[NEohioPAL] Entertainers needed for Election Day

[Smorton8 at aol.com]

Friends, 
Below is a message from my buddy Tim Smith. If you're interested,  please 
email him 
at _tim at timroff.com_ (mailto:tim at timroff.com)  asap.  
 
Thanks, and Happy Voting. 
Sarah Morton 
 
  
____________________________________
 From: tim at timroff.com
To: tim at timroff.com
Sent: 10/29/2008 10:42:18 P.M.  Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Entertainers needed for Election Day


Hi there. I have a strange idea that I need your help  with.

You see, election day is next Tuesday, and the folks at the  Obama  
campaign are predicting that 80% of the possible electorate  will turn  
out to cast their ballot this year.

80% is a lot.  Consider this. in 2004, when lines got as long as five  
hours long,  only 60% of the electorate turned out to vote.

Yes, they've got better  early voting and absentee ballots, but  
they're still predicting that  65% will show up at the polls.

This is where my crazy idea comes  in.

I want Obama to win. I want him to win so badly that I need all  80%  
who show up to actually cast their ballot. But the thing I'm  up  
against is Gloom and Boredom. Let';s be honest. People don't like  to  
wait in long lines. But if I can distract them, if I can give  them  
something to take their mind off of the wait, then I'll do it.  But  
there are 1187 precincts in Cuyahoga County alone, and of them,  600  
have been targerted as "at risk" by the Obama campaign -- enough  that  
there will be teams of observers watching the proceedings and  trying  
to make things move quickly.

But they're still  expecting long lines. That's where you come in.

Can I get a commitment  from you to be an entertainer at a polling  
place for a few hours  especially in the late afternoon and early  
evening? I'm looking for  singers, storytellers and poets primarily,  
but anyone who can tell a  few "clean" jokes, who can engage an  
audience or even run a game of  trivial pursuit or charades would be  
sorely welcome. You doin't even  need to be a "performer" -- just be  
willing to engage and help keep  the voters' spirits high on that  
momentous day.

I'm waiting  for the campaign to get back to me on how to get people  
where they  need to be, but I talked to them today and they're  
arranging it.  Meanwhile, I need to know how many people I can  
mobilize, and when  they're available.

So, are you available?

Let me know ASAP...  Also, feel free to forward this to friends in the  
entertainment  field as well (David Budin and Jim Miller, I'm looking  
at  you...)

--Tim


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