Yolanda King, the daughter and oldest child of Dr. Martin Luther King died at her brother's home in California. She was 51, and had just finished speaking at an event at the American Heart Association. There will be a campaign announcement shortly.
Dean M, Central Florida Group
On the day when the Florida Legislature voted to move the Florida Primary up to January 29th, a bill Gov. Crist has indicated he will sign into law, the Secret Service has afforded protection to Senator Obama. Earlier this week, it was announced that in the latest Quinnipanic (spelling) poll, Senator Obama was virtually tied with Hillary Clinton and within the margin of error. As mentioned back in March, at the rate of increase of Senator Obama's polling numbers, May would have been the time when we would catch her. Well, now we have, and it is onward and upward from here. Let's keep up the great work and enthusiasm. Keep taking about the Senator to people. I continue passing out bumper stickers and buttons. Every time I get on the turnpike, I give the round adhesive buttons to toll booth operators. Keep up the good work, it is paying off.
I must say I am very disappointed with the Obama campaign for the way they handled the Myspace situation with Joe Anthony. The man worked many hours maintaining the Myspace/barackobama website, and the Obama campaign asked for a number for his compensation. He asked for $39,000 to turn his work over to the Obama campaign. Anyone who has a myspace account can understand the time it takes to keep in touch with friends and maintain the account by adding new things. Joe Anthony was asked to join the Obama team as a consultant, note: asked by the Obama campaign team.
On second thought, those of us, the thousands, who donated money knew it was to be used for media expenses, travel expenses, and etc. A consultant who worked and never was paid. Wouldn't you be irate if you didn't get paid for working today? As a donor to Obama's campaign for presidency, I would expect the Obama campaign to pay this man for his work. ABC, NBC, and CBS will get paid to run advertisements for Obama. Consultants get paid for working for Obama. So why did Joe Anthony get screwed over?
I am skeptical of the Obama campaign. I supported Obama 100 percent because I thought the Obama campaign had integrity. I've been there and I know how Joe Anthony feels to work and not be paid. I am not so proud to wear my Obama '08 t-shirt anymore, and I am considering taking the Obama '08 sticker off my truck as well.
I think that I may have stumbled upon a unique way that I can contribute to this effort. To skip reading this blog post and see what I'm talking about CLICK HERE.
I went to my first O-Train meeting in Tampa this weekend (a group of Obama supporters and volunteers) and came away really energized and pleasantly surprised. I'm not sure what I expected, but in my experience these types of things don't tend to be well organized. Not only was it very well run, but there were at least 40 or so people there to volunteer. Thehe dialogue was constructive and everyone I spoke to was there to make a positive impact.
I was concerned about my ability to contribute since I have limited hours and even more limited time when most humans are awake (I tend to get the most work done between midnight and 4am after the office phones have stopped ringing and the family is asleep). But thanks in part to how technologically advanced this campaign is, I think I have found my opportunities.
First, I joined a series of groups on the Obama site, such as Rapid Response, that are National in scope but have a targeted focus. Then I volunteered to help coordinate the youth vote. I'm no longer what you would classify as "youth" (LOL) but I have some experience in this area from my days of running for Student President of FSU.
The contribution I'm most proud of came to me later that night. As a web designer and graphic artist, I felt like there HAD to be something I could do with my twilight hours to help out. Long story short, I decided to create a series of YouTube commercials that advertise Obama in a positive light without slinging mud on the other candidates. I'm hoping to inspire more people to listen to his message and HOPEFULLY contribute to the campaign.
You can CLICK HERE to see the commercial.
If you like it, please email the link to people you know and get some online buzz going. I'm optimistic because in less than ten minutes I had 3 people view it and it hasn't even been added to the YouTube search yet (that takes eight hours). My goal is to have 500 people view it and contribute. You can see how I'm doing by VISITING MY FUNDRAISING PAGE.
Until next time...
The debates were yesterday and now it's starting to feel real. I have to say that I was nervous on Obama's behalf. I wasn't concerned about his performance (though if it were me I would certainly be less restrained and poised under some of the attacks that tend to fly his way), but I was worried about his reception by the media. Was he still newsworthy or would he be tossed aside Howard Dean style?
Thankfully, Obama held his own in both respects. His debating was skillful, yet personable and his media coverage varied by station but was 99% positive. Now I feel like it's up to people like us...normal people with fifty million other things we "should" be doing at any given point in time...to carve out what resources we have - time, money, blackmail material against people that might otherwise vote Republican (kidding!) - to continue this slow but steady momentum swing towards what could be one of the most momentous turning points in our history.
I sometimes wonder how I can really get involved in this campaign and make a difference. I'm not a wealthy person that can tap the ladies at the country club for their donations. And I'm no longer a student in college with hours on end to volunteer and a seemingly impenetrable shield of optimism. I work full-time and I'm a full-time mom. I was literally nursing my toddler's flu symptoms while trying to catch snippets of the debate. I missed Obama coming to Tampa because I had to work. How in the world can I help get this man elected in what I feel is one of the most critical elections of my lifetime?
To be clear, I am a HUGE admirer of Bill Clinton and of Hillary Clinton. I think he was a great President and that she would make a good President. However, Obama is more than a candidate for a job. He is a World Leader and could serve as a symbol of what we are all hungry for. Ironically, he is most suited to follow through on some of the amazing things Bill Clinton put in motion. Hillary would serve us well, but Obama would lead us. Under his leadership and spirit we could be guided into greatness unlike anything this nation has ever seen. If we weren't so cynical, so tired, so burnt out, think of what we could do!
Obama will light that fire in each of us if given the chance so now I'm just seeing how people like me can be the kindling. If all goes well this weekend and my household is healthy from the bug that went around and I don't get called into work and the planets miraculously align then I'll attend my first volunteer meeting in Tampa this weekend. I hope to have fantastic things to report.
I just got a letter from Hillary, asking for my financial contribution. Surely she cannot be that concerned over Obama that she is buying lists and writing to all registered democrats. Is this a sign that someone may be breathing down her neck? She had her chance to knock out the competition and failed. I bet she will be pretty nervous during tomorrow night's debate. Let's all watch and show our support and keep up the great work. We continue to gain on her in the polls. We will win this nomination and the Presidency.
DeanM Central Florida Group
The first Democtratic Presidential Debate for the 2008 nomination will be held this Thursday night in South Carolina. All of the candidates will participate. The debate will be televised starting at 8pm Eastern Time on MSNBC. This will be an important opportunity for Senator Obama to go head to head with the other candidates, and could affect polling. Be sure to pass the word on to others to watch the debate and see and hear Senator Obama in action.
Today's New York Times, Page 1, is expected to report that black leaders, including those from New York State, who overwhelmingly supported Sen. Clinton, no longer do so, and are now on the fence. This is remarkable progress for Senator Obama since he announced his candidacy. And, in a recent poll, for the first time, Senator Obama has a slight lead over Sen. Clinton among African American voters. Hillary's largest lead among demographics continues to be with African American Women. I am happy to see a new link on the Obama website intended to appeal to female voters.
James Carville, the engineer of President Clinton's 1992 election campaign who coined the phrase "It's The Economy, Stupid!" said that the Democratic nominee will be either Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama. He also predicted Al Gore will enter the race. Carville said Hillary's chances are not better than 50 percent, but right now that's higher than anybody else's," that it's far too early for either candidate to be unduly confident; and that either could catch fire and either could blow up. In his traditional cajun style, Carville said "Mama needs more spice, and Obama needs more seasoning."
Meanwhile, Group Adminstrators on the Obama site are being sent links for information to distribute. Polling shows that Obama can do better than he is currently with African American Females. Therefore, this demographic should be sought after more than any other at this time.
Yesterday something terrible happened. 33 people lay dead in an act of violence. Over the next few days there will be stories of reproach. Of blame. People will say that gun control would have stopped this. Come will say more guns would have stopped it. I leave that to people more educated and passionate on the issue. All I know it that it happened. It is tragic. And the reason it happened is the reason all bad things happen. Pain. Suffering. Hurt. There is a saying in the self-help field that hurting people hurt people. Trite, yet true. In the end the gunman will be someone who was in pain. Whatever the cause of that pain may seem minor to us when compared with our pain. But we all have different resources. What seems minor to one may be overwhelming to another.
Violence has gone up in my lifetime (27 years and counting). These types of mass killings happen with alarming frequency these days. Maybe it's guns. Maybe it's video games. I don't know. I do know thatmuch of it involves people who are hurting and don't feel like they have anyone to help them. Community is gone. Replaced with the idea that we must all take care of ourselves and if we can't... well that just means there is something wrong with you.
I was lucky enough to see Senator Obama in person this weekend at a rally in Tampa. He said something that really hit home yesterday. That under the current administration we have been told to take care of ourselves. That it is wrong to need help. That it is wrong to give help. That the problems of the poor, the helpless, the desperate and the needy are not my problems. Except, they are. He said when a child goes hungry anywhere in the country we are all diminished. Likewise, even if we have no personal connection to the events at VT we are diminished by them. When a 23 year old feels they have no other option but to kill other people and themselves because of their pain then we are al diminished. We need to bring back that idea of community. Of helping others because in the end it helps ourselves.
John Donne said it best in his Devotion upon Emergent Occasions, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee…"
In a story that should come as no surprise, and which gives us an idea of what he have to deal with in the near future, it has come to light that the Republican National Committee (RNC) has destroyed ALL E Mail records from White House officials using RNC accounts from 2001, 2002 and 2003, and that Karl Rove routinely deleted his own e mails that may have directly dealt with the Federal Prosecutor attorney firings. Just in case anyone should think these people have learned their lesson from the lies about Iraq, WMD or anything else, think again.
DeanM, Central Florida Group
Congrats to all of us. According to the Drudge Report, the Obama Campaign has raised almost 22 Million dollars in campaign contributions. Many of you will read and hear the news that Hillary raised $36 million. That is not a real figure, so do not be upset by it. According to the Drudge Report, 11 of the 36 million was transfered in from her Senate campaign war chest. And of the remaining 26 million, the vast majority of that was from "large contributors." The Hillary campaign is touting the 36 million dollar figure to scare people away from other candidates and to discourage the competition. Now, the positive news. Our 22 million far exceeds what any other democratic candidate had EVER raised by this time in the past, and it was overwhelmingly from small contributors, like those of you reading these posts. The news story also said that it is likely this will be tbe most Hillary will get from now on, and it appears that our financial support will continue to grow. Plus, our web contributions likely far outpaced Hillary's. Personally, I never expected we would come in first this reporting period, but I also never expected we would be this strong. We are supporting the next nominee of the Democratic party, and yes, the next President Of The United States, Barack Obama. Keep up the great work.
Comedy Central has announced that this weeks "Southpark" episode (Wednesday, Thursday 10 p.m. Eastern, on Comedy Central) will feature an episode in which Hillary visits Southpark for a campaign rally. Because this show is so popular and wins Emmy awards on a regular basis, it will be important to watch because it does often reflect popular conceptions and attitudes about well known personalities. This should be fun.
Dean M Central Florida Group From today's Comedy Central Press Release: Hillary Clinton is in town for a big campaign rally in an all-new "South Park" on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 10:00 P.M. on Comedy Central Cartman suspects the new Muslim student is behind a terrorist threat in an all-new "South Park" entitled, "The Snuke," premiering on Wednesday, March 28. The clock is ticking as the citizens prepare for Hillary Clinton's big campaign rally. Every minute counts as Cartman uses his own methods to interrogate the suspect. But could the plan to target Hillary Clinton be just the tip of the iceberg? From today's Comedy Central Press Release: Hillary Clinton is in town for a big campaign rally in an all-new "South Park" on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 10:00 P.M. on Comedy Central Cartman suspects the new Muslim student is behind a terrorist threat in an all-new "South Park" entitled, "The Snuke," premiering on Wednesday, March 28. The clock is ticking as the citizens prepare for Hillary Clinton's big campaign rally. Every minute counts as Cartman uses his own methods to interrogate the suspect. But could the plan to target Hillary Clinton be just the tip of the iceberg?
We did it again. The Democracy For America organization, started by fellow anti-Iraq war and former Presidential Candidate and leader of the Democratic Party, ...that is...Former Gov. Howeard Dean, took a poll among its members in the past week. I had the pleasure of voting for Senator Obama in that poll. Here are the results. We continue to surge. Meanwhile, that "1984" Hillary "You Tube" ad that was posted has now been seen over 2.4 Million times. If you haven't seen it yet, you're missing something awsome. Here is the link. Link Everybody have a good weekend, and keep up the great work.
Dean M Central Florida Group
Barack Obama28.1%John Edwards24.6%Other12.4%Dennis Kucinich10.3%Hillary Clinton8.7%Bill Richardson7.6%Undecided4.9%Joseph Biden1.9%Christopher Dodd0.5%Mike Gravel0.3%
