Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) Two of my most interesting conversations with voters in Western Michigan today.

First: A young man said, no he was not voting for Barack Obama. I asked if he minded telling me why. He said because he learned Barack had taken his senate oath on a Koran. When I informed him that this was a lie and that Barack & Michelle were raised as Christian, he got mad. Not mad at me but that he’d believed what he read. He acknowledged that there was a lot of lies coming out of the McCain campaign

Second: Went to see a family of three voters, by no means identified, they’ve only once voted in a Democratic primary. Turns out another daughter had recently turned 18 and was registered to vote. The mother and daughters are enthusiastic Obama supporters, even took a sticker and immediately placed it on their car. The dad was gruff and told me he was voting for Nader. The mom came around and whispered to me, “don’t worry, we won’t let him vote for Nader. He’ll vote for Obama too.” He just shrugged and smiled.

(Community Matters) . . . . only in the press releases of Rick Davis and other McCain operatives. Yesterday I was worried by the Iowa story (they too turned out completely bogus). Tomorrow, there’ll be another. As a Michigan campaign volunteer said last night, if McCain had really moved to dead even in any state, he wouldn’t announce it, he’d still be yelling that they are close but need every single dollar and volunteer. Hell, even Arizona has been reclassified as a toss up state.

They are now just vying to avoid complete annihilation and humiliation, cranking out disinformation in press releases that make their voters believe there is still a chance.

(Community Matters) Just to remind readers, I’m AGAINST Prop 2, the so-called Stop Domain Subsidies referendum. Retail subsidies have already been prohibited going forward and it punishes the Domain and Robert Mueller developers who have met each of their contractual conditions despite Brian Rodgers misleading (I say libelous) statements otherwise. It would force the City of Austin to renege on it’s contractual commitments, risking our triple A bond rating and certainly our reputation among enlightened metropolitan areas.

Anyhow, the Austin Chronicle endorsed AGAINST Prop 2. Louis recently wrote about the savage reader reaction. Excerpts from his column:

There were some commenters who were just vicious; they accused us of being corrupt and of actually selling the endorsement. There was a clear indication from some that, by making an endorsement they did not agree with, we had rendered the Chronicle – past, present, and future – worthless. A lot of the charges were contradictory, none was true, and many accusers sounded very pleased with their own viciousness.

By denying those you oppose humanity, a sense of decency, and a commitment to principles, you are demonizing them into a consciously evil force. Therefore, just about anything you do to them is justified. This lack of respect, disinterest in compromise, and firm conviction that anyone with opposite ideas is one-dimensional and holds dishonest beliefs and bad intentions – this stance allows all sides to trivialize other ideas while granting a benediction to those they support. The beginnings of genocide and the end of constitutional law is dehumanization.

If the starting premise is that you are right and anyone with a different position is wrong, that really doesn’t leave room for much discussion.

Although I was not engaged in the endorsement process, my concern is that the unintended consequences will be much worse than the subsidies. Some of my fears include the following: The city will be taken to court and will lose. This will not only cost more than just the subsidies but potentially will impact the city’s restrictive options. There will be a negative impact on other projects. Businesses will not come to Austin. The Legislature will use this as an excuse to beat up on Austin.

I’ve written before, I think Brian Rodgers is deploying Bush/Cheney/McCain/Palin campaign tactics in his campaign, i.e., damn the truth and simply make up 7 points. Repeat it enough and people with no time or inclination to fact check will adopt it as the truth. Kinda interesting, the result is he too is eliciting Sarah Palin-ish (intolerant and vicious) reaction from his base of support.

(Community Matters) Tim & Mike decided they had to do even more, so threw in another $100k as a match grant. Jim Hormel didn’t blink, he and Michael just met that.

The numbers are tight and encouraging. Bill Clinton recorded a robo-call against Prop 8. That’ll endear him to our community for years to come. Wish Barack would do the same.

(Community Matters) Not sure how many flyers we stuffed or door hangers we labeled but oodles. Goal is to knock on 60k doors in Hailey’s district these next couple of days – 3 shifts. We worked at the headquarters until about 10:30, then set up the union hall for a gathering in the morning. Kirk and I wrapping up with veggie burgers and wine past midnight.

Kirk’s step dad (Jim), Janice (mom), Kirk, Hailey (daughter), Stephanie (step mom), Alex (daughter)

(Community Matters) The Iowa visit was not a negative sign, simply symbolic. I let Rick Davis’ rhetoric syc me out. Nate’s dismissed Thursday’s Zogby numbers published by Drudge; he’s just trying to worm his way infront of Rush as a Chistianista favorite.

538 shows Barack at an all time high. McCain only a 2.8% chance of winning.

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) Is Barack really in Iowa today?  What’s up with that?  McCain campaign saying the race there is dead even despite polls showing O +15. 

(Community Matters) You go girl!

(Community Matters) Kirk Rudy and I are off to Grand Rapids this morning; Amy will join us tomorrow. Haylie Rudy is working for Obama and in charge of GOTV in Grand Rapids. We’ll be knocking on doors all weekend. Governor Granholm kicking off the canvassing Saturday morning. I suspect Kirk will sneak away to watch the UT game that evening. Hmm, maybe a chance for Amy & me to run out to the lake house for a couple of hours.

We’ll drive into Chicago on Tuesday evening.

(Community Matters) The California referendum to overturn same sex marriage is cataclysmic. Polls have gone from against (which is my position, i.e., not overturning gay marriage) at +8 to 10, to -5 last week back to +4, even or slightly below. Who to believe?

The Mormon Church has poured money into this race and so have (on the other side) unions, corporations, celebrities, fair-minded Americans from all over the country. The Right cyber attacked No on Prop 8’s website on Wednesday night, preventing online contributions (Florida’s was attacted yesterday). This has just further infuriated supporters. I’m on a list serve with gay lesbian leaders from around the country. Tim Gill immediately donated another $30k. Tens of others donating similarly, albeit most in slightly lesser amounts (I did too – regrettably at a significantly reduced amount). However, one wonderful lesbian couple who’d saved up money for a formal wedding donated their $50k to No on Prop 8 instead. For now, I think the Nos have the financial advantage but they won’t if another call goes out from the Mormon Church, which it will.

(Community Matters) from Andrew’s site, Karl Rove’s latest map showing “the race tightening” a bit but too late and Obama already with enough states to win (311 electoral votes)