Well, I'm not sure how many people will read this, but its good to have the word out nonetheless.
I'm Steven Jones, sophomore of Allegheny College and President of the Allegheny College Democrats. International studies major, Chinese minor. I've worked on the campaign since essentially the start of my freshmen year. I was always interested in History and Politics throughout middle and High School. I even remember the first time I did a mock vote. I'll confess here that it was in the 1st grade that I voted for Bob Dole. Of course, I wasn’t extremely knowledgeable of politics at 7, nor should I be. I was only 7. But I'm a proud Center-Left Democrat now and that’s what counts.
So what’s going on over in North Western PA? Well this year for the college group will be a year of local outreach, support of presidential and democratic agenda, and club legitimizing. I've kept in contact with state and national groups to keep this legitimacy strong. A unique, college logo for the group is in the process of being made and hopefully placed on shirts and other apparel or products in the year to come. Letterhead design will be another project for future emails or sent out letters to our Democrats. It’s my hope for next year for sign-ups to place their Box Number so mailings are convenient and accurate. Its good to have extra forms, but its better to be in the ballpark. There will be a debate going on November 2nd, with Afghanistan, Climate Change, and Welfare the 3 key topics. Future plans on campus will follow as the year progresses and be posted on this blog.
But now onto the community and further. One of our members is working as a volunteer with OFA now, our key contact into the inner workings and future plans as well as the rallying point for College Democrat organization. We joined last year the PACD, or Pennsylvania College Democrats as an official charter. I have kept myself on any possible state conference call to vote on amendments and organize statewide plans. But there has also been connection with the county democrats. I have attended one monthly meeting, and, with 3 other College Democrats, attended the annual fall banquet. There will be an upcoming executive meeting for the county dems. And because I am college President, I am invited and plan to attend this meeting as a fellow county executive. More will come as the year goes on.
And as for today. I made 5 calls. 3 from my college state, and 2 for my home state of Connecticut to gain and show support for Health Care reform, and we probably signed up dozens of college students to email or call their congressmen. That’s it for now, hope any who read enjoyed.
Best,
Steven
rootscampPittsburgh
What is RootsCampPittsburgh?RootsCamps are participant driven events or forums, using the "unconference" or "open space" format that is born from the desire for activists, organizers, leaders and politicians in the progressive sphere to share and learn in a productive, fast-paced, open environment.
Think of it as a cross between an election debrief and grassroots organizing skills share. The progressive community — everyone from the "netroots" to precinct captains to field organizers to national message consultants — come together to share successes, failures, impart old wisdom and new discoveries.
Find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh at http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com
When is RootsCampPittsburgh?RootsCamp will be held at the United Steelworkers Building, 5 Gateway Center in Pittsburgh on January 24, 2009.
Who should come to RootsCamp?RootsCamp will be for anyone who played a role in the 2008 elections and/or working in progressive politics. As fellow organizers, we'll be meeting each other, reuniting with team members, discussing the innovations and challenges from this cycle, and most importantly, celebrating!
RootsCamp 2009 will bring together the best and brightest organizers that were engaged in 2008 campaigns, including staff and volunteers from:
Presidential CampaignsDown ballot racesLaborNon-partisan GOTV and voter registration operationsOnline organizationsAdvocacy organizationsTech supportBlogs and other mediaMedia, message, polling and targeting consultants
· Share stories and knowledge with each other from all over Pennsylvania, especially the western part of the state.
· Teach others from the progressive movement what you did and how you did it. Brainstorm ways that the methods you practiced can be exported to unions, advocacy organizations and community organizations.
· Strategize about how to help progressive institutions to sustain what you've started.
To find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh or to register, go to: http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com
Check Out This clip from the 1960s Batman Tv series. It has such Uncanny similarities to the recent events of this years election campaign its actually SCARY!!
News of Up-Coming Event tomorrow.
Former Governors Ray Mavus (Miss) and Jim Hodges (S.Carolina) will visit Meadville tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct 14).
From 2:30-3:30 PM, Mavus and Hodges will be available at the Crawford County Democratic Headquarters to interact with the public. Since Gov. Mavus was once Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, he will have a perspective on the Middle East that will add a dimension of interest.
Please spread the word to those who may be interested and available!
Does the Obama Campaign realize that the Republicans might be trying to disenfranchise thousands of voters with this ACORN investigation?
Don't Let Them Take Our Voice Away!!
A small, but enthusiast group met at Halls near Hydetown to watch the Obama-McCain debate. A new member joined, contributing an international flavor. Thanks, Carole and Clark!
Agenda until election:
--Canvassing in Titusville (Sat 10/11; Sat 10/18; Sat 10/25; Sat 11/1). 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Leave from 415 W. Elm St.,Titusville. Experienced and new canvassers welcome. Stay as long as you can--but a minimun of 2 hours is helpful.
Meet at 10:00, get lists and instructions. Canvass in pairs or singularly, report back to 415 W. Elm,have refreshments.
--Phone Banks (UPT students, Oil Creek Valley for Obama folks, and East Crawford Co) TBA in near future.
--Election Day, Nov 4 : Need for callers in late afternoon to contact registered voters to see if they have voted Need for volunteers to assist those who need to get to the polls.
Need for poll watchers. Call John Patterson, Spartansburg or Mike Elk at Dem Hdqtrs i Meadville. Certificates must be received prior.
Oct. 18 Banquet in Meadville for Crawford Co Democrats. Contact the Meadville Democratic Hdqtrs, Chestnut St. Pay for dinner by Oct. 13 ($25.00) Speaker: Gov. Rendell
Wal-Mart Actively Working Against Senator Obama and Democratic Candidates
Wal-Mart
Sam’s Club
From the Wall Street Journal
The Wal-Mart human-resources managers who run the meetings don't specifically tell attendees how to vote in November's election, but make it clear that voting for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in, according to Wal-Mart employees who attended gatherings in Maryland, Missouri and other states.
"The meeting leader said, 'I am not telling you how to vote, but if the Democrats win, this bill will pass and you won't have a vote on whether you want a union,'" said a Wal-Mart customer-service supervisor from Missouri. "I am not a stupid person. They were telling me how to vote," she said
Wall Street Journal article at this link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121755649066303381.html
Please remember this when shopping!
Let Wal-Mark know how you feel!
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
702 S.W. 8th Street
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716
(479) 273-4000
Now that the campaign has entered the general election phase, it is time to recoqnize that it is no longer about personalities. The current campaign must focus on the various topics that have, so far, only been alluded to. Subjects that are germaine to various segments of the population, in combination with the greater issues of the war and economy, must be specific. The manner in which these issues are addressed is key to winning the cross generational and cross idelogical divides and ensure the ascent to the White House. It is not only the responsibility of the campaign staff to define issues but rather, it falls upon all of us to provide input into relevant local and personal issues that might sway voting blocks.
Clearly there were issues with 'Blue Collar' and Hispanic voters but, many of those voters will return to the Obama fold during the general election. The States of California, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey will follow the Democratic party and Obama's strength in the Mid-west bodes well for the November election. However, voters still want to know, "Where's the Beef." Web sites are not enough to explain policy to someone standing in a crowd awaiting revelation. Sound bites are too shallow to be accepted by an increasingly sophiticated electorate. There has to be some meat on the bones when the campaign moves about the nation. The media will be scrambling for both positive and negative aspects of the remaining campaign months, and will likely dwell far longer on the negative than positive. Therefore, there must be a steady and frequent stream of solid information to the electorate.
Send suggestions into the campaign about local issues that might carry weight with the voters. Encourage the campaign to introduce legislative efforts , prior to the fall election, that can be viewed as a part of the upcoming change in Washington's attitude. Establish feedback/input mechanisms for the general population, such as that established for the campaign volunteers. Finally, have an effective Q/A mechanism for the many unsure voters that still question what the potential of change truly means.
Please let me know if you attempted to attend this Or if you just changed your mind or...This is deeply disturbing!
Rally,Post from Roberta Kelinson's Blog: A Strange OccurrenceBy swimmer - Apr 19th, 2008 at 9:54 pm EDT Also listed in: Group Administrators for Obama
Comments: I wrote a blog earlier today that has disappeared from my blogs and the 10 groups that it was posted into. I wonder if there is a spy in this site?
My blog was in report of how I encountered 2 different Hillary sites from within the Obama site. It happened as I tried to go to View All Blogs. Crazy? I even had my husband look at it and try to get in to view all blogs. We kept being directed to a Hillary supporter page and then another Hillary page from there. All I wanted to do was to see what the blogs were saying for today.
Just now I wanted to see if there were any comments and the entire blog is gone.
I hope someone out there can enlighten me as to what the heck is happening. Reader Comments Write a Comment on this Post Comments RSS
Well | Report to Admin Reply By Mary Yesterday at 9:58 pm EDT Earlier there was some difficulty for me to get to the Community Blog page. I had noted some odd google add things pasted in and I wondered if it was some script to screw up the website. Hillary people hack things. They are as unscrupulous and dishonest as she is. Re: Well | Report to Admin Reply By swimmer Yesterday at 10:11 pm EDT Thank you for the feedback. For a minute I thought I was losing my mind. I even asked my husband if the blog had been posted and he said yes it was. Hackers from Hillary it figures. strange occurance | Report to Admin Reply By Dianejmac from Clancy Mt Yesterday at 10:08 pm EDT I just recieved some emails from some of the groups I am involved in wondering if there has been a media block out! Evedently, some folks have been expierencing trouble getting any news. Not sure if this has anything to do with this problem or not. This would not surpirse me tho...the Clintons seem to have had all kinds of inside power from day one...Back to the Bill days. Re: strange occurance | Report to Admin Reply By swimmer Yesterday at 10:13 pm EDT Thank you for the information you shared. It is good to know that I am not going crazy. How absurd. Don't the Hillary Hackers have better things to do? I guess not. further confirmation | Report to Admin Reply By Steve Today at 2:06 am EDT A little over an hour ago, another friend messaged me about getting a Hillary donation site from View Blogs. My communicatioins & the Philly Rally were totally Blocked! | Report to Admin Reply By Phoenix Rising 4 Obama 7 seconds ago My computer as "crashed" three times over the last 3 primarys And Exactly 5 Days prior!Our Philly Rally Yesterday & Today at Love's Park was pretty much "Hijacked" & Philly Police Blocked all access and rerouted Obama Ralliers away from Love Park. Also, The Police blocked our rally route over 100 cars deep on the parkway.
WOW!
In the April 17th debate, Hillary admitted that, on more than one occassion, she told a story that she Knew was contrary to what she had written in her book [The Bosnia fabrication]. That admission of impropriety seemed to be perfectly fine with the moderators who then villified Obama for the next forty minutes, regarding his various statements and associations.
In the case of the questions to Obama, he was asked to clarify poor choices of words while Hillary was permitted to skate on the issue of her admitted lies. Not even clarification of Chelsea's culpability in perpetuating the lies nor Bill's adamant defense of her lies as being too tired to remember accurately. [I for one, would accurately remember if someone was shooting at me.] The moderators seemed to be so caught up in the game of the day that titillation was the primary theme of the alledged debate.
Bruce Springsteen summed it up well on his site. "At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships."
Too bad that those who need to be unbiased [ex: a moderator that was part of the Clinton Whitehouse] picked up the same exaggeration
The Democratic primary is clearly a contentious battle for the nomination but it is unfortunately far more rancouras than need be. A recent Washington Post article clarifies much of the problem. The headline read; "McCain echoes Clinton's Attacks." For the past few months, Clinton has either elevated McCain's "skills" above Obama directly or indirectly provided fodder for McCain to "Echo" her words and thus add credence to the claims. Obama has gracioulsy joked that she is preparing him for the fall campaign But, she has become the smelly Albatross, dangling around his neck, as his success outstrips her campaign.
Most agree that his "Bitter" comments were a greivous error but most equally agree that it is of no bearing on the candidacy. Despite the comment a Pennsylvania stalwart and Icon, Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, endorsed Obama and most alleged blue collar individuals see the comments for what they are... an error blown out of proportion.
Super Delegate, Rep. David E. Price of South Carolina perhaps accurately assesses the issue. He was quoted as saying that "...his frustrations are with Clinton for the potential damage she has inflicted." It is difficult to ignore the Albatross even though one believes that it is meritless. It is still there after all and it permeates the air each time Clinton fans it. Although most voters have the intelligence to remain upwind of her divisive attacks, the McCain camp has elected to follow the vultures toward what they hope is carion, ripe for the picking. As long as the Clinton Albatross remains, the Democratic party suffers as does her standing within the party. Obama will win the nomination but will never fully escape her stench unless a clear wind of change changes the nature of his punishment.
YES YES YES. ITS SOOOOO awesome. with this spreading around we could for sure win Pennsylvania
EVERYONE LOOK AT THIS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIxmi3e2Vmo
