This is a copy of an e-mail sent to the group Sunnyvale for Obama on July 21, 2008.
Hello Sunnyvale for Obama!
News flash: the phone-banking team had a very successful phone-banking party yesterday!
Preeti graciously opened her home to the movement for change, and four of us joined her in calling New Mexico, which is a swing state. We reached out to registered Decline to State (independent) voters there to spread the message of the Obama campaign and hopefully recruit volunteers. Before we started, we set a goal of recruiting five, and we met that goal! In effect, we doubled our impact on the campaign as volunteers!
The only problem we had was that I talk too loud, so I had to be sequestered on the porch. :-)
Thank you, Preeti, for so kindly hosting, and thank you Thomas, Cristiana, and Fred for joining us to make calls!
If anyone would like to be involved in phone banking in any way—whether hosting a party, going to a party, calling from home, or calling from the PA office—and you’re not already on the phone-banking team, just let me know and I’ll provide the info you need.
GO OBAMA ‘08!
Wade
Hello Blog Buddies it has been a while. The road has been long and filled with golden bricks of knowledge and experience, some of which I may share soon but not now. The totality of this year's volunteer and staff member experience it still out of the reach of words, so profound and close to the heart that it has not passed through the filter of my mind.
Ms. Lovely Linda Dungey did bring some words out of my heart today. Here is a copy of the reply I gave her, along with prayers and wishes of good will:
Good Morning My Dear Obama Supporters! I hope your holiday weekend has been enjoyable with family, friends, & community. As we are approaching the end of our Vote 4 Independence Voter Registration drives today, there's still an opportunity for you to get involved in a community service activity or phone banking session. We will have organizers @ both Kroger Locations (N. Hairston/Stone Mountain & N. Decatur/Decatur) so if you are interested in registering voters today please refer to the following schedule: Thanks again for all you do to put Barack Obama in Office on Nov. 4th!!
Kroger N. Hairston-10am to 4pm Today, Sunday, July 6th
Kroger N. Decatur-11am to 6pm Today, Sunday, July 6th
Phone Banking available from your home or cellphone Primetime 5pm-10pmCall for a list of registered voters in your area to recruit for volunteers, or go to the phone banking on MyBO.com. Thanks so much, Jennifer C. Gordon 404.663.9404
This is the 1st time I have written a blog but then again when I stop to think this campaign has afforded me many 1st's.....
I am very commited in my efforts to see that Barack Obama is elcted as our next President of the United States and will do whatever I can to ensure that it happens.
I joined the Obama community several months ago and it has been an amazing experience for me and one I will always remember.
I am shy by nature although those of you who have gotten to know me will probably say otherwise... I joined the National Call Team in January and began my journey of reaching out to voters across the country. I have met many incredible people along the path of this jouney who are fellow supporters as well as those I educated about our canidate and met many working in the campaign. Over the course of 6 months I spoke with thousands upon thousands of voters and many of whom I am still in touch with who have inspired me to keep going.
I joined several groups in the community and one of which is diversityforobama. I have met some truly special people in that group and have learned a great deal from them.
My message to everyone is to please get involved in the campaign and take an active role. All supporters need to come together and be united in their efforts to doing what is needed to get Barack elected as our next POTUS. We need to welcome all new supporters and treat them with respect. We need to take the high road in this campaign and remain focused even in the face of adversity. It is a long road from now until election day and we will hit bumps along the way. We must remain true to our goals and not stoop to the level of the GOP and resort with smear tactics.Barack Obama is all about sticking to the issues and campaigning on the issues and not attacking individuals or their families so we need to follow him in this sense and leave the drama out of the campaign.
There are many around the country who are just as enthuised as I am and I have been inspired by them and hope that we all can inspire one another to join together and do what has to be done and know that if we do that we will truly know that YES WE CAN !!!!!!!!
Less than 20 weeks remain for the 2008 Presidential Elections! Every one of these weeks there should be SPECIAL MEETINGS, NEWS CONFERENCES, IN 20 DIFFERENT STATES OF PRIME IMPORTANCE by Mr Obama.
Concentrating on WEAK or so called "RED STATES" could be a good ides. However, we cannot NEGLECT/IGNORE the BLUE or POSITIVE STATES! Just my thoughts,...
All: As a resident of Illinois, I had the great good fortune to meet Senator Obama in a small venue at a Town Hall meeting. I'd seen his keynote speech and was impressed; I also followed his career as a state senator, and knew he would be a force to reckon with someday. I met him before he announced his candidacy, so it was an intimate meeting. I was extremely impressed by the breadth of his knowledge and his common sense. Although by demographics I should have been a supporter of Senator Clinton's, I knew that only Senator Obama had the unique background and personal qualities to help this nation heal, to rise above the state of affairs that we find ourselves in today. As a professor of Constitutional Law, I have no doubt that he sees that great document as something more than an inconvenient "piece of paper," unlike the current occupant of the White House. Who could be more capable of repairing the abuses to our Constitution? I post on two different political boards: The lies and rumors about Senator Obama have disgusted me, and I now see no alternative beyond an Obama presidency to make blatant racism and hatred unacceptable again, to restore dignity and ethics to our government and to restore the high regard in the world which we once enjoyed. The vote you cast in November may be the most important vote you ever cast. This may be the most important campaign in your life-time. I ask you to join with me in making history...world history. It took immense courage for Mr. Obama to speak against the invasion of iraq, when it was a very unpopular and politically dangerous thing to do. Yet Senator Obama had that courage: Surely we have the courage to support him.
The Southfield for Obama group is extending an invitation for you to join us and become a part of Senator Obama's movement towards positive change. When ? SATURDAY JUNE 21st.
WHEN: Saturday, Jun 21, 2008 - 11:00 A.M.
Where: The Plaza Hotel in Southfield MI - 1st level conference room
What: Support for Senator Obama's campaign.
How: Think of an area in which you would like to lend your support (i.e. data processing,
telephone banking, voter registration, creating flyers on the computer, volunteer recruitment, etc.)
Yes we Can!!! Yes we Will!!! Sign, Seal, and Deliver a Victory in November!
After checking in at the Obama headquarters on Elizabeth St I headed out with another volunteer - a young college student with long blonde hair, a great iridescent purple bag, and kind of a dreamy demeanor. Thirty years or so ago she might have been called a hippie. That's how she says that her mother, a conservative lawyer who "never sees eye to eye" with her daugher, views her. But it was Mom who encouraged her to have the experience of registering voters. Kind of speaks to the Unite for Change theme. She wants her daughter to believe in something. One thing that she clearly believes in is helping others. She shared her dream of becoming a biological psychologist specializing in researching and treating substance abuse disorders. I think I would enjoy having her as a student.
We were dispatched to the nearby transit center to meet commuters. My fellow volunteer grew up in Charlotte and has seen the population triple in her lifetime. She shared memories about what the city used to look like as we passed landmarks. Ninety percent or so of the people that we met today were people of color - mostly African American. Most were already registered to vote, and they thanked and encouraged us for volunteering. I also got a couple of enthusiastic marriage proposals and a pledge to vote for me as a write in-candidate. I spoke to a few young people who had lots of questions about the voting process. Some were just 17 but would be 18 by November. Some were tentative. The role of voter did not appear to seem real to them yet. Some of the teens that I approached were too young yet. "Get ready" I told them "your turn is coming and we need you". They nodded respectfully, their posture straightening up a bit in response to an adult acknowledging their importance.
Some people's reactions were less positive. A small number of White people (most were great)refused to make eye contact with me. Some did not trouble to mask their indignance that I would even speak to them, as if I were breaking some unwritten code. This is my interpretation. I'd appreciate other's thoughts. I noticed that a few Black women furtively shook their heads with an almost wistful or fearful expression when I invited them to register. Several Black men said "I can't vote - I have a felony record". Besides being surprised by the concentration of felons in this one location, I had strong feelings about the lost potential and lost opportunities that each of these men represented. Black men are disproportionately sentenced for the same crimes commited by White men (don't take my word for it, check out http://www.sentencingproject.org/). This means that there were probably White men at this bus station who are eligible to vote, despite being arrested for similar crimes. The issue of crime is a very complicated one. I don't want to idealize the situation or excuse crime. Charlotte's crime rate is higher per capita than that of NYC or LA. It is a very real problem. Still, I see human beings, I see potential, and I see disparity. My young partner shared that someone close to her had two pending felony counts against him. Raised in a family with substance abusers, he became drug dependent at a young age. He was arrested at his dealer's house during a raid. He is clean now and doing his best to turn his life around. However he is only 19 years of age, and these felonies could mean a very bleak future for him.
One man that I approached, a Black man of about 40 or so, stands out in my mind. When I asked if he was registered, he scowled and shook his head, exhaling cigarette smoke. Eyeing my Obama t-shirt, he said "Black people are f**ked up - they ain't never gonna get nowhere". Being Black myself, I asked him "Do I look f**ked up to you?" He softened and said "No, excuse my language, ma'am, but 70% of Black people are f**ked up. You got too many kids in gangs (I agree, I told him)...You got people on drugs and killing each other (I agreed)... When I was coming up grandmothers was like 65, now they are 38. That ain't right (I agreed)". "I am part of that other 30%" I told him (I vehemently disagree with his 70% statistic, but now didn't seem the time to argue) " I am voting so I can change some of those things. Which percentage are you a part of?" A long pause of silence. It was sinking in. I could see it. Baby steps. Baby steps toward change. " I am a felon - I can't vote" he said. "Who do you know who can vote?" I asked him. "Do you have a lady, a family member, or a friend who can vote?" "Most people I know can vote" he said. "Start there. Talk to them". I shook his hand and walked away. And I prayed for Hope.
This wasn't my greatest Obama day. No feel good stories about baby steps to change the world. I hid out in my office today, and the copier room. I hardly interacted with anyone except for customer service phone reps on my various communications accounts. Mostly I was on hold and responding to press ones (you know "for account information, press one, to purchase additional services, press two"...). I worked my butt off today and I got home two hours late, dead tired, and stinky. I ate standing up in the kitchen (thank God for a partner who can cook), took a shower and got into bed. Something told me to get up and check if I had any new MyBo friends. Hi Friends! Thanks for being my friends!
Today my Change goals were to 1) help with new voter registration at our local headquarters and 2) work on reducing my environmental footprint, in honor of Gore's endorsement of President Obama (as far as I am concerned, he is already my president, and he will continue to be regardless of what happens in November). Well, I had so many issues to deal with at work today that I couldn't make it Uptown to headquarters. I'll make up for it tomorrow. As far as my environmental activities, if anything I just became aware of more of my many excesses. But awareness in itself is Change. The stress of the day made it hard to focus on conservation. I let the shower run a bit before getting in. I left a window open all day, unaware that the air was on. I am not usually this bad. Today was an off day. For my flight to Chicago last week I purchased carbon offset points, and that felt good. When you consider all the crap that you have to pay for to fly these days, paying a few dollars for carbon offset is an amazing value.
Speaking of airlines - I am going to go off on a tangent for a minute here. (I recently discovered that I have what is currently understood by the scientific community as attention deficit disorder, but actually encompasses a form of right-brain genius, so my friends have gotten used to tangents. I'll try to label them so you can skip over them if you'd prefer). The business model that US commercial airlines are following at the moment is a metaphor for what we need less of in the United States. My fellow passengers and I had to stand by for the "preferred boarding" of the more privileged passengers in Diamond Class, Emerald Class, Ruby Class, Platinum Class, Platinum Gold Class.... NO! I am not joking! We need a standard of living that everyone enjoys, not just the privileged.
So, back to the main subject, it was a rough day and I didn't achieve the Change goals that I intended, but I am aware of where I fell short, and I am determined to get back on track. Awareness is a form of Change.
Other President Obama thoughts for the day: I read about how much of the mainstream media is de-emphasizing the importance of President Obama's lead in the polls. They are also failing to mention some of the many awesome successes that he has made in terms of expanding and diversifying his base of supporters. Hats off to The Nation for bucking the trend and telling us the real deal. Check out http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080618/cm_thenation/45330857. Some take away points - while Obama may not yet have won over all of Hilary's supporters, they sure as hell aren't flocking to McCain. President Obama is leading in several demographics that haven't been highlighted and gaining ground every day! But don't take my word for it. Read the article. I already warned you - attention deficit disorder.
My feel good moment for the day was reading an article about First Lady Michelle Obama and checking out some beautiful photos (except for her dated college graduation photo - hey, we all have those old photos that someone could blackmail us with) of her. She is so authentic, strong, and compassionate. She has inner as well as exterior beauty. Hard body, sharp mind, soft heart. That's what I aspire to and Michelle embodies. A first lady that truly represents this millennium. Don't change who you are Michelle! None of us can be everything to everybody. We need to develop the trust in each other not to be threatened by our diversities. My favorite quotes from the article:“I hate diversity workshops. Real change comes from having enough comfort to be really honest and say something very uncomfortable.” (commenting on her role as Vice President of Community Affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and the approach she takes to resolving conflicts between the many groups that she serves)(commenting on rumors that she is racist) “You know, if someone sat in a room with me for five minutes after hearing these rumors, they’d go ‘huh?’ ” she says. “They’d realize it doesn’t make sense.” Here's the article link:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/us/politics/18michelle.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=thOk, one more tangent. Michelle is getting flak because of remarks that she make in her college senior thesis from 20 plus years ago. Can you imagine being in that position? God help me if anyone reads anything I wrote as a college student. As a college professor who has graded thousands of pages of student writing, I can tell you that her thesis is exceptionally well written and presents balanced and well argued observations of her experiences as a racial minority at Princeton. It represents criticism in the interest of positive change. Sounds like early signs of leadership to me!
Good night ya'll. My second wind just blew away.
Even if we are able to win without Ohio or Florida, we still need to do grassroots campaigning like never before in Ohio and Florida. I wonder if Florida has any Obama Organizer Fellows, etc. to do this work to do the Unite For Change House Meetings there as well. I hope to hear from my fellow Obama Supporters in response to this
Step 5. 'DIFFERENT': Being different is to be not part of the 'crowd'!
For example 'Crowd' can be the 'Washington DC crowd'!
Step 4. CONCENTRATING ON WEAKNESSES: One's strength should of 'chain' should not be determined by HOW STRONG THE STRONGEST 'LINK' OF THE CHAIN IS, BUT BY HOW WEAK IS THE WEAKEST 'LINK' IN THE CHAIN!
If we correct or get rid of our weaknesses what can be better than that! IN FACT EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS WEAKNESSES!
For EXAMPLE: CONCENTRATING ON THE SO CALLED 'RED STATES'! Therefore Concentrating on weak states, weak groups like Latinos/White voters/Jewish community etc
