Reply #49: Sigh [View All]

[southlandshari]

I say the following in a weary and decidely non-combative tone, and hope you will take it that way...

I don't doubt one word of your account of registering new voters, including your observations that the Kerry volunteers were younger and more energetic than the Repubs, and that it was clear to you that Dems registered far more voters in the efforts you were a part of than the Bush camp.

I also worked voter registration for weeks before the election. I was energized by what I found, and by the numbers of folks eager to register and make sure their votes for Kerry counted. I knew there were parallel registration efforts going on in Republican circles, but honestly, I didn't pay much attention. Obviously didn't pay enough attention.

You speak about Bush rallies reaching nowhere near the level of Kerry rallies. I saw enough evidence of this in news coverage and web photos to know you are right.

But don't you understand that there were no Kerry rallies with a Kerry presence in states like mine? Alabama and other Southern states were ignored by the national party and campaign. When I did get emails from the Kerry campaign, they invariably invited me to call voters in swing states, or drive long hours to see and support "our" candidate in appearances in other states.

I knew in my gut things were not going to go well for us at 7:45 am on election day. I took my five-year-old daughter along with me to vote, and yes, there were VERY long lines. And yes, it was clear that the vast majority of voters were there for Bush.

It did happen. I was there.