Arizona.BarackObama.com
Last week, OFA-Arizona held its first official senior-to-senior phone banks in Phoenix and Tucson. Dozens of Arizona’s retirement community took the time to call other seniors and speak about health insurance reform. In Tucson, we were joined by Dr. Phibbs, who is Arizona’s oldest practicing physician at 93 years old. He emphatically called seniors and articulated the need for health insurance reform from an experienced doctor’s perspective.
We made these calls for three reasons: 1. to explain Presidents Obama’s plan for health insurance reform, 2. to dispel myths about Medicare and health insurance reform, and 3. to let seniors know how important their voices are in this fight. The senior volunteers encouraged supporters to call their member of Congress and let their congressperson know why health insurance reform is so personally important. As a result of the calls, they also recruited many new volunteers.
After making over 60 calls to seniors in the Pima county area and making the entire office smile with her charming phone conversations, Vickie S. remarked:
I had such a neat time phone banking other seniors this afternoon! It’s easy to work on something you love--like my marriage--Worked on it for 61 years and loved every moment of it. I love every moment of talking to other people my age about health care.
Join Dr. Phibbs, Vickie and other seniors who are taking action to encourage health insurance reform. Senior phone banks will be taking place every week in Tucson and Phoenix. CLICK HERE to find an event near you.
From all of us at Team Arizona, thank you to the volunteers, supporters, and citizens of Arizona who made our amazing campaign in the Grand Canyon State possible.
As we've said from the beginning, it's the volunteers and supporters who make this campaign and this candidate possible. Volunteers from across the state of Arizona put in thousands of hours, donated thousands of dollars and countless much-appreciated lunches, made phone calls and knocked on doors. While we may not have won the state of Arizona, we came away with a campaign and results that no one thought possible just months ago.
Take a look at the bottom-right corner of this website. "Powered by hope and supporters like you." We mean it. Thank you, Arizona.
Carry On the Fight
The offices have closed, but the campaign continues. You can still make phone calls from home into important states, and you can make a difference locally by volunteering with the Arizona Democratic Party.
To find the office nearest you and get involved, go here: http://www.azdem.org/get-local/505
"The rock of my life," as Barack calls her, will be accompanied by Representative Raul M. Grijalva, who has endorsed Senator Obama. Don't miss this historic event in Tucson!
Help Us Spread the Word: Print out this flyer from home and distribute it to friends and neighbors, and around your area where people would be interested. Be sure to select "Fit to Page" before printing.
There are just 3 days to go until Arizona casts its vote in the Democratic primary, and excitement is running high. We've been receiving e-mails with photos, stories, ideas and even a few songs from supporters across the state. We'll be posting the best ones here over the next few days.
Keep them coming - this campaign is about unity, and together we can win Arizona for Barack Obama.
As always, let us know what you're doing in your area.
Call us today at (602) 297-2008 to volunteer and get more information.
Yesterday night supporters set up a table at Phoenix's monthly First Friday festival, a community celebration of art and local flavors. The streets were lined with artists, food stands, information tables and more. Obama supporters and students from ASU brought information, stickers, and a huge projector screen to play video highlights from Barack's best speeches. More than 10,000 people are estimated to have visited the festival.
Photos by Joe Zemek
As you've already seen on this site, in newspapers and on television, this state and the country saw the power of hope and change when 13,000 Arizonans packed the Veterans Memorial Coliseum to hear Barack speak yesterday evening.
But we can't stop there. This campaign is a movement, and bringing change to America will require finishing strong in Arizona on February 5.
Hundreds of volunteers signed up yesterday night to help bring Barack's message to Arizona voters, and we need hundreds more. Every hour, every phone call, every door knocked makes a difference.
As Barack said last night, "Change in America doesn't happen from the top down. It happens from the bottom up."
To volunteer today, call (602) 297-2008 in Phoenix, or (520) 881-1124 in Tucson.
Send us your photos, thoughts and videos from yesterday's rally, and we'll post them on this blog!
The Making of a Rally
Check out the making of a 13,000-person Stand for Change Rally, from start to finish.
On Saturday, voters across South Carolina stood and said that they are ready for change. Here in Arizona, hundreds of supporters stood with them and hit the streets to tell voters about Barack.
Governor Janet Napolitano hosted our canvass kickoff event to inaugurate the beginning of our get-out-the-vote efforts. Speaking from the packed parking lot of our Phoenix headquarters, Napolitano fired up volunteers and challenged them to be "change agents."
It was an inspiring scene, the very "diverse coalition" of which Barack spoke this evening in South Carolina. Supporters young and old, of every color and every creed, every background and experience, stood together for one common purpose.
After the speeches, volunteers hit the streets across Phoenix - joined by canvassers in Flagstaff, Pima county and Tucson - to make change happen.
South Carolina has shown that it is ready for change in America. Together, we'll make sure that Arizona shows the same.
Visit AZ.BarackObama.com to find out how you can join the movement for change and help Barack win in Arizona.
Former Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña visited Scottsdale and Phoenix today for a series of events with local supporters and community leaders.
At the UFCW hall in downtown Phoenix, Secretary Peña met with local Latino community leaders to discuss why he supports Barack Obama and why the senator is the best candidate both for the Latino community and for America.
"He has a God-given ability to unify people," said Mr. Peña.
There are 10 days left until Feb. 5. The pamphlets have been printed, the TV ads aired, the mailers mailed and the election day set. Now it's our turn.
For the last week, Arizonans from Scottsdale to Sedona have e-mailed their stories, sent their photos and told us why they think Barack Obama should be the next President of the United States. This campaign is about a message that transcends traditional politics, a message that calls us all to a higher purpose, a message of change and hope and unity. This campaign is about people.
This campaign has succeeded in unlikely places because it reaches people. When all of us reach out and touch those around us, bring them the message and show them why Barack is the best hope for this country - we succeed.
So we need you.
We need you to make phone calls, knock on doors, host phonebanks and post yardsigns. As Barack has said many times, all of us are the most important part of this campaign. Volunteers help this campaign succeed against the negative politics and the cynicism of traditional Washington.
From yesterday's Tucson Citizen:
Napolitano said Obama has impressed her by respecting, listening to and engaging Americans in issues such as the economy, education, immigration and the war in Iraq. "He has the unique ability to walk into a room and get people to think beyond themselves and about the greater good," she said. Napolitano, who endorsed Obama earlier this month, said she will go wherever his campaign asks her to travel to take his message around the country. She stopped in Santa Fe before moving on to Albuquerque, where she had specific instructions on the talks she said campaign volunteers should have with voters. "Talk about how he reaches out to everyone and how he is the voice of change and embodiment of change," she said. "Now it's up to us - voter to voter, neighbor to neighbor."
Profile of a Volunteer: Rhea Rhitter
Like most days, the Phoenix office today is packed with volunteers making hundreds of phone calls and entering rows of data. One of them is Rhea Rhitter. A resident of Scottsdale for the last 30 years, Rhea decided to support Senator Obama after hearing him speak in Tempe last year.
"I think he offers a great hope for change in this country, that will benefit my children and my grandchildren," she said. "I like his positions on all topics, and he's just very inspirational."
When Barack came to ASU's Tempe campus last year, she said, she and her friends were there at 7am to get in early. They were the first ones in the door. She is still involved months later as a regular volunteer, making phone calls and bringing the senator's message to other Arizonans.
Send us your stories and thoughts from Arizona!
Join Up
Join our My.BarackObama.com groups to get the latest information on Arizona, meet other supporters, and stay involved in the community we are all working to build.
Join the Arizona Action Team (get involved, meet other volunteers, stay active in the campaign)
Join Arizonans for Obama
We want your take!
Why do you support Barack Obama for president?
What are your thoughts on the topics, ideas and storylines happening in the election right now?
Send us your take in your own words, and post them to the comments section below, and we'll post the best ones on the Arizona state blog (maybe even the national blog)!
Here are some questions to get you started:
-What are the top 3 reasons you support Barack?
-What's your take on Monday night's debate in South Carolina?
-Are there any media stories about the election that sparked your interest? If so, share them!
Published!
Phoenix volunteer Sheri Sinykin had her thoughts about the "electability" issue published in today's Arizona Republic as a letter to the editor.
"[This primary] is about selecting the candidate who has the best chance of turning the country away from old, divisive politics and winning the general election."
The beauty of Barack is how he elevates the national discourse for the first time in many decades. He's an honest-to-goodness Statesman (as opposed to a politician) along the lines of Bobby Kennedy, whom I met when I was 17 years old. I'm 58 now. That's a long time to wait, but Barack has been worth waiting for. Okay Arizona, now let's put this national treasure into the White House!
