Archive for the ‘All Politics is Local’ Category
A Marriage Equality Protest, this Saturday
There seems to be a sizable across-the-nation protest shaping up for this weekend. In our area it’ll be in front of the Capital, of course, but there are sites listed in Baltimore and Richmond as well. Here’s hoping the 2,500 maybe-attending folks listed on the DC protest’s Facebook page will brave the rain and make [...]
More »Working the Polls: The Big Day
Badges, courtesy of Me
You read part one, right?
I’m not sure I’m prepared to say “I woke up on the morning of the 4th” because I was up at 4 am, an hour of the day best suited for garbage-eating raccoons and Paris Hilton. 4am is not an hour for civilized people. 4am is not morning, [...]
Working the Polls: Getting started
Voting Place Sign, by Jonathan
Insert your own lame stripper pole joke here. I’ve heard a dozen and I’m over it.
When the chatter started up that this election would have the largest turnout ever, I started to think that perhaps I should volunteer my time. Part of my benefits package as a Virginia state employee includes [...]
Flashback Special: Nov 4, 2008
Vote for Yelp! Election Night Soiree, courtesy of Yelp.com
As all my friends can attest, I don’t talk politics with anyone, save my wife. (My vote is always a closely guarded secret.) So yesterday was a pretty quiet day for me. And that was actually kinda cool, because I didn’t get caught up in any hype [...]
President-Elect Obama
Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign by Barack Obama
While the final totals are still being tallied, it’s readily apparent that Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States on 20 January 2009. Virginia, DC & Maryland will cast their electors all for Senator Obama in December, the first time they’ve all been cast [...]
It’s Like Christmas in DC!
Capitol Christmas Tree, by Flickr user flickr-rickr
In college, I found it inconvenient for a number of reasons to celebrate Halloween, but I still found myself, needing the rhythm of a fall holiday before Thanksgiving. Being a political science major, Election Day fit the bill nicely. I sang Election Day carols, decorated my dorm room with [...]
It’s a Day Like Any Other
Union Station Commuters by Zizzy
While you’ve heard how Election Day in DC can be like the day before Christmas, for those of us who don’t work in politics, near politics, around politics or within smelling range of politics, it can be just another day. Perhaps being a non-political guy in DC on Election Night [...]
Incredible Turnout for Early Voting
Washington DC Paper Ballot by NewsHour
The news was out this morning that 2.6 million people had already cast their ballots in North Carolina. You’ve probably seen reports here, and elsewhere, that lines in Arlington & the District were quite lengthy, up to several hours over the weekend.
So, how did our region do? Great [...]
Gee Thanks for Nothin’ ACLU!
So, if you run into trouble at the polls tomorrow, there are a bunch of great sites for Voters’ Rights. The ACLU brings us a whole plethora of voting rights guides for varying states and territories. However, DC isn’t one of them! In 38 of the 52 territories, you can find SOME [...]
More »Another Angry White Male for Obama
Uh okay Originally uploaded by carlweaver
I didn’t know what to say when I saw this bumper sticker. I am all for political and personal expression, especially if it means do-it-yourself bumper stickers. However, it just looks a little funny for some reason. I find it hard to take this one seriously. If this were my [...]
More »Obama Made Me Cry Last Night
Photo by kcivey
Yeah, last night he did. This jaded Washingtonian, who tries to live in DC totally separate from politicians and the whole “The Hill” establishment, who hasn’t voted in years (my dirty secret, now exposed) actually wept after watching Obama’s infomerical.
Beyond who you are voting for, or even this election, this is the [...]
Absentee Voting Attracts Crowds
Voting Place Sign, by Jonathan
As we close in on the election next Tuesday, the press has been having a field day with the “early voting” going on across the country. Not to be left out, and having to file an absentee ballot myself, I decided to see just what was happening in Arlington.
First, all the [...]
The Home Stretch, from home
courtesy of erin m
We’re down to the last week before the election, and with it up hard against local deadlines for absentee voting. If you’re in Virginia, today’s the deadline for requesting a mail-in absentee ballot. Make your request by 5pm and they’ll put it in the mail. Alternately you can do in-person absentee voting [...]
Joe McCain Calls 911 to Complain About Traffic
Strike one: Calling 911 to complain about I-95 traffic. Strike two: Cursing out the operator when he asks why you’re calling 911 to complain about traffic. Strike three: Voice mail greeting saying you’re working on a “very important family political project.” Joe The McCain, you’re out.
More »How Crazy Is Politics?
Miss Peacock In the Kitchen With a Knife by tzofia
Yesterday’s crazy story in the news was about Ashley Todd, who claimed to have been beaten and robbed at ATM, and when they saw the McCain/Palin sticker on her car, the thugs came back to carve a B in her cheek. Creepy. As. Fuck. [...]
Absentee voting blazing away
Oh for my Pennsylvania residency, courtesy of erin m
I called the General Registrar for Arlington County and talked to her about their in-person and mail-in absentee ballots so far. In person absentee started in Virginia 45 days before the election, as required by state law. Last week they’d had 7,100 total votes - 5,400 in [...]
Oh God, It’s Pledge Week
No More Cash by Wednesday181
There are few things I live in fear of quite as much as Pledge Week on any NPR Radio Station. WAMU’s week to extort their listener base fundraise for their local efforts is this week. You can donate via their website (my personal choice) and pick up any number [...]
McCain Campaign: Northern Virginia Isn’t Real Virginia
real 1 |ˈrē(ə)l|
adjective
2 (of a substance or thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine : the earring was presumably real gold.
• true or actual : his real name is James | this isn’t my real reason for coming.
• [ attrib. ] (of a person or thing) rightly so called; proper : he’s my idea of a [...]
Metro Says No to Bloggers
I hate reading stories like these about out local agencies. It just pisses me off when arms of public entities, like Metro & WMATA, clam up in the face of blogger requests. Here’s the details:
“But WMATA’s lawyers think blogs definitely aren’t news media, even blogs like Greater Greater Washington. Why? Because they claim [...]
The City Paper Whines, “It Came From Planet Blog!”
Chloe the kitten monster! by faeryboots
If you haven’t noticed, the City Paper’s in a bit of a bind. Their parent company has entered bankruptcy, staff cutbacks were threatened, and then rescinded, and now the City Paper’s cover story is in mortal danger.
How does the City Paper respond?
By dissing their readers in a 5,000 word [...]
