Carson Clothespin

Election Eve Count

11/1/04 22:00 Today: 19 Total Clothespins: 270 Total Weblog hits: 1402
Check in later for our final election day count. And vote for Kerry and Dodd!

Today's Count - Fri Oct 29 (Day 10)

Today: 26
Total Clothespins: 251
Weblog Hits: 1154

200 Voters in Seven Days

Today: 18 Total Voters: 217 Weblog hits: 972

Okay, in terms of a social revolution, these numbers may not look so great. But one week ago, I was alone. Now I've got 200 voters on my side. And (statistically) conservative extrapolations show my message has reached at least 2000. If you saw the debate last night on Channel 8 (Tulsa KTUL), then you know Brad can use all the help we can give him.

Objective reviews of the debate (what can I be but objective at this point?) score the contest this way:

Coburn - Clueless, but likeable
Carson - On message, but smarmy

Was Carson just tired from his 77 county jaunt? Or is he having trouble believing what he is forcing himself to say? Will Okie voters go for the guy who can't figure out that we want good roads -- but has good hair? Or the guy who has an answer for everything -- but a demeanor like the Count of Muppet Cristo?

I'm thinking Brad will be counting his clothespins this time next week....

Incoming!

Today's Count (as of Monday Oct 25, 10:00 pm): 49
Total Clothespins: 199
Included Bluenoses (Republican crossovers): 2
Website hits: 948

More Comments received by the Clothespins for Carson Campaign:

I received the message below and concur with it completely. I hope Carson gets the strong message that many Democrats are holding their noses and voting for him. Gawd, I hate voting for the lesser of 2 evils, and I fear from his service in Congress that is exactly what we are doing. Many of us need reassurance that he's not another Watkins or Brewster.

*^*^*

I regret that I am forced to cast my vote for Brad Carson in this election. I have been quite disturbed at many of the hateful and divisive positions set forth by Mr. Carson in his effort to win this election. Unfortunately, there is no alternative. Therefore, I'm joining the cause espoused in the attached email. Mr. Carson should know that a significant percentage of votes cast in his favor on election day will not be votes for him at all. Rather, they are merely votes to prevent a man with truly frightening ideas from representing our State in the Senate. Mr. Carson has much work to do to begin healing the wounds he has created within his core constituency.

Today's Count - Thu Oct 22 (Day 4)

We added 39 new voters, for a total of 150!
Blog hits: 733.

Today's Count - Thu Oct 21 (Day 3)

Today we added 34 voters, for a total of 111.

The emotion expressed by you was remarkable. Brad Carson is getting all of these comments, and in case he loses them, he can read them here:

I am a registered Republican, but am voting for Brad Carson because he at LEAST doesn’t endorse the crazy messages that Coburn does. This isn’t an email to sway your vote, but to encourage you to check out the candidates and form your own decisions.

If you ARE voting for Carson, this is your opportunity to let him know that his wishy-washy stance on monumental social issues is anything but appealing and if he gets your vote, he should be prepared to stand for the issues that directly affect our generation.

~^~^~

I do not support Brad Carson, but I will vote for him this coming election. However, I will never vote for him again should he continue to support the Iraq war and continue to vote against equal rights for Gays and Lesbians.

Today's Count - Wed Oct 20 (Day 2)

We added 30 voters today, for a total of 77.

Not as much as I'd hoped, frankly. I'm looking for network effect with geometric progression here. But then again, the first day's totals were the cream of the crop -- direct links from me, many of whom are activists. Of course, we've also had 270 hits on this weblog, which I created just before I sent out my first message. So we've got eyeballs. Maybe hearts and minds will follow.

This is How We Grow
Some respondents "exposed their contacts," putting names on the CC line instead of hiding them in BCC for privacy. These showed that most were sending on to about 9 or 10 others, on average, which means we hit about 770 with our message. Tomorrow, those folks will forward on to 7700, and so on. Sure, there's some duplication -- some of you got the message more than once. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so.

One of the beautiful aspects of my hare-brained scheme is that it gives the lie to the notion that we are all alone. There are a lot of others who have the insight to see that America does best when it does good. We honor our history and our succeeding generations when we are generous, tolerant, and embrace freedom as a rallying call rather than a war cry.

Today's Count - Tue Oct 19 (Day 1)

Okay, exactly 24 hours after I sent out my first notice, we have 45 new voters donning the clothespin, for a total of 46. These people, I know, tend to be well connected (I myself am not well connected, but I am connected to people who are VERY well connected). The network effect suggests that every Progressive in Oklahoma is connected to every other Progressive in Oklahoma in a few short hops. If those who are going to vote for Carson because of national priorities will publicly don the clothespin, I will amass a list of names that exceeds the electorate of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri in about, um, five days. Okay, maybe that's a little overambitious.

But if you are going to hold your nose, stand up and be counted! I am sure the total will exceed Carson's inevitable margin of victory, if we can just collect the numbers.

Also, BTW, do not be concerned about offending the Carsonites by copying them with your intention. They are, I am sure, truly hoping for the success of this project, as they had been taking our votes for granted, and must have begun to realize that this was a strategic error. We're going to DELIVER this election to them, but we are not going to GIVE it to them.

HOLD YOUR NOSE AND BE COUNTED!

Today's Count - Mon Oct 18 (Day 0)

1