Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Los Angeles County election officials will attempt to tally the ballots of tens of thousands of nonpartisan voters whose choice for president wasn't included in California's Feb. 5 primary result, as county officials vowed Tuesday to change the confusing ballot in the nation's largest voting jurisdiction to prevent such a mishap from reoccurring.
Tuesday's move is unlikely to take last week's California primary victory from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton or significantly shift the state's delegate distribution, conceded campaign officials representing Sen. Barack Obama, who finished second. Clinton won 55 percent of the vote in Los Angeles and 52 percent statewide in the latest figures from the California secretary of state.
But campaign officials and voter advocates hoped that Tuesday's move will send a larger message to thousands of new voters who are casting ballots for the first time in this presidential campaign: Your vote does count.
"In a political sense, will it likely change the outcome in the Democratic primary or in the delegate count? Probably not," said Tony West, a top official in Obama's California campaign operation. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't matter.
"We've seen that turnout has nearly doubled (in Democratic primaries) in every single contest from what it was four years ago," West said. "To tell those people who are new to the process that their vote doesn't count sends them a very bad message."
Read the full article from the San Francisco Chronicle.
On Tuesday, you and I can bend the arc of history.
Yes We Can.
Barack Obama and Tony West. Photo by Mona Brooks.
On Feb. 5, we will be called to engage in one of the few activities we do together, as one nation: We will go to the polls. And we will make a choice. For me, that choice is Sen. Barack Obama.
My reasons for supporting Barack stem from both my personal history and my sense of history. Barack's message of hope - of our individual and collective ability to see beyond the appearances of our world as it is and embrace the vision of what it can be - has deep resonance with me. My parents grew up in the segregated, deep South. They came to California just before I was born, seeking opportunity that eluded them back home. My father, the first in his family to achieve a college education, and my mother, the eldest daughter of Methodist pastor, had neither relatives nor much money when they arrived here. But what they did have they gave to me, their only son: Love, an education, faith and hope.
I’ve reflected on how those gifts transformed my life, particularly as I’ve thought about how Barack’s extraordinary campaign has transformed this country. Barack’s journey is so inspiring because it is, in many ways, so ordinary: Raised by a single mother after his father left the family when Barack was only two; struggled with issues of identity and place before finding his way and excelling at Columbia University and Harvard Law School; passed up high-paying job offers after law school to organize working people on the south side of Chicago who’d lost their jobs; and served his nation, first in the Illinois statehouse and then the U.S. Senate, as a voice for change and justice.
When Barack recounts his remarkable journey, he is telling a story of hope that many, regardless of race, class, gender or religion can identify with. It is a uniquely American story, one which reminds us of what we already know: That we are an optimistic, decent, good people; a nation comprised of those who have often overcome the odds; individuals who have frequently faced tough circumstances but have persevered out of a belief that tomorrow can be better than today. In the mirror of Barack’s narrative, we see our best selves.
By Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross
San Francisco Chronicle
February 3, 2008
With the big primary just two days away, the Democratic race in California is coming down to the question of which will loom larger - Barack Obama's surge among younger, well-educated Dems, or the votes that longtime front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton believes she already has in her pocket.
Just look at the numbers.
For the past seven months, the nonpartisan statewide Field Poll has shown Clinton holding steady with about 39 percent of the Democratic vote. The Field Poll released this weekend had Clinton dropping to 36 percent.
Support among voters for Obama, on the other hand, has grown from 19 percent in August to 34 percent in the final weekend.
In other words, the contest has tightened from a 20-point Clinton slam dunk to a breakneck two-point race.
The question is whether Obama's surge can overtake the support that Clinton already has with Latinos and older women.
Weir said that if the trend holds up, it will mean about 60 percent of the vote will come in on election day - a turnout the Obama people are betting on.
"A large (election day) turnout has always been good for our vote," said Obama California campaign co-chairman Tony West. "That's when our ground game comes in best.
"We've got 5,000 precinct captains all over the state, volunteer coordinators in every congressional district and people pouring in the door every day," West said.
It's the same strategy that Obama used in South Carolina, helping him to carry that state in a landslide Jan. 26.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Recently, I was in Des Moines, Iowa—ground zero for the nation’s first presidential contest next year—where I spent a couple of days talking with our Iowa campaign staff and volunteers, meeting a few caucus voters and hearing from our candidate himself. I returned to California more convinced than ever that this time next year, you and I will be raising money and gathering support for Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Here are three reasons why:
1. Organization Where It Matters Most
One of the people I met working in our Des Moines headquarters is the former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. Among his top reasons for joining our campaign over Hillary’s was that, of the many presidential campaigns he’s seen in Iowa over the years, ours is far and away the most organized.
The key to our success has always been simple: As the underdog in the race, we need to perform well enough in the “First Four” contests—Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina—to create the momentum necessary to narrow the field and position Barack for victories on February 5th, when over 20 states will vote at once.
An essential ingredient to success in the “First Four” is organizational strength. This is especially true in Iowa where the retail nature of the caucus puts a premium on repeated voter contact.
In this respect, we dominate the field. We have more campaign offices open around Iowa than any other candidate; we’re now on television regularly; we have hundreds of dedicated precinct captains throughout the state and an enormous volunteer operation talking to voters everyday through canvassing, phone banks and organized events. We also enjoy the endorsements and active efforts of elected officials around the state, including Iowa’s popular Attorney General, Tom Miller.
Hours ago, the Senate voted to approve a war funding bill that lacks a timetable for bringing our troops home. In the same, tired refrain we've heard time and again, the Bush Administration has argued that a "clean" funding bill is the only way to support our troops. The false choice the President offers--supporting the troops or "cutting and running"--ignores reality, encourages divisiveness and offends the common sense of the American people, nearly two-thirds of whom say it's time to bring an end to this war.
Still, it takes courage to vote against legislation that has been skillfully portrayed as supporting the troops, such that 69% of the public supports the type of legislation Congress passed yesterday, according to the New York Times. So I was impressed not only that Barack voted against the bill but in how he explained his reasoning. His explanation follows; I hope you'll give it a read.
Tony West, Co-Chair
California Finance Committee
I've received several requests for all of the different June dates/events during which Barack and Michelle Obama will be in California, so I thought I would post them all below. In addition, feel free to email me at tony@obamaforcalifornia.com for more information or the actual invitation. Space if filling up so if you're interested, please let me know ASAP. Thanks!
Tony West, Co-ChairCalifornia Finance Committeetony@obamaforcalifornia.com
In the last three years, people all over this country have rallied to Barack's call for a new political dialogue that seeks to break the partisan log jam, remind us of our shared values and erase the cynicism we've become accustomed to in our politics.
Dr. King used to say that a true leader doesn’t seek consensus; he builds consensus. Barack fits that definition squarely. In a political context where we often experience more heat than light, Barack listens. He possesses great judgment, compassion, energy, faith, intelligence and a strong sense of self. And he brings to our political discourse a refreshing authenticity that Americans at home and allies abroad will welcome.
It's one reason why in cities such as Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta or Oakland—huge crowds gather to hear Barack talk about turning the page on the past and outline a compelling vision of our future.
