Me and Dean Recently.

From an email about me: Here is a recap from Gary Denton about his July 4th effort in Pasadena. He did it on the spur of the moment with almost no organizational assistance. This is excellent initiative that I welcome from everyone, although please let me know what is going on. Missteps come all to easily. Read his report.

You can tell from Gary's report that numerous problems came up. Pay attention: Mr. Murphy (the one who created Murphy's Law) rides in every campaign truck. Note that Gary did not let problems stop him. Perseverance pays off.

Dale Napier


Subject: Recap: Pasadena Fairgrounds July 4th

Janette Sexton and I were at the Pasadena July 4th / Family Day celebration from 12:45 to 8:45. Fair opened at 2:00. We decided to leave while it was still light enough to see when putting the canopy and stuff away. The canopy purchased earlier at Academy because it looked like an easy setup wasn't, it took four people, two of them vendors with lots of experience with canopies, over an hour in the rain. We eventually found solutions and thanked the Republicans. We marked it for easier set-up next time - hopefully with four volunteers. After the downpour that opened the Festival the weather gradually improved but with intermittent rain which kept the crowd below expectations.

We only sold one sticker but gave away more than 80 handouts - nearly all from the three doublesided position papers.

With few coming to the booth we approached people walking by the booth. "Are you registered to vote?" If no, I explained I would give them a voter's registration card but the library, post office and county clerk's location where I registered my car did not have any forms yesterday. By the way, a number of people complained of getting a new driver's license and they don't know if they are registered because they were never sent anything. I said they should have been sent a card but with the Republicans in charge now they seem not that interested in registering new voters.

"Are you a Republican or a Democrat or does it depend?" If Republican I said I was educating people about a Democrat running for President who would balance the budget and improve the economy and mentioned the debt tax all taxpayers and children will pay.

If 'it depends' I give handouts and explained Dean's fiscally conservative but socially progressive platform.

If Democrat I explain that Dean has the most volunteers, is raising the most money and seems best organized and would they like to sign the petition or volunteer or just collect more information for now.

This evolved over time as well as my deciding to approach more blacks and Hispanics. It rained a lot, when it was not raining it was good. Minor incident when my car key battery went dead and my alarm wouldn't turn off for a good while.

A lot of GOP there, but Democrats and uncommitted as well.

Comments:

One person said Dean was"un-American."

Republicans don't have an answer for the economy or the budget except that it is not Bush's fault.

Two women with a little girl were surprised to see a Dean booth in Bush country Texas, Pasadena even,
which had a small KKK storefront twenty years ago. She took a couple of brochures but said she would download most of the other material and photographs. She was very impressed when I said nothing existed yesterday morning except the bumperstickers (I forgot the large signs which I had laminated), everything else had been downloaded or emailed and then run off or produced at Kinko's.
...

Last Sunday I was at a fund raiser for Dean instead of my family reunion. I missed the chance for a photograph with him or to shake his hand as I was helping a woman who was donating $1350. I also wanted a chance to talk more about mapping software with the staff but never had a good time.

Interesting what Dean said about gay civil unions. When he signed the bill six months before the election there was a storm of very loud protest. It seemed like nearly all the ministers and bishops denounced him and long time supporters called up to yell and complain. Yet he won the election despite that. Now, two years later even before the Supreme Court validated his position nobody mentions it in Vermont. It is hard to sustain a cause that just says I don't think these people should have the same rights I do.

Normally this would be in my liberal news digest but this seemed more about me.