While I am super, super critical of how many errors there are in our voting system and how there is not set of 'best practices' after all the trial and error, in all the states, with so many different systems, it is amazing a the same time that it works at all.
A group of canvassers are getting the game plan for today. It's all GOTV, so they are just doing fly-by's, putting door hangers on the door knobs of ALL the people the campaign had identified as supporters. They are customized with people's specific polling places. Imagine the crazy amount of coordination.
First of all, that is some very good analysis by Maze. The transparency has truly been unprecedented. Personally, I think it allowed the army of people to get involved without feeling like they were practicing a dark art of political deception. I know that I was proud to be doing what I was- that working for Obama was a noble and worthy task and I didn't for a second feel guilty for engaging people on their doorstep, on the street, on the phone. It's been a game changing, paradigm shifting time for me.
I have a lot of thoughts on how the Obama camp ran this years presidential campaign. I think while a considerable fuss has already been made over the sophistication of it, as time passes and it moves into part of history, the full extent of the practices and their influence will continue to be revealed.
The fact that the campaign was run so efficiently is one thing, what I think is more important than that though, is how transparently it was run. Obama offices were open to reporters, strategies were discussed and this was not only with media. All this info was also shared with supporters through a constant stream of emails from every influential name affiliated with the democratic party. I personally have received a couple of mails a day from Joe Biden, Al Gore, David Plouffe and others.
The transparency has helped the campaign on multiple levels, it sparks conversations, it cuts down on speculation and it gives the media some meaty details to report on. Having had an inside look to the campaign from Kush, who these days goes by SuperVol #1835, its helped me see how closely matched up the campaign was with how it was portrayed.
So, everyone get out and elect this guy so we can get on with the analysis.
Today it's YouTube. Where we consistently find awesome videos like this
Gnarls Barkley does Radiohead.
The Obama machine chugged into The 'Burgh on Monday and this dude was there. I went at 1:30 for the 5:00 speech to volunteer. I was special; only one of hundreds of volunteers, and over 15,000 people. It was a Penguins game, without the ice and only Georges Laraque playing. I ended up right in front, not more than 15 feet away. To be honest, I'm a junky and had heard most of the speech beforehand, but it was powerful the energy and enthusiasm in the room was sick. The organization of it was amazing- the security, the stage, the press set-up (I got googly-eyed when I saw Richard Wolff from Countdown... I'm a dork). As I was telling Maze, it was not like seeing Jesus, since I feel like Obama is a very normal guy. I would be more fascinated seeing McCain or his little bitch because they are just so cartoony and un-real. Enjoy the pics. Oh, also notice the CLASSIC Pittsburgh gray hair waterfall of the dude in front of me... ultimate mullet.
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