Whoa, it's been a while

Hey guys.

So, in what little (no) free time I've had since July 28, I've felt pretty guilty about not writing to you all.

This one will be brief. PA is insane.

My sad attempt at relating the last two months and next 32 days of my life will come in a couple of brief bullet points.


1.
The other night, I got an extra large black chai tea from the coffee shop down the street from my office. After a second glance at the counter, I bought a packet of Emergen-C as well, poured the orange-flavored fizzy powder into my sugar-less tea, and drank it. It was disgusting. Add a shot of whiskey, and you have my life in a beverage.

2.
It ain't much, but check out this unedited slideshow of two recent events - the grand office opening and debate watch party at our recently opened Pittsburgh South Side for Obama Field Office. I'm one of the two field organizers working out of the office. The second is a few pictures from a project I've been working on since the summer - putting together a community mural in the turf I organized during the summer - the Hill District. Also, re that event, find this slideshow on the PA Obama website. The pictures are way better (from our regional Media folks). It's posted on the pabarackobama.com website.

3.
There's a great article on http://www.fivethirtyeight.com (the best polling website ever and completely addicting) today - its a comparison between Obama and McCain field operations. Find it here. It's about Missouri, but it's a similar story here.

4.
While their field operation might not seem like much right now, that doesn't mean we can just sit tight and read polls: when you read about McCain giving up Michigan, remember where they are sending those staffers. Here. PA. Western PA. Why? Because of this article. "How to Win Pennsylvania"? Allegheny County. Pittsburgh. The South Hills, in fact. Oh wait, that's my turf. Shit.

Here are some excerpts from the article:


Since this year's Pennsylvania primaries, many people have been schooled on the mechanics of how Democrats win this state. Call it the "Rendell rule": Stack up high numbers in the Philly collar counties, hold the losses to a minimum in the other 60, and try to win Allegheny for good measure.

...

Pennsylvanians don't see McCain in the "failed Bush policies" category by which Democrats try to define him. Instead, they see a war hero, a brand that resonates in the blue-collar areas where their unions are trying to persuade them otherwise.

"He is a guy you can depend on," said Tom Miller, 54, of Lancaster, a registered Democrat who is very comfortable voting for McCain. "He has had no problem bucking his own party and he does not ask me to make sacrifices that he isn't willing to make."

Add the stereotypes that some voters hold about black candidates and Obama dilutes the Rendell rule.

So, where can McCain offset traditional Democrat voting blocs?

In Allegheny, Bucks and Chester counties, where a large number of those voters live.

To win Allegheny, McCain must win the entire South Hills area minus Mt. Lebanon. He also must win the new suburban areas around the airport, as well as the Mon Valley, where poorer working white voters live. He can easily sweep the North Hills as well as the small river towns.

That's it for me. 12:30 on a Friday night - back to prepping for tomorrow's canvas.

~matt