Possible change of plans

So after a 25 hr bus ride, 15 mins of instructions, 2 hrs of trying to figure out housing, and 20 mins of trying to find said housing, I'm in Dayton, OH.

And now I might be leaving.

I got an email Thursday night that I never saw, asking for help @ national HQ in Chicago.

You KNOW I would have been there in a heartbeat had I read that on Thursday. God puts us in certain places for certain reasons, though. The lady that sat next to me on the bus and is now rooming with me is the best possible seatmate/roomie I could have gotten. I was meant to meet her.

Anyway, we might be heading to Chicago today to finish it out at HQ. Coincidentally, we both have fam there. (She also has fam in Victoria - odd, no?)

More info as I know it...

Sent from my iPhone! :o)

Keisha Smith
TX SD-18 2008 Pledged Obama Delegate
http:///keishaforobama.blogspot.com

Aloha from Ohio!!!

Hey everyone, quick update. I decided to take these last 5 days and head to a battleground state to get out the vote (GOTV) to make absolutely sure we win.

With that being said, hello from Ohio!!!! We're in Dayton, and it's going to be a crazy awesome 3 more days. Tomorrow we finish up their phase 1 canvassing. Monday is phase 2 literature drop, and Tuesday is phase 3 - literally canvassing until ppl finally go vote.

I wish I had gotten an email and gotten tickets for the election night party in Chicago... I think they only contacted ppl close to Chicago that had donated. I made a final donation yesterday to hopefully get backstage passes, flown to Chicago, hotel housing... Fun stuff. I really hope and pray that they pick me. Talk about finishing big.

Anyway, I'll try to update as I can. Right now we're on a conference call waiting for Senator Obama to join.

In NC, the dems have a 500k+ vote advantage. In NV, a 13.1 point lead for Senator Obama. In FL, 3.8 million early voters, and a 7 pt advantage for Senator Obama. I wish TX would get with the program! Oh well, that's why I'm eventually moving to Chicago.

YES WE CAN!!!

Sent from my iPhone! :o)

Keisha Smith
TX SD-18 2008 Pledged Obama Delegate
http:///keishaforobama.blogspot.com

It's been about 2 wks

So here's some comedy to tide you over during this long, hard battle. Keep the faith guys - we're almost done, and then the REAL work begins. First we work, then we celebrate, and then we rest.

1.5 wks to go!

Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, and Andy Griffith came together and reprised DECADES OLD characters bc they're so passionate about Senator Obama being President.

And I laughed.

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Super cool.

[From Gigaom.com]

Confirmed: Obama Is Campaigning on Xbox 360!

Wagner James Au, Monday, October 13, 2008 at 1:41 PM PT

Last week we noted unconfirmed sightings of an “Obama for President” billboard in the Xbox 360 racing game Burnout Paradise. Today we’re able to report that it is, in fact, an official advertisement placed by the senator’s campaign team.

“I can confirm that the Obama campaign has paid for in-game advertising in Burnout,” Holly Rockwood, director of corporate communications at Electronic Arts, the game’s publisher.

HAHAHA

Always ready for a smart-alec remark...

Palin mistakes fans for protesters at Va. rally

By BOB LEWIS, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 13 minutes ago

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin mistook some of her own fans for hecklers Monday at a rally that drew thousands.

A massive crowd of at least 20,000 spread across the parking lot of Richmond International Raceway, and scores of people on the outer periphery more than 100 yards from the stage could not hear.

"Louder! Louder!" they began chanting, and the cry spread across the crowd to Palin's left. Some pointed skyward, urging that the volume be increased.

Palin stopped her remarks briefly and looked toward the commotion.

"I hope those protesters have the courage and honor to give veterans thanks for their right to protest," she said.

Some in the crowd tried to shout toward her what was really being said, but she couldn't hear them.

Overheard

"Hey Richard, in this point in time, with all this propaganda, what's the truth about Obama?"

"He's gonna be the next president!"

Hahaha, love it, Mr. Cisneros! Thanks for the use of your building as HQ!!!

Hope

Today's Polls: The Fat Lady Has Entered the Building

With 25 days to go until the election, Barack Obama is presently at his all-time highs in four of the six national tracking polls (Research 2000, Battleground, Hotline and Zogby) and is just one point off his high in Gallup. He has emerged with clear leads in both Florida and Ohio, where there are several polls out today. He is blowing McCain out in most polls of Pennsylvania and Michigan, and is making states like West Virgina and Georgia competitive.



There's just nothing in there for McCain to hang his hat on. Even a pollster like Strategic Vision, which has generally had a Republican lean this cycle, now has Florida and Ohio going against them (Florida in a big way). Well, OK, maybe they'll hold on to Indiana, although both campaigns' internals likely have the state closer than Rasmussen does.

McCain is getting some criticism for campaigning in Iowa, and for sending Sarah Palin out to West Virginia, but the truth is that their electoral hand is so poor right now that it doesn't much matter in which states they're deciding to bide their time. Remember, any world in which McCain has a chance to win on Election Day is a world that looks very different from this one -- some significant event will have to have occurred to fundamentally change the momentum of the race. We don't know which states might be affected disproportionately by such an event, and so a lot of states are conceivably worth attacking or defending, any of which could potentially become more important in the face of unknown unknowns.

-jacked from The National Review's The Stump blog

I'm sure it was only an accident...

NY election mix-up: 'Osama' on the ballot

By RICHARD RICHTMYER, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 49 minutes ago

Who is running for president? In an upstate New York county, hundreds of voters have been sent absentee ballots in which they could vote for "Barack Osama."

The absentee ballots sent to voters in Rensselaer County identified the two presidential candidates as "Barack Osama" and "John McCain." In the United States, the best-known individual named Osama is Osama bin Laden, leader of the al Qaida terrorist group behind the 2001 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City.

The typographical terror error was first reported by the Times Union of Albany.

The elections office faxed a statement in which the two commissioners, Democrat Edward McDonough and Republican Larry Bugbee, said they regret the error but never acknowledge what the error was.

"It's human error, it's very unfortunate, it's an embarrassment to our office, obviously," McDonough said in a later phone interview. "We wish we could turn back the clock, but we can't."

When they discovered the mistake, officials shredded the remaining "Osama" ballots and mailed correct versions to the roughly 300 people who had already received them. McDonough said the "Osama" mistake was made in only one of the 13 ballot versions mailed throughout the county, located east of the state capital of Albany.

Voters who received both versions will be allowed to send in either one and have it counted, McDonough said.

Obama spokesman Blake Zeff said the campaign is "glad officials are working to correct this error and we assume it won't happen again."

YEAH, RIGHT. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT TO HIT A LETTER ON THE KEYBOARD THAT ISN'T ANYWHERE NEAR THE CORRECT LETTER. RIIIIGHT...

Oh, and then there's this insanity:

McCain booed after trying to calm anti-Obama crowd

By PHILIP ELLIOTT and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers 43 minutes ago

The anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is acting to tamp it down. McCain was booed by his own supporters Friday when, in an abrupt switch from raising questions about Barack Obama's character, he described the Democrat as a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

A sense of grievance spilling into rage has gripped some GOP events this week as McCain supporters see his presidential campaign lag against Obama. Some in the audience are making it personal, against the Democrat. Shouts of "traitor," "terrorist," "treason," "liar," and even "off with his head" have rung from the crowd at McCain and Sarah Palin rallies, and gone unchallenged by them.

McCain changed his tone Friday when supporters at a town hall pressed him to be rougher on Obama. A voter said, "The people here in Minnesota want to see a real fight." Another said Obama would lead the U.S. into socialism. Another said he did not want his unborn child raised in a country led by Obama.

"If you want a fight, we will fight," McCain said. "But we will be respectful. I admire Sen. Obama and his accomplishments." When people booed, he cut them off.

"I don't mean that has to reduce your ferocity," he said. "I just mean to say you have to be respectful."

Presidential candidates are accustomed to raucous rallies this close to Election Day and welcome the enthusiasm. But they are also traditionally monitors of sorts from the stage. Part of their job is to leaven proceedings if tempers run ragged and to rein in an out-of-bounds comment from the crowd.

Not so much this week, at GOP rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and other states.

When a visibly angry McCain supporter in Waukesha, Wis., on Thursday told the candidate "I'm really mad" because of "socialists taking over the country," McCain stoked the sentiment. "I think I got the message," he said. "The gentleman is right." He went on to talk about Democrats in control of Congress.

On Friday, McCain rejected the bait.

"I don't trust Obama," a woman said. "I have read about him. He's an Arab."

McCain shook his head in disagreement, and said:

"No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."

He had drawn boos with his comment: "I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

The anti-Obama taunts and jeers are noticeably louder when McCain appears with Palin, a big draw for GOP social conservatives. She accused Obama this week of "palling around with terrorists" because of his past, loose association with a 1960s radical. If less directly, McCain, too, has sought to exploit Obama's Chicago neighborhood ties to William Ayers, while trying simultaneously to steer voters' attention to his plans for the financial crisis.

The Alaska governor did not campaign with McCain on Friday, and his rally in La Crosse, Wis., earlier Friday was much more subdued than those when the two campaigned together. Still, one woman shouted "traitor" when McCain told voters Obama would raise their taxes.

Volunteers worked up chants from the crowd of "U.S.A." and "John McCain, John McCain," in an apparent attempt to drown out boos and other displays of negative energy.

The Secret Service confirmed Friday that it had investigated an episode reported in The Washington Post in which someone in Palin's crowd in Clearwater, Fla., shouted "kill him," on Monday, meaning Obama. There was "no indication that there was anything directed at Obama," Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren told AP. "We looked into it because we always operate in an atmosphere of an abundance of caution."

Palin, at a fundraiser in Ohio on Friday, told supporters "it's not negative and it's not mean-spirited" to scrutinize Obama's iffy associations.

But 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," she said.

What is this country coming to? We're trying to unite, and McCain-Palin seek to divide. THIS is why we have to continue what we're doing, but harder, better, faster, stronger. Lol.

Rednecks for Obama

'Rednecks for Obama' want to bridge yawning culture gap

by Michael MathesThu Oct 9, 9:50 AM ET

When Barack Obama's campaign bus made a swing through Missouri in July, the unlikeliest of supporters were waiting for him -- or rather two of them, holding the banner: "Rednecks for Obama."

In backing the first African-American nominee of a major party for the US presidency, the pair are on a grassroots mission to bridge a cultural gap in the United States and help usher their preferred candidate into the White House.

Tony Viessman, 74, and Les Spencer, 60, got politically active last year when it occurred to them there must be other lower income, rural, beer-drinking, gun-loving, NASCAR race enthusiasts fed up with business as usual in Washington.

Viessman had a red, white and blue "Rednecks for Obama" banner made, and began causing a stir in Missouri, which has emerged as a key battleground in the run-up to the November 4 presidential election.

"I didn't expect it would get as much steam and attention as it's gotten," Spencer told AFP on the campus of Washington University in Saint Louis, the state's biggest city and site of last week's vice-presidential debate.

"We believe in him. He's the best person for the job," Viessman, a former state trooper from Rolla, said of Obama, who met the pair briefly on that July day in Union, Missouri.

The candidate bounded off his bus and jogged back towards a roadside crowd to shake hands with the men holding the banner.

"He said 'This is incredible'," Spencer recalled.

It's been an unexpectedly gratifying run, Viessman said.

Rednecks4obama.com claims more than 800,000 online visits. In Denver, Colorado, Viessman and Spencer drew crowds at the Democratic convention, and at Washington University last Thursday they were two of the most popular senior citizens on campus.

"I'm shocked, actually, but excited" that such a demographic would be organizing support for Obama, said student Naia Ferguson, 18, said after hamming it up for pictures behind the banner.

"When most people think 'redneck,' they think conservatives, anti-change, even anti-integration," she said. "But America's changing, breaking stereotypes."

A southern comedian, Jeff Foxworthy, defines the stereotype as a "glorious lack of sophistication".

Philistines or not, he said, most rural southerners are no longer proponents of the Old South's most abhorrent ideology -- racism -- and that workaday issues such as the economy are dominating this year's election.

"We need to build the economy from the bottom up, none of this trickle down business," Spencer said. "Just because you're white and southern don't mean you have to vote Republican."

To an important degree, however, race is still the elephant in the polling booth, experts say, and according to a recent Stanford University poll, Obama could lose six points on election day due to his color.

Racism "has softened up some, but it's still there," Viessman acknowledged from Belmont University, site of Tuesday's McCain-Obama debate in Nashville, Tennessee.

Despite representing the heartland state of Illinois, and having a more working-class upbringing than his Republican rival John McCain, Obama has struggled to shoot down the impression that he is an arugula-eating elitist.

Surely he alienated many rural voters earlier this year when the Harvard-educated senator told a fundraiser that some blue-collar voters "cling to guns or religion".

But Viessman, who says he owns a dozen guns, said Obama "ain't gonna take your guns away."

The South traditionally votes Republican -- victories for southerners Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were exceptions -- but with less than a month to election day, four states in or bordering the South are considered toss-ups: Florida, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia.

Viessman says he'd like to think his grassroots movement could sway enough people in small-town America to make a difference.

"There's lots of other rednecks for Obama too," he said. "And the ones that's not, we're trying our best to convince them."

49 more to go!

McCain Pulls Out of Michigan
By Adam Nagourney

John McCain’s decision to cancel a campaign event in Michigan next week was not a matter of scheduling: Mr. McCain is giving up his effort to take the state back into the red column, concluding that economic distress there has simply put the state out of reach, according to Republicans familiar with the decision.

Michigan had been one of Mr. McCain’s top targets for two reasons: evidence that Barack Obama was having trouble connecting with blue-collar voters (which presumably would be a problem there), and also because the Democratic candidates did not participate in the state’s primary after Michigan defied Democratic party rules and held it earlier than permitted.

Republican officials said that polling suggested that Mr. Obama was building a lead there, and said they concluded that it wasn’t worth spending any more campaign funds – or Mr. McCain’s time – in the state.

I just don't get it

I just don't understand why someone would WANT to vote for McCain. I don't understand. I don't get how someone could listen to Senator Obama speak and NOT be inspired. Not want the best for your country and its people. Not want better for this generation, MY GENERATION, and those to come after me. I don't get how someone can call Senator Obama "naive and unexperienced" and NOT laugh when they talk about Gov. Palin's experience. I don't get how someone can believe that every single person in this country really does have an opportunity without actually offering them an opportunity.

I don't understand how anyone wouldn't want to vote for Senator Obama.



We have a month of work to do.

Who really is qualified?

Haha, I got this from a friend, who got this from another friend. Apparently it's posted somewhere in the "1 million strong for Barack Obama" facebook group, but idk where.

A friend sent this to me. It's a great example of how Republicans are masters at making people think up is down and black is white, and just to be blunt...bringing the idiot out of Americans...


I'm a little confused. Let me see if I get this straight...


If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.'


If you grow up in Alaska killing and eating moose, you're a quintessential American story.


If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.


If you name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, you're a maverick.


If you graduate from Columbia University and Harvard Law School you are unstable.


If you attend 5 different small colleges before getting a Bachelors Degree, you're well grounded.


If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a highly regarded Constitutional Law professor at the University of Chicago, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, serve as a US senator representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, and run a political campaign that sets records for number of people involved and contributing, you don't have any real leadership experience.


If your resume is local weather announcer, 4 years on the city council, 6 years as the mayor of a town with fewer than 7,000 people (which you leave in $14.7 million of debt), 20 months as governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive (and according to actuarial tables, you have a greater than 30% chance of succeeding the president during his first term).


If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.


If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, left your severely handicapped wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a devout Christian.


If you support responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.


If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school systems while your unwed teen daughter gets pregnant, you're very responsible. After all, you set the example of being pregnant when you got married. Her sisters are sure to follow her excellent example too.


If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family values don't represent America 's.


If your husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA , your family is extremely admirable.


OK, thank you -- it is much clearer to me now...

SORRY!

It's been a busy couple of weeks...things have shifted across the country (including buildings over in Houston/Galveston) and idk what's going on now in people's heads...Republicans I know that were pro-Obama are suddenly pro-McCain w/ the addition of Palin. Wth? She's talking the same nonsense Bush has been talking, and THEN some. You've got to be joking.

In other news, this article makes me sick to my stomach.

Race may be a bigger factor than previously thought

Now I hate polls, only because people can say whatever they want and do something differently. (See: The Bradley effect) Also, pollsters only ask certain types of people. where's the poll for "educated Blacks" or "educated Hispanics" or "young Asians" or whatever else? It's always the same "rural, uneducated Whites" (so they say) or "educated Whites" or "Blacks (in general)" or "Hispanics (in general)".

Your thoughts?

Palin vs. Clinton: Hypocrisy

I think this clip from the Daily Show sums it up well. There are a couple of moments of off-color humor, but the 1 cuss word is bleeped out.

New fave line

From the back of an RNC protestor's shirt:

You can't win an occupation

Soooooooo true.

Obama '08

McCain's speech

Sorry I didn't live blog this one - I was eating, since I just got home from class. I must say though 70% of what he said he plans to do are the SAME THINGS that Senator Obama has been saying since 2006. 10% of his speech was about his time as a POW and how that automatically qualifies him to be president. Another 10% was jabs at Senator Obama. The last 10% was praise for Gov. Palin, said in creepy intonation. "I can't wait to introduce her to Washington...*hee hee hee*"

Lol, overall, the speech was poorly delivered, and I'm not sure how well-written it was, since he kept stumbling over it. Karl Rove called it, "the best speech [Sen. McCain's] ever given off of a teleprompter."

He kept referring to "you." By "you," he meant the economic top 20% that would see an increase in taxes by President Obama and wouldn't vote for a Democrat anyway. A former Bush speechwriter, Michael Gershon, said it was a failed speech. He said the personal aspects of McCain's speech were the strong points, but the policy parts were very typical of Republicans, and "tonight was not particularly innovative...or promising." Ann Curry asked, "Was it the speech of a maverick?" MG:"It was a speech of a past maverick, not the speech of a future reformer."

We've got to take back this country for all Americans, not just the top 20%. We've got to elect officials who will help the "haves" and the "have-nots." We've got to work together as a country to do what is right and what is best for us domestically and abroad, and to better the world we live in.

Sexism is still there

One of the news channels was talking about how sexist the media is concerning Sarah Palin, and how Hillary supporters are coming to her defense in that aspect. I'm with them. The media said some really sexist things about Senator Clinton, and they're saying the same things about Gov. Palin, and I'm against that. I'm also against everything she stands for, but I agree that the way the media has said some things about her is uncalled for.

LIVE: Palin's speech & McCain's nomination

9:36pm - Talks about being an advocate for parents of children with special needs. The Republican party has and continues to cut funding for special education programs and job training programs for people with special needs. Huh?

9:42pm - Speaking about PTA and city council experience. The youngest daughter just licked her hand and tried to change the direction of the baby's hair. Someone was escorted out!!! Haha, exciting.

9:44pm - Guns, religion, bitter, again. "...wherever he goes and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man." Wrong? Yeah, I think so. "If you're not a member of Washington's elite, then some of the media consider you to be unqualified." NO, really? What has "conservative" media been spouting for the last 19 months about Senator Obama?

9:46pm - "The point of going to Washington is...to challenge the status quo and leave the nation better than we found it." Isn't that directly quoted from someone's speech LAST week?

Hahaha, there is some trouble with chanting the same phrase in unison...and the vertical signs don't have poles to hold them! Maybe bc someone that worked their way inside would start beating people with it.

9:53pm - Talking about energy independence. She's pushing for offshore drilling, and saying that not pushing for it is "doing nothing at all." I spoke to a guy that works for a company that builds oil rigs for drilling, and it'll take at least 5 years before a new one can even be put offshore to start drilling. We could be soooo much closer to another energy technology by then.

9:55pm - Claims that Senator Obama never authored or created any type of reform in the state or national senate. What? Not the reforms on questioning capital crime suspects? Or government transparency and spending? "He won't use the word 'victory' unless it's about his campaign." "Victory in Iraq is in sight and he wants to forfeit." What victory?!?! "Al-Qaida terrorists want to inflict harm and destroy America, and he's afraid someone won't read them their rights." For all of those who were racially profiled and singled out and are "supposed" terrorists...ok, they don't deserve rights, even if they are citizens.

9:58pm - Claims that Senator Obama will raise taxes on everyone...no, just those who are past the "middle class" threshhold.

10:01pm - "Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd." Really? Voting w/ Bush 90% of the time isn't "part of the herd?" "A leader who's not looking for a fight, but sure isn't afraid of one either." Hahaha, ask his wife about when she joked with him about his hair!

10:03pm - "Although Senator Obama and Senator Biden say that they quote, 'fight for you,' there is only one man in this election that has ever truly fought for you." I applaud the man's service to this country, and I appreciate it, but I don't see that as an absolute reason to vote for the man as President!

Lol, new game! spot how many token black ppl you can find in the crowd! And then, count how many times each of them is shown on tv. They will get SO much face time, it's ridiculous.

10:08pm - "If hope is the theme of this election, and change our shared goal, then I ask you to join our cause..." Yeah, she HOPES we'll CHANGE our minds and join their cause...of the same failed policies, poor decisions, and "good ol' boy" deals that have plagued us and caused problems for the past 8 years.

10:10pm - Finally Senator McCain comes out. Not much of a surprise now, is it, lol. Haha, the littlest daughter is scared of Senator McCain! He leaned over to talked to her, and she def just backed away. And he definitely didn't say anything other than, "Didn't we do a great job choosing the next VP of the United States?" and "What a beautiful family!" and he told Palin, "Great job!"


Final comments: The crowd is DEFINITELY not as diverse as the DNC was. Almost every single person is in a suit and tie, and the crowd is overwhelmingly white. Way to "represent the people." The closing music was some staid bugle music...military sounding, but idk about crowd-energizing. I guess that's what they assume all white ppl want to hear. The program format is unusual - the choice of background pictures during the Palin's speech kept rotating through pretty typical "national photos" - soaring eagle, Lincoln Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, rolling plains, but def no beaches! (Haha, we don't want to conjure up images of "exotic" Hawaii, even though it IS a state.) After Palin's speech, everyone is trying to leave, and they decide to have Gretchen Wilson, John Rich, and Cowboy Troy (3 country singers, one of them a token Black person) come on to sing THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. Really? That's the "entertainment?" I thought that was supposed to make you proud of your country and get a political event started. Now the song is something about "Raising McCain." They spoke between every couple of lines of the National Anthem with bits and pieces of the preamble to the Constititution and MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. Also now, they're having the roll call of the states now, AFTER the main speaker of the evening and the entertainment. It is 10:24pm in Minneapolis...say what? Aren't these delegates and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee 2 seconds away from sleep? (j/k, j/k that wasn't nice.)

I think it's hard to "represent the people" when your delegates definitely aren't anywhere near proportionate to the demographic makeup of the US. I think it's hard to "represent the people" when the majority of the delegates seem to be 65+. I mean, how can you represent everyone's interests when the people sent to represent those interests are all seemingly the same? I know everyone has different backgrounds and experiences, but I'm pretty sure there are few people who represent the people who are in poverty and urban decay. I just think your delegate makeup should look like the country they're representing.

Hey, 2 more token black people and they're from TX! Hahaha, AND TX is right up front, it seems. The chairman asked for any more nominations for president besides John McCain, and someone yelled, "RON PAUL!!!" and he was just like, "hearing none..." lol and that guy was DEFINITELY loud. I'm surprised TX is up front too...I mean yes, current home of the president, but also current home of Ron Paul. I wanna see how many people vote for people other than McCain.

Alaska just had 5 votes for Ron Paul, and the counter ignored them! What about the rules? She didn't even acknowledge them, even though C-SPAN has the tally up.

The chairman of the D.C. delegation is so proud to be a Republican, but they have consistently voted against allowing D.C. full representation in Congress and the Senate. HAHA, the FL chairman is saying that they're putting Floridians first...by messing up ballots, asking for multiple forms of ID, disposing of people's names on the voter rolls? Riiiiiight...

History books

So all week, and all year, everyone's been talking about how historic this moment was. How Senator Obama is now the first African-American to be nominated for president by a political party. However, it's all been talked about from the perspective of the past; in a reflective way, from the shadows of Dr. King.

Chelsie, Kendrah, and I were talking about it yesterday, about how now Senator Obama will be in the new history textbooks in school...how even though Black History Month usually only talks about Rosa Parks, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Harriet Tubman, that now they'll talk about President Obama...and how crazy that is. Crazy, not in a bad way, but meaning how impossible that seemed. I can't imagine what that would mean to me to have a history book/class/lesson that talked about the first African-American president when I was younger. I can't imagine that even being possible 10 years ago, before I even knew that black ppl had run for president before.

And I can't imagine how different this convention would have been, if that were the norm.


All I can say is sometimes, it's good to be there first.

Wow

Exuberance. Joy. Excitement. Energy. Awe. Inspiration. Anticipation. Humorous. Disbelief. Relief. Nervousness. Compassion. Connection. Anxiousness.

I felt every one of these emotions and more last night during Senator Obama's speech. The culmination of 2 years of work (I include the time I joined the facebook group "Students for Barack Obama for President" in 2006 before he ever announced, and the time I hoped and prayed that he would.) was an awesome, inspirational, aspirational speech that made me want to do more and be better. I'm still speechless, and I'll probably watch it a few times online so that I can fully digest everything. Wow.

Sorry about the lack of pictures; blogger hates me, and idk why. But I have tons, and you can see them at: my MobileMe gallery.

So sorry!

Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday. Between disconnected internet, photo issues, rushing around trying to give someone an extra community credential, trying to be in my seat for the speeches and things, and trying to make it to the events/receptions afterwards, I had almost no chance to update.

Wednesday was probably the best day so far; between Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Barack Obama's surprise experience, there was no lack of excitement. I'd encourage anyone to try to be a delegate at least once in their lifetime. The energy is palpable, the excitement electrifying. Amazing, wonderful, impressive, great, awesome, and other adjectives come to mind. I had a feeling Senator Obama would show, just because Senator Biden was speaking today, and I knew he had to eventually get to Denver. Then, a lady sitting in front of me got a call from her daughter saying that she saw him enter the building. Judging from the crowd's reception of Pres. Clinton and Senator Kerry, I knew the arena would explode in cheers for when Senator Obama came out. And boy, DID IT. The girl next to me started crying, because she had never seen him in person before...it was a moving experience for her. She said, "[Senator Obama] is the person I've been working for, giving up all my free time to get elected. He is the person that I've been phone-banking, block-walking, mailing flyers, and speaking to people about. Seeing him on that stage was overwhelmingly emotional. I don't even remember what he said at that point."



All I can say is that tonight should be even better. Although I hear that this speech will probably be more about policy than his previous speeches, I'm sure he'll still continue to inspire others to aspire to great things for themselves.

Temporary issues

Washington state keeps trying to take our seats!!!

Michelle's speech

I LOVED it. It was so personal, so emotional, and so moving. It gave a glimpse of the Obamas as a couple and a family, and talked about what they had been working for all along. I felt like it told a bit of what they sacrificed multiple times in life to do what was right for those who needed it.

I heard someone say it was good because, "She wasn't angry." If she has anything to be angry about, it's the fact that people will NOT stop saying that she's angry! Like she can't be passionate about anything.

Also, apparently, I was on the radio today...idk if I'm in the paper yet or not.

Lastly, if you want to see all my pics, they're here in my MobileMe gallery, and you can download them if you'd like.

It really IS major

This scares the heck out of me. I really will never understand how anyone can just hate another person or group of people based on the color of their skin and blame all of the world's problems on that group. Never will I understand.

And, I was seen on CNN and C-Span last night! The Fox News platform is right in front of me (blech), so they kinda block my view, but I'm right off the floor, so I get to see all the celebrities and politicians when they come by!

Sadness...

I'm not going to get to attend the Union Pacific reception for the TX delegation hosted by John Sharp, only because I wanted to get my seat early in the Pepsi Center. The seat we get today will be our seat all week, so I want it to be good. It provides for better pictures for y'all!

Sent from my iPhone! :o)

Words cannot express...

...the excitement I've felt over the past 24 hrs. Yesterday, I went to the Friends of New Orleans reception, and then I thought I had RSVP'd to another Friends of New Orleans gala that was ticketed...of course, no tickets when I get there. Thanks to Kendrah and her charming ways, the guy that was handing out tickets for businesses only gave us 2 tickets!!! We got into an exclusive event...it was awesome. I got to hear from Kansas Senator Raj (can't remember the last name) and Deval Patrick. AMAZING. This morning @ breakfast, guess who spoke? Kansas Govenor KATHLEEN SEBELIUS and TX State Rep CHET EDWARDS. 2 potential VP picks...I was SO excited!!! I have pics...I got a pic w/ Chet Edwards, but I couldn't get one w/ Gov. Sebelius.

More later, pics post!!!

It's fate

So the College Democrats of America is finishing their national convention here in Denver today. People started to invite Kendrah and I in to listen to Gov. Decal Patrick speak. He hasn't come in yet, but a comedian, the deputy LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) director, and a poet spoke. I'm really excited... We're watching a video about youth activism in the Obama campaign by students for Barack Obama. Whoever this host is, he is really funny too. Hopefully we can get him and the comedian to come out and host some kind of a youth event.

Just waiting for the governor/Senator Obama's bff.

Thanks, Dad

Hahaha, for the first time in my life, I'm glued to C-SPAN. (My dad has been glued to c-span since before there was a c-span 2.) I'm in the hotel room (really nice so far), eating a burger and fries, and I'm watching the RULES COMMITTEE MEETING. Never in my life did I ever think I would be watching something as...well, mundane as this. But it's really important, and necessary. They're talking about changing the presidential nominating process. A few people have mentioned reducing the number of superdelegates, which I agree with. 800 unpledged delegates who can support whomever they want, against the will of their constituents because, basically, "[we] know best" is not what the DNC is all about. Also, some ppl are in support of moving the dates for the primaries/caucases to a later date in the calendar, and spreading them out so as to allow the candidates an opportunity to spend time in each state. I'm for that as well.

David Walters, the Rules Committee Co-Chairman keeps joking about them not having tickets to the "Rock the Vote" concert... I want tickets!!!

And c-span just announced that Thursday, they want us to be in our seats by 2 pm...Senator Obama won't even speak until 8 pm. I know there will be other speakers and stuff beforehand, but WOW. Lol, the conventions are long across the board.

Haha, interestingly, there's a group in downtown Denver called "Recreate '68" that is a "group of progressives against imperialism and racism, etc." and they are basically protesting everything...the convention, the corporate sponsors, the war in Iraq, racism...haha you name it, and I bet they're protesting against it. I wanna go talk to some of them and find out what their feelings are about the election. I saw that when they were showing the media setup for the Pepsi Center, and even Aljazeera is here! MAJOR.

Ok, off to decide between the interfaith gathering and the youth council...just waiting on Kendrah.

It's only just begun...

First things first, I met Amber Goodwin, TX Democratic Party treasurer, DNC youth council secretary, and a really cool girl. I'm hoping to get her to drive down to Victoria to speak at a youth rally and so maybe I can pick her brain on ways to get more young people involved. Here's more info on her:

Amber Goodwin is a political activist from the great state of Texas. Amber started her political career on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. working for Rep. Donald Payne, and Rep. Bob Menendez’s House Democratic Caucus staff. Amber left The Hill and became a Campaign Camp Manager with the grassroots field consulting firm Grassroots Solutions in D.C. In the span of 2 years she helped to train thousands of youth activists, non-profit members, candidates and progressive communities on the nuts and bolts of field organizing and how to win elections.

After leaving Washington D.C. in 2005, Amber joined the SEIU Justice for Janitors Campaign in Texas as the Political and Community Organizer for the historic 2006 Contract Campaign win for over 5,300 working families in the Houston area. She then went onto become the National Convention Director for the Young Democrats of America (YDA) Biennial Convention in Dallas, TX, and is currently a graduate student getting her masters in Public Administration.

Since beginning her career in politics, Amber has worked on dozens of political campaigns across the country ranging from U.S. Senate campaigns in New Jersey to local school board races in Texas, and is a member of numerous national and local organizations such as the Democratic National Committee ( DNC) Youth Advisory Board, Women Under Forty Steering Committee, Rock The Vote, Texas Young Democrats Labor Chair, and local precinct chair in Houston. Amber is passionate about influencing and empowering young people to become and stay engaged, and also helping impoverished or underserved people to have a voice in the political process.

As soon as I got off the plane, all the DNCC posters popped into view. There were ppl to welcome us at the airport, and everyone was extremely friendly (an anomaly in terms of service at the airport). State Rep. Garnet Coleman of Houston was incredibly helpful and interesting, bc the University of Houston is part of his district, so we talked about UHV and the education systems, etc. Ok, now I have to start planning out the rest of the day...

Disappointed

Sometimes it's NOT good to live in a 24-hr news cycle. There was something special to be said about sending an announcement via text msg to supporters, so that we really did feel like we would be learning something FIRST from the campaign, not the news.

Who are these "sources close to the campaign" who felt the need to deny us of that joy? How often are politicians willing to let us in on something that even the news media doesn't know first?

By the time anyone reads this, everyone will know who the next VP will be. At least it should help the ticket. I'm all about Obama/***** for the win.

Keisha Smith has sent you an Evite Invitation

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Today, on the local campaign trail...

I did some phone-banking today, mostly got hung up on. One person said they weren't registered, didn't want to register, and didn't give a damn who won, lol. Another lady was 101 and she was nice (I tried to engage her in conversation), but she said she was voting Republican. I was trying to click through the VAN (Voter Activation Network, for those who are new to this, as I was) so I could talk to younger ppl, so maybe they'd be more receptive to me, but the precinct I had was like ALL ppl 45+, a lot of whom were in their 70s and 80s. Ron thought I had messed it up by clicking through, but some of those ppl showed up in my round 2 list, so I didn't screw anything up, yay! Not looking forward to more of that, but for some reason it's easier for me to do in a room full of ppl getting hung up on and yelled at, rather than by myself.

Lots and lots of events...hoping I can call and possibly get hooked up w/ some things I want to go to, but haven't been invited to (yet). This should be fun, tiring, and lots of work...

She wins.

From the Deputy Southwest Regional Field Director (or some title of that nature):


Statement from the Obama and Clinton Press Offices
August 14, 2008

Since June, Senators Obama and Clinton have been working together to ensure a Democratic victory this November. They are both committed to winning back the White House and to to ensuring that the voices of all 35 million people who participated in this historic primary election are respected and heard in Denver. To honor and celebrate these voices and votes, both Senator Obama's and Senator Clinton's names will be placed in nomination.

“I am convinced that honoring Senator Clinton's historic campaign in this way will help us celebrate this defining moment in our history and bring the party together in a strong united fashion,” said Senator Barack Obama.

Senator Obama’s campaign encouraged Senator Clinton's name to be placed in nomination as a show of unity and in recognition of the historic race she ran and the fact that she was the first woman to compete in all of our nation’s primary contests.

“With every voice heard and the Party strongly united, we will elect Senator Obama President of the United States and put our nation on the path to peace and prosperity once again,” said Senator Hillary Clinton.

Senator Obama and Senator Clinton are looking forward to a convention unified behind Barack Obama as the Party’s nominee and to victory this fall for America.

Day by day...

Each day, I get more and more excited about the DNCC. I get new invitations for receptions, brunches, caucuses, meetings, etc, etc, and I haven't gotten a chance to go through them all. When I get a good idea of what my schedule will be like, I'll post it.

In other news,

You are cordially invited to a Celebratory Send-Off Fundraising Brunch
in honor of Keisha S.
on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
11am-1pm
Victoria Women's Clubhouse
1408 N Moody
Victoria, TX

$20 donation per person; please respond ASAP if you are interested!

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U.N.I.T.Y.?

Sorry, I'll make this one quick. This article just has me sick to my stomach...I thought we were working towards unity. Not ONCE have I ever heard an Obama supporter, field organizer, or other campaign worker say "we don't need [Clinton supporters]." I also don't understand how if a candidate has since endorsed his/her former opponent, why he/she would want to put her name on the ballot? I feel that would divide more than unite. Also, this whining of "she's not getting what she deserves" and "they're shutting her out" I just DON'T understand. Obviously, Senator Clinton is going to be a major part of the Democratic party as she has been since she was the First Lady. I just...I guess I just don't understand. I mean, if the shoe was on the other foot, I'm sure I would be kinda upset that my candidate lost, but once he endorsed his opponent, agreed that her plans and policies would work for us domestically and abroad, and was out CAMPAIGNING for her, I would just LET IT GO. Idk. I just think it's been 2 months already, and if the opponents can work together, then why can't we?

"The One"

Haha, so I was reading about how hard it is apparently to make fun of Senator Obama. (Jimmy Kimmel said to talk about his ears, lol.) Then the blog (where I found the article) mentioned the ads that McCain is releasing... This one is called, well, "The One."



I actually thought it was kinda funny, except the part where Senator Obama is talking about "a light will shine upon you" is when he was poking fun at Senator Clinton mocking him. The funniest part is that, even after they use the clip from "The Ten Commandments," they admit that "ok yeah, he may be the 2nd coming of Christ, but can he lead?" lol...it's like the tire gauges all over again.

The Olympics = A Welcome Distraction

Yes, this election is about the issues and getting Americans out to vote and work together to bring about a better nation and world.

But sometimes, you need a break from the heaviness of it all.

Thank GOD for the Olympics.

Personally, I've always loved watching all the sports. Of course, I get excited when my home team is competing, but I'll watch almost anybody in my favorite sports (gymnastics, volleyball, beach volleyball, trampoline, and rhythmic gymnastics). In swimming and basketball, it's just the US teams that I like to watch.

Either way, "polls" are saying that 48% of Americans are tired of hearing about Senator Obama. Something like 16-22% of them also said that the increased coverage has created a less, not more, favorable view of the senator. That is NOT what we need right now...especially with the convention coming up, we need that to be a kickoff point. We need his speech to be a catalyst for those who haven't gotten involved yet. We can't be burned out at this point; we're less than 90 days away. This is when we have to fine tune the message and get out there and fight for ourselves. Fight for change. (Not physically.)

On that note, the US women's indoor volleyball team is playing now. And hopefully the back and forth of the ball doesn't constantly remind me of all the silliness that has been happening in the campaign arena over the past few weeks.

And they say Barnum & Bailey is "the greatest show on Earth!?" Try the Olympics. And then American politics.

Home again, home again

...and ready to work.

Sort of.

Tomorrow night, Thursday, August 7, there is a volunteer rally being held by the group VICTORIANS UNITED FOR CHANGE to gather and motivate volunteers to help us work toward electing a Democratic majority in 2008. The event is from 7-9pm at the Victoria Electric Co-op (102 S Ben Jordan) in Victoria, TX.


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I'll be speaking about my experience trying to become a delegate, as well as giving some info from the national campaign, and other fun stuff. It should be a good time. Plus I'll have my new buttons to sell as well as some of the free stuff I got from the Obama campaign.

In other news, I didn't get to go to HQ. :o( I didn't realize Google Maps really DOES know everything. All I had to do was search it on my phone and it found it for me. CRAZY. I'm debating on flying back up there JUST so I can go to HQ, lol, but I don't really have the time. I do, but I don't. We'll see.

Anyone have any ideas for events to get people excited about the fall election? (Besides having Senator or Mrs. Obama or the Clintons.)

HQ = MIA

So I can't find the address to HQ. Something about that isn't right...it's gotta be easier to find than I think. Idk. I just wanna make that trip tomorrow. I signed up to go to a breakfast meeting tomorrow that is a weekly event in Hyde Park (the neighborhood the Obamas live in, although I'm surprised they haven't moved to the South Loop yet). It should be interesting, and maybe I'll get some good ideas for things we can implement in Victoria. 116 people have RSVP'd that they're attending, so hopefully there's a pretty good turnout.

But let me pause for a moment and talk about the "celebrity vs. race card" furor. I mean GEEZ ppl, can we get back to issues here? Oh wait, McCain has no way of winning on issues. I mean economy - same tax cuts for oil companies, but also wanting a "gas tax holiday." So, let's take taxes off of gas, but that allows the gas companies to still charge the current price, and they make that $ in profit. Then, let's give them a tax break, so all of that $ goes toward their net revenue as well. Basically, let's double ExxonMobil's $11.7 billion profit from last quarter for the next quarter and year and 4 years. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Let's talk Iraq - 100+ years of occupation, with no plan for handing over the govt, no plan for withdrawal, no plan for redirecting troops to Afghanistan, no actual mention of working with Pakistan or Iran or Afghanistan to actually get rid of Al-Qaida. YOU'VE GOT TO BE JOKING. I refuse to allow my brother/cousins/friends/future children to have to go to war like this. People keep bringing up Vietnam - why won't people listen to that? It's not like that never happened, like the scars and effects of that don't exist, like we're not shadowing that conflict now.

Those 2 reasons alone are enough for me to justify voting for Senator Obama, but my personal list goes on. And you know what, I actually agree with McCain here - Senator Obama IS the biggest celebrity in the world, but he actually did something to earn it, and he's a celebrity for doing something POSITIVE, which is the major diff between him and the 2 ladies that you mentioned.

I think it's a jealousy issue. The media doesn't even care about McCain anymore, good or bad, and his camp is realizing that. I mean, I'm sure John McCain is not a bad person, but I just can't get behind what he's standing up for now. I don't understand how you can be at the forefront of pushing for anti-torture measures, and then be shaking hands and buddy-buddy with the most Machiavellian dudes in govt today (looking at you George, Dick, and Karl).

Besides, Senator Obama made the same comments a month ago about the RNC and the McCain campaign: "They'll try to scare you...'He's got a funny name,...and he's black.'" Why didn't the Republican machine say anything then? Is it because Barack just came off of a successful European and "Middle Eastern" tour where the rest of the world loves him and they'll hate us even more if we don't elect him? ***SIDEBAR: I like how personable Senator Obama is that anyone can just refer to him as Barack, as if we're all friends, even though he's to soon-to-be 44th president.*** I don't understand where the problem lies though. Is it because Mr. Obama is correct, that they (and by they I mean the RNC and their cronies) will use their scare tactics to try and suggest things, like crime will go up if he's elected, or that the White House will become some cesspool of sin, like a rap video? I mean, using Karl Rove's henchmen just signals that this will be an everything-AND-the-kitchen-sink kind of campaign.

Less than 100 days away...(I think the official count is 95) and then a dream will become reality and America can truly say we are willing to change, to become new, to revive hope and to actually believe that we ARE the America that we say we are.

I can't wait.

Sorry for the delay...

...but I'm on vacation! Chicago, that is. I do have a few goals, one of which is to go to HQ and another is to get a dress for the gala/reception.

Btw, it turns out that reception w/ Union Pacific is the same night as the TX delegation gala...we'll see how that plays out. I haven't gotten a housing confirmation or a packet of events yet...

What a ride this is.

Also, I got some new buttons in if anyone's interested. A couple of them are general Democratic supporting buttons, and the rest are Obama. I can't wait until I get to HQ...idk what I'm expecting, but maybe they'll give me some more info or something. At least a picture in front of the sign.

Lastly, thanks to everyone that's supported me so far...thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for coming out and helping with the bbq and buying tickets and selling tickets and everything... Watch out for the brunch, coming soon.

Oh, before I forget, watch for the VICTORIANS UNITED FOR CHANGE. We're working to elect a Democratic majority locally, statewide, and nationally. If anyone is interested in volunteering in any capacity, let me know. We're having another planning meeting this Thursday, July 31 @ 7pm at Barbara Allen-Lampley's home, 2103 Bon Aire. We're going to try to tally up our volunteers and get to implementing the first part of our field plan (which is being worked on right now). Also, we're having a volunteer rally on August 7 from 7-9pm, location TBA.

I'll try to update again this week...stay fired up!

OMG!!!!

KANYE WEST IS PERFORMING AT THE DNCC!!!! (Source)

wow. They have TOTALLY stepped it up this year, lol.

SOOOOO EXCITED. This means I'll get to see Kanye perform twice in a month.

Also, I got a letter in the mail about a special TX delegation reception hosted by Union Pacific from a John Sharp. (No idea, but thanks, Mr. Sharp!) The letter states:

My friends at Union Pacific Railroad have agreed to host a "Texas Reception" on Monday, Aug. 25th. They have agreed to pull one of their large, completely outfitted passenger trains up to Union Station which is very near the convention site. We will have plenty to eat and drink for this special "Texas Reception." The time for this reception will be in your packet at the convention with all of the necessary information and you should receive a formal invitation in the mail from Union Pacific very shortly...The very top executives of Union Pacific, including the CEO, will be there to greet you.

To quote Flavor Flav, "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW."

Yay for another new dress!!!

I'm Keisha, and I'm an Obamaniac.

Last night's meeting of the Victoria Democrats Club was very interesting and informative. Darlene Ewing, Dallas County Dem Party Chair spoke about how they turned Dallas County blue in 2006 and elected 47 of 47 democratic officials. (I don't remember the specifics on that one; sorry.) The high points were:
-Unite all democratic candidates under one message
-Actively campaign EVERYWHERE; be seen in every community
-Encourage people to vote down ballot (all democratic)
-Pool funds, resources, and campaign materials

One of the questions that was raised (credit to Mrs. Barbara Allen-Lampley) was, "Where did you find your volunteers?" Darlene said that most of them came with each of the candidates, but that this year especially, the Obama campaign has tapped into a core base of youth volunteers. Exact quote, "Senator Obama has thousands of youth...eagerly waiting to volunteer."

Crowd response: laughter and glances at Kelli and I.

Really? That's how it's viewed? Lol, I feel like it sounds like we're part of a cult...at any moment, Senator Obama could tell us to hole up in a cave until Nov. 5, and we'd do so. Lol, I guess we are self-professed Obamaniacs.

But is that really a problem?

Benefit BBQ

Hello everyone!

As a fundraiser for myself to go to the Democratic NationalConvention, I'm having a benefit bbq THIS Saturday, July 19. Tickets are $6 each for a brisket and sausage combo plate. Plates can be picked up at the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church (704 E Park,Victoria, TX) from 11am - 3pm on Saturday.

For more info, you can email me back or call me @ 361 648 1519.

Thanks for all your help and support!

-Keisha

Hi! How are you? BBQ?

Eventful week this wk, no?

1. Jesse Jackson's remarks are EVERYWHERE. Fox has replayed them over and over...idk how I feel about repeating them, but if you want to watch, here's the vid:



Btw, that's the hopefully the first and last time I have to positively reference Bill O'Reilly, even though it's not positive...yeah...

Some people are saying he probably did it on purpose, to kind of show this rift in the community and that there isn't one massive voting bloc (idk if that makes sense to me either). Others are saying it is a good example of this murmured "old school vs. new school" feud amongst black leaders, as if those that paved the way don't want to step down or those that had their way paved for them don't want to acknowledge the older leaders' contributions. Heck if I know. All I know is that it was rude, and how does this man NOT know that the camera and mic are still on? Hasn't he been doing interviews for like 40 yrs?!

2. Everyone plz welcome fellow SD-18 national delegate MICHAEL FLOWERS to the mix! This way you don't have to read my random posts all the time...hopefully he has a lot to say. He's also accepting donations on his personal political blog, which I can't find the link to at the moment, but I assume he'll include it in his first post.

*************UPDATE*****************
Michael's blog is linked on the right-hand side. Take a peek!

3. Senator Obama's acceptance speech will now take place OUTSIDE of the convention center! Me thinks the senator enjoys making history. :o) Wherever it has been relocated to, they plan to host 75,000 ppl, and make it open to the public by giving away tickets. CRAZINESS. I'm really excited for it, but I can only hope I have priority seating or a standing section...I mean, all this hard work for the back of the crowd? But really, it should be a great time, and I bet the speech will be powerfully moving and inspiring as always.

4. Lastly, I'm having a benefit BBQ to fundraise on Saturday, July 19, and I'm asking for a $6 donation per ticket. I'll create a new post with more details.

Any thoughts out there on the internets?

Buttons!

I have LOTS of buttons for sale as another fundraiser. They're $4/each or 3 for $10. Pretty soon, I'll have some from the campaign, and those I'll sell at cost, but idk when they plan to ship those out. The buttons I currently have are NOT from the campaign, but they ARE manufactured by the same union(s?), and I ordered from the same company that handles the Obama campaign orders and merchandise, so rest assured.

If you know anyone that's interested in buttons, let me know!

And speaking of buttons, don't forget the "Donate" on the right...special thanks to Ken from Washington County for being the first to use the button.

More fundraisers coming soon, so I'll keep you updated...

Freedom isn't free

Happy July 4th everyone! (I know, I know, it's the 5th. Or 6th. I've lost track of days/dates/times.)

Yesterday a friend of mine and I went out to the community center to sell Obama buttons. We pinned them all over 2 aprons, and went out ready to sell... Have you ever felt like a caged animal? The cold reception I got as I walked into accircle created by food vendor stalls, pickup trucks, and a stage with the most well-known local country music group was...well, intimidating. It was the first time I was ever concerned about what people would say to me.

If they spoke to me at all, that is. All the comments were made behind and around me...and it actually didn't bother me. Some of the other local Democrats (Dennis, Harold, Kelli G., Julie) had come out to do some voter registration, and they had some luck. Only some though, which is where the title of this post comes from.

I didn't realize there were ppl that didn't want to register to vote. How can you not want to register? How can you not want to vote? I really wanted Kelli to lead in with, "Do you like freedom? Are you registered to vote?" but she didn't. I mean seriously, talk about patriotism...the reason people fought at all to be free is so that THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR WHAT AND HOW THEY WANTED OUR COUNTRY TO BE. Say what you will about candidates, the process, etc, etc, but if you don't vote, you can't change it. Period.

Speaking of change, I am getting SO excited for Denver. Only up to $1100 with an ultimate goal of $5000, but I'm trying. (See: DONATE on the right...)

Next immediate goal is to get the other delegates linked in here.

odds and ends

This past Saturday, Barbara Allen-Lampley opened up her home for a Unite for Change event in Victoria, which was a success. We had about 12 people show up, and I know the next one will be bigger and better!

I hope to hold an event with more of our local Democratic voters next time. Does anyone know how to access the local VAN? (I assume that stands for Voter Action Network, but I keep forgetting to ask.) I want to contact all the voters from my precinct, and hopefully I'll get some help on contacting the other precincts. Hopefully we can hold similar events in the other surrounding counties. They don't have to necessarily be fundraisers for me, but I will (and do currently) have buttons to sell.

Pics in the next post, since I'm on my phone. I wonder if the iPhone 3g will allow for that, bc this one doesn't...

Oh, also, the actual convention will convene from 4-9pm MST that Monday through Friday., so expect posts all during the day. I'm hoping someone will gift me with a new, lighter notebook pc to aid in my blog quest...

New insignia for a new president?

So this version of the presidential seal was used one time for an event, and then put away...followed by the renewed attacks of "elitism" and such, just because of the latin phrasing, mainly. (Vero possumus = Yes we can.)

It seems as if every time this man takes a step, he's too this or too that for "the average working-class American" to vote for, as if there is a unified bloc of voters that can't vote for a person that doesn't fit every single thing on their checklist.

I can't wait to for the re-reveal of this seal on Nov. 5, for the world to see...

Sorry for the delay...

...but I promise I will be back soon with the regular updates.

In other news, guess who might be meeting with a DC superdelegate and a regular CNN contributor for the Democratic Party at this year's DNCC? (Hint: Her book, Cooking With Grease, talks about her life in politics, including her job as Al Gore's 2000 campaign chair.)

Could this possibly lead to a meeting with the future President Obama himself...?

Guess who's going to Denver...

ME!!!

It truly was democracy at its finest. I won with about 3/4 of the vote from our entire senate district delegation. For those who don't know, Victoria County is part of Senate District 18, made up of 19 counties. The final count was like 120+ for me, about 35-40 for the other nominee from Fort Bend County.

To Stephanie, Dorothy, Sallie Ann, and Aimee - it was hard, but I'm glad we all had a chance. I appreciate your support during the vote, as well as now. I promise to represent you and SD-18 very well.

Michael Flowers from Bastrop County will be attending as the male Obama delegate from our SD, and Chelsie W. (can't think of the last name, but I believe the initial is correct) from Fort Bend county is an at-large delegate for Obama.

I smell additional contributors to the blog...

Today's quotes, thus far

About the TX Supreme Court Justice nominees: "When they ask you who you are, just tell them, 'JUSTICE, ya sons of b****es!!!'"

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, of San Antonio: "We've all been in relationships...you fight, but eventually you stop fighting. You get back together...my husband and I have 6 kids. And as he likes to say, 'the make-up sex is soooo good!'"

Other notable quotables coming up...

Kickoff to credentials

Last night's kickoff reception was an apparent success. Both sides came together to mingle, dance, and bid in the silent auction. There were two separate events - a party for Obama and an event for Clinton. In the spirit of unity, everyone was invited to both, but the spot to be at was Club de Ville, site of the Obama party. You would not believe the number of people with Hillary buttons and stickers who were partying and cheering and yelling "OBAMA!!!!" and holding signs with his name on them... It was a truly proud and FUN moment. Shouts out to the DJs too! Pics to come later today, after we've taken care of some business for SD-18.

Update

Sorry, I forgot to mention that tonight's meeting is for all Obama delegates AND alternates.

6007 N. Main, Victoria TX 77904

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Hopefully this helps!

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to all of those who may be visiting. This is the start of an exciting time right now, and I hope that we can come together and capture all of this enthusiasm and energy from the primary season, and turn it towards coming together and pushing through the general election.

This weekend is the Texas Democratic Convention (my first), and I will be live-blogging the entire weekend, so stay tuned for updates. On that note, I am also running for NATIONAL DELEGATE for Senator Obama. I have never been more nervous or more excited in recent history than I am this week. The next post will be a little more campaigning for myself...

So this evening there is a meeting in Victoria County for Victoria, Calhoun, Aransas, Dewitt, Jackson, Goliad, Refugio, and Lavaca counties' Obama delegates. Our field organizer for senate district 18, Nat Troy, will be present to give out more info and to answer any questions, as well as to give us some options or ideas for strategy as far as efficiency and things go. It's at 6:30pm @ Las Palmas restaurant TODAY, Tuesday, June 3.


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Lastly, today is the end of the primaries. Congratulations, Senator Obama!!!