Monday, September 29, 2008

Name That Crop – The eccentricity of a Marriage for Obama

By way of context, Alex has taken 5 photos in four minutes. Of shacks. Or barns. He thinks they’re earthy. Seasick Steve is crooning bluesily on the speakers.

Alex: ‘Someone needs to buy Seasick Steve a new guitar. I mean, he’s a supremely talented guy, but he’s only got two strings on his guitar and they’re 50 years old. Someone needs to buy him a new guitar, or some new strings, is all. Someone should also buy him a razor. Then he could have some success and recognition on the hit parade.’

Russell: ‘You should work in A & R.’

Alex: ‘You should work in CVS…Ooh! Name That Crop…’

Russell: ‘Oh, man. Drivetime in your family must be a hoot. And since the last four Name That Crops were cotton, I’m gonna go with cotton.’

(Russell cracks knuckles)

Alex: ‘Do you have to do that? It’s not cotton.’

Russell: ‘Rapeseed?’

Alex: ‘Truth is, I don’t know what it is. I only know cotton. Ooh! Name THAT crop…’

Russell: (Exasperated) ‘I really don’t know.’

Alex: ‘Come on, mate. This is one you DO know.’

Russell: ‘I don’t.’

Alex: (Exasperated) ‘It’s COTTON!’

Russell: (Beat) ‘You missed a photo of a shack.’

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Kelly and Joe

Friday, September 26, 11pm

Only after the end of the debate did we stop to think, after what had been an incredibly busy and rewarding day. And we quickly realized that we had no bed for the night and faced sleeping in our car for the first time.

It was then that Kelly and Joe, two guests at the Richmond debate party kindly offered that we stay with them, about a mile up the road.

On route, we stopped to buy them some ice cream and beer to say thank you, ignorant at the time to the fact that Joe cannot drink beer. Or eat ice cream.

Nevertheless, we had a great evening, sat out on the porch in a folksy, studenty part of Richmond, discussing the Obama campaign and what Drive for Obama is trying to achieve, and speaking about the differences and similarities between our two home countries, Britain and the US.

It was a privilege and a pleasure to sit out for 3 hours with Kelly and Joe, and they are joining us this afternoon on our jaunt up to Fredericksburg, VA, for the Obama-Biden rally this afternoon, which we’re all really looking forward to.

The Debate

Friday, September 26, 9pm

Last night, we were invited to join Richmond, VA, precinct captain Aaron Rabinowitz and his fiancé Emily at their home to watch the first Presidential debate.

After an arduous drive in the dark and rain from DC, we arrived just in time for the candidates to be announced.

Our view is that while John McCain looked decidedly uncomfortable and Obama looked positively Presidential, neither candidate was able to land a knockout blow on his opponent.

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McCain looked tired, bitter and unengaged at times, and was contemptuous of Barack’s calm thought and statesmanlike assessment of the perils of our time.

It was encouraging to see Aaron’s family, friends and members of the local community at the watch party, and we thank them for their hospitality.

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The McLaughlin Group


Friday, September 26, 3pm

This afternoon we had the privilege of going behind the scenes at the longest running and most eminent political roundtable on American TV, The McLaughlin Group, in Washington, DC.

Host and moderator John McLaughlin was formerly speechwriter and Special Assistant to the Nixon and Ford Administrations and his show has run in its current format since 1984, paving the way for similarly formatted shows around the world.

John’s guests this afternoon included Monica Crowley, Mortimer Zuckerman and Eleanor Cliff.

Mr McLaughlin and all of his guests gave lively, insightful and eloquent assessments of the week’s proceedings on Capitol Hill, often criticizing John McCain for his ‘roll of the dice’ in suspending his campaign in the wake of the economic crisis, calling it a ‘stunt’ and ‘reckless showmanship.’

Later today in DC, we heard another high-profile Republican refer to Sarah Palin’s interview with Katie Couric this week as ‘shocking, a disaster’ because ‘she doesn’t know anything.’

Barack Obama will bring this dangerous Roulette politics to an end and bring an altogether more thoughtful and considered approach to the White House.

Media Outreach

Friday, September 26

12noon

We met with Holly Yeager

Holly is Senior National Politics Reporter for the Washington Independent and formerly worked for the Financial Times. In 2008, she has been a correspondent on the Primary process and recently published a profile on Michelle Obama in ‘O’ Magazine.

Along with her gorgeous daughter Claire, Holly gave us some expert advice and contacts with regard to expanding our networks to University communities and the Democratic base. Thanks, Holly.


1.30pm

We met with Jon Decker and Tom Rowe of Thomson Reuters

Jon and Tom gave us some expert advice on improving our blogspot from a visual and formatting perspective. Driving between Dc and Richmond Friday, Russ and I discussed their suggestions at length, and have a plan to implement the guys’ suggestions.

Anthony

Friday, September 26, 1.00am

It was at 1 in the morning, we were tired, and we’d just arrived back to our hostel in DC, relieved to be out of the rain and relieved to have escaped a Karaoke night in Adams-Morgan relatively unscathed.

Idly, we struck up a conversation on the Hostel porch: we want to hear people’s views on his process, and we want to encourage people to be forthcoming with their opinions.

But this anger was directed with purpose. He was poking and prodding, fisting at my Obama t-shirt aggressively.

‘Look at these teeth. You thing they’re real?’ came the probing. ‘No way. Caps, every one. From firefights. Two different tours in Iraq.’

‘I’ve seen things you don’t even want to know about. In combat, I’ve been knifed in the kneecap and shot through the leg, I’ve seen my buddies die, and I’ve my front teeth knocked out by the butt a rifle.’

‘And you know what…? Obama’s my boy.’

‘My brother’s going to serve out there next month. This war needs to end. Ain’t no point to it. And so my Mom and all my family’s voting for Obama too.’

And with the beer we shared with him and the stories he told us and the Hope he spoke of for the future should Barack win, Drive for Obama had its first tale of America in 2008.

A & R

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bailout Bill...

This afternoon, representatives from both sides of the aisle reached a ‘fundamental agreement’ on the $700 billion plan to bail out the failed Bush economic programs.

Today’s decision is an unprecedented and somewhat reckless judgement that, coming in the middle of this most critical of election campaigns, has once again shown us the candidates’ policies and personalities in their truest lights and in starkest contrast.

While McCain holds that the economy has been ‘fundamentally strong,’ Barack is running to reverse the Republican tax breaks for the most profitable corporations, in favour of supporting working American families who feel this pinch the hardest.

McCain’s invitation through President Bush to attend bipartisan crisis talks is a clear political stunt, and the Senator from Arizona’s manoeuvring on the first Presidential debate tomorrow night is cowardice posturing as leadership.

But what McCain doesn’t get is that at this time, we need to see our leaders, we need accountability and we need to hear their proposed resolutions to the crisis.

Obama is ready to debate the issues at stake in this election and to tell the country ‘not just what they want to hear, but what they need to know’ tomorrow night.

Drive for Obama has today had the privilege of witnessing the unfurling of this historic electoral and economic high-drama at first hand.

In the Senate chamber, we heard the senior Senator from New York, Charles Schumer, talk of these ‘painful experiences’ are a natural ‘rendezvous with reality’ resulting from the ‘Bush debts,’ and that the failed Republican programs have been ‘not a natural disaster or economic inevitability, [but] a human failure.’

Earlier, we had the opportunity in the rotunda of the Capitol Building to say a brief hello to ‘the other candidate.’

And tomorrow night, following some exciting appointments we have in DC in the afternoon, which we will let you all know about over the weekend, we will be with the Obama campaign’s Richmond, VA, precinct captain, Aaron Aronowicz, and his family at their home to meet local Democrats and discuss what we’re all doing to make sure this election goes the way it must.

Alex

Day 2 - Washington, DC

So we woke up, first full day on the road and in DC, to the news that George Bush had invited both John McCain and Barack Obama to town today to discuss the ongoing financial crisis. Though exactly how much of this discussing would be done by old George is up for debate.
Never did we expect to be so close to either candidate so early into our drive! With Obama and McCain both meeting in the White House this morning and our hostel being a mere 5 minutes down the road it would seem churlish for us not to wander down and try and at least say “hey mates”.
So via a cheeky coffee we went and sat just far enough outside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to satisfy the secret service but close enough see catch and comings and goings. Turns out after an hour and in-between various phone calls about the most exciting thing to go past were the various tour groups on Segways.

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Proof that at least one of us was making calls

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and that hordes of people really to drive around DC on these rather lazy and hideous contraptions…

Thinking that was the end of our brief attempts to at least spy the candidates on their stint in DC we moved on from the White House to The Capitol for a guided tour and to sit and watch the Senate try and settle the impasse over arguably one of the most important pieces of financial legislation of the last 10 years, the $700 billion financial recovery package.
By the way did you ever wonder how the figure of $700 billion was decided upon? Apparently according to a treasury spokesperson “It’s not based on any particular data point. We just wanted to choose a really large number.” Makes you almost want to give Paulson the complete lack of accountability he asked for doesn’t it.
Anyway we arrived at the Capitol and started out tour, all completely standard. But after 5 minutes as we stood underneath the giant dome in the centre of the legislative wing of government learning about The Apotheosis of George Washington there was an increased amount of chatter coming from down the hall towards the Senate. This was followed by a rather large security contingent who came and cordoned off entrances and exits to the dome sections of the building and a few seconds later came John McCain followed fervently by the press gaggle eager to ask him why he had decided to suspend his campaign.

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Now I know Alex likes to think of himself as somewhat of a wordsmith but it turns out that with a camera, in a high pressure situation, the man fails miserably, still there is McCain in all his blurry glory... If he does the same thing with Obama its going to be really awkward.

Day 1 - Washington, DC

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Starting Point - New York City.

41 Days...

As a result of decisions made by the Republican adminsitration during the past 8 years, we are overstretched in two foreign wars, and continuing to invest in tax and energy policies that are crippling our interdependent global economy. The Republican executive has this week requested a further 700 billion tax dollars in an attempt to rescue its failed economic program.

With this is mind, we are leaving New York City tomorrow, September 24, to bring our own personal message of Hope and Action to the country that has been our home these past 13 months.

After many false starts, innumerous disappointments, and much rethinking, we finally have a car, a flexible itinerary and contacts within the grassroots campaigns that have brought Barack Obama to this historic moment.

But, as far as the movement has come, the most important work remains ahead of us.

As we travel the route below, we will be volunteering, canvassing, attending local events and engaging with Americans across some of the 'Reddest' states in the country, including Tennessee, Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama and Texas.

Our first formal appointment is in Virginia, where we will attend a Presidential Debate Watch Event on Friday night.

Virginia is now one of the most critical swing states, whose 13 electoral votes went to Bush in 2000 and 2004, but where Barack is currently within 1.3 points of securing a stunning swing that could win him the Presidency.

Further along the route, we will try to maxiimize the visuals with t-shirts, pin-badges and attending as many cultural events and rallies as possible.

As we travel, we will be keeping a video journal, and publishing the stories of Hope and Action we see and hear. We hope to be able to get some local press along the way, to expand the scope of our outreach.

And we need your help. Please forward the link to this Group to your freinds and family. Please put us in touch with anyone you may know at any level of the state or national campaigns. And please leave suggestions, ideas and comments where you can.

The Route














Wednesday 24-Sep NYC - Washington, DC
Thursday 25-Sep Washington, DC
Friday 26-Sep Richmond, VA
Saturday 27-Sep Chesepeake Bay, VA
Sunday 28-Sep Raleigh, NC
Monday 29-Sep Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NA
Tuesday 30-Sep Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NA
Wednesday 1-Oct Nashville, TN
Thursday 2-Oct Nashville, TN
Friday 3-Oct Birmingham, AL
Saturday 4-Oct Birmingham, AL
Sunday 5-Oct Mobile, AL
Monday 6-Oct New Orleans, LA
Tuesday 7-Oct New Orleans, LA
Wednesday 8-Oct New Orleans, LA
Thursday 9-Oct Houston, TX
Friday 10-Oct Austin, TX
Saturday 11-Oct Dallas, TX
Sunday 12-Oct Dallas, TX
Monday 13-Oct El Paso, TX
Tuesday 14-Oct Abilene, TX
Wednesday 15-Oct Tuscon, AZ
Thursday 16-Oct Phoenix, AZ
Friday 17-Oct Phoenix, AZ
Saturday 18-Oct Yuma, AZ
Sunday 19-Oct San Diego, CA
Monday 20-Oct San Diego, CA
Tuesday 21-Oct Santa Maria, CA
Wednesday 22-Oct Los Angeles, CA
Thursday 23-Oct Los Angeles, CA
Friday 24-Oct Los Angeles, CA
Saturday 25-Oct Monterey, CA
Sunday 26-Oct San Francisco, CA
Monday 27-Oct San Francisco, CA
Tuesday 28-Oct San Francisco, CA
Wednesday 29-Oct Yosemite National Park Campsite
Thursday 30-Oct Death Valley National Park Campsite
Friday 31-Oct Death Valley National Park & Las Vegas, NV
Saturday 1-Nov Grand Canyon National Park Campsite
Sunday 2-Nov Las Vegas, NV
Monday 3-Nov Las Vegas, NV - Chicago, IL
Tuesday 4-Nov ELECTION DAY