WP: Kerry's Senior Brigade (in Palm Beach County)

[kskiska]

In Palm Beach County, Dedicated Retirees Get Out the Vote

At Kerry-Edwards headquarters last week, the seniors were sadly shaking their heads because an absentee ballot had not reached the man in hospice care in time. His dying wish was to cast a vote against President Bush, and if only he had signed the ballot before he died, it would have counted.

God forbid that should happen to one of them.

So they stream by the hundreds into the office here, volunteers in their seventies and eighties, die-hard Democrats, many of them Jewish, still irritated about the famous Palm Beach County butterfly ballot of 2000. Some estimate that the confusing ballot caused a couple thousand of their comrades to vote for Pat Buchanan when they meant to support their Joey, vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, and they are out to avenge all that has happened since. They tick off the war, the economy, Social Security, prescription drug benefits, homeland security, education and the man in the Oval Office, whom they regard with suspicion for a perceived lack of intellectual rigor. They don't talk that much about John Kerry.

Victor Villandre, 65, a retired high school physics teacher from Long Island, is the office's volunteer coordinator. "Those people," he says, waving a hand at the dozens of gray heads huddled over television tray tables, making calls, "are the patriots. They really love their country, and they are afraid that this is their last chance to take it back."

It's a last dance for the children of the New Deal. Their Florida was supposed to be a retirement heaven of palm trees and golf courses and early-bird specials. And now here they are, nearly frantic with passion and purpose, canvassing hours each day in the hot sun, bunions and all.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49755-2004Oct20.html

[DemFromMem]

1. The Bushie Kinderlach are such a Shanda. Oy!

Who says * scaring little old Jewish folks in Florida will work this year?

[gumby]

2. Touching article

Go grannies!!

[David Dunham]

3. This is eactly what we need to win.

[Pirate Smile]

4. That article is adorable. You have to read the entire thing.

I feel better about Florida after reading it.

[progressivebydesign]

5. Okay, but they had to get a dig in against Kerry.. naturally..

"They don't talk that much about John Kerry."

Guess I should be happy that the article is positive for the Dems.. but the media can't resist trying to tell the world that none of us LIKE John Kerry, but are only ABB... which is bullshit.

[FlaGranny]

6. Thank you.

I especially enjoyed this as I was just there on Monday. The lady at the front desk certainly doesn't look her age. They were all out of buttons, signs, stickers, and everything else on Monday. I'm one of those on the list to drive voters to vote. When I go there, I just feel better.

[BrotherBuzz]

7. Shades of the Gray Panthers....

I love it!

[Dem2theMax]

8. God bless them!

Makes me think of the three (yes, 3) times I went to the theater to see F 9-11. Senior citizens made up at least half of the audience EVERY time. Made me feel SOOOO good. :)

[salin]

9. In1992, my father was in his last fight

with cancer. It was terribly important to him to vote. I believe the county clerk came to the house to administer his absentee ballot.

He made it through election day - holding on to see Clinton elected, and died later that week.