Matt's Excellent Keystone Adventure

America Runs for Office on Dunkin' Donuts

Sorry for the commercial plug here, but the New Englander in me is excited to find out that since I left Philly, Dunkin' Donuts has made its way down here. Joke if you want to about competing Starbucks on opposite corners of the same intersection, having two Dunky's in Suburban station is an incredible blessing. At the same time there are a couple of drivethroughs I've taken advantage of on the way to one of the Philly canvassing offices, and it's great to be able to buy a little love and sugar to take to the troops in the field.

This picture is of the leads on the canvassing team getting ready for the morning meeting...that's my DD coffee in the foreground. It's fantastic being around such motivated and energized people, with or without the caffeine and sugar. The facilities are barren, the work is tough, and on top of everything else folks have to do, but the volunteers come in day after day. I went by a "regular" Obama campaign office the other day just to take a look (sorry, will bring pictures back next time, forgot the camera) and the place was buzzing like a NASCAR track.

Putting Some Meat into the Debate

I went to a debate party at the Champagne restaurant on Chelten, which turned out to be a neighborhood lounge and soul food restaurant. And while it turned out the really big local party was at the Obama office, I had a GREAT time with a crowd of mostly regulars and a few special attendees for the party. Several folks recognized my SEIU shirt, including a couple of members and a couple of staffers! So I had some nice warm and friendly company. 

The watchers were not one for the usual boo-ing of groaners from McCain: I got shushed by one lady who said "I want to hear the idiot talk!" Of course later the same lady said loudly, "I can't stand that John McCain and the way he sucks up to Tom Brokaw. 'I'll wave my hand for you, Tom'. I'll wave MY hand at you, McCain!" (Was it just me, or was Brokaw kind of being a shrill schoolmarm about the timekeeping and sticking to the rules?)

Biggest laugh line of the night for the party: the line about the straight talk express having lost a wheel. Low point: when McCain interrupted Barack, which made everybody in the joint start whooping at him.

Oh, I more or less forgot to take pictures, but I did get a nice shot of my meal - barbecue chicken (hot), collard greens, homestyle cole slaw, and biscuits. YUM.