Barack Obama struck a chord before his first election with the slogan Yes We Can. Michelle Obama made her mark this year with another call to action.
“It’s up to us to remember what Kamala’s mother told her: Don’t just sit around and complain. Do something. (cheers) Do Something, Do Something, Do Something!”
The speech inspired two Albemarle County women – Elizabeth Buckner Yordy and her pal Barbara Winn to invite their friends and friends of friends to a potluck dinner and letter writing party around Barb’s backyard pool.
“Steph, did you look at that list from Katie?”
Guests wrote to about 400 voters in swing states, and their message, Buckner-Yordy said, was non-partisan.
“It is very positive -- no specific candidates mentioned, and we try to make it personal. They have done research on all of this that says the positive, personal story gets more people to vote.”
We asked Cynthia, Liz, Elizabeth, Kathleen, Lily and Alison to share what they had written:
‘I vote because one of my brothers was born on Election Day. Every year on his birthday my folks told us the story of how they went together to vote, before heading to the hospital while my mom was in full-blown labor. I was always so impressed, and even as a kid I decided that if my mom could vote while in labor, I would always find the time and way to vote as an adult.’
“I vote, because I have a 10-year-old daughter whose rights are critical to me and whom I care very much about.”
I also want to see continued efforts to work on climate change and alternate energy production.
“I am very much into common sense gun laws.”
By voting you’re supporting a future built on unity, compassion and change, and together we can make a difference.”
“I want to be able to influence change, and through my vote I can do that.
And 10-year-old Sarah did her part.
“I want my friends, my family and my community and everybody to have a better life. I believe that voting is a powerful and peaceful way to make things happen.”
Not to be outdone by the writers, visual artists have also joined the fray. Robin Hoffman designed a colorful poster depicting Kamala Harris as a super hero.
“Because that’s what it takes to stand up against a tyrant.”
She added the caption – I Know Your Type. It was a line Harris had used in describing her experience as a public prosecutor now running against a convicted felon. Hoffman designed the lawn sign on her phone.
“You know you can use your phone to do anything. It’s so great!”
She’s delivering signs on her bike and selling them at the IX Farmers’ Market in Charlottesville, giving the proceeds to congressional candidate Gloria Witt.
Also portraying Harris, artist Julia Brown Farril who painted the picture from photos she found online.
“I used one picture as the primary inspiration, but I had several others to try and capture her strength – but also warmth, and then this dynamism that I feel like she brings – kind of feminine but strong.”
She’s put the image on cloth bags, T-shirts, posters and yard signs – selling them on Etsy, and – finally – there’s Reggie Cox, a resident of Orange County.
“It’s a real red county. I stood out there the other day, holding up a Harris/Walz sign and got called all kinds of names.”
After passing out more than a hundred yard signs at Democratic headquarters, Cox made his own with a simple slogan.
“It says Harris Won't Embarrass.”
Republicans in nine counties around the state hosted a canned food drive Organized by Susan Cobb.
“The can Kamala campaign is for people having a tough time feeding their families. It was officially from 1-4 today, but we had people actually show up at 8:30 this morning, and we have an entire corner of the office already full of canned goods, cereal, tuna fish, vegetables.
The not so subtle message – elect Republicans for a better economy. Proceeds will be shared through local food banks, and at Chesapeake headquarters the effort was so successful that volunteers decided to extend it into early November.
Julia Farill is at redbirdink - Etsy
