CT-SEN: Debate Pics and Crowd Observations

I'm in Connecticut as part of my second annual Liberal USA Tour (this is installment #4) and on Monday I went in to Lamont's Norwalk office to volunteer.  Maura Keaney, blogger on hiatus and now working for Lamont, put me right to work making telephone calls.  Isn't Maura great?  Having lived in California for all of the Bush presidency, I especially loved it when Maura was asking Barbara Boxer the hard questions and getting it on video.  I hope Senator Boxer understands the difference between friendship and cronyism and comes out to do something for Lamont here in Connecticut. I would love to have the opportunity to see Senator Boxer in person.

More about volunteering and the debate below the fold.

I'm probably not supposed to say this, but I just have to relate my phone banking experience. Based on the times I've made phone calls on other campaigns in the past, I have to say that this was one of the most positive lists I've called. While hardly scientific, it really does make me think that there is something skewed in the poll results we've seen and that we'll be turning the one-time loser Lieberman into a two-time loser on November 7.  That said, it could have been a fluke list, so no time to slack off.

Now for my confession to relieve some of this hereditary Catholic guilt.  The great thing about being an unpaid volunteer is that I didn't have to worry about cutting out of there at 4pm to make the drive to New London for the debate.  I didn't have a ticket, but being a long time fan of visibility from sitting out on Venice Beach for the Dean campaign, I wanted to go and show support by marching in the Lamont Parade beforehand.  I have a wide profile and I know I could make myself look like at least 5 people to the press cameras if there was a low Lamont supporter turnout.

It turns out there was no need for me to have made the drive because the Lamont parade had at least 500 people there. I've
posted about a hundred pictures that I took of Lamont supporters from the parade to waiting outside the theater and then at the post-debate party across the street. There are also pictures of Lamont and a few from inside the debate. Unfortunately the quality on these is low since I have a cheap lens.  Feel free to comment in the Kodak photo album, especially if you were there and can add your name to the photos for everyone to see.  The thing I like about the Kodak site, besides the fact that it is an off-site backup for your precious memories, is that it's easy for people to order prints if they want to without me having to do anything.  And I'm not even paid by Kodak to say that.  

The best thing about the Lamont supporters participating in the parade was their excitement.  They were a crowd full of energy and anticipation.  Maybe this was this the first time that many of these people had taken part in a march or parade?  I often run into people who are not politically active and they just don't get it.  I've learned that to explain what we do is best likened to being a sports fan.  Attending a protest or rally is like tailgating without the food.  Supporting your team with visibility is no different than supporting a political  candidate.   People get that.  And to get those people, we need to move these fan building events into political campaigns, like midnight madness and tailgating for peace.

I want to give special thanks to the woman who gave me her extra ticket. When I was walking around taking pictures, I heard someone next to me saying that she had a ticket she would give to anyone who was wearing a Lamont sticker.  I had on a Lamont button and I said, I'm a supporter, here's my button, I'd love that ticket!  And she gave it to me.  Just goes to show that showing up is 90% of the battle when it comes to making things happen.

As I wandered around I thought I saw trouble coming.  A group of about ten younger people were heading in and they were carrying big stacks of magazines.  I asked one of them if they were with LaRouche, and they said yes.  The LaRouche people always had a disruptive effect at our Dem Party county central committee meetings in Alameda County. For example, while I think they were sincere, they'd always bring up the most irrelevant points about the Bush administration during discussions about local issues.  Little did I know that I would inadvertantly aid these folks in disrupting the debate.

After I had my ticket, I decided I'd work on getting tickets for a couple of Lamont supporters who didn't have any.  I talked a Schlessinger supporter out of two extra tickets she had because I pointed out that they would be better off going to Lamont supporters than Lieberman supporters.  When I found the folks I had gotten the tickets for they had already received theirs, but they brought some young men over to me who wanted tickets.  I gave one of them a ticket but then I realized that they were LaRouchies!  They freely admitted to their LaRouche affiliation but it was too late to grab the ticket back he had already pocketed.  I held on to the other ticket.  Much to my horror, one of the first disruptive singers was the LaRouchie I had given the ticket too.  In hindsight I should have wrestled him to the ground and retrieved the ticket....even with all the Congressional sexual scandals with underage children.  

It was great being able to see the debate from inside, and I was able to get over feeling guilty about abandoning everyone who was working so hard at the Norwalk office. I may even actually make back to the Norwalk office today before 5pm if these photos will finish uploading into my Kodak album.  For anyone interested in standing up, you can find the nearest Lamont campaign office on their web site.  

I hope everyone in Connecticut is planning on doing something every day for the next two weeks to get Ned Lamont elected on November 7th.  And if you have friends or family in Connecticut, make sure to use the Lamont campaign's Family, Friends, and Neighbor's web site to send postcards to the people you know here in Connecticut.  I sent postcards to all the people I know from when I lived in Bridgeport and worked in Norwalk.

And if you're not in Connecticut, you could send money or come and volunteer if you live close enough.

VA-Sen: Liberal USA Tour Part 1 http://www.dailykos.com/...
Maine: Liberal USA Tour Part 2 http://www.dailykos.com/...
NH-01: Liberal USA Tour Part 3: http://www.dailykos.com/...

•  Tip Jar

  I really could use a few hundred tips so that I could get trusted user status and keep it:-)  

  Or even better, buy a button from my Cafépress shop.  I only need to sell 2,000 in order to get a good lens for my camera.  I think I'm on track to do that by the year 2070:-)

  
  
  

  by Thom K in LA on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 12:57:01 PM PDT

•  Enjoyed the pics...

  I think here in Florida, Jim Davis supporters should steal that Bush pulling strings sign and alter it a bit:   Jeb pulling Crist's strings with GWB pulling Jebs.
  Good luck in your fight!

  by DemiGoddess on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 01:04:05 PM PDT

  •  Yep

    The "Bush Pulling Pinnochio's Strings" pictures are classic.

    by egarratt on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 01:57:41 PM PDT

•  Thanks for the report ~ how did you think

  the debate went?

  I agree with re the polls. When you read about the polls on the issues, ie, the war etc., you'd have to believe that Conn. has tuned out from the rest of the country. I think Ned is going to win. Keep up the good work ....

  by Catrina on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 01:15:21 PM PDT

  •  I felt the debate went well except for two things

    Sorry I'm late in responding. After I posted this I went to the Lamont campaign office in Norwalk and have been making calls. Taking a short break to check comments.

    I'm hardly impartial since Lamont speaks to me on the issues.  I'm also convinced that we need to fight the Culture of Incumbency in the Democratic Party. Whatever happened to Equal Opportunity?  

    However, I thought Lamont was strong on making a case for change and pointing out that Lieberman has lost the way.  

    It made me uncomfortable when Lamont didn't come back with something about Schlessinger's jokes.  I felt he should at least say he's being mischaracterized by the Republican.

    Then the disaster of the night was the LaRouche people. Apparently it was reported correctly in some of the newspapers but the TV reported the debate disrupters as Lamont supporters.  

    We really need to get letters to the editors out there complaining about the television media making incorrect reports on this.

    From what I've heard the television media is going all out showing Lieberman supporters but not show Ned Lamont supporters at events.  What I've been told is consistent with my own experience last Friday at an event in Hartford with Howard Dean, Destefano and Ned Lamont.  The news crew filmed the Destefano people and then immediately left without showing any Lamont supporters.

    Maybe it's some sort of old grudge by the broadcast media towards cable people?

    by Thom K in LA on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 04:31:09 PM PDT

    •  It sounds like it went well. Most people who saw

      it on tv, said Ned did very well ~ too bad about the media. I wouldn't be surprised if they're doing it on purpose, after all the rest of the media has been covering for Bush all these years. Don't know how you can get around that, if that's the problem. Oh es, I forgot that Ned was in the cablevision business. Could just be editors or reporters or both, deciding what to cover.

      Letters to the paper probably would help and maybe ask the paper for a correction in a prominent place.

      People here said Lieberman looked terrible on tv and came across very badly. I didn't see it though, so I'm going by what they are saying.

      Keep us posted ~ this is a super important race and I really, really hope Lamont wins.

      by Catrina on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 05:06:02 PM PDT

•  Hello from North Alabama - and a Gore story...

  I loved how you got your ticket to the debate.

  and I have to share my Gore 2000 story....

  I spent the week before the primary volunteering in NH (unpaid - unlike Lieberman people) for Gore.  It was so damn cold I thought I'd die.

  I made phone calls, stood out in the snow waving signs, put together packets, & went door to door.

  But when it came time for the evening election party in Manchester, I showed up 3 hours early to get in line, only to be told that "this is the hottest ticket in New Hampshire - they were all gone weeks ago."

  I couldn't believe it!  After all that expense, travel time, and work and I couldn't get in?

  So I wandered around the hotel lobby where they had TVs set up with election coverage.  At one point, I wandered into the gift shop to buy a Diet Pepsi and on my way back, had to wait for a crowd of campaign people to go by.

  And then a miracle happened!  I looked down and a TICKET TO THE RALLY was at my feet!  It was like it had dropped out of the sky.

  So I went with my ticket, stood outside the door and waited to see if a hysterical person ran up to say he/she had lost a ticket.  It never happened and I ended up on the front row.

  You're right Thom, 90% of success is showing up!!

  by countrycat on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 01:23:14 PM PDT

  •  This is the type of story that inspired me to go

    My friend in New Hampshire told me a similar story when I was up there last week.  She went to see the presidential primary debate in NH and didn't have a ticket and couldn't find one but decided to wait in line anyway.  

    When she got to the baggage check and metal detector, she dropped something and when she bent down to pick it up found a ticket right there on the ground.

    Of course, she's just an amazing type of person, as you can read from her very first diary on Dailykos.

    http://www.dailykos.com/...

    by Thom K in LA on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 04:37:33 PM PDT

    •  Thanks for pointing me to that diary. Awesome.

      by countrycat on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:12:07 AM PDT

•  Loved the pics n/t

  by goldberry on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 01:33:04 PM PDT

•  great pics and nice work!

  by NeuvoLiberal on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 02:35:14 PM PDT

•  Thanks for the great report

  and the pictures made me feel like I was right there with you!

  by Holly J on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 08:14:59 PM PDT