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?