So I made it to "Swing State Hell", fortunately staying with friends who do not get TV (gasp!), so I am spared the worst of it.
The highlight of the day was the pep talk we got this afternoon. We were told to be at the field office and at the appointed time (okay about 15 minutes after the appointed time) the Black SUV pulled up and out got John Kerry...
... who we had been told would be coming, but with him was Charlie Crist and General Wesley Clark (you remember him, he used to run NATO). John spoke first and gave a wonderful speech, no notes, no teleprompter. He reminded us that he knew how important Ohio can be in a presidential election! Charlie reminded us about the hell he got from his own party just for embracing Obama when he helped bring the stimulus to Florida (I hope Chris Christie remembers that, too! - bipartisanship, mon oeil) And finally Wesley took his chance to remind us of what Romney's foreign policy pronouncements would mean to our allies (not to mention our enemies!).
Kerry, Crist and Clark reminding us all why we are here!
At first I thought, "Yes, these are typical stump type speeches but why give them to us as we know all this", but then I realized that this was not about preaching to the choir. This was about reminding the choir why they come to church each week and sing. It reminded us that we can take nothing for granted in this state until the numbers are in the box. Whether it is
the voting machines or the
Secretary of State setting traps for provisional voters, the only way we can be certain is to make sure the support of Obama is overwhelming and nothing the Republians can do will put Ohio on their side of the ledger.
Therefore, it will be once more into the breech tomorrow because, as John Kerry told us "You are the last defense for this country's future". We must not fail. We shall not fail.