April 21, 2006

NPR Interview with Mark Warner

On NPR's Morning Edition today, Mark Warner was interviewed on a wide variety of state and national issues... and yes, plenty of speculation concerning his potential presidential run in '08.

You can hear the interview here:

Mark Warner: World Help Needed to Stabilize Iraq

Links exist there for both the broadcast interview and the substantially longer "extended" interview.

Posted by amahler at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2006

Gov. Kaine to Give Dem Response to State of the Union

I was just scanning my RSS feeds this afternoon and caught sight of two mentions of this bit of cool news (originally from the Washington Post):

"Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are scheduled to call Kaine Thursday morning to officially ask him to accept."

References are on Raising Kaine and Daily Kos' midday open thread.

Seeing Gov. Kaine will be my visual cue that it's finally safe to unmute my TV. :) Mark it on the calendar!

Posted by amahler at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2006

Richmond Inaugural Ball

As promised, here is a small gallery of photos taken at the Richmond Inaugural Ball including shots of the bands, the spread and the arrival of Governor Kaine.

Also, anyone who asked me to take their picture should find it somewhere in this set. Drop me email if you'd like higher resolution copies.

Richmond Inaugural Ball - January 14th, 2006 - Richmond, Va
28 photos on one page

Posted by amahler at 02:51 AM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2006

Inauguration Day in Pictures (and some words, too)

I got a late start today and the editing took me longer than expected, but I've finally gotten a little over a hundred photos from Inauguration Day online culled from the 1200+ that I shot. I haven't had a chance to do complete captions yet, so I'm leaving them out for the meantime and will post a note when I do the update.

The Inauguration of Tim Kaine - January 14, 2006 - Williamsburg, Va
82 Photos on one page

For those that haven't looked at the photos from Friday, it's pretty obvious that the weather conditions could not have been more different. Compare these two shots, for instance, taken less than 16 hours apart:

Which one makes you want to wrap yourself in a blanket and cradle a cup of hot chocolate? Yeah, I thought so. Unfortunately, all anyone was wrapping themselves in yesterday were vaguely torso-shaped trash bags with little hoodies (hoods that, when peaked, tend to make one resemble a space-age garden gnome). Yes, I ended up wearing one, too, so don't think I'm being critical... I'm not. Getting those ponchos out to everyone was a great move on the part of the inaugural planning team, so my sincere thanks to those responsible.

(In fitting with the 18th century theme of our surroundings and the wicked weather, I keep imagining a crusty old guy in a tri-corner hat and knickers growling something about so-and-so being afflicted with the damp lung... or consumption or one of those other colorful medical pronouncements of the age... but I digress...)

In moderation, gray days are a photographer's friend. You avoid harsh shadows and get very even, diffused light. However, photographing your subject in a charcoal gray and silver suit standing in front of a sea of people wearing silvery-gray rain baggies... well, it's pretty monochromatic.

When shooting from a crowded press riser, it's sometimes tough to move around much. When shooting at a large event like this with fairly heavy security, covering a lot of ground for variety in the angles for your shots gets even more difficult. Add a steady, cold January rain that makes it impossible to shoot without water literally running off your camera and your incentive to stay put increases exponentially, variety of angles be damned. One significant incentive to stay put is when you and a fellow photographer become fast friends through the discovery that your two heads combined with the railing of the press riser make a great foundation for turning an umbrella into a hands-free, camera-friendly tent. :)

So, sitting cross-legged on one plastic poncho (to keep the puddle I was sitting in from soaking completely through my pants), wearing another poncho hiked up so I could keep my camera under it when not shooting, and using my head as one third of the support needed for the aforementioned umbrella-tent, I did my best to document the inauguration of Tim Kaine.

This is partially my roundabout way of saying I'm sorry if the ceremony pictures don't have a lot of vibrancy or variety. On the other hand, this blog is called Documenting Democracy rather than Pretty Political Photos. What I was documenting truly was democracy in action and, weather aside, it was a glorious, glorious day... Oh, and did I mention it was seriously historic? :)

The first section of photos represents the couple of hours prior to the ceremony when I was free to roam about. My press pass got me into the courtyard of the Capitol on the side opposite the seating and I had a chance to watch the arrival of many of the dignitaries and special guests. Former governors, various elected and appointed officials and more than a few very active pillars of the Democratic Party in Virginia came through, stopping to greet one another along the way. Not a single one of them looked anything less than thrilled to be there despite the weather.

On a personal note, I was quite happy to have wandered back there when I did. Governor and Mrs. Warner arrived about ten minutes later and I watched all the laughter and hugs and shaking of hands as everyone milled about exchanging greetings. A little over a week ago I barely managed to keep pace with him as he darted in and out of businesses along Main Street in Lynchburg campaigning for Shannon Valentine (photos here). He was clearly enjoying the startled reactions he was getting from people who never expected the Governor to come strolling in the door. What I saw Saturday, however, was a far more somber Mark Warner in the last hour of his term in office.

After the crowd thinned a little and before he headed into the Capitol building, he walked over to me, shook my hand, smiled for a moment and said "It's been fun". He was right. For me, it has been a lot of fun taking his picture at events in Lynchburg, Roanoke, Richmond, Boston and probably a few other places that I can't recall offhand. I replied by saying "I've had a lot of fun photographing you as Governor. You can be sure I'll be there to take more photos during your next campaign." There's no doubt of the massive support he will have if he officially runs in 2008 (or even after)... but I was glad to have the opportunity in that time and place to personally tell him that he definitely has mine.

I returned to the press riser after that to, as mentioned earlier, sit in a puddle and use my head as an umbrella support beam while diverting rainwater with my 300 mm lens. I did the best I could with the photos under the conditions described and, all things considered, am reasonably happy with the results (and equally thrilled about not having killed my camera in the rain).

By the end of the ceremony, though, the effect of the rain was starting to take its toll. I used the thirty minute gap before the parade to gloriously make some rain of my own (not to put too fine a point on the matter) and grab some gumbo from Shield's Tavern. Food in hand, I hustled down Duke of Gloucester Street to the second press riser across from the parade reviewing stand. Soaked and increasingly chilly, I tried to devise a way to hold my camera under my poncho with one hand while squatting down to eat gumbo one-handed with a spoon. Eating gumbo one-handed with a cheap plastic spoon while squatting down in a plastic poncho and trying to retun the lid after every bite so it doesn't rain any more than it has to in your food is not without challenges.

Needless to say, I didn't make it through much of the parade. I needed to get back down to the opposite end of Duke of Gloucester, ride back to my hotel, get warmed up in my car and hop on the road to Richmond for the evening's Inaugural Ball. That, however, is the topic of my next post and photos...

If you've lasted this long, here are the photos from the inauguration of Tim Kaine, January 14th, 2006 in Williamsburg, Virginia:

82 Photos on one page

Captions forthcoming...

Posted by amahler at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)

Home Safe... Photos Pending...

I got back home (Sweet Briar) around 1:30 AM. My shooting and travel schedule today has prevented me from feeding photos to the blog as quickly as usual. I just wanted to post a quick note as a placeholder of sorts saying that I'll focus on getting photos from the inauguration ceremony, parade and tonight's inaugural ball in Richmond up in the first part of the day (Sunday). I've come to realize that I've had roughly five hours of sleep in the last 48 hours coupled with a LOT of running around, driving, crouching, squinting and other photographic contortions. Throw in today's experience with deep sea diving on dry land while wielding camera gear and I think it's time to actually get some real sleep.

So... photos and anecdotes tomorrow (later today, technically). Night all... it's been a great day and my congratulations again to GOVERNOR Tim Kaine. (Damn it feels good to say that) :)

- Aaron

Posted by amahler at 02:22 AM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2006

Viewing the Inauguration via TV in a Warm Room

While our man, Aaron, reports live Inaugural events in the rain, many of us view it televised while sitting in a warm room drinking hot tea, or the eqivalent. Though it's a shame that it rained on Tim's Parade, that is supposed to bring good luck. The beautiful pictures of Colonial Williamsburg and the cannons transport us to another time until we see the TV people gathering.

At high noon, the dignataries having filled the Inaugural platform, the ceremony begins and Governor Mark Warner enters to a standing ovation, an unprecedented event for an outgoing governor. One of the announcers says, "With Mark Warner's approval rating of 75 percent, Tim Kaine will have big shoes to fill, but he'll bring his own sense of self as governor."

Continue reading "Viewing the Inauguration via TV in a Warm Room"

Posted by marlana at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)

Pre-Inauguration: Friday in Williamsburg

It's now the wee hours of the morning (about 2 AM), a time I swore I wasn't going to be awake after getting up before 5 AM this morning (yesterday, technically) to drive to Williamsburg for pre-inaugural photography. I didn't, however, want to go to sleep without selecting and editing at least a couple dozen shots to share here on DocDem.

I'll spare you the full story of being very pleased with my packing and travel progress this morning only to realize once I arrived and was standing in my hotel room that I forgot to put my overnight bag in the car. I had $10K worth of digital camera and computer equipment and no clothes or a toothbrush. My wife would have some choice comments on how typical this was in terms of my mental priorities. I've said before that I'd take my laptop over pants in a packing crisis... seems I wasn't kidding. ANYWAY...

I spent a good bit of the day (after negotiating the delivery of my forgotten clothes... they will arrive with a friend attending the inauguration tomorrow morning) hustling around the Colonial area, picking up press credentials, talking with other photographers, going through a media walk-through with Jeff Krause and the press pool, and working in a few shots here and there. I adore Williamsburg, so this entire event is a treat to me on many levels. Today was also a little jarring, though, due to the sheer magnitude of preparation going on that shakes the usual calm, coordinated and very 18th-century Williamsburg atmosphere. The presence of police motorcycles roaring down Duke of Gloucester, the large groups of guys in fatigues and more State Troopers than you can shake a stick at (which I don't advise, frankly) is very much NOT the Williamsburg I know. I'm not complaining, of course... all of these people and their activities are the cogs and wheels in the machine that drives this massive endeavor we call Inauguration. My hat is off to the many people who have been coordinating this huge event (and I mean you, Jeff Krause, among many others).

The photos I've posted are a selection of pre-inauguration "behind the scenes" stuff mixed in with some casual and creative Williamsburg photos that have nothing to do with anything other than my infatuation with the Colonial scene. I can't come here and not slip by the Governor's Palace kitchen to photograph the goings-on and the tasty looking things that, by law, none of us can sample. Dangit...

Click here for the photos:
Pre-Inauguration: Friday in Williamsburg
39 shots - 1 page

The last few shots were taken at the concert at William & Mary Hall where I met "The Constituents", a band headed by Arlington's Commissioner of the Revenue (they proudly told me they were the only band with an elected official among its members). They were a fun bunch and sounded fantastic. Headlining the event were the Beach Boy(s) with Mike Love... so look toward the end of the photos to see the man of the hour doing the introductions. :)

Sleep... must sleep... I want to get up early enough to catch the mist on Duke of Gloucester. Then it's off to the press stands for the main event. I'll try to get some photos of that online from my hotel before heading to Richmond tomorrow night to photograph the Inaugural Ball.

- Aaron

Posted by amahler at 01:49 AM | Comments (0)

January 10, 2006

Congratulations to Shannon and all Lynchburg Dems!

Republican candidate Mike Harrington has just conceded to Democrat Shannon Valentine in the special election for the 23rd district House of Delegates seat vacated by Preston Bryant.

I'm looking at the precinct reports right now and, with 20 of 21 precincts reporting, Shannon Valentine has 56.93% of the vote in what is a surprisingly high turnout for a special election. I can only hope that this kind of motivation among voters bodes well for the upcoming midterms.

Congratulations to Shannon and to all of the Lynchburg and Virginia Democrats who worked so hard in these last few weeks to achieve a well earned victory!

Posted by amahler at 08:21 PM | Comments (0)

January 07, 2006

Gov. Mark Warner & Shannon Valentine

It was very refreshing tonight to get back into action photo-wise and cover Gov. Mark Warner's visit to Lynchburg in support of Shannon Valentine. Shannon is our local candidate for Delegate to fill the seat recently vacated by Preston Bryant in Lynchburg. The entire campaign process has been a whirlwind between Bryant's announcement and the election this coming Tuesday (January 10th).

Governor Warner came to town this evening to show his support for Shannon and to do some campaigning on her behalf right there on Main Street. After arriving outside of the local Democratic Party headquaters in the Galleria, the two took questions from the media for a few minutes and then headed off for numerous impromptu stops among the various shops and other businesses along Main Street.

There are two things I can tell you with great certainty:

1) Governor Warner has a stride that requires mere mortals of average height (such as myself) to practically jog if you want to keep up. I've photographed the Governor in a number of venues (Lynchburg: 1, 2, Boston: 1, 2, 3, 4, Roanoke) and they usually involved a podium, a crowd and a total free range of about 30 square feet. Tonight was a completely different story. :)

2) The Governor was quite clearly having a great time catching people off guard. It was also quite obvious that the people he caught had an equally good time being the focus of his gregarious attention. It's not every day that you're browsing in a pawn shop and suddenly have the most admired Governor in the nation come striding in, stretch out his arm to shake your hand and say (with that huge Warner smile): "Hi! I'm the Governor of Virginia. How are you?"

Let me also mention that photographing this whole thing was a tremendous amount of fun.

Governor Warner and Shannon dropped in on the patrons of at least one clothing store, the country's oldest operating pawn shop, a pizzeria that has only been open for two days, a jewelry store, two banks, a tax preparer's office, Genworth, and the coolest barber shop I've ever seen.

News & Advance: Warner Tours Main Street

After our jog (and his walk), the Governor and Shannon were whisked off to a fundraiser at the beautiful home of Nancy and Carl Moore. There were easily several hundred supporters from both political parties on hand to greet Gov. Warner and express their support for Shannon. Both gave very passionate speeches in the packed foyer (I always love taking photos when I can't raise my arms... :) ) and spent the next hour shaking hands and having their photos taken with friends and supporters.

This brings me to the last piece of this brief entry:

Gov. Mark Warner & Shannon Valentine - Lynchburg - January 6, 2006
(31 photos - 1 page)

The gallery link above contains a collection of shots from Main Street and the fundraiser including any shots I took for people with the Governor and/or Shannon. People are welcome to keep copies downloaded from the blog and, if you're interested in prints, can drop me an email and I'll send you the high resolution originals suitable for printing (you can send them to most any digital photo outlet for quality prints). I don't recommend trying to print the shots from the web since they are not fully color corrected or high enough resolution for decent print reproduction.

For those that asked tonight, my role with the Democratic Party of Virginia and the local party is purely a voluntary one in support of the candidates. I do not charge for any photographs I take at these events. For those interested, my archive of political photos from events over the last two years is located here.

Tonight was a lot of fun and I was glad to get a chance to see and photograph Governor Warner again in his final eight days in office. I'll be shooting for the Democratic Party of Virginia at Governor-Elect Tim Kaine's inauguration ceremony in Williamsburg next Saturday as well as the Inaugural Ball in Richmond that same night. Look for photos from those events here on the blog next weekend.

Colonial Williamsburg is one of my favorite places on earth. The fact that Tim Kaine will be sworn in there next week on the steps of the beautiful old Capitol building designed by Sir Christopher Wren is especially exciting to me. I'm heading up there a day early to get in some pre-inauguration photos as well as some more personal shots of this beautiful colonial town. I'll place the personal shots on my other blog (halfpress.com) to accompany those from my last visit there in September 2004.

I hope you enjoy the photos and, by all means, if you live in Lynchburg or the two associated precints of Madison Heights: GET OUT THERE TUESDAY AND VOTE FOR SHANNON VALENTINE! :)

Posted by amahler at 12:26 AM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2005

Washington Post Endorses Tim Kaine

The Washington Post has proclaimed its solid endorsement of Tim Kaine through a very sober article that analyzes many aspect of both the candidates and the race itself.

...the choice is easy. Mr. Kaine has the potential to be a remarkable governor -- a responsible, forward-thinking, unifying, principled politician with brains, guts and know-how.

While the focus of the article is the Kaine endorsement, they did briefly touch on two other races of importance this fall and their choices were a clean sweep for the Democrats. The Post announced its support of Leslie Byrne for Lt. Governor and Creigh Deeds for Attorney General.

Byrne:

We are swayed less by their ideological leanings than their stands on fiscal matters. There Ms. Byrne has the edge, having backed the Warner tax package last year.

Deeds:

We think he would be the more pragmatic choice, and a better attorney general.

The full article can be found here.

Posted by amahler at 09:24 AM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2005

Local Article About Fundraising w/Focus on Kaine

This article appeared in this morning's News & Advance here in Lynchburg. Many know that I'm not a huge News & Advance fan for one reason or another, but this article covered the bases fairly well on the topic of local grassroots fundraising:

Political parties for true believers - Aug 29, 2005

An excerpt:

As all politicians and lawn care companies know, grassroots grow best during spring and summer.

"The election is going to be close," said longtime Campbell County Democrat Carter Elliott at the Reids' dinner party. "If you win by five percent these days, it's a landslide."

So what's going on now in both political camps is not so much about winning votes as solidifying the base. Getting someone to vote for you is one thing. Getting them to pound in yard signs, ring doorbells, answer phones or, in the case of Heather Van Cleave, donate a personal salad recipe to the cause, requires a little more salesmanship.

In other news, Kaine's new ads start today as we get closer to the real burst of campaign activity that leads into fall and the November election.

Posted by amahler at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2005

SCOTUS: What you can do NOW

The nomination battle is going to commence very quickly now that Justice O'Conner has announced her retirement. DailyKos has posted a list of immediate actions you can take starting right now:

• If you have a cell phone, sign up for People at the American Way's Mass Immediate Response site. This way, you'll be able to receive text message action items instantly as events break. (If you signed up during the nuclear option fight, you'll need to re-sign up.)

• Also sign up with the Save the Court, another PFAW website devoted specifically to this issue.

• Recruit friends and family members to the cause.

• Write to the President, telling him he should choose a consensus candidate to replace O'Connor.

• Contact your Senators to tell them the same thing.

• Contact members of the media and tell them you think Bush should nominate a consensus candidate. PLEASE be polite, be brief (200 words or less), and don't do copy-and-paste jobs - put things in your own words.

• Stop by Hunter's thread and make suggestions for potential nominees.

Posted by amahler at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2005

Short and Sweet Message

It's primary day - get out there and cast your vote! :)

- Aaron

Posted by amahler at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)

December 20, 2004

Lowell Fulk to consider House run

Rockingham County Democratic Committee

Fulk Resigning as County Chair

Cites possible candidacy for the House of Delegates as reason

To a crowd of more than 70 people, Lowell Fulk confirmed Saturday (Dec. 18) he will step down as chairman of the Rockingham County Democratic Committee effective Jan. 27, 2005. The announcement came at the RCDC's annual Christmas Banquet.

Fulk told the group he was extremely proud of the committee's growth and accomplishments over the past year and that he knew RCDC would continue its dedicated work.

Continue reading "Lowell Fulk to consider House run"

Posted by marlana at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2004

Victory In 2004

Good news for Democrats in Virginia: Paula Miller won the 87th District House seat in Norfolk Tuesday night, a hard-fought contest to succeed Republican Thelma Drake.

The 87th is a tough district for Democrats; in past elections, only Mark Warner has carried it, and yesterday Miller outperformed even the Democratic Governor in some precincts. The secret of Miller's success? Hard work coupled with a bipartisan coalition of Democratic and Republican leaders in Norfolk and a message centered on fiscal responsibility and her commitment to educational and economic opportunity for all Virginians. She's a soccer mom, a former television reporter with strong ties to her community, who works for the Virginia Beach sheriff.

Miller's victory continues the Democratic Party of Virginia's trend of whittling away at the Republican majority in the House of Delegates. Naysayers describe our victories in 2003, when Democrats picked up three seats in the House, as minor; but they forget that Republicans redrew legislative boundaries to maximize their chances of re-election and to make it virtually impossible for Democrats to win back seats. Virginia is notorious for its lack of competitiveness--a byproduct of GOP redistricting, not lack of effort on the part of the Democratic Party. The pundits said it would be impossible for Democrats to win seats. Post-election analysis might lead one to the false impression that it's impossible for Democrats to get elected to anything in a so-called "red" state like Virginia.

We proved the pundits and the naysayers wrong in 2001 with the election of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. We proved the pundits and the naysayers wrong with the election of three more Democrats in the House in 2003. We proved the pundits and the naysayers wrong with the election of Paula Miller.

The naysayers will continue to be naysayers. And Virginia Democrats will keep working to prove them all wrong in 2005.

Posted by laura at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2004

Getting It Right, Right Here In Virginia

It's been two weeks, and the post mortems and conspiracy theories seem to have no end. Earlier today someone forwarded me an email from Elizabeth Edwards and the new One America Committee, perhaps a signal that it is time to move on.

So many people have said, "What is going to happen in the next four years, it is so long until the next election."

Those people couldn't be more wrong.

We'll have an election here in Virginia on Dec. 14 to fill the vacancy left by Republican Thelma Drake's ascension to Congress. Our focus as a party between now and the next 28 days will be to help Democrat Paula Miller win that seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

We'll have an election here in Virginia in June to decide in a primary who will represent our party as nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Seven candidates are running for these two places on the ticket--a sign that our Democratic Party bench here in Virginia is full of excellent, qualified future leaders.

And we'll have an election here in Virginia on November 8th that will determine the future direction of our Commonwealth for many years to come. Not only will we be deciding on a new Governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, but we will also be electing 100 members to the House of Delegates. Virginia is rare in the nation in terms of holding off year elections, so 2005 offers everyone a real chance to get involved and make a difference, right here in our state. Help Tim Kaine, and get to know the other candidates in the field. Keep participating. It matters.

It's easy to feel despondent and look for conspiracies in the outcome of the 2004 election. But in Virginia, there is much to celebrate as Democrats. In 2003, we gained three seats in the House of Delegates--a sincere victory, since redistricting was intended to make such gains impossible and pundits said we couldn't do it. But we did. Sixty percent of all locally elected officials--sheriffs, members of boards of supervisors and city councils, commissioners of revenue--are Democrats. We remain committed to building that farm team. In 2001, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine carried our party to victory, at a time when, again, the pundits said, "It can't be done." But they did it.

We're getting it right because our party leaders, Warner and Kaine, are approaching the issues right. Just today, the Wall Street Journal carries a column by Gerald Seib (requires registration) about the Governor's potential as a national Democratic Party leader--similar to other stories that have run in newspapers across the country. In Seib's story, he describes Warner as "a moderate Southern governor who knows how to win in those red states, who is able to win over Republicans and who can speak to the middle on social issues." We couldn't agree more.

When the door closed on November 2nd, it meant the beginning of the 2005 election cycle here in Virginia. For us, there is no time to ponder the results of yesterday; we'll leave that to the chattering classes. There is no waiting around for four years from now. The time is now, and the future of our Virginia depends on us.

Laura

Posted by laura at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2004

It All Comes Down To You

Many, many emails hit my inbox, but recently I started receiving messages from Eric Bauman, chairman, of all things, of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. I couldn't have written something more profound on the eve of the most important election of our lifetimes--I'm too brain dead for that, at this point--so I thought I would share this. Laura

By Eric C. Bauman

After many months of speeches, attacks and counter-attacks, annoying thirty-second TV ads, news stories, editorials, predictions and postulations, the end is finally near. In just a matter of hours the ballots will be in the ballot box (or hard drive, for those voting electronically).

Those who can be convinced have been, those who haven't been, won't be. What remains is turning out our voters, and on that score, it all comes down to you.

Any potential voter who doesn't know that Bush will be the first president in 72 years to end his term with fewer people working than at the start, will never know it.

Any potential voter who remains unaware that more than five million people have lost their health insurance in the past four years will forever remain blissfully ignorant, or indifferent.

Any potential voter who hasn't heard that the child poverty rate has soared from 14 percent to nearly 18 percent, and that 39 million working Americans now earn below the poverty rate, must live in another land.

Any potential voter who hasn't read that Bush took Clinton's six-trillion dollar surplus and turned it into a 3.5-trillion dollar deficit has not read a newspaper or watched the evening news.

Any potential voter who has not acknowledged that we were led into war based on deceptions, distortions and lies, will also never acknowledge that more than 1,100 young American men and women will not have the opportunity to vote on November 2nd, or ever again. And despite those lives lost, our nation remains awash in fear of terrorist plots and the growing nuclear threat from countries like North Korea and Iran.

Any potential voter who has not figured out that with John Kerry there is hope and optimism for our future, and with George Bush there is just more of the same ... lies, distortions and deception, with the rich getting richer, the powerful gaining more power, and the rest of us getting virtually nothing, will never get it.

Any potential voter who has not yet comprehended these things, is not in touch with reality.

For us, the focus must now be on mobilizing those voters who understand the differences and know what's at stake; on energizing those voters and ensuring they cast their ballots.

All these many months of speeches and stories, of cajoling and threatening, of point and counter-point, end now. Today begins the end game that will define the course of our nation for the next four years and well beyond.

This is not a job John Kerry can do. This is not a job Bill Clinton can do. This is not a job the Democratic Party can do. This is a job only you can do.

I've heard all the excuses. I've heard the whining and braying. I've heard the frustration. But despite the excuses, in spite of the whining and braying and regardless of the frustration, each and every one of us must take responsibility to do our part for the future of our collective and individual benefit.

Please do not allow yourself to wake up on November 3rd to a headline that says, "Bush wins four more years," and then ask yourself, "Could I have done more?" or "Could I have made the difference?"

It has often been said that the difference between the candidates is that Bush sees things in black-and-white and Kerry sees things in shades of gray. For once, Bush may be right. This election IS black-and-white. It is a stark choice our nation faces, between optimism and hope or arrogance and insularity.

As I said at the beginning, it all comes down to you. To use a contemporary metaphor, you are the final precision armament in our arsenal. You are the Special Forces in our army. You are the key to the success of our strategy, our version of "shock and awe."

I know each of you cares deeply about the future of our nation and our world. I know each of you believes our best days lie ahead. I know each of you is committed to positive change. And it is those deeply held values to which I am appealing today.

Imagine if we are victorious in November, if we regain control of the reins of our government and reorient our nation's direction on a positive, intelligent and well-constructed path, the future will be bright and hope will return.

It has often been said that "this may be the most important election of our lifetimes," this year that is only half-true. This is not only the most important election in our lifetimes, but in the lifetimes of our children, our grandchildren, and our parents. America deserves better, you can and must help bring about that change.

Today the talk must cease, the chatter must end, and all the griping and whining must be stifled. Instead, you should direct your energy toward changing the course of our nation and helping build an America that is stronger at home and more respected in the world, an America in which each person has a chance at the American dream.

Despite all the darkness and distraction of the past four years, hope IS on the way. Remember, tomorrow can be better than today, but now it all comes down to you!

Posted by laura at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2004

Lynchburg: More blue than you ever thought possible

Select photos by your connection speed:

Democratic Fundraiser at the Valentine Residence, Lynchburg - Oct 20, 2004 (slower)

Democratic Fundraiser at the Valentine Residence, Lynchburg - Oct 20, 2004 (faster)

Lynchburg was host to another tremendous Democratic event tonight. At the home of the Valentine family on Langhorne Road, around three hundred enthusiastic Democrats gathered to eat, drink, mingle and listen to the words of Attorney General candidate Creigh Deeds and the guest of honor, former Lt. Governor Don Beyer. The message was one of unity and enthusiasm that confirms that the Democratic Party is on the march in Virginia in 2004 and may well change Virginia's role in the electoral equation of Presidential politics.

Lynchburg, considered a conservative stronghold with the likes of Jerry Falwell counted among our local "celebrities", has benefited from the explosion of Democratic unity and growth that stems from the disastrous performance of George W. Bush as President. The city is awash in Kerry/Edwards yard signs, hundreds attended the late summer opening of a Democratic HQ, bumper stickers are everywhere and voter registration has set local records. The local HQ has had hundreds of volunteers involved in GOTV activities throughout the summer.

Their appreciation for George Bush being an unintentional "uniter" is dwarfed, however, by their enthusiasm for John Kerry and John Edwards. Virginia is within the polling margin of error to go blue this year and stands a very good chance of electing its first Democratic president since Lyndon B. Johnson some forty years ago.

Thanks to the entire group that put together tonight's fantastic event, especially the Valentine family for opening their beautiful home and Shannon in particular for being the catalyst behind a highly successful voter registration effort these last few months. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Posted by amahler at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2004

Newspaper Endorsement Update

The endorsement balance right now is 45 for Kerry and 30 for Bush.

One of note is the Bradenton Herald in Florida. (It's also of personal interest to me with a grandmother in Bradenton and many trips there in my life) The Herald roundly endorsed Bush in 2000 and the region went heavily in his favor in the 2000 election (no need to rehash the rest of the nightmare in Florida except to say they are already at it again).

This year, the Bradenton Herald is both endorsing Kerry and lamenting their prior endorsement of Bush from the last election. Some selected excerpts:

"How poorly we understood George W. Bush in 2000. We could not imagine the possibility that, just four years later, Bush would have done just what we feared of Gore -- that the United States would barely be on speaking terms with some of its staunchest allies, and that America would be reviled around the world as a bullying, imperialist superpower. How far we have fallen from the bright fiscal forecast in 2000, with surpluses that offered the promise of debt paydown now replaced with a staggering $500 billion annual deficit and the national debt projected to exceed $9 trillion by 2010.

"As for Bush being a uniter, sadly, the nation is more polarized than it has been since the 1960s. Bush's administration is notable for its lack of transparency, its intolerance of dissent, its refusal to admit mistakes. Under Bush's leadership and Republican control, Congress has become a mean-spirited, partisan body where the vice president is praised for cursing an opposition senator on the Senate floor. The 'compassionate conservative' president has people at outdoor rallies arrested for hoisting an opposition sign.

"But all of this is overshadowed by the two most significant issues in this campaign: the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism. In both, Bush has failed as well -- to our country's great peril."

Our local paper here in the Lynchburg area, The News & Advance, has not yet endorsed a candidate.

Posted by amahler at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)

October 17, 2004

Roanoke Times Endorses John Kerry

The closing line from this morning's Roanoke Times endorsement of John Kerry:

After four ruinous Bush years, John Kerry is clearly the right choice on Nov. 2. We heartily recommend him to voters.

Definitely read the entire editorial - it's rather scatching.

The New York Times also endorsed Kerry today as did the Boston Globe, the Daytona Beach Herald and Chicago's Daily Herald.

For a running tally, check here.

The major papers backing Kerry gives him a 15-13 lead on Bush in endorsements, but the larger story here is that the circulation gap between these endorsements is nearly 5-1 which translates to an edge of about 4 million to 850,000. There's a significant pool of undecideds out there in those circulation numbers likely being bumped into the Kerry column on November 2nd.

Note that a substantial number of endorsements of Kerry this year are coming from papers that endorsed Bush in 2000.

Posted by amahler at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2004

John Kerry: Ready To Lead

I'm really starting to like Tom Shales, the often-caustic television writer for the Washington Post. After the last debate, I dreaded reading his analysis when I saw it teased on the Post's homepage, but I was surprised by his thoughtful criticism through the lens of the television critic. These debates, after all, have been television events.

Tonight Shales nails it with his analysis of not only the performances by John Kerry and Bush, whom he describes as "smiley as Clarabell the Clown," but by the performances of the spinners, the pundits, and the national television personalities who have now all but abandoned any pretense of neutrality in this election cycle.

I'm also happy to see the Democratic National Committee's wise decision to place banner pro-Kerry ads prominently on the Post's Website. The number of impressions generated by these ads is probably astronomical, and it's good to see the DNC using a respected online news source like the Post to push out its paid media message and a rather extraordinary rapid response to the results of the final debate.

Posted by laura at 01:13 AM | Comments (0)

October 08, 2004

Prebuttal

The Democratic National Committee is pushing out a comprehensive guide to Bush's record in anticipation of tonight's debate.

Click here for this fine prebuttal. (Requires Acrobat.)

Don't forget to wear your rose-colored glasses while reading this document. We know Bush never forgets his.

Posted by laura at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2004

Our Talent For Kerry

A lot of people have written me emails and called today about news that hit this morning about Virginia's campaign staff redeployment to other battleground states.

Yes, it is true: Some staff members of the Va. Victory '04 coordinated campaign have gone to other battleground states. A team has been dispatched to Wisconsin, and the Kerry-Edwards spokesman for Virginia, Jonathan Beeton, has been redeployed to Reno, Nevada. More will head off later this week. But let's be clear: John Kerry is not giving up on Virginia. Virginia Democrats are not giving up on Virginia. The doors of our coordinated campaign offices remain open and operating with the remainder of staff members who will stay in Virginia through Nov. 2. Our volunteers continue in the field, IDing voters, phone banking, and canvassing. This campaign is in full swing here in Virginia--anyone who says otherwise is trying to shake the confidence of our supports and engage in a campaign of suppression.

Don't let our adversaries try to use this development as a psychological weapon against our efforts. Suppression is their game--let's not give them one inch by allowing this news to slow any of us down.

Here's the bottom line: This is a dynamic campaign and the polls are shifting in John Kerry's favor. New swing states are emerging, and they need campaign staffers. Those states are taking some of our talent, people who have spent months in Virginia laying a foundation for the field work that must take place in the next 29 days in order for us to win on Nov. 2nd. I personally support the Kerry-Edwards campaign in its decision to redeploy Virginia staff members to other states; a Kerry win will be a win for all Virginians. I would go myself if I thought it could make a difference and my boss wouldn't kill me.

Let us continue our work here with the belief in our candidates, John Kerry and John Edwards, and in our country. We know that John Kerry continues to show his strength and character and that he is the right leader to take our country in a new direction. For the next 29 days, I hope that we will all redouble our efforts as we head down the home stretch of this campaign.

Laura

Posted by laura at 04:35 PM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2004

Post-Debate Momentum

Some brief post-debate stats:

• Following the debate, the DNC's website experienced a 20-fold increase in traffic, and total traffic was three times what it was following Kerry's Boston acceptance speech in July.

• In terms of dollars, by 11:30 EST on Thursday night, two out of every seven people on the DNC site contributed money. A total of 50,000 people contributed and -- get this -- more than half were first-time contributors.

• By end of the day Friday, more than 20,000 new volunteers signed up on the DNC website to help the campaign.

There is much to be done between now and November 2nd and we cannot slow down. Keep up the good work and get as many people involved in our GOTV efforts as possible.

Posted by amahler at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)

October 01, 2004

Take Action: You Can't Vote If You're Not Registered

The great educator Robert Maynard Hutchins once wrote: "The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment."

People in America have been angry about George Bush for a long time. As we saw in last night's debate, our president is a hollow man. The chattering classes acknowledge that John Kerry was more presidential than our own president. None of that should come as a surprise.

Many, many activists have been working for months on voter registration efforts. The record number of absentee ballot applications and voter registration forms handed out by Virginia registrars is one barometer of the landscape. Monday is it. At 5 p.m., the window closes on voter registration. If you're still not registered to vote or if you have moved recently, please make sure to register or to update your information with your local registrar's office.

Once the deadline passes, our mission is very clear: To make sure that we turn out every last Kerry supporter in Virginia on Nov. 2.

Posted by laura at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)

September 30, 2004

C-SPAN Update: Debate Broadcast Format

There has been some discussion over the last couple of days about how the debates will be covered. Fox is handling the feed for this debate, which means it is their team running the cameras and providing the video for all the other networks.

The debate over the debate has also concerned who is seen on screen and when. Do you show the reactions of one candidate to the other? Some of this stems from the hooplah over Gore's apparent reactions to Bush in 2000 and the press heyday that ensued. Needless to say, many in the Democratic camp are worried how Fox will manage the camera angles and cuts in relation to Kerry or to protect Bush if he's stumbling.

From what I just heard on C-SPAN in their pre-debate discussion, they will render this concern moot. C-SPAN 1 will be splitting the screen and showing both candidates at all times. C-SPAN 2 will be broadcasting using the normal format. This is classic, balanced C-SPAN and yet another reason to watch their broadcasts. In a few moments they will also begin showing the pre-debate briefing given to the audience in the debate hall. Hopefully, the networks will follow suit on this format.

Posted by amahler at 08:16 PM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2004

Great Expectations

And so the debate watch is on. And so is the heat as the Bush team tries to lower expectations about the President's performance Thursday in the first of three debates with John Kerry.

From Crawford, Texas, White House communications director Dan Bartlett low-balled expectations. Or, as ABC's The Note put it:

"To make a point to the Crawford press corps, Dan Bartlett raises his hand high and throws President Bush's debate expectations to the ground, repeatedly stomping on them while mumbling 'horrible. My boss will absolutely suck Thursday night. And, off the record, he recently had a partial lobotomy.' "

Posted by laura at 03:57 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2004

President Flip Flop

Folks are atwitter about an analysis piece in this morning's Washington Post by reporter John F. Harris. In the piece, Harris punctures the Bush flip-flop name calling by doing what good journalists do best: Contrasting the hype with the record.

New Democrats Online has an excellent commentary that underscores the Harris piece, including samples of Bush's most egregious flip flops.

Posted by laura at 02:27 PM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2004

Waynesboro: An Evening to Meet the Candidates

Select photos by your connection speed:

Waynesboro: An Evening to Meet the Candidates - Sept 18, 2004 (slower)

Waynesboro: An Evening to Meet the Candidates - Sept 18, 2004 (faster)

I attended a very enjoyable dinner event at the Purple Foot in Waynesboro last Saturday night where I had a chance to see old friends, meet new ones and hear some great words from Lowell Fulk, Pat Ladlee, Va Victory'04 Field Coordinator Dorothy Blackwell, Lt. Governor Candidate Leslie Byrne, Attorney General Candidate Creigh Deeds, and the always powerful Rick O'Dell, Virginia's head of Veterans for Kerry.

Many thanks to my dear friend and Chair of the Waynesboro Democratic Committee, Marlana Lewis, for the invitation and for coordinating a fantastic and very well attended event. Judging from the enthusiastic crowd and the Kerry/Edwards and Al Weed yard signs on my drive from Sweet Briar, the valley is doing its part in turning Virginia blue in 2004!

Posted by amahler at 07:05 PM | Comments (0)

Kerry at NYU: "George Bush has no strategy for Iraq. I do."

John Kerry has just given a powerful speech at NYU where he presents his plan for Iraq and lays bare the truth that this administration has been hiding since the beginning.

In fact, the President has made a series of catastrophic decisions ... from the beginning ... in Iraq. At every fork in the road, he has taken the wrong turn and led us in the wrong direction.

The first and most fundamental mistake was the President's failure to tell the truth to the American people.

He failed to tell the truth about the rationale for going to war. And he failed to tell the truth about the burden this war would impose on our soldiers and our citizens.

By one count, the President offered 23 different rationales for this war. If his purpose was to confuse and mislead the American people, he succeeded.

His two main rationales - weapons of mass destruction and the Al Qaeda/September 11 connection - have been proved false... by the President's own weapons inspectors... and by the 9/11 Commission. Just last week, Secretary of State Powell acknowledged the facts. Only Vice President Cheney still insists that the earth is flat.

The President also failed to level with the American people about what it would take to prevail in Iraq.

He didn't tell us that well over 100,000 troops would be needed, for years, not months. He didn't tell us that he wouldn't take the time to assemble a broad and strong coalition of allies. He didn't tell us that the cost would exceed $200 billion. He didn't tell us that even after paying such a heavy price, success was far from assured.

More below the fold...

Continue reading "Kerry at NYU: "George Bush has no strategy for Iraq. I do.""

Posted by amahler at 12:36 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2004

John Kerry: Staying In The Hunt

Folks who know me know I loathe poll watching. The punditry ... the endless speculating ... the view from 30,000 feet ... in the end, these do nothing to move the ball down the court for John Kerry and John Edwards.

That said, the Associated Press is now reporting that the latest Pew Research Center poll is showing the race between John Kerry and George Bush is a virtual tie. Laura

According to AP, "By the second poll, done Sept. 11-14, the Bush lead had evaporated. In that poll, Bush and Kerry were knotted at 46 percent among registered voters. Among likely voters, Bush was at 47 percent and Kerry at 46 percent.

"There is a great deal of instability and uncertainty in the
electorate," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. "This poll finds a lot of the positive impact Bush had in the convention remains. But Bush's vulnerabilities on Iraq and the economy continue, and these have anchored the race."

After the Republican convention and its well-orchestrated criticism of Kerry, Bush grabbed a lead ranging from 5 points to 11 points in
various national polls. That lead appeared to be shrinking in some polls by late last week, and a Harris poll out Thursday showed the race even.

"This gives Kerry an opportunity to stay in the hunt," said Kohut. "Some of the negatives that Kerry accumulated during the Republican convention have worn away." Kerry's unfavorable ratings increased after the GOP convention but dropped slightly between the two waves of the poll. Fewer voters in the second poll had an unfavorable view of the Democrat, said Kerry is too quick to change his mind, and believed the risk of terrorism would be higher if he were elected.

Bush continues to hold a commanding lead on who would do the best job of defending the country from terrorists by 58 percent to 31 percent. And he's seen by more as a strong leader.

But people are more likely to disapprove of Bush's handling of the
economy and are evenly split on his handling of Iraq. Almost six in 10
said it's not clear what Bush will do about Iraq if he is re-elected.

Two-thirds thought Vice President Dick Cheney went too far when he
suggested that if voters "make the wrong choice" on Election Day there
is a danger "we'll get hit again" by terrorists."

* * *

I still argue folks should take polls for what they are--snapshots of a moment in time. But it is clear that this election is very close ... and all of us are in the best position help Kerry win on Election Day. More than 5,000 people turned out this past weekend for a series of volunteer "organizing conventions," and the Hampton Roads regional campaign headquarters is set to open this Sunday. Many, many good things are happening here in Virginia!

Jonathan Beeton, the Virginia spokesman for the Kerry-Edwards campaign, shared this insight into activities going on at the Va. Victory '04 coordinated campaign offices:

"For two nights in a row we've had so many phone bankers that we've
had to put them in offices to share staff's phones (like mine)... and
today--during the day--we had about 25 volunteers in the office
assembling signs, doing calls ... at some points I couldn't get down the hallway. People are pumped. Similar phone banking results are
happening in Roanoke and in N.Va and we are opening another office this weekend in Norfolk that will have major phone banking going on.

We also have someone on the radio every morning now... someone,
somewhere is on the air each morning pumping out our message."

If you want to make an impact here in Virginia for John Kerry, please call the coordinated campaign office at 804.355.0404 and offer to volunteer to do phone banking.

Posted by laura at 05:16 PM | Comments (0)

September 09, 2004

Jefferson Forest Young Democrats

I certainly love reading and posting this. Not only am I JFHS '92, but this submission comes from one of my own former teachers, a dear friend and a diehard Democrat. Awesome work, Ms. Hi... uh, Martha! :) -Aaron

Yes, Virginia, there ARE Democrats in Forest, VA. Long recognized as a Republican stronghold Forest has been harboring many teens riled up and ready to work for the Democratic Party this year.

At the first meeting yesterday 35 high school students showed up and signed up. Many of these kids have already volunteered at the Lynchburg headquarters and are ready to do more for John Kerry.

One goal of the club is the establish a charter and become one of the few high schools in Virginia to have a chartered YD group. We presently have our constitution and are feeling our way through the process.

Our meetings will be held every Wednesday during 'flex time' (1:57-2:13 PM) until the election and at the next meeting we will elect officers. Fund raising ideas will also be discussed as well as holding a 'first debate' party the 30th of September!

Sponsors of the club include JF teachers Erica Aube, Kathe Feinman, Debra Woodson and myself. We will keep you posted!

Martha Hicks

While we're on the topic of Democrats and schools, check out this comment last night from Blair Reeves of the University Democrats at UVA.

Posted by amahler at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)

September 02, 2004

'Angry Old Men'

"Tonight the Republican Party flashed back to the anger and divisiveness of their 1992 convention. Zell Miller played the role of Pat Buchanan, nearly frightening television viewers with his growling, slashing attack speech. Then Dick Cheney did his part, rounding out a night of angry old men who have no record to run on and can hope for success only by lashing out at their opponents."

Terry McAuliffe, chairman, Democratic National Committee

"There was a lot of hate coming from that podium tonight. What John Kerry and I offer to the American people is hope. Hope for more good paying jobs. Hope for better health care. And hope for our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. What the Bush administration just doesn't get is that a stronger America begins at home. And John Kerry and I have the right plan to lead America in a new direction because we know that we can do better."

U.S. Sen. John Edwards

Posted by laura at 08:53 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2004

Lynchburg Regional HQ Grand Opening Photos

Select photos by your connection speed:

Lynchburg Regional HQ Grand Opening - Aug 27, 2004 - High Quality Photos (slower)

Lynchburg Regional HQ Grand Opening - Aug 27, 2004 - Medium Quality Photos (faster)

I usually pride myself on having a quick turnaround time on photos I take reaching the blog. Everything I do is digital from shot to blog which eliminates the delays inherent in film. More than a quick turnaround, though, is my desire for the photos to look their best and that sometimes does takes a little extra time.

Just about all photos, no matter how much you initially like them, can use a little adjustment whether it's cropping, color balancing, tweaks to gamma levels and contrast, or removal of some kind of distracting and unimportant thingamabob.

Yesterday was a little bit of a challenge since we started in the early evening with nice warm light but went well into nightfall. With photograhy, a lack of natural light outdoors leads to a rapid cooling of your images from that gorgeous golden evening warmth to an artic blue appearance that is more like "Night of the Living Dead Democrats".

What I witnessed last night was not cold, arctic blue (which I associate more with the increasingly heartless and icy GOP), but rather flush with color, invitingly warm and, at times, white hot. The only thing we're going to be seeing blue this year is Virginia in November 2004... and trust me, it ain't a cold blue... ;)

So here are 82 photos from last night's Lynchburg Regional Democratic Headquarters Grand Opening. Enjoy them, share your comments and pass on the word that there's a (re)NEW(ed) and determined party in town that has a positive vision, an open door and a very warm, inviting glow.

Night, folks...
- Aaron

Posted by amahler at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

Lynchburg Regional Democratic HQ Opening: Preview

It's been one thoroughly enjoyable evening with over 200 people in attendance (our conservative estimate) at the grand opening of the Lynchburg Regional Democratic Headquarters. I've made final selections from the several hundred photos I took tonight, but I have the usual editing to do before everything is ready for the site. I wanted to post a small preview set, though, to tide folks over until later in the day when I can get a thorough batch of photos online.

Thanks to EVERYONE involved, from volunteers that made this happen to the fantastic speakers and the enthusiastic crowd. There is much more to come this weekend with writeups and photos... in the meantime, please enjoy this small sample!

Check back later in the day Saturday for the full set of photos from the grand opening as well as the latest photos and entries from our friends on the DNC Bus!

Posted by amahler at 03:23 AM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2004

Lynchburg Regional Democratic HQ Grand Opening

I wanted to take a moment to alert new readers (and remind our regulars) of the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony we are having for our Lynchburg Regional Democratic Headquarters, TONIGHT (Friday) at 7PM. This is event is a personal thrill as well since it has been the collaborative focus of a very dynamic and hard working (and not so small) team of people from the core committees of Lynchburg, Amherst, Campbell County and surrounding areas.

The event starts at 7 PM at our headquarters location of 2514 Langhorne Road. For those familiar with the area, this is directly across from the E. C. Glass High School parking lot.

We also have a fantastic list of speakers and honored guests, among them:

• Kerry J. Donley, Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia (keynote speaker)
• Dorothy Blackwell, 6th Dist. Field Organizer for Va Victory '04
• Rick O'Dell, Coordinator of Va Veterans for Kerry
• State Senator Creigh Deeds, Candidate for Atty. General
• Delegate Chap Petersen (Fairfax), Candidate for Lt. Governor
• Senator Phillip Puckett (Russell County), Candidate for Lt. Governor
• Delegate Viola Baskerville (Richmond), Candidate for Lt. Governor
• Al Weed (Nelson County), Candidate for Congress - 5th Dist
• Carl B. Hutcherson, Jr., Mayor of Lynchburg
• Nearly every Chair of the Dem. Committees throughout the region

Throw in food, music, gobs of cheering local Democrats and a chance to talk one-to-one with candidates for offices in current and upcoming elections and you've got a great way to spend a Friday evening.

Come, bring friends and help us turn Virginia blue in 2004!

Posted by amahler at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)

August 26, 2004

Zogby: Virginia Within Striking Distance

Zogby's latest Virginia numbers are in:

Bush 49
Kerry 48
Nader/undecided/other 4

What Zogby says:

This reliably Republican state is within striking distance for Dems, the latest Zogby Interactive poll shows. Partly on the strength of senior voters and those in major cities sprinkled around the state, Mr. Kerry has a chance of knocking off Mr. Bush. A win here for Mr. Kerry would all but seal the election.

Posted by laura at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)

August 22, 2004

In Roanoke - Remembering Edwards in Raleigh

As I was sitting at John Edwards' town hall meeting in Roanoke, I couldn't help remembering when he gave his "That's all for now and thanks" speech in Raleigh last year. Roanoke had a smaller room, smaller crowd, but just as boisterous and loud, but, this time, we had seats. Both times traffic was cumbersome, we stood in line to get in, and the heat from the sun was sweltering.

The organizers were making sure everyone had tickets and sat in the right sections. The media was poised on the platform in the rear of the room facing the stage, cameras at the ready. A very welcomed thing was that it started on time.

Governor Warner, in beige kaki slacks, cotton shirt and blue blazer (sans tie) entered the stage first to a standing ovation. After saying a few nice words, he introduced "the next Vice-President of the United States."

Continue reading "In Roanoke - Remembering Edwards in Raleigh"

Posted by marlana at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)

August 21, 2004

John Edwards - Town Hall Meeting in Roanoke

John Edwards in Roanoke - Aug 21, 2004 - High Quality Photos (slower)

John Edwards in Roanoke - Aug 21, 2004 - Medium Quality Photos (faster)

I'm sorry to be a few hours late getting these online, but it's been a long and busy day. It's also been a tremendously exciting one in many ways!

Senator John Edwards came to Roanoke today for a Town Hall Meeting and was met by a packed and ecstatic hall. After a rousing introduction from Governor Mark Warner, Edwards took to the stage for an intensive hour of comments and Q&A with the audience.

I attended today as the photographer for the Democratic Party of Virginia and took photos both in the event and backstage as Senator Edwards made his way to the press room for interviews. A small set of today's pictures are now online with more to come after I've had some time to sort, edit and properly caption them.

On a personal note, I was proud and honored that Senator Edwards took the time to autograph two of my favorite photos that I took of him at the DNC in Boston last month (here and here). They will be matted, framed and proudly displayed with my most treasured keepsakes.

Today's event was a fantastic experience and the tremendous enthusiasm I witnessed just drives home the fact that Virginia is, indeed, turning blue in 2004.

Note: Additional photos of today's event will be online soon including contributions from a number of other photographers willing to share their best shots.

Posted by amahler at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2004

An Edwards Preview

Maura Keaney, one of the most hardworking Democrats in Virginia, sent along this news from Thursday night's Virginia Grassroots Coalition meeting in Shirlington.

Here's Maura's report:

Tonight, as about 35 of us got settled to start the meeting, we heard that John Edwards was shopping at the bookstore next door!

It so happened that one of the VGC attendees had brought hundreds of
Kerry/Edwards signs, pins, and bumper stickers, so we quickly grabbed a stack of signs and formed a little "instant rally" for Edwards on the sidewalk outside Cap City.

(I think he must have been shocked to go into the bookstore with his kids, minding his own business, and then come outside to find a mini-rally appear out of nowhere!)

I had my camera with me, but for the first time since I bought my digital camera a year ago, my battery was dead. Bummer! I don't think anyone else got photos, but many people got to shake his hand.

Most importantly, John Edwards got to see that there is SO MUCH excitement in Virginia about turning Virginia blue that all he's got to do is step out of the car on Virginia soil and a rally for him will magically appear!

Posted by laura at 09:36 AM | Comments (0)

John Edwards Comes to Roanoke: Details

John Edwards is coming to Roanoke this Saturday for a town hall meeting to discuss the economic squeeze on middle-class families. I'm glad to pass along the event details now that they are available.

First, the nitty-gritty specifics:

Date: Saturday, August 21, 2004
Time: Doors Open at 10a.m.

Location: Lucy Addison Aerospace Magnet School
1220 5th St., NW, Roanoke
Format: Town Hall Meeting with Virginians

The event is open to the public, but due to the format, space is limited. A
limited number of free tickets to the event can be picked up at the
following location:

Democratic Party of Roanoke County
Tanglewood West, Suite 470
3959 Electric Road, Roanoke, VA
540-772-3191

Ticket Distribution times: 3-9pm Thursday and 9-5