i leave work today at noon. i've taken the next several days off. i'm driving from chicago to the deepest mountains of virginia. i'm going to pull into Tazewell County (never been there in my life) look for a campaign office, and work until i drop. i chose Tazewell county because 28% of the people who voted for kerry didn't show up in the 2005 state election. i will go to any holler, talk to everyone, and cajole, campaign, do anything to get an additional 500 votes for webb. that's my goal. 500 more votes in Tazewell County than voted for the democratic governor in 2005. this is after giving more money than i've ever given in a campaign, making phone calls from home, and being generally passionate about this election. before i leave, i want to state for the record why i'm doing this:
1. i just want to be America again.
2. i trust the american system of law more than george bush's judgement. i don't want to live in a country where george bush can imprison anyone for no more reason than its ability to enhance his political party.
3. if george bush nominates another supreme court justice i want the chair of the judiciary committee to be edward kennedy and not arlen specter.
4. i want to restore my faith in the american populace - that they all can't be fooled all the time - and that democracy is a trustworthy check on wanton government power.
5. i'm tired of the racism of the republican party.
6. i'm tired of the gay bashing of the republican party.
7. i'm damned pissed that the everyday family is being punished by these crazy conservative policies.
8. i hate the people who claim to be moral, but are actually just moralistic.
9. i want to destroy the conservative "christians" who have stolen my faith, made it the opposite of what Jesus would have, and prefer political power to spiritual power.
10. i want to know what happened to all the money missing in iraq. i want to know who the republicans are protecting.
11. i want war profiteers to meet their just rewards - preferrably at the hands of mothers surviving the loss of their child in iraq.
12. i want torturers to accept their fate in hell, and an american that leads the world away from the tuse of torture.
13. i want to believe that people are sophisticated enough to discern pr from policy. that they know when we're all being sold a bill of goods.
14. i want the democratic party to find its source of strength from the working people in small towns - i want them to believe in each other.
15. if george bush wants to attack iran, i want someone to ask some tough questions.
16. i want to end the republican confusion of the best policy is the one that is most profitable for their personal family.
17 i want to believe in virginia again - as a state the recognizes honor and chooses leaders based on it.