FIRED UP! READY TO GO!

Please don’t look now.  It’s been w-a-a-y too long since I posted here.  It has been hectic.

First the primary, then a campaign and a political convention, then a presidential election and a tremendous let-down.

And now: Fired up! Ready to go!

There was a HUGE lull after Nov. 8’s depressing outcome.  But starting December 1, reaching a crescendo on January 20, people started calling the Democratic Party and walking in the door –all with the same message:

“I’m fed up with this person in the White House.  What can I do?”

The answers are legion.  There are so many activities going on.

Most visible is the attendance at meetings of local Party meetings: 4 and 5 times the usual turn-out, most often by people who haven’t ever been politically active, or haven’t been in decades.

People are calling and writing to their state and federal legislators.

People are attending Town Halls and parading at the offices when their elected representatives won’t hold constituent meetings.

People are signing up with Requests To Speak on pending legislation.

Most visible is the attendance at meetings of local Legislative Districts: 4 and 5 times the usual turn-out, most often by people who haven’t ever been politically active, or haven’t been in decades.

Here are some examples:

A New Kid On The Block arrived at the office –transferred to Phoenix by his employer in the Midwest.  “What can I do to turn Arizona Blue?” he asked.  BOOM: A new registered voter.  A new name on the Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL).  A new volunteer.  Maybe even a new member of a Precinct Committee.  

·      
     A five-year-old from the NW, who, along with his parents is visiting his grandparents here in the Valley, came in to get a stack of forms to take to ASU to register new voters.

·      A Snowbird couple “of a certain age” staying in Wickenburg called the office in search of friendly faces and thoughtful minds with whom to have coffee without being offended by political views. You know what it says in Russian on that over-sized hat!

·      A lawyer living in Sun City called to help us recruit candidates for office.

·      A staffer at the hospital down the street just stopped in after getting off work early to see what we have to offer in the way of stopping some of the horrible legislation that is being offered at the State Capitol.

·      Lotsa people are calling in from Anthem –YES!! Anthem-- on the northern fringe of Maricopa County yet within Legislative District 1 based in Prescott, looking for people and places closer to home as outlets for their political passions.

But the best was a Valley visitor from Canada who saw the sign on our building from her hotel room across the street.  Though here on a business trip, she’s an ex-pat from Baltimore who still votes in U.S. elections.  All that she wanted were a few words of encouragement about her homeland.  She got them.

So the question remains: Are you FIRED UP! READY TO GO!?  And if not, what’s it gonna take?