Voters in North Carolina make our voices heard!
I’m sitting at my desk very tired and very happy. Last Tuesday North Carolina helped shift the political paradigm of this nation. By a large majority, the voters of our state rejected the ego-driven politics of pandering, fear-mongering, guilt by association and personal attack, embracing instead a pioneering political ethos of candor, authenticity, openness and organizing at the grassroots level. Not only did our votes in the North Carolina Democratic presidential primary really count; through our efforts Barack Obama is now the presumptive nominee.
More than 2,000,000 total votes were cast in
both the Democratic and Republican primaries in North Carolina, a turnout of registered voters of approximately 36%. Of those voting for the Democratic presidential nominees, Barack Obama received 875,683 (55.99%) and Hillary Clinton received 652,824 (41.74%), a resounding victory for Obama and a deciding factor in this race.
In Buncombe County Obama received 27,899 (54.67%) and Clinton received 22,290 or (43.68%). And this with the Clinton family spending the past few weeks in Asheville and Western North Carolina.
At our own Asheville Precinct 3 (just north of downtown and east of Broadway), Obama received 550 votes (74%), Clinton received 187 (25%) and “Other” received 7.
In addition, we supported the movement to bring new leaders to the Buncombe County Commission. The top four candidates in the list below move on to the general election on November 4. The first number after each name is the percentage of the vote garnered, the second number is the candidates’ total vote in the county and the number in parentheses is his/her vote in Precinct 3.
Holly Jones 21.45% 30,535 (547)
K. Ray Bailey 14.94% 21,268 (304)
Carol Weir Peterson 13.81% 19,655 (152)
William H. (Bill) Stanley 12.29% 17,499 (130)
Cecil Bothwell 11.54% 16,425 (439)
Keith Thomson 8.70% 12,380 (305)
Vernon E. Dover 6.90% 9,822 (46)
J. Ray Elingburg 5.81% 8,267 (44)
Robert E. (Bob) Hill 4.58% 6,524 (46)
As you can see our friend Cecil Bothwell (who lives in Precinct 3) barely missed the cut. Congratulations on a well-run grassroots campaign, Cecil Here’s hoping you’ll run for city council next year.
My gratitude to everyone involved in this grassroots effort, especially my Obama precinct co-captains Shonnie Lavender and Cindy Esselstyn who worked tirelessly for the next President of the United States, and for other progressive candidates in North Carolina and Buncombe County. Thanks also to Luke McGowan, the Obama Field Organizer for Buncombe County, who guided our efforts with a gentle hand. Good luck, Luke, wherever you are now (WV? KY? PR? OR?). Hope you make it back to this part of the world to help out with the November election.
YES WE DID!
Thursday, May 8th, 2008“The Night the Old Politics Died” by Brent Budowsky
The Night Old Politics Died
Brent Budowsky, Consortium News
May 7, 2008
The old politics died on May 6, 2008, as the predictable and inevitable happened and the voters said no to business as usual.
The voters said no to the most phony and fraudulent proposal in memory for a gas tax cut that would never happen, that would profit the oil companies that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) falsely said she was fighting with it, that would do nothing for the people she falsely claimed she was helping with it.
The most reprehensible and shameful aspect of this gas tax fraud was in its cheap exploitation of people who are hurting, and fearful. There is nothing lower in politics that exploiting people who are hurting, trying to deceive them. The voters said no.
The voters said no to the politics embodied by the shameful ABC debate of Gibson and Stephanopoulos that was nothing more than an oppo-research festival. Voters said no to the Tim Russert “Meet the Press” that insulted them last Sunday, wasting time with more than a dozen questions about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright rather than a serious discussion of national issues
The voters said no to the insider pundits who pontificated about what a brilliant and clever tactic the gas tax fraud was, about how Hillary is on a huge roll and Barack looked broken and on his heels only hours before he won a crushing and devastating victory.
Soon, as I predicted some time ago, Hillary will withdraw and the superdelegate surge will reach a juggernaut pace that has already begun.
Soon, there will be new talk about 2 million Obama donors that will rise to 3 million. There will be talk of a historic voter registration program that has already been approved and will exponentially strengthen democracy and build even more voter turnout, voter excitement and voter enthusiasm.
Soon, there will be talk about a Democratic landslide throughout the Congress as Democrats come together and coordination begins between the presidential and the congressional Democrats.
Soon, there will be talk about the outpouring of enthusiasm around the world from good people everywhere ready to begin a new day of American world leadership based on the great role we have played in the past.
It was the night they drove old Dixie down, the night the old politics ended, the night a great new era in American politics truly began.
The battle now begins in earnest. On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, the Rubicon was crossed.
Thursday, May 8th, 2008Vote Tomorrow in the NC Primary
Make Your Voice Heard!
I urge you to vote for Barack Obama for president and for Cecil Bothwell and Holly Jones for Buncombe County Commissioner. You can find additional recommendations for progressive candidates for county and statewide offices by clicking here. You can review a sample ballot by clicking here. Regardless of who you intend to vote for, however, exercise your responsibility as a citizen and make your voice heard.
Voting details
- Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Vote early and enjoy the rest of the day knowing your vote is “in the bank.” If you must vote later in the day, know that as long as you are in line when the polls close at 7:30 p.m., you have the right to vote.
- Vote at your regular polling location (PDF list of locations or find your polling location).
- If you are registered as Unaffiliated, you can vote in either the Democratic or the Republican primary.
- If you are a first-time voter who registered by mail, make sure to bring a current and valid photo ID (like a driver’s license, student ID, employer ID or government ID), or a document that shows your name and address like a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck.
- If your name is not on the voter list, first make sure you are at the correct polling place. If you are, ask for a provisional ballot.
- If you moved within the same county before April 6, 2008, vote at the polling place for your new address.
Thanks for your participation in the electoral process!
YES WE CAN!
Michelle Obama, our next First Lady, in Asheville
I, along with 3,499 of my best friends, saw the next First Lady of the United States speak last night at University of North Carolina-Asheville.
Folks of all ages, ethnic origins, political persuasions and socio-economic backgrounds arrived during the afternoon to get a chance to hear Michelle Obama’s message of hope, fairness and personal accountability.
In the prelude to the main event, Bob Phillips, long-time Obama volunteer, led us the Pledge of Allegiance, Mayor Terry Bellamy spoke in support of Obama, Gladys Knight sang “America the Beautiful” and a local woman whose name I don’t recall introduced Michelle.
Michelle Obama was passionate, humorous, informative, authentic, inspiring, intelligent, elegant and down-to-earth. While I’d hoped that the candidate himself would visit Asheville before our May 6 primary, I am well-satisfied with Michelle’s stop in our fair city.
From Clarke Morrison’s article in today’s Asheville Citizen-Times:
“Life has gotten harder, not easier, for working people,” Obama said to thunderous applause from a podium on the campus quad. “Barack will work every day to make that bar even.
“Barack will be one of the greatest leaders that we have seen in a long time. I am so proud of my husband. To me, everything that’s important in this race has to do with character and judgment and good choices.”
My wife Shonnie had an opportunity to speak briefly with Michelle on the rope line after the speech:
Shonnie: Thank you for what you and your husband are both doing.
Michelle: Don’t make me cry. I made it through the speech without crying. (At this point Michelle reached over the rope line and gave what Shonnie described as a warm, connecting, real hug.)
Shonnie: I’m sorry. I’m just so honored to be here and be a part of this journey.
Michelle: We’re honored too.
Get out and volunteer for Obama today! YES WE CAN!
Click here for photos of the inspiring event.
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008Michelle Obama to visit Asheville?
Rumor has it that Michelle Obama will be in Asheville on Friday. Stay tuned for updates as they come in!
Update: Yep, today (Friday) at the UNC-A Quad. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., speech begins at 6:00 p.m.
For preferred viewing tickets visit: http://nc.barackobama.com/MOasheville
A limited number of preferred seating tickets are also available to early voters at Board of Elections, North and West Asheville libraries, and Biltmore Square Mall early voting sites. Only 1 ticket/early voter.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but RSVPS are strongly encouraged.
For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal belongings. No signs or banners permitted.
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008Volunteer for Barack today!
More volunteers are urgently needed at the Asheville Barack Obama headquarters. Just stop by at 107 Merrimon Avenue (next to Bojangles) and ask how you can help. Canvassing and phone banking is going on all day and into the night.
You can also make calls from home. Just call (828) 225-5904 to find out how. Outside of Buncombe County, visit the Obama ’08 website for information on how you can lend a hand.
We’re in the home stretch and need to redouble our efforts to ensure a huge turnout for Barack.
Yes we can!
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008Vote in the May 6 NC primary
If you live in North Carolina (or Indiana), you have a unique opportunity to make your voice heard on May 6 and help make Barack Obama the next president of the United States. In addition, it’s time for some new (and progressive) blood on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners with Cecil Bothwell and Holly Jones leading the pack.
From now until Saturday at 1:00 p.m. you can still register and vote early at ten locations around Buncombe County. Then, of course, you can vote on May 6 at your usual polling place. Click here for information on voting elsewhere in North Carolina.
The North Carolina ballot is relatively long and complex. And while I’d never try to tell anyone how to vote, below are my picks in the various races. Tip of the hat to Cecil Bothwell at bothwell’s blog for doing the research on most of these candidates.
President of the United States
Barack Obama
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners
Cecil Bothwell
Holly Jones
Keith Thompson
K. Ray Bailey
U.S. Senate
Jim Neal
Governor
Richard Moore
Lieutenant Governor
Dan Besse or Hampton Dellinger
Auditor
Beth A. Wood
Commissioner of Insurance
Wayne Goodwin
Commissioner of Labor
Robin Anderson
Superintendent of Public Instruction
June Atkinson
State Treasurer
Senator Janet Cowell
Non-partisan judgeships (Back of the ballot)
Court of Appeals
James Wynn
Court of Appeals
Kristin Ruth
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008Obama calls on us to help change the nation
Obama calls on us to help change the nation
By Bruce Mulkey
Asheville Citizen-Times, April 29, 2008
In early 2007, I spent a few days in Nashville with Al Gore, being trained to present his global warming slide show. Contrary to the mainstream media’s portrayal of the former vice president, Gore proved to be warm, witty and engaging. At the end of the training, I thanked him for what he was doing, wondering (but not asking) if he planned to run for president again. For a few months thereafter I hung on every rumor of Gore’s candidacy until, alas, it became obvious that he did not intend to enter the race.
So I shifted my support to John Edwards and made a modest contribution to his campaign. I watched the results of the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses hoping for an Edwards upset but gained a revelation instead: Barack Obama’s eloquent and inspiring victory speech compelled me to switch candidates again.
Since, however, Obama was a relative newcomer to the national political scene, I had questions about him and his bid for the Democratic nomination for president. Who was this guy? What was his vision for America? How was he different from any of the other candidates running for president?
So my wife Shonnie and I did some research on the Internet. Then we downloaded both of Obama’s books — Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope — and spent evenings listening to them and learning more about this man.
Who is Barack Obama?
In doing so, we learned that Obama was raised by his single mother and his grandparents. After graduation from Harvard Law School, rather than taking a prestigious position at a high-powered law firm, he went to Chicago to head a voter registration drive.
He ran grassroots, citizen-funded campaigns for the Illinois State Senate and the U.S. Senate and has gained as much legislative experience as Abraham Lincoln had when the Great Emancipator ran for president. He has co-sponsored legislation that will help provide cleaner air and fight methamphetamines, both serious issues in Western North Carolina.
He wants to do more than end the Iraq war — he wants to end the mindset that got us into this war in the first place. Among Obama’s values are personal responsibility, self-reliance, empathy, authenticity, honesty, thrift, fairness and love of country. He is a servant leader who calls on us to be leaders in our own right. Finally, we learned that he is a committed, faithful husband and a devoted father whose personal and political decisions are informed by his deep Christian faith.
So I decided to get to work for Obama. Before I began volunteering locally for his campaign, I’d heard some referring to it as a personality cult, a throng of naïve, youthful Obamaniacs who had drunk the Kool-Aid and blindly followed this political pied piper wherever he led. My personal experience is quite the contrary.
Hundreds of self-organized volunteers of diverse ethnic origins, ages, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, professions, religious faiths and even political parties have joined together in Asheville and throughout Western North Carolina to reclaim the political power that is our birthright. We have united to help Barack Obama win the May 6 North Carolina Democratic Primary and move him one step closer to becoming president of the United States.
The right leader at this crucial time
It may still be business as usual for many Washington insiders. But here in Asheville and across the land, a powerful movement of energized citizen-activists has arisen. Barack Obama has rekindled the hopeful vision for our nation that lies deep within each of us.
He has called on us to make that vision a reality, to become personally accountable, to help our country correct the course it is on.
With your support, we will seize this opportunity to bring about fundamental change in our nation’s capital. We will rebuild our schools and infrastructure, restore our constitutional rights, bring our troops home from Iraq, curb global warming, make health care available to all and restructure our economy. Together we will transform America into the country it’s meant to be.
We are the ones. Now is the time. Please join us.
Bruce Mulkey is an Asheville writer and communications consultant. Mulkey is a former community columnist for the Asheville Citizen-Times and currently blogs at brucemulkey.com. You may contact him at bruce@brucemulkey.com.
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
