I hear that yesterday's Mt. Vernon District Democratic Committee ice cream social, down the street from George Allen's house, went great. Reportedly, there were around 200 people in attendance. They also raised lots of money. Nice!
P.S. Thanks to Cassie for the photo.
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.
I would have loved to see a picture of the huge crowd in Chuck & Ginny's backyard! I'd say 200 at least, but there were another 50 people (including kids) out front with the Moon Bounce
The energy in the crowd was palpable. Mount Vernon, traditionally a red-blue mix (with the south precincts usually going red), seems to have gone solidly blue in most recent elections (only one real red precinct left--where we were Saturday).
MVDDC has lots and lots of ground soldiers who are out there on the ground, trying to ensure that our magisterial district turns out voters in heavily, heavily Democratic precincts where turnout in non-Presidential years always drops off.
Precincts like Woodlawn, Huntington, Grosvenor, Bucknell, and Lorton which can vote 60-80% Democratic, but people only vote en masse in Presidential years. Incidentally, Lee District has two very important such precincts on the Route 1 corridor as well, in Fairfield and Groveton.
In fact, anyone who is interested and available can help us greatly in one of those precincts--Woodlawn--also a targeted precinct. Woodlawn went 70% for Tim Kaine last year after we worked it like juicy spare rib for every vote we could muster! And if we can repeat that performance for Jim Webb, I think he'll win!
So please join us for a canvass in Woodlawn precinct, southeast Fairfax County on Saturday and Sunday, September 16-17. We'll be operating out of my house at 10 AM each morning, again at 1 PM each day, and at 5:30 PM on Sunday night. If you are interested in helping, please RSVP to me, Doug Reimel, at 703-447-0438.
Here's my house from where the canvass will be staged:
And then Jim Webb said he'd come. And, you know, that was really very gracious of him. This isn't a major fundraiser like the Mason District Crab Feast--the governor doesn't come to Mt. Vernon. God knows Webb is on a very tight schedule, with everybody wanting a piece of his time. So we appreciate it very much that he came to Mt. Vernon.
It was a hot and sunny day. The kids enjoyed the moonbounce. Everybody enjoyed the ice cream. Andy Hurst was great; Jim Moran was, as usual, in fine form (looking very fit and dapper, too, btw!) But make no mistake about it, Jim Webb was THE DRAW. His promised attendance was the reason we had 200+ attendees and made more money than we've ever thought possible. EVERYBODY wanted to see Jim Webb. See him, hear him, and MEET him. And he did NOT disappoint them.
Our hard-working chair, Scott Surovell, put our invited speakers on the host's boat. (I worried about Andy and the two Jims with that fair, Irish skin!) It made a great photo-op and our local press loved it!
Who cannot love the added and oh-so-delicious sweetness of being a few short blocks from George Allen's house? Of being in the ONLY red precicnt left in the whole of Mt. Vernon? Yeah, I feel that Tom Petty tune coming on...
On Saturday, a group of us had canvassed this very precinct. No, we didn't go to George Allen's house, but we went right next door! I gave Jim Webb a little mini-report about that experience; with Lowell's permission, I'm going to write about it in a separate diary.
Go see...
Jim Webb when he spoked simply commanded undivided attention, and you could have heard a pin drop when he talked, interrupted by applause of course. One thing about this candidate---he's not a gabber. And he knows the right time to speak and get his fire-brand out. When Jim Webb speaks, people LISTEN.