As a reminder, one is prohibited from wearing clothing or hats with a candidate's name on it as we cast our vote. You may choose to wear blue or purple as a silent show of support.
Thank you for being the change we need!
You're all invited to the Director's Lawn at the Illinois State Fair tomorrow. US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will be introducing New Mexico's Governor Bill Richardson as the guest speaker. The rally begins at 1:30 pm, Wednesday, August 13th. Be sure to wear your Obama gear and help us make it a 'fired up!' day.
Thank you to Governor Richardson for gracing our fair. Maybe we'll see him on the Sky Ride!
Link to the current state of American politics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lyaMrS0hzk&eurl=http://www.jedreport.com/
And the GOP wonders why we're so fed up.
The following author's points bear repeating often:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6430781
Little time for distortion, division and distraction.
In case you missed this precious moment in "Silly Season", Jon has put bitterness into perspective:
http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.aspx?id=2e8f3421-9fc1-4727-ad7b-21172957794a
Speaking as a calculated risk-taker myself, I find Peggy Noonan's recent commentary in the Wall Sreet Journal interesting. Your thoughts?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120241915915951669.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries
Okay brothers and sisters, now I'm really fired up! Please pass this love along. Thanks to everyone for coming together in the "fierce urgency of now."
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BHEO_fG3mm4
An inspiring video worth sharing, brings healing tears to mine old and weary eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFus5U2Bb3I
December 30th interview with Tim Russert on Meet the Press:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video_log/2007/12/obama_on_meet_the_press.html
Any comments?
Please send this around the world wide web ASAP:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RId8CU2qjAI
Excellent capture of Obama's moment of now --by alfredotwo, as posted on YouTube. If you're blogging in support of Obama for President, this is an excellent link to provide as appropriate.
As we're bummed by echoes of negative campaigning in desperation, let's revisist Barack's MySpace video. I believe it's why his circle of support continues to grow. Feel free to forward it.
"I don't want a present - I want a President I can believe in."
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=422561644
Our e-buddy at HuffPo captured the moment of the South Carolina Obama rally Sunday:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-hansen/the-obamaoprah-effect-a_b_76018.html
Please add your comments to Linda Hansen's coverage of the day.
Here's some Baby Boomer creativity in Central Illinois:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zuRwUVT_lU
"Say it soft and it sounds like a prayer."
Carol
I've purposefully used capital letters on this post title to emphasize the importance of checking facts. Oftentimes, personal political attacks seem a bit outlandish and are designed to play on one's emotions. Hence, I've provided this link to the official response page from the Obama for America campaign:
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/
Remember, there is always chaos before the CHANGE. The Hope-Action-Change dynamic force of this Campaign About Us is working. Please consult this site when considering how to respond to the many outlandish e-mails being circulated, to the concerns friends may express or to write a response to a misinformed blogger.
Go-Bama 08!
Nov 5th, 2007 by Carol Wood
reprinted from http://baracktheyouthvote.wordpress.com
Sunshine on my navy colored Obama shirt creates just the right temperature. November or not, forgotten gloves are no big deal. My newspaper journalist buddy Chris and I set out with maps in hand, for a South End neighborhood of an Iowa city.
Our targets are walled to the east by a huge grain processing plant. A tidy grade school rims our west and we’re further defined by railroad tracks. I’m feeling lucky to be handing out invitations to Barack’s Town Meeting this week.
The first homeowner to open a door is a thirty-ish woman who squeals, “I love Obama!” Maybe this assignment won’t be so hard. Next, a well-seasoned grim woman holds open her door to hear my appeal. Clad in a worn dress and favorite house slippers, she thanks me and politely informs me her voting decisions are private.
Big black dogs guarding chain linked yards seem to appreciate my passing sweet talk. I advise them not to snap at Obama people - we’re the good guys (and the dogs agree). When I ask one attention-seeking mutt if Republicans ever pat his head, I’m answered “I don’t know” in goofy tail wags.
I’m puzzled by old pick-up trucks laden to near collapse, holding freshly cut stumps in front of a few homes. A chipping sound signals men in backyards, bent at the waist, hand splitting logs into kindling. I expect to find wood-burning stoves in remote rural areas, but in a city of over 20,000? I settle on being humbled by their literal hands-on way of controlling energy bills. Emboldened, I talk with other men leaning over cars, using the buddy-system to get them running again. I learn the 1/2 house numbers are backyard garages converted into rental property.
Just when my confidence peaks, I meet the woman I carry in my heart. Tillie is maybe thirty-eight. She sounds sixty. As a nurse aide going to school to become a nurse, she works part-time nights in a nursing home. Her double amputee spouse lies on the couch in the unlit room behind her.
Tillie supports our War on Terror. Her son was a Marine in Iraq during the first four years of the war, but he’s home now. She much prefers we fight the terrorists over there than here. Convinced it’s a real mean world, she feels we need constant protection at all costs. Her biggest resentment is our country’s tolerance for illegal immigrants’ free use of our medical system.
When Tillie’s husband became ill, he lost his job and both their healthcare benefits. Then he lost his legs and their retirement vaporized. The doctor prescribed $2000 a month in medicine. She says at the point he goes to a nursing home, they’ll have to sell their house so Medicaid will cover his care. Her friends advise her to divorce him in order to keep their home. She says this isn’t the right way and vows never to leave him when he needs her the most. I see on her face she’s had practice at “sucking it up” to keep a sense of control over their destiny.
I ask her if perhaps a lengthy war over there is draining our means of providing Universal Healthcare for citizens over here. We rail over gazillionaire politicians’ push for Health Savings Accounts as the “economy boosting” means to fix our medical system. I tell Tillie hers is the story that needs to be told again and again until our leaders finally get it. She seems to soften at the idea of an invitation to come meet Barack, for the chance to tell her story and to receive his message of help for her blue-collar neighbors. Then she remembers it’s also the day her husband goes back for another surgery.
When I ask if a voter has logged on to barackobama.com, I’m met with the same flat response: “We don’t own a computer.” The few self-proclaimed Hillary supporters I meet each paradoxically listen to this Illinoisan’s reasoning for not supporting her. I leave them thinking that perhaps my personal demand for ethics in government has helped to buy back a bit of the media induced/image-making consulting they’ve been sold in the past.
Upon sinking into the donated couch at the Field Office, I fall into silent grief. Mature volunteers man the phones around me, seeking commitment to attend Barack’s Town Meeting in just a few days. Young and talented field staff quickly train other volunteers about to embark upon their assigned neighborhoods. I feel but a pinch of the humongous need expressed to Barack daily. I’m convinced spreading our hope-filled personal reasons for voting for Barack will ignite the victory we need. All the Tillies drive me on to doing more. Nothing changes until we coalesce ethics with action. Can you help?
Hello Central Illinois Supporters!
Here's a painless way of helping Barack in the early states:
Thursday, November 15th, 5:00 - 9:00 pm, phone banking to Iowa and New Hampshire voters
Free cell phone use provided by the Obama campaign with scripted calling messages.
AFL-CIO building
534 South Second Street
Springfield, IL
contact person: Zach Koutsky (312) 550-6758 or click on your EVENTS tab, put in any Springfield zip code and this event will appear for you to sign up online. Please bring your fired-up friends and family along as well!
Check out Linda Hansen's Off the Bus blog at Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-hansen/reactions-to-the-msnbc-de_b_70654.html
You're invited to post your comments there too.
Dear Voter,
In the event that you reside in East Petersburg precinct, know that my name will appear on your February 5th primary ballot. I'm running for this position to help energize the Menard County Democratic organization at a critical time. My commitment to changing "politics as usual" was renewed in the Springfield cold this past February 11th, while cheering Barack Obama's announcement of his candidacy for President. I've also raised my sons and recently completed my Bachelor's degree while working at Saint John's Hospital. I now have the urgent time to be an active member of our county Democratic party.
Additionally, holding the position of Democratic precinct committeewoman will authorize me to register new voters in Menard County before the general election. I'd previously inquired at our County Clerk's office about setting up a Voter Registrar's table at PORTA High School. No no one does this in Menard County. I was informed that I currently do not meet the IL State Board of Elections requirements for this role. Once I become a precinct committeewoman, I don't believe I can be denied this access to registering our local eighteen-year-olds to vote.
I hope the large primary voter turn-out in February will be an exciting time for Democratic parties everywhere. Other roles to be filled include becoming a poll-watcher at your voting site, and providing rides to the polls for our elders and for those without cars (it could be another very cold day!) Our party will need volunteers for door-to-door canvassing with candidates' materials, as well as help with phone-banking and fund-raising dinner activities.
Your commitment to voting Democratic on February 5th is greatly needed. I'll need your vote in Menard County. Most importantly, ask yourself now what is the best thing you can be doing to help Senator Obama become our beloved President Obama. Funds are needed to run newspaper ads soon on behalf of Democratic candidates in the upcoming primary election. I encourage you to contact your local county Democratic party official to make a contribution for this purpose. The energy we're devoting to coordinating personal activities with this website can also be "taken home" and applied at our county level. Show we're "fired up and ready to go!" too.
Have you thought of purchasing Obama campaign shirts and bumper stickers to politically activate your friends and family this Christmas? It's a small fourth quarter thing you can do that will help in a very large way. It's the time of year when county organizations are seeking volunteers and candidates to fill vacancies. Please consider throwing your own "hat in the ring." If you would like to contact me or the Menard County Democratic Party, please respond to this announcement and I will speak with you soon.
You are officially invited in to cure voter apathy. Go'Bama '08!
Carol Ann Wood - Candidate for East Petersburg, Menard County, IL Precinct Committeewoman
*Group Administrator - Menard County, Illinoisans for Obama'08
