Just had a chat with my local DNC canvasser

[rcyannacci]

His name was Frank and he came to my door collecting for the Democratic National Committee- nice boy, very polite, quite intelligent. After giving him a donation (wish it could have been more), he told me how well he’d been doing in my neighborhood (Go Kerry! Go neighbors!). He also mentioned that the Austin office had been doing extremely well, and has even out-collected the San Francisco office (challenge to Californians?). We both agreed that while Kerry probably won’t win our state, we think the Texas averages are going to surprise people come election day.

It was such a pleasant conversation, I just had to share.

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

I sure he appreciated your financial support. It is nice to have a pleasant conversation re: politics.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I live in the Boston area. When mine came to the door I told him not to even ask. We are closing roads, businesses and even hosptials because of this. They are closing stops on our subway system too. Now Kerry wants to have a concert on the Esplanade. He may as well tell everyone who lives in the area to go to a hotel in Maine for all that will be accomplished. Plus it is going to COST not only Boston but the suburbs. Suburbs will lose money both for businesses and individual. Of course they could have done it at the Convention center but no, we had to have it at the Fleet Center and foul up half the state!

 

[Evinrude]

Austin! Wow, a fellow Texan Democrat! Yeah I agree that there's not much of a chance that Kerry will take Texas (adopted home of Dubyah), but I do think that the margin will surprise a lot of people.

 

[rcyannacci]

Originally posted by Bella the Ball 360
I live in the Boston area. When mine came to the door I told him not to even ask. We are closing roads, businesses and even hosptials because of this. They are closing stops on our subway system too. Now Kerry wants to have a concert on the Esplanade. He may as well tell everyone who lives in the area to go to a hotel in Maine for all that will be accomplished. Plus it is going to COST not only Boston but the suburbs. Suburbs will lose money both for businesses and individual. Of course they could have done it at the Convention center but no, we had to have it at the Fleet Center and foul up half the state!

Yeah, I have friends in NYC who are complaining by their daily routine being upset by the Republicans- understand that it can be frustrating.

I'll be in Boston after the convention, if that helps? I'll try to spend lots of money...oops, already gave it to the Democrats

 

[shortbun]

Originally posted by Bella the Ball 360
I live in the Boston area. When mine came to the door I told him not to even ask. We are closing roads, businesses and even hosptials because of this. They are closing stops on our subway system too. Now Kerry wants to have a concert on the Esplanade. He may as well tell everyone who lives in the area to go to a hotel in Maine for all that will be accomplished. Plus it is going to COST not only Boston but the suburbs. Suburbs will lose money both for businesses and individual. Of course they could have done it at the Convention center but no, we had to have it at the Fleet Center and foul up half the state!

Wow! They are closing hospitals? That's awful! I thought Boston seemed a little small/compact when I heard they were meeting there. I lived there for a summer in the early 70's and getting around was hard then, I can't imagine what it's like now let alone having a major security "thing" going on. I guess the
conventions are going to have to look for some farm land and
erect a tent in 2008! NYC also seems like a very unfortunate
choice for a convention this year.

 

[caitycaity]

Originally posted by Bella the Ball 360
I live in the Boston area. When mine came to the door I told him not to even ask. We are closing roads, businesses and even hosptials because of this. They are closing stops on our subway system too. Now Kerry wants to have a concert on the Esplanade. He may as well tell everyone who lives in the area to go to a hotel in Maine for all that will be accomplished. Plus it is going to COST not only Boston but the suburbs. Suburbs will lose money both for businesses and individual. Of course they could have done it at the Convention center but no, we had to have it at the Fleet Center and foul up half the state!

didn't boston *invite* them for the convention? where are you getting your data about losing money from? i am not very well read on the topic, but with the amount of people i know holding meet and greets at restaurants and hotels, it seems like the city would be making $$$ on it.

 

[Broken8ball]

Austin is known for its tree-hugging, radical left wing liberalism. Those of us with more intelligence call it Moscow on the Colorado. Austin is very unrepresentative of either Texas as a whole or even the rest of central Texas. Don't read anything into it.

 

[Planogirl]

It's good to run into Texas Democrats. I'm not a Democrat but I'm closer to that than I am to Republican.

I think that some Texans would vote for a rock if it declared itself Republican. I know a few people that devoted!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by caitycaity
didn't boston *invite* them for the convention? where are you getting your data about losing money from? i am not very well read on the topic, but with the amount of people i know holding meet and greets at restaurants and hotels, it seems like the city would be making $$$ on it.

Well, I know a lot of businesses are closing for the week because they can't get deliveries due to delivery time restrictions (my best friends DH has to lose a weeks worth of pay).

I also know many of the street vendors are closing and a woman who owns a dance studio is closing because none of her out of town customers are coming in that week due to traffic.

It won't hurt hotels or large companies but it will hurt small business.

 

[caitycaity]

Originally posted by EsmeraldaX
Well, I know a lot of businesses are closing for the week because they can't get deliveries due to delivery time restrictions (my best friends DH has to lose a weeks worth of pay).

I also know many of the street vendors are closing and a woman who owns a dance studio is closing because none of her out of town customers are coming in that week due to traffic.

It won't hurt hotels or large companies but it will hurt small business.

that makes sense.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by caitycaity
that makes sense.

I'm just glad my company did not close. We are closed one day and everyone got a comp day to use that week. So I'll only have to come in tues, weds, and thurs. They changed our hours to 7-3.

We're getting paid for the days we have off. My brother's company closed a few of the days and he is not getting paid.

It should be interesting. I almost want to venture in to the city on Monday (my day off) just out of morbid curiosity to see what the traffic is like during normal rush hour.

Oh - also my best friend and her DH are moving from East Boston to Malden that week. I don't know how they are going to manage to drive around all the street closures with a U-Haul truck...

 

[minniepumpernickel]

Originally posted by Broken8ball
Austin is known for its tree-hugging, radical left wing liberalism. Those of us with more intelligence call it Moscow on the Colorado. Austin is very unrepresentative of either Texas as a whole or even the rest of central Texas. Don't read anything into it.

Ride 'em cowboy!

 

[rcyannacci]

Originally posted by Broken8ball
Austin is known for its tree-hugging, radical left wing liberalism. Those of us with more intelligence call it Moscow on the Colorado. Austin is very unrepresentative of either Texas as a whole or even the rest of central Texas. Don't read anything into it.

Holy moly! This is priceless! "Moscow on the Colorado"- my friends will get a big kick out of this- LOL.

Austin is, indeed, a more liberal than many of the regions in Texas, but it's also a city that's slowly changing with the influx of Dell, software companies, etc. I happen to live in one of the northern suburbs near Dell (almost Round Rock), and I was surprised and pleased as how well the Democrats were doing outside the boundaries of areas that would traditionally be considered liberal Austin (or "Moscow- again, priceless...I could make a fortune on a t-shirt). And, I've talked to family in the Dallas area- they've said the same thing about Texas potentially having some surprising numbers. A lot of people are still smarting from the redistricting fiasco last year.

Anway, if you're right come Novemeber and the numbers are miniscule, then I'll take back my assertions (and start learning some Russian )

 

[rcyannacci]

Originally posted by EsmeraldaX
I'm just glad my company did not close. We are closed one day and everyone got a comp day to use that week. So I'll only have to come in tues, weds, and thurs. They changed our hours to 7-3.

We're getting paid for the days we have off. My brother's company closed a few of the days and he is not getting paid.

It should be interesting. I almost want to venture in to the city on Monday (my day off) just out of morbid curiosity to see what the traffic is like during normal rush hour.

Oh - also my best friend and her DH are moving from East Boston to Malden that week. I don't know how they are going to manage to drive around all the street closures with a U-Haul truck...

Good luck to your friend and her DH.

If you do make it into the city on Monday, I've heard there are going to be lots of interesting cultural events in some of the parks (not sure which ones since I'm not from the area).

 

[Missy1961]

I work in NYC--across the street from Madison Square Garden-- and we're not looking forward to the convention being here. My company can't close that week, so we will be working reduced hours (with full pay, thank goodness!) but no-one knows what it will be like. It will be a pain, that's for sure. Not only is security tighter because of 9/11, but with the President coming here for the convention, it will be even tighter.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by rcyannacci
Good luck to your friend and her DH.

If you do make it into the city on Monday, I've heard there are going to be lots of interesting cultural events in some of the parks (not sure which ones since I'm not from the area).

Probably the common and garden, maybe down by the waterfront.

I just found out that they are not allowing any dogs other than service dogs on the subway at all that week. So it looks like I won't be coming in after all, as I don't want to have to drive all the way in and park and I don't want to leave Monty Dog at home. On my days off , we usually take him everywhere we can.

Maybe there will still be some things going on that I can check out when I'm at work Tues- Thurs. I'll be having early lunches that week, so maybe I'll take a walk down by the park and see.

 

[Jynohn]

My girlfriend is due to deliver her baby at Brigham and Women's in Boston and all expectant mothers were advised to take "practice runs" to the hospital to find alternate routes or to take an ambulance in this week due to traffic/road closures.

I have several friends who work in town who will not be able to get to their offices and need to take personal days/vacation time.

I go to school north of Boston and will have to miss 4 hours of class time because there's no way that I can get up 128 after work.

This convention is a HUGE inconvenience and very poorly thought out. A recent study on the news stated that only 11% of businesses in the state will profit from it. Unfortunately it looks like the majority of the others in and around Boston will be losing a great deal of money...

 

[Aristocath]

I always love to hear of other Texas Democrats. I know W will take the state but I think the numbers will be surprising to him. I don't see that blanket support there was for him in 2000. I sure hope Martin Frost wins in Dallas. I think the redistricting mess that DeLay started was a bad move for the Republicans.

I also found 8Ball's Moscow comment amusing. I never associate Moscow with tree hugging radical left wing liberals.

 

[arminnie]

Originally posted by Planogirl
I think that some Texans would vote for a rock if it declared itself Republican. I know a few people that devoted!

I guess all of those "yellow dog" Democrats must have died off. I lived in Texas in the 70s and 80s (left for San Francisco in 89). The state was definitely Democratic especially in the 70s.

Unfortunately the Texas Democrats of that era were infested with the racist bigots from the 50s and 60s. Being a Republican in Texas in 1970 was very radical.