Before this year, no one would have imagined that St. Clairsville, Ohio, would play a role in the Presidential election. But as this article from the Columbus Dispatch shows, with a recent visit from Vice Presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden, they found themselves thrown into the spotlight for not the first time this campaign season. And it's a good thing too, because locals like Matt, featured in a recent article in the Wheeling News-Register, want change:
Martins Ferry resident Matt Myers wants to be able to pay for his son Zack's college education, but he's not sure he will be able to now that he has lost his job as a truck driver.Tuesday, the father and son joined other local voters for a campaign rally featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on the campus of Ohio University Eastern, near St. Clairsville.Matt Myers believes Obama will help grow the economy to provide more jobs for families like his."This Bush economy has really put us down, and we need someone like Barack Obama to help get the economy moving in the right direction again," Myers said.Zack Myers, a senior at Martins Ferry High School, is also worried about the way the national debt continues to escalate."I will be paying of Bush's (Iraq) war debts when I get older, and that is just not fair," Myers said.Another opponent of the war in Iraq is Wheeling resident Matt Bennett."With all the money Bush is wasting in Iraq, the government could use that money to help feed the hungry and help the homeless people right here in this country," Bennett said.
Martins Ferry resident Matt Myers wants to be able to pay for his son Zack's college education, but he's not sure he will be able to now that he has lost his job as a truck driver.
Tuesday, the father and son joined other local voters for a campaign rally featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on the campus of Ohio University Eastern, near St. Clairsville.
Matt Myers believes Obama will help grow the economy to provide more jobs for families like his.
"This Bush economy has really put us down, and we need someone like Barack Obama to help get the economy moving in the right direction again," Myers said.
Zack Myers, a senior at Martins Ferry High School, is also worried about the way the national debt continues to escalate.
"I will be paying of Bush's (Iraq) war debts when I get older, and that is just not fair," Myers said.
Another opponent of the war in Iraq is Wheeling resident Matt Bennett.
"With all the money Bush is wasting in Iraq, the government could use that money to help feed the hungry and help the homeless people right here in this country," Bennett said.
Through extensive outreach efforts and a perfectly suited platform on rural issues, it's not uncommon to find outspoken Obama supporters in some of the more remote places in Ohio. Whether they're expressing themselves at their small businesses, or decorating a new Barn for Obama, like in the picture below from Knox County, Ohioans in rural areas are making their voices heard.
Also in Knox County, Carol is one of the ones making her voice heard. She describes how her local crew staked out an Obama presence at the Tomato Festival:
The little town of Fredericktown, Ohio (where I grew up)... population about 1,500, just had it's 32nd Annual Tomato Show Festival and Parade. It's a VERY CONSERVATIVE town, so we didn't know what response we'd get with our Obama presence there... And we DID HAVE A PRESENCE!!! Over 80 people marched in the parade on behalf of Democratic candidates! Close to 50 of them were for Senator Obama! It was the largest Democratic entry in a parade this county has ever seen. And, our Obama block-of-marchers were FIRED UP! Two women flanked our group at the front and back and kept the chants going... throughout the entire parade so that apart from the marching bands, we were also the loudest entry in the parade!
The little town of Fredericktown, Ohio (where I grew up)... population about 1,500, just had it's 32nd Annual Tomato Show Festival and Parade. It's a VERY CONSERVATIVE town, so we didn't know what response we'd get with our Obama presence there...
And we DID HAVE A PRESENCE!!! Over 80 people marched in the parade on behalf of Democratic candidates! Close to 50 of them were for Senator Obama! It was the largest Democratic entry in a parade this county has ever seen.
And, our Obama block-of-marchers were FIRED UP! Two women flanked our group at the front and back and kept the chants going... throughout the entire parade so that apart from the marching bands, we were also the loudest entry in the parade!
The best part was the response we got from people on the sidelines... thousands from all over the county and neighboring counties come to the parade and much to our surprise we received a constant display of "thumbs-up," and CHEERS FOR US! ...as we went marching by! For each positive response from a parade watcher, we had walkers ready with Obama handouts that gave contact information for the local campaign, so hopefully we gathered more volunteers for the work ahead. Also that day, 30-40 marchers stayed around after the parade to canvass this little community. I spoke with one resident while canvassing--a retired high school teacher I had way-back-when--who said she thought this was the first time this sleepy little (former?) Republican stronghold had EVER been canvassed! Word has it our rural county of 55,000 is "looking good," for the Obama Camapign, given the numbers we're gathering from the canvassing and phone-banking. Our Obama Field Organizer--Jon--told us the first week he was here, "We CAN win Knox County," and by golly, he's kept us fired up and I think we're going to do it!
With a positive attitude like that, how could a rural county like Knox not go for Obama?
Get involved in your area today. Do you live in a rural community? Click HERE to join Rural Ohioans for Obama.
These past couple days have been exciting ones for those Ohio Barack supporters in areas not commonly travelled by presidential candidates.
Yesterday, there was the small gathering in New Philadelphia, where Barack discussed women's issues and the economy. His thoughts on infrastructure, as well as the different perspective of his opponent, are captured in the video below:
Then Barack paid a visit to a BBQ on a historic family farm in Dillonvale. Local news station WTOV described the scene:
The presidential hopeful addressed the crowd for about 20 minutes in an informal setting as they sat on bales of hay.Obama urged people to come together and told the crowd the election is "about you.""We are truly blessed to be here in America," Obama said. "People are hard-working, they are generous, they believe in community and being good neighbors."He also said he wants to invest $15 billion to revamp automakers to build high-efficiency cars in the U.S., and said he wants to use energy in a way that doesn't pollute or accelerate global warning.In attendance were many local officials as well as steel representatives.
The presidential hopeful addressed the crowd for about 20 minutes in an informal setting as they sat on bales of hay.
Obama urged people to come together and told the crowd the election is "about you."
"We are truly blessed to be here in America," Obama said. "People are hard-working, they are generous, they believe in community and being good neighbors."
He also said he wants to invest $15 billion to revamp automakers to build high-efficiency cars in the U.S., and said he wants to use energy in a way that doesn't pollute or accelerate global warning.
In attendance were many local officials as well as steel representatives.
A picture of the barn can be seen below:
But that wasn't the only barn to bear the mark of the Obama campaign this week. Today in Spencerville, another Barn for Obama was painted at a picnic, where farmer and friend of Barack Larry Walsh spoke about Barack's commitment to rural Americans.
A stunning slideshow of the project can be found here.
Continuing the “Barns for Obama” effort to show support for Barack Obama in rural parts of Ohio, volunteers will finish the painting of a barn this Thursday in Spencerville. The family who owns the barn will hold a picnic with longtime friend and colleague of Senator Obama’s, former chair of the Illinois Senate Agriculture Committee, Larry Walsh.
You can see the current state of the barn in the picture below. Click it to see the barn painting video that launched Barns for Obama, filmed in Trumbull County.
As a soybean and corn producer himself, Larry Walsh has a farmer’s understanding of agricultural issues. Additionally, Walsh was featured in the video introducton of Senator Obama before he gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last week in Denver and will be touring rural Ohio Thursday and Friday. Details on the event are below:
Larry Walsh attends “Barns for Obama” painting and picnic Thursday, September 4th - 5:30 p.m. Krendl Farm1095 North St. Marys Road (State Rt. 66)Spencerville, OH
“Barns for Obama” is another example Barack's growing support in rural parts of the state. Barack has already visited Lima, Marysville, and Marengo, with stops in New Philadelphia and Dillonvale today. Additionally, the campaign has hired former Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Doug O’Brien as Rural Vote Director. Click below to hear a radio interview with Doug on the Buckeye Agricultural Network:
Are you an Obama supporter who lives in a rural area? Fill out this form and join Rural Ohioans for Obama!
Barack's campaign was launched in the heartland of Iowa, where his attention to rural issues helped earn him a caucus win there. Now, the movement continues to thrive in the heartland of Ohio, with programs like Barns for Obama and roundtable discussions with rural community leaders and citizens.
In Utica recently, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa kicked off the Rural Roundtable Discussions, which aim to underscore the economic challenges in rural Ohio and rural America. Senator Harkin, who is Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee spoke to locals at an implement (tractor) dealership owned by David and Tim, who also operate a dairy and crop farm. Here are some pictures from the event:
Senator Harkin drove home that Barack Obama understands rural Ohio and that his plan for America prioritizes addressing the unique issues that face communities such as Utica. He has a record that proves he will fight for farmers, ranchers, and small business owners. At the discussion, locals shared stories of serving their communities and the need for better access to health care, affordable energy, and quality education, in addition to the basic necessities such as transportation and food.
In sum, Senator Harkin said it best, in voicing his support for Barack:
I’ve lived all my life in rural America. I’m here to bear witness to the fact that Barack Obama gets rural America.
Beyond all the negativity of the ads, and the furious frenzy of the media coverage, the campaign in Ohio quietly continues to push itself into brand new territory every day--bringing Barack's message to every single county of the state.
But it's in the far off counties where Barack's message is especially pertinent. In the rural heartland of Iowa, for example, is where this campaign took off, way back in January, and the months before. And Barack has never stopped talking about what matters to rural voters like the ones in Ohio. "Rural values," as he says, "are American values." With that in mind, we made the following video:
The video, and word of this campaign's commitment to every single voter in every single community, is rapidly spreading on the internet. Some local Ohio bloggers picked up on it here, and here, and here. And the national news is catching notice too: just check this link and this one too.
And with this, a new project has been launched: Barns for Obama
Barack is putting every part of Ohio on the map. To turn this country around, though, we'll need more than a barn and some paint. You can get involved by writing letters to the editor about Barack's commitment to rural voters--we'll arm you with information--and by volunteering in your area. You can talk to your neighbors on your own time about Barack, even if you live in the most rural of areas.
And if a barn and some paint is right up your alley, click HERE if you want to paint a barn or have your barn painted!
**Do you live in a rural area? Tell us about the issues that are important to you in the comments section below!
