No Cloning group has 1000 vollunteers at Polling Places

Drew McKeown (pronounced me-KOU-an) stood a lonely watch outside a polling place in University City passing handbills out to voters encouraging them to vote no on Amendment 2. Normally the polling place is stacked with volunteers on election day, but this grey November day, only McKeown was out.

McKeown, a student at Washington University studying economics, said he became involved through conservative maven Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum. He said he is concerned by the “ethical slippery slope” that the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures proposes. What if successful research requires weeks of development rather than hours or days, he asked?

McKoewn admitted that most voters he approached had already made up their mind. He added, that despite a few mean-spirited comments, he had almost run out of handbills.

Jackie Winship from Missourians Against Human Cloning said they have around 1,000 volunteers at polls in St. Louis City and County. They have a nearly equal number in Kansas City and more throughout the state.

Connie Farrow of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures said they were focused not on polling places, but were still getting the message out by sign-waving in high visibility places. Farrow said they have 1,000 volunteers across the state. In the city they are setting up at locations like the Tamm overpass on Interstate 40 and folks at major intersections like Clayton and Hanley.

Both groups said they have gotten word of high turnout, but neither is doing any exit-polling and any impression of success is anecdotal. They'll be watching tonights count like everyone else.