Help Support Perriello’s Volunteer Surge

UPDATE 2:35pm: Over $600 in contributions from 14 individuals – thanks for your support!

I was in Rep. Tom Perriello’s Danville campaign office last night when his regional field director said that while he was thrilled with the unexpectedly huge flood of volunteers the campaign is seeing, he’d love to have more cars & vans to get them from the office to voters in far-flung areas. Well, I said … I know some blue Virginians who might be able to chip in to help out.

While not all of us can get to the 5th Congressional district, this is a great chance to support Tom’s volunteers. Can you spare $25 or more to help Tom’s volunteers be supplied with the resources they need to get out the vote?

I’m working out of Rep. Tom Perriello’s Danville office through the election on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund, which has endorsed Tom. I can’t overstate how much energy there is for Tom here in Danville. Tom’s office has been flooded with so many volunteers, they’ve expanded into additional office space across Main Street — phone banks on the south side of the street, canvasses launching on the north side. In just the short drive to my canvass location tonight, I passed two other Perriello volunteers. Yard signs density in some neighborhoods is greater than I’ve ever seen for any candidate.

Most importantly, voters who came out to cast ballots for Obama/Warner/Perriello in ’08 are closely engaged in this race.

In my talks with voters last week, I had to do very little persuasion — voters were already committed to coming out for Tom. Swing voters told me they’d been turned off by Hurt’s inactivity. “Hurt’s been in Richmond for 10 years — what’s he done?” one asked me. “Why won’t Hurt defend himself? Why’s he dodging all these debates?” another wondered, noting that Hurt turned his nose up at a recent public forum to instead hobnob with donors & Gov. McDonnell.

Last week, even a tornado warning didn’t slow down a late evening phone bank — as seen here, the crew in Tom’s Danville campaign office just brought laptops & cell phones to the basement, being sure to call only homes outside the warning zone.

Meanwhile, I’ve yet to see any evidence of an active Hurt campaign. I just asked a volunteer if Hurt had a Danville office. She said, “It’s on Piney Forest Road” — the same road I’d just driven on my canvass. Turns out I’ve already driven past Hurt’s office at least four times over the last week & have never even noticed it.

Losses in tomorrow’s election are inevitable. The Democratic tide in 2008 washed some candidates into office in districts that just aren’t hospitable to progressives in the long run. But Rep. Tom Perriello has the right combination of values, integrity & work ethic to last. And Robert Hurt? Do we really need more blow-dried, unresponsive, valueless, daddy’s-little-rich-boys in Washington?

This race is our chance to take a stand — whoever else goes down, we’re all in for Tom. If you can spare $25 or more, don’t put this off until later — the polls open in less than 24 hours and there’s no time to waste. Please show your support Tom right now. Thanks in advance!