OK. I was as struck by the power of Mosh as anyone. But before we canonize Eminem (which I couldn't recommend anyway until he outgrows the crotch-grabbing) for single-handedly making the country want to get out and VOTE!, let's all take a moment to think about and THANK one demographic group that already does: our seniors.
As reported a couple of years ago on the website GothamGazette.com (a great resource for New Yorkers): "People over 65 is the highest voting group and the only group that has increased its turnout since the 1960s," said Curtis Gans, who studies voting trends at the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. "They're the last generation imbued with a sense of social civic duty."
Go on over to the GOTV thread (which Kos will hopefully keep near the top of the page) and read about the unbelievable dedication of older voters. A couple of "greatest hit" moments for me --
picked up an absentee request
from a 90 year old tonite. She said "It's not for me. I won't live to see it out probably. I've got to vote for my kids and their kids. We got to get that bastard out." Bout screwed my head off when she said that.
by rurallib on Wed Oct 27th, 2004 at 01:37:23 GMT
Harrisburg, PA rocks the block
A few weeks ago, I was doing persuasion canvassing near Harrisburg, Susquehanna Township I think it was. Knocked on a door belonging to what my list said was an 80-some-odd-year-old woman. It took the lady a while but she opened the door. When she did I saw she had an oxygen tube and that she was worn out from just getting to the door. It turns out she had emphysema. I felt terrible for having bothered her, but in the end I think she and I were both glad I had. She wasn't sure if she was still registered to vote, but she knew she couldn't make it to a polling place. So I talked to her a while (she wanted to rant about the cost of her medications and about the prescription drug card in particular) and promised to come back later that day with a registration application and an absentee ballot application. She said "Oh, good, because those bastards at the state probably wouldn't send it to me in the mail if they knew I was a Democrat." I made sure she got her registration and absentee stuff, and I'm so glad for that lady
by Sapphireblue on Wed Oct 27th, 2004 at 02:19:25 GMT
I consider myself very lucky to have had parents who imbued me with that sense of civic duty - and it's worse than unfortunate that so many of my generation seemingly haven't passed it on to their own kids.
So Eminem, I salute you and thank you for doing your damnedest to pick up our slack and motivate young voters. For all of the rest of us, here's hoping that we continue to emulate the older voters not only when we vote this year, but in the election after that, and the one after that, and.......
PS. Dear Kid Oakland, I, too, was astounded by your incredible analysis. This entry is not meant in any way to comment on it, but JUST to acknowledge and thank our older voters, too, who are motivated to vote, regardless.