Divorce McCain Rally Dominates Republican GOTV Event
By article and photos by Michael Shelby
November 4, 2008, Phoenix, AZ
The divorce decree
Enduring 94 degree heat in November, not suffered this late in Arizona for over 100 years (climate change?), 400 energized and enthusiastic local anti-war activists, labor union members, Democrats and Obama supporters gathered Saturday, November 2, to divorce Lady Arizona from her neglectful senior senator "husband" John McCain. Twice as many people gathered together to reject John McCain as attended a Republican party GOTV event just four blocks away! The Republican GOTV event featured Arizona's junior senator Jon Kyle and congressional representatives John Shadegg (in danger of losing to Democratic candidate Bob Lord), Jeff Flake, and Trent Franks, but it could only muster 250 supporters. The Arizona Divorces McCain rally was organized by the Phoenix End the War Coalition, which includes several progressive groups including Progressive Democrats of America.
Barack Obama only trails John McCain by two points in the widely publicized ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism poll. The Obama/Biden ticket beats McCain/Palin by one point in this week's Daily KOS poll. McCain has been forced to buy advertising and begin a robocall operation in his home state very late in the campaign. McCain has even scheduled an election-day final stop in Prescott, AZ, which borders McCain's Sedona compound, to shore up weak support on his own home turf. If John McCain loses his home state, Arizona will finally shed red state status and officially turn blue. Woo Hoo!
Tim Carpenter, Executive Director of PDA, believes we can turn his former home state blue by continuing to work for votes, and he exhorted all the attendees to commit to gaining 10 more voters each for Obama. That was the common message of all the speakers, in addition to bringing the troops home, ending the occupation of Iraq and not just shifting the war to Afghanistan, as well as redirecting and investing our resources on health care, education, and human needs. Tim was very clear that the work to promote progressive ideas in the Obama administration, to hold his feet to the fire, begins on November 5th. All the speakers and dignitaries, including Randy Parraz from Laborers International Union; Rebekah Friend, Executive Director of Arizona AFL-CIO; Tupac Acosta, Director of Tonatierra (Indigenous People's Human Rights)-Raquel Teran, Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability; Steve Brittle, President Don't Waste Arizona; Russell Crawford, Student Leader Northern Arizona University Peace and Justice; Hari Nam Kahlsa, Arizona Representative of Iraq Veterans Against the War; and Arizona's own Liz Hourica, our Code Pink representative in Washington D.C., echoed those progressive and compassionate themes to bring real change. Liz is most recently famous for disrupting John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention broadcast live from Minneapolis. The Divorce McCain Rally was emceed by Phoenix premier progressive radio talk show host Jeff Farias, now blogcasting at http://www.TheJeffFariasShow.com from 4-7 p.m. weekdays. In addition to speaking to their specific issues, all the speakers recognized the urgency to keep up the pressure and, once leaving the rally, get back on the phones, keep knocking on doors, and work, work, work to elect Barack Obama President of the United States and turn Arizona Blue!
Tim gave several interviews to local television, radio, and print media during the rally. Several tents promoting everything from Code Pink and PDA to issues like voting no on Prop. 102 (which is another attack on civil rights and same-sex marriage by the rancid right), and T-shirt vendors added to the festival-like event. Live music, numerous homemade signs, shirts, banners, costumed kids and a hilarious sketch by Tucson's Raging Grannies whose motto is “wild hats, cheeky songs and witty actions for a better world,” entertained us, adding to an engaging, fun, and energetic event.
Standing with my Phoenix PD security buddies, I overheard the radio traffic report that told the officers to be ready for the estimated 250 McCain/Palin supporters who were just letting out. They were a little wary, because a McCain supporter had already made a walk through our rally in an effort to evoke a reaction. He was treated with benign neglect and went away. Of course there were also the microencephalic few-few compared to the 20:1 ratio of honked horns, thumbs up, and peace signs flashed by passing supporters-of the drive-by McCain/Palin supporters flipping us off (including the children, nice!). My favorite was the upscale white couple riding by on bicycles. The husband was shouting out hate-filled epithets, not suitable for printing, with his trailing spouse visibly embarrassed.
The rally culminated in the march to John McCain's Phoenix senatorial office to file the divorce decree from Lady Arizona. Lisa Blank, local coordinator of the women's peace organization Code Pink, portrayed Lady Arizona. "We've been married way too long," Blank said. "A lot of people in Arizona don't agree with his policies, and for him to come out and say he'll be the change for the new Washington [is ridiculous]; he created the old Washington." Dressed in bridal gown (symbolically stained with the blood of Iraqi women, children, and men and the blood of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines), our Lady Arizona was addressed by the “Judge,” who read the list of transgressions and neglect from Arizona's senior senator toward her and his constituents. After being granted her divorce, Lady Arizona shed her bridal gown to reveal the cowboy-hat-wearing, levi's-so-tight, boot-stompin', pink-boa-wrapped, independent, progressive western woman underneath! They wouldn't let anyone in McCain's office, but they did send a representative out to receive the poster-sized laminated divorce decree for the senator.
The day was capped off with a celebration and fund-raising reception for Tim Carpenter and special guest Liz Hourican from Code Pink. The reception was held at the “Solar Team” house of its president, Steve Bitter, that just happens to be next to the Arizona Obama Campaign Headquarters. Tim gave his PDA 101 talk with in-depth additions to a packed great room of new and interested people drawn in by the election and what they've picked up on the internet. Despite his need to get to the airport and Orange County, CA, Tim engaged a very attentive audience and made clear what differentiates PDA from all other political organizations---access to the decision makers in Congress. PDA's “inside outside” strategy, recruitment, support and promotion of progressive lawmakers and candidates has proven successful, robust, and growing.
Liz was able to tell us the details of her interruption of John McCain's nomination speech at the RNC in Minneapolis. How she managed to pull off masquerading as a Republican right-winger for the hours necessary to make her move at just the right moment without puking or crawling out of her skin is a testament to her dedication and courage. Still, she had fun with it, made us laugh, and made a strategic difference with her well-timed protest.
We were treated to BREAKING NEWS from Huffington Post reporter Dawn Teo, who attended the fundraiser. She told us about Sarah Palin being punked by a couple of Canadian radio DJ's.
Click here to listen to Sarah Palin being punked at, too funny . . . and frightening.
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