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i am not a stuffed tiger.

http://november2.org

mood: "we will not have an all volunteer army"

Ladies and gentlemen, electoral-vote.com just got even awesomer. There are info boxes on mouseovers and state by state trend lines. Not that I believe polls. They are evil, which is why they are so compelling. (see also "guide to polling sanity" [salon]

The main reason that I was looking at it is that reading Looking forward to it is making feel even more anxious than usual about the election, the sign [#] in one of my neighbor's windows, and all of the emails from MoveOn, Democracy for America, and John Kerry begging/shaming me to do something.

So, looking at the MoveOn travel link [#], I saw that Seattle is on their list of critical places and was kind of shocked. Is it just about getting out the vote? There are also several cities in Michigan (as well as cities with certain table15 friends). So should I stay here or go somewhere else? Is anyone else thinking of doing something like this?

Posted on Oct. 19th, 2004 at 11:26 pm | | Leave a comment | 29 comments |

Comments


bostonsteamer

1. I'm volunteering w/ moveon tonight (neighborhood GOTV) if you want to join me.

2. e-v.com is awesome! and I can't believe the Kerry bump it's shown over the past few days...Last time they were tied for EVs. I've always thought it leaned towards Bush compared to pollkatz, but the latter isn't even giving Kerry as many EVs as e-v.com.
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 08:48 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

joshc

what time are you canvassing? I'm going to see explosions in the sky tonight, but that isn't until 9.

Based on that salon link, I think that electoral-vote.com is much more cavalier about switching a state to either candidate based only on the most recent poll, regardless of methods.
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 03:24 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

bostonsteamer

Per Ario, EITS was canceled (though some other bands are still playing).

Regardless, I was probably gonna go like at 6:30 or 7.
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 04:33 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

joshc

are you leaving from the apartment?

aren't you concerned about missing/interupting the Red Sox-Yankees game 7?
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 05:18 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

bostonsteamer

yes.

no.
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 05:19 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

You can come to Lansing and volunteer with me! Although probably if you're going to go anywhere it would be better to choose a more interesting place...

I've been doing mostly phone calls, and oddly enough most of the people I'm calling are outside of Lansing, so that's a little confusing. But when I went to a meeting here last week they said Lansing was a critical area, so who knows. I just call the numbers they give me and try not to be freaked out at having to talk to strangers.

I wanted to take Monday and Tuesday off and go volunteer somewhere more important for the whole weekend, but that isn't looking possible, so now I'm planning to just take off Tuesday and see what I can do here.
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 01:52 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

joshc

my quandry was more of the "should I try to go to Kalamzoo since it's also my dad's birthday" variety, but I do appreciate the possibility of hanging out in Lansing for election weekend. If I convince myself that Seattle is actually important, it might make more sense to stay here.
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 02:34 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

That's what I figured, Kalamazoo is the obvious MI city choice. If you end up being in town that weekend you could even come to Cindy's baby shower, which is sure to be a super exciting time. Honestly though I don't know that Kalamazoo is any more crucial than Seattle at this point, but what do I know?
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 05:50 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

joshc

It's all so confusing.I feel like if Seattle's actually importatnt that it would be stupid to go somewhere else. Unless they have enough volunteers here and not somewhere else...
Posted on Oct. 20th, 2004 09:07 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

I just don't understand why they wouldn't be focusing almost entirely on the states are that more undecided. At this point both Michigan and Washington are pretty solidly Kerry, so it seems like it would make more sense to get all of us here to be calling and helping the other states (like NC) that need the help. I guess though they are probably thinking that if they stop worrying about getting out the vote in Kerry states then maybe people will get complacent and not vote cause they think it's a sure thing.

This would all be so much easier if everyone would just vote without having to be called a million times first. Stupid people.
Posted on Oct. 22nd, 2004 07:21 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

I think that they have so many cities listed so that they can appeal to people who want to travel to a) places like Seattle or b) closer to home. That's my theory at least. I think they'd rather have volunteers in semi-necessary places rather than none at all.

Also, I think it's weird that we have to call people to tell them to vote. First, see my update that I'm about to post:) but second, couldn't it annoy them into not voting? I dunno. . .
Posted on Oct. 23rd, 2004 10:54 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

joshc

I really don't understand it either, but I'm just accepting the fact that someone thinks that they need get out the vote effort in Seattle. I guess their point is that they don't want the liberal western/urban voters to get complacent when they see Kerry five points ahead in the polls. It could turn out to be tight, since the east side of the state is pretty darn red.

I'm sure it's a similar situation in most blue states. Had the g.o.t.v. effort in 2000 been better, the election might not have been so close.
Posted on Oct. 24th, 2004 08:18 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

You're right. I don't think everyone has the passion for the vote that we do. They might think "ah, it's only one vote - I'm not going to bother" so I guess the phone calling makes sense.
Posted on Oct. 25th, 2004 06:11 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

joshc

It is crazy that people need to be so pressured to vote.

I agree about the calling. I'd feel much better about calling people in other states than reminding people to put their stupid ballots in the mail.
Posted on Oct. 24th, 2004 08:20 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

Hel-lo . . . did you see that NC has gone from Bush to slight Bush to barely Bush in a matter of weeks? Political analysts have discovered that if Wake County goes to Kerry by some amount . . . I can't remember, than it is certain NC will go to Kerry! All y'all need to come on down to the south and make history! Voter registration efforts in the past month have democrats out registering republicans 3-1!!!

j/k - I know you were all here just a few short weeks ago:(

But I feel the same as you - I feel guilted into doing some volunteering. Of some sort.
Posted on Oct. 21st, 2004 06:04 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

joshc

I did see that and was very tempted by the NC: Raliegh item in the MoveOn list. I feel like it's one of the main places that volunteers could switch a state rather than just hold it.

Are you staying in NC for Thanksgiving?
Posted on Oct. 21st, 2004 10:36 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

Yeah, things are really tight right now, and as you say - it's more about switching a state that everyone has poo-pooed rather than holding one that's going to Kerry. Even Mi. is pretty much "going to Kerry" at this point.

I am staying in NC for Thanksgiving, though could be tempted if you have any other ideas???
Posted on Oct. 23rd, 2004 10:50 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

joshc

I don't have any specific ideas for Thanksgiving. I'm feeling pretty desperate to not be in Seattle since most of my usual Thanksgiving gang will be out of town. I'm trying to convince my parents to fly me to Michigan. They might have frequent flyer points, which would make it seem less frivolous.

It's sort of weird that I want to go home, but I can't think of anything really better to do (given my preference for not going drastically over-budget before the impending commercial holidays).

When Kerry wins, I think it would be fun to go to D.C. for the inauguration.
Posted on Oct. 24th, 2004 08:16 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

Yes, you're right on the budget. I've recently purchased Minn. tickets and am about to purchase BNL tickets and plane tickets to Chicago.

Speaking of - you wanna hang in Chicago before Christmas and then take the train to Kalamazoo?
Posted on Oct. 25th, 2004 06:09 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

When is the BNL show in Chicago? I could be interested in going depending on the day...
Posted on Oct. 27th, 2004 07:01 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

It's Tuesday, the 14th - so it's not so easy for people w/jobs that don't "track out" every nine weeks!

:)
Posted on Oct. 28th, 2004 04:40 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

Bummer. If it was later in the week I could definitely take time off, but to do that I'd either have to take Wed-Fri off or I'd have to take Wed off and then go back to work, and neither of those is desirable. Hmmm. Like I'd love to take off Wed-Fri, but since I'm taking off the whole next week and part of the following one probably, I should maybe be at work more than two days that week.
Posted on Oct. 29th, 2004 10:17 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

Well, through the fan club I have to buy 2 tickets. I can't buy 1, and I can't buy more than 2. It's just the way it works. As of right now, I'm making Aaron come with me, but it's yours if you decide to take the time off!!
Posted on Oct. 30th, 2004 03:03 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

If you end up in MI, let me know. I always go to AZ for Thanksgiving, but somehow this year we're coming home early on Friday, giving me a weekend of nothing to do while everyone else I know is away for the weekend or working. So, I might go to Kzoo that weekend after I get back from AZ, and if you're around then we could hang out.
Posted on Oct. 27th, 2004 07:06 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

I'd love to come to NC and help out, but I really can't get the time off and I also can't afford another plane ticket right now (other than the MN that I still need to buy...better get on that). :-( Good luck with volunteering. I'm hating every second of it, but I feel like I have to do it anyway.
Posted on Oct. 22nd, 2004 07:24 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

I wondered if you had purchased your Minn. ticket yet . . . you'd better get on that!
Posted on Oct. 23rd, 2004 10:48 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

I definitely am doing that this week. I was sort of waiting for Jennifer to get back to me on when she is coming and going, cause I am thinking of staying an extra day to see my family, but if she is staying extra or coming early too then it would make sense if we get similar times, you know?
Posted on Oct. 27th, 2004 07:03 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

jenna_marie

I see. . .

Hm. Strange.
Posted on Oct. 28th, 2004 04:38 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

rhiannonwc

Re: I see. . .

Why is that strange?
Posted on Oct. 29th, 2004 10:15 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply