i'm not the only one who thinks missouri is still in play:
Analysis: I think MO is competetive, and that it'll be closer than the polling suggests; as with many other states, I think the Dem ground game will make major inroads into Bush's margins.
and that's why i'm here on the ground, because we can, and are, making those inroads. and missouri is gonna be the surprise of the election!

everywhere you look these days you read more and more stories like this: "GOP demands IDs of 37,000 in city; City attorney calls new list of bad addresses 'purely political'":
"People certainly can come to their own conclusions," said Martha Love, chair of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party, noting a similar review was not done for Republican areas such as Bayside. "But if it's not voter intimidation or suppression, then what's the point?"

the republicans are running so scared right now the only thing they have to go on, especially given all the record numbers of registrations of voters who are voting simply to vote against their party's candidate, is to try every means possible to keep people from voting-- via 'legal' challenges, intimidation, suppression, and ongoing mucking up of the process. Be sure you and others don't fall for such blatant political intimidation. Know your rights:

*You are entitled to vote without being harassed or intimidated by anyone.
*Bring personal identification with you to the polls (driver's license, government ID, bank statement or utility bill).
*If you forget your ID, you can still vote. (In some states, all you need to do is sign an affidavit. In others, you can vote by provisional ballot.)
*If records show you have moved, you can vote by signing an address confirmation.
*If you are in line at the polling place before the polls close, you can vote.
*You have the right to receive a demonstration of voting equipment before voting.
*If you are disabled or are over the age of 65, you have the right to an accessible polling place and help in voting.

If anyone challenges your right to vote:
*Talk to the Voting Rights attorney at your polling place.
*Ask for the name of the person who is denying you the right to vote and write it down.
*Ask to talk to a supervisor and lodge a complaint.

these days, unfortunately, the republicans are trying their best to make a mess of the election day so that they can call it into question, because they know they're going to lose. by calling it into question, it gives them media advantage. all we have to do is vote no matter what their shenanigans, because when we vote we win, and that scares them more than they want to let on.

on tuesday, enjoy your legal right to have a say in this country. don't let others with political agendas try to stop you by questioning your legitimacy. the right to vote is legal and paramount.

vote.

got a chance to see the new eminem video 'mosh' tonight. had been wanting to watch it all week. it's awesome! i don't just love the way he rants against bush, but the amazing way he pulls in the daily troubles of everyday americans and then assembles them in a protestation that involves standing in line to vote! perfectly done. perfectly done.

and might i add that mtv's website is very cool in promoting voting so strongly. i mean, it's all over their site right now. very awesome.

It's outrageous that the Bush campaign is now deliberately trying to shift blame and responsibility for their failure to the brave men and women in Iraq. Make no mistake: the failure to secure these explosives lies with the President and his national security team who have mismanaged this war from its very inception. This Commander in Chief thinks the buck stops anywhere but his own desk, and that's why it's time for a new one. George Bush was the engineer of this train wreck. Now he needs to take responsibility for it.

que surprise

4 days before the election day and osama bin laden's on a tape again. and he's saying bush has been a disaster. what better way for bush to link up osama and kerry since they're both again bush now. plus it puts terrorism back on the front page. whatever. when really was this tape made? is this a real tape? i don't trust anyone from the republicans and wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be part of an election trick. if it's real, well then, we have a white house that has never gotten the person they said they would for september 11 and he's obviously well taken care of now. how's that for defeating terrorism?

either way, it all feels like we're being played right before the election. whatever happens, kerry is gonna win on tuesday and bush and repubs are running scared and pulling out anything and everything to try to stop it. but they're run out of tricks this time, because we're onto their game. we're winning big on tuesday and putting this madness behind us. and once we have a real president, perhaps we can finally catch that madman too.

how ya'll doin?
my missouri drawl is back in complete effect just after a few days back home working the campaigns. with an occassional african-american twist, you feel me?

well, lookee here. and do look closely. while Kerry/Edwards are attracting record crowds everywhere they go (they still haven't figured out just how many hundreds of thousands were in philadelphia to see bill clinton with kerry this week!), the bush campaign has to resort to mass-cloning-photoshop activities for their crowds to look bigger than they really are. no wonder we call ourselves 'the real deal.'

My Mom took some pictures of my work here in Missouri. First off is the campaign headquarters on the Independence Square:
And here's me hard at work at my desk: And finally, across the street from our HQ is the Independence Courthouse with President Harry S Truman standing guard, reminding us all of our place in history.
I'll have more soon!

my special GET OUT THE VOTE edition of the newsletter i edit is out now. and look, there's a picture of me getting my award too.

"From time to time, I have been called the Comeback Kid. In eight days, John Kerry is going to make America the comeback country"-- Bill, our last real president

oh, wow, i'm so glad i'm here right now in missouri. do they ever need political help! they've got an operation going, but there's so much to do. i walked into the democratic headquarters and they were literally thanking me (with as much thanks and love and appreciation as straight men can do with other men) for showing up. and they gave me a desk! tonight there's a volunteer party to rev up the troops and i'm to show up and keep the party hopping and get people energized and excited to come back and volunteer more. this is hard work?

they've even put me in charge of volunteer recruitment and activation, as well as helping organize the office. they're that short-staffed... but it's all good, cause it's great to be there and feel needed. and it's quite symbolic as i do this work directly across the street from the old county courthouse in downtown independence, my hometown and so full of harry truman imagery. it takes me back to old-time politicking and old-time lifestyles of my peoples. i'm loving that i'm here right now. thanks to everyone who has helped me come here so far. i'll keep you posted.
(and yes, Brent, i'm here through the election)

i am here in missouri now. it's wild being in the midst of a national campaign again. first thing i notice is that every other commercial is a political one. i've only been here a day or two and even i'm tired of them already. second thing i notice is whose house has a kerry or a bush sign and figuring who's good people and who's confused. and i feel such pride in those who 'come out' as being a kerry supporter. it always seems as if we democrats are afraid of being open about it.

on the plane here i had my kerry button on my bag as i always do and my seatmate said quietly she was for him too, but was scared and whispered quietly. we have to show our pride, people, if we want our country back. but i know, this is the midwest, not the wilds of san francisco where politics is worn on our sleeves. that's why i'm here, to make some noise and get some energy going for kerry and the democrats. thanks for all those who have so far helped me come here. i'll be keeping everyone posted.

my latest column:
"Swingin' Back Home to Swing the Swing State of Missouri, Or, How the Election of Our Lifetime is Taking Us Home"

As I'm writing this, I am packing my bags. I'm leaving San Francisco for my home state of Missouri. About a month ago, I had an epiphany. I realized that I needed to go home and work this election like none other. And apparently I'm not the only one. I read in the news everyday about another person who's picked up stakes and returned home or moved to another state or is constantly traveling around the country to work this election.

Have you ever witnessed such an effort for an election before? I mean, I'm relatively young, but I've been working elections and reading history of elections and I have never in my life experienced the level of attention and excitement and motivation from my fellow people as I do now. I have friends who I have literally begged to vote in previous years, now begging me to help them make sure they're registered. I read newspaper stories every day about the record numbers of new registrations around the country. I note the strength in numbers and ability to speak out by individuals who are normally oh-so-quiet about such political matters. I see a movement to take back our country afoot.

This truly is the election of our lifetime. And we are showing that we do truly have the power of grassroots activism. The media and the pundits and the government in Washington and around the country decided long ago that this was either a oh-so-close race or that Bush was going to win handily. Remember the doubt we felt in September? Remember the worry we felt a year ago when Bush was high in the polls? Remember how we were constantly told that it was useless to fight back?

We've been here before. With his father's incumbency we were told that it was impossible to challenge him in 1992, as he was at 90% poll ratings. We prevailed. In 1998 we were told that Clinton needed to resign, that Democrats were going to lose big, and that we should just move on. We came roaring back. In 2000, we were told more than a year before the election that Bush was going to win, and win strongly, and that Gore was not a strong candidate. Regardless of the legal shenanigans, we all know that we strongly won that election, we won the popular vote, and Gore showed that he was more up to the fight than the media wanted us to see.

And now we're here again. The media and the pundits and the government officials and all those mouths of negativity continually tell us that our elections are no longer relevant, that the polls tell us what's what, that simply feed us tired campaign lines instead of giving us hard news, that allow our democracy to be whittled down to sound byte form.

But we know better. In our hearts, we are seeing the election of our lifetime and we are giddy with excitement. The masses are not allowing the media and the pundits and the government officials and the sound bytes tell them what to do. The masses are registering to vote. We are more involved and motivated than ever. We are showing a grassroots movement in all its glory, without the help of anyone but ourselves. We are going for the gold and no negativity or poll numbers or sound bytes are going to stop us. And we know we are about to win the big prize. Regardless of what the polls may say from day to day, or from what the media tells us, or what shenanigans go on, we know.

So as I pack my bags to swing back home to Missouri for this crucial election, I reflect. I know that the media and the pundits have now written off the swing state of Missouri into the Bush column. But I take heart in what I know. I know that this is no normal election. I know that Missouri is not a lost cause. And I hearken back to my hometown president, Harry S Truman, who had his own media-infused-negativity way back when. In fact, not only was he believed to be a lost cause, but the media went to print on election night with its infamous incorrect headline.

You see, I come from a place where grassroots activism and the power of the people have been proven time and time again to be the true symbol of democracy. When the media and the pundits and so forth tell us what's what, we give 'em hell! We get on that train and ride around the country and barnstorm like never before, and we give 'em hell! This is what I see now. This is why Kerry is about to win more strongly than the media will allow us to believe. This is why we all believe more than ever in the power of democracy.

So, I'm almost finished packing. Tomorrow, and through election day, I will be doing the necessary GOTV work in the land of Truman to swing my swing state the Democratic way. Just as so many others are doing around the country. And I know that you, dear reader, are doing the same wherever you are physically at this time. So, now that you've finished my column and this newsletter, get back out there! Get Out The Vote (GOTV) like never before. And do so with a smile on your face, with love of your work and home and family, with pride in grassroots empowerment, and with the knowledge that this election of our lifetime is taking us all back home to a country we know in our hearts.

We are on the road to victory! So get back out there and GOTV!

Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.
Editor

Bush has turned his back on science, jeopardizing America's standing as the world's technology leader. "You get the feeling that if George Bush had been president during other periods in American history, he would have sided with the candle lobby against electricity, the buggy-makers against cars and typewriter companies against computers,'' Kerry said to a rousing ovation.

Q. What's the difference between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War?

A. George W. Bush had a plan to get out of the Vietnam War.

It is love of power for its own sake that is the original sin of this presidency... Most Americans have tended naturally to give the Bush Administration the benefit of the doubt in their failure to protect our nation against 9/11... But with the benefit of new studies and reports released in the past year, it is no longer clear that this administration deserves this act of political grace from the American people... There is now only one center of power left in our Constitution capable of holding... Bush accountable, and that is you...

Help John Kerry and John Edwards take our country back.-- President Al Gore

the Chronicle's been doing a fascinating series on how san francisco revitalized itself after the 1989 earthquake and remaking/remodeling/redesigning many of its architecture and design and transit. the first three in the six-part series are wonderful historical stories about how life was and is in my city. it's a great read. i look forward to catching parts 4-6 in the next couple of days too...

it's election season. it's almost over and bush will be out of a job soon. but we gotta keep on keepin on and get him out. thanks to all of you for what you are doing, and most importantly, for voting, in this election of our lifetime.
as it is election season, i'm happy to help anyone with questions beyond the easy presidential choice of KERRY/EDWARDS. this kind of work is what i do for a living in some ways, so it's easy for me to do research and learn more about the issues down-ballot. recently i did research in arizona to help out my friend voting there, including the always hard one of figuring out which judges to retain. yesterday i worked with five californians on voting information and research. i'll be putting together some research information for my missouri friends and family in the next few days.
i say all of this not to 'brag' but to offer my help and thoughts to any of my readers who are confused about where/how/when to vote and what their issues are on their local ballot. email me if you have questions. this is what i do for a living in some respects, so i'm happy to assist in this one area of life that i sorta know what i'm doing.
just don't ask me to figure out my computer...

Today, Monday the 18th, is the LAST day to register to vote in California for the November 2nd election. If you live here and haven't registered yet, register today.

Wow! What a fantastic endorsement for Kerry from the New York Times, which also includes a detailed litany of Bush's disastrous administration. Read the full two pages, it's worth it.

a few more weeks and bush is history!
"New voters surge in 9 states; Registration flood could help swing a close election"

this really is the election of our lifetime

I love this press release: "Cheney/Kerry Controversy: There's Nothing Wrong with Being a Lesbian; A Statement by Matt Foreman, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director"

Enough. For the last two days, the Bush/Cheney campaign has succeeded - yet again - in using a gay matter to distract voters from the real issues facing our nation.
Simply put, there is nothing wrong with being a lesbian, let alone saying that an out lesbian is a lesbian. It wasn't a story in the first place, and continued focus on it is insulting to any thinking person.
Can we talk about something real, not the patently bogus hurt and anger of Dick and Lynne Cheney? After all, for the last 18 months, these folks have supported using gay people and our families as a wedge to divide the electorate. They have not said one word while their allies have aggressively pushed the "Federal Marriage Amendment" on the grounds that allowing couples like their daughter and her partner to marry would undermine Western civilization. Not a peep when it was revealed that the GOP is paying for egregiously anti-gay campaign mailings in at least two states. Not a whisper while their buddies in the religious and political right have engaged in an unprecedented, national campaign of fear-mongering and demonizing of gay people. Now, they're offended? Come on.
Folks, let's move on.

How many more headlines will we be seeing like this?
"Platoon defies orders in Iraq"

A 17-member Army Reserve platoon... deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a "suicide mission" to deliver fuel, the troops' relatives said...
"I would not want any member of the military to be put in a dangerous situation ill-equipped," said U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who was contacted by families. "I have had similar complaints from military families about vehicles that weren't armor-plated, or bullet-proof vests that are outdated. It concerns me because we made over $150 billion in funds available to equip our forces in Iraq. President Bush takes the position that the troops are well-armed, but if this situation is true, it calls into question how honest he has been with the country,"...
And these are reservists from Mississippi of all places

The mother of a 19-year-old Marine from Watsonville lashed out at the war in Iraq after her son died of injuries suffered as the result of enemy action in the Al Anbar province. Lance Cpl. Victor A. Gonzalez, died Wednesday from injuries received in combat, the Marine Corps said.

"Why this war . . . why? More and more young people are dying every day," his mother, Amalia Gonzalez, said Thursday. I told him, 'If this is what you want, I will support you, I just hope nothing happens,"' his mother said. "And now it has.... "I was so proud of him," his mother said. "He was so young to die."

I get horrified... Because if Bush is re-elected, he's going to bomb and bomb and bomb, and that's what scares me

i went to go see ju-on: the grudge today at a little empty theater near the ocean. this is the japanese version that is playing the indie circuit right now, before the hollywood version comes out for halloween starring buffy.

anyway, if the american version is even half as scary, it will be still hard to watch. this movie was frightening. it's hard to explain unless you've seen it because it's more visual and horrific than simply saying there's a bad guy or something. it's creepy and never stops; in fact the movie opens by getting under your skin immediately. i sat with my hands almost covering my eyes the whole time. scary.

After the three presidential debates, John Kerry has left no doubt he has the strength and character to be commander in chief. While George Bush and Dick Cheney repeat tired rhetoric and make shallow promises, John Kerry and John Edwards have laid out specific plans to hunt and kill the terrorists, offer a fresh start in Iraq so we can finish the job there, and to fight for the middle class.

news flash: the presidential candidates love their wives and family! more at 11.

sorry again for those of you who tried to contribute to my cause and had trouble. seems paypal was having difficulty, but it's fixed now i hope. also, for now, ignore my numbers on my target goal as they are not updated completely. i'll keep you posted. and do feel free to email me if you have further troubles or questions.

don't worry, be happy, it's all good

But a president who pushed the country so hard to go to war on the basis of supposedly imminent threats owes his fellow citizens more than a desultory "oops." That's why Bush's refusal to admit mistakes matters. It suggests his belief that voters, even at election time, have no right to a clear and candid explanation of what went wrong, and why. And when in doubt, the president blames somebody else.
Almost all of the war's supporters believe that the United States put too few troops on the ground to keep order after Hussein's fall. What did Bush say about this in the debate? He recalled "sitting in the White House looking at those generals, saying, 'Do you have what you need in this war?' " and going to the White House basement and "asking them, 'Do we have the right plan with the right troop level?' And they looked me in the eye and said, 'Yes, sir, Mr. President. ' "
Convenient, isn't it? If we don't have enough troops in Iraq, it's the fault of the generals, not of a commander in chief who doesn't seem to like answers other than, "yes, sir." But in a democracy, voters don't have to say "yes, sir."

well, it's the second anniversary of Amaya and me and I can't imagine my life without her nowadays. in fact, i'm taking her with me to Missouri and it makes me smile just thinking about it. she's wonderful, even if she does drive me crazy with late night noises. and i think she likes me now; after two years, she's finally starting to sit on my lap!

Sorry, everyone. The internet(s) has not been kind to me today. Not only was my page down, but the dropcash page was down, and the paypal system was down, what a wild day for the internet(s). Anyway, I think everything is again working, so thank you for your patience and interest. And thanks to those who have kindly contacted me about donating but were blocked by the computer problems. I appreciate that. If you continue to have problems, please contact email me. Thanks!

Tech problems....

Tech problems this morning, sorry. Thanks for coming by and trying. Contact me if you're still having problems with this page....

so for the last few weekends i've been passing out these dum-dum suckers at street festivals. and it's not even halloween yet...

I can't take four more years of Bush yelling at me. Mommy, make the bad man stop.

Ok, guys, I'm heading back home to Missouri to help Kerry win the presidency, and to help state Democrats. And as I'm doing something crazy and exciting like this, I'm also trying to deal with financial realities of my life. I need your help to do this. Going back home will not be cheap. I will not be able to bill consulting work hours while away. I have not had a full-time job in over a year. I have to pay for airfare, travel, and the costs of not working for pay for several weeks. I really do need your help.

So let me put this simply for my newly unveiled and entitled "Operation Swing Reese Back Home to Missouri" (in bullet points format):

1) Missouri is a key battleground 'swing' state in the presidential election (and is now back, after a brief play in the wrong direction, to being even in the polls!);

2) I'm from Independence and the Kansas City area and have worked on political campaigns there before;

3) Missouri needs help with their GOTV (Get Out The Vote) campaigns for statewide Demoratic wins for Kerry/Edwards for president, for Nancy Farmer for Senate, and for Claire McCaskill for Governor, and more;

4) Missouri can be won by the Democrats, if we fight for it;

5) I'm willing to travel back home for the crucial last weeks of the campaign before November 2nd to help in this effort

6) I'll keep costs down by staying with family;

7) If you care about democracy and getting Bush out of office, Missouri needs to be won for the Democrats and for Kerry

8) I will also be attending the Creating Change conference in St. Louis after the election to build upon our work on GLBT equal rights and grassroots activism around the country;

9) Finally, and most importantly, YOU KNOW ME. You've worked with me or seen me in the field before. You know how effective I'll be on the ground in Missouri. You know this is good for the country, for Missouri, for democracy, and for me in my work and career. I'm asking for your support, as your friend and colleague.

Any amount of money helps ($25, $50, $100, $250, or more). Whatever you can do. This will go directly to supporting me, your friend and colleague, to help shore up and win Missouri for the Kerry/Edwards campaign and Democrats in general.

I am serious about taking back our country from the terror of the Bush Administration and the Republicans around the country. Missouri is the battleground, and that's why I'm heading home to work it. Any help you can provide in my personal effort here is most welcome, appreciated, and will receive my undying gratitude.

I will also send you regular personal notes from the field on my activities so you can see firsthand how your generosity is helping change the course of history, on an individual basis. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Love,
Reese
http://www.reesesworld.com

O'Malley has gray hair, watery eyes and a quick laugh -- but he gets quiet and serious when he talks about how Shepard's death changed him. Six years ago, he says, "I was prejudiced. I bought into all the myths and stereotypes. I told all the jokes and used all the gross words about gay Americans. And I had no gay friends or associates that I was aware of." Then, Shepard died, he said, and "I lost my ignorance."

five years ago as i was travelling across the country by truck to move here to sf, i stopped through laramie too, because i wanted to see the town and the bar and the vast emptyness of the countryside, to personally feel and see what the atmosphere was like for matthew shepard. quite poetically, there just happened to be a rainbow over the town as i was there.

based on my work with the newsletter and other stuff, my club, the Alice B. Toklas GLBT Democratic Club, is awarding me their Volunteer of the Year Award at the upcoming Annual Award Event on the 20th. Should be a nice shindig and I'll be sure to thank you, the little people, my public, when I accept the award. Ha. Anyway, awful nice of them, and if anyone is interested, all are welcome to come to the event too...

Now if I could just get "Employee of the Year" from some financially lucrative job... :-)

lie patrol
very helpful

it does make one wonder how it is that he lies with such ease and the media never calls him on it

here's my latest column:

Reese's World: Perspectives from the Editor
Staying Positive and Getting Out the Vote

I am so Proud of our community! We have gotten real about supporting Kerry wholeheartedly; we’ve formed a national model, via LGBT4Kerry.com, for grassroots and fundraising support from our unified community to a presidential campaign; we have coalesced around our candidate like never before; we have dedicated ourselves to swingin’ states around the country through local activities and personal travel work; we have swayed people’s minds on individual and cultural levels; and we’ve done all of this while calmly and valiantly weathering difficult legal setbacks here in California, electoral challenges in other states, name-calling from our governor, being vilified during presidential and congressional speeches around the country, being used as a wedge issue once again, and somehow having faith and hope for the future.

And yet, lately, I’ve sensed a quiet dread in the community. I’ve had it too. Kerry’s campaign has seemed to be lagging; the enthusiasm and hope we had in the summer has dissipated; Bush keeps getting great press no matter what happens; we keep worrying over lackluster polls; and we’ve seemingly lost our faith. We’re still saying the right words and doing the right work and telling everyone all is fine, but underneath we’re a little depressed. It’s time to admit our depression, no matter our fear. We can’t regroup unless we admit where we are.

Why are we sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves? We’ve let the national media, the pundits, the polls, the supposed national mood (all of which are fungible and fluid and easily directed throughout any campaign) get to us too much. Is it obvious for me to say that this is what Karl Rove and Bush and the Republicans want us to do and feel? We know that they know that we know that we lose if we simply give up, but that we win if we fight strongly and proudly. And yet, we’ve been letting them lull us into quiet sad sleepy submission because of our worry and fear.

So let’s start getting back on track.
Was the election yesterday? No!
Is it already over? No!
Have we already finished fighting for our lives and our nation and our ideals? Hell No!

We know this, but we worry. Just like any human does. The best antidote to depression is to end our cycle of worry and get motivated again by doing and striving and loving and hoping. Our energy and excitement is contagious. The country is ripe for change. The polls we tend to worry about have said this desire for change consistently, regardless of the fluctuations of the campaign. The country is ready for change. The country is moving in our direction. And we know this! We are registering record numbers of new voters locally and nationally—people who were never interested in an election before. What an amazing achievement, and one that is hardly taken into account by the media or the polls.

Read the latest Democracy Corps Strategy Memo from James Carville and Stan Greenberg, and you will see that we simply have to stay strong, keep working, and get out the vote, and WE WIN!

This edition of the Alice newsletter is all about rekindling our fire, our enthusiasm, our hope, and our excitement about winning in November. We are going to win in November! We are changing the hearts and minds of the country! We are making a difference, every day! We are a part of history!

We are going to defeat Bush and send him back to Crawford for good. We are going to have an amazing time in the next four years of the Kerry Administration where our equality is standard and strengthened. We are so close to the top of the shining mountain and we are about to reach the once-thought-to-be-unattainable summit. We can and will do this! We are doing this!

Now let’s get back out there with all the enthusiasm and faith and hope that we’ve had before in our best moments and that we know is inside us, and use it to win this. Because we CAN. And because we are going TO WIN!

PostScript: This column went to print before Thursday's rockin' debate where Senator Kerry, our next president, kicked Bush's butt. We've always heard, and been witness to, the idea that Kerry is a big closer, and here's one more political race he's about to win. As Eleanor Clift writes for Newsweek after the debate: "Republicans thought they had the race wrapped up. All their candidate had to do was repeat his road-tested slogans. But 90 minutes of Bush is a long time.... Kerry spoke crisply and clearly, and he looked presidential... It’s a tactic of Karl Rove’s to create an aura of inevitability about Bush... Now the momentum shifts. The Kerry crowds will get larger and more enthusiastic..."
And it's all true. We are on the march to victory! Keep on keepin' on. There's work to be done.

As Deadlines Hit, Rolls of Voters Show Big Surge... Wonderful!

No hanging chads will mess with this election

my niece and i had a great time earlier this year visiting all the 1.2 million ants that had been given a giant glass-enclosed exhibit at the california academy of sciences, but unfortunately, it looks like all the ants are dead now. how tragic.

Repubs always treat winning as inevitable... it's Page 1 of their playbook. When they worry in public, they're worried.

ah, the Kerry campaign is getting smarter and tougher. so many different responses they could have taken that simply would have been negative to Fox News ("Fox News pulls item with fake Kerry quotes"), but instead they did it one step better:

America would be stronger if only George Bush could admit his mistakes as easily

well played

Republicans thought they had the race wrapped up. All their candidate had to do was repeat his road-tested slogans. But 90 minutes of Bush is a long time. There’s a reason why he has held fewer press conferences than any other modern president. He is incapable of conceptual thinking, and he came across as agitated and annoyed that more was expected of him now that he’s the self-styled “war president.” He repeatedly said he is “working hard” and “it’s hard work,” as though that alone should silence his critics.

If Republicans were overconfident going into the debate, Democrats had begun preparing themselves for defeat. Kerry had given up so much ground that he was close to being written out of the race. Voters had absorbed the image of Kerry as a flip-flopper without core convictions. A very different Kerry showed up in the debate hall. He was calm and disciplined while Bush was “slouching and praying for the light to go on so he wouldn’t have to think of anything else to repeat,” said a Democratic strategist.

Kerry spoke crisply and clearly, and he looked presidential. He defended his position on Iraq as consistent—agreeing with Bush that Saddam Hussein was a threat, but saying he would have handled the situation differently. When Bush confronted him with that old saw about how he voted for the $87 billion before he voted against it, Kerry scored big, saying, “I made a mistake in how I talk about the war. But the president made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is worse?”

This was Kerry’s best performance since, perhaps, ever. Like Lazarus, he is back from the dead. He energized his own Democratic base, which had begun to drift away in despair. Democrats now believe he has a chance to win. Standing alongside Bush, he showed himself to be more than up to the task. The contrast could not be greater between Bush, a man who passionately believes in the rightness of his convictions to the point of willfully excluding facts, and Kerry, a man who operates by reason and intellect. Before Thursday night, Bush had made a mockery of Kerry, using ridicule and sarcasm to turn his opponent into a cartoon figure. That will be harder now that voters have gotten a fuller picture.

At the debate, our president carried himself presidentially in stature, substance, and clarity.
However, Bush did not.

The two faces of Bush

"No president who has presided over Abu Ghraib should ever say he wants to put anyone on a leash."-- Andrew Sullivan