Obama-Biden HQ opened in Chipley

CHIPLEY – The Panhandle-wide Obama-Biden tour came to Chipley Monday, with about 150 people on hand to open a presidential campaign headquarters.

Former Florida Governor and Senator Bob Graham, former Mississippi Governor and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ray Mabus, and former South Carolina Governor Jimmy Hodges were guest speakers to open the headquarters at 733 2nd Street.

Naomi Melvin provided the brick house that was filled with Obama-Biden posters and T-shirts, refreshments and campaign workers as county Democratic Chairperson Mikey Burch and crew organized the event.

Local candidates present included Supervisor of Elections Carol Finch Griffin, Mike Park for superintendent of schools, John Harmon and Charles Brock for Board of County Commissioners, and Johnny McDaniel for state representative.

“36 days” was written on the eraser board in the HQ and that was how many days were left in the election as of Monday. Graham also said the number “10” was important, and gave out “homework assignments” for 3-10s:

•Oct. 6 is end of registration and Graham urged each person to find 10 people and get them registered.

•There are about six weeks until the election and Graham asked those present to spend 10 hours helping elect Democrats.

•Raise or donate $10 to the party.

“With that we can win,” Graham said.

Mabus called the crowd in Chipley Obama’s “core constituency, white guys from the deep South.”

“We’re going to win the deep South, he said. “We simply can’t stand four more years of what we have had the last four years.”

Hodges said that a mere handful of votes made a difference in Florida in the 2000 election, “and that could make a difference in the this election.”

“This election could well turn in Florida and Florida could well turn in small communities like this.”

An organizational meeting will be held Friday at 6 p.m. at the Obama headquarters. For information contact Ira Burch at 638-4003 or Mikey Burch at WCDEC@wmconnect.co

Video and photo galleries at www.chipleypaper.com

Democrats rally for votes in Chipley

CECILIA SPEARS
Staff Writer
cspears@chipleypaper.com

CHIPLEY – Democrats held a political rally Saturday at the CWA Union Hall Saturday to give local candidates a chance to meet the public, and to to organize teams to promote the candidacy of Barak Obama and Joe Biden, and to ensure a good turnout for Monday’s grand opening of the Obama presidential field office on 2nd Street.

Democratic parties running in upcoming elections were invited to speak at the rally.
Running for School Superintendent, Mike Park encouraged his fellow Democrats to get “geared up” for the up-coming presidential elections.

“We’ve been gaining stupendous momentum on this end of the county,” said Park. “I feel if we can keep this drive and fire-up all of our fellow Democrats to vote, we will win.”

Running for reelection as Supervisor of Elections, Carol Griffin, said that the rumors going around about turning away voters whose Social Security numbers or driver’s license numbers don’t match with their voter registration is completely false.

“We will never turn anyone away from voting,” said Griffin. “All that will happen is that we’ll give you a pending ballot and that’s effective as soon as everything is sorted out.”

She said problems with security has made the requirements for voting higher, one of which was a woman had sent in for an absentee ballot for her dog and because the requirements were lax, it was counted.

Another rumor was that voters wearing their party’s T-shirts, hats or buttons weren’t allowed in to vote. Griffin said this was also untrue and that the rules were anything considered to be worn on the body was allowed.

“I also want to add that voters can vote for any and all districts as long as it’s within your county,” she said. “I hope that I will represent our party well and I want to hear from anyone who might have any questions, comments or concerns.”

Running for reelection for Clerk of Court, Linda Cook said that she’s been in the position since 1996 and has seen the county develop well over the years.

Running for County Commission District 5, John Harmon, said that he hopes the Democratic Party will continue to have the drive and dedication it does now and hopes to have even more support in the future.
Running for District 3 as a non-partisan candidate school board candidate, Pam Cates said for voters to remember one important detail when voting. “If you remember only one thing about what I’m saying today,” said Cates. “Let it be ‘please, remember to flip the ballot over and place your vote in the bottom left hand corner.” The Washington County ballots are double sided, having candidates to vote for on both sides.

Washington County DEC Chair, Mikey Burch thanked everyone for their dedication and diligence about this year’s campaign.

“The choice we make in November will decide the world our children will have to live in,” said Burch. “And remember, that no matter how rich or how poor you are, that it’s the privilege to vote that makes us all equals.”

She also said that Obama signs have been going missing and she’ll be looking into putting GPS chips into the next batch of signs bought.

“Stealing is one of those characteristics that I can’t tolerate about people and if you take something that doesn’t belong to you, that is considered stealing,” she said. “All I can say is if and when we catch whomever is doing this, we will be prosecuting.”