Democracy for New Mexico

NM-02: Harry & Troy Teague and Gov. Richardson to Rally Early Voters Saturday

Tomorrow, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Congressional candidate Harry Teague and his son Troy Teague will visit communities throughout the 2nd Congressional District of New Mexico to rally voters to hit the polls before the Nov. 4 Election Day. Harry Teague, who is running to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, together with his wife, Nancy, voted early in Lovington on Wednesday to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. Gov. Richardson will join Harry and Troy Teague at four separate events tomorrow (Sat., October 18):

• Sunland Park: Early Vote Rally with Harry Teague and Gov. Richardson at 9:15 AM at the Sunland Park Senior Center, 1000 McNutt Rd., Suite H
  
• Las Cruces: Early vote rally at 12:30 PM at Albert N Johnson Park; Corner of N Main and Picacho Ave.
  
• Alamogordo: Alamogordo Arts and Entertainment Early Vote Rally at 2:15 PM at Alameda Park, 1021 White Sands Blvd.
  
• Los Lunas: Early vote rally at 3:40 PM at the parking lot in front of Michael Sanchez's law firm, 505 Main St. SW.

10/18: Gov. Richardson, Mayor Miyagishima to Host Fundraiser for Jeff Sanborn in Las Cruces

Please join Governor Bill Richardson and Mayor Ken Miyagishima to help re-elect Jeff Steinborn for State Representative in New Mexico House District 37 at a reception on Saturday, October 18, from Noon to 1:30 PM at the Sunset Grill in Sonoma Ranch in Las Cruces. Suggested donation $100. Please RSVP to Trey Williams at 524-5814 or email trey@jeffsteinborn.com. For more info, see invitation (PDF). If you can't attend you can make an online donation at www.JeffSteinborn.com.

10/18: We The People Rock Early Vote Music Fest on Taos Plaza

Taos AMP, a program of Open Hearth, Inc.,
is proud to present the:
We The People...Rock! Early Vote Music Fest!
Saturday, October 18, 11 AM - 3 PM on the Taos Plaza
Music Bringing US Together
featuring
Blackhill Flute Music from the Walls of Taos Pueblo
Omar Rane & Katie Palmier Classic Rhythm & Blues
Franco Mares Latin & Country Love Songs
Roger Landes & Nakul Deshpande
Balkan & Middle Eastern music
Teotihuacan Authentic Mariachi
Zanagroove funk & Soul
sound donated by tone palace productions
Free Shuttle from Taos Plaza to vote early
(Drivers needed please call Brooke today!)
Free Food donated by Food Not Bombs

This is a non-partisan, fully volunteer event. OH is encouraging participation in the democratic process, and how music can bring us together. OH and TaosAMP do not support any particular candidates. Any questions, call event coordinator Brooke Zanetell: 575-751-1703 or 575-770-6830.

10/22: LWV Judicial Forum Set for UNM Law School

Bring your friends, neighbors, relatives to learn about:
Safeguarding U.S. Democracy
by Promoting An Independent Judiciary
A Judicial Forum Sponsored by the
League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico
Wednesday, October 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Light Refreshments: 5:30-6:00 PM
provided by the American Association of University Women
Forum begins: 6:00 PM
UNM School of Law, Bondurant Lecture Hall
1117 Stanford Dr.NE
Candidates: Justice Charles Daniels, Supreme Court;
Judge Reed Sheppard, 2nd Judicial District Court;
Judge Maria Dominguez, Metropolitan Court; and
Edward L Benavidez, Public Defenders Office,
candidate for the Metropolitan Court.

Focus: To educate the public about the judicial selection process in New Mexico, the pivotal role the judiciary plays in our democratic system of checks and balances, and to discuss the challenges to our independent judiciary. This forum is supported by a grant from the League of Women Voters Education Fund and the Program on Constitutional and Legal Policy of the Open Society Institute. None of these candidates have opposition in the General Election.

Note: Click to download the nonpartisan 2008 Voters' Guide compiled by the League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico. It provides excellent info on candidates, ballot questions, the voting process and more.

New NM Rasmussen Polls: Obama Up By 13, Tom Udall Up By 20

New Rassmussen polling is encouraging indeed.

U.S. Senate race in New Mexico: Tom Udall 57% - Steve Pearce 37%. Two weeks ago it was Udall up 55-41%.

Udall earns favorable reviews from 64% of the state’s voters, up eight points from the previous survey. Pearce gets positive ratings from 43%, unchanged over the past two weeks. Udall attracts support from 88% of Democrats and enjoys a two-to-one advantage over Pearce among unaffiliated voters. Pearce is now supported by just 75% of Republicans, down from 82% earlier.

And after Udall's strong showing in last night's debate with Pearce on KOB-TV (video here and more on debate at Udall blog), I wouldn't be surprised if Tom's lead stays in double-digit terroritory until November 4.

Presidential race in NM: Obama 55% - McCain 42%. As in other former swing states that are turning more Blue by the day, Obama's lead has expanded dramatically over the past two weeks, when Rasmussen had Obama up by five points, 49-44%. The victory train is about to leave the station and McCain's not on it:

Overall, Obama is viewed favorably by 59% of New Mexico voters, McCain by 54%. However, 46% of New Mexico voters have a Very Favorable opinion of Obama while just 28% say the same about McCain. Twenty-seven percent (27%) have a Very Unfavorable opinion of Obama and 29% view McCain that negatively. McCain and Obama are essentially even among white voters while the Democrat has a 17-point lead among Hispanic voters. Obama leads by 15 among women but trails by eight among men.

And how about this regarding the Obama's up-trends nationally:

Currently, Obama has the edge in every state won by John Kerry in 2004. Of the states won by Bush that year, McCain is trailing in four, and five others are considered toss-ups. As a result, Electoral College projections now show Obama leading 255-163. When “leaners” are included, Obama leads 300-174. A total of 270 Electoral Votes are needed to win the White House.

We can't let up, but we can imagine! Say it with me: 19 days!

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NM-Sen: New Tom Udall Ad is Moving, Humbling

Words can't really express what this ad is about. Just watch it. And remember what this election is truly all about. You know what to do.

10/17: Democrats for Rick Lass Press Conference in Santa Fe

From Democrats for Rick Lass:
Democrats for Rick Lass will announce its plans for support of Public Regulation Commission candidate Rick Lass at a press conference to be held at 2:00 PM Friday in front of the P.E.R.A building @ 1120 Paseo De Peralta in Santa Fe. Come and show your support and join us. Everyone is welcome.

Democrats for Rick Lass is a independent political committee formed last month by long time Santa Fe Democrat Bernie Logue Y Perea, Lawyer John Howard, former State Democratic Chair Earl Potter, Charlotte Roybal, Gideon Elliot, Dr. Leslie Lakind and others. Its purpose is to urge party members to support Rick Lass.

“Frankly, as Democrats we are embarrassed by Jerome Block Jr.’s behavior since he was nominated,” said Logue Y Perea. “Rick Lass has a record of dedication to important public issues, and we believe he will serve all citizens well at the PRC.”

Donate and Sign Petition: Yesterday the organization opened a web site where Democrats can sign a petition of support for Lass and make contributions at Democrats For Rick Lass PAC. “Already we’re had 25 persons sign up” said Perea “ We also reported $6,968.00 in contributions in our state filing on Tuesday. You can watch an interview with Rick Lass from New Mexico In Focus .

10/20: NM and Our National Security Future: How to Frame an Argument for Change

Note: Keep an eye out for a guest blog by Lorelei Kelly that will go up soon.

"New Mexico and Our National Security Future: How to Frame an Argument for Change" is a session on how to talk about progressive national security during Get Out the Vote or other public outreach that individuals might undertake. Lorelei Kelly will help peace and justice activists frame national security in a way that presents a compelling and realistic vision for moving forward.

Monday, October 20, 7-9 PM
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice
202 Harvard SE, Abq. NM 87106
(505) 268 9557
abqpeaceandjustice.org

Lorelei--who is originally from Farmington, NM--works to educate elected leaders and the public about today's real security need and how to bring our policy tools into alignment with new threats. Part of her goal is to bring more diverse voices into national security decision making.

In addition to working with the underground democracy movements of eastern Europe in 1989, Lorelei's professional background includes teaching at Stanford University's Center on Conflict and Negotiation, working on bipartisan national security education in Congress, and working as a professional mediator in both domestic and international conflict resolution settings. She recently co authored "A Woman's Guide to Talking About War and Peace" which is available free online at allianceforpeacebuilding.org. More info at www.huffingtonpost.com/lorelei-kelly or 202-487-7728. Click for an excellent piece written by Lorelei for Huffington Post.

NM-01: Heinrich & White to Debate at Congregation Albert on 10/26

Dem Martin Heinrich and Repub Darren White, Congressional candidates in NM-01, will debate on Sunday, October 26, 2008 at Congregation Albert Brotherhood, 3800 Lousiana NE in Albuquerque:

9:30 AM: Breakfast (See pricing below)
10:45 AM: Debate (FREE to the public-Doors open at 10:30 AM)

***Breakfast Reservations are required***
Make your reservation early by calling 883-1818, ext 3203
Brotherhood Members $8 / Non-Members $11

Congregation Albert Brotherhood - Winner of the 2006/2007 MRJ National Harris Award for Best Local Community Service Programming

Strike Three: You're Out, Johnny

Obama's new ad riffing off McCain's statement last night that he isn't Bush

This was strike three for McCain. Three debates with Obama, three losses -- according to instant polling, focus groups, most observers. Last night McCain looked and acted angry, grumpy, nasty, snide, rude, arrogant, bullying, rigid, repressed, unreasonable, panicked and, at times, incoherent. His attacks on Obama were often personal, almost snarling, especially in the last half hour. They were also all over the lot, like disconnected lobs of whatever came into his mind at the moment, regardless of whether they made sense in a given context. McCain offered few, if any, cogent arguments. His impatient consciousness seemed to jump from memorized attack line to memorized attack line with no connecting narrative. Nothing stuck.

Obama kept his cool, parried masterfully and responded with measured arguments that calmly undercut McCain's frenetic and desperate lunges. He never let McCain get under his skin. Obama was reassuring, dignified and presidential. McCain was erratic, staccato and small. The split screen contrasts were stark, and devastating to McCain -- whose repeated bouts of mugging, sighing, smirking and eye-rolling were irritating and off-putting. McCain's "Joe the Plumber" schtick fell flat. In one focus group, every single member gave it the thumbs down. With no real policy points to push given the distain with which almost everything Bushian is viewed these days, McCain was left with cliches, old talking points and the nothingness of Bill Ayers.

The instant polls conducted right after the last prez debate found Obama the clear winner.

• CNN poll of debate viewers: Obama 58%, McCain 31%
  
• CBS poll of uncommitted voters: Obama 53%, McCain 22%
  
• Both focus groups of uncommitted voters on CNN and Fox News found Obama the winner.

What we have to remember going forward:

"For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky or think this is all set, I just have two words for you: New Hampshire. I've been in these positions before when we were favored, and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked. He added, “That’s another good lesson that Hillary Clinton taught me, so we want to make sure that we are closing strong, running through the tape.” --Sen. Barack Obama, quoted by the New York Times

And McCain hasn't yet given up on New Mexico. His campaign just announced that Sarah Palin will be coming to Roswell on Sunday, October 19 for a rally.