38 Days left

I tried not to get sucked into politics this year. I really tried. My spirit was broken by the disaster that was the 2004 election (see above) so this time around I was going to be tougher, distant, more uninvolved. My plan was mostly just to close my eyes until it was all over and hope for the best.

So, what happened. I'm still not totally sure. Maybe it started when I realized it might actually be possible for us to go to hell in a handbasket. Maybe it was the economy. Maybe it was that McCain plan for 45 new nuclear reactors. Or those interviews with people who sound rock-solid sure that voting for the Republican candidate can in some way be interpreted as a vote for "change." Or fearing that otherwise sane, logically-minded people were again preparing to vote against their own economic self-interest and for keeping power, tax breaks, and special perks in the hands of mega-corporations and the super-wealthy.

Maybe it was when the McCain-Palin ticket went with the motto "Country First," implying in that subtle way that it is unpatriotic to be a liberal. Or when I found out that 20% of Hillary Clinton's white supporters are leaning towards voting for McCain because of a "gut feeling" that Obama isn't the one (you know, that gut feeling called..."racism"). Maybe it was when Sarah Palin told Charles Gibson she could see Russia from her house. Or was that Tina Fey. Or maybe, finally, when I realized that an independent consultant/ writer/ environmentalist has a flexible enough schedule that she can take a month off to do something useful without getting fired. And that most people--even those who would really like to--can't.

It turns out this election will turn on the votes of only a few key states: the pivotal ones everyone knows about like Florida and Ohio, and some new, exciting battleground states introduced this year for your pleasure like Colorado, Michigan, and Virginia. If you don't already know what a swing state is and why they're important, I'm pretty shocked you made it this deep into the blog. (But welcome!) Everybody else: you already know about swing states, and you know that a lot of you aren't in one--this includes my current state of Massachusetts, my home state California, my former city-state Washington D.C., and lots of other places that are too blue or too red to even get the bone of a few campaign ads thrown our way. I myself have to watch campaign ads on youtube, which makes me feel like a real nerd.

What's a girl stranded in a securely blue state to do? Get herself to a swing state, of course. A state where individual votes still matter, where there are people still undecided about the election, some of whom may not know what the Bush Doctrine is either but all of whom deeply want a way out of the current mess. It seems we might need as many people as possible to give logical, clear evidence why Obama/Biden is that way.

So, I'm outta here. I'm headed to a battleground state on October 6 to spend the last month of the election harassing as many good citizens as possible to make sure I have done everything I can to sleep at night come November 4, no matter how the election goes.

Before I leave, I'm working up some funds. Not big, $700 billion-bailout-money, just enough to cover gas to the midwest and enough cash to keep me in cheese sandwiches for the month since I won't actually be drawing a paycheck during this period. My party staff and I (yes, I have a "party staff," and they are topnotch) have been brainstorming ideas for a fundraising send-off at my house next Saturday, two days before I leave. The particulars are shrouded in secrecy, but the fun to be had is (unlike investment returns in a free market economy) guaranteed. Save the date, and please come. Details to follow.

Next up: Why the Midwest