I made 40 phone calls tonight to Washington State voters through my.BarackObama.com. I've done it more than a few times before, even though I really hate being on the phone, especially with strangers. If you're nervous, that goes away after the first time you reach a person at home. I really wonder if they put in a faux number to someone sitting there with a smile, who tells you that they're voting Obama, just to make you less nervous. Ok, I'm kidding. But every time I've called, the first person home is friendly.
Many were not home, or were the wrong number. Even those that are not voting for Barack either quickly end the call, or just hang up. I've not been yelled at, or had any real negative experiences.
Tomorrow, the effort will be GOTV, where you are calling committed voters, asking if they voted yet, and letting them know where to vote. All the info is right there on your computer screen.
If you can, make some calls. Or head to your local Democratic Party to help with local campaigns. Just don't let yourself wake up on November 5th, wondering what you could have done...
Like Ezra Klein, I just can't describe this, so I'm going to give you a quote, and ask you to read it.
“In a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long,” he said. “They feel so betrayed by government that when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn’t buy it. And when it’s delivered by—it’s true that when it’s delivered by a forty-six-year-old black man named Barack Obama, then that adds another layer of skepticism.”
Tonight was a special "Utah Call Team Conference Call", where Emily Murphy and Amy (didn't catch her last name) gave a quick training of the neighbor to neighbor calling tool available for supporters of Senator Obama to help the campaign. Because Utah is helping drive the effort in Colorado, there were a few special guests on before that training began.
Ray Rivera, the campaign's Colorado Director, introduced Roy Romer, former Colorado Governor. Roy talked about how we can win Colorado, but we have to reach everyone we can. Every call is critical. Sincere calls from out of state will be effective. He said: "We need you. It will be effective. There's nothing more important you can do for the campaign."
Ken Salazar came on and talked about how we can move the votes from 250 to 271 by winning in Colorado, and that win the election.
Amy Klobuchar, Senator from Minnesota, talked about being in Wisconsin with Barack, and is now in Colorado. She told a story about how she got stopped by State Trooper, thinking she'd be given a ticket, and have to "take one for the team", and found out that it was just because the tags on her license plate were reversed, which was quite a relief to her. She said "You can make a difference, you taking the time out to make these calls WILL make the difference."
Ray came on again, and said that to win, we need to get 2.5 million Colorado voters to the polls, and we need to reach them at least 2 times to make that happen.
Amy came back on and stressed that nothing is more important right now than reaching out to neighbors, and personalizing Barack's message.
Emily then led the training, and the first thing she had to say is that if you can make it to Colorado for Get Out The Vote (GOTV), it will be fun.
Emily then walked us through Neighbor to Neighbor tool to show how it's used. If you come to the Phone Banking set up for this Saturday or Sunday, we'll be showing you how to use the web tool then, if you bring your laptop with you, or we can give you lists if you don't have one.
Each state's call script looks different, so if you switch states, make sure to read the script before you make the call. The web page is simple, and easy to use. You can even do it from home. Peak times are 6 to 9 PM, so if you can make calls during this time, please consider it. Even half an hour is great.
When looking at the script, you don't need to read it word for word, if it doesn't feel comfortable. However, each of the questions need to be answered, if possible, so try to make sure to fit them in when talking to the person you're calling.
You don't have to call every number you're given. If you don't get to the calls, they will go back into the queue.
It gets easier and easier as you use N2N. You'll probably even start to love making the calls, and it definitely becomes more comfortable after you've started.
Amy came back on and asked us to invite friends, family and neighbors to our own house, and pointed out that there's even a Host Guide available online.
Don't let November 4 pass you by. Your involvement does matter. Just ask Al Gore.
Really, how else would you explain this coincidence?
Yesterday, the Chinese were able to not only predict the outcome of their shuttle launch (success!) but were able to quote the astronauts before it even happened!
BEIJING (AP) - A news story describing a successful launch of China's long-awaited space mission and including detailed dialogue between astronauts launched on the Internet Thursday, hours before the rocket had even left the ground.
And just one day later, John McCain is able to announce that he's won tonight's debate, which won't occur for another 6 hours, as of this writing.
Although I try not to allow myself to become wrapped up in conspiracy theories, I really believe that what just happened is that the Chinese have invented a time travel machine, and somehow McCain convinced them to share it with him! Anyone have a better explanation?
I live in Rep. Roz McGee's district, 28, and since she's retiring, the seat is open. Brian King is the Democratic candidate for the district, and I really can't say enough good things about him. I had lunch with Brian before the primary, and I learned a lot about him. In the months since, I've had several opportunities to meet with him, and his campaign manager, Chris Fleming. They've been very supportive of Obama for Utah, and the grassroots movement. Brian King will continue to represent District 28's interests, and will be a very accessible Representative.
Here are the issues Brian is running on, as stolen directly from his web site:
Representative Politics: I’m running to ensure that the interests of the people in District 28 are represented by an experienced, knowledgeable, and established advocate.Education: I was gratified to see the voucher issue so decisively defeated at the polls last year. We must build a strong educational infrastructure to effectively fund public education at all levels in the state while at the same time put in place mechanisms to attract and retain excellent teachers.Ethics Reform: We must continue to press for basic, common-sense legislation in this area. For example, it is absurd that legislators have the ability to take unused campaign funds and use them for personal benefit at the end of their service.Economy: We must ensure that our economy stays strong. Thousands of people are losing houses due to the mortgage crisis and as a state we must provide avenues for residents of District 28 and across the state to manage their money so that they don’t lose their home while at the same time ensuring that new homeowners can buy a home.Environment: Too often the environment takes a back seat to development or other economic interests. Our representative in the legislature must work to bring greater balance to all environmental issues we in District 28 are concerned about.Health Care: We must work as a state to ensure that every Utahn has health insurance, and is allowed access to quality health care while at the same time encouraging the best and safest possible medical practices in our community.
You can get a good sense of who Brian is by reading his blog, or if you enjoy reading lawyer-speak, check out his law blog.
I got this email, titled 56 Days Till Election day, from Chris Fleming earlier:
Fellow Brian King Supporters: We need to take every ounce of frustration we've felt during eight years of George W. Bush and channel it into a wave of grassroots energy dedicated to electing Brian King to the House of Representatives. If we want our open spaces to be protected, quality education for our children and a affordable healthcare we need volunteers like you to get out and help Brian Keep 28 Blue. Brian, his family, and volunteers are walking four days out of every week, twice on Saturdays and this coming Saturday we have an aggressive walk scheduled for two very large Precincts. COME JOIN US! HELP US KEEP 28 BLUE! Brian King Canvass Precincts 2632 and 2634 9:30 AM-12:30 PM 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Meet at Dan's Parking Lot in Foothill Village! Please email me at Chris@KingForRep.com if you can attend. Democratically Yours, Chris Fleming Campaign Manager Brian King for Representative “Together We Can...For All of Us”
Fellow Brian King Supporters:
We need to take every ounce of frustration we've felt during eight years of George W. Bush and channel it into a wave of grassroots energy dedicated to electing Brian King to the House of Representatives.
If we want our open spaces to be protected, quality education for our children and a affordable healthcare we need volunteers like you to get out and help Brian Keep 28 Blue.
Brian, his family, and volunteers are walking four days out of every week, twice on Saturdays and this coming Saturday we have an aggressive walk scheduled for two very large Precincts.
COME JOIN US! HELP US KEEP 28 BLUE!
Brian King Canvass Precincts 2632 and 2634 9:30 AM-12:30 PM 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Meet at Dan's Parking Lot in Foothill Village! Please email me at Chris@KingForRep.com if you can attend.
Democratically Yours, Chris Fleming Campaign Manager Brian King for Representative “Together We Can...For All of Us”
If you're free this Saturday, please consider helping the Brian King campaign out, and walking with them.
Or, if you're in House District 47 (West Jordan and Midvale), I got this email for Jennifer Burley Wolfe, who also needs help:
Hi folks! So we're in the home stretch with UNDER 2 months! And it's getting heated over here. For instance, I saw my first "Obama / Mascaro" lawn sign combination this morning - how can that happen?!! Let's turn it around by going door-to-door together and getting the word out about the REAL Democrat running in this area. I need ALL the help I can get to pull this off! Email me and let me know which 2-3 walking shifts you can make: TOMORROW Thurs. 9/11 6pm Fri 9/12 6pm Sat 9/13 10am or 3pm Wed 9/17 6pm Thur 9/18 6pm Fri 9/19 6pm Sat 9/20 10am or 3pm Wed 9/24 6pm Thur 9/25 6pm Fri 9/26 6pm Sat 9/27 10am Reminder - all month there are VOLUNTEER PERKS! Everyone gets a free campaign shirt while supplies last (I'll replenish, but there may be a few days delay.) Each time you canvass in September, your name goes into a hat and you may be randomly selected to win a $50 gift card. Then whoever walks the most shifts gets a $25 card, just for being there for us. And each Friday night we have pizza! THANKS for everything!
Hi folks!
So we're in the home stretch with UNDER 2 months! And it's getting heated over here. For instance, I saw my first "Obama / Mascaro" lawn sign combination this morning - how can that happen?!! Let's turn it around by going door-to-door together and getting the word out about the REAL Democrat running in this area. I need ALL the help I can get to pull this off!
Email me and let me know which 2-3 walking shifts you can make:
TOMORROW Thurs. 9/11 6pm
Fri 9/12 6pm
Sat 9/13 10am or 3pm
Wed 9/17 6pm
Thur 9/18 6pm
Fri 9/19 6pm
Sat 9/20 10am or 3pm
Wed 9/24 6pm
Thur 9/25 6pm
Fri 9/26 6pm
Sat 9/27 10am
Reminder - all month there are VOLUNTEER PERKS! Everyone gets a free campaign shirt while supplies last (I'll replenish, but there may be a few days delay.) Each time you canvass in September, your name goes into a hat and you may be randomly selected to win a $50 gift card. Then whoever walks the most shifts gets a $25 card, just for being there for us. And each Friday night we have pizza!
THANKS for everything!
--Jayla Jennifer (Jayla) Burley Wolfe Candidate for House, District 47 www.burleywolfeforhouse.com
--Jayla
Jennifer (Jayla) Burley Wolfe Candidate for House, District 47 www.burleywolfeforhouse.com
If you're not in either district, but you want to help candidates, you can use the Neighborhood Volunteer Program or call the Utah Democratic Headquarters at 801.328.1212 to find out which candidates in your neighborhood need your help the most!
If you are sitting around, saying to yourself that you wish you had plans this weekend, you're in luck! How about heading to Grand Junction, Colorado, as part of Drive for Change?
Can't afford it?
Well, you have to eat, anyway! And all you'll have to pay for is your food.
Colorado is swinging back and forth, and we can't afford to let McCain win there!
From the Campaign:
Utah for Obama will be departing from our Salt Lake City headquarters this Friday, September 12th at 5:30 p.m. to talk to voters in Grand Junction, CO about the Obama-Biden plan for the change we need. We will be returning on Sunday evening, though there will be an option to return Saturday as well. All costs will be covered except for food. Please let us know in the sign-up form whether you can drive or will need housing.Help us do our part in ensuring that Barack and Joe win this most crucial of battleground states. No prior experience is needed.
Utah for Obama will be departing from our Salt Lake City headquarters this Friday, September 12th at 5:30 p.m. to talk to voters in Grand Junction, CO about the Obama-Biden plan for the change we need.
We will be returning on Sunday evening, though there will be an option to return Saturday as well. All costs will be covered except for food. Please let us know in the sign-up form whether you can drive or will need housing.Help us do our part in ensuring that Barack and Joe win this most crucial of battleground states.
No prior experience is needed.
Still haven't convinced you? Do you really want to help, but just can't make the trip? Consider purchasing a gas card, and giving it as an in-kind donation, to help others get there. You can drop it off at the new Utah Campaign HQ: 780 E., South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84102 or call the office at (801) 983-7372 to make arrangements.
November is less than 10 weeks away, as Justin of the Young Democrats of Utah reminded me via the email below. We can't just wait around and see how this turns out, we have to be a part of changing how it turns out!
Misty, With the election closing in on us fast, it is time for us to get in gear and start working to get Democrats elected. The Young Democrats will be knocking on doors every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1 PM Please come out and join us. This Saturday we will be meeting at Dimple Dell Rec Center 10600 So. 1000 E. in the 10600 So. parking lot. Come out knock a few doors, meet some new friends, and get a free t-shirt. To RSVP: Email justin@youngdemsofutah.org Phone 801-824-4073 We will also be making phone calls every Thursday from now until the election. Our Headquarters are located at 1063 E. 3300 So. (in the Corroon campaign headquarters) If you have any questions about these events or how you can get involved please let me know. Justin
Misty,
With the election closing in on us fast, it is time for us to get in gear and start working to get Democrats elected.
The Young Democrats will be knocking on doors every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1 PM
Please come out and join us.
This Saturday we will be meeting at Dimple Dell Rec Center 10600 So. 1000 E. in the 10600 So. parking lot.
Come out knock a few doors, meet some new friends, and get a free t-shirt.
To RSVP:
Email justin@youngdemsofutah.org
Phone 801-824-4073
We will also be making phone calls every Thursday from now until the election.
Our Headquarters are located at 1063 E. 3300 So. (in the Corroon campaign headquarters)
If you have any questions about these events or how you can get involved please let me know.
Justin
You can also sign up to volunteer through Utah for Obama by calling 801.983.7372. Don't let yourself wake up in November and realize that the wrong person got elected at any level of politics. Do something today!
Theodore Cowan has been one of the most active members of Utah for Obama since the beginning. He's the Secretary of the grassroots group, Utah for Obama, and he was also elected as a delegate to the convention. As if we don't already have enough to be proud of Theo for, he's now been highlighted by the official Obama campaign blog.
I think that the "party official" he mentions in that blog is Rob Miller, the owner of UtahAmicus. We were thrilled when Rob began his involvement with our grassroots group last fall, and has maintained that relationship ever since. Thanks, Rob!
Keep up with the UtahAmicus group's blog postings for continuous Democratic National Convention coverage. You can also find mini-updates from me by watching Twitter. All of my blog posts will be on the UtahAmicus, with some of them duplicated at my personal blog, Saintless, and possibly a few here, as well.
Yes, it's last-minute. But it's decided. I'm going to Denver with the rest of the Utah Amicus crew! I'll be blogging live from the Democratic National Convention, so that you, too, can experience history as it happens!
Don't forget to check in often at the Utah Amicus for all the greatest coverage! (And maybe a special post or two from my personal blog, Saintless)
(Cross-posted to Saintless.com)
Barack Obama has announced that he's taking the 50-State Strategy all the way, and there will be campaign offices in every state, including Utah. Monday morning I was able to confirm that it will likely be late July before we see them on the ground here, but that's far earlier than I had even hoped for. So far, they're not telling us much more than that, but I'm sure that when it gets closer, they'll be looking for housing for staffers again. If you have the ability and willingness, please keep an eye out here for the announcement.
Here's the email from David Plouffe about it:
Dear Misty, I have some news that I wanted you to hear. People like you have been the heart of Chairman Howard Dean's 50-state strategy to rebuild our party and empower Democrats to compete everywhere. We've all seen the energy and enthusiasm at the grassroots level impact races up and down the ballot over the last three years. I am proud to announce that our presidential campaign will be the first in a generation to deploy and maintain staff in every single state. The network of volunteers and the infrastructure built up during the historic primary season -- on behalf of all the Democratic campaigns -- have given us an enormous and unprecedented opportunity in the general election. Now it's time to expand our network and push our organizing resources even further. No matter where you live, our success this November will depend on your involvement. Sign up to join our campaign now, and we'll make sure you're aware of all the latest news and opportunities to make a difference: http://my.barackobama.com/getinvolved Of course, some states will be more competitive than others, and we will scale our resources accordingly. But your work building our party means that the list of competitive states will be longer than ever before -- and it will include states like Virginia and Montana where your work has helped a Democratic resurgence at the state level. And in every single state, no matter what the likelihood that we carry it in the fall, our staff will build volunteer capacity that will provide help where we need it and impact races up and down the ballot this November. Every day counts -- voters head to the polls in less than five months. This is your opportunity to shape this election and our unprecedented 50-state campaign now: http://my.barackobama.com/getinvolved Thanks to your support, we are on our way to building an unprecedented organization for the November elections. As the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama will fight to unite our party and win contests up and down the ballot. But he cannot determine the outcome of this election on his own. It will all come down to what you are willing to do. It's time to answer the call. Thank you, David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
Dear Misty,
I have some news that I wanted you to hear.
People like you have been the heart of Chairman Howard Dean's 50-state strategy to rebuild our party and empower Democrats to compete everywhere. We've all seen the energy and enthusiasm at the grassroots level impact races up and down the ballot over the last three years.
I am proud to announce that our presidential campaign will be the first in a generation to deploy and maintain staff in every single state.
The network of volunteers and the infrastructure built up during the historic primary season -- on behalf of all the Democratic campaigns -- have given us an enormous and unprecedented opportunity in the general election.
Now it's time to expand our network and push our organizing resources even further. No matter where you live, our success this November will depend on your involvement. Sign up to join our campaign now, and we'll make sure you're aware of all the latest news and opportunities to make a difference:
http://my.barackobama.com/getinvolved
Of course, some states will be more competitive than others, and we will scale our resources accordingly.
But your work building our party means that the list of competitive states will be longer than ever before -- and it will include states like Virginia and Montana where your work has helped a Democratic resurgence at the state level.
And in every single state, no matter what the likelihood that we carry it in the fall, our staff will build volunteer capacity that will provide help where we need it and impact races up and down the ballot this November.
Every day counts -- voters head to the polls in less than five months. This is your opportunity to shape this election and our unprecedented 50-state campaign now:
Thanks to your support, we are on our way to building an unprecedented organization for the November elections.
As the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama will fight to unite our party and win contests up and down the ballot.
But he cannot determine the outcome of this election on his own.
It will all come down to what you are willing to do.
It's time to answer the call.
Thank you, David
David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
Blogging is likely to be a bit sparse again for a while. I just started a new contract through the company I work for, and I'll be doing some overtime in order to be able to take off in August to go with Rob and the rest of the Amicus gang to the DNC in Denver. And I have to admit, I'm loving the new job. It's so odd to work for a company that has written decent, organized code, and gives good requirements. In fact, I was able to write code on my first day there, and finish it by the second. I'll be there around 90 days, and I have a feeling I'll be happy there right up until the end of the contract.
Nikki Norton is being drafted as my Co-Chair for Utah for Obama tomorrow night. She's been a lifesaver as of late, and I'm glad she's finally agreed to it. She was highlighted in this TIME.com article:
Utah is hardly the place that jumps into most Democrats' minds when brainstorming about red states where they have a chance to make headway this November. The Beehive State was one of just three states in which President George W. Bush swept every county in 2004 -- all of them except for two with more than 55% of the vote. In the state's 2008 primaries on Super Tuesday, Republican voters outnumbered Democrats by a margin of 2.5 to 1. None of that, however, has discouraged Nikki Norton and her band of 40 volunteers from organizing for Obama ahead of the General Election. And surprisingly, it hasn't deterred the Obama campaign from formally helping Norton by investing in the state; Norton, co-chair of Utah for Obama's grassroots campaign, got a call a couple of days ago telling her to expect paid staffers to arrive within the next month. "Even if we don't win Utah we definitely want to create a downstream effect for local candidates," Norton said. "It could also force [Republican presumptive nominee John] McCain to defend Utah; he might have to split his resources for a state like ours where he probably wouldn't have needed to before. And our volunteers had a big effect on border swing states, particularly in rural areas in Nevada, and that was a big benefit for Obama [who won Nevada's delegate count over Hillary Clinton by dint of his rural victories]." From the earliest days of his upstart campaign, Obama pledged to run a 50-state effort, vowing to move past the traditional partisan divide and expand the electoral map by appealing to independents and even Republicans. But few people, even in his own staff, thought he'd actually invest in every single state. As it turns out, Obama's phenomenal fundraising has allowed him to deliver on his bold promise and place campaign staff in every one of the 50 states, as his campaign announced it would Monday. The strategy could force McCain to defend Republican strongholds, may help those lonely Democratic candidates in so-called Red States and could further expand Obama's already massive volunteer and donor bases (indeed, the move was announced in a fundraising e-mail plea to donors). Obama is able to do this, in part, because of the grueling, drawn-out delegate fight with Clinton that only just ended. The long primary season forced the campaign to build bases of support for the Illinois senator in every single state. The dividends of the high-profile Democratic presence are already being felt. Earlier this year, Democrats picked up three long-held GOP congressional seats in special elections in Mississippi, Louisiana and Illinois. The party is also mounting House challengers in 14 states that Bush won in 2004, including Wyoming, Alabama and Arizona. And Democratic candidates are contesting at least five GOP stronghold seats in the Senate: Alaska, Kentucky (Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's seat), Nebraska, Kansas and New Mexico. "Senator Barack Obama's plan to compete in all 50 states is a reflection of the overwhelming desire for change that is transcending state boundaries and has energized voters in every corner of the country,&q uot; said Maryland Representative Chris Van Hollen, who runs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democratic candidates. No one contends that the 50-state strategy is Obama's brainchild; it actually comes from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who not so long ago took a lot of heat from Democrats angry that he was squandering their limited resources on perceived long shots in the south and west. But after his gamble paid off in 2006, when Dems won both chambers of Congress, his expansive notion suddenly seemed a lot more viable. "The 50-state strategy has been historic -- just the enthusiasm that our volunteers have, that our candidates have, that our party is visible and active even before the campaign, it pays off on so many levels for a state like Kansas," said Mike Gaughan, executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party. In a state where only two out of 105 counties voted for John Kerry in 2004, Democrats took a House seat, six seats in the Kansas Legislature and the attorney general's office from the GOP in 2006. "We saw Obama's staff at w ork here during the primary season. They had organized on the ground back from October for the February 5 caucuses," Gaughan said. "The way that they activated their supporters is going to pay dividends" for all Kansas Democratic candidates as the party seeks to expand its presence there.
Utah is hardly the place that jumps into most Democrats' minds when brainstorming about red states where they have a chance to make headway this November. The Beehive State was one of just three states in which President George W. Bush swept every county in 2004 -- all of them except for two with more than 55% of the vote. In the state's 2008 primaries on Super Tuesday, Republican voters outnumbered Democrats by a margin of 2.5 to 1.
None of that, however, has discouraged Nikki Norton and her band of 40 volunteers from organizing for Obama ahead of the General Election. And surprisingly, it hasn't deterred the Obama campaign from formally helping Norton by investing in the state; Norton, co-chair of Utah for Obama's grassroots campaign, got a call a couple of days ago telling her to expect paid staffers to arrive within the next month. "Even if we don't win Utah we definitely want to create a downstream effect for local candidates," Norton said. "It could also force [Republican presumptive nominee John] McCain to defend Utah; he might have to split his resources for a state like ours where he probably wouldn't have needed to before. And our volunteers had a big effect on border swing states, particularly in rural areas in Nevada, and that was a big benefit for Obama [who won Nevada's delegate count over Hillary Clinton by dint of his rural victories]."
From the earliest days of his upstart campaign, Obama pledged to run a 50-state effort, vowing to move past the traditional partisan divide and expand the electoral map by appealing to independents and even Republicans. But few people, even in his own staff, thought he'd actually invest in every single state. As it turns out, Obama's phenomenal fundraising has allowed him to deliver on his bold promise and place campaign staff in every one of the 50 states, as his campaign announced it would Monday. The strategy could force McCain to defend Republican strongholds, may help those lonely Democratic candidates in so-called Red States and could further expand Obama's already massive volunteer and donor bases (indeed, the move was announced in a fundraising e-mail plea to donors).
Obama is able to do this, in part, because of the grueling, drawn-out delegate fight with Clinton that only just ended. The long primary season forced the campaign to build bases of support for the Illinois senator in every single state. The dividends of the high-profile Democratic presence are already being felt. Earlier this year, Democrats picked up three long-held GOP congressional seats in special elections in Mississippi, Louisiana and Illinois. The party is also mounting House challengers in 14 states that Bush won in 2004, including Wyoming, Alabama and Arizona. And Democratic candidates are contesting at least five GOP stronghold seats in the Senate: Alaska, Kentucky (Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's seat), Nebraska, Kansas and New Mexico. "Senator Barack Obama's plan to compete in all 50 states is a reflection of the overwhelming desire for change that is transcending state boundaries and has energized voters in every corner of the country,&q uot; said Maryland Representative Chris Van Hollen, who runs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democratic candidates.
No one contends that the 50-state strategy is Obama's brainchild; it actually comes from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who not so long ago took a lot of heat from Democrats angry that he was squandering their limited resources on perceived long shots in the south and west. But after his gamble paid off in 2006, when Dems won both chambers of Congress, his expansive notion suddenly seemed a lot more viable. "The 50-state strategy has been historic -- just the enthusiasm that our volunteers have, that our candidates have, that our party is visible and active even before the campaign, it pays off on so many levels for a state like Kansas," said Mike Gaughan, executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party. In a state where only two out of 105 counties voted for John Kerry in 2004, Democrats took a House seat, six seats in the Kansas Legislature and the attorney general's office from the GOP in 2006. "We saw Obama's staff at w ork here during the primary season. They had organized on the ground back from October for the February 5 caucuses," Gaughan said. "The way that they activated their supporters is going to pay dividends" for all Kansas Democratic candidates as the party seeks to expand its presence there.
I've been telling people for a while, that we're in this to win, and that Utah for Obama is going to put effort into getting Utah to go blue this November. It's very, very, very gratifying to find out for sure that the Obama campaign believes in us. Then again, that's kind of why we believe in the Obama campaign, huh?
We've decided to use my Jeep for Utah for Obama in the Pride Parade this Sunday, along with the 10' Obama puppet. Here are a couple of photos of the Jeep:
I'm hoping to find someone that has one of the following to decorate the Jeep with:
If you have any of the above that you can help us with, please let me know ASAP. I'll be decorating the Jeep tomorrow (Saturday). Any suggestions for other decorating ideas are also welcome.
And if you want to be in the parade with us, it's not too late to sign up! http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4d3m
According to Dictionary.com, "respect" has 16 definitions. Here are the ones I find relevant to the subject of Hillary Clinton's withdrawal from the Presidential race:
3. esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment. 4. deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly. 5. the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect. 6. respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship: Give my respects to your parents. 7. favor or partiality. 8. Archaic. a consideration. –verb (used with object) 9. to hold in esteem or honor: I cannot respect a cheat. 10. to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone's rights. 12. to relate or have reference to. —Idioms 13. in respect of, in reference to; in regard to; concerning. 14. in respect that, Archaic. because of; since. 15. pay one's respects, a. to visit in order to welcome, greet, etc.: We paid our respects to the new neighbors. b. to express one's sympathy, esp. to survivors following a death: We paid our respects to the family. 16. with respect to, referring to; concerning: with respect to your latest request.
–verb (used with object)
—Idioms
Listen to what Senator Obama had to say about Hillary Clinton on Tuesday.
We've spent the last year and a half looking at her as the competition. Many have other reasons for disliking or not wanting Senator Clinton to become our first woman president. But, today, that is irrelevant to our goal of having Senator Obama as the 44th President.
Do we want Senator Clinton's supporters to now support Senator Obama as the Democratic nominee? Well, I do. In order for that to happen, we need to redirect ourselves at this point in time.
We need to understand that the bitter voters that the media told us about don't represent all of Senator Clinton's supporters, and I'd venture to say they are a small minority. I've spoken to many of her supporters, and I have yet to meet one face to face that holds that sort of resentment. Many of them are grateful to have been part of her campaign, but are ready to move on with Senator Obama as the nominee. Some of them will join us in campaigning for Barack. Some of them will watch quietly from a distance, and cast their vote for him in November. Some of them will have discussion with us, trying to decide whether they can support Barack.
As we engage in discussion with the Hillary supporters, we need to respect what she accomplished, without bringing any of our negative feelings into it. We don't need to debate the reasons we didn't support her. We don't need to question her supporter's motives. We don't need to be negative. Period. Dot. The end.
We need to do as Senator Obama did, and recognize the positive aspects of her presidential run. We need to be gracious about Senator Obama's win, and the role that Hillary played. If anything, her constant testing of him helped set the tone of the General election - he's been tried and tested, and come out on top. We wouldn't be going into the General knowing he'll succeed against the GOP attacks, if it weren't for that.
When we do run across Hillary supporters that have not accepted Obama as their candidate, we don't have to convince them of anything. We do have to respect their opinions, and avoid debates. We don't need to give the media or the Republicans any fodder for their cannons. Only when those supporters of Hillary feel that we respect them and their goals will we stand any chance of uniting with them behind Senator Obama.
August gives everyone time to gain perspective, and watch as Hillary stands behind Barack's candidacy. August is the next big date on our timeline leading to January 20, 2009. These are exciting times for us, but we have to focus on the November election, and realize that our hard work during the primary needs to continue into the General election. That is our focus, and we no longer need to work against Senator Clinton.
I think that these two statement summarize my thoughts well:
If we want Hillary's supporters to respect us and our candidate, we must do so first.
If we want Barack to be our leader, we must follow his lead.
When we see the media publishing crap articles like the op-ed from Maureen Dowd in such an untimely manner, we need to realize that it's an attempt to create drama that the media thrives on. Ignore it, or deny it, but don't be sucked into it, and don't let it affect your ability to have respect.
Hillary Clinton has yet to admit that the Democratic Presidential Primary is a done deal, but the tone of media chatter that I've heard is that she's going to - on a night of her own choosing, when she can have the spotlight on her for a moment. My personal feelings about that very, but at the moment, I feel like that's an OK thing. Granted, her 'offer to be Obama's VP, in order to unify the party' seemed rather out of line, to me. But, hey, I'd be happy to follow he lead and offer myself as Obama's Technology Czar. Ezra Klein put it best, I think:
If you were Clinton and, on the one hand, you had your hated adversaries in the media clamoring for you to drop out, and on the other, you were mobbed, every day, by devoted supporters who had invested their hopes in you and begged you to keep up the fight, and you yourself wanted to continue prosecuting your case, well, what would you do?
I don't think there's a chance in hell that she'll be Obama's VP. In fact, I think McCain would be more likely to offer her the job than Obama, but we all know that's not very likely, either. Obama will likely choose someone to round out his skills, maybe someone strong on foreign policy, to satisfy those who believe he needs more experience. I do believe he'll make a wise choice, no matter who it is.
If Hillary gets a job in the Obama administration, I could see it having to do with healthcare, since that is one of her strong points, and the one she seems to be the most passionate about, at least if you narrow it down to things Obama and Clinton can agree on. And that would satisfy a lot of people.
Last night, about 5 hours after I scheduled the "Yes We Did" party, people began to show up at the SkyBox Grille. Kurt Bestor beat us all in the door, and was just beginning a snack as I walked in with Dimitrios and his girlfriend (sorry, I suck at names) to the back room where the big screen awaited us. Not long after, people began arriving, eager to own another little piece of this campaign. Many were people I'd never met before. Others were the people who I've known since this all started, like Theodore, Strider, Brandon, Janet Lee, Laurie Noda, and so many more. Rob Miller brought Utah Attorney General candidate, Jean Welch Hill, and Pete Ashdown and Robin Ballard brought their two youngest children. I would guess attendance at about 40 people. Which really isn't bad, considering the short notice everyone had about the event.
Chris Vanocur, of ABC 4, sent down a camera to check out the activities. Halfway through Senator Obama's speech, I was asked to do an interview, and so I missed much of the speech. I love technology, though. It's all on YouTube, and if you else would like to (re-)watch it, just head over to the official Obama Blog. Kurt Bestor and Theodore Cowan were also interviewed, presumably because of their status as elected National Delegates for Senator Obama. ABC 4's video feed isn't allowed on this blog's setup, so I can't post it here. But, you can view it on ABC4.com.
KSL also had some interesting coverage yesterday regarding the Democratic Primary, including Donald Dunn's take.
There were two other reporters there last night. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that they were reporters until it was too late, and they were gone. Apparently, one was from the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Deseret News had some other interesting news coverage yesterday. They quoted Wayne Holland as confirming rumors that I keep hearing, about Helen Langdon and Karen Hale switching from Hillary to Barack, as well as saying that Jim Matheson would be coming out for Barack. I've been hearing about the first two for a long while now, and from many different people. I had almost begun to think it was wishful thinking, but regardless, this is good news!
Now we can get on to the serious business of facing John McSame McCain. You know, Mr. 4-More-Years-Of-Bush, who thinks that spying on Americans is patriotic and on registering new voters across Utah. Watch for a summary very soon about the successes we've already had!
Utah for Obama is hosting a "Yes We Did" Celebration party to watch Barack Obama's Victory Speech tonight (Tuesday) at SkyBox Grille at the Gateway Mall at 7:30 PM.
After Saturday's decision to finalize the Michigan and Florida delegates, 2,118 is the magic number of delegates to reach the Democratic Nomination. As of this writing, Barack Obama needs 31.5 delegates to get there. Tonight, after the votes are counted in Montana and South Dakota, the last few names of Super Delegates who will vote for Senator Obama at the DNC in August will be announced, and Senator Obama will make his victory speech.
According to my sources, his speech will happen at 8:15 MDT, just after the polls close, so make sure that you arrive by 8!.
This campaign is a movement of the people, and I cannot think of a more appropriate title for tonight's event than "Yes we did". Barack won this nomination because of you, and me, and literally millions of other people's efforts. It's not just Barack who won, it's all of us. We have more work to do, but tonight it's time to celebrate what we've accomplished.
And tomorrow, we can get on to the work of showing John McCain for what he really is - 4 more years of Bush.
Details: SkyBox Sports Grill, 7:30 PM 4 South Rio Grande Street Family-friendly event Bring your friends, too! Use Winter Parking entrance on north side of 100 South. SkyBox is on the west side of Rio Grande Street, on the Promenade level
Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede Tuesday night that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to be the nation's first female president.
While Hillary is conceding that Barack has the delegates needed, she's not dropping out just yet. I'm not quite sure why, but regardless, we're going to celebrate the fact that Barack Obama has won the Democratic nomination tonight!
We don't have a venue yet, because this is just breaking. But, I'll announce it here after we have it confirmed. And if you have a place you'd like to offer that has a tv and plenty of room, let me know!
It's rather amusing to me how right on the spot that The Spoof was about this.
Last Wednesday, hundreds, thousands or some large number of people showed up at Washington Square for the Peace and Human Rights Rally. So, we decided that would be the perfect place to register new voters, and update others' registrations. I had at least 6 people join me, including Cheryl, Theo, Brandon, Susan, Sherri, and Claire and her son. I swear there were a couple more but I didn't do a sign-in, so I'm stuck with the ones my short memory will recall. Anyway, we were able to register 43 voters. Not bad for an hour's work, right?
Here are some of the photos from the rally, much thanks to Theo for getting some of the better shots for me.
It took me 3 tries, but I finally got a full shot of this "Prez Lie Dispenser" sign.
These guys with the foil signs walked in front of and through the crowd several times.
Here's a shot from near the back of the crowd.
One from the side.
Another from the side.
Here's Rocky at the beginning of his speech.
I liked the signs put up from High Road for Human Rights. They said:
Our America Does Not Torture
America: Where Everyone Including The President Is Bound By Rule Of Law
Torture Is A Subversion Of American Values
Anyway, we've had a lot of positive stories about Vote for Change across Utah. Josh Der sent this email about the Logan Vote for Change event:
On Saturday, May 24, 2008, Utah State University for Obama, Cache Valley for Obama and the Cache County Democratic Party jointly organized a voter registration drive in Logan. We had four volunteers and we collected 16 new voter registration applications, 6 of which were Democrats, 6 were unaffiliated and only one of which was Republican. This was a test-run and was a great success, considering it was nice weather on a holiday weekend without any big events happening in Logan. One of our volunteers scouted the community for potential drive locations, one registered voters downtown and two volunteers worked outside of a locally owned, progressive coffee shop/deli counter. We wore our Obama flair, but focused on registering people to vote. If they asked why we were doing it, we told them about the Vote for Change campaign. We were well received and connected with some potential volunteers. By the end of the day, we came away feeling excited and energized. We also gave out free Obama bumper stickers to supporters who expressed interest. We didn't really push the stickers, but still gave out close to 30 of them. This registration drive represents something tangible, easy and proactive we can all do to promote Obama. The more we promote Obama in Utah, the stronger the democratic party will be on Election Day, regardless of how Utah's electoral votes are cast. This means the possibility for REAL change on a local level, where we are most directly affected. Here are a couple pieces of advice for organizers based on our experiences: 1) Identify locations before you start. Corporate-owned grocery store chains (e.g. Walmart or Albertsons, etc.) don't want anything to do with politics, so don't bother sending volunteers to these places, they'll just get turned away. I've found locally owned businesses are much more receptive to this voter registration drive. Consider the management's perspective; try not to bother patrons inside of the business, but rather catch them on their way in or out. Don't block the entrance and don't be too pushy. Look for places where you'll get a lot of foot traffic. Consider your target demographic and go to where you are likely to find them (e.g. for youth, find the local hangouts or work on campuses; for Latinos or Asian Americans, go to an ethnic market or restaurant). If you can (and they will allow), get a booth or a table at a local festival or farmer's market, otherwise get a lot of volunteers to work the crowd. In any case, its best to work in a location where people are not in a rush and can spend a few minutes to fill out the form or to chat with you. 2) Visit your County Clerk's office. They are required to provide voter registration application books to organizations who are registering voters. They will give you 4-5 books of 50 applications. Each volunteer will need a book, so this may limit how many volunteers you can use, but if a few different people request them independently or you make a plea that you are working a large event, you may be able to get more. The books have carbon copies so you can give each voter a receipt that is proof of registration and will get them a ballot in case they don't get their voter registration card or their application gets lost somehow. The books fit on a clipboard well and you don't have to make any photocopies or carry stacks of loose paper or bulky state-printed mail in forms (however, its good to have a few mail in forms to give out to people who don't have time, want their voter information kept private, or want to give it to a friend). Be sure to check that all the required information is completed and legible. When you finish a book, bring it back to the County Clerk and they will replace it. Set up your own vote for change event: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/create
On Saturday, May 24, 2008, Utah State University for Obama, Cache Valley for Obama and the Cache County Democratic Party jointly organized a voter registration drive in Logan.
We had four volunteers and we collected 16 new voter registration applications, 6 of which were Democrats, 6 were unaffiliated and only one of which was Republican. This was a test-run and was a great success, considering it was nice weather on a holiday weekend without any big events happening in Logan.
One of our volunteers scouted the community for potential drive locations, one registered voters downtown and two volunteers worked outside of a locally owned, progressive coffee shop/deli counter.
We wore our Obama flair, but focused on registering people to vote. If they asked why we were doing it, we told them about the Vote for Change campaign. We were well received and connected with some potential volunteers.
By the end of the day, we came away feeling excited and energized. We also gave out free Obama bumper stickers to supporters who expressed interest. We didn't really push the stickers, but still gave out close to 30 of them.
This registration drive represents something tangible, easy and proactive we can all do to promote Obama. The more we promote Obama in Utah, the stronger the democratic party will be on Election Day, regardless of how Utah's electoral votes are cast. This means the possibility for REAL change on a local level, where we are most directly affected.
Here are a couple pieces of advice for organizers based on our experiences:
1) Identify locations before you start. Corporate-owned grocery store chains (e.g. Walmart or Albertsons, etc.) don't want anything to do with politics, so don't bother sending volunteers to these places, they'll just get turned away. I've found locally owned businesses are much more receptive to this voter registration drive. Consider the management's perspective; try not to bother patrons inside of the business, but rather catch them on their way in or out. Don't block the entrance and don't be too pushy. Look for places where you'll get a lot of foot traffic. Consider your target demographic and go to where you are likely to find them (e.g. for youth, find the local hangouts or work on campuses; for Latinos or Asian Americans, go to an ethnic market or restaurant). If you can (and they will allow), get a booth or a table at a local festival or farmer's market, otherwise get a lot of volunteers to work the crowd. In any case, its best to work in a location where people are not in a rush and can spend a few minutes to fill out the form or to chat with you.
2) Visit your County Clerk's office. They are required to provide voter registration application books to organizations who are registering voters. They will give you 4-5 books of 50 applications. Each volunteer will need a book, so this may limit how many volunteers you can use, but if a few different people request them independently or you make a plea that you are working a large event, you may be able to get more. The books have carbon copies so you can give each voter a receipt that is proof of registration and will get them a ballot in case they don't get their voter registration card or their application gets lost somehow. The books fit on a clipboard well and you don't have to make any photocopies or carry stacks of loose paper or bulky state-printed mail in forms (however, its good to have a few mail in forms to give out to people who don't have time, want their voter information kept private, or want to give it to a friend). Be sure to check that all the required information is completed and legible. When you finish a book, bring it back to the County Clerk and they will replace it.
Set up your own vote for change event: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/create
Lots of people are organizing small drives, and local businesses seem to be supportive, and often let people run the drive from there. In fact, Golden Braid Books contacted us, to offer a location. It's easy, and even if you don't want to run one yourself, you can join us at larger gatherings, like next weekend when we get going at Utah Pride. Check out events statewide.
I just got this email from Vanessa Wasserman, Delegate Coordinator for the Barack Obama campaign:
Hello, Just wanted to send you an update of where we stand after yesterday’s exciting primary results. We project that Senator Obama netted a total of approximately 13 delegates out of primaries in Indiana and North Carolina yesterday. Today, Senator Obama moved closer to becoming the Democratic nominee by winning the support of four superdelegates (North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek, North Carolina DNC member Jeanette Council, California DNC member Inola Henry and Virginia Assembly member Jennifer McClellan who switched from Clinton). That total of 4 delegates means that Obama is now only 169 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination. The Math Contests won – Obama 32, Clinton 16 Total Delegates – Obama 1856, Clinton 1698.5 Pledged delegates Obama needs for a majority of pledged delegates – 33 Total delegates Obama needs for the nomination – 169 Link to full state-by-state results: http://www.barackobama.com/resultscenter/index.php We are definitely on the road to change! Hope all is well. Vanessa
Hello,
Just wanted to send you an update of where we stand after yesterday’s exciting primary results.
We project that Senator Obama netted a total of approximately 13 delegates out of primaries in Indiana and North Carolina yesterday. Today, Senator Obama moved closer to becoming the Democratic nominee by winning the support of four superdelegates (North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek, North Carolina DNC member Jeanette Council, California DNC member Inola Henry and Virginia Assembly member Jennifer McClellan who switched from Clinton). That total of 4 delegates means that Obama is now only 169 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.
The Math
Contests won – Obama 32, Clinton 16
Total Delegates – Obama 1856, Clinton 1698.5
Pledged delegates Obama needs for a majority of pledged delegates – 33
Total delegates Obama needs for the nomination – 169
Link to full state-by-state results: http://www.barackobama.com/resultscenter/index.php
We are definitely on the road to change!
Hope all is well.
Vanessa
Today is Utah's chance to help make Barack Obama the next President. Please help us get as many people to the polls today as possible!Three easy ways to do this:1) GO VOTE2) Tell all your friends, neighbors and co-workers to go vote. Send out an email to your whole list, call through all the numbers in your cell phone, etc. There are a lot of people in Utah who still don't realize that today is the presidential primary and the best person to tell them why they need to go vote for Barack is YOU!3) Help us make calls and knock on doors to Obama supporters. Call 801-886-2262 or come down to our office at 1747 South 900 West in SLC if you can help out. (We also have locations in Park City, Ogden, and St. George if you are closer to any of those locations and want to help out there.)There is a lot of support for Barack in Utah but it won't mean anything if we don't get our supporters to go VOTE! We'll be on the phones and the doors all the way through 8pm, when doors close. Please help us help Barack!!
