Melissa in Colville, Washington tell us why she is voting for Barack:
I will vote. I am a nurse. I was a teacher. I am also getting my second masters degree in nursing leadership. I see firsthand the effects of the current healthcare system. I know we can do better. I am voting for Barack Obama and would like to see his administration do something positive for healthcare, the middle class, and the underserved/uninsured. I am in favor of universal healthcare. It is inhumane to ensure that every American has an education, but not address their most basic needs of health.
I will vote.
I am a nurse. I was a teacher. I am also getting my second masters degree in nursing leadership. I see firsthand the effects of the current healthcare system. I know we can do better.
I am voting for Barack Obama and would like to see his administration do something positive for healthcare, the middle class, and the underserved/uninsured. I am in favor of universal healthcare. It is inhumane to ensure that every American has an education, but not address their most basic needs of health.
All over America -- people young and old are casting their votes for Barack Obama. Natie in Tampa, Florida, tells her voting story:
My mother, my twin sister, and I delivered our ballots for Barack at our voting location here in Tampa, Florida.My mother took her 86-year-old sister -- a Hillary supporter during the primaries -- and helped her fill out her ballot for Barack. My mom called me shortly after and reported that she had never seen her sister so happy as she was when she cast her ballot for Barack. All the way home, her 86-year-old sister proclaimed over and over again, "I'm so happy!" My mom said that her sister regards it as a defining moment in her 86 years of life to vote for such a transcendent candidate as Barack. She said that at that moment that she filled in her paper ballot for Barack, she felt a special kinship with Barack's 86-year-old grandmother. We send our blessings to her.
Join Natie's familiy and cast your vote for change today.
Here are just a few of our supporters telling their voting stories:Susan in Lutz, Florida:
My husband and I voted for Obama-Biden Thursday and my son also voted early for Obama-Biden. We believe in Barack Obama and feel he will be a great President for the people and our country.
Leah in Omak, Washington:
I voted for Barack today, and so did my Republican husband.
Charmaine in Monticello, Indiana:
I voted Monday and it felt great! I vote every election but this year it's different. Sure history is being made but as an old song writer once said "A Change Is Gonna Come!"
Congrats! I can’t wait to vote on Tuesday here in Upper Darby, PA! Fired up and ready to go!
Eleven days ago, I received my ballot in the mail. I thoughtfully considered each measure and each election for local, state, and national offices. I started filling in the bubbles from back to front leaving President for last so Obama would get the honor of my vote and I would get the satisfaction of having participated in the most important election in history. The next day I went to the Obama office, assembled a ballot box, and my ballot was the first one in!
Bliss in Florida:
I live in Florida and am sad to report I am one of the few Obama supporters among some of my friends. They have been real hard on me but I am staying strong. I voted on Tuesday! Yay! I am trying to get five friends to go and vote too. I have three and am working on the other two diligently.
Join millions of Obama supporters across the country and cast your vote.And once you’ve voted, sign up to make some calls and help get your friends and neighbors to the polls.
Nantalie in Gotha, Florida writes:
“I am a proud grandma of a 10-year-old who really wants Obama to win. She has been a strong supporter of Obama since he announced his plans to run for president. She comes home from school all "pumped up" over her political debates with her friends and classmates. I am truly amazed by how much she and, her friends appear to know about the election and, the issues.“I was so moved by her devotion to Obama that I recently registered to vote after 20 years of not participating in elections. Yes. I am ashamed to admit it, but it's the truth. “Additionally, I went today and volunteered on behalf of my granddaughter at the local Obama campaign office. I had a very fulfilling day and, now my granddaughter will be proudly sporting an "Obama Girl" tee shirt tomorrow in recognition of Obama's visit.“I will be in an early voting line to cast my vote for Obama.”
Follow Nantalie's example and cast your own vote for the next generation.
Jenny in Richmond, Virginia wrote in to tell us why she's voting:
I am a 47-year-old female small business owner and have registered to vote for the very first time this year; so has my 26-year-old daughter and my 47-year-old husband (Joe the Painter). We are all voting for the very first time. Because we don't want another four more years of what we have had. My daughter and I sat and watched the Wednesday night 30-minuite special that Mr. Obama had on television and it brought my daughter to tears. She is a full time student and works part time and has never voted because of the way the first Bush election was handled and with the way everything has been going to pot since he's been in office, she said she had lost all hope and trust in her government. But last night she said she felt like she was included and that maybe there would be some hope for her and the children that she might have in the future. We have always been a middle to lower-income family, and I have worked hard most of my life and so has my husband. I clean houses and he is a painter so that my daughter can have that better life. But because of this economy I wasn't able to pay for my daughter's college education and hate the thought that she will start her life off in debt. But I pray that the election will take Mr. Obama to the White House as our President so that we all can have some kind of a future. Thank you for fighting for us. God bless you and your family.
I am a 47-year-old female small business owner and have registered to vote for the very first time this year; so has my 26-year-old daughter and my 47-year-old husband (Joe the Painter). We are all voting for the very first time. Because we don't want another four more years of what we have had.
My daughter and I sat and watched the Wednesday night 30-minuite special that Mr. Obama had on television and it brought my daughter to tears. She is a full time student and works part time and has never voted because of the way the first Bush election was handled and with the way everything has been going to pot since he's been in office, she said she had lost all hope and trust in her government. But last night she said she felt like she was included and that maybe there would be some hope for her and the children that she might have in the future.
We have always been a middle to lower-income family, and I have worked hard most of my life and so has my husband. I clean houses and he is a painter so that my daughter can have that better life. But because of this economy I wasn't able to pay for my daughter's college education and hate the thought that she will start her life off in debt. But I pray that the election will take Mr. Obama to the White House as our President so that we all can have some kind of a future.
Thank you for fighting for us. God bless you and your family.
We're honored that Jenny and her familiy members are casting their first-ever votes for Barack Obama. If you've never voted before, this is the time to be a part of our movement and cast your vote today.
At last, November 4th is almost here. We set out nearly 21 months ago to build a grassroots movement of real Americans working for real change. And you’ve surpassed our wildest expectations.
There are millions of you out there, in every state, volunteering your time and your energy to bring real change to Washington. And now we’re in the home stretch – tomorrow America will vote. If you have any time in the next two days, go down to your local field office and volunteer, or pick up the phone and talk to some voters. If you’re never volunteered before, now is the time to get involved. Join these millions of Obama volunteers and show America what the face of change looks like.
Provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump.Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
Voters are early voting at record rates – and we couldn’t be more excited. Millions of Obama supporters across the country have already made sure their vote is counted. Here are a few stories from supporters who have already cast their vote for change:Ashley in Seattle, Washington:
I cast my absentee ballot this week. I feel so blessed to have the democratic right to vote, and am proud to stand up for positive change in America.
Here in Vermont, we requested absentee ballots and voted the day we got them. Thank you, Barack and Joe! It was a privilege and an honor to vote for you!
Laurie in Nevada:
My daughter, a sophomore at Utah State University, just text messaged me with this wonderful content:"Mom--I JUST VOTED FOR THE FIRST TIME, for President of The United States!!!!!! GOBAMA.”
I am so proud. Look for my vote here at Nevada later in the week.GOBAMA!
Robert Puyallup, Washington:
I voted for Obama and Biden because I truly believe they are going to change America for the better for my children and me and my wife. Thanks.
Victoria in Arroyo Grande, California:
My 77-year-old dad, Mr. Korean War Vet - who has NEVER voted in his life (because all politicians are full of "stuff") VOTED EARLY and voted for BARACK OBAMA! We even took a picture. I am so proud of him!
If you weren't able to vote early, find your polling location to vote tomorrow. And once you vote, sign up to help take others to the polls so they make make a difference too.
Barack Obama will make health insurance affordable and accessible to all:The Obama-Biden plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing healthcare system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans to implement the plan.Obama will lower health care costs:The Obama plan will lower health care costs by $2,500 for a typical family by investing in health information technology, prevention and care coordination. Promote public health:Obama and Biden will require coverage of preventive services, including cancer screenings, and will increase state and local preparedness for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden have a plan to put our economy back on track. Barack and Joe understand that we have to make our economy work for ordinary Americans. That means tax cuts for hard-working, middle class Americans. It means tax relief for the small businesses that provide so many American jobs, and it means helping to create more jobs so that every American who is able to work can find a good job with a living wage. See a comparison between the Obama-Biden plan with John McCain's plan.
Here are the highlights of the Obama-Biden economic plan:
Barack Obama will provide a tax cut for working families:Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 95 percent of working Americans the tax relief they need. They will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family.Provide tax relief for small businesses and startups:Obama and Biden will eliminate all capital gains taxes on startup and small businesses to encourage innovation and job creation.Fight for fair trade:Obama and Biden will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. They will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world.
Read more about the Obama-Biden plan to get America's economy back on track and working for ordinary Americans. And compare Barack's plan with John McCain's.
After 10 years in the Air Force flying a C-130 Hurcules, Eli in Fairway, Kansas, got back from his fourth tour in Iraq and went right to work on the ground for Obama.
“When I got out of the Air Force, I was hungry get politically involved and to push ethics back into government. That’s a big thing Barack Obama was talking about.”
Eli, 33, and his new wife Erin had intended to take some time to travel after his Air Force service. But instead, they soon found themselves going full throttle organizing Kansas for Obama.
They first became precinct captains, then volunteer organizers, and eventually both were elected regional delegates. Eli was even elected as an alternate delegate to the National Convention. There goes his vacation time.
But for Eli, it’s all worth it.
It’s a lot of work, but I’ve gotten a lot out of it – the people I’ve met in my community and neighborhood have been amazing, and many have become good friends. It’s cool to get people out of their houses and off their front porches to actually go out and make a difference.
He first realized this election was different during the caucus:
The caucus here in February was during a blizzard. But in my location, we had more people show up in one caucus location than had showed up statewide in 2004. We re-registered over 1,000 Republicans to vote for Barack. There was a line a mile long to get in but no one complained. People don’t usually show up for Democratic functions in Kansas.
The enthusiasm he saw for Barack made Eli want to get even more involved.
I’ve never been politically involved in my life at all. I wanted to serve the military out of patriotism. But later I was disturbed that there was no justifiable reason for being in Iraq. I started questioning our politicians and I wanted answers. I think voters have a responsibility to demand that from our leaders.The military decisions affect my family in a huge way. While dating my now-wife, I was deployed four times. The effect of the war on our military families is something we really need to consider. The role of the commander and chief is to set the tone and the mission for the military. I think Obama understands that and will provide strong leadership. There is no easy solution in Iraq, so good leadership is crucial. I like Obama’s stance on Iraq and the integrity he has shown on the issue.
Eli says that public service is something we should definitely look for in a commander and chief.
I respect McCain’s service, but Obama’s community service is important as well. One of the things I will try to teach my kids is to do some sort of service out of high school or college. It could be helping out in neighborhoods like Obama. The idea of giving two years of service to serve your community or that country is a great way to help people pay for college. I went right into the service out of college, and I really respect that Obama returned to serve his community.
Eli is also concerned about veterans benefits for those he served alongside.
We need to take care of the veterans and the families of wounded servicemen. It affects out county for generations. We need to learn from Vietnam and take care of the wounded veterans who need our help. Obama has some good ideas.
As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Obama has a strong record of working for veterans, including passing legislation to improving care and backing the 2008 G.I. Bill. Barack Obama and Joe Biden have a plan to take care of America's veterans. From expanding and strengthening VA care, to improving mental health and traumatic brian injury treatment, the Obama-Biden plan puts veterans first. Learn more about the Obama-Biden plan to help veterans.
If, like Eli, you’re hungry to get involved in the political process and bring strong leadership back to Washington, join our grassroots movement and volunteer to make a difference.
Voices for Change is a series featuring profiles of Barack Obama's grassroots supporters from across the nation. The people who make up this movement come from all different backgrounds, but they share a common goal of helping bring about fundamental change in Washington.
Luke, 36, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a committed Obama volunteer. He’s knocked on doors, called undecided voters, and is now organizing the phonebanking program for his local office. But Luke, a prosecutor who likes biking in his spare time, thought there must be more he could do, so he started a grassroots fundraising page on my.barackobama.com.
It’s nothing fancy, I just ask friends to contribute and make a difference.
Luke drafted his own emails and sent them to good friends and colleagues asking them to donate. Luke supports Barack Obama because:
We need a more affirmative positive vision for what we want our country to be, as oppose to solely solving our country’s problems. Obama has that vision.
Luke wanted to find creative ways to get more people to donate.
Today is my 36th birthday, so I sent an email out asking people to give $36 in honor of my birthday. Many people give $36. But some people evidently think I’m older than I am. Some gave $50 or $100. But I’ll take it – any amount helps.
So far – including the birthday donations – Luke has raised $1,582 towards his goal of $2000 from 23 donors. He hopes to meet his goal by the end of the month and then set a new one.
It’s a great way to get people to contribute and, in turn, get more involved. I chose to do a personal fundraising page because it’s a great way to support the campaign. We’re already going to win Maryland for Senator Obama, and this is just another way I can contribute.
Luke says he would definitely encourage others to donate to the campaign. Help strengthen our field organization and the Get Out The Vote effort during these crucial days.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden have a plan to restore fiscal discipline to Washington. Every single proposal Barack has made is completely paid for in his plan, because he and Joe believe in strong fiscal responsibility. They will stop government waste by going through the entire federal budget line by line and eliminating the programs that don’t work for the American people. And Barack and Joe will make sure the programs that Americans do need work better and cost less. Barack will cut funding for programs that waste money, and improve efficiency using methods from the private sector. Barack wants to give you a window into the government budget. He will ensure that the meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public, so the American taxpayers can see where their money is spent. An Obama-Biden administration would also cut down on tax shelter and tax haven abuse. They will shut down corporate loopholes so that hard-working Americans aren’t left paying the bill for large companies who find a loophole to avoid paying their fair share. The most important aspect of the Obama-Biden plan for fiscal policy is focused on you: tax cuts for middle class families. Barack will give $1000 in tax relief to 95 percent of American workers and their families. Learn more about the fiscal policy from Barack in this video:
Read about the Obama-Biden fiscal plan. And now you can compare Barack’s plans with McCain’s on our newly redesigned Issues page.
Are you a lawyer? Law student? If so, volunteering for our voter protection team is a great way to have a huge impact on November 4th. There are efforts out there to suppress the vote, and having attorneys at the polls is going to be vital to making sure that every eligible person gets to cast a ballot, and that every vote counts. Our attorneys are carefully monitoring the voter rolls, and have already defeated Republican efforts in Michigan to keep voters whose homes have been foreclosed from voting. But with so many first-time voters expected at the polls, we’re going to need help. We want to make sure every eligible American gets to vote on November 4th. If you live near a battleground state or have some frequent flyer miles you can cash in, join us this on Tuesday and use your skills to protect the vote.
Remember why you went to law school? Make that J.D. count on Election Day, and make a difference for the next four years.
Go to Counsel for Change to sign up.
And check out this new video on our voter protection efforts:
Barack Obama supports comprehensive immigration reform. This involves protecting our borders, and improving the immigration system. The Obama-Biden plan will protect our borders by building infrastructure and using technology more effectively. Immigration reform also requires changes to the immigration system so that workers can come here legally. That helps keep families together, and will help American business fill jobs. Barack also proposes cracking down on employers who use undocumented workers so that they do not have to pay American workers the wage that they deserve. By reforming the immigration system, we can help ensure a fair wage for all workers. The Obama-Biden plan puts immigrants on a path to citizenship. Immigrants in good standing can register, pay a fine, learn English, and then over time can have an opportunity to earn citizenship. Learn more about the immigration plan from Barack:
And read the details of the Obama-Biden immigration plan. Now you can compare Barack’s plans with McCain’s on our newly redesigned Issues page.
Last weekend, Jeanette decided that she couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore. She had never volunteered before, but decided that now was as good a time as any to start.So armed with a pre-printed walk list from her local Obama headquarters and her favorite Obama button, she knocked on over 70 doors in one afternoon.
I was nervous about knocking on doors, since I have never done anything like this before. But as I told my friends, the dread of knocking on doors is still smaller for me than the dread of another four years of the same poor leadership of the country I love.So I knocked. And surprisingly, most people answered and even came out on their porches to talk with me. Many people said they are planning to vote for Obama and wanted to talk about why. Others were not sure who they would vote for and wanted to ask me a question related to the one issue they are still not sure about. Some people said they were planning to vote for McCain and they were still very nice and polite and wished me luck. No one slammed a door in my face or shouted anything at me. Everyone was as smiling and neighborly as I was, which did renew some of my faith in my fellow Americans.”
A 43-year-old mom in Bloomington, Indiana, Jeanette teaches sophomore-level writing classes at a local university. The economy is hitting Bloomington hard.
We can see many closed businesses – we lost Thompson Electric, RCA, Otis Elevator, and General Electric as well as many small businesses in our town and surrounding county over the last several years. I have watched the parents of my children’s friends struggle to keep their businesses functional, while worrying about keeping their homes and sending their kids to college.
Jeanette’s proud to be a part the campaign and working to make a difference.
If you want to help make a real change and don't want to leave the election to fate, please try stepping out of your comfort zone, too, to talk to your neighbors. Your Neighbor-to-Neighbor list will include people who usually vote Democratic yet have a spotty voting record. We all have to work together to encourage them to vote.
Though she was nervous at first, Jeannette had a great experience.
It's even more fun than you think it will be. You Obama headquarters can use your help in many other ways, including data entry or even dropping off cookies for volunteers. Please get involved during these remaining weeks. This election is too important to watch from the sidelines.
Join Jeanette and get off the sidelines. Contact your local Obama office to see how you can get involved, or try our Neighbor-to-Neighbor tool to print out your own canvass lists and get started in your own neighborhood. There are only 2 days left to Get Out The Vote – be part of our movement now.
A few weeks ago, a group of San Francisco neighbors tried to think of what else they could do to help Obama. They’d already volunteered, and had Obama events in their homes, and planned to vote… but they wanted to do more. “I’m a stay-at-home mom with a 3-year-old,” explains Arianna, one of the organizers. “So I can’t go canvass neighborhoods or volunteer at the field office because of my son."
I thought: what can stay-at-home moms do? And the answer is: we can bake!So we had a bake sale. We had a lot of moms there, so we made it a very kid-friendly event with red, white and blue macaroni for them to make necklaces with, and sidewalk chalk. We wanted parents with kids to be able to participate. It was a good way to spend time with my friends and neighbors, and a lot of people turned out that I had never met before. It was great!
I thought: what can stay-at-home moms do? And the answer is: we can bake!
So we had a bake sale. We had a lot of moms there, so we made it a very kid-friendly event with red, white and blue macaroni for them to make necklaces with, and sidewalk chalk. We wanted parents with kids to be able to participate. It was a good way to spend time with my friends and neighbors, and a lot of people turned out that I had never met before. It was great!
Arianna and her neighbors put out baked goods and passersby could munch on yummy cookies and cupcakes if they made a donation to the Obama campaign in any amount.
People gave what they could, and at the end of the day Arianna had raised nearly $500 for the Obama campaign.
Not a bad for a little butter and sugar.
Arianna originally supported Hillary, but is now excited to volunteer for Obama.
Obama made me believe and feel like change is possible. He has a vision for America that includes everybody. I worry a lot, raising a child, that we’re so polarized in this nation. I don’t want my son growing up in that kind of society. I trust Obama to work for all of us.
There are plenty of ways to get involved with the campaign and make a difference on November 4. You can talk to your neighbors, canvass, phonebank, or make sure everyone in your neighborhood has a ride to the polls. Stay-at-home moms can use the Neighbor to Neighbor tool to make calls from home. Or get creative like Arianna and find your own way to help out.
And Arianna has a tip for any aspiring bake sale organizers out there: “The cupcakes are the big sellers.”
Diane in Dayton, Ohio, has always been a registered Independent who leaned conservative.
But when she started reading about Barack Obama back in the primaries, Diane re-registered as a Democrat to vote for Obama.
It was usual for me, because I usually look more like a Republican on a lot of issues. But I don’t identify with today's Republican Party.
Instead, Diane says she supports Barack because:
I trust that he can bring people together – even worldwide. People around the world will come to respect us again, and we will be respectful to other countries too. I believe that Barack’s extremely intelligent, and I want someone a lot smarter than me running the country, who sees all the details of an issue. And finally, I trust his heart.
A 58-year-old public school teacher whose new focus is her grandkids, Diane had never donated to a political campaign before.
But Obama is different than any other politician I’ve ever seen. So I thought I would try doing my own grassroots fundraising page.
Diane has been an avid commenter on the Obama blog, so she started by asking other commenters to donate.
Most of the donations are small donations from people I’ve never even met before, which is kind of neat.
So far, Diane has raised $850 from 42 donors. You can also help bring the change we need. Make sure to finish your personal fundraising page by having your friends and family donate this weekend.
Paul in Chicago is already a committed Obama volunteer. He and his wife volunteer at the Obama office on a regular basis, and they’re even hosting an Obama staffer in their home.
But Paul, 31, thought there was still more he could do.
Since I’m a computer programmer, I spend a lot of time online and with the online community. So I thought starting an online grassroots fundraising page was a great way to reach out to people I already know online and get them to support Barack too.
Paul created a personal fundraising page through my.barackobama.com and started sending emails to drum up support for Obama.
I reached out to friends and acquaintances and made a case for what the stakes are in this election.
Paul set a fundraising goal of $808.08 (in honor of the 2008 election) and has already raised $823 from 23 individual donors.
Many people I reached out to were already supporting the campaign, but I also reached out to people who aren’t as politically active. I even reached out to some of my family in Pittsburgh, where politics is a pretty touchy subject. But I tried to be cheerful and speak to the things that are important to them.
Paul says the most important thing when you’re making your own personal fundraising page is to phrase things on your own voice.
That’s how people connect. It’s always more effective to connect with someone directly in your own voice.
Paul says he often also send a YouTube link in the emails to one of Barack’s speeches, so that people can hear what Barack stands for.Paul says he’s working hard for Obama because he likes Barack’s proposals to modernize our economy to take on the new challenges we face as a country.
I support Obama’s idea of revamping our economy to be a green economy that will grow jobs but also tackle climate change as well. That’s the kind of change we need.
You can also help bring the change we need. Make sure to finish your personal fundraising page by having your friends and family donate this weekend.
