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Election 2018 Adventure

October - November 2018
Antonio Delgado (D) NY District 19 is running to unseat John Faso (R). Pols rate this one of the swingiest districts up this session. I'm going to Monticello NY to work on the campaign. Follow my adventures. Read more
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  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure

    Deciding Where to Make a Difference

    October 3, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    I must admit, I haven't done much this election season. I have read the news, posted on social media, gone to a handful of rallies. Basically, I have been seething, disheartened, shocked, and disappearing. I have been busy enjoying my new retirement since May with my Hawaii, Victoria, Vancouver BC, and East Coast adventures plus my 25th Anniversary trip with Sheryl. I spent the time in between clearing out of all the detritus and unloved/unused stuff. My house is immaculate.

    But that is not enough. Obviously. I put on my calendar a two-week election trip. I don't have the income any more to write a check so I have to make a difference with my expertise and body.

    I waited until I got back from the east coast to look to see how the races were shaking out. I wanted to be in a district that was "touch and go" for the candidate - where my work would make a difference - and where I had either a friend, family member, or some other connection with the district. I dove in to see what was going on.

    I know, I know. There is plenty of campaign work to do right here in Oregon and southwest Washington. However, I know myself. I'm just not going to spend all day, every day campaigning when I have my friends, family, and bike rides to distract me. I needed to go someplace where that would be what I was doing.

    And I found the perfect district for me. House District 19 in New York. The district includes Swan Lake where my family has a long history and where I would spend every summer in my youth. My dad is a resident of the district and I have a nodding acquaintance with the people and struggles that these Catskill Mountain people face. Just perfect.

    When I was a kid, Swan Lake and the whole of the Catskill Mountains were the playground for families wanting to escape the big city heat. People would rent a little summer bungalow in a "colony" with a dozen or more families. Life was centered around the pool, handball court, the casino (indoor space to play ping pong, foosball, and card tables) on a rainy day.

    My dad was a teacher so would get a lifeguard job at one of the local Swan Lake hotels all summer long. We would get up and put on our bathing suits and go to dad's pool for the day.

    My grandparents owned a big boarding house in town across from the (new at the time) post office. Grandpa Julius built a bunch of bungalows in Apple's Bungalow colony up the road. (That is a-PELS - not apples.) My aunt, uncles and father inherited a small bit of land off the road back in the woods. my dad still goes up in April and returns in October to enjoy this beautiful spot.

    I am so excited about getting to work in this district. More to come.    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure

    Antonio Delgado (D) and NY District 19

    October 8, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    In my search for a campaign, I wanted to find someone who I would be able to embrace as opposed to a hold-my-nose Democrat. I’m am thrilled with the choice I made! Born and raised in Schenectady (just north of the district), Antonio Delgado is a native of Upstate New York. He attended Colgate University, in Hamilton, New York, where he graduated with high honors and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford. From there, he went to law school at Harvard, which is where he met his wife Lacey, a native of Woodstock (yes, that Woodstock) and Kingston. They have twin boys - yay twins!

    He ran in a 7-person field to win the Democratic nomination garnering a slim 22.1% victory. It does look like the other Dems are falling in behind the candidate though. His key issues are healthcare, tax code reform, the environment and local jobs. Like much of rural America, the former jobs and industries are no longer what they were.

    He has an impressive list of endorsers including Obama, Citizen Action of NY, Latino Victory, Brady Campaign (against gun violence), AFL-CIO (and lot of unions), NARAL, Congressional Black Caucus, J Street, and a long list of local and state politicians. He is pro-choice, supports LGBTQ rights, and lots of the issues that are important to me.

    The district itself is big with nearly 8,000 square miles. It is overwhelmingly white (84%) with 8% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Asian and 2% everything else. The population is older than the average district with an average poverty and income rate compared to the rest of the country. They have more vets and the housing stock is of much lower value in that part of New York. You can buy a house but it might be a bargain for a reason.

    This has been a traditionally swing district according to every site for the last 25 years. It is doing that this time too. The race is neck and neck.    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure

    John Faso (R) Incumbent

    October 13, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    So who is Delgado running against? Incumbent Republican John Faso. Faso has lots of firepower behind him that is willing to go dirty. In the last week, you may have heard about or read about the campaign ad that the National Republican Campaign Committee is running on behalf of Faso and against Delgado. The campaign ad characterize Delgado as a “New York City rapper” that does not share “our values”. Republicans are using coded language to talk about Delgado’s race (he is African American) in this 84% white district. This is going to be a nasty campaign.

    That said, Faso is considered the 18th most bi-partisan member in Congress. He also votes with Trump 89.2% of the time... and that is considered moderate, my friends.

    Faso has a 93% rating from the NRA, 14% from Planned Parenthood, 18% ACLU, 22% Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and 28% NARAL Pro Choice America voting record. His American for Prosperity rating is 65%, John Birch Society gives him 50%, and the AFL-CIO has him at 42%.

    His positions in Congress have been well right of his positions when he was in the state legislature. In fact, he received a 100% rating from the now defunct Empire State Pride back in 2000. He also voted with 24 other Republicans to shoot down a bill that would have banned the coverage of transition-related health care for transgender troops. In 2016 he said that if he was asked to officiate at a same-sex wedding, he would do it.

    He supported extending the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act just this year and signed on to a letter urging his colleagues to do the same. Faso is not a boogie man candidate. Most folks in truly swing districts can’t afford to ignore their diverse (politically) constituents and expect to hold their districts.

    Unfortunately, in this political climate the only thing in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and dead armadillos (thank you Jim Hightower). Faso has to energize his constituency and get out to vote just like Delgado. With the Republicans seeing the same polls showing this a dead heat, it is going to be a tough few weeks to watch television and listen to the radio...    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure

    Learning my Job at the Campaign

    October 17, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Meri from the campaign gave me a call this morning with a brief orientation on what I'll be doing. I'll be one of 40 Staging Location Directors (SLD). What that means is I will be working with one other SLD in charge of greeting, training, getting out the door, and checking back in four (yep) four canvass shifts each day. I'm supposed to get there at 8am and shut down the location in Monticello NY at 9pm. Long day. Sounds exhilarating!

    The race is really so close. From all accounts it looks like Delgado is a bit ahead in the polls but the negative "rapper" ads are having their desired effect. Bob sent along this opinion piece that helps illuminate how it is affecting voters. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-ne…

    After my chat with Meri, I got the SLD packet from Christian, the Field Director, that walks through the systems and protocols. They are using spreadsheets! My favorite! They have lists and turf all loaded into an online program (with back ups on paper for those so inclined). They have a Boiler Room and minute by minute run of show to keep things on track. Reminds me of managing a teeny tiny little Sunday Parkways.

    I threw in a photo of me from my Swan Lake days. That's me, my brother Ron in the middle, and Ames, whose dad, Sam, took the picture. Sam owned a print shop in Liberty NY close to Swan Lake. I guess he was selling these cardboard tents. No idea.    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure

    Jitters and Inspiration, Let's Go!

    October 23, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    I leave tomorrow on my two week trip. I've got the jitters. And I am deeply inspired. This race is neck and neck. Polling is even. I'm hoping I am up to the task.

    The difference in this race will be how we get out the vote. New York does not permit no-excuse early voting or no-excuse absentee voting. Everyone goes to their polling place on Tuesday, November 6th from 6am to 9pm. It is going to be a long, long, long day. Yup, I got the jitters.

    The campaign is quite impressive. Last weekend, they knocked on 32,000 doors. Think about that. With an ambitious goal of each volunteer knocking on 50 doors per shift (about 2.5 to 3 hours) you are looking at a campaign that corralled over 650 volunteers to canvass out of the 6 campaign offices. That is on top of getting the candidate out at events in all 11 counties in the district (the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined), phonebanking for those who can't canvass, volunteers to recruit volunteers, and the general, everyday activities in the offices. It all has to run like clockwork to get every door knocked and every voter to the polls.

    I've been keeping up on the debates, events, ads and endorsements (he got the NY Times last week). Two days ago, Antonio delivered a speech to the Hudson Valley Votes rally that truly inspired me. Take a listen. It will do your heart some good in this crazy time.

    “This is a very important time. We all get it. Whatever fear you have, whatever anxiety you feel, whatever cynicism, skepticism, dispirit. Put that to bed. Let that go. And lean in to your hope. Lean in to your love. Lean in to your strength. Lean in to your community. Be brave. And believe in our power. And let’s win this thing. Let’s go.”
    Candidate for Congress Antonio Delgado (NY 19)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbkqFWAtHE&amp…    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure
    Day 2

    First Day

    October 25, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    Started the day with a New York poppy seed bagel and cream cheese. Not that whipped kind but the solid kind. You know what I’m talking about. Delicious.

    I was introduced to Nate who is managing the Monticello office, Meri, the Field Organizer, and Mac who was cheerful and welcoming as were they all.

    They briefed me on the geography and demographics of the area and who our target voters and contacts are. They did a deeper dive on tracking and managing the data. Pretty sweet. It is all coming back to me now....

    After a lunch of meh chicken parm, I headed out to hit the doors. Sullivan County has some stunningly beautiful places. The trees are turning and the lakesides shimmered late in the afternoon when the sun came out.

    I met some really nice people (including two at the lunch place) who are supporting Delgado. There is an enthusiasm here. It seems that the County Democrats haven’t done much work here in years past. The district Dems are hungry for being organized and motivated to vote and we have a great candidate they like.

    We have about 80 canvass turfs to cover this weekend and it might snow on Saturday. Hahahahaha! The nurses’ and electricians’ unions are coming Saturday along with some other small groups. Mostly door-to-door work is done by district volunteers and staff.

    One thing. The office is unheated! Long story short, the bureaucracy to turn on the heat stymied the Monticello staffs’ efforts. They had three space heaters that later in the day had to be returned. Yikes! The campaign borrowed two more and after my canvass shift, I got a third one that kicks out a lot of heat. I already have made a (temperature) difference.    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure
    Day 4

    Canvassing Swan Lake & Saturday's Storms

    October 27, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    I canvassed Swan Lake yesterday. It was beautiful and very sad too. I went back into the President Hotel - a pretty wonderful hotel in its day - that was turned into a neighborhood of winterized homes. The view to the small part of Swan Lake was so lovely. Otherwise the town is mostly so poor and depressed. The stores are boarded up and those still there are scraggly looking at best. It is a window into rural living when the main industry, tourism, dries up and is replaced with nothing. Even with the poverty, it was nice to drive around town. I canvassed the building where my dad went to school. I visited the apartment that used to be the gym. Pretty cool.

    Biden came in to town for a rally for Delgado while I was out canvassing. He was inspiring for the staff and volunteers who went. I think it helped get the important local paper in the county to come out supporting Delgado. It feels good. The momentum is building.

    After canvassing, I was charged with setting up all the lists and materials for the weekend of canvassing. We have 85 turfs in our office with about 35 doors each to get through. A formidable task. After the first wave of volunteers came through, I had to abandon half of my system as superfluous and stick to an easier method. Trial by fire. It was a little stressful and fun too.

    In the middle of the day we heard about the shooting at the synagogue. This is a very Jewish area. Many of the volunteers and staff are Jewish. Meri, the Field Organizer, was just so heartbroken. She and we talked about what is happening to this country. How could this be America? The tragedy was compounded by the utter disregard for the lives of these shooting victims by the President. This disgusting, vile and evil man. And the complicity through excuses, denial, and chilling silence of those who support Trump. These are the new brown shirts shouting tomorrow belongs to me. All I can think to do is what I am doing. Trying to turn things around in this one small county, in this one congressional district, in this big country.

    Tomorrow is our last big voter ID (who is fur us and agin us) push before we head into the GOTV (get out the vote) mode. I’m hoping that the folks who didn’t show up today will come in tomorrow. I would love to get another 50 turfs out. Big goals, big goals.    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure
    Day 9

    Calm Before the Storm

    November 1, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Last weekend our campaign hit more doors (53,000) than any congressional campaign in the country. Wahoo! We are now preparing for the GOTV phase.

    I’ve spent the last few days scheduling and confirming hundreds of volunteers for the heavy lift Saturday through Tuesday. Bus loads are coming up from New York City to canvass. We are the third largest campaign office but have dozens of satellite offices all managing volunteers.

    I got to meet the candidate after a debate held at the nearby community college. His opponent called him an “ambitious” man a couple of times and kept saying “you just don’t understand”. First, Delgado is a Rhodes Scholar with a law degree. Second, why is that a problem to be ambitious? Everyone running for Congress is ambitious. Sounded very much like “uppity” and calling him dumb. As one of my fellow volunteer leaders said, the dog whistles are like air raid sirens around here.

    The polls have us tied with Nate Silver giving our guy the edge. Still a toss up. The staff (and volunteers ) are nervous but in truth, I feel that this campaign is doing everything it can. I have gotten to know them and really am having a blast. They are in good spirits and are very, very competent. It’s a pleasure getting into the office each day.

    Bob and I watched Antonio Delgado’s wife’s documentary called “Little White Lie”. Lacie Delgado (nee Schwartz) was born and raised as a white Jewish girl from a white Jewish family. They themselves and nearly everyone was led to believe that she was just olive skin like her Sicilian great grandfather. Um. Well. No. Her mom had an affair with an African American man and chose to ignore the obvious. Lacie finally “comes out” as black when she goes to college. So odd and painful for the whole family. Go rent it.

    Fun fact. Did you know that Monticello is the bagel capital of the world? The bagel machine was invented right here.    Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure
    Day 11

    Saturday Morning

    November 3, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Woke up at 4:34am today thinking about turf. We moved from toss up to Lean Dem this morning. That means we have to, have to deliver. I have 176 shifts to get out the door today.

    We are off to the office.Read more

  • TravelerElection 2018 Adventure
    Day 11

    Record-breaking Day!

    November 3, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    69,898 doors in the Congressional district. Today. 261 volunteers at 7,581 doors knocked in my county. Today. I’m excited, exhausted.

    We started the day at 7:30am to discover the office key was not in the flower pot. Oopsie! I crouched in the vestibule and ran my turf lists spying the printer through the window to see if it worked.

    From 9am to 5pm we ran through every one of our turfs, stole turf from Liberty and Lumberland, and refreshed 3 of our lists and still didn’t have enough. It was unbelievable. I’ve never seen any thing like it.

    The four of us in the office were humming. Bob’s space design was a big boost. I was a very good bureaucrat and created a merged Word form to assign and code every turf that went out. A spreadsheet was involved, of course.

    I am so jazzed. If our CD is any indication of what the temperature is out there for Democratic candidates, I am feeling way more optimistic.

    And thank god for an extra hour tonight.    Read more

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