Organizing for America | Matthew McGovern's Blog: Question for all...comments needed by all....

Question for all...comments needed by all....

By ! ! ! ! ! Matthew McGovern !!!!! - May 9th, 2008 at 1:47 am EDT

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Ok, maybe I have had more kool-aid then I should have. But, to tell you the truth, Hillary is not our democratic friend. There is no political reason for her to continue on. There is no reason for her to do as she is doing. Well, that is, unless she wants another shot at the POTUS position in the 2012 race.

Do those that read this believe that she cares so much for the Democratic Party by what she does? Like a bridge over troubled water. When evening falls so hard and when darkness comes. Like a bridge over troubled water.

Oh, my friends, what to do? I propose to you, the general masses, a question. I have put together an Obama meet up/ fund raiser. I have put together everything needed to have an Obama gathering. The place, the entertainment, a congressional presence, specials from the restaurant, and an attitude of success from those involved. Sound good? I think so.

Now, here is the problem that I need a response from everyone, are you ready? Here we go. I was told that what I proposed to do, (a meet up that would have a place, music, Congressional appearance, and an overall motion for a pro-Obama fest), didn't work with the Obama campaign.

I was told that what I had put together was nice, but that that local campaign wanted to focus on getting people to get out the vote. Now, my good friends, I am a believer in getting out the vote. Have no doubt in this. And, my massive friends, I am telling you nothing new and crazy, when I say to you that I am a person whom plays well with others. Yet, we are talking, on the part of the local Obama people, that it is better for me to do nothing (and not have this), then to do it.

But, my issue here is that I was told by the campaign that I what I proposed to do, having a festive gathering of people that want to show support for Obama ( 3 days before the election), was something that would drain energy from the final push in Kentucky.

The final push, which I was told was more important, was getting people to canvass for Obama.

Now, of course the last thing I want to do is screw with that which has worked well for Obama to this point. But, the thing I could not understand was that the local campaign felt that what I had proposed (and had put together) distracted from their goal, which was getting people to canvass for Obama.

My main confusion, which could never be explained by the “leaders” of the Louisville Obama office, was how what I was doing, drew away energy from the final push for Obama in Kentucky. To be honest, it as if they would rather I did not do this, for fear of pulling people away from canvassing.

This is an event that is geard towards people who would not do anything in the first place. Getting them to come out, alone, is a victory.

The gathering I am putting together only hopes to get random and uncommited people to show.

Even when I explained and told the “contact” person John, what I was doing, I was told that it just didn’t seem to work for the campaign. Now, I must say that I made them aware of what I was doing 2 weeks prior to this whole thing. And the only thing that that really would have an issue with is the congressional presence that I garnered on my own.

I guess what really, at least for me, that came across as inefficient and wasteful, is a very simple thing. Their way or the highway was the commentary. There was no attempt to merge what I was doing and what OUR candidate was doing.

Look, I want us to win everything, win it strong, and win it clean. But, to be told by the local Obama people, that do to my ability to do something better then they can do it, I am causing problems, makes me feel useless…hell, uselessly used. This is not Obama’s way of bringing people together. At least not the way that I read and see our guy.

For heavens sake, when I told them that I got our local congressman to come and spend a few minutes, the local Obama people looked at me as if I did not really know what I was saying. I had to explain to them that I went directly to our congressman and told him what I was doing.

Now, to be fair, I am not you average fella. I am a person who grew up in Washington, DC. A person who also grew up with 65 countries represented while I was in school. A person who drank the water like there was no tomorrow, and has more friends from more countries then I have chicks in my black book (I don’t have a black book, but you get the idea).

What am I to do?

My friends, you have read my blog post’s, and if you haven’t you still understand what I am talking about.

So, mi amigos, give me some input. What do you think?

In spirit and in deed,

Matthew

http://themcgovernminute.blogspot.com/

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Matthew, no worries | Report to Admin

By Mary May 9th 2008 at 3:27 am EDT

Matthew,
As one who has been studying "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle for the past 10 weeks, I would have to say in Tolle's view that your ego is getting in the way. Don't take it personally. You had an altruistic goal in mind, but the Obama organizers chose not to go with your ideas. That does not mean your ideas are good or bad. You are not defined by this moment. Your blogs and your energy are well intentioned and appreciated.

Re: Matthew, no worries | Report to Admin

By ! ! ! ! ! Matthew McGovern !!!!! May 9th 2008 at 1:39 pm EDT

It really isn’t my ego that hurts when considering this new development. It is more a situation of confusion and incomprehension.

I can just as easily do nothing. You see, I have already gone out and registered voters, gone door to door as a neighborhood precinct leader, but to be told that it is better to do nothing, by not having a meet up and fundraiser, because it is desired that the people that “might” show up, would be better used to go door to door.

I understand that drawing attention away from a door to door get out the vote drive is one thing, but to assume that such an event would detract and draw people away, in my thoughts, is somewhat ridiculous.

It really is incomprehensible that an event that would introduce people to our candidate, raises money for the general election, and gets more names of future volunteers, is better not held because of a possible distraction of people that we do not even know of in the first place.

This really is not holding with the sense of bringing people together, and creating a movement.

November '08 | Report to Admin

By JennyJ May 9th 2008 at 4:11 am EDT

As Mary suggests, you're heart is undoubtedly in the right place. Perhaps you can devote your energies to
pushing the vote out 3 days prior, offering chauffeuring services the day of the election if possible and then afterwards - plan a victory celebration.

US voter turn-out is, even our national elections, is usually hovering around a dismal 50%. The week just prior to the election would best be served by reaching as many people as possible.

Re: November '08: Cut & Paste...Cut & Paste! | Report to Admin

By Phoenix Rising 4 Obama May 9th 2008 at 4:35 am EDT

Stick & Move my Friend!
Join: Obama Cut & Paste Party to GOTV
And remember to vote for Obama!
There is just too little time to organize your event.

Re: November '08: Cut & Paste...Cut & Paste! | Report to Admin

By ! ! ! ! ! Matthew McGovern !!!!! May 9th 2008 at 1:44 pm EDT

The event is ready to go. Everything is in place. Just waiting for the day to arrive.

After reflecting on my meeting with the local Obama people, it seems that because they were not in charge of the said event, and have no control over it, that it is better not to have it at all.

Pretty dismayed about the whole thing.

hang in there! | Report to Admin

By Emily May 9th 2008 at 3:59 pm EDT

i really applaud your efforts. i am sure it took a lot to get this all together. maybe a counter offer of canvassing before or after? there are set times for canvassing correct? maybe you could adjust your event time to be sure that people could do both... work hard, play hard. this may even bring MORE canvassers to the area. maybe you could even have people bring in their canvassing script to be eligible for a door prize.

we do have reason to celebrate...and to continue working. there has to be some middle ground.

Re: hang in there! | Report to Admin

By ! ! ! ! ! Matthew McGovern !!!!! May 9th 2008 at 8:08 pm EDT

The problem is that this was an event from 1-4, and could not be booked later in the evening.

The canvassing is going to be done during 3 periods. Morning/afternoon/evening (4 hour shifts).

With the nomination almost wrapped up, I was looking for this event to be more of something geared toward the general election.

I think that the best thing is to just scrap it all together.

I have to say that a lot of time and energy went into this, and the local office was told about this weeks ago, and said nothing at that time about any problems. If I was told about the problem they have with it then, well, a lot of energy could have been saved.

Thanks for the comments, I really appreciate them.

Not at the moment | Report to Admin

By Darryl "Hussein" May 10th 2008 at 2:16 pm EDT

At this moment it is best to listen to the Obama camp, there will be plenty of time to organize a fundraiser in the future. Keep up the good work.

Darryl "Hussein"

AMERICA NEEDS MATTHEW'S ENTHUSIASM | Report to Admin

By Hovering Dove May 11th 2008 at 10:31 am EDT

How are you my Brother? You know, after I initially joined this Obama Website, you were the very first Friendship Invitation I ever received; so I think of you often as my first Friend.
So, first of all, if you presented the proposal for your event to your local office weeks ago, before expending the time and energy to actually bring it into fruition, and they did not tell you that they saw any conflict or any problem with your plan at that time, then it was wrong for them to allow you to proceed, and wait until everything had been put into place and was about to jump off to say, "Uh, no. We don't think so." To secure a site for an event to occur, and then coordinate that with music and food and a Congressional appearance must have taken an enormous amount of effort on your part. No one has that kind of time and energy to lose. Did they tell you that it would be better for you to do nothing, while you were using the "F word," FUNDRAISER?
If those local Obama Officials wanted three canvassing periods--morning, afternoon and evening--that were each four hours in duration, and your event was going to be from 1:00-4:00, your function could have coincided beautifully with their plans. As the day's watering hole, it could even have served as the place where those coming in from doing morning canvassing met up and strategized with those on their way out to do afternoon or evening canvassing, the location for the "changing of the guard," so to speak. And at the same time money would have been raised, and other people drawn out who otherwise would have been doing nothing, to hear about Candidate Obama. Rather than draining energy from Obama's final push in Kentucky, this could only have served to infuse everything with even more enthusiasm.
I would be willing to bet you that a visionary like Mr. Obama probably would have seen it as doing exactly that. It is just that the idea for your event never made it to Mr. Obama. Your idea never rose above the zone of the local, lesser cadre.
The last thing I want to tell you my Brother, is stay as beautiful as you are. Now, more than ever, Louisville needs you, Mr. Obama needs you, and America needs you.

Re: AMERICA NEEDS MATTHEW'S ENTHUSIASM | Report to Admin

By ! ! ! ! ! Matthew McGovern !!!!! May 11th 2008 at 3:36 pm EDT

Thanks immensely,

Being an event that would work as a midday meeting for those already canvassing, or a way to get the others organized and pumped up for the night canvass, was the first thing I suggested to them after being told that it would be a distraction. I felt that it would be something that instead of being seen as a distraction could be used as a boost. I also suggested that it would be a great way to get names for people who would not be signed up to canvass in the first place.

It also seemed to me to be something that would have been looked at as more of a community awareness/organizing feature of the campaign, than a hindrance for people that they had already signed up to canvass. This was not designed as an event for those already associated with the local campaign, but as an event to attract more people into the movement.

I did find it a little interesting that they were very confused about how I could get the local congressman to make a brief appearance, and it not have been coordinated through them. They just kept asking in wonderment if I was sure that I had not set this up through Chicago. When I assured them that I would know if I had set it up through Chicago, and that I had not, that is when it really became an issue, and they felt that the use of the congressman’s time was better spent elsewhere. I asked them wouldn’t the congressman be the one to truly know what the best use of his time was, to which they replied, “It would just be better not to conflict with the canvass push.”

Not one thought outside of the box when it came to this.

This event was felt to be something that would conflict with their canvassing, to which I would argue that the event would not change the minds of anyone to not canvass, and instead, go to this event. We were not talking about an event that would have hundreds and hundreds of people.

(more cont)

Re: AMERICA NEEDS MATTHEW'S ENTHUSIASM | Report to Admin

By ! ! ! ! ! Matthew McGovern !!!!! May 11th 2008 at 3:36 pm EDT

(Cont)

Thanks Hovering Dove for your letter, I must admit that I have been a bit deflated do to the recent turn with this. A hell of a lot of work went into it, and then at the last minute to be flushed without any attempt to incorporate such a thing into the grand scheme of things, was a little narrow minded for my taste. We still have a general election to think about, and the more exposure we can get Sen. Obama, especially in a state like Kentucky, the better.

Thanks again Dove…I needed your letter.

Matthew

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