Colorado Swing Me+
October 14th, 2008 by Jodie McAfee
Like several swing states, Colorado has taken a quantum leap toward the plus Obama column over the last ten days to two weeks. With at least two polls showing a +9 for Obama, the median, per a RealClear Politics composite is showing a +5.2 for Obama. Interestingly, the composite includes a Denver Post/Mason-Dixon poll that resulted in a tie. However, that poll was taken 9/10-10/1, slightly outside what has been a McCain free fall over the last 10+ plus days. Subtract those results, and the composite would show a +7 for Obama, three weeks from Election Day.
The most recent “hot” news in Colorado, outside of Obama’s polling gains, has been the specter of lawsuits filed against the CO Secretary of State (Mike Coffman, a Republican that also happens to be running for a Congressional seat; must be nice to run for office and count your own votes). Upwards of 30,000 new voter registrations have been disqualified due to what almost all media outlets have described as “confusing” registration forms, and Gov. Bill Ritter (D) has publicly scolded the SoS (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/09/ritter-scolds-coffman-over-voter-error/). The Denver Post editorial board has also weighed in on the importance of a fair election in Colorado (http://www.denverpost.com/editorials/ci_10697110). The catalyst for this outcry and public admonitions was a NYT article last Thursday that discussed voters purges in several swing states that were deemed potentially “illegal” (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/us/politics/09voting.html).
From a personal perspective, I have had the opportunity to witness the strength of Obama’s local/ground efforts first hand. The Obama campaign recently opened an office in my neighborhood (CO House District 5), and has blanketed the neighborhood since it’s opening a mere four weeks ago, and every time I’ve been in the office, it has been abuzz with energy. Per my “neighborhood captain”, the Obama campaign looks at HD 5 as a harbinger for the entire state based on its demographic make-up and historical voter turnout (high). The campaign thinks that if Obama carries HD 5, he will carry the state. That forethought and keen understanding of the race speaks to the overall effectiveness of the Obama campaign and its strategic strength. If memory serves, the Obama campaign predicted every single primary outcome, with one exception. It is clear that their strategic brilliance is overwhelming the McCain campaign in Colorado.
Taking all of that to heart, my wife and I agreed to become “block captains” for HD 5, taking responsibility for canvassing our immediate two blocks. During those efforts, we had an interesting and encouraging conversation with our next-door neighbor. When we knocked on the door and asked her if she is supporting Obama, she replied, “Oh, I’m definitely voting for Obama…if I vote”. Now, we know that she is a stay-at-home Mom with three energetic kids, and her husband is a small business owner that works ridiculous hours, so my wife immediately stepped in and said, “I’ll tell you what; we’re going to vote early; so let’s schedule a day and time, and I’ll watch the kids while Jodie takes you to early vote”. Her response? “That would be great!”.
After we got home, my wife and I started talking about the number of people out there that might be in the same boat as our neighbors, or are leaning Obama but not motivated enough to make the effort to go to the polls. So we came up with an initiative we are calling “Me + Three”. We have decided that we will be personally responsible for adding three votes a piece to our own, by either helping someone vote by mail, taking someone to early voting polls, driving folks on Election Day, or simply convincing someone that is on the fence why voting for Obama is the solid choice. Now, your number doesn’t have to be three (I’ll admit that we picked “three” because it rhymed). So if you want your initiative to be “Me + 50″, then knock yourself out. We’ve been virally spreading this word via CO Obama listservs, and encourage anyone, particularly if you are in a swing state, to do the same.
