Fwd: Commonwealth Org Chart - ...fyi

Begin forwarded message:

From: 

Date: March 1, 2009 10:16:36 PM EST

To: James Renwick Manship <james@statesmanship.us>,  

Subject: Commonwealth of Virginia Org Chart - ...fyi

http://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/StateGovernment/StateOrgChart/OrgChart2008rev1.pdf

Virginia | OpenSecrets // 57% of Donations to Dems in Virginia

http://www.opensecrets.org/states/summary.php?state=VA

Conservative HQ

Conservative HQ

Richard Viguerie has a blog that is linked above...

Rock and Roll Revolution, almost a "theme song" by the Who

I like Country and Folk songs better than Rock, yet this song has a powerful message in the lyrics if you listen to the words beyond the screaming and throbbing Rock music genre.

Click on the link to get a performance of the song via a website...

From Wikipedia...

"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who. Written by Pete Townshend, it combines guitar power chords with heavily processed organ and synthesizer sounds to create a textured, atmospheric introduction that explodes into the verse. It tells of a "revolution of revolutions" in an endless cycle, where "the change it had to come, we knew it all along" but each successive new regime turns out to be just like the old one, so that straight away it's time once again to "pick up my guitar and play, just like yesterday, then I'll get on my knees and pray we don't get fooled again".

The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next. The 1971 single release (a drastically edited version at three-and-a-half minutes in length) reached #9 in the United Kingdom and #15 in the United States Billboard Hot 100.

History

The song originally appeared on the 1971 album Who's Next and has since appeared on various other recordings, including the live compilation soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright, the 1979 documentary film about the band, which in the 1978 Shepperton film studios shoot, was the last song the original lineup ever performed together.

This was the last song that Keith Moon performed with The Who on 25 May 1978 in Shepperton Studios. The song was performed both at Live Aid and 20 years later at Live 8. Townshend also collaborated on a celebrated, live, acoustic duet version of the song with leading classical guitarist John Williams for the 1979 Amnesty International benefit The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979). The Who's Next deluxe edition (released in 2003) contains an early session tape of this song with a different structure featuring Mountain's Leslie West on lead guitar. Numerous live versions of this song have appeared on albums. In addition to The Kids Are Alright soundtrack, the most notable ones are on the Who's Next deluxe edition from the 1971 Young Vic show and on the Live At The Royal Albert Hall album (from a 2000 show with Noel Gallagher guesting). The band's performance of the song at 2001's The Concert for New York City was considered a highlight of that show.

Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Townshend have each performed the song at solo concerts. Townshend has most radically rearranged the song several times, using instrumentation varying from acoustic to techno.

The song was covered by Van Halen on their live album Live: Right Here, Right Now in 1993.

It eventually made it to #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgment of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again

Change it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fall that's all
But the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they all flown in the last war

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

I'll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
For I know that the hypnotized never lie

Do ya?


There's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now the parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

Deeds's Success Seen As Crucial For Kaine Political Future Is Intertwined With Race

Deeds's Success Seen As Crucial For Kaine
Political Future Is Intertwined With Race

By Anita Kumar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 23, 2009

RICHMOND -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine calls state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor, as often as every other day some weeks to plot strategy and commiserate about the unrelenting, road-tripping life of a candidate.

Kaine has hosted several events for his good friend, including fundraisers and private luncheons, directed $550,000 to his campaign and recorded a radio ad for him. Their staffs consult daily, and Kaine's wife has even called Deeds's wife to help her navigate the role of being a candidate's spouse.

"He's been through two statewide campaigns," Deeds said. "He's walked the same path I'm walking. I look to him for advice and friendship."

Aside from Deeds and his Republican opponent, Robert F. McDonnell, no one has as much riding on this year's gubernatorial election as Kaine. In Virginia, Kaine is under pressure to help elect Deeds to cement his legacy as a popular governor and to extend his party's recent electoral successes. Nationally, Democrats will be counting on Kaine, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to deliver his own state and provide a political boost to President Obama. If he can't manage that, many will wonder how effective a chairman he can be.

Craig Bieber, a longtime Democratic political consultant not affiliated with the Deeds campaign, said Kaine can help Deeds win over the unenthusiastic Democratic base and suburban voters who might be skeptical of a senator from one of the most rural parts of the state. But, he said, Kaine must be careful to help Deeds without tying him to his own sagging approval rating and national politics.

"The pressure is on Kaine. The pressure is on Obama. They certainly want to do everything they can to help Deeds," Bieber said. "But [Deeds] can't get lumped into being a national Democrat. He has to convince voters that he is different from national Democrats."

Kaine has appeared publicly with Deeds at three rallies and a pair of Northern Virginia fundraisers -- one with Obama and one at the McLean home of developer Mark Lowham -- and hosted a luncheon with 60 business leaders in Richmond. He will hold another fundraiser for Deeds in early September and plans to join him on the campaign trail Labor Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff of the race.

Publicly, Deeds campaign officials insist that Kaine is an asset and that they are proud to have his support. But privately, some say they realize it's not always politically beneficial for Deeds to be associated with him. Kaine's popularity rating remains above 50 percent but is waning, and his position as party chairman brings with it the burdens of a national party that voters are viewing with increasing skepticism. Some Democrats have also privately criticized the governor for oddly timed announcements that had the effect of overshadowing Deeds campaign events.

As a result, Deeds has subtly sought to limit his public connections to Kaine, a strategy the politically savvy governor has blessed. On Friday, for instance, Deeds aired his first television ad of the general election campaign. It includes a clip of Deeds walking with Sen. Mark Warner (D) but makes no mention of Kaine.

"He knows his own mind. He knows what he wants to do," Kaine said. "I want to be helpful. . . . When he asks me for help, I want to provide it. He'll decide how much he wants me to do."

Kaine has been stymied on many of his most ambitious policy goals by a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall and an uncooperative House of Delegates, which is controlled by the GOP. His legacy remains largely political, helping to usher in Democratic gains in what had long been a conservative Southern state. He helped Democrats win two U.S. Senate seats, regain control of the state Senate and carry the state in a presidential election for the first time in more than four decades.

This year's elections in Virginia and New Jersey -- the only two states with governor's races -- are considered the first electoral tests for Obama and Kaine's young tenure as DNC chairman.

"These are both must-win seats for the Democrats," said Phil Musser, a political consultant who works to elect Republican governors nationwide. "Whether they like it or not," he added, Obama and Kaine will be judged on the outcomes.

Kaine's involvement in New Jersey pales in comparison to his involvement in his home state. He flew to New Jersey for the first time last week to help Gov. Jon S. Corzine raise money in his tough bid for reelection.

In Virginia, McDonnell has an early lead over Deeds, according to a Washington Post poll released last week. The Republican is favored over the Democrat among all registered voters, 47 to 40 percent, and is up by an even steeper margin, 54 to 39 percent, among those who say they are certain to vote in November.

McDonnell has spent much of the campaign trying to force Deeds to talk about controversial federal issues, including legislation on unions, climate change and health care, as he works to tie him to Obama and the Democratic Congress.

But Deeds has distanced himself from issues in Washington while campaigning on following in the footsteps of the past two Democratic governors. "I think Mark Warner set the tone,'' Deeds said. "Tim Kaine followed that tone, and they've taken a pragmatic reach across the aisle to govern in a way that works in Virginia."

McDonnell accuses Deeds of refusing to take a stand because he can't cross Kaine. "He had no ability politically to oppose him," McDonnell said.

Deeds and Kaine met a decade ago when Deeds introduced the then-Richmond mayor at a holiday party in Rockingham County when he was running for lieutenant governor. They got to know each other better after Deeds won a seat in the state Senate, where Kaine served as the presiding officer after winning his race for lieutenant governor.

"When I talk to Tim Kaine, I talk to a guy that's my friend -- my friend who happens to be governor and happens to be chairman of the DNC," Deeds said.

Kaine has sent out e-mails on Deeds's behalf to supporters and recorded radio ads for him in Spanish. The campaign has received $500,000 from the DNC and $50,000 from Kaine's in-state political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward.

Several of Kaine's staffers are working for Deeds, including finance director Matt Felan, senior strategist Mo Elleithee, press aide Jeff Tiller and Kevin Hall, who is working on and off in the press shop.

But in recent weeks, some of Kaine's actions -- and inactions -- have puzzled Deeds supporters.

Kaine's gubernatorial office scheduled major news conferences on the same days as Obama's visit and Deeds's announcement that a slew of Republican legislators were supporting him. Kaine's second-largest individual donor, close friend Sheila Johnson, endorsed McDonnell without Deeds being notified ahead of time. And Kaine apparently did not intervene when the White House asked former governor L. Douglas Wilder to support Deeds, a move that became public and drew attention to Wilder's uncertainty.

Deeds downplayed any conflicts with Kaine, but the campaign did confront the governor about the timing of at least one of the news conferences, according to senior staffers.

Kaine acknowledges the enormous pressure on him to win the governor's race for the Democrats this year. But, he said, most of the pressure is about good governance, not politics.

"I feel a lot of pressure . . . and it's all pressure about how I want Virginia to be run well," Kaine said. "Are there other pressures in my role as governor, in my role as DNC chair? Sure, but they are so small compared to the major one. . . . I do feel very, very strongly about the way the state should be run."

Blue Virginia blog sounds a bit blue...

Saturday, August 22, 2009
Kaine and Deeds Go Their "Separate Ways"?
Reading this article, the following jumped out at me:

But while Kaine is fully invested in helping to elect Deeds, campaign officials realize it's not always politically beneficial for Deeds to be publicly associated with him. His popularity rating remains above 50 percent but is waning, and his position as chairman of the Democratic National Committee brings with it the burdens of a national party that voters are viewing with increasing skepticism. Some Democrats have also privately criticized the governor for oddly timed announcements that had the effect of overshadowing Deeds campaign events.

As a result, Deeds has subtly sought to limit his public connections to Kaine, a strategy the politically savvy governor has blessed. On Friday, for instance, Deeds aired his first television ad of the general election campaign. It includes a clip of Deeds walking with Sen. Mark Warner (D), but makes no mention of Kaine.

Two Bee, or not 2 B, is that the question? Life is the Answer.

Got the new Choose Life license plates.

Choose to have "LIFE2B" on the plates.


Shown with my two Bees, I-Bee-M computer guru, and Honey Bee, sweetie to IBM, who fly along with me as I "fly" down the road in my "Bee Mobile" black and yellow pickup truck.

Hey, it is best to not take the world or yourself TOO seriously! Any Amens?

Governor Kaine - Failing of Memory, or Failing of Honesty?

On 14 October 2008, in person, face to face, I spoke with Governor Kaine about an Absolute Pardon for Jeffrey Franklin Washington.

On 19 August 2009, in person, face to face, I spoke with Governor Kaine about an Absolute Pardon for Jeffrey Franklin Washington.

Kaine has either a failure of memory or a failure of honesty (or someone added), or both.

Kaine told me he did not know anything about the case, then said the case was not on his desk, then said every two months he sits down to review the stack of Pardon requests that are put before him.

I told Kaine that the trial judge Wetsel compared Washington to Adolf Hitler, and that Police notes report that the Democrat Commonwealth Attorney Paul Thomson was "skimming money from drug dealers."

I voted in Democrat, or Dum-o-can Primary for Deeds

I sure did not want a Clinton-Clone with Terry McAuliffe, or the baby brother Brian of Congress Boxer in Residence, Jim Moron, err Moran as Virginia's next governor, so I exercised my right to vote in that expensive taxpayer funded subsidy for a major party called a primary election.

I voted for Creigh Deeds, the best of three less than the best candidate.

On the other hand, I and many other Revolutionary Republicans all across Virginia were none too happy / not too thrilled about the "Anointment" of the Governor candidate in the Republican Party, which DID NOT take the taxpayer subsidy of a Primary election, because the Republicans run scared, afraid those dastardly Dumocrats are going to cross the line to vote for the weakest of any Republican candidates in the primary so their less than the best Dumocrat candidate can have a chance to win in the fall election.

Lawyer-Legislators Lackeys for Judiciary Branch special interests?

Tweedledum Tweedledee Dumo-cans Republi-crats

>>

American Crisis

[Click on the screen shot to link to the American Crisis essay website.]

Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it.

Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but "show your faith by your works," that God may bless you.

It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all. The far and the near, the home counties and the back, the rich and the poor, will suffer or rejoice alike.

The heart that feels not now is dead; the blood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole, and made them happy.

I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.

'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.

My own line of reasoning is to myself as straight and clear as a ray of light.

-- from Tom Paine, The American Crisis--

Disorder in the American Courts, "funny" yet NOT really funny...

Subject: FW: The Courts - Truth is Funnier than Fiction (kinda, not truly...)

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are
things people...

(ed. note: Are attorneys still people? Or were their brains extracted went they were required to join the Bar, see the last item...)

...actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now
published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while
these exchanges were actually taking place.

[THANK GOD for Court Reporters, whose mere presence usually instills increased integrity by the BAR-bar-ians of the Bar in the Court Room (BAR=JUDGES, bar=bar member attorneys) However, in a case CURRENTLY BEFORE THE VIRGINIA COURTS, one "barbarian", Democrat prosecutor Paul T., a married man, was instilled with the opposite of Integrity by the mere presence of a Court Reporter, slept with her, she then altered Court Transcripts, and later the female Court Reporter attempted Suicide.]


ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he
doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new
attorney?
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the circus was in town, I'm going with male.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition
notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead
people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________________

And the best for last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a
pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began
the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing
law.

Explanation of the Hammer, Bell, Song to Sing items below...

The "hammer" has been given by Virginia Governor and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine to the Rock the Boat! Roll out YOUR VOTE! Revive this Republic by Revolution by Kaine's refusal to obey or honor a U. S. supreme Court case of Atkins v. Virginia where the Mentally Retarded are NOT to be executed, so cravenly Kaine killed Eddie Bell on 19 February a.d. 2009.

And that politically motivated, cravenly cowardly act came after Kaine received from this investigative reporter (author and activist) copies of Winchester Police Notes that reveal that the Democrat prosecutor who "convicted" Bell, was reported by a trusted informant: "Paul Thomson is skimming money from drug dealers."

Democrat Kaine (or his lawyers) met with Democrat Thomson on 18 February, and decided to kill Eddie Bell to cover-up the corruption of Democrat Thomson in this case and at LEAST one other. Reading a blog entry of Thomson gloating about his meeting with Democrat Kaine, this author authored an Emergency Motion for Stay of Execution.

The far less than supreme Court justices created a legal fiction to define a Citizen as a "Legal stranger" (because a Citizen does not have a Bar card to play in their 'supreme Court' playground?) as an excuse to claim no standing, thereby Dismiss the Motion to Stay, and IGNORE the Evidence that was presented in a companion document "Petition for Writ of Error Coram Vobis", documents that NO LAWYER would present to the Courts in Bell's defense, that the Public Prosecutor, Democrat Paul Thomson is "Guilty" of GROSS Prosecutorial Misconduct.

But the issue of in-Justice in Virginia Courts is just one of many issues for the Virginia Voter Revolution... Please stay tuned and post your comments of what YOU vote for as key issues!

Hammer, Bell, Song
lyrics revised by J.R. "States" Manship
for Virginia Voter Revolution, a.d. 2009

If I had a hammer
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening ...
all over this land,
I'd hammer FOR JUSTICE
I'd hammer out a warning
I'd hammer for JUSTICE FOR all
OUR brothers and OUR sisters
All over OUR land.

We ONCE had a BELL
Who’d ring out the morning
Who’d ring in the evening ...
All over this land,
BELL was framed as a danger
KAINE KILLED BELL as a COVER-UP
Killed BELL as a warning to all
of OUR brothers and OUR sisters
All over OUR land.

May we have a song?
To sing in the morning?
To sing in the evening? ...
in all of our Courts?
To sing FOR JUSTICE?
To sing as a warning?
To sing out EQUAL JUSTICE
for OUR brothers and OUR sisters?
All over OUR land?

OUR VOTE is THE hammer!
Tho’ we’ve lost a BELL...
SO we’ve got to sing out a song ...
IN ALL OF OUR COURTS!
VOTE TO hammer FOR JUSTICE
Stop Kaine killing a BELL and Freedom!
Sing OUR song about EQUAL JUSTICE
for ALL OUR brothers and OUR sisters
All over OUR land.

-- Words revised by J R “States” Manship
JR@StatesManship.US

VA-Gov: New Poll, And First-Quarter Fundraising Numbers / Daily Kos

VA-Gov: New Poll, And First-Quarter Fundraising Numbers

by Arjun Jaikumar

Share this on Twitter - VA-Gov: New Poll, And First-Quarter Fundraising Numbers

Fri Apr 10, 2009 at 08:08:02 AM PDT

Good news and bad news all around. First the poll, which is good news for the campaign of state Delegate Brian Moran:

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 4/6-8. Registered voters. MoE 4%. (No trend lines)

Democratic Primary

Brian Moran (D) 24
Terry McAuliffe (D) 19
Creigh Deeds (D) 16

That's the best performance Moran has seen in any public poll - the best any of the candidates has done in a public poll.

There isn't a lot of daylight between the candidates, either in raw numbers or favorability, and nearly 40% of Democratic primary voters are undecided. So this is still anyone's game.

The favorability numbers show Moran with slight positive favorability - 36/33. McAuliffe's numbers are inferior, but not by a whole lot, at 35/36. Meanwhile, Creigh Deeds enjoys the best numbers (ever so slightly) at 34/30.

Among Democrats, all the boys in blue are in pretty good shape, meaning they're all pretty viable in the primary. Again, Deeds' are the best by a slim margin, at 55/12. Moran is next, at 56/15, while McAuliffe again trails by a slight margin at 55/17.

Moran has the best head-to-head numbers at this point against GOP candidate Bob McDonnell, although he is trailing:

Bob McDonnell (R) 37
Brian Moran (D) 36

Bob McDonnell (R) 40
Terry McAuliffe (D) 33

Bob McDonnell (R) 38
Creigh Deeds (D) 31

McDonnell's favorables are the best of all candidates in this poll, at 48/31. He's going to be very, very difficult to defeat.

While the polling numbers are very close, this poll should be considered good news for Brian Moran. He has plenty of institutional support (with the most endorsements of any candidate), and his base in Northern Virginia is critical in a Democratic primary where the lion's share of the vote comes from NoVA.

So what's the good news for Deeds and McAuliffe, and their supporters?

The area of concern for the Moran campaign is in the number of undecideds - 40%. Because while Moran leads at the moment, the fundraising numbers for the first quarter indicate that both of the other Democrats will have greater resources to pursue undecideds...even Deeds, who was unable to fundraise for half of Q1 as he was serving in the Virginia Senate.

Terry McAuliffe: $4.2 million raised, $2.5 million cash on hand
Creigh Deeds: $600,000 raised, $1.2 million cash on hand
Brian Moran: $800,000 raised, $825,000 cash on hand

Moran left the House of Delegates early, in part, so that he could get a head start raising money this quarter. Nevertheless, Deeds (who had only 44 days to raise money) maintains a cash-on-hand advantage, and his raw numbers aren't half bad for half a quarter's work.

So Deeds fans can take comfort in the fundraising numbers, and the knowledge that he can devote himself full-time to campaigning this spring.

McAuliffe's numbers are also worrisome for Moran; he was expected to raise plenty of money, but he raised $760,000 from within Virginia, outraising Moran (and Deeds) in-state.

Moran's spending money almost as fast as it comes in, too. He finished last quarter with $769,000 on hand; he now has $825,000. That's not a great burn rate. McAuliffe spent a good bit of money himself in the first quarter - $1.7 million - but he can probably afford to spend twice that over the next two months if he wants to.

So McAuliffe fans should also feel pretty optimistic.

With so many undecided voters, this primary may well come down to who has the most resources with them in the closing two months. Moran's leading now, but there's a long time between now and June 9. It's still anyone's game.

On the web:
Creigh Deeds for Governor
Terry McAuliffe for Governor
Brian Moran for Governor

• ::
• 
  

Tags: VA-Gov, dkos poll, 2009, Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran, Bob McDonnell, Governor (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

the hammer of Justice, ...the "BELL" of Freedom,

It's the hammer of Justice,
it's the bell of Freedom,
it's the song about Love
between my brothers and my sisters,
all over this land.

If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)
Words and music by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger
Performed by many, including Peter, Paul, and Mary

If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening, all over this land
I'd hammer out danger, I'd hammer out a warning,
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters,
all over this land.

If I had a bell, I'd ring it in the morning,
I'd ring it in the evening, all over this land
I'd ring out danger, I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters,
all over this land.

If I had a song, I'd sing it in the morning,
I'd sing it in the evening, all over this land
I'd sing out danger, I'd sing out a warning
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters,
all over this land.

Well I got a hammer, and I got a bell,
and I got a song to sing, all over this land.
It's the hammer of Justice, it's the bell of Freedom,
it's the song about Love between my brothers and my sisters,
all over this land.

It's the hammer of Justice, it's the bell of Freedom,
it's the song about Love between my brothers and my sisters,
all over this land.

Psycho-strategy of Obama money men...

The behavioral science behind Barack Obama’s fundraising strategy

April 6, 2009 by nudgeblog

During the 2008 presidential campaign, you may remember a unique fundraising strategy by the Barack Obama campaign. About a week or so before the end of each quarter, just before fundraising totals were to be reported to the Federal Election Committee, the campaign would unveil the following offer: A donation of any size, given before the end of the quarter, would enter the donor in a contest from which five people would win the opportunity to sit down for an intimate dinner with the candidate himself.

It just so happens that this strategy comes straight out of the lessons in Nudge. One common bias among humans is the tendency to overestimate tiny probabilities. This bias explains why lottery tickets are so popular. People think the odds of winning are slim - but they don’t think they are as slim as they actually are! By tying fundraising to a common bias, the Obama campaign was able to create a terrific nudge. It helps, of course, to have a candidate whom lots of people want to have dinner with. Still, don’t be surprised if this becomes a staple of fundraising strategies for all candidates in the future.

That’s just one of the tidbits recently unveiled in a terrific Time Magazine piece about a “behavioral dream team” that advised the campaign, including Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. Some of the other ideas will be familiar to Nudge blog readers like automatic 401(k) enrollment, incremental tax rebates instead of a single lump sum, and prompting people to take action by telling them that lots of other people are already doing so.

Other tidbits of interest to readers:

Obama has a community organizer’s appreciation for human motivation, and his rhetoric often sounds as if it’s straight out of a behavioral textbook. He has also read Nudge, which inspired him to pick his friend Sunstein — best known as a constitutional scholar — to run the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the obscure but influential corner of the Office of Management and Budget where federal regulations are reviewed and rewritten. “Cass is one of the people in the Administration he knows best,” says Thaler, the founder of behavioral economics and co-author of Nudge. “He knew what he was doing when he gave Cass that job.”

We’ve written about the influence of social norms and cues on voting. The most consistent result from literature about how to increase voter turnout rates is that personal contact makes the biggest impact; far more than direct mail, email and texting, and phone calls. Personal contact is expensive, but Obama had an army of volunteers that lowered its cost dramatically. Personal contact isn’t the only get-out-the-vote strategy, though.

In a 2005 study, Alan Gerber of Yale got Michigan voters to increase their turnout an amazing 8.6% with a single peer-pressure mailer that listed the previous voting records of their neighbors and noted that a follow-up would be sent indicating who voted this time. (The Obama campaign actually priced out a similar mailer but decided not to risk a backlash.)