Showing posts with label Get Your Ass to the Polls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Get Your Ass to the Polls. Show all posts
November 4, 2010
Oh to be Young...
...and only care about voting in Presidential electiona. In the course of breaking down Pot's current loss and future prospects, MY breaks out a chart showing that the under-30 crowd's share of the electorate dropped from 18% to 12% from this election to 2008. This isn't an unusual thing. Off-year elections always run older. But Obama's appeal is especially weighted to the younger crowd and away from the older. 65+ was the only age category to vote against him in 2008. When they go from 13% of voters to 20% of voters, we have trouble. Not just in votes on pot, but votes on everything. Including, for example, the House of Representatives! So for the next four years, find somebody under 30 and educate them as to the importance of voter in off years. Governors are important! House Members are important!
November 2, 2010
October 27, 2010
June 8, 2010
May 24, 2010
November 3, 2009
Election Day!
Well, kind of. For a lucky few. If you live in New Jersey or Virginia. New York Mayor. Upstate New York has a little soap going. John Garamendi is going to get himself a seat in Congress today. Just a little action to get the political junkies their fix. While I am grateful that fix, I have to say that odd-year governor and mayoral races are a bad idea. They kill turnout and cut a huge part of the electorate out of local government. The Presidency being what it is, you are just always going to get the best turnout for that election. But governor and mayor are really important jobs! Everybody should put their 2 cents on smaller races. I say put as many gigs on the ballot as possible and then get everyone out.
May 19, 2009
Even I Have Trouble
Today is special election day, get to polls, important matter of state to be decided, every vote counts. You know the drill. I'm having a bit of trouble caring myself, and I a damn political junkie. Special elections should be banned. You want your ballot measure passed, you wait for the next regularly scheduled election like everyone else. In California over the last few years we have had 2 special elections just for ballot measures, a recall election, and a Presidential primary separate from the primaries for every office. This needs to stop. It hurts turn out, costs a lot, and makes everyone more cynical about the process. Two elections, primary and general, every two years, that's should be the limit. I'm going to get to work on the ballot measure right now.
But anyway, do you duty, can't complain if you can't vote, people died to get you this right, blah, blah, blah.
But anyway, do you duty, can't complain if you can't vote, people died to get you this right, blah, blah, blah.
November 4, 2008
My Story
I voted. Dodged the morning rush at my polling place, so no waiting. One poor bastard was stuck in bureaucratic limbo, not showing up on any of the lists, but everyone else was voting smoothly. Did you know that Allen Keys is on the ballot this year? No, for President. I had no idea. I had to make a snap decision on a Community College bond measure and an adjustment to local utility taxes. I hoped I picked right.
Tell me your voting story.
Tell me your voting story.
Today is the Day
This is it. If you haven't already, get your ass to the polls. This is about choosing the path our nation will take. Here and now. No one vote will be enough. Voting is about faith. Faith in each other. It's doing your part, and counting on your fellows, all across the Nation, to do theirs. Tens of millions of little parts, and they add up to something extraordinary. I do not promise you perfection. This is not about salvation, or utopia or paradise. But if you all do what you can do, we can make a better world.
October 30, 2008
October 29, 2008
October 20, 2008
Deadline
Last day to register to vote in California. Hurry up already. There is going to be some historic stuff going down in 15 days. Trust me, you want in on this.
October 5, 2008
May 5, 2006
There's a Lesson Here
Look Here:
Two voting-age sons of a northern Ohio candidate didn't go to the polls Tuesday, and their father's race ended in a tie.
William Crawford, trying to retain his seat on the central committee of the Erie County Democratic Party, and challenger Jean Miller each received 43 votes in the primary balloting.
Officials plan to conduct a recount, but the race may have to be settled by coin flip, said David Giese, the county's Democratic Party chairman and an elections board member.
You know the lesson. Anyone? That's right, its important to vote. For the sake of family tranquility. Also, elections ties in Ohio are settled by coin toss. That's an interesting fact as well.
We are now one month away from the California Primary. Go get registered. Remember, if you have moved, you need to reregister.
Two voting-age sons of a northern Ohio candidate didn't go to the polls Tuesday, and their father's race ended in a tie.
William Crawford, trying to retain his seat on the central committee of the Erie County Democratic Party, and challenger Jean Miller each received 43 votes in the primary balloting.
Officials plan to conduct a recount, but the race may have to be settled by coin flip, said David Giese, the county's Democratic Party chairman and an elections board member.
You know the lesson. Anyone? That's right, its important to vote. For the sake of family tranquility. Also, elections ties in Ohio are settled by coin toss. That's an interesting fact as well.
We are now one month away from the California Primary. Go get registered. Remember, if you have moved, you need to reregister.
April 15, 2006
Missed Voting opportunity
I often harp on voting here at Craigorian Chant, but it turns out I missed out on a chance to vote, myself. It turns out that I could have voted in the Italian national election that was just held. The ruling right-wing party devised a plan to allow Italians living abroad to vote. But rather than just allowing ex-pats, or Italian citizens living abroad, the rules allowed for anyone of Italian descent to vote in the Italian election:
The "Italians abroad" voting scheme was designed by Mirko Tremaglia, the 80-year-old Minister of Italians in the World. An unapologetic defender of the Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, Mr. Tremaglia is said to have modelled the scheme after a Fascist scheme that defined Italians as a race.
Under Mr. Tremaglia's new electoral law, eligible voters are defined as anyone with a continuous line of male descendants going back to a man born in Italy. The voter needs only to register with an Italian consulate, and does not have to speak Italian, have visited Italy or even have parents who were born in Italy.
I have to go check the family archives, but I'm pretty sure that we have records of Baraccos going back to the Mother County. If you think about it, these rules mean that anybody with an Italian last name could vote. After all a "continuous line of male descendants going back to a man born in Italy" is pretty much proven by an Italian last name, right?
The final punchline - Berlusconi, who's party came up with this idea, lost due to the votes of Italians living abroad:
He was especially critical of the voting of "Italians abroad," who elected 12 seats in Italy's lower house and six seats in the senate. Four of those six seats went to Mr. Prodi's coalition, and a fifth, independent South American victor announced that he would also back Mr. Prodi.
That means that the "Italians abroad" determined the government, since Mr. Prodi's coalition won control of the Senate by only two seats, a margin of 158 seats to 156. Mr. Berlusconi's anger and scrutiny is now focused tightly on these votes, especially in the riding that represents North and Central America, in which Canadian votes proved decisive.
Story link came from Americablog.
The "Italians abroad" voting scheme was designed by Mirko Tremaglia, the 80-year-old Minister of Italians in the World. An unapologetic defender of the Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, Mr. Tremaglia is said to have modelled the scheme after a Fascist scheme that defined Italians as a race.
Under Mr. Tremaglia's new electoral law, eligible voters are defined as anyone with a continuous line of male descendants going back to a man born in Italy. The voter needs only to register with an Italian consulate, and does not have to speak Italian, have visited Italy or even have parents who were born in Italy.
I have to go check the family archives, but I'm pretty sure that we have records of Baraccos going back to the Mother County. If you think about it, these rules mean that anybody with an Italian last name could vote. After all a "continuous line of male descendants going back to a man born in Italy" is pretty much proven by an Italian last name, right?
The final punchline - Berlusconi, who's party came up with this idea, lost due to the votes of Italians living abroad:
He was especially critical of the voting of "Italians abroad," who elected 12 seats in Italy's lower house and six seats in the senate. Four of those six seats went to Mr. Prodi's coalition, and a fifth, independent South American victor announced that he would also back Mr. Prodi.
That means that the "Italians abroad" determined the government, since Mr. Prodi's coalition won control of the Senate by only two seats, a margin of 158 seats to 156. Mr. Berlusconi's anger and scrutiny is now focused tightly on these votes, especially in the riding that represents North and Central America, in which Canadian votes proved decisive.
Story link came from Americablog.
October 24, 2005
Deadline
It is the last day the register to vote in California for the special election. Remember, if you move (and I know my readership, and you are a very mobile group of people) Then you need to re-register. So get yourself to the local Register of Voter or DMV and fill out the card. After all, the more of you guys vote, the bigger my influence will become, and soon I will be wined and dined by the powerful and the beautiful in the hopes of getting the all-important Craigorian Chant endorsement. So my sake, if not the sake of your County and your State, get your ass registered to vote.
October 14, 2004
Unstoppable Momentum Edition
It is now clear to me that now that Kerry has unstoppable Momentum. Why, the only thing that could stop him is ... Oh God, all kinds of things. Karl Rove scares me. He scares Talking Points Memo.
Well, now that we've had the primaries, the convention, and the nail-biting debates, all that's really left now is the Karl Rove dirty tricks portion of the campaign, right?
I worry about the Electoral College. Did know that a 269-269 perfect tie is possible? It doesn't have to be weird. If Kerry wins every State Gore won plus Colorado, its a tie. And that a tie would broken by the House of representatives? The Republican controlled House of representatives. My nightmare is that Kerry wins the popular vote, the Electoral College ties and a narrow GOP majority votes Bush in. Democrats would lose their minds. This election really comes down to a fight over just a few States.
Maybe I should change the title of this post.
Just four more days to register to vote in California so get going.
Yeah you. Get out of that chair, turn off the computer, put some pants on for God's sake, and go register to vote.
Well, now that we've had the primaries, the convention, and the nail-biting debates, all that's really left now is the Karl Rove dirty tricks portion of the campaign, right?
I worry about the Electoral College. Did know that a 269-269 perfect tie is possible? It doesn't have to be weird. If Kerry wins every State Gore won plus Colorado, its a tie. And that a tie would broken by the House of representatives? The Republican controlled House of representatives. My nightmare is that Kerry wins the popular vote, the Electoral College ties and a narrow GOP majority votes Bush in. Democrats would lose their minds. This election really comes down to a fight over just a few States.
Maybe I should change the title of this post.
Just four more days to register to vote in California so get going.
Yeah you. Get out of that chair, turn off the computer, put some pants on for God's sake, and go register to vote.
September 28, 2004
Ten Thousand People Standing Behind Me
Turnout will be key in this election. I'll bet you will hear that a lot in the next month or so. Let me tell you what that means. In the end, after all the pundits, debates and 2 billion in ads all that really matters is that more of our people show up than their people. Read New Donkey on this. He calls it "3 votes and a cloud of dust:"
I think it's increasingly clear that if Kerry (and other Democrats in battleground states) are two or three points behind on November 1, they might still win. Getting to the point where the "ground game" can be decisive, however, means succeeding in the "air war" of convincing persuadable voters to smile upon the donkey.
Feel better? Planners in the readership should note the section on the growth in exurban areas. Now look at this story on massive increase in Democratic strongholds:
Cleveland has seen nearly twice as many new voters register so far as compared with 2000; Philadelphia is having its biggest boom in new voters in 20 years; and counties are bringing in temporary workers and employees from other agencies to help process all the new registration forms.
Lots of chumps will tell you that your vote will not matter. You are not alone. There are ten people standing behind you and a thousand standing behind them and they all want what you want. I will get my people to the polls and trust that the thousands of people standing behind me will each get their people to the polls. You are not alone.
I think it's increasingly clear that if Kerry (and other Democrats in battleground states) are two or three points behind on November 1, they might still win. Getting to the point where the "ground game" can be decisive, however, means succeeding in the "air war" of convincing persuadable voters to smile upon the donkey.
Feel better? Planners in the readership should note the section on the growth in exurban areas. Now look at this story on massive increase in Democratic strongholds:
Cleveland has seen nearly twice as many new voters register so far as compared with 2000; Philadelphia is having its biggest boom in new voters in 20 years; and counties are bringing in temporary workers and employees from other agencies to help process all the new registration forms.
Lots of chumps will tell you that your vote will not matter. You are not alone. There are ten people standing behind you and a thousand standing behind them and they all want what you want. I will get my people to the polls and trust that the thousands of people standing behind me will each get their people to the polls. You are not alone.
September 26, 2004
Election Prep Checklist
Al Gore gives a great speech when he talks about the difference between what the morning after an election victory is like compared to the morning after a loss. It goes something like this: You wake up in the morning, there is a crick in your neck and a pain in your back. Your alarm didn't go off and you're late for work. It's raining outside and the coffee machine is out of filters. You stub your toe getting the paper (which is all wet from the rain) and "Four More Years." Or you wake up rested and ready. The sun is shining, the birds are singing. Together with your paycheck you find the morning paper with the headline "Kerry Landslide." Now with little over a month to go to the election. I now present to you the following handy checklist to prepare for the upcoming elections.
1. Register to vote. I know, I know but just make sure o.k? I would hate to spend all this time convincing you to vote and have you not be able to. You have a couple of weeks left in California, but don't put it off.
2. Chip in money if you can. You can't give any more money to the Kerry/Edwards campaign. But you can give to the Democratic National Committee. The DNC blog is called "Kicking Ass" and that's what they will do with your money.
3. Put in some time. For those of us who are broke the best thing we can give is our time. Find a place to put in a little volunteer time. If you live in a swing state there will be plenty of Presidential action. If not, find a local candidate who seems worth it and put in a little time. Call some voters, change some minds.
4. Find a mind that you can change. Think about everybody you know. The key minds we are after are: 1. Wishy-washy people who have not picked a guy yet. 2. "Soft" conservatives who are upset with Bush. 3. Dumb-ass liberals who are still going to vote for Nader. 4. Lazy-ass liberals who would vote for Kerry if we can only get them to lay down the joint and vote. Find these people! We can start working on them soon, but the important thing is to find them.
You have your marching orders. Go forth loyal readers! Onward to victory!
1. Register to vote. I know, I know but just make sure o.k? I would hate to spend all this time convincing you to vote and have you not be able to. You have a couple of weeks left in California, but don't put it off.
2. Chip in money if you can. You can't give any more money to the Kerry/Edwards campaign. But you can give to the Democratic National Committee. The DNC blog is called "Kicking Ass" and that's what they will do with your money.
3. Put in some time. For those of us who are broke the best thing we can give is our time. Find a place to put in a little volunteer time. If you live in a swing state there will be plenty of Presidential action. If not, find a local candidate who seems worth it and put in a little time. Call some voters, change some minds.
4. Find a mind that you can change. Think about everybody you know. The key minds we are after are: 1. Wishy-washy people who have not picked a guy yet. 2. "Soft" conservatives who are upset with Bush. 3. Dumb-ass liberals who are still going to vote for Nader. 4. Lazy-ass liberals who would vote for Kerry if we can only get them to lay down the joint and vote. Find these people! We can start working on them soon, but the important thing is to find them.
You have your marching orders. Go forth loyal readers! Onward to victory!
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