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View Full Version : Some Things I've Noticed...


AceFace
10-13-2008, 09:35 AM
I usually don't post in politics that much, but i DO read this forum every day. that said, i do have some observations
on my local area that are very enlightening to me.

We've had 3 people knock on our door this month. they've all been democrats pounding the pavement and doing
their best to push their candidate. we've had discussions with them, even once, we told them we were "undecided"
to see if they'd be pushy. they were all very nice, respectful people. not once have we had a republican
knock on our door. we're not registered with a party. we don't have signs in our yard. it's obvious that the
repubs are not doing the work, or atleast, not as well as the dems are.

the ads are getting interesting. the repubs are mostly attack ads. they quote many articles in newspapers.
there's one that REALLY disturbs me. it says something like "Obama thinks our soldiers are... *inserted is a soundbite
that's CLEARLY taken out of context and he's saying* 'continuously bombing and killing women and children'".
now you KNOW he didn't really say that and that's just damn dirty. on the Dems side, the ads are very different.
not as "attacky" (my own word there), but they do get some jabs in. the thing i notice is that in most of the ads,
is that they reference and quote actual bills voted on by McCain. they also quote the papers and such, but the
ads def have a more honest kinda vibe. i know they're both politicians and really none of it is being honest, i just
calls 'em like i sees 'em.

lastly... i atteneded a RALLY yesterday! first rally in our town that i've ever known about, democrat, republican or other.
President Clinton spoke. it was amazing! i've never seen a president up close nor heard them speak in person.
the rally was so fun and neat. we heard from our local dem running for congress. he's the youngest man to ever run for the position.
he's 26, i think. my husband and i were amazed at the excitement in the air.

my point is, the dems seem to be going out of their way to make their mark on us. they're trying to get our votes, they're doing the work.
i feel a little insulted that the repubs don't think our area is worth fighting for. they came as far as richmond and stopped.
they're not out knocking on doors. they're not catching my attention with ads that might sway me. are they really that
interested in winning this time around?

wow, that was long.

camo
10-13-2008, 10:29 AM
wow, that was long.

yeah, I couldn't be arsed to read it :rolleyes:

AceFace
10-13-2008, 10:33 AM
enh, it's about american politics, like you'd read it anyway. :p

DroppinScience
10-13-2008, 01:03 PM
Thanks for the observations, AceFace.

I do think that if Virginia does go blue (which hasn't happened since the days of Lyndon Johnson) -- and the reason it is plausible this November -- it is due to the grassroots efforts that you have been witnessing. The constant door knocking and the rallies. Not to mention over the last few years, the Democrats have been making strong gains over the past few years (a Democrat in the governor's mansion, Sen. James Webb, and perhaps even a second Democratic senator since Warner is retiring).

AceFace
10-13-2008, 01:11 PM
Mark Warner is running for senate and he's about the best governor we've had in a LONG time, of course Kaine is doing well now, too. he's got a HUGE following in our area.

i'll have pics of the rally up later today. :)

abcdefz
10-13-2008, 01:19 PM
If the Republicans aren't hitting your area, they either think they've got it locked or (less likely) they can't possibly win. Maybe the feeling
is that the ad buys are covering it. Virginia is historically a red state, isn't it?

jennyb
10-13-2008, 01:31 PM
Looks like McCain is hitting up Virginia today.

"... I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it," McCain said at a rally in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/13/campaign.wrap/index.html)

AceFace
10-13-2008, 01:36 PM
yeah. he's hitting VA Beach and Richmond. i live in the southwestern area. only area he's not bothering with. i mean i could care less if he comes here or not, but it seems the dems have really worked hard in this area and not the repubs.

yes, we've always been red. i'm kinda excited that we may turn blue this time! YAY!

abcdefz
10-13-2008, 01:40 PM
i'm kinda excited that we may turn blue this time!




Don't hold your breath!




































(Get it? "Don't hold your breath"? Get it? "Turning blue"? Get it?)

AceFace
10-13-2008, 01:40 PM
hehehehe. you so funny!

Echewta
10-13-2008, 01:58 PM
Yes, but do you really KNOW Barrack Obama? DO YOU? Really KNOW??

DroppinScience
10-13-2008, 02:26 PM
yeah. he's hitting VA Beach and Richmond. i live in the southwestern area. only area he's not bothering with. i mean i could care less if he comes here or not, but it seems the dems have really worked hard in this area and not the repubs.

yes, we've always been red. i'm kinda excited that we may turn blue this time! YAY!

Your area is the panhandle area of Virginia, right?

Virginia is an interesting phenomenon to me because the demographics are changing. Northern Virginia has been turning more and more solidly blue, but for the Democrats campaigning, they're going well-beyond those "safe" areas and journeying into the reddest of the red parts, and apparently it has been working.

The big mistake McCain made was to think Virginia and other states were "safe" because they've been reliably red for some time. Now they're scrambling to catch up.

abcdefz
10-13-2008, 02:36 PM
hehehehe. you so funny!



Born to entertain. :D

camo
10-13-2008, 04:17 PM
Born to entertain. :D

quick! hit her with one of your scar jokes!!!!!!!!!

RobMoney$
10-13-2008, 05:12 PM
While I won't deny the energy that Obama has brought to this election, I do have to point to the fact that Obama is much better funded.
He has a lot more money to put out on the street to pay those "campaigners" that are doing the work that's attracting your attention.

Laver1969
10-13-2008, 06:00 PM
While I won't deny the energy that Obama has brought to this election, I do have to point to the fact that Obama is much better funded.
He has a lot more money to put out on the street to pay those "campaigners" that are doing the work that's attracting your attention.

Interesting point. Who in the campaign (Obama's or McCain's) get paid? I mean who draws a salary and who is just volunteering? And do the volunteers get any kind of compensation such as gas money, parking, lunch, free bumper stickers and t-shirts?

I think the "energy" comes from the grassroots movement who is funding his campaign and that comes from the excitement over the candidate. It's all one in the same. The candidate=excitement=supporters/volunteers=contributions. McCain saw the same thing when Palin was first announced.

What's latest on fundraising for both campaigns?

King PSYZ
10-13-2008, 06:04 PM
yeah and that money comes from his supporters... further proof that grassroots works.

AceFace
10-14-2008, 08:57 AM
Your area is the panhandle area of Virginia, right?

Virginia is an interesting phenomenon to me because the demographics are changing. Northern Virginia has been turning more and more solidly blue, but for the Democrats campaigning, they're going well-beyond those "safe" areas and journeying into the reddest of the red parts, and apparently it has been working.

The big mistake McCain made was to think Virginia and other states were "safe" because they've been reliably red for some time. Now they're scrambling to catch up.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS265&q=Virginia+Map&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

i'm in roanoke. :)

also, i volunteered to help on election day. they didn't offer to pay me at all. my boss won't let me off, though.

AceFace
10-15-2008, 09:24 AM
even bigger! Obama himself is hitting our town Friday!

AceFace
10-15-2008, 01:38 PM
sad FACE! he's speaking at noon on friday. my hard core republican boss laughed at me when i asked her if i could take the time off to go. :mad:

yeahwho
10-15-2008, 03:55 PM
sad FACE! he's speaking at noon on friday. my hard core republican boss laughed at me when i asked her if i could take the time off to go. :mad:

Just going through this thread and am really saddened you're not getting the opportunity to participate in the Obama rally. I wouldn't be able to get the day off for something like that either, been learning to to call in sick, because literally I do get extremely sick of work a couple times a year.

yeahwho
10-15-2008, 04:00 PM
While I won't deny the energy that Obama has brought to this election, I do have to point to the fact that Obama is much better funded.
He has a lot more money to put out on the street to pay those "campaigners" that are doing the work that's attracting your attention.

This is one of the biggest advertising campaigns on earth. I think that angle draws me in just as much as the political stance.

Looking at these numbers is mind boggling (http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.php), it tells a story about our political process and the true road to being the POTUS.