the democrats were extremely organized.

i made calls for obama on monday and tuesday.

though on a trip without internet access, i managed to find a place where i could get email.  there were several messages from move on asking me to make calls, all i had to do was click on a link, and a name and phone # appeared along side a script.  so i did it for a couple of hours both days.

at one point i reached an eighty-two year old african american man in virginia.  he wanted to vote but was in a walker and couldn't get to the polls.  i doubtfully told him i'd see if there was anything i could do.

i replied to the email from move on, explaining the situation and forwarding the name and phone # of the man in newport news.  in 10 minutes i had a response- tell the man to contact his local get out the vote organization, and it included the address and phone. so i went ahead and called the newport news obama for america.  they delightedly took the name and number and said they had volunteers standing by to ferry voters.

a random new yorker on the road in boston could reach a would-be voter in a swing district and get a car to his door within an hour!  

i think this degree of organization and efficiency goes a long way to explain obama's win.

a friend forwarded this link on the subject.

wow, so many reasons to feel happy today.

the president reelected.

elizabeth warren, alan grayson, tammy baldwin, claire mccaskill...

so proud of the citizens of maryland and maine, our home states, historic first states to legalize gay marriage by public vote. when i met mike and his friends and family from maine, they all reminded me of marylanders!  now the people of our states go into history together, united by independent and fair thinking!  i'm starting to feel maryland is the maine of the south!

am i better off? (reposted from september 7th.)

the conventions have me asking myself:

am i better off than i was 4 years ago?

well, i can get health insurance.

i have a fledgeling but prospering small business which i attribute to the gradual improvement of the economy.

my loved ones are less likely to be killed in a war, and america's great terrorist enemy osama bin laden is dead.

my taxes are lower.

our house is worth more.

my niece could afford to go to college, and my teenage nephew got a job with a start up business.

oh, and thanks to the government rescuing the auto industry, the economy in michigan, where i have land and kin, has been saved from disaster. (so has ohio's)

life could have been even better than this- but unfortunately  some people stood in the way, trying to block every improvement-

republicans in washington who swore to oppose all progress.

i think clint eastwood was right, when someone isn't doing the job we've got to let them go.  the republican "legislators" unashamedly refused to do any work at all. they actually vowed not to try to solve america's problems!  and i still have to pay their salaries.  gotta let 'em go.

more info here

from stupefaction blog

stupefaction

manhattan november 2nd

the loud rattle of generators and pumps everywhere.  ubiquitous carting trucks.

flooded possession triage.

devastated artist's spaces in chelsea.

some stores are doing business in the dark. a few have generators.

this bodega had a car running outside and a clip on lamp connected to cables from the battery.

liq'sto' lighted with candles.

by 11 pm penn was open.

evolution now blog endorses barack obama. president obama can handle it.

some concrete reasons i'll be voting for obama.

he can handle the hurricane.
the other candidate might cut funding to FEMA.

he can handle the economy. corporate profits reached historic highs during his presidency. the stimulus worked. unemployment is down (below 8%!) with more good news coming just today. job creation, and consumer spending and confidence are up. and the housing market has recovered.

he can handle osama bin laden and terrorists.
the other candidate exploits them for political gain.

he saved ohio and michigan. thanks to his auto industry bailout their economies are rebounding.
the other wanted to let them fail.

he saved the economy in spite of republicans who tried with all their powers to stop him. the other candidate's running mate was a ringleader of the obstruction.

he's honest and consistent.  romney just says whatever is expedient. he's currently airing an ad that everyone agrees is flat out malarkey. just straight face lying to the faces of swing state voters why won't he show his tax returns?

and, by all accounts, the president really cares about all americans;  while romney doesn't think very highly of at least about half of us.

so, those are some of the reasons i think obama has handled the presidency just fine!   why throw out a really good president?