Why I'm incapable of posting anything on MyDD before one in the morning, I just don't know. Maybe it's the time difference between NY/VA and Philly.
As of this morning, I've embedded myself with Lois Murphy's campaign in Pennsylvania's Sixth District -- a race with a ton of rich aspects. We've got a county smack in the middle and making up about 40% of the district that was long written off as conservative but is now starting to flex Democratic muscle, as I wrote about two nights ago. And marvel at the absurdity of the boundaries of the PA-06, sometimes called the "Pterodactyl District" because of its shape. It was drawn up special for Murphy's opponent, Rep. Jim Gerlach. Man, some districts are so ridiculously gerrymandered that you just have to laugh.
It's also a district where it seems like one can get an education in political messaging. What I'm hearing about robocalls in PA-06 -- what Josh Marshall neatly sums up as "intentionally-harassing calls disguised to appear that they're from the opposite party" -- is really just disgraceful. While I'm strongly anti-death penalty, when it comes to ringing up folks repeatedly in the wee hours I'd need the help of Dick Cheney to think of a punishment severe enough.
I'm a bit too tired to be clever about this but please, as they say, vote early and often tomorrow. Wear your "I voted" sticker with great pride and ask others, "where's yours, hmm?" If you have the time, you can also Do More Than Vote.
One more thing before bed. The other night in the car I heard the last several seconds of an NPR story about a man named Henry T. Moore. On Christmas night of 1951, a bomb exploded under the Florida home of Henry and his wife Harriette V. Moore. Henry died that night, Harriette nine days later. Their crime? Registering black voters.
That's my embarassingly heavy-handed way of trying to guilt you into voting. But not voting really is guilt-worthy. Gerrymandered districts, ugly political tactics aside -- people died to be able to do what we all have the glorious chance to do tomorrow. Let's have a good time, enjoy election day, and vote vote vote.
