AA Parade Today

Today will be the African-American day Parade. Harlem 4 Obama members and supporters will be out registering, marching, and rallying support for Obama. There will be various organizations and bands there, and we will try to have video and photos uploaded to the site. Plus it's nice outside today, so join us!

Debate Watch Party

The first debate. Be there folks.

H4O Steering Committee Meeting Saturday

This Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 3pm, at our new headquarters. Team members and others invited to attend/help.

H4O Office Opening - This Saturday (Press Event)

Harlem4Obama Campaign Office Open
2479 Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Ave.) below 133rd St.
GRAND OPENING SATURDAY SEPT 13


GRAND OPENING
Harlem 4 Obama Campaign Office
DATE: Saturday Sept. 13
TIME: 3 PM (but come as early as 10AM to pitch in!!)
LOCATION: 2479 Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Ave) below 133rd

MORE: Need Volunteers, Donations, Furniture, Supplies
Please reply to whye@chetwhye.com with what you can donate

Harlem 4 Obama is pleased to announce the opening of its Harlem campaign office at 2479 Frederick Douglass Blvd. between 132nd and 133rd streets. The Harlem 4 Obama team will open its new office Thursday September 11th in time for Senator Obama's arrival in Harlem but will hold an official Grand Opening this Saturday September 13th at 3:00pm.


SUPPLIES/FURNITURE/EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Donate a little or a LOT!
Anti-Bacterial Soap
Book Shelves
Broom
Campaign Buttons
Campaign Posters
Chairs
Chart Paper
Cleanser
Clear Tape
Clip Boards
Coaxial Cable
Coffee
Coffee Cups
Coffee Mugs
Coffee Table
Coffee Thermos
Coffee Urn
Computer Keyboards
Computer Monitors
Creamer
Desktop Computers
Dustpan
Extension Chords
File Cabinets
Folders
Lamps
Masking Tape
Mop
Napkins
Network Hubs
Paper Clips
Paper Cups
Paper Plates
Paper Towel Holder
Paper Towels
Pencils
Pens
Phone
Phone Chords
Printer Paper
Printers
Rugs
Scissors
Sofa Table
Sofas
Sugar
Surge Protectors
Tea
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Toilet Brush
Toilet Paper
Waste Baskets
White Board Erasers
White Board Markers
White Boards
Wireless Router
Writing Pads

Obama at Columbia + Our NEW Office!

Barack Obama will be at Columbia University tomorrow. From the Gothamist:

Columbia University president Lee Bollinger confirmed that presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will appear together at the university for a forum sponsored by ServiceNation. The Columbia Spectator describes ServiceNation as a "non-partisan coalition devoted to increasing the commitment of citizens to public service to 100 million people by 2010."

Tickets are closed to the public, but they will televise the forum on CNN. Check it out.


Also, we have an new Harlem office! Stop on by at: 2479 Frederick Douglass (b/t132/133rd st).

Obama did NOT call Sarah Palin a "pig"

If you did not watch or hear Palin's speech last week, it won't make a difference what I'm talking about--so please click on this link and get a fair look before Fox and CNN get a hold of it in your heads. (Thanks to Marc Ambinder). But there is a story developing of Obama on the campaign trail calling Palin a pig. Click the link and see for yourself.

What If There's a Tie?

What Happens If We Tie? The Presidential Apocalypse?



It's not out of the question. Obama holds the Kerry states and picks off IA, NM, and NV. McCain holds the remaining states. This would set up a historic battle for the Presidency in ways that many Americans probably do not anticipate. Here's a possible run-down of what to expect:


From the Constitution, here's what it says we do if no one reaches 270 EVs:

In this event…each state delegation has a single vote. To be elected, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of state votes (26) in order for that candidate to become the President-elect. The House continues balloting until a candidate receives an absolute majority of the state votes.

Let's look at how the House votes first—by delegation. The New York delegation is heavily Democratic, New York would have one (1) vote for Obama, Utah has more Republicans, and will go for McCain. Each state, regardless of size, (inexplicably) gets one vote. The votes are based on the incoming makeup of the House, and so if each delegation votes down party lines the outcome will probably fall to



- 27 D-Controlled State Delegations
- 21 R-Controlled State Delegations
- 2 Evenly Split



This is not likely to change because Democrats seemed poised to pick up seats in Red States, not lose them. So pending that no one falls on their knife for another party, advantage goes to Obama and the voters do not have to reflect how their state voted. Dean and his 50-state strategy would be lauded in retrospect.

The Senate gets to choose the VP. Again, reading our Constitution:

If no candidate for Vice President receives an absolute majority of electoral votes, then the Senate must go into session to elect a Vice President. The Senate votes in the normal manner in this case (i.e., ballots are individually cast by each Senator, and not by State delegations).

Additionally, the Twelfth Amendment states that a "majority of the whole number" of Senators (currently 51 of 100) is necessary for there to be a selection of one of the two candidates. This provision essentially prohibits the sitting Vice President from casting a tie-breaking vote in the case of an evenly divided chamber.
Which means, it favors Biden being elected VP.

But hopefully people vote in large enough numbers so that this doesn't happen...