Sarah Palin is an Inspiration
Watching Sarah Palin's speech on Thursday got me more worked up than I'd maybe like to admit. I watch a lot of political stuff, so I shouldn't have been surprised. But the rancor in her speech and -- much more significantly -- the blind love for it expressed by her audience, reminded me way too strongly of GWB circa 2003. Inexplicably high approval ratings for pushing a few conservative hot-buttons puts a bad taste in my mouth. I remember what it felt like to be in Ohio (/America?) in 2004, and watching Sarah Palin made me want to make sure I've done whatever I can to make sure that I don't have to feel that way again.
I considered making a financial donation right then -- either to Obama or Planned Parenthood Alaska or something -- but, really, I don't have that kind of money. I give a VERY small monthly donation to Obama, but that's about all my budget can take of that.
Today, though, I finally said "yes" to a few of the dozens of campaign-related emails I get per day. I printed a list of 25 people in my neighborhood (all on Buttles; most in the same 3 buildings) to go talk to this week, to see which way they are leaning and report back to the campaign. We'll see how that goes. Though I know that one of them I will be checking off "does not live here" since I actually know that kid. 24 to go. :)
I also agreed to provide a couch and breakfast to some volunteers who will be in town between now and November. The campaign was asking for "a weekend, a week, or the duration" and I said I'd start with some weekends until I see how I feel about having strangers in my house. But Ohio was SO close in '04 and is polling SO closely now. So, my couch is now going to be open to imported Obama volunteers. We'll see how that goes. Also, if any readers of my LJ are coming to town for election season, let me know. :) Oh, and for those of you who are my IRL friends, you can come for non-election purposes too, lol.
Shani was here last weekend and -- in addition to having a fantastic cocktail party and lots of other awesome fun -- we went to a big Obama/Biden rally (19k people!). It was a beautiful day, and much of our state government seemed to be there -- Governor Strickland, Senator Brown, Mayor Coleman, John Glenn, and a bunch of local officers/candidates. I had been into all this during the primaries, but my involvement had gone back down to just reading about it on the internet in the last few months. It's 60 days out now, and I guess I'd been meaning to help at some point, but never felt the need to click yes. But Sarah Palin (and, really moreso, her followers at the convention) must have been the inspiration I needed...
I considered making a financial donation right then -- either to Obama or Planned Parenthood Alaska or something -- but, really, I don't have that kind of money. I give a VERY small monthly donation to Obama, but that's about all my budget can take of that.
Today, though, I finally said "yes" to a few of the dozens of campaign-related emails I get per day. I printed a list of 25 people in my neighborhood (all on Buttles; most in the same 3 buildings) to go talk to this week, to see which way they are leaning and report back to the campaign. We'll see how that goes. Though I know that one of them I will be checking off "does not live here" since I actually know that kid. 24 to go. :)
I also agreed to provide a couch and breakfast to some volunteers who will be in town between now and November. The campaign was asking for "a weekend, a week, or the duration" and I said I'd start with some weekends until I see how I feel about having strangers in my house. But Ohio was SO close in '04 and is polling SO closely now. So, my couch is now going to be open to imported Obama volunteers. We'll see how that goes. Also, if any readers of my LJ are coming to town for election season, let me know. :) Oh, and for those of you who are my IRL friends, you can come for non-election purposes too, lol.
Shani was here last weekend and -- in addition to having a fantastic cocktail party and lots of other awesome fun -- we went to a big Obama/Biden rally (19k people!). It was a beautiful day, and much of our state government seemed to be there -- Governor Strickland, Senator Brown, Mayor Coleman, John Glenn, and a bunch of local officers/candidates. I had been into all this during the primaries, but my involvement had gone back down to just reading about it on the internet in the last few months. It's 60 days out now, and I guess I'd been meaning to help at some point, but never felt the need to click yes. But Sarah Palin (and, really moreso, her followers at the convention) must have been the inspiration I needed...