The city of Santa Cruz is a progressive community that shows visible support for Obama. McCain paraphernalia is not absent but pales in comparison. The city is populated by about 56,000. The county of Santa Cruz is about 145,000. Scattered throughout they are signs encouraging voters to vote. But most material voices a ballot choice.
MOTIV, a new club in downtown Santa Cruz opens its doors and serves free finger food for local leaders and voters to talk about elections issues under the Democratic Dialogue forums. The idea: get people involved in their community during this election.
MOTIV, a new club in downtown Santa Cruz opens its doors and serves free finger food for local leaders and voters to talk about elections issues under the Democratic Dialogue forums. The idea: get people involved in their community during this election.
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Down the street from MOTIV, Downtown Bookshop Santa Cruz sells countdown clocks to an Obama presidency and donates a percentage to the Obama campaign. Clearly Obama territory. The only other countdown clock in the bookshop counts the time till Bush leaves office.
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Inside the bookshop, a table display of books and magazines on the election reminds residents to vote.
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The best place to get buttons, yards signs, and other paraphernalia supporting Obama is at the downtown Democratic HQ, which is a minute's walk from Bookshop Santa Cruz.
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In a conference and training room of the downtown Democratic HQ, a lone volunteer gets ready for phonebanking. No shortage of volunteers exist, however.
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The Santa Cruz Metro, our local free newspaper is scattered all over the city: in restaurants, shops, movie theaters, campuses, gas stations, newspaper boxes, spas and Veteren Centers. This past week's edition cover features a Super Obama to the rescue as cities in Santa Cruz County yell out for help.
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Not everyone in the city is an Obama supporter. On one of the busiest intersections in Santa Cruz at rush hour, two residents hold up a sign in support of third parties.
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A McCain supporter not only hopes to derail Obama with bumper stickers but calls to impeach the city of Santa Cruz.
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At a local costume shop near downtown, the only political masks left four days before Halloween were of Richard Nixon and Hillary Clinton.
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A look alike Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger trains about 240 polling clerks and supervisors for November 4 elections. The emphasis of the training is handwritten on the sign to the right of the governor. It says, "Always Let the Voter Vote."
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