Students over at the Law Center have started the UH Law Students for Obama group! Check it out!
We have a new page on Myspace for students for Obama.
Hillary is still fighting to seat delegates from FL and MI despite the fact that the DNC ruled those delegates would not count and SHE HERSELF agreed to these rules- that is, until she realized that her winning wasn't 'inevitable'.
But we played by the rules and so should everyone else. It would be unjust not to mention undemocratic and just plain un-American to seat delegates where no campaigning was allowed, where voters were told beforehand that their delegates wouldn't count so many didn't vote, and in the case of Michigan Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot.
Sign the petition here. It takes only 2 seconds. And PASS IT AROUND!
We have almost 2,000 signatures so far, but we want thousands.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/556373523
This is very important! This race will come down to delegates and if she gets away with changing the rules mid-stream it could push her over the top- not to mention seriously damage the democratic party as a whole.
ps- My apologies if you got this twice
Sen. Barack Obama is the most inspiring public leader in America. He has a bold vision to help the middle class and restore America's prestige in the world.
Now I see people starting to trickle in here and there from our area but we can do better . This is our chance , our chance to have a REAL voice of the people , this is a once in lifetime chance to change the destructive path OUR nation is heading . EVERYONE COUNTS !
Yes, we can."
Are you ready for the next level of this awesome campaign ?
This is an opportunity to learn the software camp is using before they get here.
These programs are simple to learn, will unify our database in Texas and will track the progress of our camp efforts in the next critical weeks ahead.
1 Hr. Introduction:
Wed Feb 6 at 8:00 pm - 1 hr.
Thursday Feb 7 at 2:00 pm or 8:00 pm
2 Hrs. Advance:
Saturday Feb 9 at 12:00 pm or 4:00 pm
You can take the class from home via conference call and the use of your computer.
Respond to: m@isabelops.com.
Texas Counts!
Hope is a word that is thrown around a lot, and has been for some time now. “I hope I make a lot of money,” or, “Let’s hope that the Astros can win the next series.” But there’s one man giving this often overused word a real meaning, and that man is Barack Obama. Other candidates have tried to do this, trust me. I’ve heard everyone from Hillary Clinton to Mitt Romney to John McCain out on the campaign trail saying that they are bringing hope along with them into politics and they are the only people who can effectively do that. The thing is, you can’t tell people you are their hope. It’s not something you say and then people seem to agree. Barack Obama has actually inspired hope. He has motivated a nation of people to give small amounts of money, time, energy, and support to his campaign all because of his inspiring message that transcends gender, race, age, and even political party. It was only after he spoke and genuinely inspired that the word “hope” naturally followed to describe what was going on in our country.
Our government has gotten away from its people, which has only increased the feeling some have that their vote doesn’t really count and nothing they do can change what Washington has become. One need not look any further than the incredibly low voter turnout we’ve experienced in previous elections. But this election is different, and every Democratic primary and caucus thus far has had an historic and marked increase in turnout, especially among young voters – a generation that has often been labeled as apathetic. Having just turned 20, I myself have always thought politics to be inflexible and no matter what, the same people (or at least the same types of people) would be elected to the same positions and the same things would happen year after year, generation after generation. But after hearing Barack Obama’s keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, I knew he was a different politician, and I knew he was somebody that would emerge again soon. Thankfully, he did, and in a big way. The moment he announced from Springfield, Illinois that he would be running for President, I was ecstatic. I knew it would be a struggle for him because of the power of the political machine that is the Clintons, but something was different. To steal from Obama himself, there was “something stirring in the air,” and I was exceedingly proud to be a part of it.
There was recently an article on the front page of the NY Times about a lie that Obama made in Iowa about a Nuclear Leak Bill that he passed and about how he took money from workers–WORKERS of Exelon– a nuclear energy company. Many people are starting to say, have I been misled by this man? Have I been naive?
I say no. I say read between the lines. He tried pushing a bill about nuclear waste through, which is “gasp” against the company’s interest he supposedly took money from? Wow, he is evil.. People really. Obama is one to be honest and say–we all have dirt, I am not completely clean but I have worked hard to stay as clean as possible. To be honest I do not recall him ever saying he was pure but that he has leadership and that he has judgment. Of course he made mistakes in the beginning of his career. Don’t we all, but we grow up, mature and learn how to move through land mines. I like the fact that he is not completely clean it shows that he has had to have his character and integrity hone.
The fact of the matter is, they can’t find a lot of dirt on the man, so they are cherry picking. Let’s get real, he is bringing everyone together and that is what this country needs. Period…
Many of you do not know that I am currently a grad student studying Communications. I plan to finish my degree next Spring but in June I will take the LSAT. I want to go to law school and study International/Global law.
I say that because at the moment I work part time as a make-up artist at M.A.C. Cosmetics. I enjoy my job for what it is, but I love it more because of the people I get to meet.
Recently, I met a cross-dressing straight man, who recently loss his partner. I was able to be an ear and someone who did not judge him for who he was. I was not always so non-judgmental but I am now because I have learned that people are people, who struggle as I do, who hurt as I do and who love as I do. Not to mention–who am I to judge?
This is just one example of people I get to touch and vice versa. Today, was one of those days where my customers touched me. I have been quite frank about the fact that I support Barack Obama for president. I will not change my mind, but today made me that much more convinced that the man can bring change to our great nation.
Today, I had the privilege of meeting three young ladies from Australia who were visiting the states. As I was helping them find make-up and showing them how to apply it, we got on the subject of politics. Unlike young Americans, the youth in other countries are very concerned about politics and the running of their countries. The girls went on to ask me who I was supporting, and I said Obama. They were s thrilled to hear that especially in a Republican state such as Texas. They said that the whole of Australia has been glued to their TVs watching what has been tooted as the most historical moment in our “modern” history. One girl said that her friend text messaged her in the middle of the night last week to tell her that Obama won South Carolina. At the time she was visiting Mexico and her friend was still in Australia.
This comes on the heels of the German newspapers, Susan Eisenhower (Ike Eisenhower’s granddaughter–a Republican btw) and Maria Shriver’s surprise endorsement of Obama. I was so moved by the hope in these young ladies’ eyes of us voting Obama into office that it made me almost cry. They said you just don’t know how that man will not only change your country but the rest of the world and how it views America. They were very impressed by his resume and worldliness and said although they would love to see a woman in office they did not believe Hillary was the appropriate woman for the job.
While speaking to them one of my regular customers came in to exchange some items. I stepped away from my customers to help her out and she asked me what I had been up to. I told her that I was busy with school, work and campaigning. She asked, “for who?” I said, “Obama, of course.” She came around the counter to hug me and said, “I am so glad to hear that. Especially from another black person.” I went on to introduce her to my new customers and shared with her how they and the rest of Australia was routing for Obama as well. We both wished that they could vote in the election, but alas they were not citizens.
I find it amazing how much press this election is getting and the outpouring of love from around the world toward Obama. If anyone has any doubts about his ability to lead this country and cross over to deal with people internationally, then all a person has to do is pick up an international newspaper or google one online and one will find that the man’s charisma translates abroad as well.
As the weeks go on, many influential people are coming out of the wood works to endorse Obama. Maybe these people see something that many in America do not recognize because they have not seen it in decades and that’s “HOPE.”
Here’s hoping to an historical Super Tuesday. Don’t forget to Barack the Vote and good luck Obama.
Regarding official Barack Obama Material:
The Obama Houston HQ is a grassroots organization. We do not have materials to hand out to supporters as of today.
Occasionally, volunteers purchase materials and donate it to the organization for the canvasses and rallies.
The BarackObama.com web site has many downloads for everyone to use, and materials for sale at the web store.
We have “Texans for Obama” and “Change, the movement we can believe on” T’s at the HQ for a small donation.
Obama all the way,
America can’t wait!
Let's just say, Billary and Edwards got spanked in South Carolina. The most amazing thing is that Obama took half of the white vote--so much for race baiting.
I am completely moved and continually awed by the outpouring of love for this man across our great nation. A love that surpasses race, gender, economic status, party affiliation and religion. What a leader--he brings hope and clarity to those who have lost hope and whose mind has been befuddled with cynicism and hate.
This is his victory speech. A speech that has moved me to tears and makes me proud. The freakish thing about it is, towards the end of the speech he begins to sound like MLK.
Wow, and I will say that again--WOW. What a feat that is. Caroline, Ted, and Patrick endorsed Obama as the Pres today on national TV. An endorsement that the Clintons were desperately trying to snag.
Caroline talks about her father legacy and his dream to lead the nation into a new era of prosperity. She said she has yet to see a candidate who was so like her father in inspiration and aspiration until Obama. In fact she had no idea who Obama was until she saw the change that he was making in her children. After hearing her children speak of him she became active and followed his campaign and now she is an avid supporter of him for president.
There are some who wish to bring up the Bay of Pigs in Cuba or the Marilyn Monroe debacle but again I will always say that if you can only bring up one or two bad things about me and a slew of good things then you have no merit, you are just nitpicking. Yes, Kennedy made a mistake in Cuba by promising the Cubans that the US would come and rescue them and then left them--the educated/rich class of Cubans--standing on the beach in the dark without a life jacket or a boat.
But let's be honest here. That debacle does not over cast the fact that he was very active in the Civil Rights Movement--which got him killed-- he sent the first man to the moon, he brought hope to a country torn by racism and classism, he brought prosperity to a nation and he was beloved by the nation and international community. The man is an icon and to try and diminish this endorsement from one of the most beloved political family in this country because it did not go to Hillary is to me walking a fine line.
Just be happy for Obama, I know many of you do not wish to see him in office but it is inevitable that one day we will have a woman or a black man in office so you may start accepting that fact now.
Be happy it someone with integrity and some character, be happy it is someone who has the whole country in mind and not his own agenda, be happy he has been able to unify a torn country, crippled by insecurity, uncertainty, and despair. Be happy he has brought hope to those who had become cynical and disillusion. Let's face it he is the most appropriate candidate for the time that we are living in and there's not a damn thing we can do about it.
I am excited to see our country change and see the youth become more open minded and open hearted to see this change. The young always lead the cause in radical change and they are saying to our nation--it is time for a change.
So here's what I say--get on board or get left behind.
For the first time in my 31 years, I feel like an American thanks in part to the Obama campaign.
Today, I went to the Houston for Obama HQ to help register voters in 3rd Ward. I have never been apart of a grassroots movement ever until. Canvasing the community and talking to people about Obama and dispelling doubts was the most amazing thing I have ever done in my life. I have never felt as if I was a bearer of hope.
Tho see the light go in in many young Black American men's eyes, the eyes of men with no hope, no purpose, no direction was enlightening. I met some old school folks as well who are big supporters of Obama. Those who weathered the storm with King and Kennedy. These old timers--and I use that term with much respect--understand the world and its promises that never come true and for some reason they this man is not full of hot air.
At the HQ I met a woman named Yolanda who for some reason fell in love with on the spot. She told me of her experience of walking with Dr. King in Louisville, Kentucky when she was only 12 years old. Mind you the woman didn't look a day over 35, I even got up close to see if she had wrinkles--she didn't.
She said to me and my mom who were apart of the group--that "your daughter has something amazing in her. I can see why she is supporting Obama, they have the same spirit." She is right, we do. We have both been through the identity struggle--mind you I am as black as they come--but I had different interest then my black counterparts in Houston that ostracized me from the group early on--my being pegged as "too white." He and I have traveled all over the world, he and I see the world through different eyes--it isn't black and white but a beautiful rainbow. Yes, I support Obama because, it is in him that I see myself and the change I wish for this country.
Being in such wonderful company today encouraged me--University of Houston Students united again. Doing things that other candidates do not encourage their supporters to do--like unifying from the ground up, working in the community to endorse a candidate--has made me feel like I am apart of the process and not outside of the process.
I must say that Obama is ingenious in how he has organized his supporters. I believe many of us have walked away feeling more American, and more empowered just because we were able to actually "touch" our candidate and the people around us.
After Obama's win today--mind you he took the white vote just as much as the black (so much for race baiting)--I am again starting to believe in this process, believe in this nation and believe in its people.
I do believe that change starts from the bottom up, if governments can be tyrannical without meeting oposition from the people then it will, but the fact that Obama is holding the people accountable and in turn the people will hold him accountable to push forth that change is brilliant.
Change has always come in the face of fierce opposition and through grassroot movements-- Civil Rights Movement, Women's Right to Vote, Emancipation of Slavery, and the end of Apartheid-- all of these movements came about because the people spoke loud and as one voice. Their clear voice was heard throughout their nation and could not be ignored by their governments.
Congrats Obamas for the win and the Kennedy endorsement. Here's to many more wins during Super Tuesday.
This year's MLK day was a day to remember in Houston, TX. The University of Houston Students for Barack Obama launched its visibility campaign and a diverse group of students made an appearance.
Dr. King would have been proud to see his dream come true where "All God's children, black men and white men; Jews and Gentiles; protestants and catholics," got together to rally around the first viable African-American president in history.
We sat in the student lounge and got acquainted with one another. We all agreed on why we supported Obama. "He represents change, he is for unifying the people and we believe in what he is doing. We feel empowered by him and believe that for once, someone has gotten it right," we said.
Even the fact that we each represented a separate nationality did not go unnoticed by us.
We even received a write up in our school's Daily Cougar newspaper and was covered by a blogger in NYC who had heard about us.
So far we have a Voter's Drive planned on Saturday, January 26, 2008 in 3rd Ward from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. A political debate hosted by the FYRE Organization on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. on campus and phone banking to California all this week.
We are working hard to form viable relationships with the students on campus as well as people in the community.
I will continue to keep you all posted on the outcome of the Students for Obama campaign. Enjoy this picture of us.
T
I can remember the first day that I got bitten by the political bug. It was in 1993 and I was a junior at Elsik High School in Houston, TX. I was sitting in my music class and I got into a debate with a young Lebonese girls about the politics going on in Israel. At that time there were missiles being shot into Israel from Lebanon and a war had broken out in a region that had been torn by in fighting and political tribal wars. At the time I did not know anything about the Middle East or the state of Israel in the its entirety. All I can remember was making an observation and having this girl jump all down my throat because I asked a simple question--radicals I thought. But from that day forward I would never again not know what was going on in the world around me. Of course that vigor increased after 9/11.
Unfortunately or fortunately, in 1993 I was not yet old enough to vote so the only way I can make my voice known was by talking and debating the issues with other student-- of course I loved Clinton who didn't?
While in high school, I was a member of the student organization HOSA and was trying to decide if I would become a doctor or a lawyer. Unfortunately, I was smitten by both fields but made a decision to pursue medicine because of my family doctor who decided to mentor me as well as find me black American doctors to mentor me as well--he was white.
I joined HOSA and participated in the HOSA parliamentary procedure debate and other activities. Unfortunately, my mom was a struggling single parent barely making ends-meat and therefore made it impossible for me to participate in extra-curricular activities. I believe that if I were able to do so my path would have gone a totally different direction.
Instead, I joined the military in 1994 after I graduated from high school; more out of a thirst to travel then to serve my country--which I found out was most enlisted personnel's reason for joining as well. I was afforded the opportunity to travel around the world the three years that I was in the Navy. These experiences solidified the international bug that I had already been bitten by when I was younger.
I was the little black kid who listened to classical music and Enya. I couldn't dance and I loved U2. I was somewhat bookish--I love reading romance novels--they took me to far away places-- and hiding in my room. I sang in the choir in my school and played bells in the bell choir. I also played the clarinet. Somehow deep inside I knew that my life would be different then what it was at the time.
You are probably wondering why I am telling you this? I wish to explain my background so that you may better understand why I am supporting Barack Obama for president.
Many would say it is because he is black but to be honest that was a strike against him, for me, in the beginning. You see the black community has not had a viable leader since Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X. In fact our community has regress in many ways and has accepted the modern pop culture's definition of what it means to be a black American--grills, sagging pants, bling, etc. That is until Senator Obama stepped onto the scene. He is eloquent, intelligent, firm, and doesn't play around. I was not prepared for this candidate. I forgot about his keynote address at the 2004 Democrat Convention. In fact it was the furthest thing from my mind. Being a struggling college student at the moment leaves no room to have fund memories.
It wasn't until I saw him for the second time on Oprah that I took notice. Who was this funny guy with the funny name, big ears and dark lips? And what was he talking about? I was voting for Hilary anyway. But something about what he said spoke to me. In a country that forces you to define yourself by race, culture, socio-economic, level of education, religion, etc; rarely do I meet others who do not allow our society to put them in a box and who proudly announces that they are undefinable. I rarely meet others who possess an international, multi-cultural spirit. But Barack's spirit spoke to mine. Here was a multi-racial American man who refused to be put in a box and he was running for president.
At first, I didn't think he could do it but when I heard about all of the people turning up at his rallies and all the money he'd raised without using lobbyist and PAC's; and the fact that he wished to unite America, which is a very important issue to me, I knew that he was my guy and I have been campaigning for him since.
My mom use to always say to me, "a divided house cannot stand." What a true statement this is--united we stand, divided we fall-- these clichés have proven true as far as the American people are concerned. We have allowed fear and manipulation to completely divide us. A divided army cannot fight a common enemy and a divided people cannot save their country.
I believe in this campaign and over the next few months I will be blogging about it. I hope that America will see through the haze to the truth and we will again be a united people once again. We aren't called the United States for nothing.
-T
The Obama Grassroots Office HQ in Houston is in need of a few volunteers drivers.
We need drivers:To pick up our new event T's and yard signs from the printer, also food and drinks from the donation locations and bring back to the office at 2520 Southmore.
If you have time this afternoon or this evening please call Maria @713.542.0721.
Thanks in advance!
Did you know Texas has a caucus at 7p March 4th?
After the election polls close, all precincts hold a meeting and everyone is welcome.
It is a very important process, this is where the delegate selection begins.
If you would like to "Stand" for Obama on March 4th, and would like more information regarding this awesome opportunity to help the campaign, attend the next grassroots workshop on Wed Jan 30 at 7p.
HOLT, Houston Obama Leadership Team
2520 Southmore Blvd.
Houston TX 77004
713.522.5111
Join:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/HoustonObamaLeadershipTeam
OBAMA IS CHANGE!!!
