Are you better off now...?

Today's Free Press contains an op-ed I recently submitted about how we are not better off now than we were before the Republicans took over the presidency and the governorship in Vermont. You can check it out here.

Thanks to everyone who helped out with our mailing. If you received a "get out the vote" postcard and are just coming to this website, please get involved. While this election is now in the homestretch we want to be planning ahead for Town Meeting Day and future elections, too. We need your help. Please get in touch by emailing me, or by writing to:

Northfield Democrats
P.O. Box 41
Northfield, VT 05663

Change is coming!

Letter: Moore has needed energy

This letter was written in support of Laura Moore's candidacy for State Senate in Washington County by our very own Carolyn Stevens. It appeared in the Times Argus on October 21st.

I also submitted a letter in support of Democrats generally, and specifically for Barack Obama, Gaye Symington, and Rep. Maxine Grad. You can read it here.

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Laura Moore, candidate for state senator from Washington County, has caught my attention with her energy and dedication. Her experience in environmental issues, combined with her well-grounded, practical experience as a working mother and Chairwoman of the Barre Town School Board, have prepared her to deal with the difficult issues that will face the senate this year in a realistic and responsible way. Economic development, education funding, health care, clean, safe, and reliable energy, the environment - all are critical to making this state both affordable and livable for Vermonters.

Laura will be a valuable addition to the state Senate as they work on these challenges, and will work to bring a new and creative perspective to Montpelier.

We can do better than relive the past. We must. Laura Moore is ready to join Ann Cummings in the Senate, to work toward a better future. I urge my neighbors and friends to vote for healthy, energetic change, in this year of change and hope.

Carolyn G. Stevens
Northfield

Powell Endorses Obama

Talk about "putting country first"... Gen. Colin Powell did so today by endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for President. This is perhaps the best 7-minute summary of why Obama is the right candidate at the right time.

Meet Your Legislators!

Aaron Rhodes sent this recent notice. Turn out to support Rep. Maxine Grad and to let both Rep. Grad and Rep. Donahue know what YOUR priorities are for the next legislative session!

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NOTICE

The Northfield Boards of Town Selectmen, Village Trustees, and School Directors will hold a Tri-Board Meeting on Monday, November 17, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room located in the Brown Public Library (93 South Main Street).

All interested Northfield residents are encouraged to attend. Northfield's state legislators also have been invited to attend this meeting.

This will be an opportunity for Northfield residents to voice their views on what should be the priorities of the upcoming legislative session.

For more information, please contact Municipal Manager Nanci Allard at 485-6121

Support Gaye Symington! Help Needed At Barre Debate on 10/2!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO VOLUNTEERS FROM THE SYMINGTON CAMPAIGN:

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Hi all,

We have a debate coming up in the crucial swing-town of Barre VT. It's sponsored by the Builders association and other business groups that have been Douglas-friendly before. But Gaye has said right from the start that this election is about going after moderate business groups - and that's what we're going to do!

Best of all I have FREE TICKETS to next Thursday's debate, so you can join us if you RSVP in time. I need 50 people to join us in the crowd, and as many as possible to join us before the debate holding signs and banners and otherwise being visible in the park and in front of the post office. Please forward this email and bring friends

Here are the details:

When: Thursday October 2
5-pm meet by the post office for visibility set up
Debate starts at 6pm
Where: Barre Opera House (map)
Who: Gaye Symington, Jim Douglas, Anthony Pollina and YOU!

FOR DETAILS AND TO RESERVE TICKETS - email drew hudson.
Thanks!
Drew Hudson
Field Director
802-272-9763

Obama's TKO...

Friday's debate between Barack Obama and John McCain was anything but decisive.

Still, polls and pundits are giving the edge to Obama because he passed the "presidential fitness" test (that is: can you picture this person as President of the United States), and because of the Wall Street meltdown that has left Republicans holding the bag after a decade of deregulation and letting the robberbarons rule the roost. It also helped, perhaps that McCain came off like something of a Grumpy Gramps by not even bringing himself to look Obama in the eye, and adopting a condescending tone in his analysis of Obama's ability.

On the issues, the fundamental question voters must ask themselves this year is a version of Ronald Regan's famous question in his first debate with Jimmy Carter in 1980: Are you better off now than you were eight years ago?

For the vast majority of Americans the answer is a resounding "No!"

Based on their responses to the economic crisis at the debate and how voters responded to their answers, it appears that most Americans realize that Obama's vision of tax cuts for the middle class and regulating the financial markets is the best opportunity to get our country back on the right track.

There were no knockouts at the debate, probably no memorable lines, even. But it appears that in passing the "presidential fitness" test, by appealing to the voters on Main Street, and by appearing more empathetic Obama scored a much needed TKO.

September 27 Meeting

Thanks to all who came out to Village Pizza (formerly the Red Kettle) for the 9am Northfield Democrats meeting.

We discussed a GOTV mailing... and making it a postcard with email and/or website information.
Please note per others' suggestions, I've added links to the Obama, Symington and Costello campaigns.

Finally, we discussed sending in letters to the editor supporting our Democratic candidates and Democrats' plans for turning the economy around, etc.

Please send your letters to the Northfield News and the Times Argus.