratifying :)
Wednesday Kelvin and Claire McCaskill held a news conference about Barack's health care plan. Kelvin expected that he would be one of a group of doctors involved; turned out it was just Kelvin and Claire! He believes very strongly that Obama's plan is just as good as McCain's plan is bad, but, per the style of this campaign, stayed on message about what Barack Obama's movement will DO FOR the the American people.
Wednesday night we held a nonpartisan Late Night Voter Registration for Procrastinators, at three locations and the Plaza Library (the Election Board person couldn't stay at the library, so one of our volunteer Deputy Registrars filled in there). I'd had this approved by the KC Election Board and the store managers in advance, and found Deputy Registrars to do the work. I did press releases to radio and TV stations. When it was all said and done, we had registered an additional 112 Kansas Citians, who otherwise would have been too late and missed out!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Michelle was beautiful!
We had a chance to talk to Michelle Obama again tonight. Her message was somewhat consistent with what I've been thinking--that this is the last weekend for voter registration, that regular people who want meaningful change need to get off the fence and take some action ( not just vote, but facilitate the process of getting many others to vote), and that the win Nov 4 is up to us now. More later, after I'vde had some rest.
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