Red State Rebels

Just checking in

Hi everyone, this is Julie. I've been gone from Red State Rebels for about 10 weeks, since I started working as communications director for the Idaho Democratic Party on October 1. Until November 30, on the DNC payroll under the 50-state strategy, I was bound by DNC employee rules against independent blogging and fundraising for the IDP. But since we 50-state strategy employees have been temporarily (we hope!) furloughed pending the new administration, I am free to surface here, at least for the time being. Here are a few things that have been on my mind:

Many people who worked really hard on the Obama campaign are now looking for ways to make a difference. In my IDP gig, I am seeking grassroots/netroots communications volunteers in every county (for general party building) and every legislative district (to keep tabs on GOP mischief in R-dominated districts and do incumbent protection in D-led areas). Several Obama volunteers have already signed up, and I know more are out there!

We'll be doing everything from LTE-writing parties and blog comments to issues-oriented YouTube videos on Democratic-sponsored bills in the Idaho Legislature. If you have a few hours to spare each month - and you know you do; you spend more time than that reading blogs! - please consider volunteering, especially during the upcoming legislative session. Email me at julie at idaho-democrats dot org if you're interested, and tell me where you live (street address) so I can get you hooked up with the right LD team. We'll be ramping this up in mid-January, so raise your hand now if you'd like to help.

The IDP is bustling these days. In addition to the grassroots communications projects, we recently added Amber Pence as a membership and development director, we're crafting a 2010 field plan that will maximize off-year Dem gains, and we're improving our data base to help counties and candidates identify ever-more Democratic voters. But all this takes money ... so if you were among the thousands of Idahoans who kicked in an occasional (or monthly) $10 or $20 or more to the Obama campaign, I hope you'll consider doing the same for the Idaho Democratic Party. And if - during the holiday season - you see friends and family who've left Idaho for bluer pastures, please ask them to consider helping out, too.

Finally, are you receiving the weekly e-newsletter from the Idaho Democratic Party? (It arrives Tuesday mornings, if you are not sure.) If you're not signed up, you're missing the best way to stay on top of what the IDP and state legislators are doing. We have just shy of 1,250 subscribers right now - not so hot in a state where 236,440 people voted for Barack Obama. You can sign up right at our website; see the form on the right side of this page, below where it says "Register to Vote." Give us your first name and email address, watch for the opt-in email, and you will be good to go.

Happy holidays to all, in case I don't make it back here for a while ...

Interfaith Alliance Gathering on Saturday

Interfaith Alliance of Idaho
10^th ANNUAL GATHERING
          Building Democracy
         Building Beloved Community 

Saturday, November 22nd  ~ 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
First Congregational United Church of Christ
2201 Woodlawn in Boise, Idaho
 
9:30-10:00 am     Registration
 
10:00-12:30 pm  Building an Inclusive Democratic Movement
12:30-1:30 pm    Lunch and Post-Election Analysis: The Big Picture
1:30-3:00  pm     Setting the Movement in Motion
3:00-400 pm      Prioritizing Our Work
 
Our country has extraordinary opportunities with the dawn of a new 
president and congress at the national level.  We as people of faith and good 
will must take the leadership role to build the beloved communities of which 
we dream.  Please join us on the 22^nd, bring young people with you…
 
Marcy Westerling, our workshop facilitator and keynote speaker is the 
Executive Director of the Rural Organizing Project, a statewide organization  
of more than 60 local, autonomous human dignity groups working 
successfully to advance democracy in rural and small town Oregon. 
http://rop.org ~  http://www.socialpolicy.org/index.php?id=1907
 
Fabulous Speaker, Camaraderie, Food!    Meal by Mazzah

Registration Fees:  $25 for All, $35/couple, $10 Lunch only 

You can register online:  

Questions? Call Pam, 208-283-6560 or [email protected]

New campaign video from Byron Yankey

Byron Yankey is running for the Idaho House of Representatives seat 13B in Canyon County. Here is his new campaign video:

Check out Byron Yankey's website and blog.
Donate to his campaign and help send another Democrat to Idaho's Legislature.

You know she'll drive you to drink, so you may as well join Drinking Liberally for the debate.

Greetings, all!

The Blogmother has asked me to update you, My Fellow Sympathetic Americans, about the fun that my little group has been having, and to invite you along.  I write, of course, about Drinking Liberally Boise.  The nation's third chapter of this legendary group (there are now almost 300 chapters!), we're Boise's best venue for kvetching safely to pals old and new about anything from anti-gravity legislation to canned salmon to the political wisdom of chaining oneself to a hunk of granite.  Plus, we like beers (and soda, water, wine and Manhattans over ice) and feature 30% better looks, 40% more brains, and 75% more snark than your average Idaho political get-together (especially since the average Idaho political get-together is filled with nutty conservatives).

Our regular meetups are every third Wednesday at Pengilly's.  Sign up for regular (but not abundant) email reminders in the upper left corner of this page: drinkingliberally.org.

The big news?  For the first time in our four year history, we're sponsoring Debate Parties! Join us for the VP debate this THURSDAY, October 2 at 6:30 PM in the bowels of the City Grill, 199 N. 8th St.

The response to our first ever Drink-N-Groan Debate Party was amazing! Dozens of optimistic liberals met last week at the City Grill to compare notes, exclaim "I can see Canada from my HOUSE!" and admire our really hot AND smart Presidential candidate.  Check out images of last week's shenanigans here.

You KNOW this Thursday's VP debate will be the debate of the season.  We're already wagering how long it will take after the debate for the cries of sexism to come out from the McSame camp.  Any takers?

End of an era - go kick some ass, please

I started Red State Rebels - the original one - in November 2003, and converted it to this multi-author blog last September. Now I am saying another farewell. This one is for real since, starting October 1, I'll be communications director for the Idaho Democratic Party. (You may have read it here first. Thanks, Jill.)

First, let me convey my appreciation for everyone who has made Red State Rebels a regular stop on their cyberspace travels. Whether or not we've agreed on all issues, you've kept the oxygen flowing here, and I salute your passion for our state and country.

About three dozen people have made posts at the multi-author Red State Rebels over the past year, and I know many will continue to write and organize here. As I step back, I hope others will step up and make their voices heard, too - at Red State Rebels and across the Idaho blogosphere. Also, if you'd like to do something to pay homage to what I've been doing here for the past five years, please consider a donation to the candidate(s) of your choice or the state Democratic Party as a whole at this page.

The video says "this opportunity comes once in a lifetime," but returning effective two-party government to Idaho will take longer than the next five weeks. After five years working for change in the netroots and the grassroots, I am thrilled about the opportunity to help build the Idaho Democratic Party from the inside out. I'll see you at the IDP - and don't forget to check out the work of the many other Idaho bloggers listed on this page, too.

10 races to change Idaho

While most of our attention has been fixated on the upticket races, it's time to focus on electing our downballot Democrats, too. Idahoans have an opportunity this fall to shift the lopsided balance of the Idaho Legislature toward more effective two-party representation ... not just for Boise but also in North Idaho,  Valley County, Idaho Falls, and the western Treasure Valley.

Check out this new ActBlue fundraising page featuring 10 races to change Idaho politics. Read about the candidates and donate what you can to your favorites. Or contribute to the Idaho Democratic Party and help our Democratic candidates run strong statewide.

... and another opportunity to help

Connie Collins and her intrepid crew at the Ada County Democratic Party have mailed more than 3,000 packets of Democratic candidate info to likely absentee voters this week, and they have 2,000 to go. They'll be working all day (9:30 to 5) today and tomorrow at the county office, 4121 W State St., Suite B. If you can help with this, call Connie at (208) 412-2135.

UVI, TIA on the move; bailout rally planned

Two great progressive groups, United Vision for Idaho and The Interfaith Alliance of Idaho, could use some help with their office move across downtown Boise today (Wednesday, September 24). The groups are moving from 1412 W. Idaho St., Suite 100 (15th & Idaho), to the lovely old Carnegie Library Building, 815 W Washington St. If you have a little time to spare anytime between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. today, stop by and give Pam and Gloria a hand.

Update: UVI isn't busy enough! The day after the organization's move, its action arm will hold an emergency rally against the $700 billion Bush-Paulson bailout for Wall Street. The message is that, in crafting a bailout package, Congress must put the needs of Main Street before greed on Wall Street. The rally is set for noon Thursday, September 25, at the Borah Post Office, 750 W. Bannock St., downtown Boise. Read more here.

Students can choose where their vote counts

Attention college students (and parents): I've just heard of a new website and Facebook group from CountMore. As its creators say: "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that college students can vote in their school state or home state. CountMore.org tells you where your vote will have the most impact on the presidential election." CountMore uses drop-down menus to tell users which state will have more impact on the election - generally, states where the candidates are less than 10 percent apart in the polls or where the winner's margin was less than 10 percent in 2004.

Idahoans, if you are attending school in a swing state, check out this site and decide whether your vote would "count more" elsewhere than it does in Idaho. Registration deadlines are approaching in many states. As examples: October 4 by mail or October 20 in person in Washington; October 6 in Colorado and Montana (Montana allows late registration at county election offices;) October 14 for Nevada and Oregon; and October 20 in California. Also check the FAQ page to be sure registering in the state where you attend school will not affect financial aid eligibility. But don't be afraid of the scare stories going around over this issue; get the facts, then decide.

Fancy a weekend in Vegas ... or Bozeman?

The Obama-Biden campaign is asking Idaho supporters to consider taking a trip to Nevada or Montana over the next few weeks to help reach voters in those important swing states. Nevada in particular looks ready to tip Obama's way. As The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza wrote on The Fix today:

The Nevada caucuses way back in January gave Democrats a huge jump on voter registration and voter identification efforts. (The Republican side was barely contested with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney winning easily.) At the end of August, there were 458,877 registered Democrats in the state as compared to 397,172 registered Republicans. Compare that to November 2004 when there were 442,122 registered Republicans and 438,906 registered Democrats and you see that the trend line is moving in the wrong direction for the GOP.

Now it's a matter of registering even more people - then getting out the vote. So be like these people, and If you can spare some time to travel to one of our neighboring states, fill out this form. And if you can't travel between now and Election Day, never fear: there's plenty you can do here in Idaho by pitching in with the Obama campaign, the state party, your county Democratic office, or the campaign of your choice.