Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Vic, Vic, Vic-tory!
Mr. Pete Olson Declared Victor! Pete takes a seat from an incumbent Democrat!
I am pleased to announce that the campaign of Pete Olson, assisted by a dedicated group of GenJ'ers, has been awarded a coveted seat in the US Congress! A marginal lead of only 5% that had earlier been projected as a landslide of over 17% (a clear demonstration that the polls are hardly accurate) made this group a valuable asset to the Pete Olson campaign.
Interesting to note, were our efforts on three other campaigns: Mike Jackson for TX State Senate, John Davis TX State Representative and Holly Williamson for Harris County District 8 Justice of the Peace. All of these campaigns were successful in securing their respective offices! Unfortunately, the remainder of the county lost all the other races to democrats.
Our goodbyes were bittersweet. Knowing that they made a difference that counted for the good, the students return home with laurels. However, many won't have opportunity to meet again for many months, most will not have the opportunity and all delighted in their time of fellowship.
Our GenJ staff members and Student Action Team leaders were a phenomenal group of individuals...and I do mean individuals! Many of these young people will go forward with politically relevant roles in society. Some are planning a future in politics. ALL, however, will grow to make a profound impact in their families, communities and the world!
As, an adult chaperone, I watched these young adults imprinting the area with their Christian character and political passion and that gave rise to one of those very rare occasions to wistfully think..."I wish I were 17 again..." Ya, O.K., maybe not. Adulthood is incredibly privileged and so out-does not having your own ride!
But, joking aside, these guys made me yearn to take back the time and ground given to the enemy as I wasted countless hours of opportunity in my youth. I stand as a privileged adult, not in my position or rank, but in my association with and proximity to greatness in these Children of God! The future is gilded in Hope. Stay the course my young friends. Stay the course.
Monday, November 3, 2008
One more run!
One last push and several hundred more homes saw those young faces today. With a crew of boys and a reward of Starbucks we busted out over 300 houses in about 4 hours. We had a highly efficient method, I shall call "Jump-and-Run"! It starts with the lift gate up, the seats laid down and about 4 boys in the back. Begin calling out house numbers from the walk list, the boys yell back the numbers, grab literature, jump and run! And the really amazing part...they actually enjoyed this! Oh, to be young!
Back at head quarters we ate dinner and received a briefing on how things will play out tomorrow. Basically, we will be manning the polls with teams of 2 and passing out literature before voters walk inside to vote. We have our legislated 150 foot tether we must stay within, but other than that, anyone who will talk to us is in bounds.
Every student is anxiously looking toward tomorrow evening to see if their hard worked made a difference. Without knowing what the results will be or how the country will respond after the election, I know beyond a doubt that they did make a difference! For that I say, "Congratulations! You are amazing and have done great works!"
Back at head quarters we ate dinner and received a briefing on how things will play out tomorrow. Basically, we will be manning the polls with teams of 2 and passing out literature before voters walk inside to vote. We have our legislated 150 foot tether we must stay within, but other than that, anyone who will talk to us is in bounds.
Every student is anxiously looking toward tomorrow evening to see if their hard worked made a difference. Without knowing what the results will be or how the country will respond after the election, I know beyond a doubt that they did make a difference! For that I say, "Congratulations! You are amazing and have done great works!"
Run Forest....Run!
Door-to-door campaigning is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna' get!
Sunday afternoon on a campaign route can be VERY interesting, indeed. Our team encountered everything from folks only willing to talk at commercial breaks in the game to men clad only in boxers and a beer asking if we had any photos of Palin!
Still, the comedy broke the mundane blurring of house numbers, pamphlets and water bottles. My favorite report is the one about the older gentleman appearing at the door in boxers with a belly to rival Santa. Steve reported being taken back by it's shear size. Jacob suggested that next time Steve ask, "Hey, can you tuck that in!"
Ah, a leisure Sunday afternoon in Republican Land!
Today started with a visit to a local church. I shall call it "Church-topia". It was something to behold...like a movie set. The mega church of all mega churches...only with a small shopping mall in the foyer. The message however, was powerfully surprising and right on the money for the Sunday before the election day.
Fired up, we made it back to HQ's and proceeded out to canvas the ENTIRE town of Deer Park! Which we did in like 6 hours! Over 5000 homes received a visit from our pamphlet toting little monkeys! My team of three boys managed about 330 homes! Tomorrow, I think they are just going to take us to the gulf, line us up on the beach and have us proceed north as we sweep the entire district! But, seriously, I think we are set to make another record number of hits.
Our evening ended at a gorgeous home, the likes I've never seen before, where we were treated to a huge fajita feast! The sponsor is a long time friend of one of the local candidates and gave us such a warm reception of genuine appreciation.
I managed to pick up two orphans to take back to our host housing. Their chaperone was experiencing an infection and fever. After picking up the new additions, I and my 7 young men headed to another precinct to help finish some sign bundling for their district! Our host is the Galveston Republican HQ director, so we've been giving her an hour each evening before heading to the house.
The boys are exhausted but still find energy to be as goofy as is humanly possible. The laughs never stop around here! I am SO ready to get home and take my three girls shopping!
Sunday afternoon on a campaign route can be VERY interesting, indeed. Our team encountered everything from folks only willing to talk at commercial breaks in the game to men clad only in boxers and a beer asking if we had any photos of Palin!
Still, the comedy broke the mundane blurring of house numbers, pamphlets and water bottles. My favorite report is the one about the older gentleman appearing at the door in boxers with a belly to rival Santa. Steve reported being taken back by it's shear size. Jacob suggested that next time Steve ask, "Hey, can you tuck that in!"
Ah, a leisure Sunday afternoon in Republican Land!
Today started with a visit to a local church. I shall call it "Church-topia". It was something to behold...like a movie set. The mega church of all mega churches...only with a small shopping mall in the foyer. The message however, was powerfully surprising and right on the money for the Sunday before the election day.
Fired up, we made it back to HQ's and proceeded out to canvas the ENTIRE town of Deer Park! Which we did in like 6 hours! Over 5000 homes received a visit from our pamphlet toting little monkeys! My team of three boys managed about 330 homes! Tomorrow, I think they are just going to take us to the gulf, line us up on the beach and have us proceed north as we sweep the entire district! But, seriously, I think we are set to make another record number of hits.
Our evening ended at a gorgeous home, the likes I've never seen before, where we were treated to a huge fajita feast! The sponsor is a long time friend of one of the local candidates and gave us such a warm reception of genuine appreciation.
I managed to pick up two orphans to take back to our host housing. Their chaperone was experiencing an infection and fever. After picking up the new additions, I and my 7 young men headed to another precinct to help finish some sign bundling for their district! Our host is the Galveston Republican HQ director, so we've been giving her an hour each evening before heading to the house.
The boys are exhausted but still find energy to be as goofy as is humanly possible. The laughs never stop around here! I am SO ready to get home and take my three girls shopping!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Fists Full of Lit!
With endless car loads of high energy youths, the chaperones shuttled back and forth between head quarters and the homes of unsuspecting Independents and Undecideds. Armed with maps, clip boards and fists full of literature, teams broke down the demographics of neighborhoods and swarmed streets like so many ants on a piece of sticky candy on the play ground. Youthful vim and vigor made every outing into a neighborhood seem like...well, like child's play.
Boys will be boys....so they say. Having been designated driver (a.k.a. the old person) for a car full of teenage boys all morning makes me even more convinced that the only reason they eventually give up using sound effects is simply to attract a mate and thus procreate the population. Hormones aside, given the choice in the matter, they would always choose door number 2...sound effects. Oh, yes, and that favorite phrase, "Dude, look at that car!"
Later after lunch I put in my requisition for some garden variety girls. I needed some balance in my life!
Speaking of girls....Sarah Palin spoke with us this afternoon! She was very encouraging and thankful for our teens and their hard work. She made it very clear that she understood who exactly was responsible for the Victory of this election...her fashion designers! (Oh, I couldn't help myself!) But seriously, she has some amazing shoes! Sorry, Jenna, she didn't let Piper take the call. I'll keep asking to speak with her and let her know how thrilled you are to have a 7 year old in the White House!
Did I mention how well they are feeding us? The hospitality of the Harris County Republicans has been fabulous! Made a run for Pepto, but hey I just chalked that up to travel nerves! I'm going to make a request for more veggies, though.
I have tons of pictures...you should see them, they're great! If I had any computer sense at all I could successfully figure out why I'm having such difficulty getting my driver to regognize the CD in the drive and upload the pictures I KNOW are on it! But, you'll just have to take my word for it and check back next week when I post a slide show of our time here!
Goodnight!
Boys will be boys....so they say. Having been designated driver (a.k.a. the old person) for a car full of teenage boys all morning makes me even more convinced that the only reason they eventually give up using sound effects is simply to attract a mate and thus procreate the population. Hormones aside, given the choice in the matter, they would always choose door number 2...sound effects. Oh, yes, and that favorite phrase, "Dude, look at that car!"
Later after lunch I put in my requisition for some garden variety girls. I needed some balance in my life!
Speaking of girls....Sarah Palin spoke with us this afternoon! She was very encouraging and thankful for our teens and their hard work. She made it very clear that she understood who exactly was responsible for the Victory of this election...her fashion designers! (Oh, I couldn't help myself!) But seriously, she has some amazing shoes! Sorry, Jenna, she didn't let Piper take the call. I'll keep asking to speak with her and let her know how thrilled you are to have a 7 year old in the White House!
Did I mention how well they are feeding us? The hospitality of the Harris County Republicans has been fabulous! Made a run for Pepto, but hey I just chalked that up to travel nerves! I'm going to make a request for more veggies, though.
I have tons of pictures...you should see them, they're great! If I had any computer sense at all I could successfully figure out why I'm having such difficulty getting my driver to regognize the CD in the drive and upload the pictures I KNOW are on it! But, you'll just have to take my word for it and check back next week when I post a slide show of our time here!
Goodnight!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Hey Mister...!
WOW! What a day!
Amid a landscape of blue tarped roofs, missing fences and decimated McDonald's signs we distributed flyers and well wishes for a great weekend...and reminders of "Don't forget to vote!" Suburb towns like La Porte and Pasedena remind me of California towns...only with hurrican damage. Still, people are voting in record numbers here just like every other town in the nation. One report said that the Houston area will have over 700,000 early voters by night's end. Way to recover.
For the most part, the students were well received, even causing some dem.'s to take pause at the novelty of the youthful political activists and graciously answer probing questions such as, "Are you registered to vote? Do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat or a....ah..." Alas, the terminology is slow in mastery. But, our students make the best of it, give an awkward smile and continue on with their scripted interrogation, thankful the home owner took the literature from their novice hand.
Still, other residents unswayed by youth and inexperience felt themselves compelled to blast our junior leagues with both guns...well, maybe just half a gun. But never the less, letting them know in no uncertain terms that theirs is a platform to be loathed and thus, allowed themselves the liberty of issuing rudeness. "That one was definitely a Democrat!" says a brutalized but very much alive young Republican. Hey, Mister....your Democrat is showing!
Fun we had...and tomorrow...more of the same!
Amid a landscape of blue tarped roofs, missing fences and decimated McDonald's signs we distributed flyers and well wishes for a great weekend...and reminders of "Don't forget to vote!" Suburb towns like La Porte and Pasedena remind me of California towns...only with hurrican damage. Still, people are voting in record numbers here just like every other town in the nation. One report said that the Houston area will have over 700,000 early voters by night's end. Way to recover.
For the most part, the students were well received, even causing some dem.'s to take pause at the novelty of the youthful political activists and graciously answer probing questions such as, "Are you registered to vote? Do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat or a....ah..." Alas, the terminology is slow in mastery. But, our students make the best of it, give an awkward smile and continue on with their scripted interrogation, thankful the home owner took the literature from their novice hand.
Still, other residents unswayed by youth and inexperience felt themselves compelled to blast our junior leagues with both guns...well, maybe just half a gun. But never the less, letting them know in no uncertain terms that theirs is a platform to be loathed and thus, allowed themselves the liberty of issuing rudeness. "That one was definitely a Democrat!" says a brutalized but very much alive young Republican. Hey, Mister....your Democrat is showing!
Fun we had...and tomorrow...more of the same!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
We are off to our first S.A.T.
Student Action Teams are ready to deploy to 11 races chosen by Generation Joshua this year! It is very exciting around here as we prepare the final arrangements for our travel.
Of our East Texas Generation Joshua group, three families are heading out: two to New Mexico and one to Houston Texas. Both are races for hotly contested areas and/or seats!
Below is a portion of our schedule:
- We are joning in on a conference call with Sarah Palin on Sat. @ lunch
- Meeting with Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams on Sat. for a Texas BBQ dinner
- A discussion of conservative women in politics with local candidate Holly Williamson on Sun. @ lunch
- Another "big feed" on Sun. night hosted by supporter Rae Sinor who is cooking a fajita dinner for us and 10 young conservatives currently working for Republicans on the Hill in D.C.
- Tuesday concludes our activities of volunteering and visitin' with a Victory Party at headquarters in Sugar Land to watch the election coverage!
- Wednesday morning the boys and I will spend the day at NASA before making the 4 hour trip home!
Right now, we need to get packing!
More later!
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