Is this a good omen?

[Dzimbowicz]

The weather here in Rock Hill is wonderful today: 82 (26 for our metric friends out there) and sunny, so I went for a bike ride. While I was out I began to count yard sign for the various candidates. Although I only went 18 miles (30km), I counted 23 signs for Kerry and 18 for bush. I went through a variety of neighborhoods, the only exception being the ones where people do not observe the leech law. I did not count the signs for the local candidates, but Spratt (our incumbant Democratic congressman) signs were a significant majority. In many cases, there were Spratt or Inez signs without Kerry signs, so could one suppose those people are Kerry supporters or split-ticket people? In any case, I was rather pleased with what I saw. My hopes are that our "red" state will be too close to call for a while, thus causing the repubs an elevated "pucker factor" come Tuesday.

On a darker note, last Thursday I rode through my home neighborhood in Columbia and republican signs were everywhere; and that was rather depressing.

Anyway, I have my fingers crossed!

Go Kerry!

[SCDem]

1. I do hope it is a good sign

All the October Surprises that came out last week in the news tended to support Kerry and hurt Bush. I can almost smell victory!

Had a friend have a car die on Herlong Ave in Rock Hill this past week. The car died and was rolled in front of a house that had a Bush/Cheney sign on it. The woman watering her lawn was real snotty about the car being moved (it had a K/E sticker on it). Before a tow-truck came (within 20 minutes) this elderly woman was throwing rocks and food scraps at the car and in the process hit a man riding by on a motorcycle who stopped to give this woman a piece of his mind. I am only in my 20's but I never seen such outright hatred in this country than that coming from many Republican supporters.

[Dzimbowicz]

2. Republican vitriol is rampant here in SC

I teach high school in this county and the children of the bush supporters in my school are as bad as brownshirts from the 1930s. I can only surmise that they are learning this behavior from their parents.

I have given much though about moving elsewhere because of the way in which so many of my neighbors can be. (Since you are originally from California), I even applied for a job in San Jose several years back, but the position was eliminated before they interviewed anyone because of the budget problems there. Then, the more I thought about it, the less willing I was to leave SC; that would be the easy way out. I feel it is my duty to stay and fight from "inside the belly of the beast" and try to make my home better. I do get through to more students than I would ever have imagined. Although I do have to deal with the "bumper sticker mentality" of many. For example, there was this one student who said, "Liberal means stupid." I then asked if this student could define the term "liberal". The answer: "stupid." I then pulled out a dictionary and showed the student that the first definition of the word meant generous, the second was a political definition: "the belief that as many people as possible should be included into the democratic process." I then asked, "What is the definition of conservative, the student by then was wary of me. I found the definition in the dictionary and showed that it meant "stingy", the belief that only certain people should be allowed to participate in the democratic process. The student's final response was to cover her ears and shut me out because I was "advocating evil." Can you believe that?

Oh well.... I vote at the Ebinport precinct, if you vote there as well, look for a tall guy with a "Veteran for Kerry" button, that will most likely be me. BTW, I plan on being there early.

Best of luck and keep the faith.

[Aiptasia]

3. Preach On..

Vote early and make every Red state flip/flop this year. C'mon Sandlappers, you know we can do it!

Reading the synopsis above about the narrow minded student in Dzimbowicz's class reminds me of the quality of individual that calls in to republican talk radio. Say anything long enough, it begins to become a mantra to these people. I swear there's more preaching in politics than people have brains.

Let's shut their pie holes with overwhelming turnout in the morning. If your office or place of business won't give you the time off, take a personal day or give up lunch and pack the polls.

P.s.:I can't wait for Fox to published a fair and balanced version of the dictionary.

[SCDem]

8. Re: moving to more progressive state

I hear what you are saying. People ask me uh how is it like to live in such a red state? But the thing is I've only been in the state 8 years and I know many of the most progressive leaders and have marched with them and been to DC with them and such. It is such a small state that I do believe I can make a difference. I am just hoping York County will go blue today. I think that will show a lot for how much the local democrats have done.

Good luck in the lines. I voted in Oak Ridge precinct got there at 6:30 am and was finished voting at 7:30am.

[Dzimbowicz]

9. I was told to remove my Kerry button at the poll

by a precinct worker! That really ticks me off!

Let's hope for BLUE in York county. In my precinct the only Democrats on the ballot were Kerry, Tennenbaum and Spratt; the remainder were repukes without opposition.

[SCDem]

11. I can't believe they asked you to remove the button

There was a girl behind me in line that had a B/C T-Shirt on but I didn't make a stink about it because I wasn't sure about the rules in SC.

Cathy Adams is a dem.... I know that is just a coroner position but it is just as important for dems to get in the small positions as well.

[Dzimbowicz]

12. That's right, Cathy Adams

was on the ballot; and she got my vote as well. I did not register a vote for the remaining offices. Hopefully, this will send a message: voters participating versus votes not received.

[SCDem]

13. I wrote in myself for all the other offices!!

Next time I can write in you if you promise to serve York county right!!

[DaCheat]

4. I dont know about becoming blue

but I promise the Republicans are worried. They have been giving out free bush cheney stuff for a while. They really want South Carolina red. My grandmother in fact got a call from the Republican Committee, and she hung up on the lady. Apparently they have been calling her all week. Changed her vote to John Kerry. A number of "ladies down at the church" at fed up with it as well. If the Reputrides have lost any die hard supporters, it is the church going folks in Roebuck.

[SayitAintSo]

5. I'm in Shandon ... had many signs stolen and replaced to date

The pukes are desparate - you can tell. A friend of mine had a car plow thru thier yard this weekend, tearing it all up just to mow down all thier dem signs. Broke a water line in the process. They are so desperate they won't even get out of the cars to mow the signs down!...

[Dzimbowicz]

7. Shandon is my home neighborhood

Duncan Street to be exact. I am so homesick here in the upstate that I cannot even describe it.

Hello homie!

[Corgigal]

6. I'm in Summerville

Within two streets of my home are 5 Kerry signs and only one Bush sign. I have never seen any Dem sign before here so it is a wonderful sight. One of the homes has that Jesus Saves sign and then the next two homes have Kerry/Edwards. I guess they don't get along much.

We have our new voter good to go and the republican party was mailing her a bunch of welcome crap. Yeah the republicans are nervous and they should be. Met a nice man in our local hospital who just got out of the military and is voting Kerry. His wife who is still active duty USAF is voting Kerry. He mentioned to us that all the older adults in the military are voting Kerry. It's only the young people who want to go to Iraq that are voting Bush. He mentions when they finally do go into Iraq and are lucky to come home they change their position. This same man lost his brother in law in Iraq last month.

If we can't turn out state a pretty shade of Blue , then let them see we're very close and these hardcore rw nut cases will all be losing their jobs soon.

[Aiptasia]

10. Horry County

Long lines at the Ralph C. Ellis government complex building in Little River this morning. I had about a 40 minute wait to vote at 8:00 a.m. this morning and the turnout was heavier than i've ever seen it at any polling place in the county.

We had to vote in the magistrate's courtroom and I counted about eight poll workers (red/white/blue stickers) and four GOP poll watchers (white round stickers with blue palmetto logo). The GOP poll watchers weren't really interacting with people, just sitting in the Jury box waiting to pounce on any democrat up to something.

My parents voted at the Risen Christ Lutheran Church in Briarcliffe, and reported a long line but no GOP poll watchers. Since the Ralph C. Ellis building is located in a more rural setting, I guess the GOP thought there wouldn't be as much potential for "trouble" in the city limits of Myrtle Beach.

Just vote, people!