Okay people... here's the deal.

From now until 11:00, I'm going to match any donations given, up to the goal of $10,000.

Just post your donation in the thread here, and I'll match it.

Let's get it to the top.

Matthew

Election? What election?

I wish I could afford to MatthewN, my rent just got taken out. Im broke for a while.

While I was eating dinner I got a call from the DNC and the girl on the phone started talking about social security and I cut her off and told her "thanks for calling, everyone in my family is voting democratic" and told her goodbye.

Thats actually the only call I've gotten. Zero from republicans, and im in a red state.

No problem JM; hopefully we'll get a few takers.

I am strapped, too. I just had to bring my dog to the vet today and it cost me $80. If not, I may have had a little more to spare today. (My dog is ok, she has an itching problem right now).

Okay Matthew, $15, one last drop in the bucket for the campaign, one more gasp when I run out of money in the next day or two but THIS IS IMPORTANT goddamnit!

I just gave $25!

Because Jeremiah Wright is on my tv right now...

Now to get drunk and forget how broke I am...I also dropped $20 at a thrift store tonight on umbrellas to bring to the polls tomorrow (and a couple chairs I have). I hope to god noone leaves because of the rain or the long wait...

what are you drinking jane? and will you share?

MC- the Wright commercials are on here in NC too. Yet another reason to vote/contribute/GOTV. We need to send a BIG message tomorrow that those tactics are unworthy of a campaign...even McDickFingers' campaign.

JM- cheap vodka. I'm on the Goddamn Awesome Fundraising budget for a while, so no expensive beers or even decent wines...until I get a TAX CUT?

Jane - Matched!
mcinfla -Matched!

Another $20 from me. I'm so tapped out.

Have you noticed that in the Rev. Wright commercial they say "Not God bless America, but (bleep) damn America"? How come they don't bleep the "God" in the bless part? Or were they trying to bleep the "damn" and fucked it up??

ceu -- this is actually something I first noticed on MTV.
"Goddamn" is considered a really bad swear, while "damn" is considered a mild swear. So the "God" is edited out of the "goddamn."
super noticeable in Fall Out Boy's "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race", for all who care.

ceu - Matched!

I was going to post this on the donation thread, but since has become tonight's Prime Time thread, it goes here.

I had to think about MG's comments about Cesca's "hero worship" of Obama on the donation thread for a bit.

I've had heroes I've admired through my lifetime, some of them lived up to my expectations, others did not. Except when I was a child, I have never been so enraptured by any public figure that I haven't been able to recognize their flaws and shortcomings, or things that I may disagree with them about.

I'm not a kid anymore, and I'm not easily given to infatuation. I don't think Bob Cesca is, either. I have, in the course of my tenure here, actually read CRITICISM of Obama by Mr. Cesca, so I am positive he is not blinded by his enthusiasm.

Maybe Bob's hope, and belief in "heroes" is something to be ridiculed... but I think not.

To ridicule Bob Cesca is to also ridicule the millions of people across America, and around the world, who have faith that something better is possible. People who have faith that change for the better CAN be accomplished, and that Barack Obama may well be the one who can get it all started. People who believe that “Yes We Can.”

I have a question for MG, or for anyone who thinks as he does:

What is wrong with believing? Even in a “hero?”
What is wrong with having a passionate desire to finally see a United States President with the intelligence, decency and humanity of Barack Obama?

Read or listen to Obama's comments about his grandmother: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/03/obama-on-grandmother-and_n_140698.html

Then tell me that this man is "just another politician."

Bob's Cesca's zeal for an Obama Presidency isn't "hero worship," MG.

It's Patriotism.

Packy -- Tears to eyes. Well done, sir.

Thanks, Matthew. Now if you could just match my heating oil bill...
At least all the Bush cronies stay warm in the winter and that's what matters. :)

$5 bucks from JG--b/c Kit Bond lied on Tweety saying Obama wanted the Warren court to legislate redistribution of wealth--just a complete lie if you read the actual quote--oh, and becuase of the new Reverend Wright loop on TV--we need to crush these people with our vote tomorrow.

Does anyone know if some of this money is being funneled to the Senate/Congress races?

What Packy said.

And the Wright commercial here in NC goes like this: "Not God bless America, but bleep bleep America." They have to bleep God and Damn here in the bible belt.

Oh, and fuck Typekey.

Well put, Packy.

Have I mentioned my hatred of Typekey lately??

I've finally learned to copy things that might be construed as thoughtful before trying to post them...

Yep, Typekey blows.
I have taken to writing anything lengthy with a word processor first then cutting and pasting here.
By the way: Huffing Post scrubbing sucks, too.

okay i know i said i was tapped out, but i threw in another 10 bucks. Now i really am tapped out.

you're a good man Matthew

MatthewN - $50 just now.

Thank you, Packy. I'm honored.

Meanwhile, I just posted a poll on the main page.

MY BOOK IS OFFICIALLY IN STOCK AT AMAZON! Woo-hoo!

JG - Matched!
JennyDemilo - Matched!
pooleallair - Matched!

We're looking good folks.

Woo hoo! Too poor to buy Bob's book until mid-November...but that doesn't affect the state of this Union quite as much as this election!

$230 to go! Thanks Matthew!!!

re: Madelyn Dunham's death. Last week Bob Geiger wrote a really moving piece on HuffPo about her impending death. It's worth a read:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-geiger/acknowledging-obama-the-g_b_138124.html
He will simply be a man, mourning a deeply-personal loss right when he is hitting the zenith of his potential
But whenever Madelyn Dunham leaves this world, we should at least take a moment to consider Barack Obama the man -- a human being who will have just absorbed a terrible loss of a woman who he believes shares so much credit for where he is today and who he is today. And we should give him the same privacy, sympathy and respect we would give to any relative, friend or coworker under the same circumstances. For if we fail if only for a moment, to consider Barack Obama just one private person with hopes, fears, joy and, yes, pain and grief, we deny him his essential humanity and in doing so, lose just a bit of our own.

Matthew- you've got your own post now (4hours to Midnight). CM just tossed in another $15! w00t!

Jane, in a grumpier moment I posted a stupid comment earlier about the fundraising effort. After seeing the comments that followed mine I decided that I needed to help build the fundraising excitement, not tear it down.

sad...empty McDickFingers HQ shots! Poor Republican traitors/thieves/tricksters. Not.

I saw that thread, Matthew. So this is penance? Catholic much? I don't care, thanks anyway. You done good.

Seen on Think Progress comments: "Sarah the footnote." Heh? How 'bout her? Heh? Heh?

Oksy guys...less than $200 to go! And with Matthew matching...we can do this in no time! GO!

and i have no idea what "oksy" means okay?!?!?

Almost every single commerical on my cable tonight has been pro-democrat and very anti-McConnell. The difference in fundraising is very noticeable.

Here's the latest from Stretch, a/k/a Pizza Face. And this is the guy who supposedly "doesn't give his opinions" which he why he is chosen to be the "anchor" of the MSNBC election night results show.

About 15 minutes into his show ... he was talking to Ron Brownstein.

(Gregory speaking) "I've been thinking...we know the macro targeting strategy by Obama...focusing on African-Americans, Latinos and the under 35 voters...(they have the) potential pulls him across the finish line...and underperforms in some areas..."

then the most offensive part

"may create a negative outcome for him (Obama) in so far as people wondering if he can really lead with that kind of a base constituency..."

I called NBC/Universal to complain and ask them to have Gregory explain his remarks as far as what could be wrong with African-Americans, Latinos and the under 35 voter as "that kind" of base constituency.

I am furious that such an offensive comment should go un-noticed.

(Is he married to Nicole Wallace, he has such a jones for her?)

What?? Obama had a preacher who said "God damn America"?? For twenty years???
That's it, I'm voting for the guy who wraps himself in the flag. Whatsisname? You know, Sarah's running mate. The POW. The Keating 5 guy. What is his name...?

I've decided that I am going to marry Keith Olbermann.

I'll send out invitations to all the Cescans, once I've tracked Keith down and informed him of my decision.

That is all.

Wow..I'm even getting that Rev. Wright commercial here in Rhode Island. I have to keep the remote nearby to mute even while watching and Keith and probably Rachel. Do they really think they are going to change the minds of anyone who watches these programs? Just a waste of their money..which is good.

Oksy, CM! You betcha.

Also.

If there is one thing that should be taken away from this election, its that negative attack ads do not work.

Every single time a new smear ad is released, polls show it doesn't have any effect other than damaging the attacker running the ad. Yet they keep running them anyway?

DUH

JM - I think this is the first election that they haven't worked in, though.

Hard to let go of an old favorite, I guess.

JM, blah blah, something about old dogs and new tricks, and perhaps silk purses and sows' ears, and finally something about pigs and lipstick.

You missed me twice today in small increments. Damn I'm tapped now but could have doubled my $15 today's total (the second one to make a statement following the earlier kerfuffle here) had I just waited. Ouch.

Great job, Matthew. This is a wonderful way to get us over the top.

So what time are you guys planning to vote tomorrow? Im not sure when the best (least crowded time to go might be). I have the day off so I have the luxury of going whenever. Right now Im thinking of trying midday..maybe about 2:30..and if that doesnt work...maybe around 8 p.m. (they close at 9).

I dont think Ill be able to sleep tonight.

Its like the night before christmas accept you dont know if you're going to get a gold bar or a pile of dogshit as a present.

dontpanic - I can't do it for everyone, but I'll match your $15, seeing as it was in response to today's kerfuffle.

:-)

Hank Williams Jr is a fuckhead.

Thank you! I wasn't asking but if you insist, that's wonderful. Look Virginia (and NC), there is a Santa Claus.

There's a difference between negative ads and smear or attack ads.
Negative ads are any which talk about the opponent - what s/he has done, won't do, or won't carry thru on a promise to do, that sort of thing. The "American Tune" ad is a negative & very effective ad. They work.
Attack ads are those that fearmonger, lie about the opponent's record, or smear by innuendo. They sometimes work, but haven't this cycle because the smears were all out in the open & dealt with during the long, long...long...primary season. The Wright ads could have been effective if we hadn't had 7 weeks of wall-to-wall Wright coverage back in May & June, which culminated in that fantastic Philly speech. McCain's campaign didn't have anything new to shock or outrage anyone who'd been paying attention.

cminri - the slowest times by me (in CT) are 10-12 and 2-4. I think 8pm would be a pretty bad time to go.

JM, or as David Sedaris said (?), "It's the stewardess asking 'Would you like the chicken, or the shit with broken glass in it?'" (How could anyone be undecided, that is. I think they're the ones who say "I don't like either of them." My exhausted response has lately been to walk away.)

It's very much like Christmas eve used to be. We got lumps of coal the last two times. This time I'm hoping for Hope.

and I'm with you, Ashby.

Cminri - Im voting at 8am. If there is a line at all, im sure ill be done within 30 minutes. I live in a town of 25,000, and precincts are very close together, and the one I go to is in an area of town filled mostly with older folks. My state is also very very red and very very stupid and I'll be shocked if I see much enthusiasm at all at the poll. It will be a line of 20 or 30 people 70 or older looking glum voting for McPalin. Its the same every 4 years here.

CM, I'm going when I can drag my ass out of bed- hopefully near 6:30 am- but only 'cause I HAVE to go to work after.

This year is a total wild card- I've never had to wait at my polling place. But it's predominantly AA there, so I *hope* it's busy. I'm bringing chairs and umbrellas to leave there.

Matthew, you're in CT, too?
How ya voting on the Convention?

I know I'm totally like an hour late - but that was a great post above Packy.

Hey, Eugene Robinson called NBC a "cue card factory." Or something.

ceu, I'm thinking of voting yes. I know there are groups that want to open it up so they can slam gay marriage, but I don't think voting no is the best way to stop them.

I think the state constitution SHOULD be revisited every so often.

(psssst- I think jane's drinking again.)

pass it on Jane

$100 to GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ceu, was it Bill Maher who said something about these damn initiatives (no means yes to not funding the blah blah blah)? You made a good point about CT's constitution the other day.

Huffingtonpost is so damn cluttered now it bogs down my whole computer just to have the page open. If I close Huffpo, everything is smooth as butter again. Way too many ads and clutter and junk on their frontpage.

(pssst-Jane, that was 45 minutes ago--what you smoking?)

and I agree and was late too--Packy, that was something. Thank you.

(Eugene, I mean)

Hey...where have Carl and Elvis been?

It is revisited, though, Matthew. A convention is not the only way to amend the Constitution and the special interest groups are pushing for the change to be on direct initiative, an idea I find appalling.
However! If the YESers get their way, there will still need to be a statewide vote on whether to accept their amendment proposals, so we NOers will get another chance to vote that down.

So...in my state Senate race, there is no challenger and in the state House race, the Republican challenger committed suicide a couple weeks ago & now there's a replacement candidate that no one's heard of.
Not much suspense in the CT races, except Shays. Wouldn't it be amazing if Shays lost and EVERY US Representative from New England was a Democrat?? :)

Ashby, use Firefox and install Adblock as an add-on. Then send occasional donations to folks like Bob who you want to support but who don't get it when you hit their site. You have to train it a bit but it works. For each long string of ad URL, cut off all but the www.blah.com/ part and put an asterisk after a /, you will never get one from that advertiser again unless they change the basic URL. Just blank space. (Sorry, Bob, let me recover from this election).

Well, Elvis is now on the Masthead, so Bob prolly told him not to mingle with the riffraff. Or else he's doing family stuff tonight so as to have liveblog privileges tomorrow. Carl? Prolly working. (Investment secret: Theatre industry seems not to have slowed down yet in this economy, and hasn't been affected by ups/downs in the last decade, that I've noticed.)

DP, I'm on DVR delay. Cable is another luxury that goes away after the election.

Yeah, Jane, I think Maher said something about it. It was after I'd written my piece and I felt good that he agreed with me, even if he didn't know he was doing it. :)

If Elizabeth Dole (R, NC) loses her senate seat tomorrow it's the End of a 56-year Error, a constant string of Bushes and Doles in office! W0000000t! Go Hagan!

MatthewN -- I don't mean to be impolite, but holy shit, are you rich? Or really, really inspired by Obama?

Here's a bit of cheer for all. I'm working the polls tomorrow. I painted my nails blue. I just dare those Republifucks with their red nails to say one damn thing!!!

Go Poleeezz! (Wonder if I could paint my face blue...)

I think Dole may have secured NC for Obama.

Scratch their eyes out with those blue nails if they say anything Poleezz.

Now there's an idea!

Theo, I am most assuredly not rich.
I'm a computer consultant, so I do okay, but this is right at the edge of my comfort level.

If we had been any farther away from the goal, I don't think I'd have been able to make the offer.

And yes, I am incredibly inspired. Perhaps not as much by Obama as by the thought of getting my country back,

Till they bleed JM!

JM I think Obama secured it for Hagan long before all this "godless" crap even started, actually.

I hope like hell Dole is on her way out. I've talked to a several of moderate Republicans who were really turned off by the "Godless American" ad. I hope tomorrow it's buh, bye Liddy!

Ah, one of those gizmos, DVR. I don't even know what it stands for, just that it "delays".

Ha-GAN, Ha-Gan--hey, I just realized her name is an abbreviated version of both names of the guy that almost beat out the Satan Spawn Helms. Back when I got my hopes up and had them dashed, something that seems to happen on a regular basis here in NC. Maybe not this time(knock on wood).

Pawlenty - Palin excites others besides republicans.

WHO?

Hey JM and Ceu...which part of CT are you guys in? Nice to see some fellow New Englanders.

Okay, Matthew. I registered just to tell YOU that I donated $50, to make that final $100. Thank you (!) for the (expected) match!! And ALL OF YOU for your support of the candidate of the century, Barack Obama!

OH MA GA!!! I heard from Cactus Gal and she is soooooooo depressed. It seems that the BEAST is coming to AZ tomorrow!!

Woooo hooooo!

DP, I remember. That was one of my first times being eligible to vote. I think one of Mel Watt's children was my best friend in 5th grade, too. My mom has always been involved in Charlotte politics (hence that letter I sent you, Blue State Secession). Harvey Gantt was a great mayor in Charlotte when I was coming up. Like our mayor here now in Raleigh, Charles Meeker. He roxxx.

I wish I were a New Englnder. Im in Kentucky, hee-yuck.

MatthewN -- Huzzah!

Nurunr and Matthew (the other CT-ian?) THANK YOU!!! Wooooo! Pops champagne, throws confetti!!!!

The Blue State Secession thing was awesome, Jane. I sent it to a bunch of people and they all got a kick out of it.

I still have my Harvey shirt in a footlocker with my New Riders of the Purple Sage shirts and such. Gantt came so close. Or maybe it seemed that way but I honestly thought we'd be rid of Satan 25-or-whatever years before we were.

We reached $10,000!!!! That is so amazing!! GO US!

Poor Cactusgal. Perhaps we should start a fundraiser for some Purell?

Ooops sorry...I meant that or Matthew (about being from CT)...you are welcome here anytime JM!

JM you can look at it this way; Kentucky is a really beautiful state that needs a few more blue folks. I must say it is quite a beautiful place. I visit there often.

HAHAHA! Right-o Jane.

Goddamn Awesome PAC! Go!

Where in KY do you visit Poleezz? In terms of scenery, not all parts of the state are created equal.

Kat it was great. I kept it going everywhere too. My mother especially loved it and a friend in Charlotte wrote back sniffing that we aren't one of those blue states. I told her to hang on. We may be yet.

Close to you JM. You're around Ft. Knox? I visit Louisville and points east. Outstanding countryside.

WTF @ this Wright commericial. First time I saw it. And on MSNBC.

Obama's mentor and adviser? K@!RNTMK

I think we should start making a list of our GDAPAC demands.

I'll start:
Election Day declared Goddamn Awesome Day Off.

nurunr - I missed your post earlier. Seeing as you registered just for this, doesn't seem fair that you wouldn't get your match, even though we reached the goal.

so... last one of the evening... Matched!

Awesome idea Jane.

Poleezz - Yes I am 31 miles south of Louisville in Elizabethtown. Fort Knox is only a few miles away. Stay away from the southwestern part of the state, thats the ugly zone. Do you have family in Louisville?

CM, I'm just west of Hartford....and you're in RI. Don't tempt me... I've been very, very good about not making RI jokes. (just kiddin' ya)

Dont worry about it ceu - I've heard em all..and made up some of my own!

No family there. Friends. I used to live north of SW Kentucky in Evansille IN. You are right. Ugly part of the country in terms of landscape.

He said it again. McCain on SNL on rerun Olbermann said "Democrat National Committee". Now why the fuck does his whole campaign keep doing that? First it was just the "Democrat Party" and now the whole shebang? What's with ditching the ic? What are they winking and nodding to?

Here's some more demands:
No more Fucking The Typekey.
No more socialist spreading the wealth to the Red states.
Draft the Evangelicals and Neocons (of any age).

Also.

Btw JM, I'm always hearing all the big guns in Ft Knox. I bet you hear them too.

Jane, you are GOOD. Keep on...

I have some friends in Louisville also. Evansville got hit with some pretty bad storms this past year.

Well I don't know where you are now Poleezz, but good luck at the polls tomorow. You should take a picture so we can see the looks on their faces after they see your nails.

Another: Rachel gets ALL networks from 8-9 pm. Huzzah!

(sorry Keith- Rachel gets 9-10 pm.)

Funny you should say that because I'm taking a camera and video camera in case of trouble. I don't expect it, but you never know!

Message from Keith: "YOU, sir, were wrong. A grateful country thanks you for your correction."

If you're voting tomorrow, bring chairs, umbrellas, candy for diabetics, water, whatever you can...

Night all! Next time we talk...we shall all be tasting SWEET VICTORY!!!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BARACK!!!!!

Matthew, thank you for the match. You are a person of integrity. But I would expect no less. It's a pleasure to be a part of this community.

Oh Jane very good suggestion. I was taking some chairs actually.

WTF? Voting machine turns up randomly in Alabama residential driveway??? About as stupid as the "oops we flew live nukes over the country!"

And do like my mom plans, dress like the Pillsbury Dough Boy to keep out the chill and your adult kids off your backs.

'night, Poleezz. Don't get that polish on the bedding. I know from having a black nail-polishing daughter (at 15) that it never comes out.

G'night everybody. Must be rested for the big day.

night Polleeeezz! We want updates tomorrow!

Night DP! Night John Boy!

Night Poleezz and DP.

Something I must say! I spent quite a while at the hospital today and the only thing on was FOX news!

Over and over again I saw McCain repeating his FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT diatribe!

Now, I know this is a bit of a stretch ........ kind of, but really? The tone! The audience!

Guns and religion! I can't help but think of Yitzhak Rabin and the words of Binyamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon!

McCain doesn't get how his words enflame the right wing extremists I guess. Or maybe he does and he just doesn't give a shit!

I don't know. Just thinkin' out loud!

Hospital Kansas? Everyone is ok I hope.

You're right about McCain's speeches. Not just today but the last few days every speech of his has been "blah blah fight fight fight make history blah blah." Its like a highschool cheerleader chant. I think Netenyahu is way more articulate than McCain. So was Sharon, and both much smarter, but also way more evil.

It is straight up guns and religion.

Frank Shaeffer on HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/obama-needs-you_b_140606.html
So ... the only safe option for our country is a landslide victory for Obama! ... Need a last dose of motivation? Picture Sarah Palin in the White House having dinner with Jim Dobson and discussing what the Bible is "telling" her to do about our foreign policy and the economy. It could happen.

JM,

I suffer from a neuromuscular disorder. I spend lots of time at hospitals.

Disabled since 2002 at the age of 50. Which brings up another point.

Now that Palin has a special needs child she wants to do more for "them". McCain and her say they'll freeze spending on everything else.

WTF! I have needs I can't meet on my own! Am I just shit out of luck?

Liberals get the idea that some are dependent on others AND THEY DON"T BITCH ABOUT IT!

Good lord! The glass-break effect on Olbermann has gone ROGUE!

Holy shit. CT's Sec of St. is predicting a 90% voter turnout tomorrow. 90%! That's unheard of! And yeah, I heard it right - they had it on the chryon, too. (local NBC news)

Just want to say g'night and good luck to everybody. McCain is visiting our AZ burg tomorrow, and I sucked the wine box dry tonight pouting about it.

If that fucker loses AZ I might start thinking about attending church.

But probably not.

McCain claiming he would freeze spending was nothing more than slogan and gimmick. Even in a republican controled senate and house I do not think that would be political viable.

And they're voting in Dixville Notch! [I can't believe that you people are not watching!] And they're counting the votes... 19 registered voters, traditionally Republican. [last time they went for the Dems was like 1968]

6 votes - McCain
0 votes - Nader
15 votes for Obama!!

GAME ON!!

(2 people apparently registered at the last minute)