YES. WE. WILL.

It's 9:40 P.M. CST as I start this, and I believe, if all goes as I think it will, 24 hours from now, we will be celebrating the most important victory for this country since June 6, 1944.

Tomorrow will determine if this country gets back on the right track and begins to restore its place in the world, or continues to degenerate into a backwards third-world banana republic.

YES. WE. MUST.

I salute my Democratic brothers and sisters fighting here and in battleground states to save this republic with the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

We need to win BIG, to obliterate, eviscerate and destroy the sick creature the once-proud Republican Party has become. We need to get to 60 in the Senate (NOT counting Joementum, thank you) and have a 75-seat margin in the House.

We need to maintain our Democratic majority in the State House and take back the State Senate from Ron Ramsey and his ilk.

We need to elect a real leader like Paul Shaffer to the City Council.

And, YES ON THREE and YES ON FIVE.

Nothing is impossible, we just have to do it.

YES. WE. WILL.

With thanks to Jeannette and G-Town Democrats..

Attention Democratic Party / Obama Campaign Poll Watchers and Voter Protection Team:

We want to remind you that persons declare U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Accordingly, if a person's name appears on the poll book on election day, there is no basis for any poll worker or poll watcher to challenge a voter's citizenship status.

Voters who ask for translator help have an absolute right to assistance – no matter what any poll official or other poll watcher may say.

All our poll watchers Tuesday should be on the lookout for either poll officials who deny a voter the right to have someone help them vote, or for poll watchers who try to encourage poll officials to do so. We suspect this will come up in the area of voters who appear Hispanic or Latino, or perhaps with other first languages and some difficulty with English so they want and need help from a translator.

Anyone who spots this problem – please get the particulars – names, location, voter contact info – and call in immediately. Try not to let the voter take "no" for an answer. But even if they go ahead and vote, get their name, address and contact info, and call the Democratic Voter Protection Hotline at 901-922-6000 immediately.

Again, if you witness any of this activity tomorrow please call 901-922-6000 to provide our legal team with (1) the name of the voter and his/her contact information and (2) the polling location where the voter tried to or did vote.

Thank you for your hard work on behalf of Barack Obama and all of our Democratic candidates for office and for taking time out of your busy schedules to serve as poll watchers and on the voter protection team on Election Day. The number at the Obama volunteer office is 767-8331 if you have any problems using the other number.

DO NOT LET UP, NOT FOR A SECOND.

To my Democratic brothers and sisters who have gone to Missouri and other battleground states, I salute you. Here, then, thanks to Joe at AmericaBlog, is the summation of why we fight, and why Barack Obama must win tomorrow if our nation is to be saved.

HERE'S why we CANNOT let up.

Hat tip to the remarkable Digby, you HAVE to watch this.

Barack also says DON'T LET UP

Hat tip to Joe at AmericaBlog. Barack would like to remind you to NOT LET UP:

Seven More Days

Again, don't let up.

The Election Commission has extended Early Voting hours from 8 AM to 7 PM through Thursday, when it ends. If you haven't been to vote yet, GO, and take someone with you.

Confused about the Charter Amendments? GO HERE FIRST! They will explain it all for you.

Then, vote YES ON THREE and YES ON FIVE.

VOTE DEMOCRAT, and that includes Paul Shaffer if you live in SD-9, because, even though this is technically non-partisan, we are backing Paul, and the Goopers are backing Kemp Conrad.

If you want there to be a future, VOTE DEMOCRAT, VOTE NOW, and TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU.

Unless, of course, you LIKE the way things are going now.

DON'T LET UP.

Sure, it looks great right now.

Don't let up.

They may tell you Obama has it wrapped up, you may read that McCain and Palin are at each other's throats. That hasn't stopped their people from stealing your Democratic signs over and over and over again; they're petrified because they KNOW the people are tired of Gooper incompetence and malfeasance.

Don't let up.

Barack and Joe and Michelle and Jill aren't letting up. The folks at Eastgate and the folks in Whitehaven aren't letting up, and neither can we. Let's get EVERY DEMOCRAT POSSIBLE to the polls, for EVERYONE on the Democratic ticket, including Paul Shaffer.

Oh, and YES ON THREE and YES ON FIVE.

But, whatever you do, don't let up.

When it is 7 PM CST on November 4, and the polls are finally closed, THEN AND ONLY THEN can you let up.

Because we MUST END the war in Iraq, the deregulated madness on Wall Street, the outsourcing of our jobs, the Republican attempts to loot our country and turn it into a third-world nation.

The assault on all those folks who make less than seven figures a year (99% of us!) that began with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 can finally brought to an end on November 4, and we can then begin the long, arduous process of rebuilding our country, restoring the faith of our citizens in its government and the faith of the free world in the USA.

JUST DON'T LET UP.

Our very way of life is at stake. If you haven't voted early, GO. Early voting is open at 9 AM Monday through Thursday, and it ends Thursday at 6 P.M. If you just can't make it, then vote on Election Day.

Thank you.

The lines are LOOOONNNGGG

I early-voted today at White Station Church of Christ, and waited in line 50 minutes to vote (this was during the noon hour). The woman with whom I spoke said that 906 voted there yesterday, part of the 18,200 reported by the Election Commission. She also said that she expected that there would be a higher number than that for today!

It's not just here: Michael Silence and Tom Humphrey at the Knoxville News-Sentinel report that first-day early voting in Tennessee was up 32 percent over 2004, with over 100,000 casting ballots yesterday. WOW.

Go and vote as soon as possible, but be prepared to wait; it's going to be worth to produce the change we all want and need!

Thank you, Hillary!!!!

Preach, sister, preach!

Early voting is at hand..

NOTICE OF EARLY VOTING
NOVEMBER 4, 2008
FEDERAL & STATE GENERAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Pursuant to Sec. 2-6-103, Tennessee Code Annotated, notice is hereby given by the Shelby County Election Commission of unrestricted early voting for the November 4, 2008, Federal & State General and Municipal Elections as follows:

Site Locations, Dates and Times
SHELBY COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION
157 POPLAR AVE., SUITE 121
Beginning Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Weekdays: October 16 through October 17, 2008 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday: October 18, 2008 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Weekdays: October 20 through October 24, 2008 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday: October 25, 2008 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Weekdays: October 27 through October 29, 2008 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Last Day: Thursday, October 30, 2008

Satellite Sites
Beginning Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Weekdays: October 16 through October 17, 2008 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday: October 18, 2008 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Weekdays: October 20 through October 24, 2008 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday: October 25, 2008 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Weekdays: October 27 through October 29, 2008 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Last Day: Thursday, October 30, 2008

LOCATION NAME, LOCATION ADDRESS

Agri Center (Rotunda Hallway) 777 Walnut Grove Rd., 38120

Anointed Temple Of Praise(Youth Room) 3939 Riverdale Rd., 38141

Baker Community Center 7942 Church St., 38053

Bethel Church 5586 Stage Rd., 38134

Berclair Church of Christ 4536 Summer Ave., 38122

Bishop Byrne High School 1475 E. Shelby Dr., 38116

Collierville Old Town Hall 101 Walnut Street, 38017

Dave Wells Community Center 915 Chelsea Ave., 38107

Glenview Community Center(Replaces New Salem Church) 1141 S. Barksdale St., 38114

Greater Middle Baptist Church(Fellowship Hall) 4982 Knight Arnold Rd., 38118

Mississippi Blvd. Pre-School Cafeteria(Replaces Mississippi Blvd Church Counseling Center) 70 N. Bellevue Blvd. 38104

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church(Fellowship Bldg) 3045 Chelsea Ave., 38107

New Bethel Baptist Church - Family Life Center 7786 Poplar Pike, 38138

Pyramid Recovery Center 1833 S. Third St., 38109

Raleigh United Methodist Church 3295 Powers Rd., 38128

Shiloh Baptist Church 3121 Range Line Rd., 38127

Westwood High School 4480 Westmont St., 38109

White Station Church of Christ 1106 Colonial Rd., 38117

Click to display map of the EV Sites

Pursuant to Sec. 2-6-102, TCA, a voter who desires to vote early shall go to the County Election Commission office or to any of the satellite locations listed above within the hours set out for the early voting period, sign an application for ballot and vote. Pursuant to Sec. 2-7-140 (c) (1) voters who are already registered can make address changes at an early voting site. For further information, call 545-2600.

SHELBY COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION
Myra Stiles, Chairman
Richard L. Holden, Secretary
Robert D. Meyers
O. C. Pleasant, Jr.
Shep Wilbun, Jr.

Heh. Think THIS may be how Palin was vetted?

thanks to Joe at AmericaBlog

If you recover in time from the Festival, this is on Monday

With thanks to Polar Donkey for sending..

Who owns McCain? Hint: it's not you.

From the Jed Report:

It's time to put these out...

UPDATE: Tomorrow is Election Day; if you haven't yet voted and you are registered, I ask you to consider these choices, as you will not hear from me again until after the election.

Ok, 'Mute has his endorsements up, so I might as well put mine out there.

We'll go Federal to State to County to Local...

US Senate - Democratic Primary - Bob Tuke

Bob Tuke has the best chance of the Democratic candidates to hurt, if not outright defeat, incumbent GOP Senator Lamar Alexander, who is a nice inoffensive guy that nonetheless has been round-heeled for the policies of the Bush Administration. Tuke is tough, he was a great TDP chair, and if you remember how former TDP Chair Jim Sasser stunned incumbent Bill Brock in 1976, you know anything is possible.

US House - District 7 - Republican Primary - Tom Leatherwood

Dwayne's spot-on commentary aside, it is not going to be possible for a Democrat to win in 7, so I am supporting Leatherwood because A) he is from Shelby County and not Williamson County, and B) he is decent and honest, neither of which I would say about his opponent Marsha Blackburn.

US House - District 9 - Democratic Primary - Steve Cohen

Yeah, THERE'S a shocker, eh? If you believe in more and better Democrats, A) we already have one and B) who could be better than who we have? No one, so why change? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Tennessee House - District 85 - Democratic Primary - Larry Turner

Larry Turner is one of the best in the General Assembly, so why change?

Tennessee House - District 87 - Democratic Primary - Karen Camper

Karen was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the tragic death of Rep. Gary Rowe this spring, and she has done a creditable job in Nashville. She is opposed by internet talk show host Jennings Bernard, and I see no reason to replace Camper.

Tennessee House - District 92 - Democratic Primary - G.A. Hardaway

I like GA Hardaway, he is outspoken and a fighter for his issues, even when they are not popular, like his bill to require that all newborns be given a paternity test. At first glance, it seemed like an attack on women, but after he explained his reasoning, I understood why he filed it. I am troubled by the fact that he is supporting the unqualifed Nikki Tinker for Congress, but, I just don't know Eddie Neal, and I am not ready to make a change.

Tennessee House - District 98 - Democratic Primary - Ulysses Jones

I am not happy with Rep. Jones' bill to weaken the Sunshine Law, I think it was ill-timed and misguided. However, aside from that, he has done a good job for his constituents and the city of Memphis. While I like Boris Combest and think he would be hard-working and conscientious, why throw away a committee chairmanship if you don't have to?

State-wide & Shelby County General Elections

Criminal Court Judge, Division 6 - John T. Fowlkes, Jr.

I know, for a supposed bomb-thrower, I'm playing it close to the vest. I rely on my sources in the legal community, and most, if not all, are very happy with the incumbent. I see no reason to replace him.

Assessor of Property - Cheyenne Johnson

Yes, I endorsed her months ago, because she knows this office backwards and forwards. She has been Rita Clark's Chief Administrative Officer for several years, and Cheyenne will provide continuity, ensuring that this office will continue to be run as outstandingly well as it has been since Rita took office in 1996.

Trustee - Paul Mattila

Paul was Bob Patterson's right-hand man, and. like Cheyenne, provides much-needed continuity in a well-run office. He is the DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, despite the mysterious LaTroy Williams' indications to the contrary. Paul is the right person for this position and deserves a full term on his own.

General Sessions Court Clerk - Your Choice Here

It is the policy of this blog not to endorse a Republican over a Democrat in a contested partisan election. This race is the closest I have ever come to over-riding that policy. While I have forgiven Democratic nominee Otis Jackson for his ill-advised Independent run for Register in 2000 that cost John Freeman that office, I cannot make the same arguments for him that I could for Cheyenne and for Paul.

Just because he starred at point guard for the Tigers in the late 70s and early 80s, that does not make him qualified to run a County office with dozens of employees. He is currently a security officer for FedEx Security, and yes, that's the same as a policeman out there. To my knowledge, he knows little or nothing about how the office should be run, and simply has no business there.

As Chris Turner ran crying to the GOP after the loss of his state House seat in the early 90s, I'm not going to endorse him, either. I really wish I could tell you to vote for the Democratic nominee here, but competence is too important. Pick 'em.

There are three County School Board races out there; however, since I have no knowledge or the candidates out there, you're on your own. Early vote started yesterday, so GET OUT THERE!

Your attention please....Election Preview is at hand!!

I have it on rather good authority that the Flyer's issue this week will be rather kick-ass, as it contains their Election Preview.

Go get a paper copy TODAY; if you can't get out, go read it online RIGHT HERE!

I support them, as they are my must-read on local news, and they are kind enough to link to this humble blog, for which I thank them!

UPDATE: this post has been updated with the direct link to that preview, go there NOW!

Hi there. You from Shelby County? Good, we need to talk.

To those of you NOT from Big Shelby, you may want to skip this one, go down further where we have some lovely videos left over from Feel Good Friday, with links to lots more.  Thanks.

OK, it's just us, right?  First, let's see the hands of those of you who are NOT registered to vote but are eligible to do so.  OK, you step over to the side, we'll come talk to you AFTER August 7, go hit the videos.

So, you're all registered, eh?  Show of hands again for those of you who have already voted since Early Voting started a week ago.  Wow, not many at all, but those of you who have, you're excused, go have a great weekend!

All right, rest of you, pay attention.  WHAT'S YOUR FREAKING PROBLEM???? The satellites are OPEN, for crissakes, GO; well, OK, wait until 10 AM when they open, but GO VOTE.

WHAT??? What the hell do you mean you DON'T KNOW for whom you will vote???  Why do you think I went to all that trouble? Oh, and remember, NO on 360, YES on 361. (Sorry, Commissioner, you can fix this the week after the election and have it on the ballot for November, and we'll be just fine!)  The statewide retention vote?  Oh, hell, I always vote NO out of spite unless I know one of them.

All right then; I want you back here either WITH your used voter card or ON it, as they used to say back in Spartan times, you have no excuse outside illness or family illness, so GO VOTE.

TODAY.  

Dis-missed!

OK Tennessee Democrats, it's time to bring your focus back home for a minute!

The US Senate candidate whom I support, Bob Tuke, had an interesting internal poll released Tuesday.  It showed that among Democrats who had made up their minds, he led Mike Padgett about 4-1.

That's great, until you consider that the actual percentages were Tuke 32, Padgett 8, Other 3 and UNDECIDED 57%.  We are five weeks and one day from the actual election, and two weeks and two days from the start of Early Voting in Big Shelby, and almost THREE in FIVE Democratic voters have not made up their mind??  Whatcha waitin' on, folks, CHRISTMAS???

Look, Lamar Alexander is well thought of by a lot of people in this state; even though lots of Republicans are acting as crazy as betsy-bugs, Alexander is as vanilla and non-threatening as Don "No-Soul" Simmons. 

Except, of course, that he has been round-heeled for the policies of George W. Bush for the last six years, a dutiful old retainer who would be just as big a shill for John McCain, who is going for a third Bush term.  Whatever they tell him to do. he'll do, except in an election year, when he pretends to listen to the will of the people.

Not only that, Alexander would be a roadblock for any legislation, progressive or not, that an Obama administration would try to push through the Senate.  So, it stands to reason, in the MORE AND BETTER DEMOCRATS category, we sure as hell need ONE MORE DEMOCRAT in the Senate from Tennessee.

If you haven't made up your mind yet, I am supporting Bob Tuke because he's not afraid to fight LAMAR! tooth and toenail all over the state and go after him for being Bush's bitch in Tennessee.  If you're not sure yet, then go check out Mike Padgett, Ken Eaton or the others, but at least GO FIGURE IT OUT.  I really hope you'll support Bob, but you need to at least get off your collective asses and make up your minds, because we in Tennessee CANNOT afford six more years of Republican backwardness, and that's what LAMAR! represents.

Haven't you had enough yet?  It's time to step up, folks.

Rant over.

Downtowners for Obama @ The Majestic on June 28

Proudly stolen from Paul Ryburn's Journal from today:

What: Downtowners for Obama

Where: The Majestic Grille

When: Saturday, June 28, 2008 @ 5:00 (time subject to change)

Join your downtown neighbors during this historic campaign to help build a united volunteer organization in our neighborhood that will register new voters and build support locally. We’ve had an unprecedented primary season that built a grassroots infrastructure in all 50 states — not just for Barack, but for all of the Democratic candidates. Now it’s time to bring all of that energy together for our common cause of change. All across the country, Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans are tired of the politics of the past and are looking for new solutions to the challenges we’re facing as a nation.

That’s why we’re launching a nationwide day of action on June 28th called “Unite for Change”. All across the US, volunteers will host “house meetings” with the express purpose of reaching out and bringing folks together who supported all of the Democratic candidates (and those who are just tuning into the process now).

From the beginning, this campaign has been about ordinary people reaching out and building the bonds of community — empowering one another by coming together to make change. With the general election approaching, it’s more important than ever to keep this momentum going. No matter what your affiliation, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the candidates and their stance on some of the major issues in this campaign.

For more information or to volunteer please email me at clay.thompson@chrobinson.com or call 901-619-7053 and leave a message.

Please RSVP to this event by following this link: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gp9k

So they met tonight...

According to both sides, and I believe this is great news, as it will lead to unity in the fall and victory over John "Keating Five" McCain.

As the loyal readers of this blog know, after Edwards dropped out, I waited a little bit, and then went with Obama because he was a break from the past. While I have been involved here since 1978, most Democrats around here believed in the Clinton model, which is the only way we had won Presidential elections since Jimmy Carter. That, and the relationships formed when Bill Clinton was first Governor and then President, is what led most local elected Democrats to get on the Hillary train; well, that, and they thought she was a lock to win.

I confess that, twelve months ago, while I was not getting on that train myself, I too thought she was a shoo-in, because I thought she had a lock on women (she did) and African-Americans (which she did until Iowa). Iowa, however, changed everything, most notably in that African-Americans looked at the astonishing victory of Barack Obama and said, Holy Smokes, HE CAN WIN. Despite Senator Clinton's best moment in the campaign, IMO, when she broke down the day before the New Hampshire Primary that she would win, she never really regained her stature after that point. With Senator Obama handling everything that came his way, he held steady over the long haul, and won the nomination.

Did Senator Clinton suffer from misogynistic attacks? Yes, but by the media, not the Obama camp; Chris Matthews still needs his ass kicked for what he said about her. To be blunt, the racist attacks against Senator Obama, which were done on the sly by a Clinton campaign that damn well knew better, were more damaging to him for the fall election. Fortunately, there's time to overcome that.

While the Clintons are doing the right thing and I applaud and salute them for it, I am reminded of what my Godfather has told me. The version I remember is that in victory, there is credit to go around; however, when a campaign loses, it is ultimately the candidate who is responsible for the defeat. Jonathan Alter of Newsweek talks about some of the reasons for Obama's victory and Clinton's loss here; thanks to Wintermute for the tip!

Obama out-organized her and planned this almost like a NASCAR team for the long season. You know there are some tracks (states) more suited to your driving (campaigning) style, and some that aren't. You know that your opponent is going to skip the races you will win, so you are able to amass points (delegates) there, but you also know that if you show up and contest at the tracks (states) you are likely to lose, you can still gain points (delegates) so that by the end of the season, though you may not have won as many races, you're still the driving champion on points. Not only that, he had more sponsors (donors) than his opponent, so he was able to hit them up every time he needed to replace an engine!

It appears to me that the Clinton camp was committed to the Clinton model, which was run more like a prizefighter who was going for a quick knockout. She too had backers, but not nearly as many, so that when she needed more money, she had nowhere to go.

That's why Obama is in the Chase for the Cup and Clinton is in the corner wondering how she lost a 15-round unanimous decision. Make no mistake about it, this was historic, just unsuccessful in its ultimate goal.

The saddest thing of all is that if she had come out before this started and said that the president of the United States lied to her and Congress about the war, and had been forceful enough about it, she could have pre-empted all the DFHs like myself from going to Obama. Her decisions, from the people with whom she surrounded herself, backfired on her, and her own judgment did her in.

Those of us who have seen what the Clinton loss has done to feminists of longstanding like the folks at TGW need to step back and let them grieve, as for them this is like a death. Imagine if you had worked against sexism (and you're damn right it exists, don't pretend otherwise) for thirty or forty years and KNEW a year ago that you would finally see a female elected President in your lifetime, one who believed in YOUR issues, only to see it snatched away from them. You'd be mighty damned upset, too.

Let them yell, let them howl, let them grieve, and LEAVE THEM ALONE FOR NOW. When the time comes, and it will, some time in late October, they will come to realize that the PLANET might not survive a John McCain presidency, and they will vote for Obama. They will be PISSED about it, but they will do it because they are soldiers, and they have too much heart to work against everything they have fought for all those years to put in place.

For the rest of us, the work will continue, as we have a nominee to elect to the Presidency. He is a man who believes in the 50-State Strategy, as evidenced by his retention of Howard Dean as DNC Chair for the fall campaign. He is a man who believes that we CAN change this country for the better, because the alternative is not acceptable.

He is Barack Obama, and YES WE WILL.