I street canvas everyday and I am noticing.

[roseBudd]

Low income urban people are really pissed off at Bush

African Americans are saying he has to go universally

I'm finding there has so much registering of voters that I am seeing very few unregistered voters

I feel like there is going to be unprecedented turn out among people who are just barely getting by.

Rosebud

[Zynx]

1. Where are you from?

[swag]

2. Looks like she's from OHIO

I'm from Oregon, and on my bus and in my neighborhood, I see the SAME THING!

[roseBudd]

5. Cincinnati Ohio

I just think there is huge potential to pick up lots of additional voters among urban lower income people. I think it is because they have street smarts and are not fooled by Bush.

Rosebud

[Zynx]

13. If we can turn Cincinnati, that would be huge.

[liberal N proud]

26. It could mean the state would be in the blue column

Oh yeah!

[Philostopher]

39. Not the city of Cincinnati.

Not that it wouldn't be good, but the inner cities of both Cincinnati and Dayton frequently go to the Democatic candidate, and usually have Democratic mayors. The surrounding counties and the fringes are almost always Republican due to 'white flight' during the sixties and seventies, though.

[spotbird]

30. That is more true of the African American community than

any other group.

Today I was talking to a leader in the black community about the issue of black turnout. In his view blacks don't view Democrats as necessarily on their side, the view is that Democrats are neither friend nor foe.

He put it this way, "Republicans will kick you in the teeth and not care. Democrats will kick you in the teeth and at least call a dentist to repair the damage." He did go on to say that this year all bets are off.

[no name no slogan]

41. Back in the day....

we used to call that our "base". But since the party has bought hook, line, and sinker into the pro-Wall Street economic policies of the DLC and Alan Greenspan, we've seen those folk stay away on election day.

We NEED to have a better economic message for these people. A $1 hike in the minimum wage is a good start. Living wages for everyone would be even better.

So would access to better education and medical care, not to mention better access to home ownership. Before this country got so fixated on the stock market, we NEVER had a problem getting these people to vote.

Locally (in my "swing state" of Minnesota), I've seen a hell of a lot more Kerry/Anti-Bush bumper stickers than I have GW bumper stickers. Interestingly enough, the last two Dubya stickers I saw were both on Mercedes-Benzes. Go figure.

[Ruby Romaine]

3. I agree with you!

so many people who have never voted before will vote-
let's hope the votes are counted .
there are enough ballots to go around!

[REVOLT823]

4. Great news Rosebud, keep up the good work.

[roseBudd]

7. Poll watchers are needed in Ohio

The state got busted giving erroneous information to parolles and probationers. Ohio law disallows only felons currently serving their sentence as ineligible.

There is also concern African American precincts will need monitoring.

Come to Ohio and help.

Rosebud

[EST]

6. Wonderful news!

We knew this would be an uphill fight from the start. Good goin'.

[roseBudd]

11. I switched up my technique a bit

Now I am asking people to talk it up to all their friends, and I tell them how close Ohio is.

Rosebud

[cthrumatrix]

8. i'm tellin you...the polls are tools.... people hate bush

[A_Possum]

9. Great! An Ohio couple said they loved my Kerry button

When we were on vacation in Wyoming.

(And 4 other people there said they loved it too, btw!)

[AuntPatsy]

10. Thats funny, Im fixin to go soon again but while I was out

earlier, I made it a point to look closely at all the cars, lawns etc for signs of who is voting for who. Take into account, this is deep Texas. Also take into account that during local elections, the signs and stickers are in vast abundance...

I swear to you, other than my daughters car sticker saying Kerry Edwards, NOT ONE, I swear to you, not one has such a signature stating who their presidential preference is which leads me to believe that they all must be for Kerry and are just scared to openly express such...;-)

[sangh0]

12. That's why bumper stickers, signs, buttons, stickers, etc are important

They let Kerry supporters in areas like Texas know that they are not alone.

[CoonDawg]

14. I'm a first time voter

I'm 33. Mr. B* and his incompetence have inspired me to get involved. I hardly think I'm the only one.

EB

[bobbyboucher]

17. You are not alone my friend.

I got buddies voting first time and they are 40.

[sadiesworld]

50. My 46 year old brother will vote for the first time in November.

It was the 7 minutes (with the side benefit of shutting me up :D).

[johnnie]

18. That's great!

We need every one of you.

[A_Possum]

19. YAY for you!

I've voted in every election, but I've never ever ever been this involved or aware of what's going on.

[roseBudd]

21. Tell people you see on the street your story

We're allowed to talk to strangers and we don't need a list.

[roseBudd]

15. Its not good enough to count signs

We're allowed to talk to total strangers about this. I just only talk to likely democratic voters. It's not too hard to figure out who they are when you can see people. They ride buses and walk down the street. They're in front of the library. They're about to get teir first tattoo at the tender age of 18. They're everybody that has been getting screwed economically.

Rosebud

[AuntPatsy]

23. Im known to be very vocal on politics and I don't mince words

I just don't count signs;-) But it helps to do that you know, it helps to give you a perspective of those around you yet not standing or sitting right next to you...

And really, even though I know most believe the democrats to be only for those that are economically impaired, that is not my whole focus on what the democrats stand for...

They also stand for equality amongst all Americans, be they black, white, green, gay, straight, religious, an atheiest etc....

I believe this party stands for what America should be seen as...the conservative republicans have lost the true meaning behind "America, The Land Of The Free"

And that means everyone of us!

[roseBudd]

27. I agree I just tried to figure out where I could find

the most likely democratic voters in the quickest amount of time. And that is wherever I go in the city. Plus I work downtown and there are literally potentail votes every few feet. I got 4 new voters just waiting for my carryout order.

today I got 5 new voters registered in front of the library and motivated because I had everybody talking shit about Bush.

Rosebud

Rosebud

[johnnie]

16. Texas would be such a sweet win

I know it is such a long shot, but who knows? It's not like shrub took the state at 90% of the votes, and I know he has pissed off people all over that state.
As for the OP, Cinci would be a big win for us. Up here in Cleveland I think we got it. I see a lot more Kerry stickers.

[roseBudd]

20. If you live in Cleveland get out on the street and talk

to the likely democratic voters who are low income. If turnout is going to be higher they need motivation. I am thinking they are going to remember a strange white woman approaching them and talking about Bush gotta go. It can be communicated in only 3 words.

Rosebud

[AuntPatsy]

22. Im amaze, you guys dont get it yet?

I have four of voting age, all four plus all their friends are voting Kerry even though they are not that heavily into politics because I have made them sign up to vote, but according to many of them, though their friends are now off limits to me, there is definately a Kerry revival here in Texas in their own homes....

Kerry Edwards could win Texas! Talk about a coup for the Democrats...take into account our vast voting public, the age of those elderly white race dividing conservatives, though still out there, are dwindling away daily, whites are no longer the majority in many many Texas towns...

And as many many know, and definately after Zel Miller's little disgraceful performance Wednesday night (which by the way brought back those old fears of the hidden KKK rallys) we are ripe for change...

Give us a chance to prove it!

[roseBudd]

24. Get at least 4 a day

I get new voters everyday on my lunch break and talk to dozens more who are already registered. People who have lost their jobs or can't find a decent job are pissed. At least the city dwellers are, I can't speak for the rural and suburban po folks.

Rosebud

[annabanana]

25. You Go AuntPatsy!

If you can get them to vote, maybe you can get them to help out and be poll-watchers too. The other guys are pretty firmly entrenched out there, and are likely to try some dirty tricks to keep your new registrees away from the polls in November.

I admire your enterprise!

[johnnie]

28. Keep the faith AuntPatsy

And a big Yeeeeeee Hawwwwwwwww for ya'll :)

[dumpster_baby]

47. Texans are politically retarded

We let The Man walk all over us.

[West Coast Democrat]

29. All I can say is I'm seeing 10 times more signs and sticker for Kerry...

than I saw for Gore 4 years ago. And I did see several every day back then, but this year it's like a tidal wave of Kerry signs. There are some blocks in my neighborhood with yard signs at every other home.

This indicates to me that our side is very, very motivated this year. And if the turnout is high, * is doomed.

[cheshire]

31. I have had that feeling for some time so thanks for proving it for me.

[roseBudd]

34. we see signs and bumper stickers because we...

live near like minded people. We are increasingly politically segregated.

We must work on turn out among groups with historical low turn out.

Low income people

18-29 year olds

especially college students concentrating on hip, secular youth

And we need to walk the streets to do it.

We should also be emailing bands before they appear at music venues in swing states

[catbert836]

32. The election's to go majorly one way

and kerry's gonna come out on top.

[ItsMyParty]

33. We need the URBAN Guard Up, so to speak

remember, for example, their 'plan' in Michigan is to surpress the Detroit vote. They aren't just trying to get their rural yuppies and wingers out to vote, they know the urban areas are the key and they will try everything to keep these people from voting. Remember the shit like posting wrong election dates; saying you had to have all your bills paid to vote; cop check points, etc. These people detest democracy so for the days leading up to the election and on election day the Dems have to have literally patrols on the streets making sure these facists are not doing their usual hatred.

[wildeyed]

35. rosebud, I am so glad to hear that.

I register in black neighborhoods in NC, and I am hearing the same thing.

I starting following up my call back list of people I registered earlier in the summer, and most folks I talk to sound really on the ball. Comments like 'I'll be there, wouldn't miss it for the world' are common. So I think folks are planning to turn out.

I was having a nice discussion with a young man the other day, never voted before, and he said he didn't know if he was a dem or repug, but he was voting for Kerry.

I was registering clients at a residential program for poor pregnant women. One of the residents said, ‘It’s Bush’s fault my baby can’t get circumcised!” I am thinking, huh? Bush came out against circumcision? But he cut the health program that provides it to poor women. So one less vote for bush, lol.

Lots of unregistered voters here in NC, and we are a swing state now, too, so come on for a visit, we got plenty work here ;)

[roseBudd]

36. Ohio needs volunteer poll watchers

as do other states.

that makes me think they are worried by the zip codes the new registrations belong to.

I just picked up a carryout near campus and I said to a black man, "excuse me can I get your help in defeating Bush on Nov. 2."

He's like he's already on that and all hsi friends are on it talking about it and everything.

Street canvassing is the way to go. Face to face contact is the best. And you don't take a chance of waking somebody up by calling them on the phone or knocking on their door.

Campuses are great too. Canvas the cool kids, not the real clean cut or rich ones.

Rosebud

[wildeyed]

45. I have been setting up old fashioned voter registration

tables at local grocery stores and discount chains. The events have to be non-partisan, meaning we register anyone who asks, so the key is finding the right neighborhood to set up in. I look for an area that is middle to low economically and racially diverse.

The registrations events are non-partisan, but once I get the registration, I follow up with a phone call and postcard asking the voter to please support John Kerry and all the Democratic candidates on Nov 2.

We absolutely killed at an event last month. We did 112 registrations and only 9 were pugs.

[Must_B_Free]

37. Saw anti Bush graffiti on the Atlanta subway

Bush is the worst for blacks in decades... He only addresses them when he wants their vote; other than that, blacks aren't even on the radar.

[roseBudd]

38. Graffiti is a good idea actually

real messages from real people

rosebud

[dreadneck]

42. subway artists

There are honestly some talented artists working the Atlanta subway corridors. I see their work from the northeast MARTA train and have to appreciate the risk they take, and the way they make their statements using the industrial wasteland as their canvas.

[Dr Fate]

40. HOWDY fellow canvasser!!!

...great to have another activist on board!!!

[Philostopher]

43. I hope you're right.

Especially about the college students. Please make sure, when you talk to them, that they are aware that they may face problems at the polls over their precinct of residence, and that they take the proper I.D. -- it's been known to happen that college town precincts harrass college kids over voting, since they can accuse them of voting absentee in their home precincts, and insinuate they're trying to cheat by voting twice.

That doesn't mean the students are doing anything wrong, but some can be convinced to walk away if they're given sufficient grief over it. They should make sure they have photo I.D. and their registration cards on hand, and even if the polling officials try to keep them from voting, they have a right to a provisional ballot. The presumption is, of course, that most college kids are liberals, and by discouraging them from voting, you keep the odds down for Democrats.

I think college students and previous non-voters are the key this year, thanks for all your work on that. Just make sure they're overprepared for what may be an attempt to keep them from voting.

[wildeyed]

44. I posted this earlier today, but it applies here, too.

The political establishment hates it when the students get organized to vote. But it is illegal for them to stop it.

Have you read about Jason West, the Green Party mayor of New Paltz, NY. There was a split in the local political establishment and West snuck in with the student support. The town fathers had a freakin' aneurysm when he won. It was great!

[roseBudd]

48. things are so bad under Bush for low income people

that all we have to do is say, "Gotta go" to paraphrase the late commedian Robert Harris. I am with no organization, just walking the streets talking to low income people, African Americans and hip secular youth, so I do not even pretend to be nonpartisan. I find low income people love talking trash about Bush. Men are particulary turned off by Bush having been a cherr leader. We must and can mock him.

Turn out is key. The number of potential voters favors our side. I'm going to Findlay Market in Cincinnati today to talk to lots of low income people. I ma asking people to help me by asking them to talk to all their friends about defeating Bush.

Canvassing and viral marketing techniques are things within our control. We just need to get out there and do it.

rosebud

[wildeyed]

51. chearleaders for truth

http://www.cheerleadersfortruth.com/

[dumpster_baby]

46. We all thank you for doing the work that needs doing in Ohio

You are right there on ground zero. Win it for us, Rosebud!

[roseBudd]

49. You can help in Ohio without coming here!

There are only so many things we can effect, we should strive to think of things that each one of us can do to influence LIKELY democratic voters like emailing bands before they appear at swing state music venues asking them to speak to their fans and audience.

for instance here is Bogarts in Cincinnati:

http://bogarts.com /

UC is starting soon and campuses are ripe. Turn out is key. Kerry is cool and Bush is not.


rosebud