Today David Plouffe sent out the following message to supporters, inviting them to attend one the many grassroots house meetings taking place throughout the country later this month:
Exactly one month ago, you made history by giving all Americans a real opportunity for change. Now it's time to start preparing and working for change in our communities. On December 13th and 14th, supporters are coming together in every part of the country to reflect on what we've accomplished and plan the future of this movement. Your ideas and feedback will be collected and used to guide this movement in the months and years ahead. Join your friends and neighbors -- sign up to host or attend a Change is Coming house meeting near you. Since the election, the challenges we face -- and our responsibility to take action -- have only gotten more urgent. You can connect with fellow supporters, make progress on the issues you care about, and help shape the future of your community and our country. Learn what you can do now to support President-elect Obama's agenda for change and continue to make a difference in your community. Take the first important step by hosting or attending a Change is Coming house meeting. Sign up right now. To get our country back on track, it will take all of us working together. Barack and Joe have a clear agenda and an unprecedented opportunity for change. But they can't do it alone. Will you join us at a house meeting and help plan the next steps for this movement? Thanks, David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
"I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you." - Barack Obama, Election Night 2008
Read the full speech, as prepared for delivery . . .
Polls in Kentucky are closed now, but there's one last thing you can do to help this historic campaign: call states where the polls are still open to help Get Out The Vote. Even if you've never made calls before, this is your chance to participate -- a chance to be part of an historic grassroots field operation.
The map below shows the battleground states where polls are still open and where we still need help reaching our voters. Just click select the state and you will be given a list of voters to call and a brief script. In 2004, the election was decided by approximately 9 votes per precinct in Ohio. Even at this late hour, your help can still make a difference.
Right now, while volunteers work to Get Out The Vote in key states, thousands of grassroots supporters across the country are helping out from home by using our online voter contact tools to call voters.
Our target today is to make 1,000,000 calls to voters in battleground states before the close of polls tonight. As of 1:00 PM Eastern, we've made 214,187 calls. However, our staff on the ground are telling us that we need to reach the 500,000 call mark by 3:00 PM Eastern Time.
These calls provide our supporters with information about when, where and how to vote today, and by helping identify which voters have already cast a ballot, we can dramatically reduce the number of houses our volunteers on the ground need to reach before polls close.
If you have even thirty minutes to spare in the next three hours, when can use your help. Simply select the state you want to call from the map below, and we'll provide you with an easy to use script and a targeted list of voters to call.
The largest voter contact operation ever attempted is underway right now. This is your chance to be part of it.
In Kentucky, polls are open today from 6:00 AM until 6:00 PM local time. Anyone who is in line by 6:00 PM will be allowed to vote. You can find your polling location now.
Do I need to bring ID with me when I go vote?
All voters must produce identification or be known by a precinct officer prior to voting. KRS117.227 and 31 KAR 4:010 provide the types of ID that can be used by the voter such as: personal acquaintance of precinct officer, driver’s license, Social Security card, credit card, or another form of ID containing both picture and signature.
6:00 am–6:00 pm local time
Jonathan Curley is a banker. He voted for George H.W. Bush twice and George W. Bush once. Here's an excerpt from his story on canvassing for the Obama campaign in North Carolina, from the Christian Science Monitor:
There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better "ground game" and superior campaign organization. I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I'm not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election. Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again. ...So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told. At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn't the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me. Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood. We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, "Who is it?" "We're from the Obama campaign," we'd answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk. Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time. ...We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day's work. I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things." ... I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways. My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.
There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better "ground game" and superior campaign organization.
I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I'm not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election.
Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again.
...So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told.
At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn't the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me.
Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood.
We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, "Who is it?"
"We're from the Obama campaign," we'd answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk.
Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time.
...We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day's work.
I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things."
... I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.
My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.
It's not too late to volunteer. Click here to make a difference in the last few days.
We've reached the most important days of this entire campaign.
All of the voters we've registered, phone calls we've made, doors we've knocked on, friends and neighbors we spread the word to over the course of this campaign have brought us to where we are today: making Barack Obama very compettive in the race for the presidency of the United States.
Now we have to make sure all of that time and effort doesn't go to waste. It's time to once again take change into our own hands and get out the vote (GOTV).
As Barack explained in Nevada this morning:
Don’t believe for a second this election is over. Don’t think for a minute that power concedes. We have to work like our future depends on it in these last few days, because it does.
Join millions of Americans all over the country by volunteering in the last four days of this campaign. Everything we have worked for over the past 20 months will come down to what we do -- or don't do -- to help get out the vote.
Miss Laura from the DailyKos offered these words of wisdom from a veteran volunteer:
Before you hit your first door, or dial your first number...think about why you're doing it. Maybe it's your loved one in Iraq. Maybe it's wanting a Supreme Court that will preserve your right to control your own body. Maybe it's the healthcare you need and can't afford. Take a piece of paper and a pen and write your reason down. Keep it in your pocket, and if you have a hard conversation or string of them, take that piece of paper out of your pocket and read it. Remind yourself that this is not an empty chore, it's a way to something really, really important. Carry that knowledge with you to each door or each dial.
Before you hit your first door, or dial your first number...think about why you're doing it. Maybe it's your loved one in Iraq. Maybe it's wanting a Supreme Court that will preserve your right to control your own body. Maybe it's the healthcare you need and can't afford.
Take a piece of paper and a pen and write your reason down. Keep it in your pocket, and if you have a hard conversation or string of them, take that piece of paper out of your pocket and read it. Remind yourself that this is not an empty chore, it's a way to something really, really important. Carry that knowledge with you to each door or each dial.
So what can you do? Find a volunteer event near you and sign up to help between now and Election Day.
In the final days of this historic campaign, the Kentucky Call Team has set a new goal of making 3,500 calls into battleground states between now and election day to help get out the vote (GOTV).
If you haven't started making calls yet, it's not too late. It only takes a minute to find a phonebanking event near you or to get started calling from home. You'll be provided with lists of targeted voters and a call script.
We only have a few days left to contact millions of voters. We've been gearing up for this moment for a long time, and now it's here. What we do in these next few days will make the difference.
If you live in a non-battleground state you can play an important role in deciding this election in key battleground states. Especially tonight.
The campaign will be airing a 30-minute special tonight called Barack Obama: American Promises from 8-8:30pm EDT.
Tonight supporters are gathering at Last Call for Change phonebanks across the country, calling voters in swing states to tell them where their polling location is.
There are only 6 days left to bring the change we need.
Barack is counting on your incredibly important phone calls. You can make sure Obama supporters know where to vote on Tuesday. Their polling location may have changed, or they may have never voted before.
No experience is required. You'll have a script to work from, and our staff will help you every step of the way.
The clock is running out on this historic presidential election, and the Kentucky Call Team has set a goal of making 4,000 phone calls to battlegrounds states by November 2nd. These calls are a crucial part of our field plan, and they free up organizers and volunteers on the ground in key battelground states to talk to voters face-to-face.
It only takes a few minutes to get start making calls from home, or you can find an organized phonebanking event near you.
Click here for an informational video that walks you through the Neighbor to Neighbor phonebanking tool.
Belicia, Alena and Ben, Morehead University students for Obama have been busy all year working for change, and are ready for the challenge to do their part during the homestretch.
These Chattanooga, Tennessee supporters are phoning North Carolina voters and are the perfect example of one state helping a neighboring state:
You can also host a Last Call for Change house party this Wednesday, October 29th. Invite everyone you know to watch Barack's 30-minute presentation and make important phone calls to voters in key battleground states.
This Sunday, October 26th, at 6:30pm CDT, Kentucky supporters are encouraged to join an official conference call with campaign staffers to learn more about Neighbor to Neighbor and how they can make a huge impact for Barack in this historic election.
In addition to learning the basics of Neighbor to Neighbor, you wil hear from special guests talking about our ground game in the battleground states you'll be calling into.We'll be doing a conference call and a webinar (an online seminar), so you can follow along with the training on your own computer and ask questions. Don't worry though if you're not able to join the webinar - you can still listen in on the conference call!Here are the details:
Phone Number: 718-709-0655Access Code: 144-389-508If you can join us for the webinar, RSVP now:http://my.barackobama.com/webinar24I hope you can join us!
If you can't make this special conference call, learn more about Neighbor to Neighbor by watching these training videos. Then, make sure you are signed up so you can start making calls as soon as possible. Every call plays a part in this campaign and puts us one step closer to our goal in November.
This Wednesday, October 22nd, at 7:30pm EDT, Kentucky supporters are encouraged to join an official conference call with campaign staffers to learn more about Neighbor to Neighbor and how they can make a huge impact for Barack in this historic election.
In addition to learning the basics of Neighbor to Neighbor, you wil hear from special guests who will talk about our ground game in the battleground states you'll be calling into.We'll be doing a conference call and a webinar (an online seminar), so you can follow along with the training on your own computer and ask questions. Don't worry though if you're not able to join the webinar - you can still listen in on the conference call!Here are the details:
Phone Number: 718-709-0659
Access Code: 354-154-587If you can join us for the webinar, RSVP now:http://my.barackobama.com/webinar19I hope you can join us!
Americans love to drive, and what better way to enjoy that pursuit than by Driving for Change to help elect Barack Obama President? In a number of key states, this election will be incredibly close. There is no better way to help make a difference than by traveling to a battleground stake where your work will have the biggest impact.
Austin K. and his girlfriend Liz L. decided that a road trip from their home in Chicago to New Mexico was in order to do their part. That's a long way to drive, but the good news is you can visit one of many states nearby to your home. Our Drive For Change sign-up form will provide you with a detailed list of where and when you're needed most.
We drove all the way from Chicago down to Albuquerque to volunteer full-time until election day for Barack. Liz is originally from Springfield, Missouri so we also stopped in to visit her parents to break up our trip. Between now and election day, Liz and I plan to help in every way we can to make sure every person in South Albuquerque gets to vote, wants to vote, and that every vote is properly counted. In only a few days since we've arrived, we've made phone calls, walked neighborhoods, signed up volunteers, and helped open a brand new office in the South Valley. It is a ton of fun, and includes everything from persuading independent voters in their front yards under the hot Sunday sun to doing data entry late at night. This is my first ever trip to New Mexico, and only the second time for Liz. The people here are all very warm and friendly, and so is the weather. The food is delicious, and chilies are everywhere you look. Housing and food are comparatively inexpensive, and the campaign has supporter housing available. If anyone is thinking about drying out and warming up from a bad Chicago fall season, this just might be the place.
Even if you can't hit the road, the online tools on My.BarackObama.com allow everyone to get involved in their communities or help out from the comfort of their own home.
The final presidential debate is this Wednesday, October 15th, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. It's the last chance for undecided voters to see Barack and John McCain side-by-side and determine who will bring the change this country needs. And it will be the final time before election night to come together in this way with your friends, family, and fellow supporters. Make the most of this opportunity by signing up to host a Debate Watch Party -- or attend one near you.If you've joined us for an event before, you know how powerful they can be to help build support and grow our movement. If you haven't, it's a terrific way to connect with fellow supporters and folks who may just be making up their minds. If you can host an event, we'll make sure you have everything you need to make it a success. We're having a special conference call for Debate Watch Party hosts on Tuesday, when we'll give you ideas for how to get your guests involved in the rest of the campaign. In these final weeks, each of us needs to do whatever we can to keep strengthening this campaign and encourage undecided voters to cast their votes for change. Sign up to host or attend a Debate Watch Party now. Thanks, Jon Jon Carson National Field Director Obama for America
This Tuesday, October 14th, at 6:30pm CDT, Kentucky supporters are encouraged to join an official conference call with campaign staffers to learn more about Neighbor to Neighbor and how they can make a huge impact for Barack in this historic election.
Phone Number: 718-709-0655
Access Code: 404-081-228If you can join us for the webinar, RSVP now:http://my.barackobama.com/webinar11I hope you can join us!
There was news this morning that tonight's presidential debate will proceed as planned, with both candidates in attendance. Last night, National Field Director Jon Carson sent out a message inviting supporters to attend debate parties, and explaining what comes next for the campaign . . .
The election is less than 40 days away, and the American people deserve to hear directly from the candidates about how they intend to lead our country. You're invited to join a Debate Watch Party in your community and discuss the issues that are most important to you and your family, friends, and neighbors. Find a Debate Watch Party in your area and RSVP today. These parties will allow you to to get to know folks in your community, and continue building this campaign from the bottom up by reaching out to even more supporters using our Neighbor to Neighbor tool. If you can't attend a party, you can still use our Neighbor to Neighbor tool to reach out to swing voters in a crucial battleground state who need to hear from you. It's an extremely powerful way to build support for Barack. Whether you can attend a Debate Watch Party or not, it's a great way to connect with fellow voters. Get your list of potential supporters right now and start making phone calls today. Neighbor to Neighbor gives you everything you need to get started. As Barack prepares for the presidential debate, we'll be preparing, too -- by laying the groundwork for victory on Election Day. Let's get to work. Thanks, Jon Jon Carson National Field Director Obama for America
One of the newest features of our Neighbor to Neighbor voter contact system is the online phonebanking tool. During the primary, thousands of supporters used our old online calling system to make literally millions of phone calls that made the difference in hard fought primaries across the country. In November, these phone calls will once again be a key part of our strategy.
Here is a quick tour of the new phonebanking tool:
The phonebanking tool provides you with lists of targeted voters in your community, a brief calling script, and an easy interface to enter your results. You can print off call lists and make calls offline, or you can make calls while at your computer.
When you’re done calling, report your results back to the campaign so we can update the system and let our staff and volunteers on the ground know where are supporters are and who needs more information.
In the coming days, we'll be adding more features and more calling campaigns that will allow you to make calls to key battleground states. In some areas, you'll be able to make peer to peer phone calls to talk to students, veterans, women, Latinos, and other important groups. If you're interested in making peer to peer calls, visit our People page and sign up for the constituency groups and demographics that apply to you.
No matter who you are or where you live, if you can make time during the coming weeks to help reach out to other voters, sign up now.
When campaign manager David Plouffe talked about a "persuasion army" he meant nothing more, and nothing less, than millions of volunteers doing their part talking to friends, family, and neighbors one person at a time.
From the earliest days of the campaign, Barack has closed his speeches not just with an ask for a vote, but with a call to action. From the beginning, this campaign has been built on the belief that ordinary people can make a difference in their lives and in their nation's government, but only if they act.
In his closing remarks in Daytona Beach this morning, Barack made this case as clear as ever:
I hope you'll join me. I hope you'll walk with me, so that we can turn the page on the failed policies of the past. And if you make that commitment, if everybody out here is getting registered, if everybody is out there volunteering, if all of you are doing a little community organizing, if you're making phone calls, sending out emails, knocking on doors, talking to folks at church, if you've decided that you want to roll up your sleeves and join with me and change this country, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, county by county, state by state, then I promise you this -- we will not just win Florida. We will win this general election, and then you and I together are going to change this country and change the world.
In his speech in Wooster, Ohio last Wednesday, Joe Biden referred to this moment as an "inflection point" on the issues of war, global warming, the economy and more.
But it is more than just that. This moment is a leverage point, in which the work you do over the next 45 days will have a greater impact than at perhaps any other point in your life.
Right now, this race is neck-and-neck. In over a dozens states, the margin between winning and losing -- the margin between a government that institutionalizes the policies and mistakes of the last eight years and an administration that brings real change to Washington -- will be the work done on the ground by ordinary people.
Over the course of the evening, we'll be showing you a number of ways in which you can get involved, no matter where you live or what your past political experience is.
This first step is simple:
Campaign Manager David Plouffe just sent out this email...
Amanda --Want a look inside our strategy to win the battleground states? I recorded a video on my laptop yesterday to brief you on the plan -- including details that haven't been shared publicly before. Our fight in the battleground states is going to be tougher than a lot of you may think. Take Florida, where George Bush won by just 381,000 votes in 2004. The campaign we're running there is going to cost more than $39 million. That can only come from supporters like you -- unlike John McCain, we don't take money from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. To reach our goal, we need 50,000 new donors by Friday at midnight. You can inspire a fellow supporter to make their first donation -- and make your donation go twice as far. Will you watch the video and double your impact with a donation today? This race has come down to a matter of weeks, and it could pivot on a few tremendously important swing states. Supporters like you are strengthening this campaign in amazing ways -- voter registration efforts, organizing in your communities, and bringing folks into the political process like never before. Barack and Joe can't win this without you. Make a donation of $25 or more right now to provide the resources we'll need to make victory a reality: https://donate.barackobama.com/promise This campaign is committed to winning in every state we can. But it's the support of folks like you that will decide this election. Thanks for everything you're doing, David David PlouffeCampaign ManagerObama for America
Amanda --Want a look inside our strategy to win the battleground states? I recorded a video on my laptop yesterday to brief you on the plan -- including details that haven't been shared publicly before. Our fight in the battleground states is going to be tougher than a lot of you may think. Take Florida, where George Bush won by just 381,000 votes in 2004. The campaign we're running there is going to cost more than $39 million. That can only come from supporters like you -- unlike John McCain, we don't take money from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. To reach our goal, we need 50,000 new donors by Friday at midnight. You can inspire a fellow supporter to make their first donation -- and make your donation go twice as far. Will you watch the video and double your impact with a donation today?
This race has come down to a matter of weeks, and it could pivot on a few tremendously important swing states. Supporters like you are strengthening this campaign in amazing ways -- voter registration efforts, organizing in your communities, and bringing folks into the political process like never before. Barack and Joe can't win this without you. Make a donation of $25 or more right now to provide the resources we'll need to make victory a reality: https://donate.barackobama.com/promise This campaign is committed to winning in every state we can. But it's the support of folks like you that will decide this election. Thanks for everything you're doing, David David PlouffeCampaign ManagerObama for America
