The Friday Wrap

I'm headed out the door soon for two weeks off -- one of those stay-at-home, don't-spend-much-money vacations. Much walking, reading and DVD-watching ahead... if there's a recent book or movie you really liked, drop me a tip in the comments.

A quick reminder before we get to the wrapup: I'm teaching a class in December at Queens University and doing a reading next Friday at StorySlam! Here's more info on both.

So here's what I was up to this week:

On the paper and in the blog

A hawk rode the wind.

We had some great responses to the Why I Vote project.

I wrote an early column on the John Spratt v. Mick Mulvaney congressional race...

Then a later version as the votes came in.

A chance meeting on that story brought out one from the vault.

Finally, we talked a little SEC football.

Links from Twitter

Here's some stuff I flagged on my Twitter feed, @tommytomlinson:

Jagger responds to Keith Richards' book. Almost can't believe this is true. But what a piece of writing. http://slate.me/9vR0BT
I think my Spidey Sense was right... that Mick Jagger letter is (probably) fake. http://exm.nr/aHyeTs

RIP Catfish Collins: James Brown guitarist, player of the lick on "Flash Light," and brother of Bootsy. http://ind.pn/ctDGNS

There's only one guy you need to read on Sparky Anderson. Here's @JPosnanski. http://bit.ly/9skBxb

From @DanWetzel: "29 TDs, nine victories and zero losses is worth a great deal more than tuition, room and board." http://bit.ly/cqYvnU

My buddy Dan Huntley cooking 'cue today at Ellis Island (!) as part of this: http://bit.ly/cQu9ZD

Borders, Joseph-Beth closing in CLT. charlotteobserver.com/2010/11/04/181… They were near each other AND Barnes/Noble. Never understood how all 3 wd survive.

I was thinking this same thing, but the NYT's Ross Douthat said it better. http://nyti.ms/clUQby

Outside polling place in York, SC. Never noticed one of these before. #elections http://yfrog.com/ndcsuhj

A paper in 3 parts: Debes Saber (What you must know); Debes Leer (What you must read); Debes Hacer (What you must do). http://bit.ly/cgyuug

A musical interlude

From the great kottke.org, here's AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" -- on bagpipes.



Coming up

After my time off, I'm going to make some tweaks in this storytelling gig... one thing I'm definitely going to do is put things on more of a schedule, so it'll be easier to know when I'm writing and what it's going to be on a particular day. Holler, as always, with thoughts, questions and ideas. Have a great weekend, everybody.

John Spratt goes one more round

Readers: I'm writing about the John Spratt-Mick Mulvaney race in South Carolina... I'll have more tonight as the results come in. For now, here's a little bit from earlier in the day. -- TT

A black Prius pulled up to Cotton Belt Elementary in York, S.C., and John Spratt got out, hunched over against the chill.

Spratt woke up at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday so he could make it to the shift change at the Bowater paper plant. He had breakfast at Ebenezer Grill in Rock Hill to meet some more voters. And now he was out at the elementary school to cast his own vote, and campaign a little bit, and try to squeeze out a win with the political world tilted against him.

He and his wife, Jane, headed for the cafeteria to vote, and he gave a quick prediction: "It's a tossup."

Of all today's political face-offs in the Carolinas, Spratt's race against Mick Mulvaney feels like the one most closely tied to the country at large -- a Democrat in trouble, a Republican riding the hot issues, a veteran politician pushed to the edge.

Spratt was first elected to Congress in South Carolina's 5th District in 1982. Ronald Reagan was in his first term and Barack Obama was a college student. Spratt made friends, and built seniority, and now he is in a powerful role -- chairman of the House Budget Committee. Over the years he gained a reputation as a fiscal conservative, as a Democrat who could work with Republicans, and as a rare congressman known more for what he does than what he says.

But Spratt voted for the TARP bailout, and he voted for the stimulus package, and he voted for Obama's health-care plan, and now he's in political trouble. Mulvaney, a Republican state senator, has made a smart and unusual argument: He admits that Spratt has been good at his job, but he says that's not the case anymore. "Those times have changed," Mulvaney says, "and it's time for us to change congressmen."

Spratt wasn't helped by a terrible TV ad run in his behalf by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The ad portrayed Mulvaney as a villain who would make Social Security illegal and put your grandma in jail. No, really -- there was a picture of an elderly woman behind bars. The ad didn't come directly from his campaign, but either way, it was an un-Spratt way of doing business.

So now, as Spratt and his wife rode up to the school, they had to pass not just Mulvaney signs but red-and-yellow signs that say SACK SPRATT.

Spratt is South Carolina's last white Democrat in Congress. He's in a state that historically trends conservative, with a Republican (Nikki Haley) favored for governor, and a Republican lock (Jim DeMint) for the U.S. Senate. He's running in a year when Republicans expect to gain seats nationwide.

He's also fighting other battles. He's showing the early symptoms of Parkinson's disease; as he talks, his right hand shakes. He turned 68 on Monday, and he wears a hearing aid, and he has never been much of a grip-and-grin guy. He's earnest and he looks you in the eye when he talks. It's impressive face-to-face, but maybe it loses a little under the bright lights.

"You'll need a picture ID or your voter card," the guy at the polling place said, and everybody laughed because they all knew who it was. But he got out his ID anyway, and he and Jane cast their votes, and then he went around saying hey to everybody and asking about turnout. (At 11 a.m., in a precinct with 1,600 voters, more than 200 had voted and another 200 had voted absentee.)

"We've had good turnout so far, but I hope we get more, for democracy's sake and for my sake," he said. "It looks like it's going to be a pretty day. I remember some Election Days that looked a lot rougher than this."

Fourteen times in a row, Spratt has come away from Election Day a winner. What does he think about this time?

He looks away. Then looks back.

"I won't be surprised at anything."

Last call for Why I Vote

We've gotten a few good submissions for the Why I Vote project, but I'd love to see some more before Election Day next Tuesday. The idea is to send me a photo of yourself, with a card or caption or something explaining why you vote.

Here's a great example from David Bayer:


You can e-mail the photo to me, ttomlinson@charlotteobserver.com. If you have any questions about how to do that, holler.

As we all know, voting increases your sex appeal, makes hair grow back and causes your stocks to increase in value. But you probably have your own reasons. Let's hear 'em.

Project #6: Why I Vote

Our new project is tied to Election Day. We hear every year about how people are more disillusioned about politics than ever. This project is designed as an antidote. It's called Why I Vote, and the idea is simple:

Send in a photo of yourself with a sign that answers this question: Why do you vote?

What we're looking for in the photo is kind of a Bob Dylan "Subterranean Homesick Blues" feel:

Except you can smile. Smiling is encouraged.

It doesn't have to look exactly like that, either. Be creative! Although your answer also needs to be brief.

BECAUSE IT IS A CORNERSTONE OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT WE HAVE CHOSEN IN THIS COUNTRY might not work.

BECAUSE I COLLECT THOSE 'I VOTED' STICKERS probably would.

Be funny, be serious, be sarcastic, be heartfelt... be whatever you like. Make sure your face is in the photo. And be partisan if you want, but just know that I'm more inclined toward nonpartisan answers. (You could write in red or blue marker to show your colors.)

E-mail me your photo (with your name and town) to ttomlinson@charlotteobserver.com. (You can also mail it to PO Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230... but if you don't know how to e-mail a photo, just ask the nearest 12-year-old.)

I'm hoping we'll end up with a motivational slideshow for these last few weeks before Election Day.

Thanks for contributing!