DISQUS

megan · 1 year ago

hi baratunde! awesome post. I went to a potluck tonight where we were given a list of female addresses from the obama offices in swing states and were asked to personally write a note on a postcard to the recipient...specifically citing why the womens' issues that obama supports and mccain ignores/fights against are non-partisan (equal pay for equal work; tax relief for 95% of americans; pre-natal care, etc).

we mailed close to 200 postcards, each with a personal note.

separately, we've given $ every month since may -rather than in 1 lump sum- to up the # of monthly donations.

finally: you dont' have to give me free tix 'cuz I'm goin anyways!! ;-) lookin forward to the show - and seeing you perform at long last!! -m

Robert · 1 year ago

A few (slightly belated) reasons why I deserve a free ticket:

- I've been campaigning for Obama since last summer, and spreading Obama propaganda ever since I noticed in March of '07 that he was the only one -- out of literally tens of primary candidates on all sides -- who had proper ecommerce and social media functionality on his website. Yes, I'm that superficial. In that moment, I knew this was a guy who not only knew how to talk perty, he knew how to delegate and win from the ground up. In May of last year, I predicted that Obama would raise more money from private citizens than any campaign in the history of this country. (I took the $20 I won from that bet and donated it to the campaign.)

- I've donated in some way, shape or form to the campaign for the past 15 months. And beyond money, I've given time. Been doing voter reg, phone banking and GOTV with my Faux Slope/Gawanus and Brooklyn for Barack peoples for just as long.

- I went to Philly three times during the primaries to register voters, and I spent a week in there when it counted to get out the vote, much to the chagrin of my former employer. Which brings me to my next point...

- I've been laid off since July 1st. Although it's been something of a blessing in disguise and opened the door for me to pursue more opportunities, the fact is that I'm still hustling my rent each month with ersatz online planning and copywriting gigs that are sustaining me just enough to trudge through the hiring freezes happening around the city. But who's complaining? My luck will turn around before the economy's does. And the sooner we get Barack into office, the sooner I can focus full-time on doing what I need to do for myself. Without that change at the top, though, nothing else matters. I refuse to look back at this point in my life and know there was something more I could have done to help Barack get elected.

- I'm going to back to Philly... Philly... Philly... This weekend.

- I'm secretly an aspiring comedy writer and, although I'm already a card carrying member of the liberal new media elite, I'm hoping to pal around with more mid-level comics so, if and when I decide to try stand up, I can thwart any potential open mic night jitters by stealing their jokes "Carlos" Mencia-style and pawning them off as my own. Ideally, I'd be ripping off African-American, South Asian and Latino comics, so this show is perfect.

baratunde · 1 year ago

Robert dang!
would you like TWO? you're a hustler son!

Robert · 1 year ago

deal.

thanks, man... see you on wednesday!

TheJennTaFur · 1 year ago

Wow, I feel for Robert. Although I have not been laid off, my company has been having hard times because of the hospitality industry (people aren't really traveling, etc.) I've been campaigning for Barack Obama since he stated he was running for President. That is actually why I have been blogging so much. I have given him plenty of $$. I pledged to give him money monthly. Now, I am exhausted. November 4th needs to get here NOW! i look forward to hearing great things about your show!

baratunde · 1 year ago

So glad for all your work. I feel you on the exhaustion. We're almost to the
finish line. Then the hard work begins :)