Great Teamwork - and not so much

Joel, OFA co-coordinator for Central Florida, conducted voter registration training at the OCDEC meeting last night. The assembled Dems then took the requisite quiz and signed the affidavit qualifying them to register voters under the more stringent registration rules put in place by the Republican-controlled Florida legislature in 2011. Great teamwork between the local Democrats and the Obama campaign, which is taking the lead on voter registration!

Now, the not so much. At the start of the meeting, candidates for Orlando City Mayor hammered each other. A major point of contention was the endorsement of a Republican by a Democratic officeholder.

The Cookie Monster comes to the rescue. I bought a box of Girl Scouts shortbread cookies from a beautiful young girl who set up shop outside the meeting hall. The box did not make it out of the building. As the meeting passed the 2-hour mark, I shared the cookies with Anna, Ida, Joe and my other fellow Dems to reverse a dangerous drop in blood sugar. Next time, I'll pack a lunch.

Bumper Sticker Stories

Jessica tells me that the Obama campaign is looking for stories about bumper stickers. Here is my submission.

I noticed one other car in my apartment complex with an Obama bumper sticker. For weeks, I staked out the car at every opportunity, hoping to see the owners. One afternoon, as I getting ready to go to the supermarket, I saw a young couple get into the car. They locked the doors and were getting ready to take off. I did not let that stop me. Running toward the car and waving my arms in the air, I called out that I was another supporter of President Obama. While I must have looked like a lunatic, they did roll down the windows. I introduced myself; we exchanged contact information; and they are now members in good standing of the Orlando Airport Neighborhood team to re-elect President Obama.

Ladies Night at the Obama Campaign

Sign-in sheets ready. Check! Hand-outs on Obama accomplishments for women printed. Check! Door Welcome sign good to go. Check! Assorted edibles, including miniature pastries, on hand. Check! Speaker phone and dial-in information tested. Check!

Tonight I will host a Women for Obama gathering to connect with First Lady Michelle Obama on a national conference call. This is my third Obama event at my apartment since the beginning of 2012. I'm on a roll.

My Avatar Goes with the Flow

I am hosting a gathering on February 22nd for Women for Obama, to connect with First Lady Michelle Obama on a national conference call. Because of technical difficulties (you really don't want to know), I cannot use the VAN to schedule women who say they will attend when I call them. They have to go to the Obama website themselves to RSVP. Given the limited capacity of my apartment, I am trying to manage attendance carefully. That goal was thrown into doubt when the Obama campaign sent an email to "women who live in my area" with the event announcement, including my address. Control-freak Eileen freaked out.

Wisely, I entered Demlandia, my parallel universe. My avatar, Eileen from the Obama campaign, was not at all perturbed. She is ready to handle whatever happens on Wednesday with a positive, cheerful attitude. My avatar is so cool!

Let's register some voters!

I have my clipboard, my pen and my checklist of the voter registration process. Tomorrow afternoon I will be at the Osceola County Art Festival to register voters, whether they be Democrats, Republicans, Independents or members of the Party of What's Happening Now.

It will be a relief to take action after spending so much time reading about various controversies. First, Komen's decision to cut grants to Planned Parenthood to provide mammograms to lower income women. Then the uproar over the decision to require employers to provide health insurance coverage for contraception to women without co-pays. My brain hurts from trying to live in two historical periods at the same - Modernity and the Middle Ages.

Demlandia, My Parallel Universe

Are there millions of parallel universes? I can vouch for the existence of at least one, and I have been spending a lot of time there lately. Let's call it Demlandia. I have an avatar in Demlandia. Her name is "Eileen, from the Obama campaign."

My avatar is different from me in so many ways. Obama campaign Eileen spends hours calling people on the phone and chatting up supporters. She invites people into her small apartment for neighborhood team meetings and phone banking. For these bonding rituals, she offers snacks purchased at the local Publix (which, by the way, will not permit voter registration drives outside its doors).

My avatar also meets 1-on-1 with Obama supporters at various locations. Dunkin' Donuts is a favorite. Obama Campaign Eileen shares her passion and determination to re-elect President Barack Obama. We will win, by fighting hard for each and every vote. I am beginning to like my Demlandia avatar; scary.