Ants Marching

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/20/mccain-camp-looking-for-way-to-win-without-colorado/#more-25677

The article I linked here states as follows:

While Iowa, New Mexico and Colorado are still officially listed as McCain target states, two top strategists and advisers tell CNN that the situation in those states looks increasingly bleak. Iowa and New Mexico always have been viewed as difficult races, but the similar assessment of Colorado reflects a dramatic shift for a campaign that had long counted on the state.

"Gone," was the word one top McCain insider used to describe those three states.

This source said while the polls in Colorado remain close, he and most others in the operation were of the opinion that the Obama campaign and its allies have a far superior ground/turnout operation and "most of us have a hard time counting on Colorado." (emphasis added)

The Fuzz, Baggs and I have been knocking on doors, making phone calls and generally pushing the Colorado campaign by taking our places in the long line of ants marching for change all across the state. Indeed, the Obama campaign has ants like us marching all across the country.

We are enthusiastic, motivated, energized and we can FEEL it. Reading this article made me smile today because when enough of us little ants combine forces, we can move mountains.

This article represented acknowledgment by the McCain campaign that our efforts have been effective. We have made a difference.

Now, more than 3 million individuals have contributed an average of $86.00 each to produce the most formidable campaign treasure chest in US political history. That treasure has been matched by sweat and shoe-leather to produce a grass-roots movement to the White House.

Still, this is no time to let up. I will be canvassing each weekend and working the entire day as a staging location coordinator on election day. We will not be denied!

B.S. delivered to my answering machine

I received the following robo-call yesterday.

"Hello. I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the pentagon, a judge's home and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the judgment to lead our country. This call was paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 and the Republican National Committee."

Now... I hardly know where to start. First off, I don't want that crap on my answering machine. It's a distraction issue, a wedge issue and a distortion. Anyone who pays attention knows why this "association" is a complete non-issue. But, the point I want to make is that this illustrates exactly what it looks like when a party is completely out of ideas.

I have been making phone calls and knocking on doors for the Obama campaign and our instructions are to emphasize the positive. If allowed to engage in conversation we are asked to relay a personal story of ours in the context of Obama's policies. My story is about my mom and my son. I talk about how my mom has been failed by our health care system and had to wait four years to have her knees replaced and now has a bowed femur as a result of a "pre-existing condition." I talk about how my son deserves to have a chance at an education. I talk about how Jacob's generation doesn't deserve to have to pay down George W. Bush's debt and that we need to reign in the budget. I also talk about how we need to reject the immoral policy of pre-emption and torture in our nation because I don't want Jacob sent into an unnecessary war or to be the victim of retaliation torture. Although the next president won't have Jacob to throw into a war, the very idea of pre-emption must end, and this is a step in that direction.

What do the Republicans offer? Associations. Accusations. Angry Mobs. Cries of anti-Americanism. Robo-smear calls. Rallies that apparently include torches and pitch-forks at the gate. I have also received the kinds of e-mails that give me chills.

Why is that all they offer? Because the party is out of ideas. For six years, they held all levers of government, and have held the presidency and it's veto pen for eight years. Only two of those years did the run-away train have a brake. We have been in a political standstill for two years while Democrats get vetoed into oblivion and Bush gets stonewalled. All will remain frozen until we have a new president.

The campaign has gotten negative. There is no doubt about it. And both sides have done some things they wish they could have back. But, only one side has displayed ugliness that could actually inspire violence.

When people in a crowd shout "terrorist," or "kill him," or "off with his head," or "treason," a speaker has an obligation to stop and set the record straight. McCain has done that, but Palin has not. It is disgusting.

This robo-call is just another attempt to whip up the emotions and fears of the populace. Look at the focus. Bill Ayers. Leftists. They aren't dumb enough to outright say communist like Senator McCarthy back in the 50s, but the same fear triggers are being pulled.

The RNC called tonight to talk to Jen and ask if they could count on her support. Her answer was just "no."

It's time to say no to appeals to fear. Ever since I announced on this blog that I would support Barack Obama, I said it's time to reject fear and embrace hope. The polls indicate that, by and large, the people are not convinced that a Kevin-Bacon-like association matters one bit when the 401K statement comes in the mail.

I respond to every hate-e-mail I receive and I always will. I am not shy about engaging anyone who wants to make these appeals to fear. In fact, as we get closer to the election, I'm almost looking for a fight.

It won't work this time!

Time for Jacob Pictures

It's been awhile since I posted some cool Jacob pics. Enjoy!

Jacob and Mom

Jacob and Dad

Wearing Mom's boots

I Voted

I don't get a sticker this year, but I don't have to stand in line either. I received my ballot a day or so ago and I took time to read up on the issues. I talked through the issues with Jen and voted via mail-in ballot this evening.

It feels good.

This is my first time using the mail-in ballot, and I don't think I will do it any other way again. It's really the way to go.

We are lucky in this nation that we have the right to vote and I encourage everyone to do his or her duty by being an informed voter.

Now I'm free to drive people to the polls, volunteer for the last-minute push and become a zombie as the returns come in on November 4. Our moment is now.

Random thoughts

... Jacob has begun saying "John McCain hurt eye." When he was 1, he tried to look into a shampoo bottle and got it in his eye. He cried and said "Shampoo acky, hurt eye." To communicate danger, we sometimes say things like "no cord, hurt eye." On his own, probably because we talk politics around here a lot, he has started saying "John McCain, hurt eye." He pays attention, I guess.

... Yet more Wall Street problems. What's the difference between a totally free market and trickle-down economics? Nothing. They are both fabrications of the mind with no basis in the real world. What a scam. Think about this for a minute. Rich people convinced us that if we make them even more wealthy, they would actually give some of that back! Hilarious! Yet all those golden parachutes keep opening like clockwork. (I just got an image of Bill Gates re-paving my street).

... I went canvassing this weekend. Knocked on 60+ doors. No luck on most of the first half, but I actually think we made a small impact on the second half. This is how elections are won... with boots on the ground.

... My mom's birthday was today and we took her out to dinner. She will get her knees replaced in one week. Keep her in your thoughts. It'll be a long road back to health for her, but she really needs this done.

... Gotta love sports. The Broncos are a fun team to watch on offense. I have proper expectations based on their crappy defense, so I get to enjoy the fireworks with no need to fret over long playoff runs. Time to enjoy gaudy statistics! CU still looks a year away and Virginia is rebuilding, so my focus is on the NFL this time around.

... On the schadenfreude side of sports, Nebraska got beat 52-17 at home, which always makes me smile. If that wasn't enough, the Cubs lost 3-games-to-none in the first round of the playoffs when expectations were just crazy considering history. All of my friends and I take a sick joy in pain felt by each other in sports. I don't think anything tops the heartbreak the Northsiders inflict on their fans, though. It never gets old.

... I'm currently reading "Bearing the Cross," and it's a great book. I think I'm going to finish my 24-book challenge with "Angels and Demons," "The Da Vinci Code" and "Stranger in a Strange land." Next year Book and I will start out with "Southern Storm" about General Sherman's decimation of much of the South. Book and I have a morbid fascination of "drunk uncle Billy" (If you see a picture of him, you'll know why we call him that) and his rampage through Georgia.

... I keep getting calls at my office from homeowners who are desperate to avoid foreclosure and it's heartbreaking. They are all upside-down on their homes and facing financial ruin. I really feel for them. Although there is little I can actually do for them most of the time, I always try to point them toward some (hopefully) helpful options. Times are tough and people are absolutely feeling it. My phone is a testament to that.

Love of my life

Jen is my best friend in the world. She's a great mom and a wonderful wife. I am very proud of her, which is probably pretty evident. She works hard and has earned everything she has achieved.

Any description I could give of my feelings for her have probably been covered through music, poetry and literature before. Obviously, all of those descriptions of affection apply and I love her deeply. Instead, I would rather describe her enormous strength to give a glimpse of what she looks like through my eyes.

Jen is a rock. She embodies the phrase "calm, cool and collected" in the face of any obstacle because of her strength of character. Her pillars are made of honesty, industriousness and commitment to family. And she displays those traits continuously.

I appreciate that Jen will level with me and I know she will only say what is true. But, her honesty also comes through clearly when she drops a point of view as circumstances change. She is the opposite of an ideologue and takes genuine account of logic and reality. In short, she is intellectually honest and thoughtful.

I will never forget her absolute refusal to cut corners while working at KFC, and her calculation of work hours down to the minute. The last thing she would ever do would be to cheat anyone out of even a minute of work time.

Such deeds earn trust, but her insistence on not wasting time makes her career climb her own masterpiece. Obviously, that trait is beneficial to a career, but Jen works just as hard at home as she does for work.

Jen plans for Jacob's future and directs her efforts at home toward his better development and growth. We are lucky that Jen has the ability to work from home where she can be with Jacob. And, Jacob is lucky that that his time is spent every day with someone who is dedicated to his interests and plans his upbringing in a way to maximize his opportunities.

I do not mean to limit her traits, which are many. She is also a dreamer, creative and kind. But, I seek to express the traits that only someone who sits in my seat could see.

She is my dream girl and always will be.

The Front Lines

Well, I'm full into volunteer mode. I probably do not spend the time I should, or even the time I have verbally committed to, but I now make phone calls and canvass every week. I even got my first war wound (a bee sting... clearly sent by a McCain supporter).

The view from the front lines of a political campaign is difficult to interpret.

On one hand, I see a unique enthusiasm and the mechanisms of the political process churning from inside -- with people working together for a common purpose. On the other hand, dealing with a populace that pays attention on the shallowest of levels is an exercise in herding cats and hair-pulling.

Last week I experienced a very successful phone bank session that led to a few very enlightening conversations and (maybe) one voter convinced to leave the fence for the Obama yard. One can never be sure, of course, but this is a unique process and I have been thrust into some fascinating discussions.

On the other hand, I was also told by another person not to call back because "no son of a bitch who won't salute the flag or our troops should ever be president." After almost two years of campaigning, vetting like no human not running for president could ever experience, and constant scrutiny, some people just can't separate the fear from the truth.

As interesting as the experience has been, this whole political process has also been maddening. My fury over the indiscretions of the past 8 years is well known. My frustration is explaining to people who pay casual attention exactly why this is so important to me.

My sense of urgency has been patronized at times and I have had to bite my tongue more often than I'd like. Nothing bothers me more than the belittling of concerns based on fundamental matters.

But, the end result is what matters. Even though many people vote as they do for the wrong reasons ("he sounds Muslim" or "I just always vote [fill in party]"), the vote is what matters. Our job, on the front line, is to attempt to educate a sometimes-resistant and easily-distracted population that really doesn't have the time to scrutinize beyond sound-bytes or misleading commercials.

Like I said, it's a beautiful process, very rewarding, absolutely maddening... and very confusing. If that makes sense.

This campaign means everything to me because of fundamental beliefs I have about how our country should conduct itself. I fear that my view is simply not an accurate reflection of exactly who we are. What if we are torturers? What if we are fiscally reckless? What if we don't believe in that which was once inalienable? What if we really don't need evidence to use our power?

Before I entertain answers to those hypotheticals, I'm going to try to persuade my community. My job is to convey the importance during a conversation that usually lasts 30 seconds. No one said it would be easy.

But, never give up on hope without a fight.