For nearly two years, Barack Obama has traveled the country asking the American people to make a simple choice on Election Day: Change or more of the same.
We’ve tried things John McCain and George Bush’s way. It hasn’t worked. It’s time for something new. And that’s the choice in this election.
Now is time to come together and change this country. And that’s why in Minnesota these last few days we won’t slow down or let up for one day. Not when so much is at stake.
Let there be no mistake—the McCain campaign is still going all out to win Minnesota and so we must not let up. They have been running 100% negative attack ads non-stop since the first week of September. The candidates and their surrogates keep visiting the state. They are flooding Minnesota with attack phone calls. And now we’re seeing massive waves of direct mail—including some of the most disgusting material I’ve ever seen a campaign produce.
So, we need you to counter their attempts to make a big election about small things.
We need you to urge your friends, your family, your neighbors, and even strangers on the street to believe in their ability to bring about change.
We need you to urge them to vote, and we need you to urge them to volunteer.
We need you to do this for Barack Obama, Al Franken, our DFL candidates for Congress and the state legislature, and for the hope that on November 4, 2008, this opportunity will not have slipped through our fingers, but that the future of our country is held firmly in our hands.
Jeff
Jeff BlodgettMinnesota State DirectorObama for America
P.S. – Please direct people to the following website to be part of this historic campaign: http://mn.barackobama.com/LetsWinThis
On Wednesday night, Barack Obama made a clear and compelling case for change during the 26th and final debate of his campaign for president. John McCain only offered angry, negative attacks. Throughout the course of the evening, Barack offered specific plans to rebuild the middle class while John McCain couldn’t name a single way that his economic policies would be any different than those of George W. Bush.
After the debate, Barack Obama and Joe Biden urged their supporters to join the biggest get out the vote operation in history, and work to make sure that every voter has their voice heard. John McCain and Sarah Palin, meanwhile, unleashed another wave of dishonorable, dishonest attacks in their continued effort to distract voters from the real issues facing American families.
Time is running out. McCain’s erratic response to the economic crisis and his angry political attacks raise serious questions about whether he is ready to lead our economy. Wednesday was his last chance for a game-changer and he didn’t get it done.
The debates are now over and there are less than three weeks left until Election Day. We’ll continue to take our message of change directly to the people of Minnesota, and next week we’ll have a special guest to help us out: Sen. Hillary Clinton will visit the Iron Range on Tuesday, October 21, to talk about her trust in Barack’s steady leadership and ability to turn around our economic crisis.
Now, the high-profile campaign surrogates and television ads are nice, but the way elections are won in Minnesota is through direct voter contact. That is why we are building the largest grassroots campaign this state has ever seen, and why we need you, your friends, family and neighbors to sign up to volunteer for the campaign. Just visit: http://my.barackobama.com/mnteamobama.Thanks for all you do.
Here in Minnesota the race for the White House is incredibly close. Polls show Barack and John McCain neck-and-neck, and with just 33 days until Election Day we need to step up our efforts.
The McCain campaign has shown time and again that they don't care about reaching out to folks in Minnesota like you -- they're content to stick to the same tired, cynical politics of smears and attack ads.
Minnesotans are smarter than that, and want to hear real solutions for the challenges facing all of our families.
But too many people still don't know about Barack's plans to cut taxes for 95% of working families, make health care affordable, rebuild our economy from the bottom up, and bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq.
That's why this weekend supporters all across Minnesota are coming together to do the kind of work that wins elections -- knocking on doors and talking to undecided voters.
Sign up now to join a weekend canvass in your area and make a difference in your community.
In this election, every single vote will matter -- and Minnesota could decide this race.
In 2004, George W. Bush came within three percentage points of winning our state.
But after eight years of failed Bush-McCain policies, Americans need change now and we need your help.
To put Barack over the top here in Minnesota we need supporters like you to step up in your communities, since you know them better than anyone.
No experience is required to participate. All you need is a hunger for change and a willingness to turn your enthusiasm into action.
Find a canvass happening near you and sign up today:
http://mn.barackobama.com/onemonthout
What we do -- or don't do -- in these next 30 days will determine whether America gets the change we need or four more years of the same.
Thanks for all that you do,
Jeff Blodgett is the Obama campaign's Minnesota State Director.
Before I get to the activities we have lined up this week I want to take a moment to discuss Barack Obama’s huge victory in Friday’s debate.
What you saw on Friday was the past versus the future. While John McCain offered more of the same failed policies of the last 8 years, Barack Obama demonstrated the vision and judgment to be Commander in Chief and outlined his plan to pursue 21st Century policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to reinvigorate our alliances.
And while the focus of the debate was foreign policy and national security both candidates addressed the current economic crisis. Barack Obama again showed that he will be a fierce advocate for the middle class while John McCain couldn’t escape his record on the economy – which is just more of the Bush policies that have been a disaster for American families.
This week the campaign will continue to carry the message of change on the economy throughout the nation and across Minnesota. This week, the contrast between the candidates’ on health care will come into sharp focus. Barack Obama has a plan for universal, affordable health care – with no one left out. Barack Obama is committed to turning the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates and working toward a 21st century health care system. Under Obama’s plan, those with health insurance can expect their costs to go down as much as $2,500, and those without health insurance will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options.
John McCain’s plan will impose taxes on workers’ health care benefits for the first time in history and could force up to 20 million people from their current plan.
On Wednesday, Barack will make a stop just across the border in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The event is open to the public—Click here for more information and to RSVP.
On Thursday, Minnesota Latinos for Obama will be joined by Gov. Bill Richardson for a fundraiser benefitting the Obama Victory fund at the Landmark Center in St. Paul. For more information about this event visit: https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/Oct2MN
Thursday evening, Sen. Joe Biden will meet Gov. Sarah Palin for a debate on domestic and foreign policy issues. Joe Biden has a proven record of bringing people together to get things done, from combating violence against women to confronting the challenges of the dangerous world in which we live. On Thursday, the American people will have an opportunity to decide for themselves which candidate for Vice President is ready for the job from day one.
Thank you for your support.
Jeff BlodgettState Director – MinnesotaObama for America
P.S. – Below are links to some of the new ads released by the Obama campaign.
With just 39 days left until November 4th, we're in a sprint to Election Day.
In the last two weeks, we've seen more bad news come from Wall Street every day. It's on the minds of families here in Minnesota and folks across the country, but all we hear from the McCain Campaign are the same failed policies of the last eight years.
With the stakes so high in this election, we need to be building our movement every day -- reaching out to our friends, family, and neighbors.
It's going to take all of us working together to elect Barack and bring about the change we need.
Yesterday, I recorded a short video on my laptop about our campaign in Minnesota and what we need to do to win these final weeks.
Watch the video and learn about how to get involved with our statewide canvasses happening this weekend and next:
Volunteers across Minnesota are the backbone of our campaign. They have been going door-to-door talking to undecided voters about the real change that the Obama-Biden ticket will bring to Washington. And we're counting on you to step up in your own neighborhood to keep building this movement.
We know it's going to take hard work and dedication to fix the economic crisis our country is facing. But working hard is something we are proud of in Minnesota, and our weekend canvasses are a great opportunity to get involved and help bring about the change we need.
It's up to supporters like you to help put Barack and Joe over the top on Election Day.
Watch the video and sign up for a canvass near you this weekend:
http://mn.barackobama.com/MNstrategyvideo
We can't do this without you -- get involved now to help bring the change we need.
Thanks,
On the third day of the Republican National Convention what’s become clear is that John McCain and his Vice Presidential pick have one thing to offer voters: four more years of the same failed leadership we’ve endured through eight long years under George W. Bush. What you saw last night, and what you’ll see tonight, are a lot of speeches proving that John McCain’s campaign manager meant what he said when he declared that their campaign wouldn’t be “about issues.”
What you didn’t hear last night was a single mention about the economy. At a time when millions of Americans are struggling like never before to pay their mortgage, their medical bills, and their gas bills, last night’s speakers at John McCain’s Republican convention proved how out of touch their candidate is. That’s a great disservice to this country. The American People are hurting. Minnesotans are hurting. We have big problems that require real solutions, and we just can’t afford more of the same.
We have a choice to make in this election. We can either choose a new direction for our economy, or we can keep doing what we’ve been doing—and that’s the course that Senator McCain and Governor Palin would have us follow.
Below is a television ad that the Obama campaign recently released which clearly illustrates that the biggest difference between Barack Obama and John McCain is the fact that there is absolutely no difference between John McCain and George W. Bush. Watch the ad below:
You can also visit www.justmoreofthesame.com to learn more about why American families can’t afford more of the same old politics.
Campaign Update
On Thursday night, Barack really hit it out of the park – or the football stadium, to be exact. Americans from all walks of life, in Denver and in living rooms across Minnesota, were energized as Senator Obama laid out a specific, detailed agenda for the future.
One thing is clear: Minnesotans are focused, united, and ready to get to work electing Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Since Thursday, we have seen a surge of people coming in to get lawn signs, buttons and t-shirts. But more importantly, people are coming in to sign-up to volunteer. I’ve been involved in many campaigns, but I’ve never seen something like this.
These are regular, everyday Minnesotans who are eager to answer Senator Obama’s challenge to knock on doors, make phone calls, stuff envelopes, anything to help spread his message of change directly to their friends and neighbors. If you're ready to answer the call, sign up to volunteer and your local field organizer will contact you about ways to get involved.
We are running the largest grassroots campaign this state has ever seen because people win elections – not commercials, buttons, lawn signs or bumper stickers – and based on the conversations we’re having with people across the state and with the help of our grassroots volunteers, I feel confident that we will win in Minnesota and send Barack Obama and Joe Biden to Washington to bring the change this country so desperately needs.
Camp Obama and the Republican National Convention
While the Republicans spend four days talking to themselves about eight years of George Bush’s failed economic and foreign policies, we’ll be out talking to voters about Barack Obama’s plan to keep the American promise alive. We need you to sign up to doorknock in your neighborhood during the RNC, to counter the Republican spin and spread Barack's message of change.
On Monday, the first day of the RNC, we will host Camp Obama. Hundreds of Minnesotans have signed up to attend and learn the strategies and techniques that have driven this campaign and prepare them to lead our efforts between now and Election Day.
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, while the Republicans trot out the same stale tactics to scare voters while offering nothing but an agenda that has made us less secure and less safe, we’ll be sending thousands of volunteers out across the state to talk to Minnesotans about Barack Obama’s plans to get our economy working again and put the middle class first for a change.
Click here to find an RNC Week of Action canvass in your neighborhood.
McCain and Palin, Still More of the Same
When the Republicans come to town next week they will be accompanied by John McCain’s new running mate, Alaska’s first-term Governor Sarah Palin. While we all congratulate Gov. Palin and her family on her designation as the Republican nominee for vice president, her addition to the ticket does not change the fact that the Republicans are offering more of the same failed Bush policies of the past.
Thank you all for your continuing support and commitment to this campaign.
I sent out this email yesterday to our supporters across the state.
Friend--I want to tell you about an exciting event we are launching during the Republican Convention in St. Paul. It's called Camp Obama. On Monday, September 1st, people like you across Minnesota will be taking their support for this movement to the next level by learning the organizing principles that this campaign and our movement for change are built on. Camp Obama attendees will receive real world organizing experience that will have a direct impact on this election. After the training, attendees will step into crucial community positions with the Campaign for Change Team Obama program here in Minnesota. Find out more about this exciting opportunity to take a leadership role in this movement for change. By participating in Camp Obama, you'll get the kind of experience that Barack got as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he learned that real change happens from the bottom up. That experience transformed Barack's life and made him who he is today. Camp Obama is your chance to put those very same principles into action -- to win this election and to strengthen democracy in communities around the country. After completing the program, you'll be asked to join our Team Obama program in Minnesota. Alongside other Team Obama members, you'll register new voters, reach out to friends and family in your community, and persuade undecided voters to join our movement for change. Apply for a spot at a Camp Obama near you and become a leader of this campaign: http://my.barackobama.com/mncampobamaThis campaign relies on the passion and enthusiasm of ordinary supporters, but it needs leaders who can organize those supporters and turn their enthusiasm into votes on Election Day. Camp Obama is your chance to step up and become a leader for this movement. Thanks, Jeff Jeff BlodgettMinnesota State DirectorObama for America
Friend--
I want to tell you about an exciting event we are launching during the Republican Convention in St. Paul. It's called Camp Obama. On Monday, September 1st, people like you across Minnesota will be taking their support for this movement to the next level by learning the organizing principles that this campaign and our movement for change are built on. Camp Obama attendees will receive real world organizing experience that will have a direct impact on this election. After the training, attendees will step into crucial community positions with the Campaign for Change Team Obama program here in Minnesota. Find out more about this exciting opportunity to take a leadership role in this movement for change. By participating in Camp Obama, you'll get the kind of experience that Barack got as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he learned that real change happens from the bottom up. That experience transformed Barack's life and made him who he is today. Camp Obama is your chance to put those very same principles into action -- to win this election and to strengthen democracy in communities around the country. After completing the program, you'll be asked to join our Team Obama program in Minnesota. Alongside other Team Obama members, you'll register new voters, reach out to friends and family in your community, and persuade undecided voters to join our movement for change. Apply for a spot at a Camp Obama near you and become a leader of this campaign: http://my.barackobama.com/mncampobamaThis campaign relies on the passion and enthusiasm of ordinary supporters, but it needs leaders who can organize those supporters and turn their enthusiasm into votes on Election Day. Camp Obama is your chance to step up and become a leader for this movement. Thanks, Jeff Jeff BlodgettMinnesota State DirectorObama for America
As you know, this morning, Barack Obama announced he has chosen Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. Take a few seconds to send Joe a message welcoming him to the campaign, we'll make sure he gets them.
Barack and Joe will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois -- the same place this campaign for change began more than 19 months ago. You can watch a live stream of the entire event at http://www.BarackObama.com at 2 p.m. CST.
Here’s what Senator Hillary Clinton and others are saying about the choice:
Be sure to watch Their First Campaign Appearance as Running Mates LIVE!
On August 28th, Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination in front of more than 75,000 supporters in Denver and millions of viewers at home.
I want to encourage you to attend or host a Convention Watch Party to share the moment with millions of fellow supporters across the country who helped Barack get here.
These watch parties are a great opportunity to gather with friends, family and colleagues and start planning how you will continue to build the movement in your area in the final months of the campaign.
To host a Convention Watch Party, or attend one in your area, visit http://mn.barackobama.com/organizeforchange.
There are 72 days until Election Day and it’s going to take the continued support of Minnesotans like you to help ensure Barack Obama and Joe Biden win Minnesota and bring about real change in Washington.
Sincerely,
Jeff Blodgett the State Director of the Obama Campaign for Change in Minnesota. He'll be posting updates on the campaign on a regular basis.
This campaign is about winning the White House and fundamentally changing our politics.
In Minnesota, we are working hard to deliver that change by running a massive grassroots campaign fueled by the effort and energy of volunteers and supporters from across the state who are out on the doors and on the phones talking to their family, friends, and neighbors about why they believe Barack Obama is the candidate who will bring real change to Washington.
This week the campaign held a successful event focused on senior voters, and next week we also have a lot planned as we continue to move quickly toward Election Day.
Here’s a quick run-down on the week that was and the week ahead:
