With the latest polls showing John Hall tied with incumbent Sue Kelly, the election will be decided by campaign efforts in the final days, and the Hall campaign has an excellent and massive effort planned, and could use your help. The NRCC has a paid phone bank attacking John, paying thousands of dollars this week to the same company they are paying to tell voters in Florida to vote for Mark Foley. Join us so that our volunteer effort beats their paid effort. To volunteer you can email me at mobilizenow at gmail dot com.
John Hall has won the endorsement of all four of the major local papers - the
Times Herald Record,
Journal News,
Poughkeepsie Journal, and
New York Times, which "enthusiastically endorsed" John as the "obvious choice," praising his "deep blue idealism," "crisp command of details," and "ambitious and coherent" platform: Redefine national security to include investment in alternative energy/environmental policy, universal health care, better education, and ending the occupation of Iraq.
John's campaign has momentum from these endorsements, and high visibility appearances on the Colbert Report, with Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, and Hillary plus Joe Wilson today. And there's also the fabulous video of his opponent literally running away from questions about her refusal to participate in a debate and her role as chair of the House Page Board in 2000, well-covered in a recent AP article that calls this race "something of a fixture across the so-called `new media' landscape, mentioning YouTube and Colbert. (The AP story linked in this diary).
The campaign has phone banks and canvassing throughout the district - not far from New York City.
If you are canvassing in Beacon, you not only have a good train ride, but get to go door to door to help kosmopolitan NYBRI - that's Brian Keeler's great insurgent campaign for New York State Senate.
I've been canvassing for John Hall's campaign and it has gone really well - beautiful fall foliage, great other canvassers, and of course, a fabulous candidate in a winnable race.
As I got ready to go canvassing for John the woman cutting my hair mentioned that her husband had been deployed to Iraq. She had some pointed things to say about the dishonest, incompetent, cowards hurting her family, but she didn't think anything could be done. I told her that when she finished cutting my hair I would be going door-to-door talking to people about electing Democrats to bring some positive change, to check the arrogant Republicans in control of the whole national government. She didn't volunteer to do the same, but motivated me with her story and encouragement about me "doing the right thing."
A man came to the first door I knocked and looked at me skeptically, wondering why some stranger was asking to see his wife, who wasn't home. But he took some literature said he hadn't thought about the election at all, and then really surprised me by thanking me for coming around with information.
Of course, not everybody thanked me for coming. Some just said "not interested." One person - an elderly registered Democrat, who had voted in every election -- immediately asked which party, and said, "no way will I ever vote for Democrat." I didn't ask about the party registration, just said, "thanks for taking the time to talk with me," and moved on.
A few people wanted to talk, at length, about an odd jumble of ideas, a challenge for staying on message. I tried to connect their disparate comments back to a single theme - because things are so messed up we need change.
Some were focused on a single issue. An unaffiliated voter, standing in the driveway next to his car with NRA and Vietnam Veteran stickers, said right away that the NRA said John was no good. I replied that John has no problem with hunters, and that Sue Kelly had a 0 rating from Disabled American Veterans. He stuck to the gun issue, I pointed to a few specific bad votes about veterans - against millions for trauma care, against job training and bankruptcy protection for vets. But he was still concerned that he would get in trouble for violating some inane gun law.
Most people weren't home, and I wrote a note on the literature that I put in their door - "Sorry I missed you, please vote."
The last door I approached late one afternoon: a 50 year old, unaffiliated voter, who had voted once in the last three general elections - the kind of person we need to reach. She came to the door in her pajamas and bathrobe holding a phone, a frying pan, and a dishtowel. I gave my usual introduction "Hi, I think this election is so important that I'm going door-to-door asking people to help, because we need a change." I introduced myself by name (first name, I only use my last name if it is similar to the last name of the person to whom I am speaking) and as a volunteer for John Hall's Campaign for Congress. She said she was busy and undecided about the election, but thanked me for coming by, and took the literature.
Another weekend, one of the other canvassers in the group knocked on the door of someone who said "hey your guy just got a great endorsement" and gave the canvasser the page of Sunday's New York Times endorsing John.
Canvassing another weekend, the group included local city council member and Darren Rigger, one of John's opponent's in the primary, showed up. One of the local papers just printed a letter from Darren criticizing Sue.
Aug6PDB reported: "I got to canvass my plumber--sure Hall vote--and my son's 1st grade teacher--also a sure Hall vote." I'm sure it is best when people canvass in their own neighborhoods. But if you live in an area that is not contested, and can get to a nearby one that is, come on out.
Activists in Blue Cities Deploy to Red Districts!
If you'd like to join the GOTV effort for John Hall, please email me at mobilizenow at gmail dot com. (try that instead of emailing the campaign since they have a lot of volunteers to manage already.)
And if you can afford to contribute some money to pay for GOTV expenses, please act blue.
Mobilize to win!