When one thinks about the past year, it is difficult to imagine how much has been accomplished by Barack Obama and his supporters. A year ago we were anticipating the results of the Iowa caucuses. On the night of the Iowa caucuses, I left the TV room for awhile anticipating a long night and I knew I had things to do. Not long after I left I heard my husband and son saying something with raised voices. I went in and of course they said he won! I was surprised and very happy. We'll all remember the Iowa night and the many successes that came after that. From January 3 to November 4, 2008, many worked very hard.
As we all think back to those months we must realize that many working together can indeed accomplish a great deal. Experienced Democratic politicians said that Obama could not win the general election. But the volunteers knew that something was happening. Calling many voters resulted in very positive feedback. With all that support Obama certainly could win, we believed. Let us remember how this all came about. We had an exceptional candidate, one who showed honesty, integrity, strength of character, intelligence, and humility. We had millions of people contributing and many volunteers working. This election will be studied by historians, but we must all use it as a lesson of what can be accomplished when we work together.
Originally I told myself that I was volunteering for my four little granddaughters and for their future. I am very happy that I chose to work for Barack Obama's election and that millions of others did as well. Thank you to all of you who worked for the election of President Barack Obama!
Yes We Can!
I have previously talked about the statement Michelle Obama made fairly early in this campaign, the one about being proud of this country. In my adult years this country has been plagued by politician's wars and our history of civil rights abuses. These issues have bothered me a great deal. With the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States, I can now agree with Michelle. I am today more proud of our country than I have been in a very long time. The American people saw that Barack Obama was the very best candidate and they spoke out in large numbers. I would have been happy with a 5 vote margin. I am blown away by the size of this win!
On election day I was scheduled to work at the Democratic table in our local precinct. Before leaving to do that, I called 25 numbers from Florida to give them their polling information and encourage them to vote for Barack Obama. Only 2 numbers had a live person at the other end! I hoped they were all out voting! Calling has become such a big part of my trying to help the Obama campaign that I felt I had to call in Florida even though it was too early in the afternoon to be very productive. When I got to our precinct, I was shocked at the number of people waiting in line. The line went out the door and down to the street. This was the first time I had seen a line going out the door since we moved to our house 36 years ago! I started to think it was going to be a very good day!
Working at the Democratic table allowed me to get a sense of what was happening at our precinct. As many of the voters passed by us after voting, they signaled that they had voted for Obama. One man ordered a pizzia to be delivered to us free and specified when calling that it was to go to the Obama table only. Many people asked for buttons or stickers, but unfortunately we had none. I believe they wanted a memento from this special and historic day. I told them about the store at the Obama web site.
Two new citizens asked us a few questions about the process of voting. One I walked in with so I could find someone to help her with the dreaded touch screen voting. I worked at the with a man who has a marvelous story. He was the volunteer who distributed the tables, chairs and materials to the precinct. Then he worked the first few hours of voting and the last ones. He said he was not a citizen yet but a permanent resident. He will become a citizen next year. He talked about his experience as an illegal immigrant over 20 years ago. He was now the father of two daughters in college and has a fine career. He said he volunteers as the “pay back” for the opportunity this country has given him. He is the American dream! He understands.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about volunteering at the Obama White House. If anyone knows what to do would you let me know? I do live in the Washington area!
I have never experienced anything quite like this election. To be a part of the Obama community has been a real privilege. I hope this web site continues in some way.
Joyce Murrell
I spent a few days in North Carolina recently. I have watched that state for years. In 1965 I taught high school in Durham and since then I have visited there often. I feel that the state has made a lot of progress since 1965. Thus I was startled when I read an article from the News & Observer of Raleigh on Friday (10/31).
There was a front page article with the title "Blacks and whites alike see Obama's run in shades of gray." Under a photograph of a white man on the front page was the following quote, "I'm not a prejudiced person, but it's really...a black and-white situation ...I'd rather see a woman than him." The full quote which is printed inside follows this statement from the same man, "I think he's a young punk and he's arrogant, I'm not ready for his type for president." The conversation with this white man disappointed me a lot. Putting his photograph on the front page with his statement, made me think that the paper regards him as a typical North Carolinian or certainly not one of the extremes. There is a photograph of a white woman in connection with this same article with her statement "I think more of us are worried about religion. It's not race; it really isn't" There is no discussion of what she is talking about, but I don't think we have to guess.
I should add that the article interviewed others, both black and white. There was a second photo on the front page. That was of an African American woman who said, "Now for us as blacks, this is a monumental thing to have a black man in office."
I hope that North Carolina shows me on Tuesday that it has come a long way from what I knew in 1965. I have been saying this for a long time, but seeing the front page article in the News and Observer made me feel like I was back in 1965.
P.S. Here's the link. http://www.newsobserver.com/2192/story/1276634.html
When I voted by "walk in absentee ballot" last week I was very careful. It was a large ballot and I filled in ovals with a number 2 pencil. I had checked that the pencil said #2. I had been told not to seal the rather large ballot when I was done. I turned it in to a clerk and he said that I could go. I said that I would like to see it being sealed! Why was I so careful? Why did I seem suspicious? Have we gotten to the point where we don't trust the process of voting?
In 2000 I also voted absentee, but then I really was absent. I was living in Denmark for 3 years. Watching that election from a distance was interesting. The length of time between election day and the Supreme Court decision seemed to go on forever. I was asked many questions by people who weren't citizens of the USA and those of us who were USA citizens were equally puzzled. One man suggested that we do the vote the way they do it in his country, India. They hand count the votes! As time has gone on, I continue to wonder why our system seems to be full of problems. Precincts are small, why do we have to have those dreadful touch screen things? One of the reasons I walked into our board of elections to vote, was that I knew there would be a record of my vote.
Can we trust our vote? In the past I thought that there were suppose to be voting judges from each party at each precinct. Is that still true? In my county the Democratic party will have over 20 lawyers in it's county office on election day and has widely distributed the telephone number. I'm glad they are doing that. Sadly, we cannot trust the voting system as it stands. We must be alert!
If anyone notices anything "strange" - a person turned away for difficult to understand reasons or because the name on the voters list doesn't have the middle initial and the driver's license does, a touch screen which seems to act up etc. - do something! There should be a "judge" of some kind there, ask that person. Call your local party office and explain the problem. No one should feel when they leave the poll that they should have questioned something. Do it!
Those of us who have become the Obama grass roots family need to continue our work. We should not have to be suspicious of our election process. When Barack Obama wins on Tuesday, let's vow to help him in any way possible. Let us also vow to clean up the election process as well. We can make it into a process that is simple and valid. Something has happened to this country and we must help fix it starting with the credibility of the vote.
Tonight I thought I would call a few voters in Virginia. I always try to call during a time when I wouldn't mind if someone called me. At 7:00PM I placed my first call and she was an Obama supporter! My second call was to a woman who also said she would vote for Barack Obama. I even mentioned to her that my first two calls in Virginia this evening were to Obama supporters and we both thought that was great! The third call, again to a woman, also was an Obama supporter! In all of my calls I don't think I have ever had a string of calls like that. What was interesting about these three was that they all volunteered the information that they would vote for Obama after they heard that I was a volunteer for his campaign. I came to the fourth name and it was a man who wasn't home, so my winning streak ended.
I thought those of you who are calling in battleground states might enjoy this little story. It's often difficult to get three people in a row home! I have a good feeling about Virginia!!
This morning while reading the Washington Post, I have been faced by numerous articles about Obama's campaign having too much money and poor John McCain (Bradley A Smith, Dan Balz, David Frum and Matthew Mosk). The Republicans, who for decades have outspent the Democrats are the ones now complaining about the money??? Historically the RNC has raised huge quantities of money by donors who have no limitations on how much they can give to the RNC. This is true for the DNC as well, but they haven't had as many rich donors as the "don't tax the rich" Republicans. John McCain must have recognized this when he chose to have the taxpayers finance his campaign, knowing that the RNC could raise a lot more money for him than the DNC could for Obama. He must have thought that the old Republican money machine would make up any difference! That's when the RNC and McCain showed that they don't understand that the paradigm has changed. The voters saw that millions of them, donating in small amounts, would help Obama compete. The irony of the Republicans currently complaining about too little money, and suggesting that there was something sinister in having over three million donors, is hard to miss for most of us.
A column by David Frum, a former a speech writer for President Bush, suggests that the Republicans (RNC) now send more money to the Senatorial races and less to McCain. He says "We need a message change that frankly acknowledges that the Democrats are probably going to win the White House - and that warns of the dangers of one-party, left-wing government." Wonderful! A former Bush speech writer warning of the dangers of one party winning the White House and both houses of Congress!! But he was part of the 6 years of one party Republican rule from 2001-2007! The irony is strong, and he doesn't even acknowledge it!
To all those who have worked for the election of Barack, we have been part of an incredible shift! Barack Obama has always said that this campaign is not about him but it is about all of us the American people. We have forced Republicans to complain about not having enough money (that would have been hard to imagine in 2000 or 2004). Apparently intelligent Republicans are warning of one party holding the White House and Congress! We should celebrate!!
There is no time to celebrate, we must work for the next week at calling canvassing, wearing our Obama/Biden buttons and doing whatever else is necessary. We're almost there, but can't let up. Every vote is necessary! The key to success is to get out such a big vote that even the Republicans will realize that their "dirty tricks" will not change the outcome.
Yes We Can!!
I just spoke to a woman in Ohio who has been inundated with disgusting mailings ("big and glossy") and robocalls. She has been an Obama supporter for a long time and is hopeful for what will happen in Ohio on November 4. However, I could hear how disturbed she was by the nasty attention she has gotten from the Republicans. It's offended her. I was glad we were able to talk, but sorry that she has to put up with this.
I am writing this to encourage all of you to call these states where the Republicans are pushing hard. I think it is important for all of us to call voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and the other states which are getting this heavy attention. Let voters know that we are real people who support Barack Obama and that we are not participating in the same dreadful things that McCain's people are doing. Let them know that we do appreciate any support that they can give to Barack Obama. Let them know that we are real people!
As this election comes to a close, I want to thank the young voters for energizing this country! You have worked very hard and truly seem to understand that we need some major changes. Your support of Barack Obama has energized the rest of us. In February I attended an Obama Rally at the University of Maryland, and was thrilled with the 17,000 people attending. We were all ages. We spent a long time waiting in cold weather to get in, but we all related to one another, because we want the same things for this country. We had looked ahead to the future and realized that we needed change.
I do believe that without young voters with their interest and energy the Obama campaign would not be as successful as it is. Years ago some of us worked to stop a war and we felt that the end of that war reflected our hard work. Today's younger generation will feel this same success on November 4! Thank you all!!!!
I just voted for Barack Obama for President of the United States of America! I am very happy that I have had the opportunity to do that!! Forty three years ago when I taught high school for one year in Durham NC I would never have believed that we could come this far. The problems seemed too great. Of course I thought we should get to this point, but realistically I doubt whether I would have bet on it.
Throughout my adult years, two serious issues prevented me from having unqualified pride in my country. The serious civil rights problems and politician's wars have plagued this country. This election will not magically eliminate both, but we will make a glorious move forward. I have never before worked on a political campaign, but that was because I never quite believed in a candidate as much as I do Barack Obama. He has given me an opportunity to work as hard as I can for the important change that I see possible and for the future of my grandchildren! Thank you all!
I'm tired of the double standard that exists in this political system and the MSM. John Edwards gets a $400 hair cut and we hear about it for weeks. The Republicans pay for a $150,000 wardrobe and yes it gets attention but certainly not in proportion to the excesses shown.
John McCain uses lies in his ads ("Barack Obama will raise your taxes") and slimey innuendoes, while Obama does not, but does point out truths (McCain will lower the income tax significantly of those making over $250,000). John McCain has flip flopped on the this tax situation! These ads are all referred to as negative, even through some are the truth and some outright lies.
Joe the Plumber asks Barack Obama a question and gets an answer. John McCain uses that exchange (acting like it's a gotcha moment) and the name of the plumber 20+ times in the third debate. Joe the plumber gets a lot of attention and we learn that Joe the plumber was somewhat untruthful in his question to Obama (who cares?) and he owes back taxes. McCain then says how awful it was that Obama subjected this man to so much public scrutiny. Was he kidding? Who brought the public attention to Joe??
Republicans own most of the MSM, but why do the rest of us not complain more? Are we so use to the Republican lies and double standards that we don't demand that John McCain take responsibility for focusing attention on Joe the plumber???
Some may think of this as being a bit early, but I do want to volunteer to do whatever work is needed at the Obama White House! There are always phones to answer, letters to read and emails to respond to plus any number of other tasks.
Today I was putting together yard signs in the local Democratic Central Committee Office and asked if anyone knew how I could work as a volunteer for the Obama White House. No one knew, but there were several others who were interested in doing the same thing!
I am excited about the new administration coming to town. If anyone out there knows who I should contact about this, please let me know. I live in the Washington DC area so the commute is not a problem! We need to start planning!
Well I'm off to call voters in Virginia.
Yesterday I called a voter in Bay City Michigan who was 93 years old. He was very alert and very interested in this election. However, he had a problem. At 93 he no longer drives a car and does not have a valid driver's license. He seemed to be concerned about having the proper identification which he would need in order to vote. As we talked, I thought of all these scare tactics (or is it a strategy?) which the other side has been using to make all of us feel that voting will be complicated this year. This man has voted for 70 years and he is worrying about whether he can prove he is who he is?? What a bad situation!
He said that he had his expired driver's license and carried it with him. I thought that should work to verify who he is, but suggested that he take as much ID has he could find. I suggested that he call the local Democratic Party and that they might be able to offer him information about the ID situation as well as finding him a ride to vote on November 4. I wrote all this in my calling report, including his name and telephone number. I hope those in Bay City can follow through. We need this voter!
I haven't paid too much attention to the problems with identification for voters in various States, but this voter made me realize that some solutions may be more difficult that simply telling voters to take in their driver's licenses. I am angered by the games being played.
I am thrilled today to be part of the group of millions of people who donated to Barack Obama's campaign in September! We raised $150 million!! Most of us have contributed something each month and this has kept the campaign going! The key of course is that there are millions of us! We knew how important it is to elect Barack Obama President of the United States of America and we acted on this knowledge. Congratulations to us all.
In the Spring it became apparent that the Obama campaign had already changed how Presidential politics in the future will operate. Asking for small regular donations is something past campaigns both Republican and Democrat have not done at this level. In the past they depended on the rich who often with their first donation hit the maximum individual contribution. Then there were the "bundlers" who could influence others to donate whether they wanted to or not. There also were the PACS. These patterns of contribution resulted in a number of people who felt they should have great influence when their politician was elected. This Spring a group of rich people wrote a demanding letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi - these people (about 24) had together donated about $9 million to the DNC in the previous 10 years. They felt they had a right to make demands. This is the political situation which Barack Obama has changed. If one tried to put together a letter from a group of us who together donated $9 million in September, our names would need to be typed on a giant billboard, rather then a simple letter.
Recently I have heard John McCain and his supporters talking about how much more money Barack Obama's campaign had and had spent. Poor things, they are complaining about being in the situation we Democrats have been in for decades! They talk about Obama spending 4 times as much as they have on ads! McCain complains about Obama not agreeing to the public funding which he himself chose to accept, saying that Obama had promised (an untruth) to accept the same public funding. When I hear of one of these "poor me" McCain comments I can't help but laugh. When McCain made his choice, he knew that the Republican National Committee could accept as much money as people wanted to contribute. Donations to the RNC (or the DNC) are not limited! He must have thought that he would have as much or more money available as Obama. Well, he simply misjudged Obama supporters!
In summary, McCain in response to the September $150 million will give us the "poor me" statements with the inference that Obama must spend a lot more in order to beat him. This is why we have been contributing as we have. We have been outspent by the Republicans in Presidential races for years. This year we recognized that there was a Democrat running for President who had the honesty, integrity, intelligence, temperament and character to be the transformational President that this country needs. We looked at the numbers and realized that if enough of us contributed we could do anything!!!
Now I must get busy. Today I'm calling voters in Virginia and Michigan. Join me in making calls!!
Yesterday, while stuffing envelopes in our local Democratic office, I spoke with a woman who had very good news. Her brother, a long time Republican with whom she rarely talked politics, had told her "I won't be unhappy if Obama wins." That is progress!
Today I visited my doctor, with whom I have talked about politics in the past. His father became my doctor in 1972 and the son took over the practice about 15 years ago. I know them well and know they have been Republicans. Although his ethics prevented him from telling me directly, I did learn that he is voting for Obama!! The best I had expected from him was that he would say he wasn't voting. More progress!
I am now wearing my Obama button nearly all the time. I think it's important for us to have the conversations which come about as a result of others noticing it. Now it's up to all of us to get out the vote!
I recently heard the story of a man in Maryland who has been designing Obama signs for his local community. This is a very special man. He is an artist who designed the emblem of the United Nations as well as many other well known designs. His name is Donal McLaughlin and he is 101 years old!
When I first heard the story about his designing the Obama signs for his town, I was working in our local Democratic Central Committee office, primarily selling Obama gear! A woman came in and told me about Mr. McLaughlin and wanted to get an "official" sign for him. I gave it to her (we normally charge, but this was special!) and she later called to say how happy he was with it. I haven't been able to visit his town yet, but I did call the local Obama office and gave them information about Mr. McLaughlin. I hope they are able to contact him and will tell us more about his project for Barack Obama!!
With all the "goofy" stories we have been hearing, I thought you would all like to hear about a man of 101 years who is working for Barack Obama!!
Today The Washington Post features an article by Michael D. Shear "McCain Plans Fiercer Strategy Against Obama" The first sentence immediately caught my interest:
“Sen. John McCain and his Republican allies are readying a newly aggressive assault on Sen. Barack Obama's character, believing that to win in November they must shift the conversation back to questions about the Democrat's judgment, honesty and personal associations, several top Republicans said.”
Immediately my question was how can John McCain attempt to assault Obama’s character, when discussion of his own character is something he must want to avoid? This man has gotten off easy up to this point. The reporters of the MSM have viewed him for years as one of their buddies. They haven’t focused on his character flaws. These flaws may be old news to them but not to me when I’m thinking of a man running for President of the United States.
Last week John McCain said “I am a gambler”. He uses money that way, lives his life that way and has run his campaign that way. When I saw his statement last week I wondered if he didn’t realize that many people regard being a gambler as a character flaw. Others go to Gambler’s Anonymous , but it may be that John McCain escapes that because he has a rich wife! He stated as if it was something to be proud of. I don’t want a gambler in the White House!!
Others have taken care of John McCain over the years. When he graduated from the US Naval Academy ranking fifth from the bottom (class size over 2,000). He was given the most sought after assignment as a pilot. He may be the lowest ranking Annapolis graduate to become a pilot. Why? His father was an Admiral and his Grandfather was Admiral. He had a privileged situation. He crashed 4 planes (not counting the one shot down) which suggests he should have been given an assignment equal to his rank in class! I don’t know a whole lot about his POW situation, all I’ve heard is that he refused to leave when he had the opportunity. This was offered by the Vietnamese to him as the son of an Admiral. That may be true, but he certainly didn’t turn down other perks offered to him because of his father’s position.
Apparently in his new campaign ads he is going to attack Obama’s associates, regardless of how tenuous the association. This from the same man who was a very close friend of Charles Keating (S&L fame) and was one of the Keating five, who cost the country a lot of money in a scandal of the 1980s. I suppose the MSM regards this as old news, but I think of it as representing a man who sometimes talks about honor but doesn’t practice it.
Recently John McCain said the wages of women would equal that of men, when “they get a little more training and education.” From his treatment of women in the past and present it is clear John McCain regards women as second class citizens! He’s been an adulterer, divorcing his first wife (had been a swimsuit model, but became shorter and fatter because of a horrible car accident) and marrying a beauty queen with millions of dollars. The fact that he chose a beauty queen with a minimal political record for his running mate tells me that McCain may only relate to this kind of woman. There were other more accomplished Republican women available. Where is the word misogyny in relation to this man? I suggest that all women who plan to vote should look into McCain’s history with women!
I knew very little about John McCain before this current election. When I learned that he would be the Republican nominee, I actually thought that this would be an election about the issues, since he and his wife had said numerous times that they were against negative campaigns and ads. I quickly learned that he is not a man of honor, integrity, intelligence, vision and strength of character. A gambler in the White House? NO NO NO!
