Yesterday I had a chance to sit in on an OFA Listening Tour in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fifty-seven people gathered at a local community center for the afternoon meeting. But in fact, this was actually just the overflow from a morning meeting that itself had over 85 people in attendance. Many of the people on hand were veterans of the hard fought Indiana primary and the general election, where in November they had helped deliver Indiana for a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time in 44 years. As one volunteer explained, in the wake of that historic election, they were now here to "live out the change" that they had helped make possible.
There were also new faces, people who see Organizing for America as an opportunity to address truly local issues and are now getting involved for the first time. In the small break-out groups, they talked about the issues that affected them and their families, from unemployment to local environmental concerns.
The meeting focused on three questions: How to connect local and national issues, what resources the group needs to be successful, and what they want Indianapolis OFA to look like by the end of 2009. The meeting was also a chance for the group to meet Nick Buis, the new Indiana State Director. Nick spent the general election in Virginia, but has returned home to Indiana to work as a full-time organizer for OFA.
Neighborhood Team Leader Silvia Spence explained:
The Indianapolis OFA Chapter started out as a small house party of 13 people focused on the economy and has quickly grown to become a powerful, cohesive force in our city. We’ve had the warmth of family since our first meeting, yet at the same time we couldn’t be more serious about delivering results to support President Obama and our country. Tio Jorge, my uncle in Argentina, said it best: ‘You, the citizens, will be the architects of his success.'
From this meeting, volunteers will assemble notes and feedback that will be presented to the group, as well as the State Director. These notes, along with feedback taken from over a dozen meetings like this across Indiana, will be used to help write a state-specific plan for 2009 and beyond. For the people here, election night was not an ending, and they have their eyes fixed firmly on the future and the challenges ahead.
Denise Rucker spoke at the end, outlining some of their next steps. She pointed to a man in the crowd, who had a t-shirt with the simple phrase "Do Something" printed across its front, and "do something" was the message she delivered. Before Denise had become involved in the campaign, she explained, "I thought politics was just something that rained down on you." They'd proved differently in November, and the landscape of Indiana politics is now changed as a result.
All photos by Drew Endicott. You can see more photos at the Indianapolis OFA Flickr page.
From Nick Buis, the new Indiana State Director for Organizing for America:
Since Inauguration Day, Organizing for America has been dedicated to making real the change we fought for during the election. But to be successful, we need to hear from you -- your effort and commitment are the backbone of this movement and this organization. That's why I'm so excited to announce that we're back on the ground in Indiana, and starting this Tuesday, April 14th, we'll be hosting Listening Tour Town Halls across the state.Will you make your voice heard and join us on the Listening Tour? At Listening Tour meetings, you'll get a chance to meet new state staff members, hear about some lessons learned during the general election, and offer your thoughts on how we can organize Indiana going forward. Your ideas will be used to write an Indiana-specific plan for Organizing for America in 2009 and beyond. The campaign brought an unprecedented number of new voices into the process -- we need to make sure those voices remain at the center of the debate as the President and Congress work on providing solutions for our economy. But these meetings are not just for folks who were involved in the campaign -- we're hopeful that every Hoosier will get involved. We can't stop growing our movement now. We've never had a better opportunity to shape our future -- and just like during the election, we'll do it from the bottom up. Sign up now to attend a Listening Tour event. I look forward to seeing you, Nick Nick Buis Indiana State Director Organizing for America P.S. -- If you can't make it to a Listening Tour event, you can still get involved with Organizing for America in Indiana. Let us know how you'd like to see Indiana organized.
On Thursday President Obama delivered his budget outline to Congress, a document that represents the ideas he campaigned on and millions of supporters fought for. "Because it represents real and dramatic change," the President explained, "it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington." He acknowledged the fight ahead to bring this budget plan from outline to final legislation, but he also sent a clear message:
Two years ago, we set out on a journey to change the way that Washington works. We sought a government that served not the interests of powerful lobbyists or the wealthiest few, but the middle-class Americans I met every day in every community along the campaign trail – responsible men and women who are working harder than ever, worrying about their jobs, and struggling to raise their families. In so many town halls and backyards, they spoke of their hopes for a government that finally confronts the challenges that their families face every day; a government that treats their tax dollars as responsibly as they treat their own hard-earned paychecks. That is the change I promised as a candidate for president. It is the change the American people voted for in November. And it is the change represented by the budget I sent to Congress this week.... I realize that passing this budget won’t be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington. I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. In other words, I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:So am I. The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long, but I don’t. I work for the American people. I didn’t come here to do the same thing we’ve been doing or to take small steps forward, I came to provide the sweeping change that this country demanded when it went to the polls in November. That is the change this budget starts to make, and that is the change I’ll be fighting for in the weeks ahead – change that will grow our economy, expand our middle-class, and keep the American Dream alive for all those men and women who have believed in this journey from the day it began.
Two years ago, we set out on a journey to change the way that Washington works. We sought a government that served not the interests of powerful lobbyists or the wealthiest few, but the middle-class Americans I met every day in every community along the campaign trail – responsible men and women who are working harder than ever, worrying about their jobs, and struggling to raise their families. In so many town halls and backyards, they spoke of their hopes for a government that finally confronts the challenges that their families face every day; a government that treats their tax dollars as responsibly as they treat their own hard-earned paychecks. That is the change I promised as a candidate for president. It is the change the American people voted for in November. And it is the change represented by the budget I sent to Congress this week.
... I realize that passing this budget won’t be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington. I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries.
In other words, I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:So am I. The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long, but I don’t. I work for the American people. I didn’t come here to do the same thing we’ve been doing or to take small steps forward, I came to provide the sweeping change that this country demanded when it went to the polls in November. That is the change this budget starts to make, and that is the change I’ll be fighting for in the weeks ahead – change that will grow our economy, expand our middle-class, and keep the American Dream alive for all those men and women who have believed in this journey from the day it began.
Read the full text of the President's address . . .
In case you missed it, last Saturday then-President-elect Obama announced the next step for the unprecedented grassroots movement that grew out of this campaign: Organizing for America.
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 Indiana are closed now (although if you are in line, you will be allowed to vote), 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.
The polls in Indiana are open until 6:00 p.m.
If you are in line by 6:00 p.m., you have the right to vote.
So grab you photo ID and head to the polls right now.
Not sure where to go? Find out here.
The polls in Indiana are open for another four hours.
That may not seem like much time, but think about what you can accomplish in that time.
How many phone calls can you make in four hours?
How many doors can you knock on?
How many voters can you send to the polls?
Throughout this race, we've seen that real change can come, not from the top down, but the from the bottom up.
Get to your closest staging location, and show what you can do.
Four more hours.
This is your last chance to take part of this historic election. Polls are open right now in Indiana until 6:00 p.m.
Find your polling place and vote now.
After you've voted, talk to your fellow Hoosiers.
Pick up the phone, go door-to-door, and help your neighbors get to the polls.
Find your nearest staging location and get involved.
One person can make the difference in this election and that person could be you.
The polls are open in Indiana. They close in twelve hours. Grab your photo ID and go cast your vote.
And don't go alone. Grab your friends, your neighbors, people you meet on the street.
We have 12 hours to change the world. Our moment is now.
We can't slow down now, Indiana.
Find the staging location nearest to you, and sign up right now to help get out the vote tomorrow.
The Obama-Biden campaign today issued the following press release:
Senator Barack Obama will Return to Indiana on Election Day Visit Highlights Obama's Commitment to Bridging Traditional Partisan Divides Indianapolis, IN - More than 17 months after launching his campaign to bring the change the country needs, Senator Barack Obama's final campaign stop of the presidential election cycle will be in the state of Indiana. This is Senator Obama's 49th stop in Indiana, a state that Republican nominees have carried in each of the last 10 presidential elections. With more than 109,000 manufacturing jobs lost under the failed policies of the last eight years - policies John McCain has pledged to continue - Hoosier families of all political backgrounds want change. Senator Obama will stop in the Indianapolis area on Tuesday to meet voters in person, ask for their support, and urge them to get out and vote. Details of the stop will not be announced beforehand so that Senator Obama can meet with voters informally and without interrupting important get out the vote activities.
Senator Barack Obama will Return to Indiana on Election Day Visit Highlights Obama's Commitment to Bridging Traditional Partisan Divides
Indianapolis, IN - More than 17 months after launching his campaign to bring the change the country needs, Senator Barack Obama's final campaign stop of the presidential election cycle will be in the state of Indiana. This is Senator Obama's 49th stop in Indiana, a state that Republican nominees have carried in each of the last 10 presidential elections. With more than 109,000 manufacturing jobs lost under the failed policies of the last eight years - policies John McCain has pledged to continue - Hoosier families of all political backgrounds want change.
Senator Obama will stop in the Indianapolis area on Tuesday to meet voters in person, ask for their support, and urge them to get out and vote.
Details of the stop will not be announced beforehand so that Senator Obama can meet with voters informally and without interrupting important get out the vote activities.
That seems to be the question people in Marion County are asking themselves.
As the sun rose on the City-County building in downtown Indianapolis this morning, it was greeted by a line of people who weren't about to wait another day. Some were standing, some were sitting, some had brought lawn chairs to make themselves more comfortable.
By the time the polls opened, the line reached around the corner and down the block.
These people aren't waiting to cast their votes; why should you?
Find your your polling place and let your voice be heard today.
Even though Halloween is over, the voluteers in Fishers haven't been able to bring themselves to throw this bit of decoration out just yet:
Over the past few weeks, it has become crystal clear how important it is to have a calm and steady hand at the wheel when it comes to the American economy.
That is why Barack Obama has laid out a detailed plan to restore our country to a state of fiscal responsibility.
You can learn more about this and other parts of Barack's Blueprint for Change here.
Then sign up to share Barack's vision with voter's in Indiana, and get out the vote on election day.
Last night, ABC's Nighline highlighted the "political earthquake" happening in Indiana.
The conclusion? "Right now in Indiana... it is a fight to the finish."
Watch full piece here and then join the fight.
With only three days left to election day, we can't afford to wait another minute. Sign up right now to help get out the vote in Indiana and be a part of history.
With the election only 4 days away, people across the state of Indiana have been gathering in groups ranging from 15 to 300
With polls showing that the race is a dead heat, these devoted volunteers know that they have the power to make the difference on election day.
We still need your help this weekend, and on Election Day. Find the staging location nearest to you, and sign up for as many shifts as you can.
The Obama-Biden campaign today released the details of Sen. Barack Obama's upcoming rally in Lake County.
Early Vote for Change Rally with Barack Obama
Wicker Memorial Park 8554 Indianapolis Blvd. Highland, IN 46322
Public Entrance at Ridge Rd. and Prairie St.
Friday, October 31st Doors Open: 6:00 p.m. Program Begins: 7:30 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required; however an RSVP is strongly encouraged.
