Report From the Bus
Northern Illinois For Kerry sent busses up to Wisconsin again. I thought I was going to Milwaukee but was surprised when the bus headed in the wrong direction and ended up in Beloit. A second bus was heading for Madison, and packs of cars accompanied us. Goal: identify Democrats and make them vote with absentee ballots. As I speak, another group is heading to Iowa.

One of the Wisconsin organizers offered 4 Cubs tickets he couldn't use to the game against Cinncinati, to which several of our Illinois people immediately thought, "Why not make it interesting?" So a contest was set that the person bringing in the most absentee ballots would get a couple of tickets.

I was out of the running right away, since I only found one in a very Bush/Cheney intensive neighborhood where many Democrats lurked in secret, telling me they didn't dare put up a yard sign but might wear a button.

And I met a troll. Yes, an honest-to-goodness internet-type troll, who keeps going on about how much money Teresa has and what did they do with their tax breaks that Bush gave them, did they give it back, and facts and figures and I'm an independent, and you Democrats can never answer me when I ask you these things, and Kerry voted 870 times against these 400 items, etc. etc. etc.

The other half of his 2-flat was shared by strong Kerry supporters (who he called "the evil side"). He had a sign in the yard saying only Bush supporters need drop by and talk. He wasted far too much of my time, and made me sad since I can't do that kind of memorized "fact" and figure back and forth crap that is utterly meaningless to the big picture. He wouldn't listen at all when I told him that Bush was rich too, big time rich, with family wealth stretching back generations, and what did he do with his tax rebate this year.

Anyway, you don't want to hear it, since you know people just like him. I may not have found tons of "unlikely" voters, but other people did, lots and lots, and is what keeps this activity so addicting.

So here's the presentation ceremony to someone bringing in 20 votes for John Kerry. It may look as though John Kerry himself is standing in the background, but it's just a look-alike. Numerous others brought in nearly as many -- will have count for you later.


Happy.... sad....


Waiting to go home...



The overworked Wisconsin volunteers were terrific, driving us around, dropping us here and there -- and our guy even brought us lemonade and limeade halfway through the canvass -- with ice! You can't imagine how much it lifted our spirits. Thanks, whoever you are.

- posted by Cynthia @ 9:28 AM | | | Link |