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Greg Hauenstein's Blog
This is the blog of Greg Hauenstein. I am a staff new media producer. I have covered Iowa, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and am now in Oregon.
Across the state today, Obama volunteers and fellows took every opportunity they could to reach out to voters and register new ones. Here in Denver there were numerous events celebrating the birth of our nation, and the campaign had a presence at many of them – spreading a message of patriotism by getting people actively involved in the democratic process. An “Old-Fashioned July 4th Celebration” at Four Mile Historic Park was filled reenactments of important moments in the country’s history and talented actors portraying notable American figures. ![]() We asked him how he felt about another Illinoisan running for our nation’s highest office. The former told us that no matter what state a candidate came from they should be a person of character – he chose not to endorse at this time. It’s not too late to get involved this 4th of July weekend, find an event near you. Happy Independence Day!
We got a head start on this holiday weekend yesterday in Aurora. A small band of patriots met in Del Rio Park to register voters at a free concert put on by local swing band The Hot Tomatoes. While there, I met up with Elaine who moved to Colorado eight years ago from this blogger's hometown of Rochester, NY. As we reminisced about lake effect snow we discussed Senator Obama and her reasons for changing her registration. ![]() "My friends keep bugging me. They're all supporting Barack. We don't want war, we want regular people to be taken care of. Single parents need help, the homeless need help...I could go on and on!" She told me how she feels horrible that she gets health care but so many don't, including a good friend of hers. She said the time was now to change her registration to Colorado and get involved with this movement to change our country. You can get involved, too. Check out the map on our Day of Action page and find an event in your area! Have a safe and happy holiday, everybody! In the search for new voters, this campaign leaves no stone unturned. Every year, the Vans Warped Tour attracts thousands of people in almost every state in the country. Warped Tour is a multi-stage concert with dozens of bands, and this year the Obama campaign is along for the ride.
Volunteers in every city on the tour show up early in the morning armed with registration forms and hundreds are collected every day. This past Sunday, the traveling show came to the Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. The message of this campaign has always been about bringing people together. Now, as we start working on the general election, people across the country are holding Unite for Change events to spread the message of unity and bringing about change from the bottom up.
After some conversation, blueberry pancakes and bacon, Peggy sat down with a group of neighbors, people from nearby counties, and even a couple out-of-state supporters to talk about what issues are important to them and how their involvement in the campaign and their community can change America. I was like so many others, where you think ‘I go and I vote for president and I’m really just trying to decide who I don’t want more than who I want.’ And until this man, Barack Obama, came along, that’s what it was for me. I was very cynical; I didn’t think there was any hope for this country. And then I thought about my three grand children and I realized they’re going to have fewer opportunities in life -- for education, for living a good life, for work opportunities; unless I care about it and I get involved.
For more photos of these house parties and other events, check out our Flickr page! What more needs to be said about yesterday's rally? One in fifty Oregonians crowded the lawn and surrounding streets of Waterfront Park. We've shown you pictures, news clippings and headlines, now we bring you our video of the afternoon's event. Enjoy: Ballots are due in less than 33 hours and there are still lots of undecided voters out there. Help us out by calling your fellow Oregonians and letting them know that Obama is the best candidate to bring change to Washington, D.C.! The big push is on! Volunteers crowded into our Portland office and offices around the state to kick off the final weekend of canvassing before the Oregon Primary.
It's a beautiful day to canvass and we need your help, so stop by one of our local offices. The only way to win the Oregon Primary is by getting ballots turned in. Find out where you can turn them in using our lookup tool. Many of our brothers and sisters from the United Food and Commercial Workers and Service Employees International Union were present. They understand that the best way to bring about change is by banding together and convincing those around you that the way things are, aren't the way things need to be.
Take action today. If you're in Oregon, you can stop by your nearest campaign office and grab a walk packet or two. And now matter where you are, you can make calls to voters in Oregon and help supporters find their Ballot Drop location today. It only takes a minute to get started, and the Oregon calling campaign runs until 9:00 PM Pacific Time. Good morning, Oregon! The temperature in Portland today is expected to be in the upper 90's and I attribute that to all of Oregon getting fired up about this weekend! Senator Obama will be joining us in Rosenburg on Saturday morning, and Sunday brings him to Portland and Pendleton. Details of the events are right above the blog. If you live in these areas, tell all your undecided friends, family, and neighbors to join you there.
Tomorrow morning begins our last big weekend canvass. It's our last chance to make sure people are turning their ballots in. We have several resources available to help everyone cast their ballots.
If we do the hard work that Senator Obama needs us to do this weekend, we could deliver enough delegates to give him the pledged delegate majority on Tuesday night. If that happens, you can be assured that this weekend will not be the last Oregon has seen of Barack Obama. Here's a video of Barack's last swing through the Beaver State. Few people in this country have more campaign experience than Max Kennedy. He was just three years old when his father, Robert Kennedy, ran for President. Yesterday at Portland State University he joined actor Dulé Hill, best known for playing the role of Charles Young on this blogger's favorite show, The West Wing.
This past weekend Senator Obama wrapped up his trip through Oregon in Bend. The residents were more than excited to see a leading Presidential candidate in their area for the first time in twenty years. Even more exciting is the chance for Oregon to make history next week. With enough hard work over the next seven days, Oregon can put Senator Obama over the finish line and give him enough delegates to clinch the pledged delegate majority! We're one week away from the voting deadline! We'll win in Oregon the same way we won around the country: knocking on doors, making phone calls, talking with our neighbors, friends, and family about Senator Obama's vision of unity and his plan to turn this country around. From everyone here at Oregon HQ, Happy Mothers Day!
Earlier today we brought you some great photos from last night's rally at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Over 8,000 people came out on a gorgeous night to hear Senator Obama's plan to change our country. Senator Obama highlighted the differences between his plans for the future and Senator McCain's. Here's a video: What better time to roll out a couple more endorsements than as we welcome Senator Obama back to the Beaver State!
Encourage any undecided friends and family members to attend one of our events today or tomorrow! Details are on our Oregon homepage. With a commanding victory in North Carolina and a very very very close contest in Indiana, our supporters in both of those states as well as all Americans who want to put an end to the divisive politics of the the past should be proud.
If we put our nose to the grindstone these next 2 weeks, we'll make history here in Oregon. They're the folks who make shoe leather stocks rise every four years. Knuckles tender from knocking and voices raspy from the repeated pitch, they are the true leaders of this campaign. They are our Oregon Community Organizers. Saleem was one of the first volunteers to become involved in our Pittsburgh office. He has a tenacity that is unmatched by most, especially while out canvassing. He has no problems going up to complete strangers and getting them involved in the campaign.His major frustration with Washington is the partisan bickering that prevents reform. He said: Health care is a major issue, our economy is in trouble, we have a housing collapse, global warming...I believe the reason these have not been solved is because it will take a bipartisan effort...I think that Barack Obama is the best person to bring people together and get moving again." With two days to go, volunteers like Saleem are the ones that are helping us Get Out the Vote! Sign up for a volunteer shift, and if you don't know where your polling place is, find it using our lookup tool. GOTV weekend is here! We've already kicked off our first day of canvassing all across Pennsylvania.
Here in Pittsburgh, to take the strain off of our central office, we operate several staging locations around the city to kick off our canvasses. One of these locations is Brillobox, a bar in the neighborhood of Lawrenceville. Volunteers have been in and out all day with papers filled with responses from their canvass, ready to pick up new ones. To kick things off in Lawrenceville this morning was Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Here's a video: It's not too late to sign up for a GOTV shift and make the difference in this primary. Stephanie moved to Pittsburgh over twenty years ago. It only took one visit to the city for her to fall in love with it and its neighborhoods.
To call Stephanie an active supporter of Senator Obama would be an understatement. As early as December 2007 she was meeting with fellow supporters in Western Pennsylvania to organize the petition drive to get Senator Obama on the ballot for Pennsylvania's primary, and by the time the first staffers showed up, there was already a team of volunteers waiting in Stephanie's living room for the first organizational meetings. Her biggest problem with the way Washington has been working is the lack of respect for those with differing opinions. She feels that once an honest dialogue between opinions begins, "those differences are going to make us stronger...they're going to cause us to evaluate each others positions and come up with a solution that is stronger." The main reason she supports Senator Obama is his track record of finding the common ground with people who have differing opinions. We sat down with Stephanie last week and here's what she had to say: There are 5 days until primary day. You can find your polling location here. This election is going to be won by the hard work we do this weekend. Sign up to help us now! Her mailbox says "Prosperity, PA" but Bonnie feels like that's the only place she sees prosperity in her corner of the world. Waynesburg and Greene County, Pennsylvania are prime examples of places in this country that have been hurt by the economic situations that those in power have promised to fix but failed to deliver.
An early supporter of Senator Obama, Bonnie says he has, "a total understanding of the things that are going on in this country that need to be fixed. I think Senator Obama can help people at the local government level to work harder because I think he will inspire them as much as he inspires Joe Public to work harder." Bonnie shared her story with us: You can help bring about change by getting involved in the campaign right now. Doug from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania has been involved in his local community in a number of ways for decades, even running for local office. As a former newspaper reporter, he tended towards the role of observer rather than participant in the political process at the start of this primary season, but the more he heard and read about Barack, the more he liked, and the more he's gotten involved in his campaign. He says:
For me, Obama touches something deep inside, a sense of hope and possibility that has been dormant for a long, long time. I don't believe that there's any such thing as false hope, and furthermore I know that it is an act of raw courage to be hopeful in the face of the forces against it.
Earlier this week, the University of Pittsburgh College Democrats hosted a forum where students could ask questions to representatives from both Students for Obama and Students for Hillary.
The topics ranged from health care to Iraq to the outsourcing of jobs, and gave undecided students a great opportunity to make a decision about who to support in an election that people of all ages are realizing will have a huge effect on their generation, as well as future generations. Here's a video of a Students for Obama representative answering a question on Senator Obama's plan to protect Social Security. You can find detailed explanations of all of Senator Obama's policies here. Once you've read about how Barack stands on the issues, sign up for a GOTV shift and help spread Senator Obama's message across Pennsylvania! Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.
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Saleem was one of the first volunteers to become involved in our Pittsburgh office. He has a tenacity that is unmatched by most, especially while out canvassing. He has no problems going up to complete strangers and getting them involved in the campaign.
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