Good Morning!
Before time passes and the feelings fade, I want to write about my experiences with the 2008 presidential election and thank you all!
I made a vow this year to do everything in my personal power to elect the next Democratic president—whoever it was. I am so glad that it was Senator Obama! I also vowed to begin working on the 2012 election on November 5! OOPS!
This has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. Here are some of the highlights:
+I, personally, received more positive reinforcement in a single hour than in a month working as a social worker. People thanked me when I made telephone calls. People thanked me at 6pm on election night as I got them up from their dinner table to remind them to vote. An elderly woman told me that she was praying for Obama. People drove into our HQ parking lot to thank the volunteers at the tables. A friend came up to personally thank me, hug me, and buy my lunch! (Thank you, Karla!) Friends called or emailed me to thank me. (Thank you, Laurie!)
+It was an emotional high to be in a place where other people share my values and think that passion and dedication are positive qualities--and not eccentricities.
+I have shared more hugs in the past week than in the previous year! You know who you are ;)
+I worked as a “canvass captain” with Gina—who is so smart, so informed, so sincere and so dedicated that I made a new best friend!
+The "Button Lady" made hundreds and hundreds of campaign buttons and she and Mr. Button Lady worked every single day and inspired my with their devotion.
+The phone banks were staffed with a fantastic group of people.
+The Field Organizer for my area was a 23 year old young man who worked all day long every single day—often with bossy older people like me!—with patience and good spirits and never became visibly ruffled.
+John did an outstanding job from the very beginning. He worked with extreme goodwill, competence, and patience all day long everyday--day after day after day. And, it took a lot of patience.
+Everyone at the Janesville HQ was good spirited, cooperative, and fun.
+Volunteers were unbelievably dedicated.+Close friends came in to canvass! (Thank you Martha and Linda!)
+I live in Southern WI and dozens of people drove up from IL to help out! Elderly women drove alone from Chicago and went canvassing in a strange town alone. College students from NIU in Dekalb came in groups and canvassed over and over and over. Vickie came from the North Shore suburbs and worked day after day--and managed one of the staging locations with complete goodwill and patience not to mention intelligence and competence.+A lovely African American family drove up from suburban Chicago to volunteer and were overwhelmed by their reception and the dedication of the good people of Rock County , WI .
+A man from Monroe , WI drove into Janesville and canvassed well over 200 houses in a single day—AND he came day after day.
+Older men in pickup trucks wearing overalls came and canvassed alone.
+Strangers paired up and went out together.
+High school students drove from out of town to canvass.
+A 76 year old woman walked up to our tables in the HQ parking lot and asked where and how to register and vote. She had NEVER voted before in her life!
+People who hadn't voted in 20 years came to get information on how to register and vote.
+A young couple who had never voted before walked up to get information on where and how to vote. She is expecting twins soon.
+Parents went canvassing with their children.
+Young people with tattoos and piercings and blue hair came to find out where and how to vote.
+People walked in with food.
+Volunteers drove people to the polls—even at 10 minutes until closing time!
+A man with a handicapped wife volunteered to drive people to the polls in his wheelchair accessible van.
+I walked up onto the porch of a house I was canvassing on election night. The woman who answered the door said, “Come in and let me get you something to eat and drink!” I thought that she thought that I was homeless because my face was so sunburned and chapped. But, she recognized me—our children know each other—and gave me a “Joe Biden cookie” and a bottle of vitamin water!
+We celebrated the election at the local UAW hall—people screamed and laughed and sobbed and hugged and hugged and hugged.
This was simply one of the best experiences of my life.
History:I had been in despair about the state of affairs in the USA for some time. The very fact that a man such as George Bush could be elected president of the USA was horrifying to me: He was a mediocre student at best, a college fraternity boy and cheer leader, a recovering drunk, a “born again Christian” who nevertheless had never been baptized and didn’t participate in a church. He had no outstanding successes—and many failures—as an adult. And, he couldn’t string 2 words together to make a coherent sentence. He appeared incapable of logical incisive thought. He was obviously just the front man. And, that was an even scarier thought!I was in despair about the invasion of Iraq . As I listened to various experts and CIA and military leaders, it was obvious that there was every reason to doubt that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq . It was also obvious that the USA did not understand the culture, language, history, etc. of the Middle East enough to invade such a country. It seemed like Vietnam all over again—we didn’t know what we were doing.The degradation of the news coverage and the public conversation were, and still are, very distressing. There must still be 50 right wing talk shows or “news” commentators for every independent or progressive liberal one. It is possible to listen for an entire hour and not hear a single factual statement! There are logical errors in almost every sentence of the “right wing-nuts.” I could go down a list of propaganda tools and hear almost every technique there is in any given show. Often, it seemed that there was no logical argument because the content of the shows made so little sense to begin with. I received emails that were so malignant, so ignorant, and so lacking in factual foundation that it was infuriating—and sickening. I starting writing back and hitting “reply all.” I checked every email and sent out response after response—“This is not true,” “This did not happen,” “We live in a Constitutional Republic ,” etc. etc. etc. Until August of this year, I had never once received a liberal or progressive email!
So, now I have hope!
Vivian
The distinctly different challenges the United States faces today demand a deliberative, steady and thoughtful leader who will guide our nation through what are sure to be a very perilous next four years. Barack Obama is the man for that job. [...] We base our endorsement not just upon Obama's promise of hope and change, but also upon his positions on issues of importance to Americans.
We strongly encourage readers to vote for Barack Obama for president. [...] By contrast [to McCain's campaign], Obama has been steady, thoughtful and inspirational. His "change-we-can-believe-in" campaign inspired thousands of people to get involved in politics for the first time. He's a Harvard lawyer, but he worked as a community organizer and consumer advocate before he went to law school. He has risen from humble beginnings to run for president. In this brilliant campaign, he has earned our vote.
The La Crosse Tribune endorses Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrat from Illinois, to provide the change in leadership, hope and vision we need to restore faith in our future and restore trust among our world partners. [...] Obama combines the discipline of pay-as-you-go budgeting with plans to reinvest in our crumbling national infrastructure and reduce our carbon emissions by 80 percent by the middle of this century -- a more thoughtful, visionary approach to an energy policy than simply crying, "Drill, Baby, Drill." [...] We believe Barack Obama will provide the leadership and inspiration we need.
Americans feel the need for new leadership, a renewal of our national spirit, and a desperate need to pull together in tough times.This election is about such needs, not individual planks in a campaign platform. That's why the Herald endorses Barack Obama for president.[...]Restoring health to the nation's economy will be even more difficult considering the mess that the nation finds itself in at this point. It will likely require patience, sacrifice and a positive attitude from the American people. That will require inspirational leadership from the nation's president, and there is every reason to believe that is Obama's greatest strength.
Americans feel the need for new leadership, a renewal of our national spirit, and a desperate need to pull together in tough times.
This election is about such needs, not individual planks in a campaign platform. That's why the Herald endorses Barack Obama for president.
[...]
Restoring health to the nation's economy will be even more difficult considering the mess that the nation finds itself in at this point. It will likely require patience, sacrifice and a positive attitude from the American people. That will require inspirational leadership from the nation's president, and there is every reason to believe that is Obama's greatest strength.
The Bush administration has bumbled from crisis to crisis for nearly eight years, competence gone AWOL. The nation needs resuscitating change like a new baby needs that first breath of air. Two would-be successors pledge it. But Barack Obama is more believable. We recommend him to be the 44th president of the United States. Obama's vision and potential to be that change agent trump his relative lack of experience, though the experience he possesses is valuable. The maturity and calm demeanor he has exhibited these past two years in the public spotlight and earlier, speak to able, careful, inclusive leadership. And he is simply the better of the two on the issues.
You know when people are focused on something good, it's a momentous occasion. I've never seen anything like it in Baraboo before.
[Obama's] campaign is rooted in providing hope and inspiring Americans to find new solutions to combat problems in this new century. This philosophy is important considering the challenges the next president will face during the next four years, among them crafting a new strategy for Iraq and a financial system in tatters in part because of the skewing of wealth into fewer hands. Obama also has excited people about the democratic process like few candidates in recent memory. Millions of potential voters considered "on the fringe" -- young adults, African Americans and Latinos -- have been energized to become involved and active in government.
Our friend Joseph here at Wisconsin HQ is traveling around Wisconsin talking with some of the amazing volunteers who have made Barack's movement for change possible. Joseph will be filing reports from all over the Badger state during the next few days -- stop by for more great stories of remarkable people working for change.
I watched the primaries, and for Barack Obama to be our choice - I sat there in awe. I couldn't be more thrilled to do what it takes to get him elected.
But the place was packed -- overflowing onto the street, more than anyone could have imagined.
After asking her why, we talked and we talked. This kind of work is about people's stories. Lois is courageous to be open-minded to think of changing her life-long affiliation.
"I'm a lifelong Republican, but Senator Obama is the right leader for our country and will deliver the change we need," she says. "After taking a careful look at the qualities of both McCain and Obama and who would be best for our country, I found that Senator Obama's ability to bridge the partisan divide to work toward solid solutions that will get our nation back on the right track meant he is the right choice this November."
There are only two weeks until Election Day, but why wait? You can vote now if you're ready. An unprecedented number of people have already cast their ballot in Milwaukee. The city is seeing 500 early voters a day, and they're not alone. It's been busy at city halls and town halls all across the state.
[I]n my case, my two sons - one in his early thirties and one in his late twenties, along with my daughters-in-law - just kept after me to support (Obama)." Doyle noted that at first, he gave his children pat answers. "But then I decided I needed to look through their eyes, not necessarily my eyes," the governor recalled. "In their eyes, Barack Obama showed he was a candidate that could build a great future. He was a candidate that represented getting past political fights that have gone on for 40 years. The divisions that happened in the 1960s have been fighting for 40 years. With Obama, we had a candidate that was a candidate that showed us what the future could be."
[Gina] Smith, 56, of Janesville is among hundreds of volunteers across the state who are spending several hours each week making phone calls and going door-to-door in their communities, talking to voters about Obama. "(The local campaign headquarters) is the up-close and personal connection between the campaign and the community," said Phil Walzak, communications director for the Obama campaign in Wisconsin. "It's the vehicle by which our campaign talks to voters on a one-on-one basis. It's the home base for activity." The Obama campaign is "robust" in Wisconsin with 50 offices across the state, not only in areas that are Democratic strongholds but also in areas that are staunchly Republican, he said. And the success of the campaign in a battleground state such as Wisconsin depends on volunteers who week after week spread the word about Obama, he said.
Earlier, while waiting for [Gov.] Doyle to appear, Obama volunteer Brent Nance of Caledonia said the grass-roots organization working on Obama's behalf will be active even beyond Nov. 4. "Obama is taking his training (as a community political organizer) and spreading it nationwide," said Nance, an Obama "team member" for a segment of Caledonia. Each city has a set of teams, he explained, that work together and become acquainted with each other during the campaign. "When the election is over, we'll still have a network," Nance said. "So when the next election happens, we don't have to start all over. You will see them more active on local issues."
Democratic Governor Chet Culver spoke to nearly 50 people at the Rhinelander District Library this afternoon. Culver emphasized Barack Obama's concern for Wisconsin's agriculture, small communities and renewable energy. The Governor says the last 18 days of the election are important here in Wisconsin. "We've got work to do. And that's why I'm crisscrossing Iowa and criss crossing Wisconsina and working with my fellow Governors like Jim Doyle and others who are so excited about Barack Obama's candidacy." Obama supporters at today's event say it's important to have other politicians endorse the candidates in smaller communities. Alan Vanraalte, an Obama supporter, says, "I think it's absolutely vital that they do. if it weren't the candidates would be spread pretty thin and they need to go to where the population centers are."
BRUSSELS -- We all appreciate our right and privilege to vote in local, state or federal elections; it is, however, also our duty to be informed as well as we can. Unfortunately, many rely purely on the candidates' ads and even on unsubstantiated rumors. As a retired Navy captain and former national program director at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., I remain quite interested in whatever affects our veterans. I researched the voting records of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama on matters affecting our veterans; the difference is staggering. McCain voted consistently against bills that improved funding for veterans and the Veterans Administration. Just as an example, McCain opposed the 21st Century GI bill because it was too generous; and in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, McCain voted against increasing funding for veterans health care. In contrast, Obama co-sponsored and voted for the new GI Bill of Rights, and he helped pass 10 key veterans bills and sponsored 36 additional veterans bills since 2007. In 65 percent of the pro-veterans bills, Obama was able to get co-sponsorship from Republicans. Obama is and will remain the friend of our veterans who have earned and deserve our support. Dr. Joseph E. Binard
[Y]ou don't even have to wait until election day. City of Superior residents can go to the Government Center and vote absentee in the City Clerk's office or county residents can contact their town or village clerk for an absentee ballot. You don't have to be going out of town or traveling to justify casting an absentee ballot. Anyone can vote absentee for any reason. And if you are concerned about waiting in long lines on Election Day, you are encouraged to vote absentee. Election officials are predicting a record turnout and the Superior City Clerk's office has extra help on hand now to assist early voters.
