Cool

The Senator for Illinois took the helm with the same calm, cool, collected demeanor with which he does most things. His speech was measured, and laid out the challenges ahead while paying heed to those who helped him along the way.

Surrounded by organizers, volunteers, and canvassers, we all watched him and cheered as though we were right there with him. People danced in the streets outside, and the downtown mall was impassable.

This is the supreme validation of grassroots organizing, of the kind of shoe-leather politics I have committed myself too. The margin of victory in VA was less then the number of people we registered to vote in that state; it is enough to give me faith, to let me hold out hope that in the face of injustice and iniquity, there is recourse for the people.

We can remake the future, together.

It was the first national mood I've seen since 9/11, and the launchpad feeling of it for the new president feels similar as well. Perhaps those who did not vote for the candidate are not excited, but the feeling of renewal and unity is unmistakable. As we all danced in the streets last night, we can all know. This is our time, our moment. Maybe we can't solve all the problems, but for now I won't feel like it's a wast of time trying.

Moutaintops

Winding my way down the switchbacks at night with a cigarette clenched in my teeth and the wind whipping through the windows of the rental car, there is no light, just the swerving sphere of my headlights. I'm listening to the white noise between radio stations that is all you can get this far up, and I'm thinking about how strange it is that HST didn't love teenagers.

I've just dropped off two young men, 15 and 18, in the hightops above Boulder. On the way up, the more local one was recounting how the people up here are real hilljacks, people who live in communities off the grid. About how they're going to get chased by dogs, fall off cliffs, get shot at by privacy minded locals. At some point I get a bit concerned and ask if they're sure they want to go up here, if maybe I should just come back up here myself to get out the vote later.

"Hell no! We're fucking Men! We got this!" Then they roil out of the car with their clipboards, laughing at my request for their cellphone numbers.

"No reception up here, dude. We'll see you later tonight!"

These gentlemen do not overthink, nor have they had the juice squeezed out of them yet. They're psyched about $10/hr and psyched about the candidate and amped about their own swinging dicks.

These are the american dreamers that I always feel like Hunter was horrified for, for whom the half-truths and platitudes are designed by candidates. Their credulity is intact.

And perhaps that's right. Maybe this time we're not being lied to. Or maybe this is one more reason to stay on these swaybacked bastards as they come in to office, to make sure that my boys can look a call to action in the eyes and come out swinging and not doubt.

When I pick them up, they have been chased by dogs. And they laugh while they tell the story.

Westward, Ho!

Having done a ton of work to set up our offices in Northern OH, I've now been drafted to head west to CO to finish out the election here. We've sunk a lot of resources in to delivering the western states, with a premium on CO and a couple others. So instead of overseeing a group of offices, now I'm running the Boulder office.

I have 14 salaried staff who canvass daily and then do volunteer organizing in the mornings, and should be able to hire 24 canvassers as well.

Our day starts at 8am and goes to about 1am, during which time we ID and work to persuade between 300-600 voters.

Boulder is a lovely little hamlet in which to ride out all this malarky.

The Audacity of Hope

Many highlights about canvassing in Toledo yesterday, but one in particular to share:

When an 80-year-old swing voter is questioned as to his inclinations in the presidential race, he responds:

"Mmmm....Mc....mmm....the colored fella."

The vivisection of modern American thought, door by door, continues to yield rare fruit.

Where in the world is hack?

On Tuesday, leaving the last of the voter reg project in Philadelphia, I drove to our training in VA. En Route, I got a call asking me to 'take a break and stay flexible'. I stopped with a friend in DC at 8:30pm. Watched the debate, drank beer, got a call telling me I was going to Denver, then a 2nd call telling me I was going to Columbus. Bought a ticket, slept a few hours, flew to Columbus for the training on Wednesday.

Helped run a big training, got all the people out and almost all of them housed and on to flights, cars, trains, etc.

Found out yesterday midday where I was placed.

Now I'm in Cleveland, overseeing GOTV in Mansfield, Youngstown, Athens, Canton, and Toledo.

Vann: what is GOTV?

me: Get out the vote.

Vann: ah.

me: Only the assholes of the earth for this guy.

Vann: what will you be doing at GOTV?

Sent at 11:54 AM on Saturday

me: I'm driving around to canvass offices making sure that we're recruiting enough people, training them appropriately, and paying them correctly. I'll also probably canvass some, train some people, etc.

Only good times ahead. Getting on Greyhound to Toledo tonight.

End of Days

Today is the last day of voter registration. The office here in Philadelphia is open until midnight. Our last crew just came in. We registered a little more then 53,000 voters here over the past four months.

List of tasks today for closing my 7 remaining offices:
-finish payroll and find somewhere to send it so canvassers can get it.
-copy all the last voter registration forms and ship them to our central office
-take all the rest of the forms to the registrar
-drive to Philadelphia
-return the rental cars
-return the rental computers
-take off by whatever means for trainings on GOTV in VA and OH.

I'll carpool tomorrow with a couple of the my Philly directors. Overall we registered 330,000 african american voters in 12 states in four months. Time to go back to Richmond, disburse the people, and drag everyone out.

handicapping

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20081002_Vote-scam_fliers_target_black_neighborhoods.html

Boy, voter intimidation. Nothin' really takes the breath away quite like it. Few things are quite as naked and ugly as an attempt to stop poor people from bettering their situation.

This is the most naked form of politics as a venue to keep control. It's not about ideals. It's not about the public good. It's a knockdown, drag out fight for power.

Certainly makes one feel a little polly-anna-ish for not fighting dirty.