Lemme 'Splain.

No. There is too much.

Lemme sum up.

November 1 - 4: 2.5 million doors knocked.

Close to 2,ooo volunteers come to Delaware County from Out of State during those four days.

Obama wins PA by 55%.
(PA hasn't been won by more than 51% since LBJ)

Obama wins Delaware County by almost 61%.
(There was a time when you couldn't admit you were a Democrat in Delaware County. And there are still people in DelCo who didn't want Obama door hangers on their doors, because it "put them in danger.")

Obama wins all the Philadelphia suburbs by a very comfortable margin.

PA is called for Obama at 8:01, because the exit polls in the Philadelphia suburbs are so overwhelmingly for Obama.

At the time, I was in Chester, blind knocking on doors, making sure everyone had voted. They all had. Then, it was about making sure everyone stayed in line. They did. Then, it was about making sure that no one was intimidated away from the polls. No one was. Then, it was about keeping the polls open later -- they didn't need to be.

It all went according to plan. We watched the returns in a room in a church on a little tv with poor reception - and no one could really believe it. It was all over so quickly -- we'd prepared for a long fight, but it was just over, just like that.

We were prepared to get on the phone to Western states to make sure that they all got to the polls. We didn't need to. It was all taken care of.

We all went to a bar to watch. Dazed, exhausted, wrung out, in disbelief. And when they announced it, I just fell apart. I just fell right apart.

Most of you who know me know that I don't have much of a problem crying in public. I spent the first year of graduate school in tears. It's cool. But as amazing as it must have been to be in New York, or DC, or San Francisco when the news came out, there was something incredibly powerful about being in a place that had been so hard fought -- where everyone had worked as hard as they could to make sure that it happened in their town, in their county, in their state, in their country.

Pennsylvania, and the Philly suburbs, had been the center of the bulls eye for the last several weeks -- McCain had spoken at my high school, for goodness sake! And there was this sense of holding tight against the storm, and using up the last of our reserves to fight back as hard as we could. McCain spent more money in Pennsylvania than anywhere else. And it was just relentless, in those last few weeks. And it manifested in more and more people calling the office to say "I heard Obama isn't an American citizen. Is that true?" We were back to that. Or people cruising the parking lot, looking to start an argument, in order to distract the volunteers from doing the work that needed to be done.

So, there wasn't the same kind of dancing in the streets jubilation, because there were people at that very bar who were disappointed in the result (the bartenders were certainly among them). Which was an interesting experience, because I didn't want to hurt their feelings or rub it in, but at the same time, for the love of Pete, look what was happening!

Among supporters, the overwhelming feeling was relief. And then disbelief. And then relief. And then the realization of what had happened, while we were all so busy trying to make something happen.

It's like I'd lost sight of what it was that I was working towards -- what the goal was. And then it happened. And I remembered what all this work was for, and what it meant, and what we'd done. And I just cried, and cried, and cried. I cried all the way through McCain's speech. And then all the way through Obama's speech. And couldn't speak for crying when they called Virginia and Ohio and Florida.

People came over to comfort me. "Girl, it's gonna be ok. We won." And I did that shaky, can't catch your breath "I-I-I-know-I-I-I-just-can't-believe-I-forgot-how-much-this-means-and-why-we-were-working-so-oh-oh-oh-hard-and-I-just-can't...(sob,sob,sob).

So, you guys, I don't know if you feel it the same way, but I want to tell you, one more time, that we did it. More specifically, you did it. There were about 50+ people from my own friends and family who came down to Delaware County to help out, and by all accounts, you guys were rock stars. People heard about "Elizabeth's friends" and wanted a piece of that, believe me, because you guys rocked it, and gave us the boost that we needed in order to do what had to be done. You did it -- it wouldn't have happened without you. You did it, you guys -- you changed the world. That's yours now -- forever.

Now, I'm very sorry that I didn't get to see you when you were in Pennsylvania, but for those of you who did see me, briefly, you can confirm that I was a crazy person at the time and not much worth seeing.

Those of you who gave me money to do this thing, please know that you were the ones who made made it possible. I simply could not have done this without you. It's just the truth. I was amazed and endlessly buoyed by the support you gave, one dollar bill at a time.

Those of you who sent good wishes, and luck, and support from afar, I could feel it. I was working for you. It's a powerful and beautiful thing to feel that people are counting on you, and believe in you, and it's what kept me going. I didn't want to let you down. Thanks for putting the fire in my belly, and pushing me to keep going -- you probably didn't know you were doing it, but you were.

And now, because of all of you, I have this incredible gift of an experience that has already changed my life, and I believe, will change this great country, and the world. And it's because of you.

So, thank you. Thank you for that. I won't forget it. Promise.

Election Eve Story.

Ok, ok, ok.  

By this time tomorrow, the polls will be closed in PA, and I'll be on the phone to voters in Colorado, or embroiled in some legal thing, keeping the polls open late here, or singing and dancing to entertain people who are waiting in line, or lying in a ball on the floor. PA is really heating up, and we're all anxious about what might happen tomorrow at the polls.  Will we run out of ballots?  Will the police kick us out of our offices? Will all the voting machines break? Will it rain?

So, before any of that starts happening, here's what you've been asking for. 

Here’s the story of what happened at the rally.

So, on Monday night. I stayed up late and thought about what I was going to say. I recorded it onto a little tape recorder, and figured I could listen to it a bunch of times so I could remember the important parts, and improvise the rest. I’m a quick study, and I’ve been using the same pitch to get volunteers here for the last month, and it’s worked ok. Which is, I guess, why they asked me to do this.

So, I went to sleep. And then woke up at 4 in the morning. Because I needed to leave the house at 5, and I needed to look nice.

So, I put on my black and white dress, and my blue coat, and my boots, and my favorite Obama pin, and fixed my hair in a way that said “I’m working hard and just threw my hair back, and look how perfectly it falls! You know why? Because of Barack Obama, that’s why.”

And I got in the car and drove the 10 minutes to Chester.

It was freezing outside. I thought it was just that early morning cold. It was still dark out, and drizzling a little.

When I got to the site, I parked the car. At 5:30, there were already about 1,000 people in line.
So, for those of you who don’t know, Chester is a predominantly African American city of about 40,000. About 30% of the city lives below the poverty line. There are a lot of Barack Obama supporters there, and all the schools were cancelled for the day in the district, so the students could come.

So people were excited.

I took some pictures in the early morning, but they all turned out terrible, because it was dark.
So, basically, we stood around in the dark, cold, rain for a while, organizing volunteers, while the advance team set up the security. At one point I was dispatched to pull people out of line and give them pink bracelets – these people were being selected to stand behind Barack when he spoke. People caught on to what I was up to pretty quick, and I only narrowly escaped a stampede of grandmothers.

So, about this time, I met the woman who I would be “co-pitching” with.

Yes, the night before, they told me that I would be co-pitching with a field organizer from another office, who has an amazing personal story, is very energetic and outgoing and awesome. So, I thought, great! Fine! No problem. We talked a little about who would say what part, and agreed to practice in the morning.

Now, by this time, I was pretty much soaked through. I had nothing on that could be considered waterproof or warm. I was wearing a dress, and my legs were bare. Soon, I put on a plastic poncho that someone handed me that was pretty much a very, very flimsy trash bag. Like the kind that comes in the trash can in the hotel bathroom.

And it was raining harder and harder, and I had no gloves, and no hat, and the wind kept blowing my plastic poncho off and my “staff” tag was soaked through and was disintegrating, and I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore.

So, I asked my boss if I could go sit in her car for a few minutes. She said ok. So, I sat in the car, and listened to my speech on my little tape recorder, and was visited in the car by other staff members who needed to thaw.

We were collecting volunteer sign-ups at the rally, and were hoping to get a large number of people to sign up to volunteer for Obama while they were standing in line, but having people write on pieces of paper proved to be difficult. Plus, everyone was pretty miserable in the cold windy rain.

So, I sat in the car, and then I went to my co-speaker’s car, and we practiced a little bit, and then we got a call that we had to get inside the gates! Right away!

So, we went towards the gates, and through security, and ran towards the stage, and met my boss, who said “Are you ready?”

Uh, ok.

So, we went into this little hallway, and there were some official looking people bustling around, and then before you know it, they made me take off my plastic poncho (good choice) and we were out behind the place where the little stage was, with the secret service and the police, and then Congressman Bob Brady got up and introduced me and my co-speaker, and then we ran up to the little stage.

It was really little! Like, 10 x 12. And there was a podium and a mike. You couldn’t really see the crowd, because of the way it was placed, and also because there were big, giant lights pointed at my face.

And here’s what I said. Basically.

Hello Delaware County!
(crowd cheers)

Is everybody fired up and ready to go?
(crowd shouts, "Yes!"

Lemme hear it then! Are you fired up? 

(Fired up!) 

Ready to go? 

(Ready to go!)

Oh yeah? Are you ready to see Barack Obama?
(Big cheer)

Are you ready to elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States?
(Really big cheer)

My name is Elizabeth Audley – I grew up here in Delaware County, and I am so happy to see all of you here! I’ve never been so proud to be from Delaware County. I’ve never been so proud to be from Pennsylvania. And I’ve never been so proud to be an American as I am today.

I started as a volunteer with the campaign just 6 weeks ago.

When they called me up again, and asked me if I would come to Pennsylvania, I said yes. I said yes, yes I can. I put everything on hold, and I came back to my hometown to work for my candidate, and to do everything I could to make sure Barack Obama was elected president. And I’ve been working full time ever since. And it’s the best, and the most important, and most inspiring thing I’ve ever done in my life.

(Then my co-speaker gave a pitch about Voter Protection, and the rules about voting)

(Then the crowd got restless. And people started shouting, “We can’t hear you!” So I said, “You can’t hear us?” And all the people to my right said “No!” So I said “Can we turn the mikes up?” And nothing happened. And then I said “How about now? Can you hear me now?” And they said “No!” And I said, “uhhh. Can we turn the mikes up some more?” And the event staff scurried around and no one said anything. So, my co-speaker and I sort of looked at each other and started shouting “Yes We Can!” and “Fired Up! Ready to Go!” until it was obvious that we were just vamping for time, and so I continued…)

Listen up everyone – here’s the thing. In one week, I know that everyone here is going to go out and elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States. Am I right?
(crowd cheers)

But, listen up -- here’s the other thing. If we’re going to win this, we need more than your vote. We need your help. There’s one thing left to do. We have to get out the vote.

In this last week, we need you to get out there and tell all those people who want to vote for Senator Obama where their polling place is, and what time the polls open, and what to bring with them, and what their rights are. And we need you to tell people how important it is that they vote. We need you to tell people that if the lines are long, that means that it’s working! You need to remind them that the whole country is watching us here, in Pennsylvania. The country is counting on us to get to the polls, and win Pennsylvania, and win this election and take back this country. We need to knock on every single Obama supporters door in those four days, and we can’t do it without your help.

Many of you have volunteered before, and many of you have been volunteering for a long time. This campaign would not be here today if it were not for people like you – and you are the people who convinced me to join this campaign. There are thousands and thousands of volunteers have been working for almost 2 years in 48 states to put Barack Obama in office. All across the country, people are giving everything they’ve got to make sure that Barack Obama is the next president of the United State. And I don’t want to let them down. They are depending on us in Pennsylvania. They are depending on us get out there, and turn out the vote, and win the election for Barack Obama. We cannot let them down.

So, let me ask you: how much do you want this? Ask yourself, honestly, are you really doing everything you can do to make sure this happens? I know, I know, it’s hard to find the time. You’re busy, you have commitments, and families, and jobs. But all we are asking for is one afternoon, or one morning, and we will give you four years of Barack Obama. I think that’s a pretty good deal. Find the time. Dig a little deeper.

Also, this is it, you guys. This is your shot. This is your chance to be a part of history. You have the opportunity to be a part of something that will change the world. You can tell your children, and your grandchildren, not just that you were there, but that you were the one who did it. You were the one who changed the world. This is the opportunity that you have in front of you – do not pass it up.

And I am telling you, you will never feel as good as you will on November 5th, when you wake up, and Barack Obama is elected president of the United States, and you know that it’s because of you.

And then it was over. I would like to say that the crowd went wild with cheering, but most of them were still just pissed off that it was raining, and worried that the sound system didn’t work, and that they wouldn’t be able to hear Barack when he came.

And I left the stage, and stood in the rain some more. I shared an umbrella with the President of Widener University.

(“Hello, I’m the President of Widener University. Would you like to stand under my umbrella?” “Oh, yes, that would be nice. I guess they let you have an umbrella because you're in charge of this place, huh.” “Yeah. So, what do you do?” “I work for the Obama campaign. I’m also an actress.” “That’s great!” “Yeah.” “So, you like Barack Obama, too?” “Yup. I do.”)

There was a slow and steady unraveling of vanity all around me. People just wearing plastic bags. On their heads. And on their feet.

I listened to Barack speak (the sound system was, indeed, broken and you could not hear if you were up close and to the side), and mostly watched the crowd watch him. It was interesting to see people watching him up close. It was interesting that more people were taking pictures than actually listening – they didn’t need to hear what he was saying. They’d heard it all before – this was about being close to him.

And it got me wondering about the point of political rallies. Do people come to them who haven’t made up their minds? I don’t think they do. Is it something that the candidate has to do to prove that he’s of the people? Because I would prefer it that Barack Obama not stand out in the freezing rain for even a half hour. It’s important to me that he not catch pneumonia.

Now, I have to say, that it was kind of badass that while Barack spoke in the freezing rain, McCain cancelled his PA appearances for the day, due to weather. And it was nice to see all of these people come out, despite everything. But I don’t think we got any new votes out of it, and I don’t know how many volunteer shifts we got out of it, because many of the pieces of paper dissolved in the rain, or were illegible.

So, what’s the point of the candidate tearing around the country to make in person appearances? What’s the point of putting the whole staff outside in the rain for 6 hours, one week before the election, during the most difficult punishing week of the campaign? There are a lot of things that we do, and the reason that we do them the way that we do them is because that’s the way it’s done.  We're working like crazy this week, and I don't know if it has to be this way for us to win, or if it has to be this way so that we feel like we are working as hard as we possibly can.  I just don't know. 

To me, it seems like a test. Like, you have to do this incredibly hard, physically exhausting thing – you have to, literally, run this race. And whoever wins the race, wins the race. Maybe?

Don't know.  But I can't wait to be across the finish line. 

(Postscript: When I was checking volunteers in yesterday, someone recognized me from the rally. He said, “That was a great speech! It got me all fired up.” Alas, no photos or video of me speaking have surfaced. If they do, I’ll let you know. Promise.)

Rides to the Polls, debunked.

Everyone wants to give people rides to the polls.

Guess what? 

No one needs a ride.

I'm calling the people who "requested" rides to the polls right now. They all just yell at me that they DON'T need a ride, and we better get ourselves ORGANIZED better than this, or we're going to LOSE.  

Also, they tell me that they BETTER not have to wait in a long line.

Um....

Democracy doesn't look quite so shiny tonight.  I hope a whole lot of people show up to cheerlead for Obama tomorrow, because we're going to need it.

Put a hat on, Obama! This is how William Henry Harrison died!

Here are some pictures from the Obama rally in Chester last Tuesday.

As you can see, it was very, very rainy.

What you cannot see, is that it was also 30 degrees outside, and windy.

It was totally miserable. But also, kind of awesome. Because even though it was the most terrible, disgusting, freezing awful kind of weather, 10,000 people still showed up.








(the last picture was taken by my sister Kat, who flew all the way in from Portland for the event!)

The Change I Need is Very, Very Specific.

Tough days here at the Obama campaign in PA. Long hours, frayed nerves, low spirits. I kicked the cord of my laptop, and instead of popping out like it was supposed to, the laptop fell on the floor. Now, it looks like this. The cost to fix it is, you guessed it, almost the same as the cost of a new computer -- even though this one is only 3 months old.

I have nothing else to say on that subject. I'm hooked up to an external moniter for now, which is tedious, not portable, but fine, for now.

Get Out the Vote plans are going forward, but I can't talk about that because, apparently, there are spies everywhere.

John McCain spoke at my high school this morning, which made me want to work a little harder. Thankfully, he spoke in the gym, where I almost never went, unless I was forced.

Very, very special shout out to all of you who came up to get the vote out this weekend. These are the folks I know of, who have come from out of state to work with me in PA so far.

Dana Fialco
KC Masters
Kat Audley
Jen Audley

Mik Muller
Brent Vimtrup
Laura Montes
Jim Gomez
Karyn Schwartz
Rebecca Smith
Josh Clayton
Hannah Swihart
Sean Tarrant
Liz Rosier
Tom Neely
Amanda Duffy
Grayson Laird
Stacey Margolis
Erin Wilson
Daniel East
Alexis Black
Avi Glickstein
Allison Mclemore
Stacey McMath

A-men Rasheed

Jessica Rasheed
John Giammarino
Sarah Michelson
Jeff Matteuzzi
Katie Portman
Quinn Wageman
Megan Wageman
Joey Grussenmeyer
Emily Young
Leah Pike
Brian Turnbaugh


When we win, bragging rights are yours. Plus, I have a special sticker for each of you. If you email me your address to eaudley@voteforchangepa.com, I'll mail it to you. Hurry! E-mail address expires on November 5.

Everyone else -- jealous, much? No, seriously, I know you're all doing as much as you possibly can.

My list of donors is a mile long, and I know I haven't done a proper job of thanking you yet, but I will soon.

yes, yes, I know.

A lot of people have been asking about the speech -- details are forthcoming, I promise.

For now, I'm busy, busy, busy getting ready for Get Out the Vote (GOTV) weekend, where everything gets bigger and faster and crazier. Also, it's when weird things start happening.

Like, for example, today, one of our staging locations (the place where we tell volunteers to meet, and where we set up little makeshift offices, phone banks, and canvassing centers for the 4 days before the election) was shut down. For "code violation."

Ok, so. This staging location was all fine and set to go up until now -- it had been an office before, and it was being used as an office now, everything was set with the landlord, everyone was fine.

Except, oh, wait, the precinct that the office was in is super Republican. Like, mean, angry Republican land. So, you know, obviously, "code violation."

The dirty tricks begin. In the past, Obama organizers have come to their offices to find the locks superglued shut, or to find all of their cars blocked in by other cars on election day. Windows broken, eggs thrown, things stolen/vandalized.

Add Halloween to the mix, and I'll be surprised to find the building intact tomorrow morning.

It's going to be crazy, and we're going to have to think on our feet and adapt quickly, but I'm excited and confident, even though I have absolutely no idea what to expect.

Thanks to all of you who are coming down to PA. So many people responded to my call to action/shaming diatribe! Those of you who are not coming down to PA -- well, we can still be friends.

xo
Elizabeth

Barack Star

Hey you guys.

So, I bet you thought this blog was going to be all “listen to this funny yet moving story with cool insider information from the campaign office,” huh.

Like, you probably thought it was going to be all West Wing-y, with a pinch of The Office thrown in.

And you’ve returned again and again, only to find that I'm still just harassing you in eight different ways to come and volunteer for the campaign.

Lamest. Blog. Ever.

So, I feel I owe you an explanation. And there’s a special surprise at the end of the post.

1. We actually really need the volunteers. So please come.
2. I found out shortly after I got here that I’m not actually allowed to blog about the campaign. You know, loose lips and all that.

So, sorry about that. I do have a lot of funny and awesome stories, but I can’t really share them until after election day.

But here’s something I can tell you right now.

Barack Obama is coming to Delaware County on Tuesday!

He’s coming to Chester, PA and speaking at 10am. We’re expecting about 20,000 people to show up. At least.

But here’s the really exciting thing.

I’m going to give a speech at the rally.

Hold on. Let me say that again. Just in case you didn’t totally understand it. Because I didn’t really understand what they were telling me at first either.

I’M GOING TO GIVE A SPEECH AT THE RALLY WITH BARACK OBAMA ON TUESDAY.

So, the speech that I’m going to give is a volunteer recruitment pitch – the same damn pitch I’ve been giving all of you, but to a group of 20,000 people.

I’m very excited, but I have no idea what to expect. I’ve spoken before big groups before, but not this big.

Also, I’ve never made a speech that is this important. Like, if it works, and we get everyone to volunteer to help get out the vote, we’ll win the election. And if it doesn’t work, and we don’t get enough volunteers, we might lose. You know, no pressure.

Also, did I mention that Barack Obama will be there?

So, wish me luck, you guys. And think of me on Tuesday morning. I may not sleep until then.

Stuck Between Barack and a Hard Place

Well, this is it. The last plea I'll make. It's going to be a hard sell, so hold on to your hats.

I (along with the rest of the PA campaign staff) was on a conference call with Barack Obama last week, and he told us that we who work on this campaign "will stand among the giants of history."

He also said, "Don't screw this up."

McCain's new strategy is to steal Pennsylvania. It's the only state that is currently blue that he's actively and aggressively trying to flip. You win Pennsylvania by winning the Philadelphia suburbs. The Philadelphia suburbs are Delaware and Montgomery Counties, which, by the way, are particularly susceptible to wedge politics and scare/smear tactics. McCain phone calls are currently out numbering Obama phone calls in this county. He's pulled his resources out of Wisconsin and Maine, and sent them to Delaware County. He's pulling out of Colorado, Iowa and New Mexico. Guess where that money's going? Guess where that staff is going? The only way to fight it is in the field, which means volunteers like you and me working our butts off to talk to as many people as possible on the phone and at their doors, from morning till night.

It's quite possible that McCain will be able to steal Pennsylvania. I know that the polls say Obama is ahead here, but on the ground, it's tightening up, and in this county, we're neck and neck, or even a little behind.

Our man is off the campaign trail now for a few days, and is probably not going to make it back to PA. So, it's up to us to defend the fort. There is a little intrepid band of staff and volunteers who are trying their darndest to fight back against the attacks, but we're just not going to be able to do it with the amount people we've got now, no matter how hard we work.

There are two things that we're battling. First, all the money and resources that McCain is throwing here (look up how many times he and Sarah Palin have visited the state in the last two weeks and you'll see why we're sounding the alarm), which mostly manifest in dirty, smear-y, awful ads, mailers and robo-calls. The second is fatigue and complacency among Obama voters and volunteers. Lots of people think it's in the bag. They think it doesn't matter if they volunteer -- or vote -- enough other people will pick up the slack and make it happen.

I'm here to tell you the truth -- no one is picking up the slack. No one is coming out in great numbers, because everyone thinks someone else is doing it.

Last, but not least, there are several neighborhoods in Delaware County that are targets for voter suppression and intimidation. People are actively trying to prevent people from voting in all sorts of ways -- by moving the polling place from the student center on the college campus to an off campus location that can only be reached by car. Or telling people that they need a driver's license to vote. Or telling people that if they have any parking tickets, they'll be arrested when they come to the polls. Or telling people that if they are registered Republicans, they cannot vote for a Democrat. It's up to us to correct these things, and make sure that all the people we've worked so hard to register, and who really want to vote for Barack, actually can and do.

We can win if we get everyone to the polls. We will lose if we don't. We need more people to help than we have now. That's it. The Republicans are GREAT at making sure their voters get to the polls. The Democrats, historically, are not so good. We have a great plan for how to do it. But it requires more people than we have right now.

Here’s a horror story for you. Someone I work with here in PA was working on the primary in New Hampshire. Leading up to primary day, all of his volunteers were sure that someone else would show up, and that victory was certain. On primary day, at one of his precincts, NO VOLUNTEERS SHOWED UP. None. Zero. Everyone thought someone else would be there – that it wasn’t that important. And Obama lost that precinct by seven votes. Seven! And he lost the primary in that state.

So, come here. Don't delay. Tell everyone you know. We cannot have come this far to fall short now. And you know what? It's in your hands. So don't let it happen.

If you want to come here, I can help you make it happen. I can find a way for you to get here, and a place for you to stay, and we will give you food to eat. I'll be honest -- it's easiest to come here with a car. But, there are Zip cars to be rented in Philadelphia, and it's cheaper to rent them here than in New York. Come with a group, and rent a car together. Or, come by bus and rent a car in Philly, where it's cheaper. If a car is impossible, come here by bus anyway. Or catch a ride with any of the NY for Obama groups that organize carpools every day. (http://www.nyobama.com/events/nyc/)

We can house you with a volunteer, or I can point you towards a number of hotels that are offering discounts to the Democratic Campaign. Or, you can just come for the day.

If you support this candidate, and you want him to win, you need to do more than vote. You need to volunteer. Or it's not going to happen. It's time for you to think real hard, and ask yourself if there's anything that you can do that you're not doing. If the answer is yes, I can make it so that you do not wake up on November 5th and want to punch yourself in the face, again, and again, and again.

There's only about 10 days left before an election that could actually change the world. I need your help.

Here's the deal. I promise, if you come here, you never have to come and see me in a crappy play ever again. You can beg off, no questions asked. Also, you are excused from any and all birthday parties that I throw for myself, and you are exempt from helping me move. If you come here and volunteer for the weekend, you can claim an "Obama Pass" on all of these things. Forever.

Please help.

xoxo
Elizabeth
eaudley@voteforchangepa.com
215. 834.7959


P.S. Ultimately, I don't care if you come to Delaware County, specifically. If it's easier for you to get to Philadelphia and turn out the vote there, do it. If it's easier for you to go to another swing state, like Virginia, or North Carolina, or Missouri, or Nevada, or Ohio, do it. But, for the love of God, please, please, I'm begging you on my knees, do not stay home. Get out there, and get people to the polls. It's not hyperbole to say that we will lose if you don't.

How a 13 Point Lead Can Disappear.

Read this, please.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/on-road-philadelphia-suburbs.html

#1. It's an accurate portrait of what's happening here in PA -- volunteers are not coming out in the numbers that they once were, because they think it's all in the bag.

#2. McCain's new strategy is to win back PA, so he's spending lots of time and money on advertising and voter contact here.

#3. They describe a conference call that Barack Obama held with the staff. I was on that call!

A Cry in the Dark.

"Why should I come to Delaware County, Pennsylvania?"

1. The foliage is beautiful, and will be peaking in the next few weeks.
2. Phillies in the series = Delaware County goes insane. Don’t you want to be here for that?
3. There is almost always cake in this office.
4. The sandwiches in DelCo are particularly delicious.
5. You get to hang out with me. And, as you all know, I am very, very fun.

“But, Elizabeth, we’re so far ahead in the polls! You don’t need my help.”

Shut your mouth! That’s how we lose!

Just this morning, PA was flooded with really nasty, dirty, awful robo-calls from the McCain campaign. Terrrible, bad stuff. They're fighting us really hard here. It's the front lines. They want this state real bad, and they think they can win it.

There are 19 days left before the election. That’s roughly the same amount of time that was between the Iowa Caucus, which we won, and the New Hampshire Primary, which we thought we would win, but we lost.

Maybe because we were so sure we would win.

“But, Elizabeth, I can’t afford to come to Pennsylvania.”

You can get a ride, for free, with any number of groups that come from New York and other places by checking out my.barackobama.com. Or, you can buy a bus ticket to Philadelphia for $20. If you want to stay overnight, we can put you up with a volunteer, and there is always food here to eat.

If you let me know, I can help you figure out how to get here.

If there is absolutely no way you can possibly make it happen, ever, ever in a million years, than please make some phone calls from home. Go to the website, and call some people in Ohio and tell them to early vote.

Otherwise, call me, and I’ll help you get make it happen.

“But, Elizabeth, there must be plenty of volunteers IN Pennsylvania.”

Yes. There are. I see them every day. Some of them have been volunteering since the primaries.

First of all, they have been working tirelessly and need some back-up. Second of all, we just need more people than there are in Pennsylvania. And we need those people to come from New York, and Delaware, and New Jersey, and other places.

It’s part of the plan for how we win. We have to supplement the in-state volunteers with a certain number of out of state volunteers. And I am making hundreds of phone calls every day to get people to come here. You can make my life a lot easier, oh, and also, win the election for us, if you email me and tell me that you want to come here. eaudley@voteforchangepa.com

“But, Elizabeth, I'm very busy and I just don’t have the time.”

You should make the time.

And here’s why.

This is it, you guys. This is the last chance you have to be a part of this incredible moment in history. And if you don’t participate, you will be sorry.

If you come to Pennsylvania, or any other swing state, you will be so glad that you did. You will be able to look back, and know that you were a part of something that changed America, and the world, and history. And that’s not hyperbole. You will feel good, and important, and proud of yourself and your country.

If you don’t help, you are going to be sad on November 5th. You are going to wish that you had, no matter which way it goes. You are either going to feel incredibly terrible and guilty that there was more you could have done, but you didn’t, or you are going to feel very, very sad that you had the opportunity to be a part of something historic and amazing, and you chose not to.

Now listen. I spend all day chasing people down, and convincing people to volunteer. And everyone who does is glad they did. But it is awfully tiring to call, and call, and call, and beg and plead all day long.

So help me out. Please.

This is it. Come here. Bring friends. Tell everyone you know. Your country needs you.

Best/Worst

Things I Hate
People who have signed up to volunteer every single weekend, but never show up, and never return a single phone call to say that they're not coming.

People who tell me they can't come volunteer because they have "a thing" that weekend, or because "Pennsylvania's already locked up" or because they can't miss their favorite tv shows.

Really long, stupid, un-funny answering machine greetings.

Things I Love
The little boy who came in today with his mom, because all he wanted for his 7th birthday was an Obama lawn sign.

The pictures of the crowds in West Philadelphia from the rallies this weekend.

The strangers who come to the office and drop off dinner for the staff at 6pm.

When I Am Tired, This Makes Me Feel Better.

http://yeswecanholdbabies.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/happiest-little-boy-in-the-world/

Love,

Elizabeth

Please Come to Pennsylvania!

Hey you guys.

I have a new job here at the Obama campaign. I'm the Out of State Volunteer Coordinator for this office -- which funnels volunteers from out of state throughout Delaware County, PA.

Most of the volunteers come through the website, but I'm looking for more, and I know that my friends and associates are the smartest, most articulate, hardest working and passionate people there are, so here's the official pitch:

Come to Pennsylvania!
Come to Pennsylvania!
Come to Pennsylvania!

John McCain pulled out of Michigan, and all those resources are going to....Pennsylvania! He really wants to win the state and he's fighting real dirty here.

It's very easy to get to the Media field office on public transportation.

I can find a place for you to stay, if you want to stay overnight.

It's very fun and exciting to work here, and you can be a part of something historic. It will make you feel really, really good.

If you can come down for election day, or the weekend before election day, or the week before election day, that's when we really need some serious help! We've registered over 1 million new voters in PA, and want to make sure they all go to the polls.

If you can come, think you might come, or want more information, send me an email at: eaudley@voteforchangepa.com

(I am official. How do you like me now?)

Some Things I've Learned.

1. People are awesome.

There were about 200 people who showed up this weekend to knock on doors and make phone calls. Lots and lots of people came from out of state, ready to work. Lots of people have been coming to do this for weeks and weeks, and they keep coming back. It's very inspiring. We've had a busy phone bank this whole week, and registered hundreds of new voters.

2. People are freaks.

No one attracts weirdos like the Democratic Party. Seriously. Crazy people come to the office all day long. Oh, America.

3. People love lawn signs.
We can't keep them in stock. When we don't have them, people yell at us. When we do have them, people yell at us for suggesting a donation. There are lawn sign wars -- they get stolen and vandalized, and every third question on the phone or at the front desk has to do with lawn signs. They are crazy about lawn signs. Crazy.

Number of Days it Took for This Community Organizer to Get Some "Actual Responsibilities."

One.

It's My First Day.

It was like the first day of school today. The sensation was heightened by the fact that I woke up in the bedroom where I had woken up on every single "first day of school" from K-12. And you know I'd laid my clothes out the night before and then woke up before my alarm went off, and made sure my hair was extra shiny and bouncy before I left.

The Obama Headquarters in Media, PA is located in an old car dealership, so there is plenty of parking, and also the wall that faces the street is one giant window, which is nice for the natural light. You can be on the phone, and be looking out the window. And people can pass by, and see the busy, happy campaign headquarters. Well done, all.


Someone did come in today and said, "It's had to see you guys from the street. You should put a sign or a flag or something outside." Um, ok. We'll look into that.

The people are great, and very, very laid back. No one really follows the news or the polls, or engages in much political talk. They just go in and do their jobs, which is, right now, calling people, and knocking on people's doors, and recruiting volunteers. Also, everyone is very polite, very organized, and don't seem at all stressed out - just a little tired. They're very, very good at their jobs. There are many people from out of state who have been working full time since this summer. Everyone seems happy to have me, and so positive and easy going and zen about it all. I feel very satisfied and productive. It is a good environment to call people from, and to encourage people to come be a part of.

There was a little bit of a surprise today because last night, Bruce Springsteen announced that he was having a rally/concert for Obama in Philadelphia. And if you volunteered for Obama, you could get a "preferred seating" ticket. You could sign up to volunteer and pick up your Springsteen tickets at any of the Philadelphia area field offices -- including, of course, Media, PA. So, you know, that increased the volunteer traffic a little bit today. There was a line out the door when I got in.

Also, a Korean newspaper came to the office today to take pictures and write a story. Keep your eyes open, everyone. There may be pictures of me on the phone in a Korean newspaper.

Am including photos of some of the homemade campaign art that adorns the office. (I like how the "Organize Like a Champion" poster looks like it has a big, bloody handprint in the middle of it.)



And now, to bed. Tomorrow I have to get up early. You know, to hand out Springsteen tickets.

Seriously? Obama = Coolest Ever.

How is this guy not going to win?

The Front Lines of Democracy.

So, I went to pick up my absentee ballot yesterday. This is what happened.

(Opening Shot: Elizabeth in her tiny New York City apartment, bags packed. She is filling out a form. Close up on the form "Application for a New York Absentee Ballot." She writes in her name, her address, and the reason she will not be able to vote in New York. She smiles, writes "volunteering for Obama in Media, PA, October 1 - November 5." She checks the last box "I want to pick up my ballot at the Board of Elections." She looks up at her Obama poster, sighs contentedly. A rainbow breaks out across the Brooklyn sky. But in the distance, thunder.)

(Next Shot: Elizabeth on the train, eating a muffin, and drinking a cup of coffee.)

(Next Shot: At the Board of Elections. The elevator doors open, Elizabeth walks out, into the office of the board of elections. A grimy, tattered city office. A torn sign on the wall reads "No Eating or Drinking. Finish Your Food and Drink Outside." She holds her coffee cup behind her back. She looks at all the pieces of paper on the front desk, and waits for someone to notice her. After a full two minutes, a man jumps up like a shot from his desk. He is in his sixties, with several ID tags around his neck.)

Man: Hello! Hello! Can I help you?

Elizabeth: Yes, please! I would like to get an absentee ballot, please.

Man: (after a moment) Really?

Elizabeth: Yes, please. Thank you.

Man: Ok then! Here you go! (He hands her a form).

Elizabeth: (shows him the form she's already filled out) Actually, I've already filled this one out. From the internet.

(He is stunned into silence. This has never happened before. He may cry.)

Man: Oh!

Elizabeth: Yeah.

Man: Wow.

Elizabeth: Yes, I'm a little ahead of the curve.

Man: Yes.

(long silence)

Elizabeth: Is that it?

Man: (stamps the form loudly, glances at it) That's it!

(they look at each other)

Elizabeth: Can I have my absentee ballot now?

Man: If you come here on the 20th or the 26th, you can vote right then!

Elizabeth: (pause) But I won't be here then.

Man: Right.

Elizabeth: Can I have it now?

Man: Anytime before the 26th.

Elizabeth: What about right now?

Man: What?

(A co-worker comes over. She is a very, very short Asian woman, of indeterminate age. She is only barely visible over the counter. She has no eyebrows, and her light green eye shadow extends well beyond where her eyebrows would be. She looks perpetually surprised.)

Woman: Hello!

Elizabeth: Hello.

Man: Can she have an absentee ballot?

Woman: (hands Elizabeth the form) Just fill this out.

Elizabeth: Actually, thank you, but I already did fill it out.

Woman: You're all set!

Elizabeth: Can I have the ballot, though?

Woman: Come in on the 26th.

Elizabeth: I won't be here.

Woman: You won't be here?

Elizabeth: No, I'll be away. That's why I need an absentee ballot. I leave tomorrow.

(Man and Woman scratch their heads. Look at each other, scratch their heads again. This is an impasse they have not prepared for. Then, an idea.)

Woman: We'll send it to you. To the address you wrote down here! Anywhere you are, no matter how far away, we'll send it to you, don't worry! Bye!

Elizabeth: But I didn't put an address down. I checked the box that said I would pick the ballot up.

(More head scratching.)

Woman: No matter where you are, we'll send it to you. At the address you wrote down.

Elizabeth: So I can't pick it up today?

(silence)

Elizabeth: Should I write down the address where I'll be, so you can send it to me there?

Woman and Man: Ok, yes! Yes!

Elizabeth: (suspiciously, and with great hesitation) Ok.

(Elizabeth crosses out the box that says "I will pick up my ballot at the Board of Elections" and writes her parents address in the space that says "Please mail my ballot to me at the following address." The woman watches her.)

Woman: (offering her another form) You want this one?

Elizabeth: No, it's ok. This one's already been stamped.

Woman: Oh. Right.

(she takes the form, looks at it)

Elizabeth: So you'll send it to me? That's it then?

Woman: Where you going?

(She sees Media, PA. Her eyes grow wide.)

Woman: Oooooh. That's far away...

(The man and the woman walk away. Elizabeth falls to her knees, weeping.)

Holy Guacamole!

Oh my goodness!

Thanks for all the money, you guys!

Every day I come home to at least one envelope with some dollars from someone I don't even know. It's gone past being from friends of friends -- now I'm getting donations from friends of friends of friends. It's amazing!

I want to take some time to thank all of you personally, and write every one a thank you note like I was brought up to do, but I hope you will excuse me and let me thank you personally on November 5th. Or 6th. (Let's be honest).

Here's the news.

I leave for Pennsylvania in less than one week!

I'm definitely assigned to be the volunteer deputy field organizer for the office in Media, PA, which is the town next to where I grew up. I spoke to a few of the people who are in charge of the Obama campaign in PA, and they are awfully excited to have me, and I am awfully excited to go. They sound tired. They say things like "We're just going to keep working until we fall down."

Furthermore, I have been informed that Pennsylvania will be won or lost on two counties -- Delaware County (where I will be located) and Montgomery County. Whoever wins those counties wins Pennsylvania.

Lemme sum up: Obama can't win without Pennsylvania. Obama can't win Pennsylvania without winning Delaware County -- the county I will be working in. No pressure.

I'll post more specifics about things that I learn as I learn them. But for now, here's what I know for sure:

1. Register Voters in Swing States. Do what you can to help get as many people registered to vote as you can. If you live close to PA, and want to come and join me, I will always need and welcome your help, and it will be a good time.
2. Knock on doors. There's still a lot of work to do to persuade undecided voters (although how anyone can still be undecided remains a mystery to me). Knocking on doors is waaaaaay more effective at swaying voters than making phone calls. If you can, please join a canvass that knocks on doors, wherever you are. I know it feels wierd to go up to people's houses, but, seriously, having some personal interaction and letting people see how reasonable and logical you are is the best advertising that there is.
3. Get out the vote! If you can, please come to Pennsylvania or go to another swing state to get the vote out. It's going to be a massive ground operation to make sure that every single registered Democrat goes to the polls, and every single Republican and Independent who's indicated that they're voting for Obama goes to the polls too (in Delaware County, there are several HUNDRED THOUSAND of Republicans/Independents for Obama). Note: This means you have to register to vote absentee in your own state.

I have some specific requests to make of some of you -- people in New York, and people in Delaware County, in particular. So stay tuned.

And thank you!

Is Barack Obama a Muslim?

No.

I Want to Barack and Roll All Night.

Hello readers.

Sorry for the delay in posting here. I've been working extra hard to be able to swing this adventure, and also I was in a little bit of a bad way over the whole "Palin bump" thing for a while, so thought it best to lay low and not be hysterical out here in public on the interweb.

But thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the notes of support and dollar bills in the mailbox (real and virtual) -- I can't even believe it. I've almost collected enough money now. So, if you haven't given me a dollar, please, think about it.

Ok, but here's a good story.

So, the other day I was in the elevator at one of my jobs, and I was talking to a co-worker about what I'm doing, and how I'm going to Pennsylvania, and blah, blah, blah, and all excitable and passionate and stuff, and there was a lady in the elevator who just piped up and said, "I want to help you. How can I help you?" So, I took her email address, and mailed her the address of my blog, and boom! She put $25 in my PayPal account.

Thanks new elevator friend!

You guys -- talk about this stuff everywhere. You never know who's listening.

Thank you, also for getting the word out to your friends and family about this -- I've gotten lots of emails from people I don't know at all, asking how they can help. Don't stop! I want to build a little personal army of volunteers from New York and in and around Philadelphia to get this thing done.

I leave for PA in about a week. It looks like I'll probably be going to work in the field office in Media, which is the town next to where I grew up. I'll let you know for sure when I do, and will be posting more often once I'm actually in the field.

Until then, keep writing letters to the editor, give me a dollar, go register voters, and pass this blog address on to everyone you think might be interested.

Audley out.

Got Change for Change?

Listen up, party people.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the donations so far. I am, frankly, both shocked and honored when I come home every day to find envelopes from people I know, and people I don't know, that have a few crumpled dollar bills in them. So far, I have collected almost $250.

Awesome!

But, here's the thing. I want to remind you that what I am doing is totally volunteer. And I am happily working a second job so I can pay my rent and cell phone bill while I am gone. BUT I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR GAS!

Now. My car gets excellent mileage, and that is a fact. Like, 40 miles to the gallon. There is a lot of driving around and door to door canvassing to be done, and I think that the fact that I have my own car is one of the main reasons the Obama campaign wanted me so bad. (P.S. This is ok with me. Like the unpopular high school girl with a pool, once they get to know me a little, they will start to like me for ME. Man alive, do I have a crush on Obama.)

It costs $30 - $40 to fill up my car - by my calculations, I'm going to have to fill it up at LEAST twice a week, for 5 weeks. I think I'm going to spend between $400 - 500 on gas.

So, if you're following the math, one dollar will let me drive for about 10 miles. 10 miles! For just one dollar!

Now, many of you have given, and given generously, and I am so grateful and astonished. But some of you have not, and I know you have a dollar, because many (most) of you have bought me a drink at the bar in the past. So.

It has been brought to my attention that asking you to put a dollar in an envelope and put a stamp on it is asking you to pay 42 cents to give me a dollar, and that is ridiculous. So, I have made a PayPal account to make it easier, and free, for you.


Follow this link:


https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=eaudley%40gmail%2ecom&item_name=Got%20Change%20for%20Change%3f&no_shipping=0&no_note=1&tax=0&currency_code=USD&lc=US&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF&charset=UTF%2d8



It will lead you to my PayPal account. You can use a credit card, a debit card, or your PayPal account.

Please, can I have a dollar? Or two? If you can find it in your heart to give me five, we just might win this thing.

Quick Update!

Hi everyone.

So, I had my "intake process" about my "deployment" for the Obama campaign today. I'm all set to go on October 1. I told them the 5 or 6 field offices that were closest to the place I'll be staying -- they're going to call around and find out who needs me most. I'm guessing I'll be working in Media or Chester.

Two things they told me, that I am passing on to you:

1. Voter Registration is the big deal in Pennsylvania right now. They are trying to register 50,000 new voters in Philadelphia alone before the registration deadline, which is October 6. They have lists of who is not registered to vote and they are calling and knocking on the doors of these people, but they need a lot more help! If you can take the bus down to Philadelphia for even ONE DAY between now and October 6th, they really, really, really need more people on the ground. Can you take one day off of work? For America? Sign up at ny.barackobama.com under "drive for change." (P.S. If this is true in PA, it is probably also true in other swing states as well. People with access to Ohio, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Colorado, Florida, take note!)

2. Please consider taking election day off, and going to Pennsylvania to get out the vote. They've got a massive operation planned for the day, and need all the bodies they can get. Note: This means you will have to vote absentee in New York, but on the upside, it means you can hang out with ME on election night, which will be epic.

Audley out.

Camp Obama pictures

Hey you guys.

Check out this link:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/ObamaNY/gG53j4

You can read a little description of what Camp Obama was like, and if you watch the slideshow, you will see four, count 'em FOUR pictures of me.

Granted, one is of my back, but it is very clearly MY back.

FAQ: I want to help in Pennsylvania -- what can I do?

Great!

First, let me know who you are. I start working in PA on October 1, and I would love to put you to work, whether it's for a week, a weekend, a day, a few hours. I solemnly swear that I will put you to good use.

If you don't live in Pennsylvania.
That's ok. They really need your help there, and there are ways for you to get there and get involved. But be forewarned, right now, the campaign is primarily focused on finding and training people who can make a long commitment -- either for a few weeks, or for a few weekends in a row.

So, if you live in New York and are able to commit to several weekends in a row before election day, check out "Drive For Change" on ny.BarackObama.com. They'll set you up in your own field office, and you can do what I'm doing, but on the weekends.

If you want to do what I'm doing, then why the heck are you reading this blog? Apply to Camp Obama, right away! Now! Go! Get!

If you can't make that kind of commitment, there's still work to be done, but you might not hear back from the campaign very quickly -- see the separate post: "If the campaign needs volunteers so bad..."

After October 1, you can get in touch with me directly, and I will put you to work, give you a phone number, or otherwise point you in the right direction.

For now, make an account on my.barackobama.com (see separate post on that, too), to help you hook up with existing groups making trips down there. Or, if you are really itching to do something RIGHT NOW, you can organize your own trip. Print out a bunch of PA voter registration forms, take the bus to Philadelphia, and stand in front of a grocery store. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. That kind of action is how Obama won the primary in South Carolina. Don't wait for the campaign to tell you it's ok. Have an idea? Do it.


If you live in Pennsylvania
If you are interested in working with me, let me know. I will put you to good use. If you have any friends who are even a little interested in volunteering, send them my way. Tell them I am very fun and nice, and that I often give out very special prizes to my volunteers. Also, there will be scheduled breaks to "dance it off" at my office. Put the word out, yo.

Like I said before, print out a bunch of voter registration forms, and stand in front of the grocery store, the library, the bank, the post office, the YMCA, where ever you can. I'm seriously not kidding about this.

Can you host a volunteer from out of state? Do you have a spare room? Do you know anybody who does? Get in touch with your local field office (via pa.barackobama.com) and tell them you can offer "supporter housing." They'll know what you're talking about.

If you live in PA, and can afford it, here's a really, really nice thing to do: Find out where your local field office is, and call up the pizza place (or sandwich shop, or whoever else delivers), pull out your credit card, and send those tireless volunteers some foods. They're working really, really hard. For nothing.

If you live in Pennsylvania, and want to help but you can't give any more money and don't have any time, here's what you can do:

- Write letters to the editor of local papers. This is free advertising, and this kind of word of mouth is what got the Obama campaign moving in the first place.
- Carry voter registration forms with you wherever you go. Be vigilant about asking everyone you meet, and everyone that you are standing in line with, or on the bus with, or at the movies with, if they are registered to vote. Register them. Mail it for them, too.
- Drop off food and snacks to your local campaign office. A couple sodas. A bag of apples. A case of water. A box of doughnuts. A pound of coffee. Chex Mix. Whatever you've got, or can get. The volunteers will thank you for it, and the campaign can spend their precious dollars on advertising, not pizza.
- Tell everyone you know that the Obama campaign really, really needs more volunteers, and urge them to get in touch with their local office, via pa.barackobama.com. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this kind of word of mouth, grassroots communication. It really works better than anything else.
- Check out the separate post on the "Neighbor to Neighbor" tool on BarackObama.com
- Send this blog address to all the people you know.

FAQ: What's my.barackobama.com, and why should I make an account there?

The Obama campaign has precious little paid staff, and the field offices are concentrated in swing states. Because of this, they are using the internet not just as a supplementary means to traditional campaigning, but as the campaign's primary organizing tool -- for communications, for fundraising, for everything.

So, the most up-to-date and complete information you're going to get is going to be from the website. It is also a way to continue and extend the grassroots nature of the campaign, which has been so incredibly successful, so far.

My.BarackObama.Com is a way into your own personal network of fellow Obama supporters. It was created by the same guy who made Facebook. Love it or hate it, it works.

There are a million things you can do with that network, if you create an account, but here are some of the most important:

1. Look for events in your neighborhood. There might be a phone bank, a trip to a swing state to register voters, a fundraiser, a debate watching party at a bar that you can hook up with. In this way, it's like a library bulletin board. Need a ride to Pennsylvania? You can find one.

2. Write letters to the editors of newspapers in swing states. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This is free advertising, which the campaign desperately needs. They also really need to get the opinions of "regular folks" out there. My.BarackObama.com has a list of newspapers, their contact information, and even templates if you need.

3. "Neighbor to Neighbor." This is an online organizing tool that takes it a step further than talking with your friends, co-workers and family -- who, if they are like mine, are tired of hearing you talk. See the separate post for more information on this awesome awesome thing.

And there's much, much more you can do, if you are so inclined. So make an account. Take a look around. It can't hurt.

FAQ: What's "Neighbor to Neighbor" and why does it rock so hard?

There's an online community organizing tool at barackobama.com that's new, and kind of brilliant and amazing, and if you have no money and no ability to travel anywhere, you can still make a really big difference by using it.

It's called "Neighbor to Neighbor" and there's more information about it here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/votercontact

Essentially, it's a database of voters that you can access via the Obama website. You create an account, plug in your address and zip code, and it gives you a list of 25 people and their phone numbers/addresses. It also gives you a script to follow, and the means to report back to the campaign. Sometimes you might be calling undecided voters and telling them why it's important to vote this year or why you're voting for Obama, or sometimes you might be calling other Obama supporters to let them know that the campaign needs volunteers.

I know what you're thinking -- you hate telemarketers, and you don't want to be one. It feels a weird to call people you don't know, and it's creepy that you can even get their phone number off the Obama website. You don't want to be one of those annoying assholes.

I know, I know, I know. Really, I know. And I'm not saying that you won't get hung up on or yelled at, but you also might get someone who maybe wants to volunteer, but needs a little instruction and encouragement. Or you might get someone who is leaning towards Obama, but just doesn't know if it matters whether or not they vote. Or you might get someone who doesn't know if they're registered or not, and you could clear that right up by sending them to voteforchange.org to check on their registration status.

And it's public information, what's in that database. Anyone could get it if they wanted it - the voter registration records are public information. The Republicans have been using them nefariously for years (sending letters to people, telling them that they are "ineligible" to vote, when they are nothing of the sort). The Obama campaign is using it for good.

And by the way, isn't it amazing that the Obama campaign trusts its supporters to speak for it, without any kind of structure or supervision? They trust us to do a good job, represent the candidate well, and to be accountable. It says a lot about the nature of the campaign, and the candidate.

It also tells me that they are really smart about using their money wisely -- instead of renting space, buying phones, and having all that overhead in order to make a phone bank, they just let people do it from their own homes, and their own cell phones, and save campaign money for TV advertising.

And if you're worried about annoying someone, well, don't be annoying. Don't call during dinner. Don't be a pushy jerk on the phone. Be polite and respectful (the people you will be calling will be inclined towards Obama anyway -- odds are, they care as much as you do) and treat people the way you would want to be treated.

And, it's obvious, and I hate to say it, but what's worse: feeling awkward on the phone, or McCain/Palin winning the election?

And let me leave you with this: this campaign was built by people taking initiative, and doing things on their own, spreading the word to their neighbors, their friends, and anyone who would listen. If you are like me, you have already talked to everyone you know, and have hit the wall of your own social network bubble. This is a genius way for us to keep spreading the word, picking up more votes, more support, more volunteers.

Be brave. Pick up the phone. Knock on a door.

Better yet, get a group of friends and do it together -- make a little party out of it.

You'll feel better than you do watching the news and wringing your hands, I promise.

FAQ: I live in New York. What can I do?

Ok, there are a bunch of things you can do.

So you know, the Obama campaign is actually depending on New York, and New York City in particular, to win Pennsylvania. It's not a "Hey, neighbor, can you give us a hand?" thing. It's a critical part of the strategy. That's why they're sending me to Pennsylvania.

First thing, make an account on my.barackobama.com

I know, I know. It's annoying to be told to go to the website -- but this is no ordinary website, my friends. It's an all-in-one, social networking, community bulletin board, information center.

You can poke around there as much as you want, but take special note of these things:

1. Events: you can plug in your zip code, and it will tell you all the already formed groups in your neighborhood that you can join -- people carpooling to PA for the weekend to register voters, people setting up impromptu phone banks to call undecided NH voters, all of it. Check out what's happening that you can hook up with.

2. "Drive for Change" - this is for people able to spend several weekends in a row in PA, from now until election day.

3. "Neighbor to Neighbor" - I made a whole separate post about this. Check it out.

4. Write letters to the editor of papers in swing states: the website gives you the contact information, and a template for a letter to the editor, if you need one. Think on this: Thousands of assholes get their opinions printed in papers across the country every day. Why couldn't your thoughts be printed, and sway public opinion? They can! They should be! It's free advertising for the campaign and spreads support via word of mouth which is the most effective form of advertising that there is!

5. Get the word out to your friends, family and others all over the country that the Obama campaign can only win by increasing the volunteer, word of mouth, grassroots force that's already in place. There are not enough volunteers to do what needs to be done, to get the votes that need to be gotten. Not yet. Ask them to please volunteer, and to ask their friends to volunteer.

FAQ: I want to help out in a swing state, but it's not Pennsylvania.

If you live in, or close to a swing state other than PA, or you know people who do, and you want to travel there and help out, look at the post about helping in PA.

Most of those things will still apply to you (except the parts about working with me -- sorry, Charlie.)

FAQ: If the campaign needs volunteers so bad, why won't they get in touch with me? I just want to talk to a person.

I hear you.

It took me 2 weeks from the time I applied to Camp Obama to hear back from them - and I was offering to work full time, for free, in a swing state -- and didn't even need housing.

The first part of the answer is this: I know it seems like the Obama campaign is rolling in money because they do such an awesome job at fundraising, but the truth is, they don't have much money at all. They have hardly any paid staff and very few actual offices. They spend the money they do have very strategically on advertising in swing states.

Seriously -- most of the NY campaign staff only very recently started getting paid. Everyone uses their own cell phone, and they primarily use the internet to communicate, post information, and connect people. The website IS the central HQ. In most cases, there is no physical office and no dedicated phone number, which is why you can't find one on the website.

The other part of the answer is this: In 2000 and 2004, the Democratic campaign offices were flooded with volunteers the week before election day, and they weren't ready for it. It was a mess. No one's time was used well, and all the energy was spent on last minute organizing of volunteers, instead of on effectively getting out the vote. We know how that turned out.

So, this time, the campaign is focused first on finding and training people who can make a long commitment of 5 weeks or more. The New York office has been charged with finding and training 750 - 1,000 people, (from New York City alone, mind you) who can go to Pennsylvania for 5 weeks or more. After that, they need people who can commit to every weekend. After that, they need people who can go for just the two weeks before election day.

Those are their priorities -- they need to build up and reinforce the volunteer structure now, so when they are inundated with more and more volunteers as election day gets closer, there will be a system for them to plug into. Smart, right? I think so.

So, if you are someone who can give a little bit of time here and there, don't be frustrated that you're not hearing back -- you'll hear back. In the meantime, they have loaded up the website with things that you can do while you're waiting to hear.

1. Write letters to the editors of local papers in swing states.
2. Tell all your friends that the Obama campaign really, really, really needs volunteers who can make a long commitment.
3. Tell all your friends that I, Elizabeth, am recruiting volunteers for when I go to Pennsylvania, on Oct. 1. They can get in touch with me directly and I will either make use of them myself, or give them someone else's phone number.
4. Read the FAQ posts on my.barackobama.com and "Neighbor to Neighbor."

FAQ: I don't live in a swing state, or in New York. What can I do?

If you live in a state that is not going to swing (it's either solidly Republican or solidly Democrat), you can still help. Look at the "I live in New York" post for ideas. All the suggestions on there apply to you -- except the driving to Pennsylvania part.

Reckless Caring

Listen up people.

First, let me tell you how grateful and delighted I am for your support. For serious. I've had such a tremendous response from people I know, and people I don't know, and I feel so honored and proud to be a part of a larger community of Americans who care, passionately, about their neighbors, their country and the future.

To be honest, I was not always in support of Barack Obama. Let me be clear. He gave a really remarkable speech at the 2004 convention, which moved me to tears, and I wished, desperately, that he would be president of the universe. But after the 2004 election, I felt so disillusioned, and so isolated, and so helpless that I gave up on anything good ever happening in the world again. I felt like I did not belong in this country -- most Americans were not like me. The values that I held dearest -- chief among them being that you should help people who need helping -- were not shared by most other people in my country. It made me depressed, cynical, and hard.

And what happened is, people said "I wish Barack Obama would run" and I said "I really hope he doesn't. Because he'd never win. And if he runs for President this early in his national career, everyone will tear him apart, and then he'll be ruined forever, and we'll have lost someone who might have been really great."

But what happened was, more and more people kept telling me that they wished this guy would run. And then he announced that he was running. And I was REALLY conflicted, because while he was EXACTLY the kind of person who I wished could be president, I knew that most Americans would never support him. He was too thoughtful, too optimistic, too real. Also, black with a weird name. It wouldn't play. He was a fringe candidate.

And then I took a long trip around the country, and I got to know America a little better. And it's a beautiful, amazing place, you guys. And I have much more to say on that subject, believe you me. But the really transformative part of the experience was the people that I met. I was deeply surprised to find out that most Americans were kind, thoughtful, curious, and generous. I realized that my idea of who Americans were was wrong. I didn't feel like I was so separate, or so different anymore. I fell head over heels in love with America, and whoever came up with this impossibly optimistic system of government, that puts the power in the hands of its citizens.

And I also realized that adopting pessimism and cynicism was a way for me to avoid being disappointed. I realized that adopting optimism and idealism is the bravest choice you can make, and one that you can't make just once. You have to make it every single day, in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

And then more and more people started coming out as closet optimists. More and more people were not afraid to say that they wanted something, that they believed in something, and that they cared. People called them naive and all sorts of other things, but they kept picking up steam and attracting more and more people who weren't afraid to take a risk. It was stunning.

And I realized that saying that you care about the country is like saying that you love someone, when you don't know if they love you back. You might be totally destroyed -- but at some point the feeling is so big that you can't stop yourself, so damn the torpedoes.

I watched America's heart softening, and softening, until it couldn't resist anymore.

And that's what won me over. So many people caring with such abandon. So many people were putting themselves out there, knowing it was such a long shot, risking ridicule and disappointment. Caring -- recklessly.

And it occurred to me that the country was founded by a similarly crazy, idealistic, passionate group of people. People who cared enough to take matters back into their own hands when they wanted something else.

Obama, for whatever reason, has the ability to make people care again. Wherever he came from and whatever his job qualifications are don't matter to me, because he has the spooky, magic, crazy kind of charisma that will wake people up and inspire them to get together and do something that seems impossible.

And that, my friends, is how the world gets changed. It doesn't get changed by the guy in the top job, or even by the whole government. It gets changed because the citizens start to do it themselves, without waiting for permission or approval. And that was happening. It was a revolution.

And it's partly because I was a little late to the party that I feel like I have to make up for lost time and do so much more now.

"Well, Elizabeth, did you try your best?" is the question that always haunts me, no matter what I'm working on. Until now, I was not trying my best for America, because I was afraid of trying and failing.

Thankfully, I very recently realized that if I try my very best, and we still don't win, it won't feel nearly as bad as it would if I never tried at all. And if he won without my being involved, I would be happy, but also sad, because I wasn't a part of it, and I could have been if I hadn't been so scared of failing.

Also, see, when he wins, and I feel like I might have had a little, tiny part in it, it's going to be fucking amazing.

Don't Lose (You're Cool).

(editors note: I wrote this a little while back, before Camp Obama, when someone asked me how to keep it together if someone said it wouldn't be that bad if John McCain won the election. All this "I Hate Sarah Palin" and "Why Is Everyone So Stupid?" talk going around has me feeling real bad, so I thought I would re-visit my own piece of advice and try to follow it, this time.)


There’s been a lot of talk about “ending partisan rancor” and “reaching across the aisle,” but I have to admit, I don’t know how that can possibly happen, since I, and everyone I know, can barely have a civil conversation with an undecided voter without jumping down their throat. We’re exhausted, wrung out, keyed up, edgy and defensive. All the time. All we want to do is help, but we might actually care too much to be effective volunteers.

So I worry. I worry that even if the politicians do their best to make it a race about policy and issues, we’ll all be at each other’s throats for the next two months anyway. I worry that after November 4th, bitterness and disappointment on the losing side (whoever they are) will prevent us from working together, and we’ll be just as stuck and divided as we were before. I worry that while we’ve seen how change comes from the bottom up and not the top down, we’re not brave, strong or sure enough to take it any further, and first do ourselves what we want our candidates to do – to put aside our differences and concentrate on what unites us, so we can move forward.

Do we have the courage to walk our talk, and reach across the aisle in our own lives? We want to change the government, America, the world – but that means we have to change ourselves, too.

Do we really mean it?

I think that we do. I hope that we do. But it’s very hard to stay calm and open-minded when someone - friend, co-worker, loved one or potential voter - either doesn’t agree with your most closely held beliefs, or simply doesn’t care.

Here are some strategies to make the next two months productive, and not destructive. Let’s not wait – let’s start now.

10 Practical Tips for Not Losing Your Shit When Faced with Republicans, the Undecided and/or Apathetic.

First of all, let us agree that losing your shit is a bad thing. Letting anger and fear drive you makes it nearly impossible to focus on any task clearly and completely. Moreover, you will probably undermine any efforts you are making, because you will seem like a crazy person. Also, freaking out on someone who disagrees with you will cause you a lot of unnecessary emotional distress – which does you (and your cause) no good at all in the long or the short term.
Second, let’s agree that the best way to convince someone that your point of view is at least reasonable, if not correct, is to consistently BE reasonable -- not angry, weepy, shrill, desperate, or anything other than intelligent, balanced, open minded, articulate and trustworthy. Let us strive to cultivate and maintain these qualities.

If you encounter someone who has the potential to make you hysterical:

1. Breathe. Take long, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth without making any weird faces or obvious breathing noises. (If they notice you are trying to control yourself, you’ve already lost your advantage here). Use a mirror – determine the smallest amount your mouth needs to be open in order for you to exhale out of it. You don’t want to look like a slack-jawed mouth breather. Practice until you can easily switch to this kind of breathing without anyone noticing. Keep your face relaxed, and breathe deeply into your belly, not your chest.

2. Be a compassionate warrior. (Read some Pema Chodron for more on this). Send the person you are talking to as much love as you can muster when you are talking to them. Say it in your mind "I wish you love, happiness and joy." If this proves difficult, imagine that they are a beloved elderly friend or relative. Pick someone who you would never want to upset or yell at, someone who you respect, and someone who you will be your very best self around.

3. Listen. Be present. Try not to think about what you are going to say in response before someone has finished speaking – can’t you always tell when someone is doing that? Yeah, they can too. Don't assume you know the end of the sentence or phrase -- it might surprise you. Listen respectfully. Don't ever cut someone off. Don't nod and verbalize too much ("uh-huh" "sure" "I understand.") When you're responding like this, you're not listening anymore. Put all of your attention on the listening. Look at their faces, look at their body language. Avoid knee-jerk reactions or give-away facial expressions by breathing deeply and steadily throughout. Keep your forehead, mouth and hands relaxed and make sure your jaw isn’t clenched.

4. Use "I" statements. Breathe first, then talk about your experience. "The reason that I like Barack Obama is…" or "I’m frustrated because… “ "I'm worried that…" However, as you do this, it's very important not to seem like you are dismissing or glossing over what someone has just said. Be respectful – assume that the person you’re talking to is as intelligent as you. Accept that they think whatever they think for a really good reason, not because they are stupid or ignorant or just haven’t heard your brilliant opinion yet.

5. Try not to use "you" statements – especially things like “But don't you think…" or "Can't you see…" or "Don't you realize…" Nobody likes being told what they think, or should think. Ever. Instead, offer up your own experience. "I started to get interested in Obama because…" or "I’m happy that my parents, neither of whom had much confidence in Obama even a few months ago, are really impressed with his judgment and economic plans, and are now going to vote for him."

6. Use facts, not feelings, to make arguments. So, have a lot of facts at your disposal. Read a lot of different news sources – liberal and conservative – so no one can accuse you of being biased or uninformed. Have information about policy and issues at your disposal, as well as what the latest smears are – on both sides - so you can easily and gracefully dismiss them as simply incorrect.

7. See what you can agree on. Isn’t it great that there’s an African-American on one ticket, and a woman on the other? Either way, there’s going to be some one who's not a white guy in the executive branch for the first time ever! Isn’t it great that both parties see that Washington is broken? If they both are trying so hard to prove that they’re the better reformer, it’ll definitely have to get fixed, whoever is elected! Sure, it’s a little Pollyanna, but it’s amazing what a little bridge can lead to.

8. Don't be an asshole. Don't attack people’s beliefs. Don’t set out to prove anyone wrong. Don’t ask questions that you already know the answers to, in order to trick or trap people. That’s not going to get them on your side, it’s just going to make them mad or hurt their pride. No one is interested in listening to a person who is aggressive or argumentative or clearly has an agenda. People can smell that kind of desperation. So let them come to you. Play hard to get. Be cool, man – you know, like Obama. Offer your own perspective as clearly and as persuasively, and as personally as you can. You're never going to argue someone into changing their mind, but you can seem to be a person who is balanced, respectful, intelligent and thoughtful who has come to this particular conclusion. Usually, if you give people space, they'll see your point of view, and if you have composure and confidence, they might actually admire you. Which might not make them change their mind in this moment, but might give them that much more respect for you, and what you stand for. Over time, this might result in their changing their mind, or might just make the world a better, more respectful place. Either way is good.

9. Know when to let it go. If someone is fighting just to fight, or doesn't want to listen to you, or is really stubborn and hateful, back off. Don't get mad. Breathe, silently wish them love and happiness (and mean it), smile (for real), imagine that they are your beloved elderly relative, and say something like "I guess we have really different perspectives on these things." Let it go. Use that energy to register new voters.

10. Finally, when all else fails, follow this advice that my grandfather gave my father. “Whenever I don’t know what to do, I think, ‘Now, what would a smart person do?’”