Thirty-Seven Freaking Days until the election.
Thirty-Seven days . . . .
That is 888 hours . . . .
That is 53,280 minutes . . . .
That is 3,196,800 seconds . . .
Can you do something every day until the election?
Thirty-Seven tasks to help elect a Dem?
What could it be?
1. Register someone to vote? http://www.govote.org
2. Become a deputy registrar & register new voters. Did you know in Minnesota, you can register to vote on Election Day . . . http://www.sos.state.mn.us/... that in Missouri, you only have until October 11 or in Texas, October 10?
3. Donate to a campaign.
Interested? Then follow me on the jump? Got your own ideas? Post them? Did some work already today? Tell us about it.
4. Volunteer for a campaign. Even three hours is valuable. If you only commit three hours, you probably will be making phone calls or doing mailers, but that is a job that needs to get done.
5. Do your own campaign - a la Mike Stark. [
http://www.dailykos.com/...]
6. Wear a t-shirt or campaign button every day.
7. Put a bumper sticker on your car.
8. Put a yard sign in your yard or in the window of your apartment.
9. Write a letter to the editor about the Republicans cover-up of the Foley scandal.
http://www.democrats.org/...
10. Write a letter to the editor about why your Democratic candidate is better than the nasty Republican scum.
http://www.democrats.org/...
11. Send an e-mail to everyone in your address book talking about your candidate.
12. Know someone in an old folks home? Then make sure they get their absentee ballot.
13. Did I mention making a contribution - say to Claire McCaskill who is running in a dead heat with Jim Talent(less) and who has about a 4 to 1 fundraising edge on Claire? http://www.claireonline.com
14. Are you part of a Democratic or progressive club or group? Can you help that group with any GOTV efforts?
15. Lawyer? Contact your local Democratic party for Voter Protection efforts - we will have lawyers at 126 locations here in Kansas City.
16. Mark November 6th & 7th off on your calendar. Ask for the day off. Take the day off & work for a campaign. Drive your mother to the polls & then stand out there & hand out literature.
17. There are five Saturdays between now & then - get to an event. Public presence is huge in a campaign & can be a momentum swinger.
18. Call your family & bug them to get active. I called my sis in Illinois & after stating my obvious jealous of her having Obama and Durbin, asked her to reach out in some way to Duckworth,
http://www.duckworthforcongress.com or Laesch,
http://www.john06.comt. If you do not live in a competitive area, figure out the area that is closest to you that is competitive and get to work.
19. Make up a flyer & distribute to your neighbors. It could be about all Dems or one Dem in particular. Tell them why you are voting for Jim or Claire or Harold, etc. . . .
20. Do you want to be a representative to your local or state Democratic party? Find out how now, so you will know about filing dates, party structure, etc. . . for 2008.
21. Go to your local newspaper message board or blog & let your views be known. I frequent the KC message board & blow up the right-wingers post. I call them stupid & they call me a cunt & voila, the post is gone. So the rest of the posts are nice liberal & Democratic talking points.
22. What is going on in your local races for state House & Senate seats? Does someone there need help? Remember some of these campaigns are run out of the family basement, so be patient & persistent.
23. Go to Church wearing a shirt for your candidate. I wore my Claire McCaskill shirt to Church yesterday & I had more people come up to me & say they can't wait for the election. "Really," I say coyly, "do you think you can come by her campaign headquarters & do some phone calling next week?" People are willing to work - you just have to ASK them.
http://streetprophets.com
24. Have your own fundraising party for a candidate. Invite ten people over for a BBQ & ask them to bring $25 each. Give them some lit & have a few beers. People can give $25 - almost anyone can give $25.
25. Volunteer to be a poll watcher or a judge. The judges actually get PAID in Missouri & you can keep the Republicans from pulling any shenanigans on your watch.
26. Stand on a busy street corner with a sign for your candidate. Get your friends to come with you. Let's get this election in people's heads. No glamour of a presidential election but we can't let them forget.
http://www.thepeacetrain.org/...
27. Yah - - only ten more left!
28. Go to
http://actblue.com and give `til it hurts. And it hurts . . . I know it hurts . . . I am hurting . . . . My husband is going to divorce me if he ever found out how much money I have given to the Dems in the past three months.
29. Have a Dem friendly boss? Ask her/him if you can distribute literature?
30. Call or e-mail the political reporter for the local newspaper. Ask him how "Rep. Republican X" is dealing with Page-Gate? Ask her if "Rep. Republican X" knew about Foley's criminal acts before Friday? Has "Rep. Republican X" lost confidence in Dennis Hastert and should he remain the speaker. The political reporting around here is lame & gossipy - they go for this kind of stuff.
31. Do you have close Democratic friends? Make sure they get to the polls on November 7th - talk to them every day about the election. Some people sit it out or have other concerns but if they know you are going to bug them, they will probably get to the polls.
32. Do you have close Republican friends? Yea, me neither. But if you do, don't talk about the election at all. Pretend you don't care & maybe they will stay home.
33. Captain the Ship - find out if you can be a precinct captain. http://www.dailykos.com/...
34. Or be the First Mate - precinct captains always need help. Find out your precinct captain & ask how you can help.
35. New voter laws in your state? Contact your Secretary of State for a pamphlet or literature so you armed walking into the voting booth.
36. HOLY COW - ALMOST THERE . . . .
37. DONATE! DONATE! DONATE! DONATE!
So, you say to yourself, what dear diarist have you done? Aren't you spending a little too much time on Kos & not enough time on your campaign and your candidates?
I did sign up to be a Deputy Registrar & have set up two "voter registration drives" at the local university & in the building where I work. I have given money. I am calling or have called 120 members of the Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus to see if they can volunteer. My car has two Claire McCaskill bumper stickers on it! I am part of the Election Protection committee.
I am going to try & do this diary every day until the election, so people can post ideas or come here for a pat on the back after a day of canvassing. Elections are hard work & Democrats don't shy away from hard work. Sometimes people need encouragement & cheers & this is the place!
So I ask you - WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY (WDYDT)?