Nubbie

By Mary Lynn F. Jones, AlterNet
April 9, 2004

Caryn Schenewerk was hanging out with some friends at the Washington, D.C. International Wine & Food Festival in late February when talk turned to politics. Everyone agreed that "Bush is a threat to our privacy rights, health and security," said Schenewerk, a 26-year-old attorney who hails from New Boston, Texas. Then an idea occurred to them: Why not form a group and call it Women Against Bush?

Schenewerk and friends talked more the next day and started thinking about ideas. They wanted to make the group fun, such as offering free panties to members who pay $25 to join. Think of it as "Sex and the City" meets politics: "It was one of those ideas that you can't just leave alone because it's so good," Schenewerk said.

So Schenewerk created a website, and she and her friends planned a launch party at a Washington club, hoping 100 people would attend. "There were a lot of sleepless nights and early mornings involved in that," Schenewerk said. The idea spread, thanks to the Internet and email. (A mention in the Washington Post didn't hurt, either.)

On April 1, about 300 people attended WomenAgainstBush.org's kickoff bash. The group raised more than $5,000 in one week for its political action committee, Running in Heels. (WomenAgainstBush.org is a project of Running in Heels.)


Babes Left and Right

Schenewerk isn't alone. Across the country, Americans are forming coalitions that combine politics with non-political activities to get people excited about voting this fall. There's Babes Against Bush – which offers a regime change countdown calendar that runs until Inauguration Day ($11, plus $1.95 shipping) – as well as Babes for Bush, whose calendar goes for $20, plus tax and shipping.

The Bush campaign Web site is offering Republicans the chance to buy event packs, including navy caps, bumper stickers, buttons and a yard sign. The campaign is hoping supporters will host 2,004 "Parties for the President" on April 29; 1,675 events had been scheduled as of April 6, according to the website.

The rise in such groups can be traced in part to the success of Howard Dean's grassroots Internet campaign and Meetups, and the empowerment they gave voters. But with the electorate essentially split between the two parties, Democrats and Republicans are looking for any help they can get at the voting booth.

"Each side is trying to prime the pump for themselves," said Brad Bannon, a Democratic political consultant in Washington, D.C. "Both sides understand that this could be a very close election." Bringing new voters to the party "could very much dictate the course of the election."


Grassroots Games

Voters aren't the only ones taking the election into their own hands. The presidential campaigns are focusing on grassroots efforts, which both parties recognize as important. "Fewer people get their information from the three major television networks than they used to," Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman told the Los Angeles Times in February.

Non-campaign affiliated groups make it easy for members to join by arranging low-cost, local events. WomenAgainstBush.org plans to hold get-togethers the first Thursday of every month. Members get to choose a pair of panties – a blue thong with "Bush Free Zone" written in red, or a black bikini with "Kiss Bush!" and lips on the front and "Goodbye! 11.02.04" in hot pink on the back.

Rich Khoe and his seven co-founders began discussing the idea of Run Against Bush in October; it opened for business in February. Despite the group's name, only half of the founders are runners; the others are light joggers and walkers. "The one thing we have in common is the 'against Bush' part," said Khoe, a 33-year-old consultant in Washington, D.C. Members of Run Against Bush, which schedules runs regularly in major cities, pay $20 to join and get a free T-shirt.

"At the core, it's concern about the direction the country's heading in and concern about raising these concerns and whether we get painted as unpatriotic," added Khoe, noting that Run Against Bush's most famous member is Michael Moore. The group has given T-shirts to John Kerry, Wesley Clark and Bill Clinton.

Neither Schenewerk nor Khoe has ever been politically active. "I've always followed politics and have attended fundraisers, but this is the first time I've really taken on something big," Schenewerk said. "I really want Bush out!"

Khoe, who volunteered for Clark's campaign, said "The stakes are higher. It's not just terrorism and security but the economy as well. This administration as far as abusing the public trust – it's unprecedented what they are willing to politicize for political gain."


Attention Grabbers

Their enthusiasm is spreading. Schenewerk said she has received emails from people in other cities who are interested in holding events. The group's next party in Washington is dubbed "Wax Away Bush" and will be held at a local salon. For a $50 minimum, donors will receive a gift certificate good for any service at the salon, although Schenewerk hopes they'll use the certificate toward bikini waxes (swimsuit season is coming, after all).

"It's an attention grabber – we're trying to have fun with this, it makes people laugh," she said. "We're all about the double entendres that we can back up with substance." The April 24 event comes one day before the March for Women's Lives in Washington.

Khoe said he thought at first that Run Against Bush – which is a project of its political action committee, Running for Change – would be lucky to raise $5,000 and get 100 members. It now has more than 1,300 members in 40 states who have raised $38,000 for Running for Change. "It's gone well beyond our friends and our friends' friends, which is how it started out," Khoe said. The money will go to Kerry, swing state committees, candidates opposed to Bush who are in tight congressional races, and media campaigns in swing states.

"We are getting a lot of people to get out and do something who would otherwise be sitting on the sidelines," he added.

Schenewerk agreed, noting, "Something about us is appealing to people who haven't been involved." Now she's dealing with "nuts and bolts" issues, such as the group's board and filing organization papers with the Federal Election Commission. Running in Heels will not only donate to Kerry's campaign, but to House and Senate races as well.

Sky's The Limit

Starting the groups has even had side benefits for their founders. Khoe, who used to run about once a month, now runs three times a week. "It's just another example of how we're feeling extra-motivated," he said.

Khoe said Run Against Bush plans to go to the Democratic convention in Boston to recruit new members and to the Republican convention in New York, where members will make a "quiet and visible statement." He added, "We're planning on running circles around the convention." Schenewerk said it's too early to decide what her group will do.

On the GOP side, Babes for Bush was founded in late 1999. According to the group's website, "A babe is someone who has internal as well as external beauty, which defies age and gender. A Babe for Bush is one who shares President George W. Bush's values of God, family and country, living a life with high character and integrity."

Groups affiliated with campaigns include Democrats for Bush, which Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) launched on March 24. Both Kerry and Bush have coalitions aimed at reaching out to core voting blocs, such as African Americans and women.

As Schenewerk said, "We want to get women to vote and vote against Bush. We want them to start thinking of politics as something worth their time, interesting and hopefully fun. ... When you get a bunch of fun, intelligent women together, the sky's no limit!"


Mary Lynn F. Jones is online editor of The Hill.

Nubbie

I spotted that on alternet.org and thought it was an amusing read.
Its times like these I wish I was an american, just for the buildup to the election.

Anyone ever watch the 'mayham 2000' edition on theonion.com during the 2000 elections?

brooklynhype

I think Americans go too far with anything to do with compitition.

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