Jamie's Upper Valley Blog

Fired up & ready to go in New Hampshire!

Jamie in Norwich — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:25:10 EDT

We came a long way in New Hampshire last January. Now it's time to go back and finish the job! Obama Organizing Fellows hit the ground in Manchester this coming Saturday, June 14th. Here's Barack's inspiring message to all of us who are once again taking up this fight.

"We have to win. We have to win because if we screw this up, all those people I met who need help, they're not gonna get help. And those of you who are concerned about global warming, I don't care what John McCain says, he is not going to push that agenda hard. All of those concerned about Darfur, I guarantee you they're not going to spend any political capital on that. Those of you who are concerned about education, there will be a bunch of lip service and then more of the same. Those of you concerned about making sure there's a sense of fairness in our economy, it will be less fair.

"Now everybody's counting on you - not just me. And I know that's a heavy weight, but also what a magnificent position to find yourself in, where the whole country is counting on you to change it for the better. Those moments don't come around very often, and here you are, five months away from having transformed the country and made history and changed the world. So we gotta seize it. So rest up a little bit, but come back ready to go ... AND fired up. All right, I gotta go, cheers guys, I love you, let's go win the election."

May 6 - A Day To Remember !

Jamie in Norwich — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:53:51 EDT

Seems like these primary contests are all about performance vs. expectations. Last night we resoundingly crushed the expectations - in both the popular vote and the delegate count. Specifically, the combined numbers from IN & NC show Barack racked up a margin of 210,000 popular votes, and he won 91 delegates to Hillary's 79 (with a handful of delegate slots yet to be allocated).

We have an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and in the popular vote - even if the bogus results from Florida and Michigan are counted. And we're about to take the lead in superdelegates as well. The remaining contests will simply confirm the inevitable. It's time to unite the Democratic Party and focus on crushing John McCain in November.

Now here's one expectation we didn't beat. The Zogby poll (www.zogby.com) called both contests exactly - forecasting a 14-point win in North Carolina and a statistical dead heat in Indiana. Not bad!

Fired up to win the nomination - and win again in November!
Jamie

Who is this man?

Jamie in Norwich — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:52:13 EDT

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F.
Kennedy's challenge to "ask not what your country can do for you, but what
you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in
Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines. In 1963, this man, having
completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to
become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as
well as to Navy personnel.)

The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and
became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to
the Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of
the commander in chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon
B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery. For his service on the team, which he
left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation.

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President
Dick Cheney, who was the same age, received five deferments, four for being
an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective
father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger,
used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then used
family connections to avoid active duty.

Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve
his country for six years? Or our political leaders who beat the system? Are
the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something - or those who
merely talk about it?

After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American
finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a
minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America's
biggest cities. This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of
Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he
made over the last three decades.

Since these comments became public we have heard criticisms, condemnations,
denouncements and rejections of his comments and him. We've seen on
television, in a seemingly endless loop, sound bites of a select few of Rev.
Wright's many sermons. Some of Wright's comments may be inappropriate, but
before calling him "unpatriotic," let us remember that this is a man who
gave up six of the most productive years of his life to serve his country.
-- by Lawrence Korb and Ian Moss

Watch Bill Moyers' interview with Jeremiah Wright at
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/watch.html

And Wright's speech to the NAACP at http://www.hiphopmusic.com/2008/04/rev_wright_naacp_speech_video.html

Interesting note #1: Bill Moyers and Jeremiah Wright first met in 1966 when
Moyers was covering the White House, and Wright was on Lyndon Johnson's
medical team.

Interesting note #2: Rev. Wright was invited to the White House by Bill and
Hillary Clinton for spiritual counseling in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky
affair.

Scranton sign wars, a waffle and a slumlord

Jamie in Norwich — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:08:36 EDT

This is the sequel to Hope & Change in Philadelphia.

Sunday morning I headed north to Scranton. I joined a canvassing team going door-to-door in a big apartment complex - home to a multicultural mix of recently-arrived immigrants from Russia and India, as well as African-American, Latino and white residents. Many were not yet U.S. citizens, but among those who were, we found very strong support for Barack. A lot of residents didn't know where to vote. Fortunately we were able to give them that very important info - and Obama buttons to wear on their way to the polls!

Sunday night Barack spoke at a huge rally along with Caroline Kennedy and Sen. Bob Casey. Barack spent Sunday night in Scranton, then Monday morning he showed up unannounced for breakfast at Glider's Diner. Two high school seniors who got wind of the visit cut classes to go to Glider's and meet Barack. They confessed their shameless act of truancy to Barack, so he wrote each of them an excuse to give to their principal. Too bad it didn't work. The students were suspended anyway, so they decided to volunteer all day Tuesday at the Scranton for Obama office. National media picked up the story and gave it wide exposure. You MUST read the full story, which appeared in the Washington Post.

Not to be outdone, a Glider's customer walked off with Barack's breakfast plate containing his half-eaten waffle and sausage - and put it up for sale on eBay. High bid was $20,000. Don't believe me? Read the full story here.

People were talking about a story concerning Hillary Clinton's grandmother Hannah Jones Rodham, who owned a lot of rental property in Scranton and wasn't shy about evicting poor tenants who got behind on their rent. Read the full story here - you won't regret it.

Monday morning before canvassing, we put up some Obama signs. Not just yard signs, but the big 4x6-foot and 4x8-foot signs that I had brought from Vermont. We zip-tied signs to chain-link fences on highway overpasses, and attached them to rows of stakes pounded into the ground. A Quizno's sub shop even "adopted" one of our signs.

Little did we know how short a life our signs would have. As soon as darkness fell, the goons attacked. By midnight all our big signs had vanished. To make matters worse, the Obama signs on highway overpasses had been replaced by 8-foot Hillary signs.

I wish I could say cool heads prevailed, but they did not. Local volunteers were thirsty for revenge. By Tuesday morning, there were no large signs for either candidate remaining on any of the highways leading into or out of Scranton.

We spent Tuesday going door-to-door again to remind our supporters to go to the polls. I made food runs to deliver fresh fruit and cold drinks to a group of Scranton poll workers who were stuck at their polling station from 6 am to 9 pm without a break. I also stopped by the polls in nearby Dunmore, where Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien, a major Obama supporter, was out front greeting voters. Corey has attracted a lot of attention from the national media, including this story in the Washington Post. In addition, Corey was instrumental in persuading Barack to visit Dunmore on April 1st.

Scranton was an awesome place to volunteer. The staffers were young and full of energy. The local volunteers were enthusiastic and filled with a passion for going above and beyond the call of duty. I'll be busy looking for an excuse to go back - maybe for the general election!

Also read my previous post: Hope & Change in Philadelphia

Hope & Change in Philadelphia

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:36:35 EDT

Last weekend (April 18-20) six carloads of Vermonters hit the ground in eastern Pennsylvania. We canvassed in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Doylestown, Abington and Philadelphia. Were you in Pennsylvania too? If so I'd love to hear from you!

Friday afternoon my group arrived in Philly just in time to go to the Center City Obama office, get rally tickets and walk to the rally. Already a vast river of humanity was flowing to the rally site adjacent to Independence Hall (below). By nightfall there were 35,000 people - an all-time record crowd here to see Barack!

While we waited for Barack to show up, the sound system belted out hope-mongering songs like Brooks & Dunn's Only In America and Earth, Wind & Fire's Shining Star. (For a complete playlist email blackice09@gmail.com.) After the third time through the playlist, will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas got up on stage and led us in a rousing rendition of the Yes We Can song (below).

When Barack finally walked on stage, the cheering was so deafening I had to put my fingers in my ears for 2-3 minutes before the noise subsided. Barack gave an impassioned speech (photo below), interrupted by countless bursts of applause - watch the entire speech here - then stepped off the podium to shake hands at the front of the crowd. People started reaching over each other trying to shake Barack's hand, and suddenly we were being pushed forward with an irresistible force. Thankfully no one was crushed or trampled. When Barack moved past us the pushing let up.

Saturday morning I went out to Northeast Philly (photo below) with another volunteer who had just flown in from Santa Barbara, CA. We set out on foot to canvass a nearby neighborhood. What an experience! Surprise #1: A lot of voters were still undecided. Surprise #2: Many of them were eager to ask us questions - and they listened thoughtfully to our answers. This is how canvassing is supposed to work. (Unlike here in New England, where most voters had already made up their minds and didn't care to listen.)

My favorite voter contact was a young stay-at-home mom with 2 young kids. When we first knocked on her door, she leaned out of an upstairs window, said she was about to jump in the shower, and asked us to please come back later because she wanted to talk to us. We did, and this time she came to the door with her hair wrapped in a towel. She said she was worried about the future - thanks to the rising cost of gasoline and other essentials, her husband's income was no longer enough to pay their bills. I explained Barack's plans to help middle-income taxpayers with tax breaks financed by repealing tax credits for oil companies and enacting a windfall profits tax. I also said Barack would work to make college more affordable by making the federal student loan program truly nonprofit and offering a free college education to partcipants in a national service program. By the time we left, she was 100% for Barack and ready to convert her husband too!

Saturday evening we were joined at dinner by US Congressman Patrick Murphy, who represents the area northeast of Philly. Only thirty-nine years old, Patrick is the only Iraq war veteran in Congress, and he was the very first member of Congress from outside Illinois to endorse Barack. (Many more have followed his lead!) Like Barack, Patrick is an inspirational leader who is committed to ending the Iraq war and moving our country in a new direction. And that means electing more people like Patrick Murphy to Congress in November.

Read the sequel: Sign wars, a waffle and a slumlord in Scranton.

5 ways to help Barack win Pennsylvania!

Jamie in Norwich — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:17:29 EDT

Barack's numbers have never been better - a 50-40 lead in today's national
Gallup poll. A win in PA is within reach. Our help WILL make a difference!

#1 - Email all your PA friends & relatives and ask them to sign the letter
of support at http://pa.barackobama.com/page/s/paletter

#2 - Carpool to Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown or Philly. Carpools leave
Vermont this Thursday, Friday or Sunday. Return Sunday or stay till the votes
are counted. Supporter housing is available. Please call me at (802)
649-3939 or Damian at (802) 899-2275 if you need a ride or can offer one.

#3 - Got any spare Obama yard signs, buttons, stickers or other campaign
materials? Donate them to one of our carpools heading to PA.

#4 - Make phone calls tonight through Sunday. Join a local phone bank with
friends and neighbors - or go online to
http://my.barackobama.com/page/contact/splash/callpennsylvania

#5 - Write postcards to Pennsylvania voters. Email for instructions.

Obama '08 - Yes We Can!
Jamie

Scranton, PA Rocks for Obama! (or A Vermonter in "Clinton country")

Jamie in Norwich — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:15:54 EDT

As an eyewitness to Scranton's legendary St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 15th,
I can assure you: Northeastern Pennsylvania Rocks for Barack!

I had heard that Scranton's was no ordinary parade. Originally a coal-mining town settled by Irish immigrants, Scranton now plays host to the fourth-largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the entire US - more than 100,000 people in attendance!
On the good side: In Lackawanna County, Democrats outnumber Republicans 4-to-1. But Scranton also holds a more dubious distinction: It was the girlhood home of our Democratic primary opponent - she who must not be named - and support for her still runs strong there.
When I learned that You-Know-Who was planning to march in this year's parade with a bevy of press and politicians, I sprung into action. I contacted volunteer stalwarts Tom Brown and Rick Sharp and we hatched a plan. First, Rick rented a one-way U-Haul trailer. Then he and Tom stuffed it with all the 4'x8' Obama signs they had rescued from Chittenden and Washington Counties, plus boxes and boxes of literature and office supplies from our former Burlington office. Then we hitched it up to the back of my Subaru and I headed south to PA.
I rumbled into Scranton at 2 AM Saturday, caught a few hours' sleep at the home of a very generous volunteer, and pulled up in front of the Scranton Obama office at 8 AM. Our office was in a prime commercial location - right on the parade route - but it had just opened the day before. There were no phones, no furniture, no office supplies - just a swarm of volunteers. They rushed out to greet me, and within 5 minutes the U-Haul was emptied out. While volunteers set to work duct-taping our big Vermont signs to read "Vote April 22" (instead of March 4), I dropped off the empty trailer at U-Haul. I returned to the office to find Max Kennedy (son of Robert F.) speaking to a packed house. We then dispersed all over the parade route to ply the growing crowd of spectators with green O'bama signs, stickers, balloons and voter registration forms.

Left: Obama signs dominate downtown Scranton.

By 11:45am, we had deployed Obama signs at every major intersection along the parade route, and we were attracting major media attention. Then the parade started! Max Kennedy darted back and forth from one side of the street to the other like a hummingbird racing from flower to flower. He worked the crowd like nothing I've ever seen, shaking hands and exchanging smiles at a speed of hundreds of voters per minute. We were working the crowd ourselves, plastering thousands of spectators with green O'bama lapel stickers, when a flatbed trailer crammed with press photographers rolled by, and we knew, "Our moment is now!" We hoisted our 4'x8' sign high over our heads. Instantly, two HRC goons raced over and blocked our sign with their 4x8-footer. We quickly moved right. So did they. We moved left. They moved left too. We darted back and forth, jockeying for position, as the parade slowly moved on.
The parade route was horseshoe-shaped. By racing down a side street, I realized, we could redeploy our big signs for a second engagement. This time we set up in an unassailable position, and it wasn't long before the flatbed of photographers rumbled by again. We were holding our big signs over our heads, when I looked down and saw You-Know-Who greeting voters 10 feet in front of me! Then she looked up. With the sudden realization that she was being photographed shaking hands under two giant Obama signs, she did a quick about-face and retreated to the other side of the street. It was the Ides of March and the victory was ours. Defeated on her own home turf!

I've never seen so many green T-shirts in my life. My favorite green shirts read, "I Dig Scranton" (a coal-mining reference) and "Irish whiskey makes me frisky" (a drinking reference). The young women wearing the latter shirts accosted me and demanded to have green O'bama stickers applied to every protrusion in their anatomy. Should I have refused? Such are the moral and ethical dilemmas you face when you volunteer for the most inspiring Presidential candidate in recent memory.

Join the fun and volunteer in Pennsylvania before it's too late. Email the campaign at PA@barackobama.com or me at blackice09@gmail.com. Obama '08 - Yes We Can!

We were also on the local TV news! Go to www.wnep.com - click on "Newswatch 16 Sunday am" - and fast-forward to about 3 minutes into the newscast to watch Max Kennedy's speech and see the big blue Obama sign leaning against the front of my Subaru. (If you look closely you'll see me open the driver's side door and climb out.)

Below: Victorian facades line Lackawanna Avenue along the parade route.

Below: Supporters plastered themselves with green O'BAMA stickers.

Below: End of a long day: Volunteers outside the Scranton office.

A spontaneous outpouring of support in Vermont

Jamie in Norwich — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 00:02:58 EST

Grassroots-organized Honk & Waves are springing up all over Vermont - Burlington, Bennington, Brattleboro, Springfield, St. Albans, Montpelier and White River Junction to name just a few. At our White River honk & wave on Friday, I was expecting maybe 3 or 4 volunteers, and 9 showed up! We had two giant 4 foot by 6 foot signs and lots of smaller ones. We got so many honks we lost count. Several people stopped and rolled down their windows. "This will be the second time in my life I've voted for a Democrat," said a man with graying hair. "I'm making phone calls to Ohio!" yelled a woman as she drove by. A couple who live just up the street pulled over and asked for a yard sign. This is grassroots politics at its best.

Need to borrow signs for your local Honk & Wave? Shoot me an email: jamie@nordicskater.com

Let's March 4th Together!

8500 rally with Barack, Michelle & Oprah

Jamie in Norwich — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:57:44 EST

Were you there? It was probably the largest political rally ever held in the state of New Hampshire. 8500 of us crowded into Manchester's Verizon Wireless Arena to hear Barack, Michelle and Oprah. There were hugs and laughs, and Barack turned on his self-deprecating humor - "I'm honored to be the third-best speaker of the evening," he said. Their speeches fit each other so well that I'm not sure who to credit for which memorable line! But their most powerful message was this: We are at a defining moment in history - "the fierce urgency of now" as Dr. King called it - and we cannot sit idly by while our chance slips away. We MUST seize the moment, stand up and work together now to turn our country and the world in a new direction. Oprah praised Barack's "ear for eloquence and a tongue for the unvarnished truth" and urged, "Let's vote Martin Luther King's dream into reality." Barack implored us to "stand up and take back America - not in 4 years, not in 8 years, but now!" It would have been impossible to walk out of that arena still an undecided voter. As Michelle, Barack and Oprah walked off stage together, the sound system belted out Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" - the new campaign theme song?

Vote for Barack in DFA poll

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:50:59 EDT

Democracy for America is running a "Pulse Poll" this week. Poll results will determine whether or not DFA endorses a candidate in the primary. Barack is currently in second place. Can you help move him into the lead? Here's the link: http://DemocracyforAmerica.com/VoteObama

Gov. Deval Patrick will endorse Obama

Jamie in Norwich — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:01:18 EDT

This just in from the Washington Post: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, a former Clinton administration official and only the second African-American governor in modern history, is planning to endorse Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential campaign, aides to both lawmakers said late today.

Former President Clinton, who appointed Patrick as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, had pressured him to support Hillary. But Patrick, who like Obama attended Harvard Law School, decided to support Obama instead. His backing represents a substantial coup for Obama: Patrick was elected with help from a sizable grassroots organization in Massachusetts, across the border from the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire.

October & November Runs for Barack

Jamie in Norwich — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:31:28 EDT

Between now and Thanksgiving, there's a smorgasbord of 5K and 10K running events in central and southern New Hampshire. Take a look at the list below. Are you running any of these races? Let me know and I'll post the race info so we can recruit more Team Obama runners.

Sat. Oct. 13, 11 AM - Hopkinton Lions 5K, Contoocook, NH
Sun. Oct 14, 11 AM - Footrace for the Fallen 5K, Manchester, NH
Sun. Oct. 21, 9 AM - NEDD 10K, Concord, NH
Sat. Oct. 27, 11 AM - Ted Williams 5K, Henniker, NH
Sat. Nov. 3, 10 AM - Jack London 10K, Nashua, NH
Sun. Nov. 4, 10 AM - Santa Fund 5K, Nashua, NH
Sat. Nov. 10, 10 AM - Eastman Turkey Trot, Grantham, NH
Sun. Nov. 11, 9 AM - Seacoast Half Marathon, Portsmouth, NH
Sat. Nov. 17, 10 AM - Jingle Bell 10K, Portsmouth, NH
Sun. Nov. 18, 1 PM - Turkey Trot 10K, Hanover, NH
Thurs. Nov. 22, 9 AM - Turkey Trot 5K, Derry, NH
Fri. Nov. 23, 10 AM - Turkey Trot 5K, Amherst, NH
Sun. Nov. 25, 11 AM - Stone Church 5K, Newmarket, NH

Also, feel free to suggest a new Team Obama event. Go to
http://www.coolrunning.com/eventcal/index.php?location=USA:%20New%20Hampshire
to find an event near you.

Learning a lesson from Bosnia

Jamie in Norwich — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:17:39 EDT

Yesterday at lunchtime we set up our Obama information table in downtown Hanover. As always, the outpouring of support for Barack was exciting and inspiring. But the people who came by our table yesterday weren't just the typical mix of students and local residents. We met Floridians, Californians, German tourists - and a TV crew from Sarajevo in Bosnia.

The Bosnians and their American producer interviewed two of our group for a documentary about American student attitudes toward politics. We in turn learned that many Bosnian students are apathetic about politics because of entrenched goverment corruption. (Sound familiar?) Hopefully their documentary will catalyze a resurgence of student activism in Bosnia - just as Barack's campaign is sparking activism on American college campuses.

Team Obama hits the streets in Warner

Jamie in Norwich — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:01:57 EDT

Another win for Team Obama! Saturday morning four of us put on our Obama T-shirts and lined up for the Warner Fall Foliage Festival 5-mile road race. There was only one other runner wearing a shirt advertising a candidate. So Barack scored 80% of the runner endorsements.
Shamus, our #1 runner, finished in the top 10 overall, and won his age group again, just like last week. Brendan, Will and I distinguished ourselves by finishing. Congratulations to all !
(Photo below - L to R: Jamie, Will, Brendan and Shamus.)

After the finish we converged on the local bookstore, Main Street Bookends, for a chance to meet voters and sign up Obama supporters at the Fall Foliage Festival. A steady stream of festival-goers came by our table (photo below).
In the coming weeks we'll be running for Barack in Concord, Manchester, Hanover, Contoocook and Henniker. Come run with us! For a complete schedule of Team Obama running events, visit our group page at http://my.BarackObama.com/page/group/RunningForBarack-NewHampshire

The People Speak - Cut Iraq War Funding NOW

Jamie in Norwich — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:05:35 EDT

69% of Americans want Congress to cut the $190 billion that Bush is requesting for another year of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Washington Post - ABC News poll reports that 23% support a modest cut, 43% favor a sharp reduction, and 3% urge a total cutoff. Not surprisingly, large majorities of Democrats and independents favor a cut, but even Republicans are closely divided, with 46% wanting a cut in funding.

More good news: 70% of Americans support Congress in its battle with Bush over boosting funding for SCHIP, the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Yesterday in Hanover, groups of medical professionals wearing lab coats stood on downtown street corners waving signs supporting SCHIP.

And Bush's approval rating has once again dropped to its all-time low of 33%. Let's channel this discontent into support of the one voice speaking out for hope, action and change: Barack Obama.

On the street in Hanover, talking about Iraq

Jamie in Norwich — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:01:10 EDT

Today at lunchtime Jen and I set up a table on the sidewalk in downtown Hanover. Our mission: To mark the 5th anniversary of Barack's historic speech opposing the Iraq war. We spent 2 hours handing out copies of Barack's speech to passers-by, and it was evident from the comments we received that we were having a big impact on undecided voters by calling attention to Barack's judgment, courage and leadership.

One voter told me that Barack's early opposition to the Iraq war had helped to convince him to support Barack for President. I offered him a copy of Barack's speech but he said no - he already had the speech saved on his computer!

October 2nd is almost over, but why stop now? We should be out on the streets every day handing out Obama buttons, stickers and copies of Barack's 2002 speech. Want to join me?

Team Obama runs fast in Newbury 5K

Jamie in Norwich — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:14:02 EDT

Team Obama made a strong showing in the inaugural Newbury Fall Fling 5K running race held this morning in Newbury, NH. Mark finished second overall, Shamus was third, and I was ninth. Not only that, but Shamus and Mark both won their age groups - congratulations! Our next events are the Applefest in Hollis next Saturday, and the Turkey Trot 10K in Hanover on November 18th. Whatever your speed, come run with us!
To join our group, or to suggest another running event for Team Obama, go to
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/RunningforBarack-NewHampshire

Rally in Hanover - Signs, Voices, Committed To Change

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:50:50 EDT

HANOVER HOPE-MONGERS: Obama supporters wave to passing motorists in front of
the Hanover Inn, just hours before yesterday's debate at Dartmouth College.

FIRED UP: Obama supporters outnumber and outshout the other campaigns at the pre-debate rally
on the Dartmouth College Green. Yes it's true, the other campaigns DO suffer from an "enthusiasm gap".

Rally in Hanover - the biggest, the loudest, the best

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:10:03 EDT

We had the largest crowd, the best signs, and by far the loudest chants! Switching between "Fired Up - Ready To Go" and "O - O - O - Obama" (and mixing the two together) we made a deafening roar, drowning out the competition and shouting ourselves hoarse.

A couple of new chants to use next time:
"Obama oh-eight! The others can wait."
"Vote for Barack! Get us out of Iraq."

The Clinton staffers' antics were amusing. When informed by Dartmouth College security personnel that their gigantic Hillary signs exceeded the college's published size limits, they cut their signs into smaller pieces and held the pieces together. This reflected the lack of honesty exhibited by their candidate. We played by the rules until the embattled security guards gave up enforcing sign limits completely - at which time we brought in our 4 by 6 foot "HOPE" signs.

Rally in Hanover - A Fired Up Crowd!

Jamie in Norwich — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:52:19 EDT

The rally is underway and the crowd is growing! We're waving Obama signs, yelling and chanting on the Dartmouth College Green as the candidates prepare to debate. We're standing on busy street corners holding "Honk For Obama" signs. The PieMobile and the PigMobile from http://www.PrioritiesNH.org are circling the Green - check them out online or come see them in person! Stay tuned for the next "almost live" report from the debate and rally.

We have momentum

Jamie in Norwich — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:35:51 EDT

We were in Hanover this afternoon signing up Obama supporters when a reporter for Vermont Public Radio came over to our table. He interviewed Dartmouth student volunteer Shaun Stewart, who explained passionately and eloquently why he supports Barack Obama for President. After the interview, the reporter said, "You know, I have to ask - how come you're the only campaign that has a table out here?" I said, "Because we have more enthusiasm, more supporters, more volunteers and we're more organized." And of course, we have the best candidate. Keep it up - we have momentum!

volunteers needed - Hanover/Dartmouth

Jamie in Norwich — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:02:34 EDT

We've been signing up new Obama supporters all weekend in Hanover. The response has been unbelievable. People are so excited about joining our campaign for change! Can you help out for a couple hours either Monday afternoon between 2 and 6 PM, or anytime Tuesday between 10:30 AM and midnight? If so, email me (jamie@nordicskater.com) and I'll let you know where to go and when.

An Abundance of Obama Supporters

Jamie in Norwich — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 16:21:49 EDT

Dartmouth students are flooding the campus and the streets of Hanover. And a high percentage are enthusiastic Obama supporters. Every day we're signing up large numbers of new supporters - students and visiting parents too. Only 4 days to go until the debate. The excitement is building!

Barack on DVD

Jamie in Norwich — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:15:45 EDT

There's only one thing more inspiring than watching Barack's DVD, and that's seeing him "live"! The DVD includes footage from Barack's keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention; his Feb. 2007 announcement speech in Springfield, Illinois; an interview with Michelle Obama; and excerpts from Barack's life story. If you're canvassing, tabling, or meeting undecided voters, you should always have at least a few DVDs with you. Let me know if you need some.

Debate Watch Party - only 48 places left ...

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:01:03 EDT

Don't procrastinate - sign up now for our Sept. 26 rally and party in Hanover. If you're already signed up, invite 5 friends. Just email these links to your friends:

RALLY 6:00 - 8:30 pm: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4v9sk

PARTY 8:30 - 11:30 pm: http://my.BarackObama.com/page/event/detail/4v9ys

See you next Wednesday in Hanover!

Media coverage - is it balanced?

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:41:11 EDT

Have you been monitoring your local media's coverage of the candidates? It was hard to miss the extensive coverage our local paper (Valley News) gave to Hilary's health care plan this week, compared to the much shorter article reporting on Barack's new tax relief plan. Is that balanced? Fortunately, we're addressing the imbalance by writing letters to the editor supporting Barack. Can you write a letter too?

Debate Watching Party filling up fast ...

Jamie in Norwich — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:16:08 EDT

We have room for 100 Obama supporters at our party. As I write this post, we already have 44 signed up. You don't want to miss it. Sign up before it's too late: http://my.BarackObama.com/page/event/detail/4v9ys

Festivities begin Sept. 26 at 6 PM, outdoors on the Dartmouth College Green in Hanover, NH. At 8:30 we move indoors to EBA's Restaurant to watch the debate, which starts at 9. The debate wraps up at 11, but the party keeps going! See you there.

Organizing Dartmouth & Colby-Sawyer

Jamie in Norwich — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:59:41 EDT

Saturday I had the privilege of meeting Colby-Sawyer's campus coordinator for Obama. After a similar meeting last Tuesday with Dartmouth's campus coordinator, I'm totally impressed by the energy and commitment of these student volunteers. Their hard work will be key to our success - and they can use our help.

Classes have already started at Colby-Sawyer. At Dartmouth, the freshman class arrives Tuesday for orientation week, with upperclass students returning the 22nd through the 25th. So there will be volunteer opportunities on both campuses. I'll post opportunities when I hear about them.

Why Run for Barack?

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:03:13 EDT

Barack Obama is running to change America. Can you run or walk 5K in New Hampshire to support his candidacy? We can give our campaign visibility amid crowds of runners and spectators in New Hampshire this fall. If you're ready to help, join our group "Running for Barack - New Hampshire," sign up for an event, and come wearing your Obama shirt. Look for us at these events - more to come:

Sat 9/15: Colby-Sawyer College 5K Dash & Stroll, New London, NH

Sat 9/29: Newbury Fall Fling 5K, Newbury, NH

Sat 10/6: Applefest Half Marathon & Relay, Hollis, NH

For more info or to suggest a new event, contact jamie@nordicskater.com. We're up and running for Barack!

Running for Barack in New Hampshire

Jamie in Norwich — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:33:15 EDT

Barack Obama is running nonstop to help make our nation and our world a better place. Can you run, walk or crawl 5K to support Barack's campaign? We'll be joining together to participate in a series of run/walk events in New Hampshire this fall. Come join other Obama supporters and give our campaign some visibility by wearing your Obama T-shirt and running or walking with us.

Want to join us? Go to http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/RunningforBarack-NewHampshire

Or browse the statewide event list at http://www.coolrunning.com/eventcal/index.php?location=USA:%20New%20Hampshire and suggest an event that we could add to our schedule.

We're fired up and ready to go!

Run for Barack in Hollis, New Hampshire

Jamie in Norwich — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:42:58 EDT

Put on your Obama shirt and join me at Applefest in Hollis on Saturday, October 6th. I'm running the half marathon, but if you're looking for something shorter, they also have a 2-person relay. Registration is still open, but don't delay, because this event always fills up. Here's the link - http://www.gatecity.org/AF/index.shtml - hope to see you there!

Barack Scoops Ice Cream in Hudson

Jamie in Norwich — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:28:47 EDT

Monday I took my son Andy to the Ice Cream Social in Hudson, NH. It was the perfect recipe for an 11-year-old to meet our next President: First, get 2 scoops of ice cream (strawberry and vanilla). Next, sit in the front row and eat ice cream while Barack speaks. Then, shake his hand and ask him to sign your Upper Valley for Obama T-shirt. Step 4 comes tomorrow when Andy wears his autographed T-shirt to school - I'll keep you posted!

Barack spoke about his mother's battle with ovarian cancer, and how it strengthened his resolve to fight for universal health coverage for all Americans. And he spoke of his early and steadfast opposition to the Iraq war - at a time when most politicians were fearful of being labeled "soft on terrorism." These were just two of the many themes that resonated with the crowd. Barack was interrupted by applause dozens of times - and after he finished, it seemed like nearly everyone in the audience was ready to fill out an Obama supporter card. Looking forward to Barack's next campaign appearance!