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.