Centerfield

I want to know what the folks here think about GOTV drives. I think the original concept was to encourage everyone to participate and vote, period. But, I think it's been perverted where organizations and individuals feel like that have to persuade voters to choose their candidate. I don't believe that's proper. I think you can tell people why you feel as you do. But, let them make their own informed decision.

I read of little honorariums to people who go vote, letter writing campaigns, and door-to-door sales pitches. It's like a bunch of folks are AmWay sales people for their party.

What do you think?

I'm surprised that the Economist endorsed John Kerry. I don't think endorsements generally have much or any influence. However, both the audience of the paper and the honestly reluctant tone of the endorsement makes me think that it might push wavering Bush supporters to finally decide that Kerry is the lesser of two evils.

Jamie, I don't know how you get volunteers to spend their free time registering voters without expecting the vast majority of these volunteers to be motivated partisans. If it were up to me, I'd require that any registrations not done in person within 60 days of an election must be registered as independent/unenrolled.

ID for new registrations. It's not just a good idea, it's the law.

Well, I did the early voting thing and made my vote. I even surprised myself. The polling place was mobbed with people, it really appears that turnout will be up big this year, lots of non-regular voters. Its the polarization.

I detailed my voting experience and choice
http://withoutaparty.blogspot.com/

I heard on the radio here in California it is in fact ILLEGAL for pollworkers to check for ID at a polling place. Good thing we're not as close as some of the swing states or we'd be litigating between now and 2008.

Did you guys see this about a new bin laden video? At least the rumor has a short shelf life since if it is real, it will air in 30 minutes.

I really, really hate being caught between two sides of an issue sometimes. I have friends on both sides, both of whom are very firmly entranched in their positions and won't budge an inch. They can't even agree on what the facts are. I feel torn sometimes. Every time I try to form a political opinion of my own, I get into conversations with my friends and get pulled one way or the other because they're both so reasonable about where they stand.

A short time ago I felt like I had truly found where I stood. Now I'm back at square one.

I was listening to Fresh Air today, and there was an interesting interview with Lt. Josh Rushing. This link will work today, but might not tomorrow.

Rushing was a press officer stationed at Centcom (United States Central command) presenting the American military point of view on the war to the world press. He was featured in the documentary Control Room which was filmed inside the Arab network Al Jazeera. Rushing decided to leave the military after the Pentagon ordered him to stop commenting on the documentary.

GOTV drives can be good turnout tools, if you properly target the people you want at the polls, keep the message positive, and don't overdo it.

Annoy them too often, be too negative, and you can drive them into the other camp, or motivate them to stay home.

Do not annoy the voters.

JonBuck, there will be reasonable arguments and reasonable people on both sides of anything that isn't blatantly obvious. And to those people, their own arguments will seem obvious to them (and I do not except myself).

The best you can do is make your own assessment and vote your own opinion. Knowing that you will sometimes be wrong, no matter how hard you try.

The best words of advice for people actually in public service that I ever heard were these, and I think they apply: "Son, no matter what you do, you will piss off about half the people most all of the time. So you might as well do what you think is right."

I think this year even the most annoying, poorly targeted GOTV wouldn't deter voters. People are pissed off...on both sides.

My mother was here overnight. She and my dad are Bush supporters to the core. This morning she was mad at Teresa Heinz Kerry for having lots of money.

I asked her if it bothered her when Teresa was a Republican and married to a Republican.

The silence was deafening. :)

Carla,

Aren't die-hard Republican parents great!

Tully,

Harry Truman, right?

Carla,

Interesting that your folks are Republicans. You must have some interesting family get togethers. My father voted for Nixon in 1968 and his mother and sisters were outraged. There was a story in the WaPo today about a family in Wisconsin that is literally split down the middle--father and one daughter for Bush, mother and the other daughter for Kerry. (Of course, the parents were divorced.)

Marc, it was the first politician I ever worked for personally. Dan Glickman. Before he forgot who he was supposed to represent.

MWS:

Usually when we get together we don't talk about politics.

LOL