Jay canvassed in the primaries for Barack, but this is the first campaign he's ever been involved in. Actually, that's not quite accurate -- he says he was dragged by a few friends to hold up signs for a candidate in a municipal race a little over a decade ago. But it took a candidate like Barack Obama to convince Jay to canvass:
Barack is the right candidate at the right time for this country -- and he's got the charisma and skill needed to get things done.
I'm the kind of guy that if there's something that needs to be done, I'll do it. And canvassing is one of the most important things that needs to get done for us to win this fall.
It started to rain towards the end of Jay's Canvass shift, but Jay was prepared -- he just pulled out his umbrella and kept on hitting the doors on his list. The voters he was talking to must have been impressed with his resolve.
Twelve weekends left to Election Day. It's a great time to get involved -- sign up to get involved, or find a Campaign for Change office near you.
Celebrate with fellow supporters at office openings and open houses across the state tonight! Click here for a complete list of event times and locations.
Can't make it to an event tonight? Click here to send a virtual birthday message to Barack.
Katina Tsongas, Field Director of the New Hampshire Campaign for Change, just sent out the following email:
Dear Friend -- This Monday, August 4th, Barack will be celebrating his 47th birthday -- and you have a unique opportunity to give him something that few other people across the nation can.This weekend, the New Hampshire Campaign for Change is asking you to give your time, energy, and passion by taking part in a statewide joint canvass to support all the candidates who have pledged to bring change to America.Supporters like you will be knocking on doors to spread that message to the voters of New Hampshire.Sign up and celebrate Barack's birthday by growing our grassroots movement:http://nh.barackobama.com/nhbdayWe're working with Democrats and Independents across the state who want to see change in Washington.To do that, we'll have to work together to elect not only Barack Obama but Democrats up and down the ballot in New Hampshire, including Jeanne Shaheen, John Lynch, Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter.Turn your enthusiasm for all of these candidates into action by taking part in a statewide canvass this weekend:http://nh.barackobama.com/nhbdayNo previous experience is required to get involved -- Campaign for Change staff will provide you with all of the support you need to succeed.Talking face-to-face to people in your community is the most effective way to spread our message of change and build toward victory. Bringing change to America will take ordinary people working together, and that's why your involvement is so important.Thanks,KatinaKatina TsongasNew Hampshire Field DirectorCampaign for ChangeP.S. -- Can't make it to a canvass this weekend, but still want to give Barack a gift? Stop by an office near you this Monday for our Birthday Open House to find out about other ways to volunteer and get involved:http://nh.barackobama.com/nhoffices
With less than a month until the Democratic National Convention begins in Denver, the final Platform Meetings drew to a close yesterday. These meetings gave ordinary people a unique chance to meet and discuss the issues that matter the most to them. The Democratic National Committee will be reviewing the input from the Platform Meetings as it puts together the planks of the 2008 Party platform.
Deb reported from Statham:
Six Obama supporters from the Seacoast Region gathered Thursday night, July 24th, for nearly three hours in Stratham for a lively discussion about the upcoming Democratic Party platform. The group identified six specific issues the members feel are especially important to address in the platform: Health Care, Sustainability, the American Community, Rights and Freedoms, Education, and Corporate Responsibility. Participants were excited to have this opportunity to have their voices heard in the formation of the party platform.
The Stratham event was one of several held throughout the state. In Nashua on Saturday a dozen Granite Staters had also gathered to talk about issues they want to see addressed at the Convention. Monica, a campaign volunteer, had decided to host a Platform Meeting a few weeks ago:
I've learned that you meet a lot of interesting people when you're volunteering for a campaign, and you get a chance to learn about the issues that matter to other people. I've also learned that we all have a lot more in common with each other as Americans than we have differences.
The discussion in Nashua covered a wide range of issues, from campaign finance reform to education to the health care. Participants found a challenge in narrowing the conversation to three issues, but after a close vote, energy policy, consumer protection/economy, and the need for government transparency made the cut.
As part of their Energy/Environment plank, Nashua's group concluded: "We need more than energy independence; we need energy liberation. We need an irreversible transformation to renewable nonpolluting energy sources to ensure national security."
The group's discussion on economic issues focused on the importance of tax reform that addresses the real impact on individuals, especially working families. There also was a call to restore the regulation of financial practices to prevent predatory lending and create stability in the market.
The theme of government transparency arose again and again throughout the discussion, and because of this it became a standalone issue for the group. Everyone embraced the concept that government should use the internet and other technologies to share information about pending legislation and regulations, and that there should be an increased window of time for public comment so that citizens can review legislation and contact their Congressional Representatives before bills are passed into law.
Ellen (who drove down from Concord to attend the meeting) was impressed with the quality of the group's discussion:
I was impressed with the depth of understanding on the issues everyone had...and the consensus that we were able to find on so many important issues. It was difficult to narrow things to three, but the issues we ended up with were three of the big muscle groups that affect a lot of the other issues we discussed today.
Discussions like the one in Nashua will hopefully help the Democratic National Committee draft a platform which reflects the concerns of not just Democrats but of all Americans.
Sign-up today to get involved in Barack's Campaign for Change in New Hampshire.
Click here for the full text of the speech and click here to learn more about Senator Obama's foreign policy plan.
Sign-up now to get involved in Barack's Campaign for Change.
Obama Campaign, Campaign for Change announce New Hampshire Staff AdditionsManchester, NH – U.S. Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign today announced staff that will be joining Obama for America in New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Campaign for Change – a grassroots, voter contact organization that is a project of the New Hampshire Democratic Party."New Hampshire families can't afford a third term of Bush's failed economic and foreign policies through John McCain. Barack Obama will restore the integrity and respect to the White House that we've lost over the last seven years and will finally address the tough challenges our families face," said Raymond Buckley, Democratic State Party Chairman. "I look forward to working with the New Hampshire Campaign for Change and Obama for America staff to elect Senator Obama the next President of the United States."The Campaign for Change is charged with leading the grassroots effort in New Hampshire to educate voters about U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's plans to change Washington and create good-paying jobs, lower gas prices and bring a responsible end to the Iraq war. It will also work to harness the enthusiasm of Obama's grassroots-level supporters and organize them in communities across New Hampshire as they work for Democratic candidates up and down the ticket.The Obama Campaign and the Campaign for Change previously announced campaign previously announced Mindy Myers as the New Hampshire State Director, Sandra Abrevaya, as the New Hampshire Communications Director and Larkin Barker as the New Hampshire Campaign for Change Press Secretary. Today they are announcing: Tracey Lewis, NH Campaign for Change, General Election DirectorTracey Lewis was the New Hampshire Field Director for Senator Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential primary campaign. After New Hampshire, Ms. Lewis served as senior staff and field advisor and organized get-out-the-vote efforts for Clinton in six other primary states including Tennessee, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia and South Dakota. This will be Lewis' third presidential campaign. She worked in Wisconsin for Gore-Lieberman in 2000 and worked in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Florida for John Kerry in 2004 and served as Kerry's credentials director during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In 2006, Ms. Lewis was the coordinated campaign manager for the Massachusetts Democratic Party and served as the deputy executive director for John Kerry's leadership political action committee until 2007. She has also worked on various local and statewide races in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.Katina Tsongas, NH Campaign for Change, Field DirectorKatina Tsongas returns to New Hampshire after serving as Regional Field Director for the Obama Campaign in the primary, as well as working in Georgia, Ohio and North Carolina. Prior to joining the Obama Campaign in 2007, she was the Regional Field Director for the Environmental Defense Fund in Washington, DC. Tsongas was a Field Organizer in 2004 on the re-election campaign of former Senator Tom Daschle. Tsongas is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Obama Campaign, Campaign for Change announce New Hampshire Staff Additions
Tracey Lewis, NH Campaign for Change, General Election DirectorTracey Lewis was the New Hampshire Field Director for Senator Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential primary campaign. After New Hampshire, Ms. Lewis served as senior staff and field advisor and organized get-out-the-vote efforts for Clinton in six other primary states including Tennessee, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia and South Dakota. This will be Lewis' third presidential campaign. She worked in Wisconsin for Gore-Lieberman in 2000 and worked in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Florida for John Kerry in 2004 and served as Kerry's credentials director during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In 2006, Ms. Lewis was the coordinated campaign manager for the Massachusetts Democratic Party and served as the deputy executive director for John Kerry's leadership political action committee until 2007. She has also worked on various local and statewide races in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Katina Tsongas, NH Campaign for Change, Field DirectorKatina Tsongas returns to New Hampshire after serving as Regional Field Director for the Obama Campaign in the primary, as well as working in Georgia, Ohio and North Carolina. Prior to joining the Obama Campaign in 2007, she was the Regional Field Director for the Environmental Defense Fund in Washington, DC. Tsongas was a Field Organizer in 2004 on the re-election campaign of former Senator Tom Daschle. Tsongas is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Click here to read the rest of the press release and meet the other additions to the New Hampshire Campaign for Change staff.
