In the last few days I have found myself heavily involved in the planning of the Election Night party in Orange County. The local Dems are co-hosting a party with the local Obama campaign. Great, sounds fun, right? Our party is going to be held at the History Center, this very cool venue that has indoor and outdoor space … enough to accommodate thousands of supporters, volunteers and other interested bystanders. Here’s the catch: Apparently, the local Dems traditionally have hotel parties. In hotel suites.

Being from Toledo (where we made fun of the Republicans for having closed-off hotel parties), it’s hard for me to comprehend the appeal of hotel parties. All these different candidates and groups get their own suites and invite people to their parties. How does that make any sense? Do they really want the media to lug all their gear from one location to the next? And, how do you think that looks to those not considered “party insiders”? I wouldn’t go to a hotel party … but I’d be very excited about a huge party at an open venue where everyone is welcome.

Hotel parties were something we did in college, getting ready for formals. And, it’s what Republicans do to reward party insiders. For Democrats, this election cycle has been all about inclusivity and openness. That mantra should continue on Election Night.

P.S. Now, I really miss Toledo’s parties at union halls. Those were so much simpler. Have a venue, get some food and call it a party! None of this insanity to rent lighting, staging, etc.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel in Orlando

I have a secret: I think I have a little political crush on Rep. Rahm Emanual. He is the genius behind the 2006 Democratic majority and deserves a lot of credit for the party’s resurgence in parts of the country traditionally ignored or considered “red.” He’s brilliant.

So, when Rahm was in Orlando for a fundraiser for Suzanne Kosmos, I had to attend. So, $100 later, I got to be 10 feet away from him and hear him proclaim … and, boy of boy, was it worth it. He made the case that America is not as far right as some would like you to believe. In fact, he said that by the end of this election cycle, Democrats will hold every urban house seat and a majority of suburban and rural ones too. The Democrats are a national party.

Finally.

I’m thankful that I live in a country that believes in the power of the middle class and small businesses … in workers’ rights to organize. In a country where healthcare is a right, not a privilege … where sometimes people just need a little help. And, most importantly, in a country on the cusp of electing someone other than an old white guy to lead us into the future.

My family, like many others, hold diverse political views. But, my family isn’t quiet about where we stand. At family gatherings, there’s lots of beer consumed … and lots of opinions shared. Sometimes loudly. This election season, my family has begun having this debates via email. There’s definately a conservative wing of the family and a more liberal wing. (And, then there’s my brother and my husband who fit somewhere in the middle.) Often, those differences are based on ideological and religious beliefs.

But, today’s discussion took a whole different turn. It started when my aunt forward an email to the whole group, which she said was causing her to think twice about voting for Obama. The email was filled with lies and smears and anyone who knows anything about Barack Obama would know that the email was crap. But, it was sent — and to a large group of people. So, I felt the need to make sure everyone had the facts. I emailed a nicely worded, very respectful email clarifying some of the lies. My great uncle Larry emailed back:

DEAR HEATHER, I ASKED TO BE ERASED FROM THE E MAIL LIST RELATIVE TO OBAMA, ETC. WE HAVE OUR OWN OPINIONS.

Why didn’t he respond to the lie-filled email, only the one that tried to provide the facts? I don’t think the truth is a matter of opinion. There are truths and there are lies. And, this email was full of lies. You’d think at some point I would learn to leave these family discussions alone — can’t teach an old dog new tricks, right? — but I wanted to make sure my family understood that they shouldn’t base their vote on these smears. If they were planning to vote for Obama, this untruthful email shouldn’ persuade them otherwise. So, I responded:

Uncle Larry,

I totally understand that everyone has their own opinions. I wasn’t “campaigning” for Obama. I was just trying to make sure that people understood that this email is false. That has nothing to do with any political affiliation. Major reputable newsources — and highly respected people of all political leanings – have rejected the information included in that email.

I certainly wouldn’t think of sending you campaign information … just wanted to make the point that people shouldn’t trust everything that comes from email. Also, I just “replied all” and didn’t really pay attention to who it was sent to. If you don’t want to read it, feel free to delete it.

I realize I’m a day behind, but yesterday, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama made a joint appearance in Orlando to kick-start early voting in Florida. My husband and I were on the fence about whether we should go or not. Was it worth fighting traffic and thousands upon thousands of people? You betcha it was!

We hopped our bikes and rode to Amway Arena — arriving just in time to hear Sen. Clinton rally her supporters to get out there and help Obama get elected to the White House. According to media reports, there were 50,000 or 60,000 people on hand to hear what they had to say. And, it was totally worth it.

I’ve known for a very long time which candidate would get my vote, so I didn’t attend the rally to be persuaded. I went simply to experience the “hype” — to see what all the fuss is about. It’s not just hype. I’ve attended my fair share of political events — including presidential campaign events for Kerry, in Toledo of all places (a highly Democratic region) — but I’ve never experienced anything like this Obama/Clinton rally.

Let me first tackle the Clinton part. Whatever you’re feelings about her, there’s no denying that she helped the women’s movement jump ahead leaps and bounds. (In fact, she is the reason Palin is the VP nominee. McCain saw the attention Hillary got from women and he wanted to capture some of that same magic. A flawed decision, but that’s another matter.) Seeing Hillary yesterday imploring her Florida supporters to get behind Obama was moving.  She said that if you knocked on doors for her, you needed to knock on doors for Obama. If you made calls for her, you needed to make calls for Obama. When asking her supporters to talk to undecideds, she said, “Tell them Hillary sent you to vote for Barack Obama.”

Up next was Obama. Words can’t describe what that was like. I’m not easily impressed by politicians — but even I had goosebumps during much of his speech and felt the need to stand on my very tippy, tippy toes so I could catch a glimpse. My favorite parts:

At a defining moment like this, we don’t have the luxury of relying on the same political games and the same political tactics that are used every election to divide us from one another and make us afraid of one another. With the challenges and crises we face right now, we cannot afford to divide this country by class or region; by who we are or what policies we support.

There are no real or fake parts of this country. We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation - we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from. There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it; patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women from Florida and all across America who serve on our battlefields — some may be Democrats and some may be Republicans and some may be Independents, but they all fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America. That’s what this election is about.

And, what really struck me:

We can do this. Americans have done this before.Everybody here think about it. You’ve got a parent or a grandparent or a great-grandparent who said to themselves maybe I can’t go to college but if I work hard, maybe my child or grandchild can go to college. Everybody here, maybe they’ve got a parent or a grandparent who came from another country, said I may not have freedom, but if I take the risk and travel to America then I know I will have freendom in America. Everybody here had a parent or a grandparent  who said I may not own business but if I work in this tough, dirty job, maybe someday my granddaughter or grandson, they’ll own a business of their own. Somebody here has a parent or a grandparent who said I may never be able to vote because I’m black or because I’m a woman, but you know what? Maybe someday I might have a granddaughter or a grandson who’s running for the presidency of the United States of America.

That’s the dreams that America is made of. That’s what we’re fighting for. In this election, if you’ll stand with me … if you’ll work with me … if you’ll organize with me … if you’ll go vote tomorrow and the next day for me — then I promise you, we won’t just win Florida, we’ll win this election. You and I together, we’re going to change the country and we’re going to change the world.

A woman, Hillary Clinton, paved roads for people like me. And, a black man, Barack Obama — on the shoulders of million and millions of community organizers and volunteers — is on the verge of getting elected and on the cusp of helping our great country re-discover its right course.

One more thing that struck me yesterday: There were all these kids — little kids, propped up on thier dad’s shoulders so they could see the state. Thankfully, they will never know a world where only old, white men have the opportunity to be president. They are fortuntate enough to be growing up in a world where a black man or a woman are *this close* to being president of the United States. November 4th cannot get here soon enough.

Pics my husband took at the event:

There are lots of things I miss about Ohio. And, one of them is campaign season. I loved being involved in Ohio politics. Now that I’ve left Toledo, I’ve come to appreciate it even more, especially the organization of the party leadership and thier ability to get Democrats elected. (For example, Orlando is not nearly as organized. There’s not even a coordinated campaign effort to help local candidates work with each other instead of duplicating efforts.)

Anyway, back to my point. Ohio provides a snapshot of the voting process — and the Wall Street Journal is chronicaling the decision process of undecided voters. If you’re at all interested in the political process and why people make certain decisions, you should check this out: http://blogs.wsj.com/undecided/

In this morning’s ringing endorsement of Barack Obama, Gen. Powell raised some points that might be overlooked — but are worth considering. I hope people will take the time to watch the whole interview. It was riveting television.

One question that Powell raised that I think we need to ask ourselves: Why can’t a little 7-year-old Muslim kid sit in his (or her) room and dream of being president one day? Republicans are so quick to spread their whisper campaign about Obama being a Muslim — as if that were enough to disqualify him. One’s religion should not qualify or disqualify their candidacy for president. The answer should be, “Obama is a Christian. No, he is not a Muslim. But, so what if he was??”

There are lots of Muslims in this country who are proud to be Americans — and as Powell pointed out, many of them gave their lives as members of the military. If they’re good enough to serve in the armed forces, why aren’t they good enough to serve in the White House?

Gen. Powell is among the most respected people in this country. He clearly understands the challenges facing the next president and also understands the impact of his own endorsement. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone to better articulate why Barack Obama should be the next president of the United States.

Obama supporters should watch this and be proud of their candidate. McCain/Palin supporters should watch this and realize how far off track they’ve dragged John McCain and be embarrassed about the campaign being waged Undecideds, please watch this and consider Gen. Powell’s words carefully when making your decision.

The Republican Party has officially gone too far. Since Barack Obama began his campaign, the GOP has tried to convince people that he’s un-American. Maybe he’s a Muslim, the whisper campaigns say. Or, maybe he’s a “black power” supporter whose wife refers to Caucasions as “whitey.” Or, you know, maybe he just pals around with terrorists.

Republicans aren’t dumb. They know that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, why not take a photo of bin Laden — the most hated man in America — and doctor it up just enough so that it might look like Obama. Because, you know, Obama and Osama are interchangeable, right? See for yourself:

Then, check out Talking Points Memo to see a better graphic representation of the potential PhotoShop work. As they note:

Just a few points to make here. I grapple with whether it’s paranoia at this stage to think that the GOP is conflating Obama and Osama visually — as they have so often conflated them textually and rhetorically. But look at the pic closely. You’ve got the turban and beard photoshopped out or otherwise obscured. The flared bulb of the nose is gone, leaving only the narrower bridge. And the photo appears darkened to match Obama’s complexion.

You be the judge. But in politics, as in advertising, images are rarely accidental.

This postcard was created by the Virgina State Republican Party. Are Republican ashamed of the direction their party is headed and the new lows McCain’s campaign has sunk to? Or, is this just part of campaigning?

Who are these people? What is wrong with our country when people think like this:

Being the son of a white mother and a black father has come to symbolize Mr. Obama’s larger mysteries for many voters. When asked about his background, a substantial number of people interviewed said they believed his racial heritage was unclear, giving them another reason to vote against him.

“He’s neither-nor,” said Ricky Thompson, a pipe fitter who works at a factory north of Mobile, while standing in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store just north of here. “He’s other. It’s in the Bible. Come as one. Don’t create other breeds.”

That’s a shameful, hateful thing to say. Barack Obama and the millions of other mixed-race people in this country are people. Just like you and me. Their not another breed! Normally, we don’t hear this kind of insane blabbering in the media. But, we shouldn’t forget that people hear it every day of their lives. People — some of my friends included — can’t understand why so-called “liberals” care about being PC. Maybe if people would pay more attention to what they say and how it impacts others, absurd comments like this would diminish. One can only hope.

You may think I’m losing my mind by trying to make a connection between two of my favorites: politics and baseball. But, take this for what it’s worth. The same stats guy who shocked the sports world when he predicted that the AL’s worst baseball team, the Tampa Rays, would improve by at least 22 games this season is the same guy who is predicting an Obama victory. (Not a baseball fan? The Rays shocked baseball and are now in the second round of the baseball playoffs. Not bad for a worst-to-first story.) He’s making this up. He created this crazy-complicated statistical model that runs tons of scenarios. Based on those models, there’s a 90% chance that Obama will prevail on Election Day.

If you don’t believe me, check it out at www.fivethirtyeight.com. If you’re not reading this, you don’t know what you’re missing. For sure, add it to your daily reading list. It’s fascinating stuff.