Over a year a year ago 8 of us showed up on a snowy night after Senator Obama anounced he was running for President. Last year at this time 6 (if you count the baby in the stroller) went on a walk for Change. In the Northwest Suburbs on Saturday 130 people came out to celebrate UNITY. It was amazing to see so many people together for one cause. Thanks to the entire group there was more than enough food and drinks for a wonderful barbecue. And thanks to the generosity of Matt & Betty Flamm we were able to use there home and beautiful backyard.
What was really wonderful was coming together with others that share a same experience. While there were some new people there (our name tags were color coded). There were so many of us that turned out who had been"experienced volunteers". The movement has grown. It is because of each one of us and the things we've done that the movement continues to grow.
What are you going to do to grow the movement? To make sure that Senator Obama wins your state in November? Remember change comes from the bottom up - it starts with each and every one of us. Keep wearing those buttons. Ask people of their registered to vote/Get people registered to vote. Move out of your comfort zone make phone calls or go door to door. The satisfaction in November will be amazing!
We sometimes will share how a Christmas gift came about. This year one of my favorite stories is about a 2008 Barack Obama "Road to the White House" Calendar that I received from niece Grace who is 5. I just had to share it with all of you.
My sister was shopping for a new calendar when Grace came up to her with the Barack Obama calendar and said that they had get the calendar for Auntie cause this is the guy that Auntie likes! My sister asked if Grace knew why I liked him and she said "No, she just does".
I guess someone was paying attention all those months of wearing the Obama pins, T-shirts and talking with family constantly!!!! LOL
This past weekend Palatine held it's annual Street Fest in the downtown Square. There was plenty food, bands and on Saturday the Women for Obama Volunteers created a presence at the Palatine Township Democrats booth! Throughout the day we had 3 - 5 volunteers that came to talk with people about their interest in Senator Obama.
We had plenty of foot traffic - some people who were interested, some who were still in the process of making up there minds and then there were some looking for information on other candidates (who, by the way didn't send any information or their representatives!) There was so much activity at our booth that even the Republicans noticed and had to come over and find out what was going on!
I have to give special recognition to some of the people - and I apologize if I've forgotten names - you're truly not forgotten I'm just not always good with names:
Sue Walton - Committeewoman for allowing us to share the booth and help the Palatine Township Democrats.
Kari (who is running the 8/31 Fundraiser in Arlington Heights): worked two long shifts!
Kari's daughter - who worked all day at the children's game - You're tuly special - we REALLY appreciated the time you took with all the children.
The 3 people who came all the way from Bolingbrook! - Thank you so much for volunteering your time in our community - I'm not sure if I got a chance to properly thank you but I do appreciate you coming out. You are people after my own heart. I, too, like to find interesting events and help out, no matter community the event is in. I've been able to meet so many interesting people and learn more about different communities that way. I hope that you enjoyed Palatine!
Thank you to everyone who volunteered. Your time and effort was greatly appreciated by the Obama Campaign, the Palatine Township Democrats and by me.
Women for Obama - Northwest Chicago Suburbs will hold it's next meeting on Sunday, September 16 - at Panera Bread in Palatine at Rand & Arlington Heights Rds. All Women are welcome http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4vcdy
The second meeting of the Women for Obama- Northwest Chicago Suburbs was held this afternoon. Eight women from all over the Northwest Suburbs attended the meeting. It was a mixture of faces from previous meetings and new faces. There was plenty of discussion about the morning's debate, trips to Iowa and ways to volunteer. We're scheduling a fundraiser for 9/23/07. Our next meeting is 9/16/07 at the Panera Bread on Rand Rd. in Arlington Hts.
This is definitely an unusal election with states fighting for the right to have their vote count more than any other state's vote by moving their election dates up on the calendar. The candidates are left to deal with their own scheduling headaches (albeit their staff does) in the form of requests from every corner of the nation and from all those groups who suddenly want to have their own special debates and forums.
I applaud Senator Obama for the decision that he was only going to attend the 5 DNC sanctioned debates, the 9/9/09 Florida Univision debate and the 2 Iowa debates. Senator Obama, while having improved greatly during the course of the debates, is a much better speaker in a group style setting. These debates Quite frankly, seem to have been a showcase for politicians whose sound bites remind me of the slick car saleman you want to forget. Senator Obama, on the otherhand, is personable, easy going and his style is one that will long be remembered.
Senator Obama's decision is a good one that follows the principles of his campaign - the bottom up message and also the campaign being about the people. What I really like is that it's a STATEGIC decision based on his principles. In my mind it's about how can he conserve his energy for the long haul and where his energy best spent - with the American people being the big winners. This gives you a window into how he'll make decisions. Do you think he made the right choice? I feel like a winner!
Although various people disagree with me, the day after the debate it was my opinion that the CNN/You Tube Debate was the beginning of the end for Hillary Clinton. We're starting to see cracks in her armor and the most telling sign is her attack on Senator Obama's answer to the question about whether he'd be willing to talk with leaders thought to be the most evil in the world.
I submit that the only reason Hillary Clinton is making a big deal out of this is because the Fox focus group, who was more inclined to support her prior to the debate, indicated that it was precisely because of the way Senators Obama & Clinton responded to this question that they were subsequently supporting Senator Obama afterwards. Additionally, subsequent to the debate, Senator Obama has received support from congressmen and military people.
So why would the Obama Camp call Hillary Clinton Bush-Chenney Lite and is this "dirty" politics? The Clinton Camp would like you to think so, but the analogy is a good one. Let's recall that previous news articles described one of the characteristics of Clinton's supporter's as being uneducated. The Obama Camp is simply educated Clinton supporter's that their candidate looks a lot like what's currently in the White House. Mrs. "Inevitable" is not a change agent. If they think their going to get a candidate who is going to restore the world's faith in our courtry and subsquently our moral authority, it is not going to happen under Hillary Clinton's watch. It's business as ususal.
Everyone interested in politics and the 2008 Presidential Election seems to be talking about the CNN/YouTube Debate. Did you see this question? or My favorite question was.... or What did you think of the talking Snowman? The debate has generated more talk about the format of the debate than almost anything else. So the next time someone asks me who I think won the debate.......I'm answering YouTube!
While I think that YouTube was the "winner" of the Debate, the forat was the "loser" in this debate. I think that the format was still lacking. As in the last couple "debates", I've only seen the candidates answering questions. I don't see any good, old fashioned debating going on. No candidate taking on any other candidate to discuss how their policy is better than the other candidates policy. I'd much rather see a discussion of this type than be concerned with how many questions we can get in.
The weather forecast was for intermittent showers in Dubuque, IA, however, that couldn't keep a group of Oak Park, Wheatonites and this Palatine woman trekking to Dubuque, IA for another canvas. True to most forecasts, the weatherman was WRONG! We had a beautiful, sunny day for walking &/or driving the neighborhoods of Dubuque.
Having been fresh from Camp Obama last weekend, I was ready to put into practice what I felt were my slightly sharper honed skills. When I finally a person home, I found that I did have better conversations & was more confident.
During this canvas, the conversation was centered around Senator Obama's experience. If you're ever out on a canvas and need a quick response to people saying that he lacks the experince of other candidates here's a nice short background:
* Community Organizer in Chicago* Harvard Law School * Came back to Chicago to USE the Harvard Law Degree to continue to help the people of Chicago.* 8 years in the Illinois Legislature where he worked with both Democrats and Republicans to achieve changes that would benefit the people of Illinois* Currently US Senator from IL - Running for President.
My current favorite explanation of experience is that some people can gain 20 years of experience in 5 years! Some people can work 20 years and NEVER gain 5 years of experience. Senator Obama is represents the former. The current administration represents the later!
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/465503,CST-NWS-videosgood12.article
I ran across this article this morning while reading the Chicago Sun-Times.
It was only a matter of time before there was take off of Obama Girl. The writer of Hot4Hilll claims that it is a take off of Obama Girl. Now I admit that I haven't heard this, but I have to wonder why her supporters can't come up with something original???? Oh well. At least originality counts for something because the article indicates Obama Girl is the better of the two videos.
The sad thing is that there are soooo many other things that the press really should be covering about this election. It can't be that slow of a news day.
Last night I was at meeting where the discussion turned to when is race going to get down to just Hillary and Barack.
I have noticed that for women - depending on the age bracket - we seem to be hearing a lot of different things. I'm in my 40's and I'm hearing women my age say that they are not going to vote for a woman just because she is a woman. Last night a woman who I believe was slightly older than me was saying that women in her age group were going to vote for Hillary because they will never again get the chance to see a woman elected president. A month ago I heard from a woman who's age I couldn't determine that everyone she talks to says that no matter what there is no way they are voting for Hillary. It doesn't matter if she wins the primary; they will not vote for her.
While watching the McGlaughlin Group on Saturday night there was a debate about whether or not the country was ready for a woman to be President of the United States. I kept waiting for these people to come up with the point I sooo wanted to make. I believe that in this day and age the United States IS ready for a woman to be President. The proper question then becomes Is Hillary the right woman to become president? I believe the answer is NO - she is not the right woman to become President.
We need a president with a strong moral backbone. One that is a conciliator and not a divider. A president that can heal our country. We need a president that can work with congress to get their initiatives through the legislature. One who, when a problem or threat occurs, can take a step back, think through the options and go with the BEST option - not go with the GUT option immediately. That doesn't mean that the best option and the gut option aren't the same thing, but after 8 years of bein lied to and having only one way of doing things presented to us, we need a careful but quick thinker.
The person I'm describing best fits Senator Obama. Some may ask are we ready for a black President? I assert that that is the wrong question! I assert the real question is.... Is the United States ready for Barack Obama to become President? Are they ready for change? Are they ready to clean up government? Are they ready for his health care reform that can pass through the legislature? 258,000 people think so and those are just the contributers.
Against the backdrop of a beautiful blue sky, 10 people from the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago for Obama participated in the Palatine 4th of July parade on June 30. Decked out in Obama t-shirts and buttons, we brought candy for the children and literature for adults.
Speaking of children, the mayor of Buffalo Grove, Elliott Hartstein, had the children chanting “O-BAM-A”. Upon the adequate level of chanting the children would receive candy. This led to squeals of joy. Children, however, were not the only ones chanting “O-BAM-A”. At various spots along the parade route, there were shout outs to us and chants with their children. We provided approximately 200 people with informational literature about Senator Obama. Some people even came up to us asking for information, buttons and stickers. This was wonderful considering that the Northwest Suburbs is predominantly Republican. I believe this shows the wonderful crossover appeal of Senator Obama.
The Northwest Suburbs of Chicago for Obama marched in the Parade with the Palatine Township Democrats. Hats off to Kelly, Chet and Merri for creation of the banners that they created based upon the words of Senator Obama. The banners read: “No Red States No Blue States” “We are United States”. The words were surrounded by stars and streaming fireworks.
Participating in the parades is easy, fun & incredibly important to getting the Senator's name out in public. There is still time to sign up to participate in the 4th of July parades:
To be a part of the Barrington, IL parade:
Link
If you live in other states I highly encourage you to go to the events page & see if there are any parades listed or contact the local Democrats and see if you can march with them wearing your Obama T-shirts and buttons. Happy 4th of July everyone!
Having read various "Campers" posts, articles about Camp Obama, and knowing what a great job the campaign staff does, I can't wait until the 7/7/07 Camp Obama - We'll be the luckiest group they have (LOL).
Since I've never been involved in any campaigns before, I'm really looking forward to this, as well as, meeting new people.
Am I the only one counting down the days or is anyone else????? :)
My father and I are both born under the sign Taurus - the bull - we're very stubborn. I love my father very much and have always tried to make him proud. Sometimes, however, I try a little too hard for that approval and forget to just be me. My father has been asking me for weeks why I support Barack Obama. Each time I go into this big long dissertation about how I've studied all the candidates. I read his books and he is the best candidates. My father says this doesn't tell him why I support him. This has lead to me believing that my father simply was not a Barack supporter.
Yesterday, my father once again started with the "why do you support Barack?" This lead up to an arguement. In exasperation, I finally I looked at my father and said, "Don't you understand this is the most important election in my lifetime and Barack Obama is the best person to be president. That's why I support him!"
My father thanked me for finally answering the question from my heart. He told me that people don't care that I've read his books and studied the candidates & he's right. He told me they want to know what's in my heart. Then I was able to have more of a discussion with my father about why I support Barack - that we need a person that can bring this country together and heal it, that we need that same person to repair our reputation abroad.
I know at one time I was speaking from my heart, I don't know what made me stop. Maybe I temporarly lost hope. Maybe there is HOPE for me yet. I know I've found HOPE for the future.
Thanks Dad!
The Women for Obama House Party was held yesterday at the Palatine Township Democratic Headquarters. I met eight new women that I didn't know before yesterday. We got a chance to discuss issues that we are facing. The conference call was held with Michelle Obama and David Plouffe speaking.
We agreed to meet again on 7/15/07 to work on things we can do to help get Senator Obama elected.
I am hosting a house party on Sunday 6/24/07 at 3:30 pm for Women in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I should have more information on the location early next week, however, I wanted to let you know. This is a nationwide event with the hightlight of the event being a conference call with Michelle Obama and campaign manager David Plouffe. There will be discussion about the issues facing women and how we can make an impact in this campaign.
Everyone that attends is encouraged to bring a friend or friends that haven't been to our events before but may be interested in supporting Senator Obama. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at chabryl@sbcglobal.net.
Here's the link to the event page: Link
I look forward to seeing you!
It was a beautiful day for walking! Four people showed up for my Walk for Change Event. My sister showed up with my niece, Katie for a little while (until it was nap time). Being a beautiful day can be a double edge sword - LOL - great for walking but then no one was home. Where there were people home the majority were supporters of Senator Obama.
This is the week before the big Walk for Change event and I'm in really excited about the event!
I'm in the finally stages of planning - this means I'm cleaning my house - since people will be gathering here - LOL. I'm also putting my e-mail together for the people who have signed up, getting the maps together.
The box from Obama HQ arrived on Monday. I'm really happy to see that the packets we're carrying are small & light weight.
I've been thinking about what it is I want to say about why it is that I support Senator Obama.
And finally..... I've been telling telling people not involved who know that I am involved to make sure that they answer their door on Saturday an be REALLY nice to any Obama supporters who stop by. ;)
Oh, and Saturday is predicted to be bright and sunny here in the Chicagoland area. YEA!!!
Good Luck and safe driving to all my friends who are driving to Iowa. Have a great Walk for Change event.
Good Luck to all the Walk for Change Hosts & may everyone enjoy the event!
Carolyn
I spent last Saturday (5/19) canvassing a very nice neighborhood in Dubuque, IA - and had a great time.
There was a group of about 15 of us from - mostly from Oak Park. We left from the Oak Park Democratic Headquarters at 7:00 AM and the group in my car got to the Dubuque Democratic Headquarters about 10:30 AM.
We were paired up with an Iowan for the canvassing, given our instructions, a bag lunch, and off we went.
Since it was an absolutely beautiful day there were not a lot of people home. The people I did get to speak with great - very friendly - receptive - but not yet willing to sign on the dotted line for Senator Obama. The nice thing (besdises the fact that nobody slammed the door in my face! LOL! Isn't that everyones nightmare?) to know is that people in other areas are facing the same issues that I am - and that makes much easier for me to talk to them.
I was back to the Headquarters about 4:00 or 4:30 and exhausted - just from trying to remember everything - it's that Type A personality thing. LOL
In any event, it was a wonderful experience. I had a great time. This was a great opportunity for me to see how organized I need to be for the Walk for Change so that everyone who comes to my Walk will enjoy themselves and not spend anytime asking themselves - where do I go next.
I can't wait to go back to Dubuque!
If you have the opportunity to go out to IA to canvas I highly recommend it.
