One More Great Celebrity GOTV Video

Yo, Urban Outfitters is THE WORST

It's Election Day and I'm tired so I am mostly going to be reposting reporting on this but I hate Urban Outfitters SO MUCH and I can't believe stupid idiot hipsters still shop there.

"Yesterday afternoon, the company tweeted an Election Day “handy guide for your reference” to its 1 million Twitter followers, offering a free “I Voted” button at stores while supplies last.''

The guide is full of false information. Under a subhead titled “Requirements,” the guide says that Americans going to the polls need a “voter’s registration card” as well as an ID.

That’s not true.

In fact, no states require a voter registration card to vote. Some, but not all, states now require ID to vote. (Some states accept voter registration cards as a form of ID.)

Urban Outfitters is no stranger to political controversy. Here’s a rundown from the Washington Post.

Update, 8:30am ET: Urban Outfitters has deleted its tweet from yesterday and updated its guide."

You guys. DO. NOT. SHOP THERE. It's a wolf in sheep's knockoff marked up slave labor clothing.

I VOTED!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who reached out as I was worrying about my own enfranchisement yesterday. My absentee ballot did in fact come this morning, and I overnighted it to the DC Board of Elections for a 10:30am delivery!!! I am partially convinced that it only showed up thanks to the positive and supportive vibes from you all so thank you again so much. Special thank you to Travis Ballie, Councilmembers Elissa Silverman and Robert White and Raymond Bryan at the DC Board of Elections. Kind of embarrassed that it takes a village to get my vote out but mostly incredibly grateful.

Two things I wanted to highlight if you ever find yourself in a similar situation:

1) Contact your local elected officials. I can't believe I didn't think of this on my own. I am blaming it on GOTV brain. Travis connected me with Robert White and Elissa Silverman both of whom were ready and willing to help. This is what local government SHOULD BE and both Robert and Elissa can rely on my enthusiastic support in any and all future campaigns. (I actually got to vote for Robert on my ballot.)

2) It is in fact possible for the Board of Elections (at least the DC one) to email you a ballot if you waive your right to secrecy (which you know, not super shy about that stuff) as they would do if you were voting overseas.


You all know I firmly believe that voting should be as easy as checking your email but until technology and legislation catches up to our ideals, I am just very relieved and thankful. Happy Election Eve!


Campaign Love and Mine,



Nancy

Why I Am Probably Not Voting For Hillary Clinton

What? Has Nancy gone mad? Has she lost her mind? Has she been hacked? No, no friends, it's true.

Here's the situation: On October 6th I accept an offer to go out and spend this last month on the campaign trail in North Carolina. I had to be here by the 10th. The second THE SECOND I know I am leaving I make a to do list which includes things like do my laundry, quit my current employment and oh yes, FIGURE OUT HOW I'M VOTING. I have all my pertinent information because the first thing I did when I moved into my new apartment was register to vote, and I carry my voter reg card around in my wallet. It's too early to vote early in DC so October 8th, an ENTIRE MONTH, before the election I fill out my absentee ballot application and mail it to the DC Board of Elections.

They do not issue my ballot until October 23rd. No big deal, still plenty of time. I ask the staff in my office to be on the lookout for my absentee ballot. Turns out we don't get mail at the office, nobody knows which mailbox is ours and nobody has the key. Shit.

Okay not to worry. I befriend our mail lady, who is delightful by the way, and explain the situation. She promises to bring the ballot up to our office when she sees it. I also put a note on the mailbox bank asking that any mail for the campaign office be left on top. On three separate occasions I see a mail truck pulling into our parking lot and race downstairs like I'm 12 and it's Mister Softee. When the mail carrier tells me they don't have my ballot today, I make them open all the boxes and look in case another mail carrier accidentally shoved it in there. No luck and they think I'm insane.

MEANWHILE, recognizing that my ballot might not get delivered, I call the DC Board of Elections FIVE TIMES. Thrice I leave a message and once that message is returned. The very nice and helpful man tells me to email him my alternate address (the campaign's PO Box) and he will reissue the ballot. According to the DC BOE website that ballot is mailed November 1st. I ask our Campaign Treasurer and Finance Director daily whether it has arrived. It has not.

You guys, I am FREAKING OUT. First of all I'm super angry because no one is going to be more persistent than I am when it comes to voting. If this can happen to me, it can happen to anybody and voting should be easy and accessible and it bums me out on principle. Second of all, I LOVE VOTING. It's kind of my thing and I have voted in every single municipal bond measure, uncontested primary and low key election since 2006. And now for PRESIDENT? For HILLARY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Not to mention that DC Statehood is on the ballot. I have been waiting six years to vote for Hillary Clinton. I have been blogging and donating and volunteering and intermittently considered leaving my job to go work for her campaign. How can this be happening?

So here's the plan: God-willing, this thing is in our PO Box on Monday at which point I will pay money to overnight it to DC. I am also planning on calling the Post Office here in Raleigh just in case...I don't even know what. I seriously briefly considered driving up to DC to cast a provisional ballot on Tuesday but since I am down here working on a campaign that is beyond sketchy. And yes, I got here too late to register in North Carolina. I even replied to a text from the Hillary campaign for people who have voting questions, but shockingly they had other things to do besides delve into absentee ballot problems in DC.

Honestly, I am open to suggestions. I MUST vote for Hillary Clinton. What do I do?

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for GOTV! (Sponsored Post)

I'm going to preface this by saying that this is my first sponsored post. I would never, ever take money to talk about something I didn't believe in but when it comes to frozen desserts (in this case gelato) I'm about as passionate as I am about voting. So when Iorio's Gelato in East Lansing Michigan asked if I would post about their election themed flavors I said "HECK YES...if I can try them." So the good folks at Iorio's sent some tasty treats to their local HFA field office per my request as well as to North Carolina for yours truly to try.

At first I was nervous that the gelato wasn't going to come in time, which is fitting because that is the current situation with my absentee (DO. NOT. EVEN. START. ME. I'm freaking out.) But luckily Iorio's is more organized than the DC Board of Elections. And I got to try some election themed flavors with my friend Jonae. Here's how that went:

If there are two things I love, they are gelato and elections. If there are three things hey are gelato, elections, and puns. So I was super excited to read the flavor descriptions...per my contact there:

So the Trump flavor is a white chocolate base (dark chocolate did not poll well with Trump). It's full of a whole lot of NUTS and has homemade orange marshmallows.

Cookies and Clinton is a play on cookies and cream with a vanilla base and a mixture of a bunch of different cookies. We don't know what the cookies are because the recipe got deleted.

This was also helpful because the Trump flavor was described to me as Trump's Rocky Road (get it? get it?) and I was wondering why the base was white. Also there were yummy little red bits in the Cookies and Clinton that I wanted to know about, but I guess I will have to have to head home to Chappaqua to figure that out.

Conclusion: I vote for Cookies and Clinton. Granted I was predisposed to be on Team Clinton to begin with but I also just really, really love cookies and cream. Which sounds better to you? Vote here!

The good news is unlike in this election you really can't go wrong so visit Iorio's website and check 'em out!

My Favorite TV Shows Tackle Elections (G.O. TV)

Life in a boiler room can be pretty boring. If you've done your job right and if your Secretary of State/Board of Elections is not behaving like dumpster fire there's very little for you to do: collect numbers, reallocate resources, and that's about it. It's hard to keep yourself entertained/distracted/from obsessively refreshing 538. I've been wanting to do this post for a while and I thought what better time than when you'll be sitting in front of a computer for several hours obsessing about an election. Unfortunately Cupcake Wars and The Bachelor have not yet done an elections episode (can you imagine though) and I didn't shows that routinely deal with electoral politics like Parks and Rec and West Wing. So, here are some of my favorite television shows of all time reviewed for how they deal with the concept of elections!

Futurama: A Head In the Polls (Also Available on Netflix)

Fry: If I were registered to vote, I'd send these clowns a message by staying home on election day and dressing up like a clown!
The plot: The episode starts out with two nearly indistinguishable candidates running for President of Earth and the gang commenting on their various political affiliations/registration status. However the Planet Express crew starts to take the election a lot more seriously when a robotic Nixon gets in the race.
Review: I started here because in my mind this is the most well done election episode around. All of their political episodes are wonderful perhaps in part because SNL writer and Al Gore's daughter Kristen Gore is on their writing staff. I love how creative Futurama can be because they are not bound by what is physically or temporarily possible. This episode tackles voter apathy, third parties and a slew of other topics that are perpetual thorns in my side with humor and insight. RoboNixon not withstanding this episode is #tooreal. If you only watch one episode this GOTV, this is the one to watch.
High points: Presidential history jokes (my soft spot).
Low points: Spoiler alert: their sudden enfranchisement doesn't go great for the crew.

30 Rock: Brooklyn Without Limits (Available on Netflix)

Jenna: If they could be bribed I would have won an award for my Lifetime original movie, 'Sister Can You Spare a Breast?'
The plot: Jack gets involved in a Congressional race to back an Independent Tea Party type candidate who he thinks will be good for business. Meanwhile Liz becomes obsessed with an Urban Outfitters type store that turns out to be owned by Halliburton.
The Review: Another excellent episode and not the only 30 Rock about elections. I would also recommend watching the episodes called Unwindulax and There's No I in America. I chose this one first because I love John Slattery who plays candidate Steven Austin ("and if you're blind, yes, I am the wrestler") but also because it feels so relevant to this election. How much crazy will people vote for in favor of their perceived economic interests?
High points: My distaste for Urban Outfitters' liberal persona with right-wing roots has been well documented. This episode expertly lampoons what Liz Lemon would refer to as that "Hipster nonsense."
Low points: Does Steven Austin's Zappos box ever arrive? They really left me hanging.

Seinfeld: The Wizard (Available on Hulu)

George: Snoopy and Prrrrickly Pete!
The plot: Kramer moves down to Florida and runs for President of Jerry's parents' condo board. George lies about owning a home in the Hamptons to avoid Susan's parents. Elaine's boyfriend is of indeterminate race.
Review: Several Seinfeld episodes touch on electoral politics most notably The Non-Fat Yogurt where Lloyd Braun is David Dinkins' campaign manager. I chose this one because it was the episode in which an election played the biggest role. Yes it's not a "real" election but the show is self-aware enough that the joke is in how inappropriately seriously the characters take it and as always they nail the old Jewish thing. It also includes two of the most quotable Seinfeld B-stories. This episode is solidly in the upper quartile of what is in my opinion the best sitcom of all time. Giddy-up!
High points: Like I said, this is an all-around amazing episode but the way Mrs. Ross nails the line "sounds grand" makes its way into at least one conversation a month with one of my best friends from high school.
Low point: The idea of a cottage cheese and egg whites comment is so gross I sometimes gag when I hear that scene.
Bonus content: Who Seinfeld characters would support in 2016. It's extremely well thought out.

Arrested Development: The Immaculate Election (Available on Netflix)

Rav Nadir: Drought, starvation, there are the things my family has had to deal with for generations...although fortunately not since we moved to Corona Del Mar.
The plot: George Michael is running for Student Body President against the much more popular Steve Holt. Michael enlists GOB's help to keep George Michael from getting crushed.
Review: There is actually a more-election specific episode of Arrested Development in Season Four but because its in that season I consider it non-canonical (I don't understand that episode and I won't respond to it). I actually appreciate that the episode doesn't go out of its way to pretend that school elections parallel actual political campaigns plus Seasons 1-3 of Arrested can do no wrong in my eyes.
High points: This clip of Buster acting out his favorite movie scenes is my happy place.
Low points: As I said it's not really that electiony.

Saved by The Bell: The Election

Jessie: Fair! Fair? What does fair have to do with it? We are WOMEN we go to the bathroom together, we VOTE together!
The plot: Jessie is running for school President which Zack thinks is totally lame but THEN Zack finds out the winner gets a trip to Washington, DC and to miss school for a week. You see where this is going. Zack gets in the race, friendships are put to the test and spoiler alert: valuable lessons are learned.
Review: I'm not a huge fan of school-elections-as-social-commentary episodes because student government has very little to do with real elections, but you know, its an easy allegory especially when your show is set in a high school. Reviewing an episode of Saved by the Bell is like reviewing a bowl of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese- you know empirically its not going to be good but its so formulaic and neon and nostalgic that you enjoy the heck out of it anyway.
High points: Mr. Dewey the sardonic and monotone math teacher/faculty advisor, delivering deadpan humor in a way that only exists in 90's sitcoms.
Low points: Zack, "As for me, I only run for buses, blondes and brunettes" Burn, Zack. I'm right here. Also could do without the sexism and the Roseanne Barr fat joke.

Bob's Burgers: The Millie-churian Candidate (Available on Netflix)

Tina: Wow brains and brawn, is what I would say if you had the brawn part.
The plot: Louise's weirdo groupie Millie runs for class President in order to get closer to her.
Review: I hate this episode so much. And I LOVE Bob's Burgers. It's pretty needlessly convoluted and just uncomfortable for pretty much every character. Also it is very low on Linda Belcher who is obviously the best character. However it does have a pretty clever twist at the end and as Linda learned the hard way, a lie is not a twist. So go ahead and watch it but don't have a crap attack.
High points: It did give us the above GIF which has been of big use this election season.
Low point: The character of Millie is so annoying that its almost unwatchable. She is so annoying that uses the idea of an improv club to make herself sound LESS gross and crazy.

Golden Girls: Strange Bedfellows

Blanche: Just because you didn't have a good time is no reason to bore your friends with a bad story.
The plot: The girls are volunteering on the City Council campaign of "wimp" Gil Chesteron, but Dorothy and Rose are dismayed and angry when Blanche appears to have had an affair with the married candidate. Meanwhile Sophia is convinced that Gil is harboring a secret.
The Review: Ughhhhhh.....okay, I'm just going to tell you. The "secret" that Sophia senses turns out to be that Gil is transgender. This is probably my least favorite episode of one of my favorite shows because it is problematic as fuck. It's also just not very good. Two cheesecakes down.
High points: Rose the whacktivist has the idea to make bird feeders with Gil's name on them and Dorothy is appropriately disgusted by this plan.
Low points: Transphobia, slut-shaming, not believing women. Take your pick.

What do you think? Did I leave something out? What's your favorite election episode and how are things going out there? What are ya hearin'?


Campaign Love and Mine,

Nancy

#RepealThe19th

Just when you thought it was safe....FBI email schedule! Nevermind the fact that Trump is being accused of raping a child.

A friend shared these on my Facebook wall a couple of weeks ago and now I wanted to share them with you because what would usually be an interesting piece of historic memorabilia is actually frighteningly close to what could be found on Reddit this election cycle. Take a look, share, and remember what's at stake.