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Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
Dear Friends:
To those of you who so kindly congratulated me for Tuesday’s election outcome, as if Barack Obama’s victory resulted from my personal and deeply committed efforts. I thank you for your generous comments.
To those who may have wondered how I fared in “radio silence” for six weeks on the Ohio battleground. Be assured that I survived.
To those who do not know me or are unfamiliar with my previous descriptions of the realities and ironies of the 2008 election. What follows is the final chapter of my life as a political activist, a missionary for democracy, an apostle of Change. Hopefully you will also understand how it is that for the first three nights after I returned home I woke up from the same dream in which I wander nameless streets in search of faceless voters.
The Buckeye State
On September 23 I joined the Ohio Campaign for Change as a member of its newly created Vote Corps. The invitation had warned of 14-hour days, seven days a week, right up through Election Day. I accepted because the Obama campaign considered this important enough to make it a paid position and because it was in the one state McCain had to win to become President.
I left home certain that my life experiences -- in retail sales, as diplomat and political officer, and Obama volunteer in seven states – would be useful in the Buckeye State. Stopping at Starbucks on the way out of Burlington that Sunday morning, I noticed the first trace of red on the outer edge of a leaf on a small maple tree in the parking lot. I realized that by the time I returned to Vermont the leaf peepers would have come and gone. Fortunately, it turned out to be a mild autumn in Ohio that showcased the Buckeye State’s own colorful foliage.
The Akron Vote Corps
A hundred of us reported to Columbus for Vote Corps training and by the first night we were already deployed across the state. I was assigned to the city of Akron, birthplace of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Pretenders’ singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde, who wrote about her birthplace in “My City Was Gone”. The Akron Campaign for Change Office was headed by Regional Field Director Max Lesko. In charge of Summit and Portage Counties, he proved himself a very capable and genial manager. My hosts, Cathy and David, and their daughter Nicky, lived in a northwest suburb. Their friendship and cozy accommodations would be my home for the next six weeks.
At first the Akron Vote Corps consisted of six whites, from metropolitan DC, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Texas and California. Like most of the Obama staff and volunteers I met during the primaries, they were young and well-educated. In fact, I was two-and-a-half times their average age. By the end of the second week we lost one and gained five new members. Our new team-mates were all African Americans, from California, Texas and Georgia. Their average age was early forties and many had worked on the Kerry campaign. One of my first initiatives was to buy half a dozen fingerless gloves for our new friends from the warm weather states. Our Vote Corps was rounded out by a “Lead,” a young lawyer from Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s Washington staff.
The Vote Corps’ mission was to register voters, identify supporters and get out the vote for Barack Obama. Our primary targets were “Sporadics,” first time voters and people who voted Democratic in the past, but did not always turn out. For a while we were also instructed to knock on every single door in a targeted neighborhood. I successfully resisted attempts to create competition within our group for most doors knocked, “Doors” being the campaign’s primary measure for the work accomplished by staff and volunteers. My feeling was that competition focused on this imperfect metric would distort our effort, demoralize some members of our group, and sacrifice quality for quantity. For in the end, the real measure of our success would be the vote count on Election Day. And to that end, it was our diligence after the “knock” that would help determione the outcome.
Registration
Our first task was registering new voters and re-registering people who had moved before the deadline of October 6. We knocked on doors and scoured bus stops and other public places to register as many people as possible. Most people were already registered, as they clearly understood the importance of this election. Those who had not yet done so enthusiastically signed up, particularly in the African-American community. My first Saturday in Akron, I missed my first grandchild’s first birthday party back in Virginia. But my reward on that day was registering many first-time voters, including former felons who had recently regained the rights of other free men and women.
Many of our Sporadics were transients who frequently moved from one run-down Akron neighborhood to another. This city was in decline for a long time, and the recent economic downturn just aggravated conditions. In older residential neighborhoods there are a growing number of abandoned homes or houses soon to be vacated due to lost jobs or foreclosure. Many porches are marked by hand-painted signs announcing “Copper Already Stolen” or littered with trash by people who have given up. It is in this environment that we spread our message of Hope and Change.
Starting on September 30, we entered “golden week” when voters could both register and vote early. Ohio’s new rules allowed “no fault” early voting by absentee ballot or in person. A single polling place was created for Summit County at the Job Center in northeast Akron. The Job Center is well-known, because job losses have been ongoing for many years. The building, also known by locals as “the old library,” is next to another landmark, the County’s Auto Title Office. For those without cars, bus number 12 took people there from downtown in 15 minutes.
Early Voting
Registration and early voting at the Job Center was very convenient. Open every day, including Saturday and Sunday, there were 50 polling booths and seating for voters waiting for their paper ballots. But many Ohioans, especially African Americans disenfranchised in previous elections were suspicious. They worried that ballots were going to “disappear,” as reportedly happened in 2004 in Cuyahoga County. Overcoming these legitimate concerns required some persuasion. Our most important argument was: “Barack Obama wants his supporters to vote early.” That usually did it. We helped to spread the word that this process would protect, not suppress voting rights. And by November 3, the daily early vote turnout had grown from hundreds to thousands, the wait from 15 minutes to three hours.
By my third week I had developed a routine for creating a multiplier effect in conversation with early voters. Once they had made an Early Vote Commit, I introduced community organizing techniques to build on the widespread desire to help Obama get elected. Within the family, a grandparent or parent, or maybe the principal driver would agree to take responsibility for getting the entire household to vote early. I also encouraged voters to take along a relative or friend, or a neighbor who needed a ride.
Finally, I would make the following pitch:
“I’m working for Obama and I want you to work for him too. So I’m going to deputize you. No badge, no pay, just the satisfaction of knowing you helped to elect Barack Obama."
That always earned a smile. Then I continued:
"Now I'm sure you know someone who wouldn’t vote unless you drag their lazy a-- to the Job Center to vote. Do you know anyone like that?”
I could tell when they were hooked. Eyes turned skyward. Faces revealed minds thinking of who they would get to early vote. A knowing smile indicated they knew exactly who they would take along. In closing I urged them to let everyone know how easy it was to vote at the Job Center and that Obama wanted them to do so. By the time I left their door, the early voter had been empowered and had taken ownership of the Obama campaign. Now it was their campaign too.
Get Out The Vote
During our last week in Ohio, the Vote Corps was dissolved. We were detailed to assist Field Organizers with their neighborhood teams of volunteers, which were part of the Ohio get out the vote (GOTV) strategy at the precinct level.
I was assigned to Barberton to work for Sol, an energetic field organizer from Texas. My main “turf” was the south Akron neighborhood of Kenmore. Unlike my earlier work with Sporadics in largely African American neighborhoods, I was instructed to “persuade” and “motivate” the remaining “Undecided” voters. But with Election Day closing in fast, there would only be minutes to talk to any single voter.
In Barberton and Kenmore, the Undecideds were predominantly white, working class Democrats. Most did not want to vote for McCain, but were not yet sure about Barack Obama. I understood their concern. Not only was Obama a relatively new and unknown political personality. Most of these voters had supported Hillary in the March primary. And like voters elsewhere, they were being bombarded with smear emails, Republican mailings about Ayers and NRA propaganda warning Obama would take away their guns.
With openly racist voters there was the curt “Thanks for your time.” But it was not difficult to pull the other undecided voters off the fence, especially with the credibility of being an older white man with a knowledge of history and 23 years of federal service under five US Presidents. These voters knew that Obama and Hillary shared a common policy agenda and that she was campaigning hard for the Democratic ticket. They also recognized Rove tactics and our argument that: “They can’t win with the truth, so they are attacking him with lies.” Second amendment concerns were easily neutralized with Biden’s quote: “No one’s taking away my Beretta.” But the simplest most effective argument was “Are you happy with the way things are going or do you want change?” And Change is what voters wanted more than anything this year.
Election Day
November 3rd and 4th were taken up with the final GOTV effort, primarily distributing door hangers and reminding voters of their polling places. From 3:30 pm on Election Day until it was too dark to read house numbers, I scoured for remaining undecided voters who had yet to cast their ballots. I actually found several and they agreed to go to their local poll station, which by then was no longer crowded.
I was at the Barberton volunteers’ party at Lake Anna Hall when MSNBC announced Ohio for Obama. Having already won Pennsylvania, I knew it was all over except for reaching 270 electoral votes. While happy, I was so physically and mentally exhausted that the victory did not seem real. I headed back to my host family home and watched the candidates’ speeches before turning in and resting for the long drive home. Now as my dreams of knocking on doors in Ohio recede, the enormity of our achievement and the challenges facing Barack Obama are coming into better focus. I have no idea what my next step will be, but I will continue to do what I can to get our country back on the right track.
Epilogue
After 40 days of walking the streets of Summit County, I had knocked on or distributed campaign literature at over 4000 doors.
More importantly, I had in-person conversations with more than 1500 voters and obtained about 1000 Early Vote Commits, which probably understates the number of people who were convinced to go to the Job Center. Along the way I also helped remove several hundred bad addresses from our “Turf,” easing the task of later attempts by volunteers to find our voters.
The Akron Vote Corps’ effort over five weeks contributed greatly to the early vote turnout, which by Election Day totaled 90,000, or fully one-third of the 272,000 ballots cast in Summit County. And while he won Ohio’s 20 electoral votes with 51% of the state’s popular vote, Barack Obama won Summit County with 57.45%.
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A recent ABC News poll found that 8% of Americans are still undecided about who they are going to vote for. This has been a strong campaign, but 8 percent is a considerable amount.
Do you know someone who is undecided? Much of the Ohio homepage and the blog has concentrated on the supporters and volunteers that make this movement amazing. But many people still have not made up their minds, and the campaign wants to provide them with all the resources and information about Barack that they need to make a decision. So the Ohio Campaign for Change has created an Undecided Voter Resource page, where Undecided Ohio voters can get what they need to make an informed decision about Barack, and where supporters can easily send their undecided friends all that they should read, watch, and hear about Barack and Ohio.
The site features this video: "Four Reasons Ohio Needs Barack"
In addition to this video, the site includes
Sad circumstances may have brought Michelle Obama to the Buckeye State today (she was filling in for Barack, who is visiting his ailing grandmother in Hawaii), but for the people in Ohio it was nothing but an absolute pleasure to see the woman they hope will be the next First Lady.
At rallies in Columbus and Akron, crowds packed gyms to hear her speak about who her husband is, and why this is so important. She had special guests at each, with Senator Sherrod Brown on hand in Columbus, and actress Jurnee Smollett amongst the crowd in Akron. There, local volunteer Gail took the stage to introduce Michelle. Gail spoke about how she had lost her job, and became a victim of predatory lending, to the point where her home was foreclosed. She nearly teared up as she talked about how it is to drive by the old family home now. But she fervently urged the crowd to get involved volunteering, and to cast their vote early.
I hate politics. This is the first time in my life that I've ever been involved whatsoever...I do whatever I can do. Because when you don't have a job... you have a lot of time!I have voted early, and I brought my mother. If you're wondering if voting early is complicated--trust me, it's not!
I hate politics. This is the first time in my life that I've ever been involved whatsoever...
I do whatever I can do. Because when you don't have a job... you have a lot of time!
I have voted early, and I brought my mother. If you're wondering if voting early is complicated--trust me, it's not!
Here are some pictures from the events:
At her rallies, Michelle talked about Barack as only she could. In her own passionate way, she riled the crowd by imparting to them just why her husband is running for president, and exactly what is at stake. Even more than at a Barack rally, she traded jokes and back-and-forth conversations with people in the crowd. At one moment she stopped because something caught her eye. "Ooo, it's an Obama mask! I forgot it was Halloween!"
With Michelle, there is never a shortage of great sound bites, but she was best when talking simply about how...
Barack gets it. There's something that happens to you when you grow up regular.Don't we deserve a leader who knows what it's like to carry a little loan debt?
Barack gets it.
There's something that happens to you when you grow up regular.
Don't we deserve a leader who knows what it's like to carry a little loan debt?
And that is what she drove home: that Barack will work for working people, because it's in him. He knows what it's like to pay off debt, work two jobs, and sacrifice some daily expenses for others when money is tight.
Between events, Michelle made phone calls with volunteers at the Summit County Headquarters, and at the Akron rally she mentioned one woman she had talked to:
This woman had gone blind, her husband had left her, and her son had gone off to war. And she was praying for Barack's grandmother. That's America.
Michelle also did a stellar job of making everyone in the crowd feel the importance of doing their part--volunteering, and voting early. Not only did they hear her, but they were fired up and ready to do it. As she said:
Barack can bring us 85% of the way there. But it's on us--we have to provide the last 15%.Don't wait until Election Day to vote! You might have a flat tire! You might not have gas!
Barack can bring us 85% of the way there. But it's on us--we have to provide the last 15%.
Don't wait until Election Day to vote! You might have a flat tire! You might not have gas!
Do your part.
Volunteer in these last 11 days.
And vote early.
In what looks like it's becoming a trend, four major Ohio newspapers recently endorsed Barack for President. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's backing is a boost for the campaign given its huge market, and the Akron Beacon-Journal's support reflects an understanding that Barack will help large sized towns like Akron. But the New Philadelphia Times-Reporter and Middletown/Hamilton Journal's words are especially remarkable, given that they come from typically Republican-voting areas. But in this election, with a candidate whose policies support rural and small town areas, the map is definitely shifting.
It seems people from all over the state are hungry for change. Here is what the Plain-Dealer had to say:
After eight years of George W. Bush, America needs a change in direction and a change in tone.It needs a president who understands that, yes, the world can be dangerous, but it is also complex. That the United States cannot defend its freedom by abandoning its principles. That it cannot ignore its allies one day and demand their help the next.It needs a president who knows that optimism, not fear, defines America. That tax cuts and deregulation alone are not an economic strategy. That Washington cannot sit idle when a great city is devastated by nature or when millions of hardworking Americans are devastated by losing their homes, their jobs, their health care.It needs a president who will listen and learn, and not confuse loyalty with competence. Who will ask Americans to sacrifice in the service of their country, not their party or self-interest. Who will be the leader Bush promised eight years ago -- a unifier, not a divider.Barack Obama can be that leader.
After eight years of George W. Bush, America needs a change in direction and a change in tone.It needs a president who understands that, yes, the world can be dangerous, but it is also complex. That the United States cannot defend its freedom by abandoning its principles. That it cannot ignore its allies one day and demand their help the next.It needs a president who knows that optimism, not fear, defines America. That tax cuts and deregulation alone are not an economic strategy. That Washington cannot sit idle when a great city is devastated by nature or when millions of hardworking Americans are devastated by losing their homes, their jobs, their health care.
It needs a president who will listen and learn, and not confuse loyalty with competence. Who will ask Americans to sacrifice in the service of their country, not their party or self-interest. Who will be the leader Bush promised eight years ago -- a unifier, not a divider.Barack Obama can be that leader.
You can read the full version online HERE. The following is what the Akron Beacon-Journal wrote:
Barack Obama calls for change. So does John McCain. Each has spent the past year or more attempting to define his version. So, yes, change, by all means, and the candidate who has articulated more clearly and persuasively the course the country should follow is Barack Obama... How solid his campaign has been, the organization, grit and, most important, the direction and themes.Where does Obama want to take the country? He wants to enhance the investment in education and research, essential to competitiveness in the knowledge economy. If his pledge to reduce the typical premium for health insurance by $2,500 a year is mostly guesswork, his overall plan reflects the pragmatism required to repair a costly and inefficient system of health care. He seeks to add fairness to the tax code, responding to trends in income, wealthier households doing far better, too many Americans experiencing flat paychecks in this decade.On these and other matters, including energy, the aim is to mobilize better the country's talent and capital, grasping the indispensable role of government, reinforced by the turmoil on Wall Street in recent weeks. In a related way, such a focus on what is most important will drive his selection of federal judges and Supreme Court justices.
Barack Obama calls for change. So does John McCain. Each has spent the past year or more attempting to define his version.
So, yes, change, by all means, and the candidate who has articulated more clearly and persuasively the course the country should follow is Barack Obama... How solid his campaign has been, the organization, grit and, most important, the direction and themes.
Where does Obama want to take the country? He wants to enhance the investment in education and research, essential to competitiveness in the knowledge economy. If his pledge to reduce the typical premium for health insurance by $2,500 a year is mostly guesswork, his overall plan reflects the pragmatism required to repair a costly and inefficient system of health care. He seeks to add fairness to the tax code, responding to trends in income, wealthier households doing far better, too many Americans experiencing flat paychecks in this decade.On these and other matters, including energy, the aim is to mobilize better the country's talent and capital, grasping the indispensable role of government, reinforced by the turmoil on Wall Street in recent weeks. In a related way, such a focus on what is most important will drive his selection of federal judges and Supreme Court justices.
The whole endorsement of the Beacon-Journal is available HERE. And here is the New Philadelphia Times-Reporter:
The Times-Reporter believes Democrat Barack Obama is the better candidate to lead the country out of these trying economic times and today gives its endorsement to him over opponent Republican John McCain.In the past, The Times-Reporter has shied from endorsing Democratic presidential candidates primarily because of their promises of additional entitlement programs that grow government rather than shrink it. But the last eight years have blurred the picture with Republicans spending as wildly as their counterparts across the aisle.Then there's a host of countries to worry about, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Georgia and others. And still on the table will be other key issues – the environment, energy, education, infrastructure and health care. And have we mentioned that our image abroad needs a little polishing? We believe Barack Obama is the better of the two candidates and the one who can lead us through one of the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression. We urge T-R readers to cast their ballots for him and his running mate, Joe Biden, the senior U.S. senator from Delaware. The election is Nov. 4, although Ohio voters can cast "no fault" absentee ballots now or vote at their respective boards of elections.
The Times-Reporter believes Democrat Barack Obama is the better candidate to lead the country out of these trying economic times and today gives its endorsement to him over opponent Republican John McCain.
In the past, The Times-Reporter has shied from endorsing Democratic presidential candidates primarily because of their promises of additional entitlement programs that grow government rather than shrink it. But the last eight years have blurred the picture with Republicans spending as wildly as their counterparts across the aisle.
Then there's a host of countries to worry about, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Georgia and others. And still on the table will be other key issues – the environment, energy, education, infrastructure and health care. And have we mentioned that our image abroad needs a little polishing? We believe Barack Obama is the better of the two candidates and the one who can lead us through one of the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression. We urge T-R readers to cast their ballots for him and his running mate, Joe Biden, the senior U.S. senator from Delaware. The election is Nov. 4, although Ohio voters can cast "no fault" absentee ballots now or vote at their respective boards of elections.
The whole editorial is online HERE. And finally, the Middletown/Hamilton Journal wrote the following:
The overarching question surrounding the 2008 presidential election is whether this nation can lift itself from the financial and political morass that threatens its prosperity, its security and its very future. To be successful, this country needs a strong leader who can pave a new course that improves the lives of Americans and others around the globe.Electing Obama next month does declare to the entire world that a new, positive and optimistic course has been set for America, with attainable and desirable goals that will lift up the 305 million people who call this country home.Obama, D-Ill., and his opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have squared off in three national televised debates and have survived a demanding primary season to get to this point. Even though he lacks the experience of McCain, we believe Obama has demonstrated himself to be the more knowledgeable, serious, stable and articulate candidate — and he has the most comprehensive agenda for getting America back on its feet."No Child Left Behind," launched by President Bush here in Butler County, had the right goals, according to Obama, but lacked adequate funding and wasn't implemented correctly. Obama plans to reform NCLB, as well as attack America's high dropout rate and soaring college costs, and emphasize teacher recruitment and retention. "Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy," Obama said in his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August.
The overarching question surrounding the 2008 presidential election is whether this nation can lift itself from the financial and political morass that threatens its prosperity, its security and its very future. To be successful, this country needs a strong leader who can pave a new course that improves the lives of Americans and others around the globe.
Electing Obama next month does declare to the entire world that a new, positive and optimistic course has been set for America, with attainable and desirable goals that will lift up the 305 million people who call this country home.
Obama, D-Ill., and his opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have squared off in three national televised debates and have survived a demanding primary season to get to this point. Even though he lacks the experience of McCain, we believe Obama has demonstrated himself to be the more knowledgeable, serious, stable and articulate candidate — and he has the most comprehensive agenda for getting America back on its feet.
"No Child Left Behind," launched by President Bush here in Butler County, had the right goals, according to Obama, but lacked adequate funding and wasn't implemented correctly. Obama plans to reform NCLB, as well as attack America's high dropout rate and soaring college costs, and emphasize teacher recruitment and retention. "Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy," Obama said in his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August.
The version in full is available HERE.
Have friends that need convincing? Send them an email with link to this blog post, which you can grab here:
http://OH.BarackObama.com/OhioEndorsements1020
During Golden Week in Ohio, September 30 - October 6, residents can register AND vote at the same time.
Check out this 90-second video, Vote Today Ohio, and share it with everyone you know in Ohio.
Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Senator Joe Biden will return to the Buckeye State on Wednesday to kick off a two-day bus trip across northern Ohio. The tour includes Change We Need Rallies in Maumee and Wooster on Wednesday, and in Canton on Thursday, with details of additional events in the Akron and Youngstown areas to be announced later.
Click the events below to RSVP online!
Wednesday, September 17
CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH JOE BIDENUptown Maumee at the 100 Block of West Wayne StreetBetween Conant and Allen StreetsMaumee, OHDoors Open: 7:30 AMEvent Begins: 9:30 AMTickets NOT required, but RSVP is strongly encouraged.
CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH JOE BIDENCollege of WoosterKauke Hall, South LawnPublic Entrance: Corner of East University and Beall Ave.Wooster, OHGates Open: 4:00 PMTickets ARE required--RSVP here and pick up tickets at the locations below:
Ticket Distribution Locations
Farmer Boy Restaurant2558 Cleveland RdWooster, OH 44691
Available: Tuesday from 7:00am - 9:00pm, and Wednesday from 7:00am - 3:00pm
Kropf, Wagner, Hohenberger & Lutz, L.L.P.100 N Vine StreetOrrville, OH 44667Available: Wednesday from 9:00am-3:00pm
Further details to be announced as they become available.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH JOE BIDENPro Football Hall of Fame2121 George Halas Drive NWDoors Open: 8:00 AM Program Begins: 9:30 AMThe event is free and open to the public. There is no RSVP, but members of the public are invited to pick up their free tickets at the locations and times listed below.(For more information call the Canton Campaign for Change Office: 330-452-4746)
***Free tickets are available Tuesday, September 16, and Wednesday, September 17, between 9:00AM and 9:00PM on a first-come, first-serve basis ***
Canton Campaign for Change Office111 2nd St NWCanton, OH 44702
Canton Democratic Party Office(Corner of 2nd and Market - Enter on Market)4220 12th St. NWCanton, OH 44708
Massillon Campaign for Change Office35 Erie St NorthMassillon, OH 44646
Alliance Campaign for Change Office15 S. Arch Ave.Alliance, OH 44601
Minerva Campaign for Change Office 215 N. Market St.Minerva, OH 44657
Northeastern Ohio welcomed Senator Hillary Clinton to the campaign trail today, with her common message of change exciting crowds today in both Elyria and Akron.
The crew at Lorain County Community College were treated to a host of preceding speakers, who all made clear the heightening stakes in this year's election. Dan, the Field Organizer in the area, as well as one of its natives, welcomed Elyrians with a hearty "Bienvenido!" before telling them how they can get involved. A particular highlight was Congresswoman Betty Sutton, who also insisted that everyone volunteer, and for good reason:
Me and you and your friends are going to work to get Barack Obama in office, because we need a president who gets it.
After a few Hillary cheers, coolly mixing with Obama cheers ("Obama, '08, Ohio!"), the Senator from New York took the stage. She talked health care, she talked jobs, and she talked home foreclosures--things that millions of Ohioans are feeling the effects of every day. But most of all she talked about the change that Barack Obama represents--how his story really is the American Dream, and how he'll put working and middle-class people first. And like Congresswoman Sutton, she emphatically put the responsibility of the election on the supporters present--the necessity of talking to friends and neighbors and "working just as hard for Senator Obama" as they might have done for her in the primary. But she had a caveat:
When talking to your neighbors, don't ask "Who are you for?" Instead, ask "Who is for you?" Because the answer is Barack Obama.
Just a few ways YOU can get involved include: using Neighbor2Neighbor to go door-to-door on your own, coming in to your local field office to volunteer, making sure your friends are registered to vote, fighting the smears, texting OH to 62262 to stay up to date, and inviting your out-of-state friends to come volunteer in Ohio.
**Were you at the Hillary event? Were you a Hillary supporter during the primaries? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton will hold two big events in Elyria and Akron, to speak about Barack's plan to strengthen Ohio's economy and help working families struggling in these tough times. She'll make it clear to voters just how necessary the change Barack represents really is, and how the McCain ticket represents four more years of the same Bush Administration policies that have led to such economic strain and hardship.
Details are below, and click the buttons for more information, and to RSVP. See you there!
CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH HILLARY CLINTONSunday, Sept. 14th - Doors Open at 11:30 AMLorain County Community College1005 N. Abbe RoadElyria, OHNOTE: This event will be held inside.
CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH HILLARY CLINTONSunday, Sept. 14th - Doors Open at 2:00 PMEllet High School Gymnasium309 Woolf Ave (entrance on Berne Street)Akron, OH
Earlier this week, for Barack's birthday (August 4th), supporters gathered across the state at over 100 different locations, to hold pot luck and phone bank parties. The unlikely goal was for volunteers to make 47,000 calls to their neighbors, in honor of Barack's 47th year. The entire state was blanketed with events--no corner left unturned, no region left unspoken to--but we wanted you to see how a couple specific areas stood up to the challenge on Monday, and show you some of the memorable moments captured on camera.
Lorain and Medina counties were out in force, with 117 volunteers between them eager to take action.
In Lima, not exactly a Democratic stronghold, no fewer than 40 volunteers showed up for the festivities, filling the phone bank so past its capacity that some supporters hit the streets to do voter registration instead! But there was no lack of calls being made; there were five other phone banks in the region as well...
The Ironton area also hosted a disproportionately huge number of volunteers, with 46 reaching out to their community in the region of Ironton at large.
And against all odds, Marion (an area with a huge number of swing voters) hosted 53 volunteers, who made well over a thousand calls in 4 hours!
GRAND TOTAL: Buckeyes all over the state not only met their goal--they busted through it and then doubled it.
What better birthday present could Barack possibly get??
With a healthy showing of twenty-four attendees, those involved in local education talked about what they specifically could do to get the word out and expand the effort in Akron. Conclusions revolved around a continual voter registration drive aimed at high school and college students, as well as the promotion of local volunteering opportunities within the campaign to those students who are Obama supporters... and might have some time and youthful energy to spare for Barack. It was the perfect example of a professional or social group looking at the skills and resources they bring to the table, pooling these tools together, and putting them to work in the name of change.
John Glenn endorsed Hillary. A famous cool younger OH person needs to endorse Obama, before Tuesday march 4!
Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders lives in the Akron/Summit area, and is for public transport and animal rights, therefore she should logically support Obama. So far, she hasn't endorsed anyone. There is a downside risk that her association with PETA (which is considered a terrorist organization by medical research scientists) could be exploited like his minister's association with Farrakhan, but winning Ohio is step 1.
Hynde could, like the Grateful Dead, do a public show (and youtube) of just one song to create a media whirlwhind for a 10% bump in OHIO.
Then the only problem is figuring out how to contact her. Can Anybody make this happen quickly???
The lyrics to "My City was Gone" could be redone by the campaign, for the OHIO messages, e.g.
I went back to the US But my nation was in flame. The goodwill was destroyed by republicans who had no shame The worlds view of the US has gone down in every eye by its war on iraq started with a great big lie Ooh Ahh Lets elect O-ba-ma I went back to the USthe economy was a con game Enron and Worldcom melted away leaving billion dollar claims The oil guys as presidents have a mind only with one track war disrupts the oil tents so our gas prices get out of whackOoh Ahh Lets elect O-ba-ma
I went back to the USBut all the old jobs been lostNAFTA helps move them overseasjust to save on some corporate costStruggling just to get by,Our families are so deep in debtWhen the mortgage payment jumps so highThe fed help the bank instead!Ooh Ahh Let's elect O-ba-ma
We just returned from rallying at the John S. Knight Center. We picked up the tickets on Thursday, showed up around 2:00 today, waited outside in line for 2 hours, packed ourselves like sardines into a crowded "standing room only" autitorium, waited another hour and forty-five minutes .... with aching backs from standing on the concrete floor in our "we should have known better" shoes, feeling overheated and parched, tired and impatient, we waited another forty-five minutes while others took the stage in efforts to sing to the choir ... at around 6:30 though Senator Obama entered and for forty-five minutes we no longer cared about our hungry bellies or full bladders, nor did we care about our dry throats or soar aching muscles. We got exactly what we came for and more!
I have watched Senator Obama on TV and felt the hair stand up on my arms and could feel the energy of the televised crowd vibrate within me. Today, I felt the same passion tenfold. Seeing him in person, I also got a better sense of the man. This speech was not parceled together. And although it was comprised of his stump speech, we also got to see his quick witted sense of humor. What I was most excited about was not on the stage in front of me, but the people who surrounded me which was a direct reflection of Senator Obama. I saw men and women. I saw babies and the elderly. I saw whites and Blacks and Hispanics and every other representation of race and ethnicity. There were both heterosexuals and homosexuals. There were indeed democrats and independents, but also republicans. There was the working class present, as well as individuals that wore symbols of belonging to a wealthier class. Indeed, the hype about the ability of this leader to cross boundaries and unite people from categories of people that are unfortunately all too often segregated is not simple hype. No, his talents are not simple hype. They are not an illusion. Senator Obama has a real ability to unite and invoke passion and instill hope in all Americans! Change requires many. It takes place "from the bottom up". You can have the best ideas in the world, but if you can not organize people around those ideas they are left at just that - words.
I would strongly suggest that if anyone has the opportunity to see Senator Obama speak in person, they seize it. We are experiencing history in the making and it will be something I look back on in great pride knowing I was actively involved in!
