Mailin’ for Palin & McCain
Due to a vast public outcry for an update on my political activities this past week, I’d like to catch everybody up to date on the state of the McCain/Palin campaign in St. Louis County, Mo.
The local office asked for volunteers to help with a huge mailer they were putting out, statewide, this week and into next week.
The mailer asks questions about Barack Obama’s judgment when it comes to his political cronies. I know all of you know the usual cast of characters. Whether these types of mailers are too little, too late, only the next nine days will tell, and judging from the scope of the allegations of voter fraud, maybe a lot longer than 9 days.
We went directly to the plant that did the printing and Monday evening, we were working with pieces so “hot off the presses” that traces of ink were coming off on our hands. So, now I can refer to myself as an “ink-stained wretch” and it is literally true!
We alternated between helping run the machine that put the “wafers” on the fold out flyers and affixing the “wafers” to the flyers by hand. We were especially useful when the machines would break down and we were all busy at work at three long tables, putting on the wafers while a couple of guys familiar with the machines would repair them. That was a story in itself. Talk about self-sufficiency. One man was a retired Engineer and the other some kind of a mechanic and between the two of them, they would get the machines up and running in about a half hour.
Some retired people were working 12 hours a day. One of the campaign workers would check on one of the older women, asking her how she felt, urging her to go home and rest if she was feeling worn out. But the older woman was having none of it. She said she was fine, that everyone had been so nice to her and that she was doing it for the country and that the country was more important than her. I feel fortunate to have heard that first hand. You just can’t get a feel for the country any other way. It’s good to know those folks are still out there.
Several of the volunteers were World War II vets, one was a Korean War vet and one much younger guy was active Air Force, stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
Part of what made it so meaningful was the conversations that were going on as we worked. Rock-ribbed Republicans all. WSJ readers, Fox News viewers and most were computer savvy and knew all the websites we talk about here.
One thing that struck me, and this was not the first time this has happened, is how we Romney supporters have almost a celebrity status within the party. When they asked me if I had been active in any other candidate’s campaigns and I told them I was a Romney supporter, the other conversations went silent and everyone within earshot listened intently as I told them about our trip to Des Moines to work for Romney there, the opportunity I had to speak on Gov. Romney’s behalf at a fire station in Birmingham, Iowa, the media circus, being on MSNBC, CNN and being interviewed by a Japanese television film crew during the Super Bowl Party when Mitt was in St. Louis. Again, from first hand information, I can tell you that Mitt Romney is highly respected within the halls of Republican power, it’s just that enough misdirected folks out at the fringes of the party were conned into voting for Huckabee, that caused the situation in which we now find ourselves.
Speaking of misdirected, one guy from the campaign that I sat next to had worked for Huckabee during the primary season. He confirmed that the Home School movement had been a big source of volunteer help for them. He said one of the reasons that Huckabee was so gaffe prone, was that he did not have a speech writer. He agreed with me that Huckabee’s remark about not being an expert in foreign affairs, but that he had stayed at a Holiday Inn Express the night before, was extremely embarrassing to them.
There were not any RINO’S present at the printing plant. You know the folks I am speaking of. Long on hot air and opinions, but hard to find when the heavy lifting needs to be done. We very much enjoyed each others company, but no one was upbeat about McCain/Palin’s prospects on Nov. 4. We also talked about the need to roll back Obama & Co. during the mid-terms in 2010. These folks will put their money and their shoe leather to work to elect a Republican Congress. Those of us at this website have got our fingers on the country’s pulse. I had never met any of these people and they are saying THE SAME things we are. The party is more unified than the press would have you believe. We just need to learn our lesson from the awful primary we went through this spring and work to run Huckabee out of the party as a reward for the way he screwed the election up. You know, it just occurred to me as I am typing this, Mike Huckabee is probably as much responsible for Obama likely becoming the next President, as any other one person that I can think of. Thanks, Mike, good call.
After working at the plant from 5pm to 8 pm, Mon-Fri, I went up to the McCain H.Q. Saturday at 2 pm to get trained to become a Poll Watcher. We will stand behind the Judges and the Supervisors and make sure everyone is presenting some form of proper I.D. We are not allowed to speak to any of the voters and if we see something not kosher, we first go to a Judge and then to a Supervisor. If we still think something improper is going on, our next action will be to call a lawyer, who will show up at the polling station and they will take it from there.
The law student who gave the instructions was asked about voter fraud in the upcoming general election. He mentioned a church that we were all familiar with and asked, does that Church look like a residence to any of you? When we said no, he responded with: “Well, I can tell you that there are 13 voters registered at that address.” He even went as far as to ask any of us who are willing and able, to follow the vans to the Board of Elections to make sure the ballot boxes are delivered safely. Sadly, that is where we are at in this country. I am beginning to feel like I live in a Banana Republic. With that in mind, I would like all of you to keep your eyes and ears open on election day and to be sure to report ( discretely ) anything suspicious to a Poll Watcher.
I am going to vote tomorrow at the Board of Elections so that I won’t have to worry about it on Election Day. I will be at my post at 6 am and will remain stalwart and observant until the polls close. I will cast my vote for McCain/Palin, not because I am going back on my word, but because I called the Board about a week ago and was informed that Missouri does not allow write in votes in the General Election. Hopefully, I will get my chance to cast, not a write in vote, but a vote for Mitt Romney as the winner of the Republican primaries and as the nominee of the Republican Party in November of 2012!!
October 26th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I still struggle with having to vote for McCain. What will push me over and actually vote for him is the appointment of Judges. I dont care what McCain has said. Before I vote for him I need to know what judges he voted for and who he didnt. I remember him being a little ‘gumby’ on those being reviewed. Could someone please persuade me. I have voted republican for 30 years, but I am seriously considering holding my vote back this time.
October 26th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Zeek,
and exactly what guarentees do we have that McCain will indeed appoint conservative judges? He said his runningmate would be able to take over on day one. That did not happen. He said he’d have some econ policies to yak about. That did not happen. If you want to trust him, knock yourself out. At this point, he could tell me the sky in Sedona is blue, and I would have a huge problem believing him.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:48 am
A nasty little undercurrent of the Republican party reared its ugly head during the primaries, and that is it’s bigotry towards anybody not “Christian” as they so narrowly define it. It wasn’t just the fringes of the party that went with Huck. It was a good 30%. Don’t blame Huck for what happened. He was just an opportunist, taking advantage of the bigotry that was evident within the party. I have to continually ask myself why I would want to be a part of an organization that would reject its most qualified candidate on religious grounds. Is anyone else asking themselves that same question?
October 27th, 2008 at 4:06 am
I think this should be posted front line.
http://race42008.com/2008/10/26/i-had-to-bite/#comments
October 27th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Leslie. I do everyday! I am NOT a democrate, but in the democrate party, several LDS have risen to positions of power. Now, no LDS democrate has yet to run for President so the total test has not yet been passed. BUT, (and I disagree with him on most issues) Harry Reid is LDS, The Udall cousins are LDS, Mattheson is LDS and so on and so on. and so on. I can’t imagine the Democrates telling Ried he can’t be senate majority leader because he’s LDS. In fact, many did not even know he was LDS! But every news program had Romney’s ‘mormon problem’ as a news item. I never figured out what that ‘problem’ was exactly. I mean, LDS are traditionally family type people with high morals and values. Every religion can be defined as a cult. Even McCain’s mother jumped into the fray. And McCain stood by saying nothing. Just said his mom is his mom. Spoke volumes to me. That is one reason, amoung many others, I cannot and will not cast a vote for McCain.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Mon, October 27, 2008
Palin’s past under fire
UPDATED: 2008-10-27 02:00:10 MST
Investigation shows TransCanada pipeline deal mired in flawed bidding
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD AND GARANCE BURKE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANCHORAGE — Gov. Sarah Palin’s signature accomplishment — a contract to build a 2,760-km pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the lower 48 states — emerged from a flawed bidding process that narrowed the field to a Calgary company with ties to her administration, an Associated Press investigation says.
Beginning at the Republican National Convention in August, the McCain-Palin ticket has touted the pipeline as an example of how it would help the U.S. achieve energy independence.
The investigation found Palin’s team crafted terms that favoured only a few independent pipeline companies and ultimately benefited the winner, TransCanada Corp.
And there’s no guarantee the pipeline will ever be built — any project is years away, as TransCanada must first overcome major financial and regulatory hurdles.
In interviews and a review of records, the AP found the leader of Palin’s pipeline team, Marty Rutherford, had been a partner at a lobbying firm where she worked on behalf of a TransCanada subsidiary.
Also, that woman’s former business partner at the lobbying firm was TransCanada’s leading private lobbyist on the pipeline deal.
Plus, a former TransCanada executive, Patrick Anderson, served as an outside consultant to Palin’s pipeline team.
Tony Palmer, TransCanada vice-president who leads the company’s Alaska gas pipeline effort, rejects the suggestion his company benefited.
“We have gained clearly no advantage from anything that Ms. Rutherford did for Foothills some five years ago on a very much unrelated topic,” he said.
The AP also found under a different set of rules four years earlier, TransCanada had offered to build the pipeline without a state subsidy — under Palin, the company could receive a maximum $500 million.
“I’m not saying someone’s getting paid off for a sweetheart contract but it’s very hard to ignore that this is your former partner and your former client standing there before you,” said Republican Sen. Lyda Green — a Palin critic who in August voted against awarding TransCanada the licence.
Republican Sen. Stedman, who also voted against TransCanada, said the company got a “sweetheart deal.”
“Where else could you get a $500-million reimbursement when you don’t even have the financing to build the pipeline?”
October 27th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Alaska is now preparing for the return of Palin to resume the duties of the part time gov. ADN.com has an excellent advice for that ‘transition’ back, and what she’ll have to do to make it all work again. Mostly they asked that she stay out of the National spotlight. Good advise.
Here’s a fun little thing about our ‘average’ hockey mom.
http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/568609.html