Let's pretend for a second that after all the polls and the debates and the inevitable stupidity about how Barack Obama is an American-hating muslim who is simultaneously and America-hating Christian... this election will eventually come down to who shows up to vote on the appointed day.
Let's also pretend that regardless of this meaningless daily tracking poll or that pointless "OH GOD ITS HAPPENING AGAIN" diary, my continued ability to breathe and walk means that the sky has not fallen and that the Earth is still correctly spinning on its axis.
And let's further pretend that we on the liberal left (with the help of Barack Obama's vaunted voter-registration drive) CAN do in this election what the political-right has done in the last two Presidential contests, which is win the election through sheer dint of will and boots on the ground.
But how?
How do we out-vote the mega-churches?
How do we out turn-out the the Republican machine?
How do we FINALLY end the war and Republican rule?
Well... let's pretend we have a battle-plan, shall we?
Sunday, September 7th: THINK STRATEGICALLY
If you have the means and the desire, vote absentee or, if your state has it, vote early and make your election day about getting others to the polls. As I live in a safe state I'm going somewhere else... either New Mexico or Colorado or Nevada, depending on how the polls shake out. My plan is to buy a plane ticket, rent a prius and drive people to their polling site. If you live in a battleground state, best to do your work close to home, because nothing is more effective that interfacing with people that you know.
Monday, September 8th: MAKE SURE YOU'RE REGISTERED AND ON THE ROLLS
Take a moment away from the DKOS or whatever else you're doing to avoid actual work and contact your local secretary of state office by phone or via website and make sure you're registered and eligible to vote.
It may be a long annoying, hold-music-laden phone call (or a few hundred clicks), but that beats being told you can't vote or having to vote provisionally (much more on that later).
Friday October, 31st: GET READY TO VOTE.
--If you're an employee, remind your employer about election day. Tell your boss that its important that you intend to vote and intend to vote EARLY (we'll get into this in a second). Remind them that this will be an historic election and that the polls may be mobbed, so you may have to be a little late.
--If you're an employer, give your employees the space and time to vote. If you need more person-power, set it up in advance, so that should your employees run into trouble at the polls... you're covered.
--Identify two pieces of identification (we'll also get into this in a moment.) Drivers license. Passport. If you've got them utilities with your name and address.
--Find your polling place. Pretty much every Secretary of State has a website that allows you to enter your address in order to see an online version of your ballot and get directions to your polling place.
Friday October 31st: DOUBLE OR TRIPLE YOUR VOTE.
--Take a moment to identify OTHER VOTERS in your neighborhood who are low-turnout voters... i.e. older voters who might not be able to get to the polls, younger voters who don't have a history of participating, friends who are on the fence Democrats... and invite them to come to join you when you go to vote. APPLY NO PRESSURE ABOUT WHO THEY ARE GOING TO VOTE FOR, but be open, if they initiate, to educate them on Obama's positions.
--If YOU are one of those low-turnout voters and you need help, CONTACT THE LOCAL OBAMA campaign NOW or... hell... let us know here below. I'm sure, given how this community works, we'll figure out some way to get you to the church on time.
Tuesday November 4th: GOING TO THE POLLS
--Vote early. Every year there's a state... or states... where state Democrats have to go to the courts and ask to keep the polls open late in order to allow for people to vote. It'll happen again this year, but the best way to make SURE your vote is counted is to get out early and get it done. You may have to wait in line... but that won't be a problem because you cleared whatever time you -- and your voting buddy -- need.
--Have those two pieces of identification with you. Of course IN MOST STATES YOU ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE WITHOUT ANY IDENTIFICATION, but given the way the Republicans like to play, we all want to insure that we are allowed to vote and don't have to vote provisionally. The second part is especially important in a very close election, because provisional ballots aren't counted until the END of the election process and, as we learned in 2000, the PERCEPTION of the winner is more important than the actual winner. Barack Obama must be winning by the wee hours of Wednesday November 5th and the less provisional votes Democrats cast the better.
--If something goes wrong, ANYTHING IT ALL, and you are not allowed to vote... find the closest local Obama office and inform them immediately. Don't go to the press. Don't lose your mind. Don't post a hysterical blog here on the Kos. Find Obama's people and let them know what's happened. NO ONE IN THE WORLD wants you to vote more then them and they'll do everything possible to make it happen.
Tuesday November 4th: AFTER YOU'VE VOTED
If you have the time and means, hit the phone banks, either by going to your local Obama office or by contacting them online now.
All the worrying and TV watching and freaking the fuck out will do less then ten phone calls on election day.
It is my intention to post THIS BLOG every Sunday from now until election day and as I'm sure there are techniques/ideas/suggestions that I've yet to incorporate... please let me know in the comment. Also, as this blog evolves... feel free to steal it and send it to your friends/family/Democratic enemies.
Without us actually showing up and voting like we never have before, the rest, to quote The Bard, "is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."