Yes, North Carolina Can?

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=12113

we've missed you since Wednesday, Al!

also, hope you'll have a chance to answer a question: is the Ayers bullshite playing at all on the groun in these swing states?  are you hearing anything about it one way or the other?

the polls say folks aren't buying it, and i believe that to be the case- but i'm also curious what the anecdotal evidence is saying...

An article at Editor & Publisher reports that

Associated Press, which has been in a year-long dispute with numerous newspapers over a new rate structure -- prompting a handful to move toward dropping the service -- has instituted a hiring freeze, according to a memo issued Thursday.

They blame their loss of customers on their new rate structure. I guess the lowered standards and rank partisanship of their Washington DC bureau is blameless...

juicy info!

As I prepare for an election "incursion/excursion" to Indiana, I know that the Field will prepare me for the next steps!

Fun takeaway.

Much better than the fear-and-anger and the kind of screeching taking place at McCain Palin rallies. 

At a time when the vaccuum of leadership w/ McNasty, he doesn't calm his supporters down. Makes me recall w/ fondness the way that Obama would respond when he'd mention Clinton... crowd would boo.. and he'd calm them down.

At an appearance today, Obama mentioned the anger-stoking. The McCain campaign's response is pure, unadulterated comedy:

"The McCain campaign responded that Obama was talking about the economy in order to 'deflect' attention from McCain's "legitimate criticisms." [source]

Also, Jed Report has a great video intercutting Obama's predictions that they'd attack him.. with the actual attacks. 

In light of all this, and my fears for a Republican-sparked riot, I'm glad to know that there's more in common than ya think.

I spent almost two weeks in Winston-Salem volunteering with the Obama campaign and am eager to read your reporting on the situation in NC now.

@Susan...that was priceless re: McCain's response that talking about the economy is "deflecting" from their nonsense!

The best thing is that "real" Republicans are as sickened (almost) by this "tactic" of McPalin's as we are!

McPalin is being squeezed on all sides and I'm glad. This is nonsense and this is dangerous.

Calling O a traitor and/or terrorist is beyond all reasoning. Disagree, OK, but traitor/terrorist is way too far.

Notice that O is only blasting McPalin's policies, not his "character". Not that McPalin has any character left to blast...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

538 published a guest column with thoughts about October surprises. Rany Jazayerli speculates on whether Osama Bin Laden will try to influence the election.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/guest-column-will-bin-laden-strike.html

Please, Al, Turpentine State is just so... declasse.

Why not use its real name, North Cackalacky?

What planet is McCain on?  @Susan, thanks for that link to his repsonse to Obama - I think that's what a psychologist would call "projection."  Guess we're not supposed to notice the DJIA is down about 2,500 points in the past week ( that includes the @500 today AFTER Prezfornotlong Bush asked for 'confidence')

I too am curious to hear if the Ayers stuff is having any effect? Can't feel the almost sympathy Pam does for the 'squeeze' on McCain, but  amazed when even D. Brooks calls his VP choice a cancer on the party(paraphrase, can't remember the wording). The Dkosdiaries about the crowd reactions to their ticket are truly horrifying.

Al, good to hear you're ok.  Just looking at the miles you've gone makes me tired!  Hope you feel it's all worth it when it comes time to write your book!  Stay well & travel safely.

NC is a beautiful state - and the progressive tradition of 1890's fusionism (black Republicans + white Populists) never entirely died out there...even during the Helms interregnum.

I got family in Tidewater - not too far from point Q on your map. Make sure you can get your hands on some spoonbread while you're there (I don't think I even need to mention pulled pork and hush puppies).

I just got called from someone (presumably a volunteer) from the McCain campaign (I'm in Minnesota).  After I answered the phone, he immediately launched into (clearly) reading a script.  It was rushed and he didn't even pronounce Palin's name right.  There was no modulation in tone, no variation in speech that even gave an indication that he knew or thought about the words he was saying and he was saying it so fast, and kind of slurred that parts of it were hard to understand.  There was no interaction, no questions about what issues are most important to me, no interest, whatsoever, in even finding out which way I was going to vote.  Just the splurt of meaningless words followed immediately by a hangup.

How silly.  THAT's not going to change the mind of anyone.  What a waste of time for their volunteers.

Al,

Do you have any feelings you would be willing to share about the bile coming out of the McCain/Palin rallies, and what (if anything) we should do about it?

I remember when Hillary made her comment about RFK being killed in June, you wrote a post about how the more attention was drawn to the comment, the more likely it would rouse those people who were unbalanced. Do you think that same dynamic is at play here?

 Al knew this was coming. A week or so back he was admonishing a couple of commenters and said this.

It's going to be a hard and dangerous sprint to the finish line.

I thought then, Oh My, it's going to get ugly and Al knows it. Keep the faith, remember to push back on smears and keep working on the ground.

I remember during tail end of the primaries Al did a very nice post on Hillary Clinton supporters going through the seven stages of grief.  I think with McCain clearly slipping in the polls and the sand running out of the hour glass, McCain supporters are facing their grief.  The stage they are in now clearly is anger.  I have a friend managing a GOP campaign in a very conservative area of Kentucky.  He said that nobody there can believe Obama is winning and are feeling angry and helpless.  I think we saw that in those clips from McCain rally in Wisconsin yesterday as well. 

@ Suzy...the pity wasn't for McPalin...not at all!

It is the situation that is pitiful, that they would sink so low.

If I have any feelings at all, it is for *real* Repubs: the ones who really feel "less government", business first, etc. and are not racists, etc.  There are some out there, but since Nixon/Reagan, and especially since Newt, they've been overtaken by the crazies...

I can respect (if not understand) people with whom I have real political differences...but to becomse crazy and extremist and to dwell in filth just to win...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

This pic says it all and just makes me laugh.  Rough language alert http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4131981

There's too much real stuff going on now, with the economy going down the toilet. People are blowing this racist crap off!

Here's America's answer, Nat. Newsweek Poll- just out-

Obama up by 11 pts- 52-42:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/10/165637/44/795/626704

Very nice, this is a nice cap-off report from your very productive time in NC.  Where next? (hint: cigars, Cuban sandwiches, mojitos).

Of course I am biased as hell--but a very interesting story could be told about Obama turning Florida light blue.

Interesting anecdote: yesterday I stopped in a Publix grocery store in  an upscale area of Orlando, called Winter Park.  Definately a Republican enclave.  However, there is also an African American part of the town that is slowly being gentrified--little wooden houses that have been passed down through generations being knocked down for upscale commercial and residential.

Well, entering and leaving the store I noted an African American man in his late thirties sitting on a bench, in the area where people get their carts, coffee, ATM, and other stuff.  Leaving the store I approached a small group of people and politiely requested that they consider voting for Barack Obama.  (I am being politely agressive in my advocacy of Obama as we get down to the wire.)

One woman, a Latina, said that she could in no way vote for Obama becasue she has a son in the military.  I asked her if she agreed with the rationale for entering and occupying Iraq.  Well, before she could answer the African American guy, with a working class countenance, jumps up and starts trying to explain to the lady that the Iraq war is all about oil; he explained that his cousin, a career military guy, testifies that the Iraqi people don't want the US troops there, and that oil is a significant reason for the US occupation.   The man was pretty big, but he was simply trying to persuade the lady to think critically.

Another older African American interjected that she and her co-workers at a hospital will be voting for Obama.

What was striking is that I have never seen African American people so willing to enter the political fray and voice their opinions, trying to convince white folks (that in Winter Park have always dominated AA's politically and economically).

There is definately an evolution in political thought and action underway here in the Sunshine state.  It's quite striking and makes me hopeful in a very profound way.

I am confidently and agressively approaching people with Obama literature and politely asking that they consider voting for the man.  I've never done this in previous elections--but we have to take this opprotunity and run with it.  The wind and the arch of the moral universive is shifting in our direction, and we are compelled to ride the wave all the way to the promised land.

 Off topic: what the hell!  McLame's campaign is trying to pull Michelle Obama into the Ayers thing!  Have they no shame?  What next, Sasha and Malia planning strikes on elementary schools?!  In-f..king--credible.