Saturday, October 18, 2008

ORLANDO SENTINEL: Orange County Democrats Organize (No, that's not an oxymoron)

Orange County Democrats organize (no, that's not an oxymoron)
posted by Aaron Deslatte on Oct 18, 2008 11:50:42 AM

Welcome to the weekend before early voting in Florida.

If you have a pulse, are registered to vote, and live in Central Florida, prepare for some type of contact from the political campaigns.

Check that: pulse not required.

Orange County Democrats say it has been at least six years since they put together a countywide coordinated voter-contact program to mobilize their voters.

That looked to be changing Saturday. Orange County Democratic leaders and hundreds of volunteers packed Hamburger Mary’s in Church Street Station Saturday morning to pick up enough campaign literature and blanket 100,000 Democratic doorways.

“Having a fantastic presidential ticket has helped,” said Orange County Democratic chairman Bill Robinson. “We’ve seen a level of involvement and interest that is just unprecedented.”

Steve Conti, a 35-year-old Orange County middle school teacher, was headed out to deliver door hangers listing Democratic candidates from Barack Obama down to the soil and water commission.

The experience was totally new to him.

“You gotta jump in the water,” the American history teacher said. “This is an opportunity to see what it’s all about.”

New York state Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, the older brother of celebrity Rosie O’Donnell, warmed up the crowd over coffee and danishes.

“The last eight years have been a disaster for America, a disaster for New York City, a disaster for anybody who cares about how all of us have to live,” he told the cheering crowd.

“You folks are Ground Zero of where that battle is. Where I live, we have no Republicans. We tag them so we know where they are at all times.”

For many of the canvassers, the idea of approaching strangers’ front doors was daunting.

Celeste Williams, 52, an Ocoee lawyer, said she’s never given political activism a second-thought until the 2000 presidential election.

“We need qualified people running the country,” she said. “After the 2000 election, I was heartbroken. I felt my vote didn’t matter at all. I decideded to get involved this time.”

The county precinct activities chair is Michelle Stile, an Obama staffer who worked for the campaign in Iowa. Local pols on hand included state House candidates Lonnie Thompson (District 38), Todd Christian (HD 40) Congressional District 7 candidate Faye Armitage, and Orlando Sen. Gary Siplin.

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