Dallas County Democrats
Gore News
This site is an ARCHIVE of the website used
for the Dallas County Democratic Party from 2000 to May of 2002, and which was built by the then Chair Bill Howell. Though some information
here will be relevant through the 2002 elections, other pages here are of interest for
history or research. For the
latest updated news about the Dallas County Democratic Party, see their own website at
www.dallasdemocrats.org.
November 12, 2000 update:
Dear Gore-Lieberman Supporters:
The Republicans are gettin' a little snippy, it appears. If I remember
correctly, it was W who said we should "trust the people." Seems like he'd
rather trust machines at this point. As Mickey Kaus has noted, W has
re-invented himself again. 'New Bush campaign slogan: "They trust the
people. We trust machines!"'
A note about those voting machines: The punch card voting device is highly
inaccurate in a close race with many voters. Dallas County used that
system
for more than 15 years, and although the Republicans won't currently admit
it, one of the reasons it was discarded was because of its unreliability in
close races. Thus, when you hear James Baker lie to the public and say
that
a machine re-count is more accurate than a hand re-count, don't let him get
away with it. In response to the distrust of punch card systems like those
used in Florida, the Texas Legislature, with the concurrence of W,
re-enacted a provision only a few years ago that statutorily deemed a
manual
re-count of the punch card the superior of all types of re-counts.
And as to the other Republican hype about how Nixon was such a gracious
loser in 1960, here's a little information provided to me by David Bradley
that he unearthed from 1961's The World Almanac and Book of Facts:
"In the weeks following the election, Republican party organizations had
made
a strong effort to bar Senator Kennedy from the Presidency by investigating
charges of vote fraud in several closely contested states, instituting
recounts and various legal actions. The last Republican hope faded
December
14 when Illinois certified its 27 electoral votes to Kennedy."
For those of you who have asked: of Tarrant, Dallas, Harris, Bexar and
Travis counties, Dallas County was Al Gore and Joe Lieberman's
best-performing county. Good work! You won't read that in Dallas' Only
Daily which, you might wish to know, has not endorsed a Democratic
presidential candidate in certainly more than 50 years. (No, they did not
endorse Lyndon Johnson.) It took two days to report Mary Ann Huey's
near-victory in her judicial race. In the meantime, at least seven
Republican judges mentioned to me the significance of the race. I have
been
informed by reliable people that the Republican big-wigs are now again
talking about appointing rather than electing judges. And I haven't seen
anyone point out that Bush and Cheney--two hometown boys--didn't even
muster
53 per cent in Dallas County.
As we head into Monday not knowing where this will end, a Florida federal
judge will consider the Republicans' request to halt Palm Beach County's
lawful attempt to determine the true outcome of the election after serious
irregularities in the vote count were found there. A previous sample hand
re-count of four precincts unearthed the discrepancy and ended in an
additional three dozen Gore votes. In New Mexico, Republican Party
attorneys are requesting that state police impound early-voting and
absentee
ballots from Tuesday's election in case of a challenge or recount.
Whether it's Gore or Bush, the people have a right to have their votes
counted. In truth, the American people support us.
I have just spoken with folks in Florida with the Gore effort, and they are
optimistic that the will of the voters will not be thwarted.
Ken Molberg
November 5, 2000 update:
In a little more than 48 hours, the polls will be
closed. None of us wants to ask ourselves at
that time whether we did enough.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Today on the campaign trail, Al Gore cast his
duel with George W. Bush as a choice between
"two very different pathways,'' with the Supreme
Court and economic progress in the balance.
Gore said that a woman's right to choose was on
the line. ''The Supreme Court is at stake because
the next president, the one you pick Tuesday, will
pick a majority on the court that will interpret our
Constitution for the next 30 to 40 years,'' he said.
He noted that Bush has praised extremist
justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia.
Gore mocked Bush's promise to be a get-along
President. ''The question is, will he get along with
HMOs? You'll get along with them fine if you kill
the patients' bill of rights. The drug companies?
You'll get along with them if you kill the prescription
drug benefits for seniors,'' Gore said. ''There's a
choice on Tuesday between two different pathways
to the future.''
''I'm asking you not only for your vote but for you
enthusiasm,'' the vice president said. ''I want you
to go the extra mile.''
And so we must go the extra mile. Call and e-mail
your friends and other known Gore-Lieberman
supporters. Volunteer to phone and walk. In other
words, do whatever you can do. We have a lot
invested, and we cannot let ourselves or our
candidates down.
Need some inspiration? Click here.
VOLUNTEERS
If you have yet to find a spot to volunteer Monday
and Election Day, please e-mail me at
[email protected]
and let me know what you are willing to do.
NOTE: If any of you can volunteer to be a part of
the early-morning sign crew for Dallas County on
Election Day, I need to hear from you. There is
plenty to do, and we will find a place for you.
YARD SIGNS
We have some yard signs left at the Dallas County
Democratic Party Office. Come by and get one
now if you need one. For directions click
here.
VOTING LOCATIONS
Consult your daily newspaper on Election Day for a list of
polling locations. An easier way to accomplish this on-line
for Dallas County is by going
here.
If you already know your precinct number, you can click
here for your Election Day polling place.
For Tarrant County, go here.
For Collin County, go here.
For Denton County, go here
to determine your precinct number, and then go here
to determine the location of your polling place.
For other counties, call your elections authority as listed
here.
DALLAS-AREA VICTORY PARTY
Don't forget the Victory Party Tuesday, November 7,
2000, from 7-11 p.m. at CITYPLACE CENTER,
2711 North Haskell Ave. (at North Central Expressway),
First Floor, Dallas, Texas. It's $10 PER PERSON / Cash Bar
(Dallas Democratic Party Sustaining Members $5,
Fostering Members Free, Finance Council and guests Free)
Free Garage Parking (entrance on Weldon).
For location, click here and
plug in the CityPlace address.
For door-to-door driving directions, go
here.
Please help support this event.
Become a Host at $400; a Patron at $250;
or a Sponsor at $100. You will be listed in the
program and you and your guests admitted free.
For more information, call the Dallas County
Democratic Party at 214-821-8331.
LET'S KEEP PUSHING!
On to Victory,
Ken Molberg, Co-Chair
GORE LEADS IN ELECTORAL COLLEGE
WITH FIVE DAYS TO GO, CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM
(from the New Democrat Network, 11/2/00)
How Gore Gets to 270
While national polls show George Bush up slightly in the popular vote,
current state-by-state polls show Al Gore leading in the race to win the
Electoral College. 270 electoral college votes are needed to win the
election.
Based on recent analysis, Gore holds 171 electoral votes from the
following states: CA, CT, DC, DE, HI, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, RI, VT. Bush
appears to have 209 votes from the following states: AL, AZ, CO, GA, ID,
IN, KS, KY, LA, MS, MT, NC,
NE, ND, NV, OH, OK, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, WY.
This leaves 158 Electoral Votes up for grabs.
Today, Gore has a much clearer path to 270 than Bush.
Taking publicly- available polls in the battleground states, Gore
currently leads in enough states to get to 273 votes. If he wins the
seven states listed below - and new polls out today show Gore's lead in
Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania outside the margin of error - Gore
wins the election without having to win these eight states (with a total
56 EVs) won by Clinton in 1996 that are still considered too close to
call - AR (6), IA (7), ME (4), MO (11), NM (5), OR (7), TN (11) and WV
(5).
State (EVs) and Most Recent Poll (Gore-Bush)
FL (25 EVs) -- 48%-41%
(Reuters/MSNBC/Zogby, 11/1)
PA (23) -- 47%-41% (Nader at 7%)
(Zogby, 11/1)
MI (18) -- 50%-41%
(Zogby, 11/1)
MN (10) -- 44%-41% (Nader at 8%)
(Mason Dixon, 11/1)
NH (4) -- 43%-42%
(Boston Herald, 11/2)
WA (11) -- 45%-43% (Nader at 6%)
(Reuters/MSNBC/Zogby, 11/1)
WI (11) -- 45%-42% (Nader at 5%)
(Reuters/MSNBC/Zogby, 11/1)
Can Bush win the popular vote and lose the election?
Yes.
Bush is running up big margins in GOP states, and Gore is winning his
states by much smaller margins. Running up the popular vote in base GOP
states doesn't add a single electoral college vote.
And what has happened to Nader? Many of the national polls have shown
Nader slipping from 5% nationally to 3% this week,
meaning that we have seen the height of the Nader wave. This apparent
Nader fade would account for our gaining ground in the above key
battleground states. Or it may have to do with Bush appearing in key
Nader states this week - scaring the
Nader-leaners back to Gore.
To show how worried the Republicans are about the new electoral reality
becoming public, on Tuesday the Bush campaign
released their own Electoral Vote analysis that showed the race tied -
269 to 269. For a document to come from a campaign and not show them in
the lead means that they know they are behind.
So what are we to conclude? If the vote were held today Al Gore would
be elected President. We have reason to be optimistic today.
Local news of the Gore-Lieberman campaign from Ken Molberg, Dallas County Co-Chair, Texans For Gore/Lieberman. Get on the local Gore/Lieberman email list by sending an email to [email protected]
November 2, 2000 update:
Thanks to the many of you who have volunteered! Again, if you can phone,
walk, drive, push cards or whatever, and we have not heard from you, PLEASE
ANSWER THE CALL. Instructions about your assignments will follow tomorrow.
Most drivers have already received their instructions privately. If you
are
a driver and have not received a private e-mail, send me a note by return
mail.
If you want to see how close this race is, go to
this site.
We've got more YARD SIGNS! But we need help from a handful of you
tomorrow,
Friday morning, at 10 a.m. at the Dallas County Democratic Party Office.
Location link here.
We also need some volunteers to help with the VICTORY PARTY. Lisa Payne is
heading this effort. If you can help, send me an e-mail and I will forward
it to her. For information about the party, click here.
Please take a moment and read this.
For the many of you who have asked about the Texas Advocates' Civil Rights
Petition, it is posted here.
It will be the centerpiece for tomorrow morning's discussion on the widely
broadcast Gloria Allred radio talk show at KABC in Los Angeles
Remember: Tomorrow is the last day to vote early. We have previously
transmitted the information for your county. If you need it to be
retransmitted, send me a note. The Dallas County locations are accessible
by clicking here.
It's within our reach, folks. Let's grab it!
Ken Molberg
November 1, 2000 update:
Dear Fellow Gore-Lieberman Supporters:
HELP.
First, thank the many of you who have responded to our last call for help.
We will be contacting you shortly. But more help is needed! If you can
phone (at any time between now and through Election Day), let us know. If
you can block walk Saturday and/or on Election Day, contact us. If you can
be available to help in the Rides-to-the-Polls program on November 7, we
need to hear from you. Again, those lawyers among you who can serve on the
legal team on E-Day, let us know quickly.
We can win this race and the races of other fine Democrats if you will
answer the call.
A SAD NOTE.
For at least the third time in a month, I regret to inform you of the death
of another "warrior for justice." Renowned labor lawyer and unshakeable
Democrat L.N.D. (Nat) Wells, Jr., died October 26. Nat's superb story
telling skills, focus, and charm made him an effective advocate, feared
opponent, and great companion.
Nat's passions were his family, trade unionism, and the Democratic Party.
To
his delight, his family had only recently prominently posted in his room a
"Gore/Lieberman" sign. Nat's son, Joe, is a member of this list, as are a
number of Nat's former law associates, partners and friends. Joe wanted me
to let you know that his dad voted by mail before his death. A memorial
service will be held at East Dallas Christian Church, Sunday Nov. 12th at
3pm. The church is located at 629 N. Peak, 3 blocks east of Baylor
Hospital,
between Junius and Worth Streets.
THE CAMPAIGN.
As you know, all polls now show this to be a tight race--well within the
margin of error. We cannot say enough in our efforts to encourage you in
all endeavors that you believe will help make a difference. So much hangs
in the balance. A woman's right to choose is one. If George Bush obtains
three Supreme Court appointments, Roe v. Wade is gone. Here's another
Supreme Court consequence you may not have thought about: If Bush appoints
three, maybe two, justices, any hope of campaign finance reform is dead.
There will then be enough right-wing members of the court to hold, as a
matter of constitutional law, that government can impose no limits on the
amount of money given by individuals and corporations to political
candidates. Yep, the George Bush position. You know that position: Bush
thinks everybody in America, rich and poor, should be able to contribute
$100,000 to his or her candidate. You know where that's going.
Al Gore and Joe Lieberman offer the best choice for America: for campaign
finance reform, for a strong economy, for protecting the promise of social
security, for insuring the continued expansion of health care for our young
and elderly, for meaningful education, and for safeguarding the rights of
women to control their bodies.
THE NADER FACTOR.
Some people say that it's okay to vote for Nader in Texas. Not true, as
Bruce Rothstein reminds us.
If you have not signed the Nader Petition, click
here . Ralph Nader, as Gloria
Steinem said, is not running for President. He is running for federal
matching funds. If he sees no difference between Bush and Gore, that says
more about Nader's lack of perception than anything else. I, speaking
personally, am troubled by the bizarre theory that you can form a viable
third party with the group that typically surrounds Nader. Where are the
African-Americans, the Hispanics, the gays, the Asians, the poor, the union
members, the women in the forefront of the women's movement, the
environmentalists, etc? They are not with Nader. They are with Gore.
Nader's campaign is matched only by the Bush campaign in its exclusivity.
Ralph Nader is not a "people person." While our candidate may not be a
saint, Nader should quit pretending he is one. He's not. See
this.
On to Victory,
Ken Molberg
Where Do I Vote on Election Day?
Consult your daily newspaper for a list of polling locations. An easier
way
to accomplish this on-line for Dallas County is by going here
. If you already know your
precinct
number, you can click here for your Election Day
polling
place.
Tarrant County
Collin County
Denton County to determine your
precinct number, and then go here
to determine the
location of your polling place.
For other counties, call your elections authority as listed here
.
Editorial Roundup
--The New York Times:
'We support Albert Gore Jr. with the firm belief that he
will go just as far in
bringing 'honor and dignity' back to the White House
as Mr. Bush, and that he
will bring an extra measure of talent and conviction
as well. His seriousness of
purpose, his commitment to American leadership in
the
world and his concern
for those less fortunate in American society
convince
us that he will lead the
country into a creative, productive and progressive
era at the beginning of the
21st century.''
--The Philadelphia Inquirer:
''The vice president is the better choice because
his
vast experience and earnest
intelligence outstrip what Gov. George W. Bush
has
to
offer ... Bush's resume
remains remarkably thin for a man at the
threshold
of
the Oval Office. His likable
manner should not lead voters to gloss over the
shaky
grasp of policy and the
petulance about criticism -- indeed, the general
lack
of depth -- that he has
shown in the campaign.''
--The Denver Post:
''The election, then, should be decided on the
issues. And on the issues, Gore has
made the better case.''
-- South Florida Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale:
''The person who can best provide that leadership
is
Democrat Al Gore. He's served
for eight years as an able and active vice president. He
demonstrated solid judgment and maturity in
choosing
an outstanding running mate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.
Gore understands the ways of Washington, is known
and
respected by the
world's leaders, and has outlined policies that,
overall, make more sense than
those of his Republican rival George W. Bush.''
--The San Francisco Chronicle:
''His experience as a representative, senator and
vice president give him a solid
foundation of knowledge and skills. He is
committed
to continuing the successful
approaches of free trade, economic growth and
centrist governance that
President Clinton employed in adroitly
repositioning
the Democrats toward the
middle.''
--The Des Moines Register:
''If the choice for president came down to a
question
of likability, Texas Gov.
George W. Bush would be the easy pick ... But
being
likable is not the most
important quality in a president. Far more
important
are a clear sense of
direction about the future, a thorough
preparation
for the job and being on the
right side of the issues. On those counts, Vice
President Al Gore is head and
shoulders above his rival.''
--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
''In 24 years in public life, Mr. Gore has done
more
than compile a strong
resume. In Congress, first in the House and then
in
the Senate, Mr. Gore
impressed even political opponents with his
mastery
of detail and his ability to
anticipate new problems -- and solutions. No, he
did
not ''invent'' the Internet,
but he was one of the first members of Congress
to
recognize the potential of
this new technology.
Miscellaneous
Dallas County Party Chair Bill Howell advises that the
office
has several large BILL VANCE signs that would be appropriate for fence
placement. Judge Vance is running for the office of Presiding Judge of
the
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. He is a well-respected jurist and
long-time Democrat who has received the overwhelming support of the
major
newspapers in our state--even that of the Dallas Morning News. That's
some
feat. But then again, he is certainly the most qualified candidate. If
you
have a place for one Judge Vance's signs, either in Dallas County or the
surrounding counties, please call the Dallas County Democratic Party
Office
at 214-821-8331.
Thanks for your continued letter writing. Keep it up! And
thanks to those of you who had letters in today's and yesterday's Dallas
Morning News:
Francis,
Tobolowsky and Lindley,
and Brown.
On to Victory,
Ken Molberg
This page contains the current and most recent updates. For previous updates see Gore News Archive.
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