GOTV with Deval Patrick’s Team
Road Report from Ted Chiodo:
After I accompanied John and Vanessa Kerry to vote, I split off from the staff gaggle and headed down to 56 Roland Street and the Deval Patrick headquarters. It was a fast drive down 93 north although somewhat more scenic and indirect due to the many detours and construction sites. I pulled into the parking lot at Patrick headquarters around 11:49 and was happy to see large number of Democratic bumper stickers.
Upon my arrival, I was met by the energetic Libby DeVecchi. Libby is a spokesperson for the soon-to-be governor; she led me through a maze of hardworking staffers, rally signs, and tenacious volunteers to the Deval Patrick Headquarters phone bank.
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The room was filled with the buzz of people making the ever important GOTV calls. Doughnuts and sugary treats were placed around a large center table and volunteers manned phones around the walls of the large room. I snapped some pictures hoping to catch the energy and hope flowing through the room. It was a sight of beauty to anyone who has been involved with politics. The future of this country lies in your hands today. It is up to you to get to your polling station and send a message. Make sure your family, friends and neighbors have all voted too.
It’s time for a change—let’s make it a great one!
Mahalo!
-- Ted
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Senator Kerry,
Once the Democrats sweep into power, (and thank you for all you did to help make this happen) perhaps you should strongly suggest that Bush apologize to Americans for his blunders in Iraq and Katrina.
More than words we need a new course. Start by firing Rumsfeld.
I’m waiting for an apology from Bush.
Thanks for the report Ted! We have purchased a bottle of champagne and we will drink to you and the good Senator for jobs well done!
Mission accomplished - Patrick Deval projected winner at 8:01 pm
Ted K. as well, of course.
Thanks for all the hard work everyone. We’ve got a democrat in the governors seat!!!
And Senator Kerry - you are a prince among men. Thank you so much for your tireless efforts on behalf of democrats and more importantly, on behalf of our country.
Anyone with a shred of sense knows what you meant with the “botched” joke. The rethuglicans went to down, but even now they admit that they know what you meant. No harm, no foul - and people know better.
You’ve done more for your party and the good of the country than anyone. A toast to you, sir. Thank you for your brave words, your truth telling, and all your efforts to make our country the great place it used to be, and will be again.
Thanks and congratulations to everyone. So far so good. Now we are on pins and needles for New Hampshire.
Fingers crossed
Senator Kerry,
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, ect…...................................
You are not getting the credit you deserve, but I know how hard you worked and how much you did this election. A few names stepped in at the last, but you were there from the beginning. I know, and I will tell eveyone I know how this couldn’t of been possible without your help.
Thanks and congratulations to everyone. So far so good. Now we are on pins and needles for New Hampshire.
Fingers crossed
It’s looking to be a pretty good year for Democrats, although we still have a long way to go with so many close elections. But these celebrations wouldn’t be happening at all without the tireless efforts of the Senator. Thank You!!!
Well, tonight is poetic justice! Thank you JK Blog Team. Thank you everyone who voted Democratic.
Thank you Senator Kerry for your leadership.
Thank you Max Cleland:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyce/my-friend-max_b_33493.html
Way to go Massachusetts!
Sen. Kerry and all good Dems!
Thank you so much for all the help and hard work in Massachusetts! (Tell Cam that he was an awesome co-chair for Victory ‘06.)
Massachusetts is Massachusetts again. No more Governors who don’t care about us and go on the road and tear this state down. Just good Democrats who love and honor the state the were elected to lead.
Waited 16 years for this one, and boy is it sweet! Deval Patrick is going to be a great Governor for us.
Thank you!
Thank you, Senator Kerry, for everything you did to help get Deval Patrick elected. Today is a good day for us Baystaters.
Thank you JK - you have worked so hard for change for America.
Senator Kerry, thank you for everything you did to help the Democrats this election. I voted for you in 04 and I would do it again in a heart beat.
Out here in California ...voted on the way home from work and settling in to watch the celebration for two years of relentless ‘hard work.’ Thank you, Senator Kerry, for everything you have done to make this happen. Your leadership has made the difference…even if not everyone is aware of your commitment and efforts. I can see the wave coming…it’s heading this way…. :)
Thank you, Senator Kerry! You have done more than anyone to help Democrats win in this election.
Here in NH, Paul Hodes is the projected winner over Charlie Bass and Governor Lynch has won election.
State by state, across the country, America is turning bluer and bluer. It’s a good day for Democrats!
Senator Kerry,
It’s been a tough week but in the end when I look back at the last year or so, I realize that so many things you did allowed our candidates to stay in the race and to fight so hard.
At this point, I don’t know if Mr. Webb will win. I don’t know if Tammy Duckworth will win. And same with McCaskill. However, what I do know is that without the early support and without your assistance, they would not have been able to fight so hard or so well.
I also know that your hard work made the Republicans alter their strategy. They had to invest more money than they ever believed they’d need to. They had to cut funding out of Ohio and move it to Montana. They had to create illegal activities in order to try to win.
It revealed their inner corruption to more Americans. And I don’t believe this would have happened without everything you did throughout this election cycle.
Keep your chin up and your head held high.
Senator Kerry,
Thank you for all that you did this election season. I’m really happy for you guys in Massachusetts—you’re going to have a great governor. We may have to wait until tomorrow for the Virginia Senate race—it’s close and there are voter intimidation and suppression issues. But, I do want to thank you for all you did for Webb—without that help, he may not have been THIS close. Thank you again!
Senator Kerry, you are the best. Things are turning blue all over the country thanks to all your hard work.
We are having a battle here in Virginia, but it is all due to the dirty tricks of Republicans. This isn’t over yet. We do know who helped when help was needed most in Virginia, and that we will be forever grateful.
Tomorrow is a new day, thanks to all your hard work. We will not let anyone forget that.
What a tough couple of weeks it has been! I can’t believe the results we are reaping across the country. I’m still in shock (good shock) at how blue NH has turned tonigh. Huge congratulations to Paul Hodes AND Carol Shea-Porter for ousting Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley!
I’m proud to be a Democrat tonight and I’m expecially proud to be a Kerrycrat tonight!
Once again, THANK YOU SENATOR KERRY! You have led this charge to victory.
An extra special thank you to all the fine Dems here from some very happy folks in PA.
Most of all, though, sincerest thanks to Senator Kerry. We would not be celebrating today without the millions of dollars he raised and his countless hours of campaigning.
You’re my hero, Senator Kerry. That’s a fact.
Minnesota Update:
1) Amy Klobuchar seriously mopped up the floor with Mark Kennedy. Seriously. They called it like 5 minutes after the polls closed.
2) Wetterling-Bachmann (CD 6) - too close to call
3) Tim Walz - Gil Guthnecht (CD1) - too close to call
4) Colleen Rowley(d) - John Kline (CD2) - Kline by a mile.
5) Ramstad (r) - brain dead on the D candidate - Ramstad wins - moderate - we’re okay with that.
All other races dem sweep, from Auditor to AG…
It’s a good day to be Blue!
Congratulations to all of you who worked so hard!
Power to the people.
Senator Kerry,
In the despair after November, 2004, it would have been hard to imagine that a day like today was possible. Your first email to us motivated many of us to stay involved (or even to become more involved than we ever were) - I know that was true in my case.
The amazing amount of work you did in supporting candidates and raising money for them to run had to be a major factor in the size of the victory. The emails that defined the candidates you wanted us to consider supporting were so different than any fundraising appeals I ever saw. You respected our inteligence by making the case for why each deserved support.
In addition to that, you have driven public opinion on Iraq with both your October, 2005 plan and the Kerry/Feingold plan this year. Unlike many who are trying to find the an Iraq policy that helps them politicly, it has always been obvious that your position is your best effort to do what is best for the world and the troops. I doubt the Democrats would have done as well if it wasn’t obvious that the Democrats are different than the Republicans on the war.
The world would have been a much better place if you would have become President in 2005. I hope that you will become the great President that you could be in January 2009.
Dear Senator Kerry,
Thank you for everything you did to make this successful evening happen. You are the unsung hero. No one worked harder than you to make this happen and you should be proud of yourself.
I will support you whatever your future endeavors. You are a great American! John
The world (represented by me *cough*) congratulates the populace of the US and A…
Well done, folks! Pick up Montana and Virginia, and the world will be a much better place as of tomorrow!
Thanks to John Kerry for all what he’s done. Maybe he now finds the time taking some lessons in making successful punchlines with Jon Stewart. *g*
It’s 4:30 in the morning on the East Coast and I’m finally finding the time to sit down and catch up on my blogging. It’s been a very long day at the end of a very long week at the end of a very long series of months spent fighting very hard to break the neocons’ stranglehold on the legislative branch of our government.
My feet are still sore from beating the streets for miles on end today, getting out every single possible vote right down to the time the polls closed. My back still aches from schlepping box after heavy box of campaign literature in and out of the GOTV vans and from lugging coolers and cases of box lunches to the many dozens of volunteers spread out across my neck of the woods.
But my soul is at peace, my heart is full, and my mind is still grinning from ear to metaphorical ear as I sit here reading the political news on the internets and listening to the wee-hours election wrap-ups on MSNBC and NPR.
The blue team may not have won every race we entered, and we didn’t quite win some of the races that were near and dear to our hearts. But we won enough of them to make a very real difference in Washington, this year and for many years to come.
These mid-term elections mattered, folks. They mattered a *lot*. Today’s votes signaled a major change in the balance of power on the Hill. Today the people made their voices heard loudly and clearly. They told the neocons in Congress that enough is enough, it’s time for them to hit the road and give us our country back. They put paid to the career aspirations of dozens of legislators, and put the White House on notice that their shameless games of greed and power have come to an abrupt and ignominious end.
Tonight’s election results may indicate a major sea change for the ship of state, but they don’t mean our side can sit back and rest on its laurels. Our shared ship’s sails may have been reset today, and we may have steered it away from the crashing rocks at the very last minute this time. But the voyage goes on forever, and it’s going to take us many years of hard, hard work to get this vessel back on course and sailing proud before the wind again.
That being said, there’s still time to catch our breaths and take a well-earned break in which to look around and share our gratitude for all those who’ve been toiling away alongside of us.
There are hundreds of professional politicians and consultants and party operatives involved in so many campaigns, of course, and they deserve full credit for tonight’s wins.
But the real kudos should go to the unpaid heroes of the day: to the many Team Blue volunteers spread out all across the country, thousands and thousands of them; to the many liberal and progressive bloggers and online correspondents (a hefty handful of whom are regular posters to this blog, and have been since its early days); to the many millions of average Joes and Janes who listened, who spoke up, and who turned out to cast their votes in these unglamorous but absolutely crucial mid-term elections today.
And special thanks are due to one professional politician in particular, of course, a certain senator from Massachusetts who worked harder than anyone else in Washington to bring new faces to the table this year.
He raised millions of dollars for individual candidates in the House as well as the Senate races; he spent countless hours campaigning for them in person; and he stood up strong and straight and tall while he kept right on speaking truth to power, serving as a lightning rod to draw the surges of current that galvanized so many millions of Democratic voters today.
We all know who that certain senator from Massachusetts is, of course. We all know the extent to which today’s shift in the American political landscape is the direct result of his tireless work over the last weeks and months and years. We all know the debt of gratitude that We the People owe him for his lifetime of public service, from the jungles of Vietnam to the swamps of Washington, D.C.
So thank you, Senator John Forbes Kerry. Thank you from the very bottoms of our proud, blue, happy hearts.
and now is when the *real* work starts,
Otter
Senator Kerry,
I simply want to say, Thank-you.
DEAR JOHN KERRY.
I SAW YOU AT THE VICTORY PARTY FOR DEVAL PATRICK LAST NIGHT I AM GLAD I WORK FOR DEVAL PATRICK AND AM GLAD HE WON. HOPE THINGS WILL WE CAN WORK WITH JOHN KERRY TEAM 2008 HOPE IT WILL WORK.
YOUR FRIEND JILL
Today is the most wonderful and happiest day to wake up to. So many blue States, especially those going West. I still feel the goose bumps as each one was being called. I am very proud to be a part of the John Kerry community and am thankful for all the hours, days, months, years that he spent in getting Democrats to take control of the House, and hopefully the Senate. Your hard work, dedication and good intentions for our party should take you to the highest levels of political office. From a very happy and blue John Kerry community member.