For Many, TODAY Is Election Day

from MoveOn:

In key battleground states, today is Election Day. In Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, and elsewhere, early voting has begun. And if this year is anything like 2006, up to 25% of voters will vote before November 4th.

Every vote that's cast early is a boost for Obama heading into November. So right now we're calling MoveOn members in these states to hook them up with the Obama campaign's voter outreach efforts.

Can you take just 20 minutes to boost Obama's campaign with a few phone calls into swing states like Ohio, Virginia, and Nevada?

Our calling tool lets you have a big impact on the race from anywhere —- even if the state you live in isn't a swing state this year. And using the tool is fun —- most MoveOn members you call will appreciate you reaching out to them with information on how to get involved.

Plus, it's simple to use. You can make a practice call ahead of time, and the only requirement is that you can be online and on the phone at the same time.

If enough of us call from California or Arkansas or DC, we'll be able to recruit an army of volunteers for Obama in the states where he needs them most -— and make a huge difference in this race.

DO SOMETHING: If you've got 20 minutes to spare, start calling!

Demand the Debate!

from MoveOn:

Yesterday was one of the stranger days in presidential election history. John McCain actually asked to "suspend" Friday's much anticipated debate with Barack Obama so that he could posture on the financial crisis.

Even the arch-conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board was mystified.

Bottom line: This isn't presidential behavior. It's a desperate, reckless move that actually threatens to make it harder to resolve this crisis. And of course, presidents have to be able to handle lots of important issues at once—they can't panic and take their eyes off of one urgent priority when another one pops up.

Obama wants the debate to go forward. So do millions of other Americans. With 40 days left until the most important election in a generation, we deserve a debate on the issues.

DO SOMETHING! Sign our emergency petition to the Commission on Presidential Debates urging them to hold strong and make sure that the debate go forward on Friday, as planned. We'll make sure they get your comments by the end of the day.


The petition reads: "Now more than ever, the American people deserve a presidential debate. We urge you to make sure the debate goes forward as planned tomorrow night."

What's motivating all this panicky erratic behavior from McCain? It's hard to tell, but here are what some of the experts are saying might be behind it:

A drop in the polls. As Politico writer Ben Smith pointed out, "In terms of the timing of this move: The only thing that's changed in the last 48 hours is the public polling."

Stopping the VP debate. Last night, McCain surrogate Sen. Lindsay Graham suggested that the vice presidential debate between Gov. Palin and Senator Biden be cancelled to accommodate his request to postpone tomorrow's debate. (Now, why would they ever want to postpone or cancel the VP debate?)

Pure reckless decision-making. McCain has a history of reckless decision making. Here's how Time's Joe Klein put it yesterday, "McCain suspends his campaign because of financial crisis? Oh please. Given today's poll numbers—even Fox has him dropping—it seems another Hail Mary (like the feckless selection of Palin) to try make McCain seem a statesman, which is difficult given the puerile tenor of his campaign's message operation." And the Wall Street Journal wrote last week: "In a crisis, voters want steady, calm leadership, not easy, misleading answers that will do nothing to help."

But whatever the cause is, McCain's wrong. Serious situations like this one are exactly the time when Americans most need a real discussion—a debate.

We've got to make sure that the Debate Commission doesn't bend under Republican pressure. Can you add your signature now?

Stand for Real Democracy - Open the Debates to 3rd-Party Candidates

from AF&O reader John of Silence:

There are SIX Presidential candidates this year. All are qualified and capable of winning. So why are there only TWO people permitted to participate in Friday's debate? Bigotry, that's why -- two-party bias! Let's flood the email inboxes and the phone lines with one simple, yet crucial point: Open the Debates.

DO SOMETHING! It takes just five minutes to take action. Help us make a difference and create true democracy. Below is a suggested script but please feel free to appropriately modify it to support your candidate. (The following is written to support progressive candidate and Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney.)

Step one:

Call Barack Obama at 866-675-2008.
Hit 6 to speak with a campaign volunteer.
Once connected, politely deliver the following message:

Hi, my name is …

I was wondering if Senator Obama, being a believer in equal opportunity and equal rights, could insist that Cynthia Mckinney and other ballot qualified third party candidates be included in the upcoming Presidential debates? After all, Cynthia Mckinney is on 34 state ballots. And she's polling well nationwide. And he could help Senator Obama challenge the corporate Republicans. True, Cynthia McKinney would critique Senator Obama for his corporate ties also. But isn't that what democracy is about? Could you please leave this message for the campaign manager? Thank you.

Step two:

E-mail Janet Brown, the executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Here’s a sample e-mail:

Dear Janet Brown:

Greetings. You must be busy preparing for the first presidential debate this Friday. Just wanted to let you know that the American people were not born yesterday. We know the deal. Take that little private corporation that you run that's controlled by the two corporate parties and funded by big business for the purpose of excluding independent-minded candidates. Friday, two Wall Street candidates are scheduled to be in the ring, Barack Obama and John McCain. The one candidate who represents the American people, Main Street, if you will, will be on the outside looking in. So, here’s a simple request. Drop your exclusionary restrictions. Let Cynthia Mckinney into the debates.

It will be good for your conscience. Good for the American people. (I believe it was The League of Women Voters that called your corporatized debates "campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity, and honest answers to tough questions.") And it's good for democracy. Let the American people have a real debate for once. Main Street vs. Wall Street.

Thank you,

Signed
your name.

CA Alert: Urge Gov. to Sign Popular Vote Bill

from FairVote:

Once again, the presidential race is in full swing - and in many ways, 2008 looks sadly similar to prior presidential elections: a handful of voters in at most a dozen battleground states are getting all of the campaigns' attention, while most of the country sits on the sidelines -- spectators to election of our nation's highest office.
But the dynamics are changing in one important way...

State by state, elected officials are signing onto the National Popular Vote (NPV) plan. NPV would guarantee the Presidency to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia). The bill would take effect only when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes—that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538).

Already, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey have enacted the National Popular Vote Bill. This represents 19% (50) of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the law. Meanwhile, 21 State Legislative Chambers (one-fifth) have passed the bill.

But this summer, the California Assembly passed SB 37, the state's National Popular Vote bill -- and now the bill is sitting on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. Gov. Schwarzenegger can singlehandedly transform debate about this critically important reform to make it about our nation's future, not its past

If you live in California, please contact the Governor and urge him to sign SB 37, the National Popular Vote bill. If you don't live in California, please forward this message to friends and family in the state. We have a short window of time to influence the Governor before he decides how he will act on the bill.

You can call, email, fax, or send a postal note. The most important thing is to do it immediately.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633
Phone: 916-445-2841
Email: visit http://gov.ca.gov/interact
Ways to Help: As a rule of thumb, legible handwritten letters are better than typed or computer printed ones. Letters (as long as they're legible) are better than faxes. Faxes are better than emails. Emails are better than phone messages. Phone messages are better than illegible handwritten letters. And all of these options are vastly preferable to doing nothing and then regretting it later. The most important thing is to take action immediately.

Resources:

Talking points, sample letters and more information on the National Popular Vote plan are available at: [NationalPopularVote.com].
Additional information -- including our groundbreaking Presidential Election Inequality Report and an excellent short video produced by our FairVote North Carolina team -- is also available at [FairVote.org/npv].

Once you have sent your letter, used your fax machine, and made your call, then please get ten (10) other friends, relatives, neighbors, or colleagues to do the same. Please spread the word and help us get as many people as possible to contact the Governor to urge his signature on the bill.

Global Poverty: Just ONE Question

From The ONE Campaign:

Two. Only two questions about global poverty have been asked in the history of modern presidential debates, going back to Kennedy-Nixon in 1960. That's less than one percent of all questions asked.

To change that shockingly low figure, ONE is launching a new campaign to get “Just ONE Question” about the fight against global poverty asked at the 2008 presidential debates.

The first debate at the University of Mississippi at Oxford, MS, will focus on foreign policy and is only 10 days away. Take action now by sending the message below to debate moderator Jim Lehrer. Click the link and we'll send your message to Mr. Lehrer, urging him to ask Just ONE Question on the fight against global poverty.

This first debate will happen just one day after world leaders gather at the United Nations in New York for an emergency meeting on the Millennium Development Goals – the global pledge made in 2000 to halve extreme poverty and global disease by 2015.

Meeting those goals will require unprecedented U.S. leadership during the next eight years. For at least four of those years, John McCain or Barack Obama will be our president. It's up to us to make sure that the issues being discussed at the United Nations in New York are also being raised with Senators Obama and McCain at the debate in Mississippi.

We can't afford to have another presidential debate that ignores extreme poverty and global disease. Please ask Jim Lehrer for Just ONE Question on global poverty, and we’ll deliver your message to him next week, right when he’s sitting down to decide what he'll ask the next President of the United States:

Are You SURE You're Registered to Vote????

From Barack Obama:

You'd be surprised by how many people you know who aren't registered to vote.

Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election.

Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website.

VoteforChange.com makes it easier than ever to register. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote. You can also
confirm your existing registration, apply to vote absentee, and find your polling place.

If you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now. And if you have registered, visit the site to make sure that your registration is in order. You don't want to wait until Election Day and find yourself turned away when you visit the polling place and learn that you won't be allowed to cast a ballot. Make sure everything is in order now!

This race is too close and too important to stay home on Election Day or to give unsavory forces an opportunity to steal your vote.

If you take the time to register and vote -- and make sure everyone you know is registered as well -- we'll be able to turn the tide of the past eight years.

It's people just like you who will transform this nation. Register. Make sure that your registration is solid. And VOTE!

Hit McCain Where It Hurts

from Democracy for America:

On Monday, Jim asked if Democracy for America should join Brave New PAC in running a nationally televised ad exposing John McCain.

The answer: YES!

Over 79% of DFA members said go for it. Our ad, "Unfit to Lead", is aggressive, powerful, and it's the truth. You told us loud and clear that you wanted DFA to hit John McCain where it hurts. Now back up the vote with action.

CONTRIBUTE $50 TODAY TO GET OUR AD ON THE AIR!

John McCain is reckless, erratic, and dangerous. Even his fellow Republicans think so, "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine," Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) told the Boston Globe. "He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

Yet McCain has a real shot to win this election. Recent polls put him either tied or in the lead nationally. Instead of focusing on the issues that will help get America on the right track, John McCain is using the Karl Rove playbook to scare voters.

It's time for America to hear from someone who served with John McCain. Dr. Butler has known John McCain for decades. Dr. Butler not only served with him in Vietnam, but was a prisoner of war with him at the Hanoi Hilton. Please watch the ad and then contribute $50 to help us cover the air waves with the truth.

CHIP IN $50 RIGHT NOW TO RUN OUR AD IN ALL 50 STATES!

There is too much at stake in this election to pull any punches. You voted to go on the attack. Now, let's put the people-powered resources of our over 725,000 members behind it and get America talking about why John McCain is unfit to lead.

Thank you for exposing the real McCain.