The Hills Have Lawn Signs II

I am in the lobby bar of the Scranton Hilton. Very nice hotel, I asked before I got here and was told Max Kennedy stayed here when he came to Scranton as an Obama surrogate. Max? I had to ask. One of Bobby's sons. Anyway, good enough for either of us.

Parking is $10 day, but room has free Internet wireless, so that seems a wash. Lobby bar too. Better service here than at the Obama office, where they just ride the airwaves of someone else--slow and unreliable.

With online access, I am here with seven sheets of volunteer sign in from earlier today, about the finish data entry onto the Penn campaign's website database. Mundane work but I am chilling with $2 bottled beers and basketball tourney on the TV. Last night I was here and registered a woman to vote, from NYC she relocated here 1.5 years ago to help her daughter care for an autistic child. Sad stuff, for this child too, it seems the symptoms came on after vaccination, they are very worried about the last round required this summer before he can start public school. Anyway, she is all about Hillary but I turned her registration in without blinking because I am the son of a League of Women Voters leader. I just hope she has faith that I did right by her and does not get worried that if I was for Obama I would lose her form. She is all set.

What else... volunteers here from Boston suburbs, DC, many from Binghamton/Elmira... an hour north of here. Two women were in the Peace Corps. Seems International experience in life is a factor in Obama support. Probably 75 volunteers out today registering voters. My group of five got nine forms and they said that was good. But we also identified some supporters and put up some window signs (the green O'Bama) and one lawn sign for people I think might volunteer. Dogs dogs dogs, big, little, everyone in the neighborhood had a dog.

Monday night 6:30 is the grand opening of the Scranton office. (It's been open and going strong for weeks, this kind of delayed celebration is typical in political campaigns, like candidacy announcements). I am signed up to be back here by bus or carpool next Saturday, daytrip.

I have my suit with me and plan to attend Scranton Trinity UCC tomorrow at 10. The campaign's only activity tomorrow is to send some supporters to black churches where we have been invited to do voter registration, but service is at 11:30 so I won't do that and will be on the road by noon or one.

The Hills Have Lawn Signs

Arrived in two and three quarter hours, small delay at NY state line for I-84 emergency road repair. Windy as hell, I don't think of my car as high profile for side wind but it was getting pushed all over the place.

Turf partner Catherine and I went to two subdivisions in the hills above Scranton, Clarks Summit. No, no stuffed bear on a pole. (obscure New Hampshire reference)
Knocked on doors for 60 people, independents. I got one McCain, two might be Hillary, probably eight people including mentioned family members are definite for Obama. Same ratio with Catherine, so indies are for Obama it seems. Everyone was Civil, most were quite friendly, invited me in right away to give my pitch. Registration effort from the two of us resulted in probably ten new Dem voters, though only two gave us completed forms. Most were family members not home but wanting to sign up, would mail. Hilly!

Anyway, valley industrial town, churches all over the place, Obama HQ has a green O'Bama motiff because he spoke here on the 17th. Hilton was $65 on hotwire.com nice hotel, parking is $10 but WiFi is free.

With all the voter registration supposed to happen tomorrow, the office right now has only 1.5 packs of forms, about sixty. Alex and Gillian and a third young woman are working here. The have tons of square footage but weak Internet.

County Commissioner is big Obama supporter and providing food to the office, decent pizza and awesome bakery cookies!

Tomorrow, Saturday, more canvassing with hopefully CT volunteers coming in.

Is this the Dunder-Mifflin Regional Sales Convention?

I am heading off this morning to Scranton PA to volunteer for the Barack Obama campaign. I guess January in New Hampshire is just to chilling for me. March in PA should be not so bad and it looks like a sunny start to this day. Scranton has an office of some sort, downtown, hotels nearby, a shopping mall and this weekend, a focus on Voter Registration. Rather than speculte, I had better get on the road and hopefully post from there. Will drive with Obama signs in my car windows. "Thank you Bill Richardson" sign? eh.