Shawn Labrier's Blog

Obama in Espanola Sept 18th

Shawn — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:07:24 EDT

Change We Need Rally with Barack Obama

Please join us Thursday, September 18th, for an event with Barack Obama in Española, NM:
Change We Need Rally with Barack Obama
Plaza de Española 706 Bond Street Española, NM
Thursday, September 18th Doors Open: 10:30 a.m.
The event is free and open to the public; however, a ticket is required. Space is available on a first come, first served basis. Sign up here

Palin Speaks

Shawn — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:13:55 EDT

Her speech last night has to be seen to be believed. It was a nasty and sarcastic screed against the dread Liberals and Democrats. She called herself an Pit Bull with lipstick. I thought it was an appropriate description. One thing in particular caught my attention, and made me mad enough to write a letter to the editor of the Chieftain. Hopefully they'll print it. My letter is in the extended post...

North Dakota?!!!

Shawn — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:03:30 EDT

From DailyKos:

George W. Bush won North Dakota twice, with 60% of the vote, to 38% for both Al Gore and John Kerry.

Bill Clinton failed to win the state twice, and his closest margin in the state came in 1996 when Bob Dole defeated him by 6.8%. This was as he was delivering a sound electoral-college thrashing to the Kansas senator, 379-159.

No Democrat has won the state since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964...
Keep those things in mind as you process this poll from North Dakota:

Obama (D) 43
McCain (R) 40
...
North Dakota has just three electoral votes for the taking, but they are three votes that McCain truly cannot afford to lose. If North Dakota is in play, virtually no state is safe.

New Opinion Research NM Poll

Shawn — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:47:39 EDT

From Electoral-Vote.com:

In New Mexico, Obama appears to be pulling away. He is now leading 53% to 40%. Like Nevada and Colorado, the state has a large Latino population favorably disposed to Obama. If Obama can win the Kerry states plus Iowa (which looks increasingly like it is in the bag for him) plus New Mexico, he has 264 electoral votes. That means he needs to win only one state out of the set: Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Missouri, Colorado, and Nevada. McCain has to hold all six of these key swing states. (If Obama wins just Nevada, it becomes 269-269 and goes to the House. There will be a long posting about that scenario after the news of the conventions dies down.)

This is great news! Except for one thing. We can't see a large margin in the polls and say, "Whew! Our work is done." We can't be complacent about an Obama win. We have to campaign like we're 10 points behind and be ready for the usual dirty tricks and shenanigans.

Having said that, Woo Hoo!

Services for Orville Moore

Shawn — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:27:43 EDT

Words are never enough when it comes to expressing sorrow at the passing of a good man. Some of you may not be aware that Orville Moore passed away on Thursday, August 22, 2008.

The Rosary will be held at the San Miguel Catholic Church this evening, Monday, August 25, 2008 at 7:00 pm.

His Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 am, Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at the Socorro County Fairgrounds.

I offer my most sincere condolences to Orville’s wife Valerie Moore, his family, and friends.

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Obama/Democratic Campaign HQ Grand Opening

Shawn — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:00:22 EDT

The Democratic Party and Obama Campaign HQ Grand Opening was Saturday, August 23rd.

The success of the opening was largely due to the Socorro County Democratic Chair Valerie Moore. Valerie wasn't able to attend due to the loss of her husband. Her absence was felt keenly. The successful grand opening couldn't have happened without Valerie and all her hard work.

The grand opening was a huge success, thanks to the hard work of too many people to name.

Sefie Anaya and his family devoted their entire day Saturday to preparing for the event.

I think Azure Gilman's been working almost 24 hours a day for the last couple of weeks. We're lucky to have her in Socorro County representing the Obama Campaign. She's doing a great job!

Sefie was keeping count and almost 80 people showed up. Actually, that count is a little short, because he didn't count the little people. With the children, we had almost 90 attendees.

Biden as Veep

Shawn — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:08:43 EDT

Early this morning Obama announced his V.P. pick, Joe Biden. I didn't have any particular hopes or aspirations for Obama's Veep selection. I was pretty neutral, basically feeling that no matter who he chose, someone was going to be unhappy. So I decided to just wait and see, realizing that no one was going to be perfect.

I read all around the internet today, all about Joe Biden. There are people who've put it much better than I can, so I'll quote them.

First, Howard Fineman from Newsweek:

No Ordinary Joe
What does Biden bring to the ticket? A lot.

First of all, he has a love of politics and public service. He never tried to get rich from his role, even though he has been in the Senate for decades. He is a fancy dresser--given to stick pin collars and French cuffs--and yet he is an unassuming son of a car salesman who takes the train home to Wilmington almost every night.

His personal story is compelling: a riches-to-rags family background; a first wife and infant daughter killed in a car crash; a devoted life with his second wife; a passel of grandchildren whom he adores as much as they adore him. And he's never had a hint of financial or sexual scandal.

He rides the train to work every day? No scandals? Not corrupt? Sounds good so far! I encourage you to read the entire article. It's very readable and informative. It also gives some negatives, so you can be prepared for the Republican talking points.

Then I checked in at DailyKos and found a very interesting perspective, one that I really like. From Karma for All at DKos:

Campaign Headquarters Grand Opening!

Shawn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:04:07 EDT

The combined Democratic/Obama Headquarters is at 1004 N. California, across the street from Taco Bell, next to H&R Block. The event is from 4-6pm. If you can come by and help, that's great! If not, stop by anyway, grab some chow, and say "Hi!" Hope you see you there!

Convention Watch Parties

Shawn — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:16:24 EDT

75,000 lucky people will be in Denver for Senator Obama's acceptance speech on August 28th. But there are, oh, quite a few more of us who will want to watch it. Why be alone?

Why not watch the speech with fellow supporters? Here in Socorro we are organizing Convention Watch Parties. There will be thousands of parties large and small across the country. Some events will be small house parties, some will be large parties with lots of supporters. The group size is up to the host.

The party can include just a close group of friends and neighbors, or it can be opened up for a few other local Obama supporters, people like me, (married to a Republican!) who would really like to meet other supporters and spend that evening celebrating with like-minded people.

It's going to be a terrific, historic evening! Let's spend it together!

Volunteer Training on Saturday

Shawn — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:08:44 EDT

VOLUNTEER TRAINING for the Obama Campaign for Change will be happening this Saturday, August 16th, at 1:00pm. Training will take place in the new Democratic Headquarters of Socorro, located at 1004 California St. (across from Taco Bell, next to the H&R Block.) Training is a great chance to get a big picture of what the Campaign for Change is all about, meet other enthusiastic Obama supporters, and learn how you can best help get Barack Obama elected this November.

Volunteers were the backbone of this campaign n the beginning, and they remain the most important part of Democratic efforts across America. If you're interested in attending, please call Azure Gilman, Socorro Field Organizer, at 505 658 1088 or e-mail her at agilman at mforchange dot com. You can also sign up to attend here.

Pics of Farmer's Market Tabling

Shawn — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:11:52 EDT

Last evening at the Farmer's Market we finally got some pictures. I got the camera out as soon as we finished setting up, before the rush began. I've taken my camera before, but we keep pretty busy and we've never actually had the time to take pics before last night. There's a lot of interest and a lot of enthusiasm!

I've always tended to be a little reclusive, so getting out there and meeting people was way out of my comfort zone. I was really surprised to be having so much fun! The people I'm meeting have been great, and the feeling of satisfaction, to be actually making a difference, is incredible!

Heather, another member of Socorro for Obama, stopped by last evening with her family. It was great getting to know her!

Bonus pic below the fold...

Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember

Shawn — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:06:14 EDT

Headquarters Opening Soon!
We have a Socorro County Headquarters!! The local Democratic Party and the Obama Campaign will be opening a combined headquarters on California Street next to H & R Block and across from Taco Bell. The Grand Opening will be scheduled soon.
They're asking to borrow the following items for the headquarters:
Computer & printer – fax machine - tables and chairs – large white eraser board – cork board – and anything else you think might be needed. They will be returned after the election.
They're also requesting donations of office supplies, such as yellow pads and printer paper. Please contact Val Moore or Azure if you can provide any of these items.

Upcoming events and dates to remember:

August 12th:

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration

Tuesday, August 12 at 5:00 PM

August 14th:

From the local Dem Party Chair, Val Moore, Congressman Udall will be in Socorro. Here's his schedule:

1:30 to 2:30 Magdalena Public Library
3:00 to 4:00 N M Tech, Workman Room 101 he will be discussing Energy and the Environment
5:30 to 7:00 Fundraiser at Best Western Convention Center. Mexican Buffet catered by Sofia’s at $25 a person suggested contribution. Tickets are on sale at Sofia’s, also from Val Moore and Sefie Anaya. Please try and attend this fundraiser as Congressman Udall will need all the contributions he can get to win this campaign against Steve Pearce. Unfortunately, it takes big bucks to win campaigns. Let’s turn out for these events in Socorro County and show our support for Udall.

August 16th:

Socorro for Obama will be joining the local Democrats in a booth at the Community Yard Sale this Saturday, Aug. 16th during the Farmer’s Market on the Plaza. We will be registering voters and handing out candidate info. If you would like to volunteer to help, let me know. If you have any items you’d like to donate for the yard sale to raise funds for the party, that would be appreciated as well. Sign up to attend this event!

August 19th:

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Tuesday at 5:00 PM - 2 hours

August 23rd:

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Saturday at 8:00 AM - 2 hours

More after the fold...

The Obama Campaign Is Here! Updated

Shawn — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:20:00 EDT

The Obama Campaign's Field Coordinator is here. Her name is Azure and she arrived in Socorro on Saturday. She's been working practically non-stop since then. She will be here working full-time from now until the general election. She will be attending the Farmer's Market Tabling event on August 5th to meet with volunteers and visitors. We will be phone banking to find volunteers for canvassing on August 10th. We'll also have a table, campaign literature, bumper stickers, lapel buttons, and stickers. There will be at least one registrar to register new voters. Come join us and bring your cell phone, we need your help!
Meet Obama Campaign Coordinator/Farmer's Market Tabling and Phone Bank
Tuesday, August 5 at 5:00 PM - 3 hours

Update: 08/05/08 Added Rep. Udall's visit to Socorro on August 14th.
Update: 08/07/08 Aug 9th Farmer's Market Tabling Event cancelled

More upcoming events:

August 9th:

Democratic Party Golf Tourney @ NMT golf course - registration starts at 8 am, tournament at 9 am. Teams are $260.00. Hole sponsors are $ 100.00. $ 65.00 per player. They are also requesting door prize donations. Contact Sefie Anaya for more information. Email me at shaniriver at sdc dot org for Sefie's contact information.

August 10th:

Socorro Canvass

Sunday at 1:00 PM 3 hours

August 12th:

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration

Tuesday, August 12 at 5:00 PM

August 14th:

From the local Dem Party Chair, Congressman Udall will be in Socorro. Here's his schedule:

1:30 to 2:30 Magdalena Public Library
3:00 to 4:00 N M Tech, Workman Room 101 he will be discussing Energy and the Environment
5:30 to 7:00 Fundraiser at Best Western Convention Center. Mexican Buffet catered by Sofia’s at $25 a person suggested contribution. Tickets are on sale at Sofia’s, also from me and Sefie. Please try and attend this fundraiser as Congressman Udall will need all the contributions he can get to win this campaign against Steve Pearce. Unfortunately, it takes big bucks to will campaigns. Let’s turn out for these events in Socorro County and show our support for Udall.

August 16th:

Socorro for Obama will be joining the local Democrats in a booth at the combined community yard sale, arts and crafts show and Farmers' Market. Sign up to attend this event!

August 19th:

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration

August 23rd:

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration

More after the fold...

Phone banking -- Terrifyingly Fun?

Shawn — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:17:02 EDT

We did phone banking last night. The Obama campaign gave us a list of people who might be willing to volunteer for the campaign.

I was terrified.

It's kind of funny that I worked as a 9-1-1 calltaker and police/fire/EMS dispatcher for years, yet I was terrified of making phone banking calls. Before we started I said, "Yikes, I'd rather handle a 9-1-1 stabbing or shooting call than make these calls!" I was totally serious. I tried really hard to get out of it. I offered to waitress, shine their shoes, wash their cars... no luck. It was a tough crowd.

More after the fold...

Updated -- Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember

Shawn — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:03:35 EDT

New Mexico will be a battleground state again this year. Remember, Gore won NM in 2000 by just 366 votes. Bush beat Kerry by only 5,988 votes in 2004. Every vote counts. Obama needs our help to bring in the votes.

Phoning for Change
Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 PM - 2 hours

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Saturday, August 2 at 8:00 AM - 3 hours

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Tuesday, August 5 at 5:00 PM - 3 hours

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Saturday, August 9 at 8:00 AM - 3 hours

August 9th: Democratic Party Golf Tourney @ NMT golf course - registration starts at 8 am, tournament at 9 am. Teams are $260.00. Hole sponsors are $ 100.00. $ 65.00 per player. They are also requesting door prize donations. Contact Sefie Anaya for more information. Email me at shaniriver at sdc dot org for Sefie's contact information.

August 16th: Socorro for Obama will be joining the local Democrats in a booth at the combined community yard sale, arts and crafts show and Farmers' Market. Sign up to attend this event!

August 29-31st:
Socorro County Fair and Parade

More below the fold

Meeting with Obama Campaign Coordinators and Directors

Shawn — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:02:22 EDT

The Obama campaign's NM Political Director, State Director, and General Election Director drove down to Socorro to meet with us yesterday. It was a very encouraging meeting.

On Saturday, August 2nd, the Obama campaign will have 16 offices opening in NM. The Socorro Field Coordinator will be arriving in Socorro on the same day. As of yesterday, the coordinator positions hadn't been formalized, so we don't know who he/she is yet. The campaign plans to hit the ground running here. To do that, they need us.

So far, the coordinator doesn't have anyplace to stay. If you have a spare bed, for any length of time, they would be very grateful. They said that the coordinator would only be there to sleep, no worries about providing meals. (They didn't mention this, but it occurs to me that he or she might like to shower every now and again.)

If you know of any high visibility business locations for rent at a reasonable price, please post it here or email me. They're still trying to figure out where the headquarters will be. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it looks like they will share the headquarters with the local Dem party.

I'll post more info when I get it.

Yours in Hopey/Changeyness,

Shawn

Hopey/Changey Blues

Shawn — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:42:21 EDT

It's hard sometimes to hold onto that Hopey/Changey feeling with all the politics and smears going on now. Sadly, it's going to get worse before it gets better. When I feel like I'm losing my Hopey/Changey feeling I go to YouTube and watch some videos. These are some of my favorites and they remind me of why I'm here and why I'm volunteering for a political candidate for the first time in my life. They remind me how much this election MATTERS.

Barack Obama: New Hampshire Speech 13:09 min.

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video 4:30 min.

john.he.is Yikes! 1:31 min.

THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF TEST (Actually, I just discovered this one today. It's pretty funny.) 3:02 min.

Farmer's Market = Really fun? It's more likely than you think!

Shawn — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:56:50 EDT

The tabling/voter registration at the Farmer's Market went really well last night. Seriously, it was a lot of fun. Francie, Kay, and I were there. Believe it or not, there were a few times when we could have used more people. There were quite a few people who wanted to learn more about Senator Obama. We met lots of great people, registered 5 voters, gave out absentee ballot applications, talked/gave info to numerous people, (including a few leaning Republicans and Indies), and got a list of 6 people who would like to be kept informed of Democratic party and Obama Campaign activities. At least two of those will probably be willing to volunteer. Yay!

Next time I'll try to remember to take pictures to post. If you can, sign up to join us!

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration

Upcoming events -Get Involved!

Shawn — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:29:58 EDT

Update 07/30/08: The August 8th Hot August Nights - Plaza Tabling with Socorroans for Democracy has been cancelled because the city felt a political table isn't appropriate for that event.
07/29/08 Farmer's Market event was last evening. It was a lot of fun.
A new event has been added to the list. Socorro for Obama will join the local Democrats at their booth at the Aug. 16th combined community yard sale, arts and crafts show and Farmers' Market.

Phoning for Change
Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 PM - 2 hours

Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Saturday, August 2 at 8:00 AM - 3 hours

August 16th: Socorro for Obama will be joining the local Democrats in a booth at the combined community yard sale, arts and crafts show and Farmers' Market.

August 29-31st:
Socorro County Fair and Parade

More below the fold

Election Integrity --Updated

Shawn — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:35:25 EDT

Update: In view of Mr. Palast's allegation that some voter rolls are being purged by contractors, I think it would be a good idea to encourage Obama supporters to check to make sure they are still registered. They can check their registration status and find out their poll location at https://voterview.state.nm.us/

Greg Palast is a British reporter and author. Some people believe he may be a conspiracy theorist, that his tin foil hat is a little too tight, but most of the facts he presents are proven and indisputable. You can dispute his conclusions, but not his facts. He did an extensive amount of research on the 2000 and 2004 US elections. In 2004 one of the states he focused on was New Mexico. From his website:

Recipe for a Cooked Election
A nasty little secret of American democracy is that, in every national election, ballots cast are simply thrown in the garbage. Most are called "spoiled," supposedly unreadable, damaged, invalid. They just don’t get counted...
In New Mexico the uncounted vote was five times the Bush alleged victory margin of 5,988...
But do these un-votes really turn the election? Voters from both parties used provisional or absentee ballots, and the machines can't tell if a hanging chad is Democratic or Republican, right? Not so. To see how it works, we went to New Mexico.

Dig this: In November 2004 during early voting in Precinct 13, Taos, New Mexico, John Kerry took 73 votes. George Bush got three. On election day, 216 in that precinct voted Kerry. Bush got 25 votes, and came in third.
Third? Taking second place in the precinct, with 40 votes, was no one at all.

Or, at least, that’s what the machines said.
Precinct 13 is better known as the Taos Pueblo. Every single voter there is an American Native or married to one.

Precinct 13 wasn’t unique. On Navajo lands, indecision struck on an epidemic scale. They walked in, they didn’t vote. In nine precincts in McKinley County, New Mexico, which is 74.7 percent Navajo, fewer than one in ten voters picked a president. Those who voted on paper ballots early or absentee knew who they wanted (Kerry, overwhelmingly), but the machine-counted vote said Indians simply couldn’t make up their minds or just plain didn’t care.

On average, across the state, the machine printouts say that 7.3 percent — one in twelve voters — in majority Native precincts didn't vote for president. That's three times the percentage of white voters who appeared to abstain. In pueblo after pueblo, on reservation after reservation throughout the United States, the story was the same.

I received the following via email from Marie Hussein from New Mexico. It's the text of an email from Greg Palast:

Obama Doesn't Sweat. He should.

by Greg Palast

In swing-state Colorado, the Republican Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations. Guess their color. In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives - overwhelming Black voters.

In swing state New Mexico, HALF of the Democrats of Mora, a dirt poor and overwhelmingly Hispanic county, found their registrations disappeared this year, courtesy of a Republican voting contractor.

In swing states Ohio and Nevada, new federal law is knocking out tens of thousands of voters who lost their homes to foreclosure.

My investigations partner spoke directly to Barack Obama about it. (When your partner is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., candidates take your phone call.) The cool, cool Senator Obama told Kennedy he was 'concerned' about the integrity of the vote in the Southwest in particular.

He's concerned. I'm sweating.

It's time SOMEBODY raised the alarm about these missing voters; not to save Obama's candidacy – journalists should stay the heck away from partisan endorsements - but raise the alarm to save our sick democracy.

And that somebody is YOU. Joining with US, the Palast investigative team. Here's how:

We have been offered an astonishing opportunity to place the Kennedy-Palast investigative findings on a national, prime-time, major-network television broadcast. Plus, separately, we have an extraordinary offer to create a series of reports for national network radio.

But guess what? The networks will NOT PAY for our public service reports. We have to raise the start-up funds in the next two weeks to film it, record it and get it on the airwaves.

WE need YOU to fund the reports, DISSEMINATE the findings as we post the print, audio and video on the web– and ACT on it.

So, for only the second time this year, I am asking each one of you to make a tax deductible donation to the non-profit, non-partisan Palast Investigative Fund of $500, $150 or $100.

Progressives have complained for years of no opportunity to get the hard, cold sweaty truth on the air. Well, put your money where your heart and soul is.

Donate at least $500, I'll send you every book I've written and every film, signed. Send $150 and I'll send you as a gift, a copy of John Ennis' film Free For All, Armed Madhouse, The Election Files and a copy of Live from the Armed Madhouse all signed. Donate $100, and I’ll send you 3 copies, one signed to you, of 'The Elections Files,' (Watch the trailer here) the best of our BBC/Democracy Now films – including special never-broadcast interviews with Kennedy(Watch a clip) and fired prosecutor David Iglesias (Watch a clip).

I know you’re ponying up for your favorite candidates. But what’s the point of winning folks' votes IF NO ONE COUNTS THEM?

Please make your donation – today. No corporation, no big foundation, is going to take on this emergency in our democracy. The election’s about to be stolen – for a third time. SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Donate today (for $1,000 minimum, we’ll list you as a Producer of our next DVD, in gratitude). Why? Because the only way to get the vote-chewing cockroaches out of the voting machinery is to turn on the lights – tell the truth on them. On prime time.

After our team busted the story of Katherine Harris' attack on innocent Black voters as 'felons,' the NAACP sued and won back their rights. The truth CAN make the difference. Yes, we can. Indeed, we HAVE.

Think all votes should be counted in America? Then YOU stand up and be counted. Don’t expect networks or commercial sponsors to pay for your democracy. Feed the truth, donate $100 right now and pass on a copy of the Elections Files to your dippy cousin who thinks Kerry lost fair and square.

Donations from our prior and only request already paid for some of our filming in the Southwest. Don't let this story be swept under the border.

If you want more information, go to GregPalast.com, or write me directly at GregPalast.com – and hit the button, 'contact Greg.'

**************************
Greg Palast is a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow for Investigative Reporting at the Nation Institute, New York. Read and view his investigations for BBC Television at www.GregPalast.com.

I can't afford to donate, especially not that much. I suspect many of you can't either. But... we do need to be aware of the "irregularities" in previous elections and be watchful and prepared for shenanigans in the upcoming election.

Repost: Call to Action---99 Days left

Shawn — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:13:17 EDT

Update: We have 3 events scheduled in Socorro this week. If you're an Obama supporter, please sign up for at least one event. We need to start working now if we want to see President Barack Obama sworn in on January 20, 2009. There are only 99 days left before the general election.

Event Name:     Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Time:     Tuesday, July 29 at 5:00 PM - 3 hours
Host:     Shawn Labrier
Location:
Socorro Farmer's Market (Socorro, NM)
Socorro Plaza - Manzanares
Socorro, NM 87801
Directions:     Take California to Manzanares, turn west on Manzanares and you're there.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44vzl

Event Name:     Phoning for Change
Time:     Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 PM - 2 hours
Host:     Shawn Labrier
Location:
Kay's House (Socorro, NM)
705 Fitch
Socorro, NM 87801
Directions:     Fitch is between Neel and School of Mines. From either Neel or School of Mines, turn onto Gurdon. 705 is at the corner of Gurdon and Fitch.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44vz2

Event Name:     Farmer's Market Tabling and Voter Registration
Time:     Saturday, August 2 at 8:00 AM - 3 hours
Host:     Shawn Labrier
Location:
Socorro Farmer's Market (Socorro, NM)
Socorro Plaza - Manzanares
Socorro, NM 87801
Directions:     Take California to Manzanares, turn west on Manzanares and you're there
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44vz8

As I posted earlier, in 2004 I didn’t do anything but vote. It was inconceivable to me that a buffoon like George Bush could be re-elected.

We all know how that turned out. :o(

It’s inconceivable to me that a person could compare Barack Obama and John McCain, and then vote for McCain. Then I think of 2004, and Bush. That’s why I’m committed to doing everything in my power to make sure Barack Obama is sworn in on January 9th to be our 44th president.

I figure I could sit back complacently and trust that Obama can win without my help. After all, right now he’s polling 5 points ahead of McCain in New Mexico. But… make no mistake, one misstep by the Obama campaign or one successful smear by the Republicans and that lead will be gone. Poof! Obama needs every bit of help we can give and every vote.

How can we help? Below the fold are some ideas. Even if you don’t have much time to help, or money to donate, there should be at least one thing listed here you can do.

What's your story?

Shawn — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:40 EDT

This is my story, or one of my stories as I have many reasons for supporting Obama. It's written as a speech, but for phone banking or canvassing it would be conversational. It is heartfelt, and because of that it would be more persuasive to an undecided voter. I think it would be a good story for me to use with anti-war people or parents of teens, but wouldn't necessarily be persuasive for Republicans or hawks:What's your story?

        Hi, my name is Shawn and I was born and raised in New Mexico. I live in Socorro, near Escondida. Until 2000, I was pretty apathetic about politics. I thought both parties were equally bad. Then George Bush came along. I started paying closer attention and realized that the parties are very different.

        In 2004 I supported Kerry. I watched the news, voted for him, and prayed he would win. I didn't donate or volunteer. On Election Night my husband and I stayed up late, sitting on the couch, watching the returns. We stayed up late enough to realize that Bush had won. I cried myself to sleep that night.

        Since then I have felt a great deal of remorse. If I had put just a little bit of effort, if all the people who supported Kerry had put just a little bit of effort, he would have won. If I put just a little bit of effort, and everyone who supports Obama puts just a little effort, Obama will win. That's why I volunteer.

        I will vote for Barack Obama because I admire him as a person and I agree with most, not all, but most of his positions. I support him because I believe he will be able, with the support of all of us, to make the changes that need to be made. That's why I support him and that's why I'll vote for him.

        I volunteer for him because I remember 2004. I volunteer for him because I remember John McCain singing about bombing Iran. I remember John McCain saying, "There will be more wars." I volunteer for Obama because of my 14 year old son.

What events or life experiences shaped your decision to support Obama? What's your story?

Neighborhood Team Training

Shawn — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:48:50 EDT

Yesterday Francie, Kay, Andrea, and I attended Obama's Campaign for Change Neighborhood Team Training in Albuquerque.

Wow! What a great experience!

They gave us an overview of the campaign's national strategy, New Mexico field plan and volunteer action plan. They confirmed that there will be a Socorro office, but don't have a opening date yet.

They emphasized that they can't do it without us, all of us. They put it starkly in the training guide, "We do not have enough supporters and enough volunteers to win right now."

The training covered the organizational aspects of the campaign's vision of leadership and community organizing. The Obama campaign emphasizes bottom up organizing rather than the usual top down. They have faith in us, Obama's supporters.

From the manual, "Respect, Empower, Include." guides everything we do." It explains that as volunteers we will be respected. We will be empowered. And we will be included.

I find the empowerment aspect appeals to me the most. From the training manual, "'Empowerment' requires creating a structure that allows all members of the team to make this campaign his or her own. We must go beyond simply assigning volunteers with tasks, to allowing well-trained and supported volunteers to have real ownership within the campaign. In exchange for that ownership, we will hold them, each other, and ourselves accountable to shared goals and expectations."

Part of the training was to have us search within ourselves to figure out our stories. Our story should be no longer than 2 minutes. To be persuasive, it really helps to be able to articulate for others who you are, where you came from, and what challenges shaped the life choices that have led you to support Barack Obama. My interpretation of this is that you need to tell a story that demonstrates one or more of your values and weave into that story how Obama shares your values. The story may vary, depending on who you're talking to. For example, you wouldn't be very persuasive talking about Obama's position on global warming to a global warming denier.

They trained us on both the procedural and organizational aspects of:

Leadership
Community Organization
Voter Registration Drives
Phone Banking
Canvassing
House Meetings

The training was very worthwhile and motivating. We left feeling charged up. There will be another training on August 16th. If you can possibly attend, I highly recommend it. The takeaway message from the training is that we each have something to offer and Obama needs our help to win.

Again, "We do not have enough supporters and enough volunteers to win right now." That's where we come in. NM will be a key battleground state again this year. Our help will be crucial to an Obama win.

Update: I forgot to add that the last hour of our session was attending the opening of Obama's New Mexico Campaign for Change state headquarters, located at 117 Montclaire Drive SE.
Albuquerque Office Opening

Free Obama Button from MoveOn

Shawn — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:30:38 EDT

Via email from MoveOn:

Dear MoveOn member, It's pretty amazing: In the last few days, MoveOn members have snapped up more than 600,000 Obama buttons—way, way more than we expected. So we've arranged to print more, to make sure everyone can get one. Want a free Obama button? Just click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/obamabuttons/?id=13338-5266779-R1.M5Tx&t=4
We originally made these buttons for MoveOn members, but now we've ordered enough extra that you can share them with all your friends, too. Feel free to forward this email to anyone you think might want a free Obama button. If together we can give out a million buttons, people are going to start seeing them everywhere they go. And the more that people see these buttons, the more they'll get the message that Barack Obama is the candidate with the buzz, momentum, excitement—and sincere support of regular folks across the country. Thanks for all you do.

Call to Action --- 103 Days to Election

Shawn — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:48:34 EDT

As I posted earlier, in 2004 I didn’t do anything but vote. It was inconceivable to me that a buffoon like George Bush could be re-elected.

We all know how that turned out. :o(

How can we help? Below the fold are some ideas. Even if you don’t have much time to help, or money to donate, there should be at least one thing listed here you can do.

Richardson, "Obama Will Win NM narrowly." Flashback to 2004

Shawn — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:46:12 EDT

From the New Mexico Independent:

Bill Richardson says Obama will win New Mexico, but it'll be by a narrow margin.
snip
The AP report pointed out how close the previous two presidential elections had been, with Bush beating Kerry by 5,988 votes in 2004, and Gore winning the state in 2000 by just 366 votes. In reply to how close it could be this fall in light of those numbers, the governor laughed as he said "We'll take a victory by one vote."
(Emphasis mine)

Sounds encouraging right? Why doesn't this make me feel more confident? Oh yeah, maybe this?

Richardson in 2004:
"I think here in New Mexico, it's going to be down to the wire," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, told FOX News. "I predict Kerry will win by 1 percent because of the huge amount of Indian and Hispanic voters we registered in the past month.

Ouch! So Guv, how'd that work out for you?

We can't take an Obama win for granted. Every extra vote counts.

Obama Stuff Fundraiser

Shawn — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:37:46 EDT

Anyone want some Obama stuff?

Update: I now have only one yard sign left. Thanks Francie for your generous donation!

Update 2: I gave the last sign to Sefie for the Dem. Golf Tourney. I don't have anymore yard signs.

Let's try a fundraiser to show our support for Barack Obama. Several weeks ago I ordered an Obama Support Pack, as my June donation to the campaign…

Obama Support Pack

It was delivered today. Yippee! I just came in from putting up my yard sign. It looks great!

Okay, so now I'm thinking that we could do a little fundraiser here at Socorro for Obama. I will donate to this fundraiser the following stuff (pics at above url):

25 - Blue 2.25" lapel buttons
25 - White bumper stickers
2 - Yard signs*

Let’s get acquainted!

Shawn — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:59:51 EDT

The Obama campaign is premised on the belief that ordinary Americans, when working together to build for our common future, can do extraordinary things. That change begins with us. We each have strengths and weaknesses. That's why it's so important to work together.

Socorro for Obama has 20 members at the time of this posting. We have members from the Socorro area, Magdalena, San Antonio, and even one member from Lincoln County. There may be other areas represented here that I don't know of. The first step in working together is getting to know one another.

Post whatever information you feel comfortable with disclosing, like:

Where you are:

Why you're here:

Do you want to meet other supporters in the area?

Are you interested in participating in any events?

If you aren't comfortable posting here, just shoot me an email at shaniriver at sdc dot org.

"We are the change we have been waiting for" - Barack Obama

Crossposted at Socorro for Obama

P.S. below the fold

Listening to America

Shawn — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:58:33 EDT

I'll be out of town for about a week starting tomorrow, but I saw this today and wanted to post it before I left... something to think about.

Listening to America:

the Democratic Platform for Change

Every four years, the Democratic Party assembles a “platform” that outlines the party’s position on a variety of issues. Traditionally, the platform is written by paid professionals and then presented to the American people.

This year, that’s going to change.

More below the fold...

Updated -- Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember

Shawn — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:15:50 EDT

More upcoming events in Socorro County...

Friday July 4th:

The Socorro County Democratic Party will have a table outside Macey Center. From the Socorro County Dem. Party Chair: "We will have a table at the 4th of July Celebration on the grounds of Macey Center. It will run from 10:00am to 6:00pm. We will be in the big tent I think. There will be a bake sale and novelty sales to make some $ and we will be giving free patriotic tattoos to the kids. We would appreciate it if you could contribute baked items wrapped ready to sale or maybe watermelon cut and in bags. We still have a couple of spots open 4 - 6 if anyone would like to volunteer. Volunteers: I will have 4 chairs, but you might bring one as well. I think it will be a fun day with lots of music and food. Even if you can't work at the booth, we hope you'll come by and stay hi. Tom Udall is going to be there sometime during the day, but I don't have a time yet. I'll let you know when they fill me in. **HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO EVERYONE AND BE SAFE** Valerie"

Saturday July 12th:

From the Socorro County Dem. Party Chair: "The Socorro Democratic Party will have a float in the Magdalena Old Timer's Parade on July 12th. Line up at 9:00am."

July 16th:

Democratic Women's Meeting

August 8th:

Hot August Nights - Plaza Tabling - Socorroans for Democracy

August 29-31st:

Socorro County Fair and Parade

September 13th:

Democratic Party picnic at Escondida Park

September 15th:

Put up yard signs night

October 7th:

Last day to register to vote - Absentee voting begins

October 10th:

Alamo Indian Days Parade

October 18th - November 1st:

Early voting

October 25th:

49ers Parade

November 4th:

Election Day

Again, I don't feel comfortable posting people's addresses, phone #'s, and emails on a public forum, so if you're interested in any of these events, post a comment here or email me at shaniriver at sdc dot org and I'll provide you with contact info offline. If you know of any other events members might be interested in, please add them in the comments or email me.

Upcoming events in Socorro County

Shawn — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:28:28 EDT

I've been notified of a number of upcoming events in Socorro County and am posting them here in case you're interested in networking with Democratic groups and/or meeting new people. The events are being coordinated by various groups, including Obama volunteers, Democracy for Socorro, and the Socorro County Democratic Party. I don't feel comfortable posting people's addresses, phone #'s, and emails on a public forum, so if you're interested in any of these events, post a comment here or email me and I'll provide you with contact info offline. If you know of any other events members might be interested in, please add them in the comments.

On Sunday, June 29th:

A Socorro County Democratic Meeting and a Meet the Candidates event: At 2:00pm at the High Country Lodge in Magdalena. From the Socorro County Dem. Party Chair: "Everyone is welcome and I would encourage you to attend if you can to show support for those in the outlying areas of Socorro County. All Democratic voters are important and necessary in the upcoming general election in order for all our candidates to win big in Socorro County. If you would like to bring a snack or dessert to share that would be great."

An Obama House Party: The event starts at 4pm and will last about 3 hours. It's listed on the Obama Campaign website. http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/4g9rq

On Tuesday July 1st:

A work party at a home in Lemitar in the evening. From the organizer: "We will be painting and building a reusable float for the Democratic Party. The first parade is Magdalena's Oldtimers on July 12th. This should be a fun time. Please come."

On Friday July 4th:

The Socorro County Democratic Party will have a table outside Macey Center. From the Socorro County Dem. Party Chair: "Set up will be at 9:00am and we will be there until around 6:00pm. We will be registering voters, having a bake sale and novelty sales, and giving out free patriotic tattoos to children. We need volunteers to man the table for 3 hr. shifts and would like to have a registrar at each shift. If you have time, I would sure appreciate your help. We want to make sure that people know the Socorro Demo Party is alive and thriving. If you can provide baked goods wrapped individually for sale that would be appreciated as well." (Note: In order to become a registrar, you need to go to your county clerk's office, fill out a third party affiliate form and recieve a brief training. It should only take 20-30 minutes. Info for NM County Clerks can be found here: http://www.sos.state.nm.us/Main/Elections/Clerks.htm

On Saturday July 12th:

From the Socorro County Dem. Party Chair: "The Socorro Democratic Party will have a float in the Magdalena Old Timer’s Parade on July 12th. Line up at 9:00am."

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your ovens!

Shawn — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:47:01 EDT

I got an email from MoveOn that there will be a bake sale this Saturday 6/21 at the Plaza in Socorro. I plan to bake up some goodies and be there for it. I hope you can help out by baking, helping, or just stopping by. Hope to see you there!

Dear MoveOn Member,

This weekend, we're kicking off a history-making general election season with an event for the ages: nationwide "Hungry for Change" bake sales to raise money for MoveOn's innovative (and massive!) campaign to help elect Barack Obama and other progressives this fall.

And everybody's chipping in to make this the biggest bake sale in history. There are grandparents making pecan pies and young kids selling sweets and lemonade. Heck, my mom's even whipping up her famous oatmeal tea cookies!

These bake sales are one of the easiest and most fun ways to set progressives up for victory this fall. Can you help out by bringing something yummy to sell at the bake sale in Socorro?
Here are the details:

Host: Francie D—fellow MoveOn member
Where: On the Plaza in Socorro (in Socorro)
When: Saturday, Jun. 21, 2008, at 7:00 AM

And here's the link to RSVP and tell the host what you're bringing:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=47854&id=12888-5266779-tLHMFzx&t=5
The money we raise will go to our cutting-edge campaign to elect Obama—and win enough seats in the House and Senate to give him the votes he needs to end the war, pass universal health care, and make real progress on the issues we fight so hard for.

Even if you can't bake something, please sign up today to help staff the table, print out signs, or just come by to get dessert and meet some fellow MoveOn members. This event should be a blast—folks are still raving about how much fun the bake sales were in '04—so you definitely don't want to miss it.

Hope to see you this weekend, and thank for all that you do.

Will Someone Match My Donation?

Shawn — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:31:31 EDT

Tomorrow at midnight is the deadline for April fundraising. I will donate $44.00 (for our 44th president) through the Socorro for Obama fundraising page. Will someone match my donation?

I've included part of the text from the fundraising email below the fold.

Bingaman endorses Obama

Shawn — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:20:52 EDT

This is great news. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) endorsed Obama yesterday. So that's one more super delagate added to the tally. From the Washington Post:

With Bingaman Endorsement, Obama Takes Senate Support Lead

Sen. Barack Obama officially pulled ahead today in the scramble for endorsements from colleagues in the U.S. Senate, thanks to Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.

Never one of the Senate's most high-profile members, Bingaman now has a claim to political fame: He put Obama over the top after his long slog to catch Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who had a head start in winning the support of her peers. Obama now has 14 endorsements to Clinton's 13.

If you want to thank him, you can drop him a line here.