The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.
Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.
Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when
Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.
Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
Hi, y'all. It has been a while since I posted but I am totally excited about our President and Vice-President Elects Barack Obama and Joe Biden.Had to go through campaign withdrawal syndrome. First, our local group, Barack Team Bessemer registered 2750 new voters in Bessemer, AL. This increased our city's percentage of registered voters by 18%. Our county, Jefferson County, had a clean sweep on November 4. For the first time in history, all Democrats won the seats they sought, including the African Americans. We, in Alabama, picked up one additional House seat. Bobby Bright, of Montgomery, AL is our newly elected US House Representative. State totals are 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats. For years we only had 2 democrats in the House.After our voter registration deadline ended on October 24, my sister and I, Angela, traveled to St. Petersburg, FL to knock on doors and encourage early voting. We stayed there a week and had a very exhilirating experience. Chris Haas (or CJ as he was called) had one of the most organized campaigns that I have ever witnessed. Our hosts, Millie and Bob, were very gracious and fired up. ON Halloween night, Millie had to attend a Halloween Party, and Bob asked me to hand out the treats. My sister and I are lower middle-class African Americans. Bob and Millie are upper income Caucasians. We live in one of the poorest cities in Alabama. They lived on the coast of the Gulf or Mexico in a diverse and upscale community in St. Petersburg. Imagine the looks on the trick or treaters face when I opened the door. I told Bob, "Look, you need to show your face so no one thinks we hijacked your home". We had a ball.My sister and I sneaked out on Wednesday to see and hear Obama speak in Sarasota, FL. I didn't see many African Americans at the rally or in the city, but everyone there welcomed us. Was told later that this was the hometown of Katherine Harris, former Secretary of State and one of the wealthiest cities in Florida. We left on Saturday, after receiving word that Birmingham was sending several volunteers for Saturday until the day after the election. I know that we made a difference in St Petersburg. I was thrilled to finally see the election results from Pinellas County.
On election day, another sister, San, along with her husband, Mitch, and daughter, Devin, had the unique experience of taking a 92 year old couple to the polls to vote. A little background: Before Angela and I left for Florida, I registered Mr. Pitts to vote for the first time in his life. He was 92 years old. I submitted an Absentee ballot application for him and his wife (she was already registered). On Saturday, November 1, he received his voter registration card in the mail. They also received a letter from the Absentee Ballot Election Manager stating that because I submitted their applications in the same envelope, they were not eligible to vote by absentee ballot. Mrs. P was wheel chair bound. Mr. P had a pace maker and was also on an oxygen tank. I felt extremely low because I thought there was no way they could make it to the polls. The couple's son was totally disgusted with us. After talking to the couple, we convinced them to go to the polls. Mr. P went to his doctor on Monday and received additional medication to enable him to wait in long lines if needed.
My sister said they were dressed in their Sunday go to meeting clothes and were thoroughly excited to go to the polls on this historic occasion. Mrs. P's name was on the rolls but originally they could not locate Mr. P's name. Finally, a clerk looked in the supplemental rolls and found his name. Mrs. P told my sister to go over than and help him because he had never voted before in his life. She said, "go help him fill that form out for that boy!" I believe this was one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives.
We spent the rest of the day going to Public Housing complexes in Bessemer providing rides to local residents to the polls. There was an elderly woman who had gone to the polls earlier and was told that she had to go to Birmingham to vote even though she has voted at this box for several years. Her son and daughter did not know where the new place was and she had reconciled herself to not voting. Two of our volunteers, natives of Nigeria and the country of India, using their GPS took her to the polls. She was very grateful and excited to be chauffered by these international volunteers.
Grassroots campaigning does work and is totally rewarding.
I'll have some reflections on the campaign and President Barack Hussein Gobama in a Paxcast and Friday's Special One Hour PaxLive, but for now a few parting highlights:
The sun sets on McCain and the GOP as we canvass Brown Rd.
ntodd
PS--Good security: the party took away my database access right away. Makes me a bit sad because it's truly all over, but I think I'll be back in the game next cycle...
Excerpted from my personal blog:
Payton handed me the microphone."I have a special surprise tonight, if you're willing to make a few more calls for Barack."A pause. Dramatic effect. People looked a little annoyed that I was interrupting whomever was speaking on MSNBC.And then, in my best who-wants-a-cookie-Madagascar voice, I said, "I just know some of you have been waiting all night to call Wasilla," while waving the fat stack of call sheets. "There's only one hour left before Alaska's polls close."Eyes widened. A moment earlier, only five people wanted to make phone calls still. Now we had thirty. It was on.
(Read the rest: http://aciel.livejournal.com/271251.html)
GOTV Phone Banking Experience on Nov 4th:
Dear Friends,
(At 9:22 pm) -- We just broke one million calls for the day, once again showing the power of this movement, but polls are still open in critical battleground states like Montana and Nevada and the night is still young. Supporters around the country keep calling to ensure voters know where to go to vote. The calls you make in the next hour could make the difference in the outcome of these states.
We are closing in on our goal for 1.2 million calls for Election Day and these are the calls that will bring us to victory. Make calls to Montana and Nevada now.
(Later on ... before the anouncement)
We're still awaiting the final results tonight (As of Nov 4th 2008 later at night), but one thing is clear -- this grassroots movement can never be underestimated.
Thank you to everyone who helped us make an astounding 1,053,791 calls today!
I know it wasn't easy and many of you kept calling long after you were tired and your voice had grown hoarse, but your calls to get our supporters out the polls helped tip the scales in key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.We've shut down our calling campaigns for the night, incredibly proud of the record amount of calls made today. You gave it your all and we couldn't have asked for more.Thank you again for everything you've done. You've been with Barack Obama every step of this journey. This is your night.
Obama For America
+++
PS. I joined the GOTV phonebanking organized by the Obama campaign along with the Local Union UNITE HERE! at 33 Harrisson Ave, Chinatown (downtown Boston). We made calls to Virginia towns of Yorktown, Newport News, Poquoson, Hampton, Petersburg and Kilmarnorck and to New Hampshire towns of Exeter and Hudson from 9am to 4pm
Results: Obama won both Virginia (52% to 47) and New Hampshire (55% to 44)
OBAMA-BIDEN 08'
John McCain's campaign has as recently as yesterday said that they believe that students won't turn out to vote. Today is our day to prove them wrong and show America that young voters do matter. Our opponent and the media believe that young voters won’t show up - that we don’t care about the election, and are too lazy, too unwilling, or too unmotivated to actually get out and vote.But today, we’ll prove them wrong.
Today is the day to turn the page on eight years of failed Bush policies that have seen our middle class shrink, economy worsen, and college move out of reach for more and more people. Today is the day to make your voice heard! What happens today will determine the direction we want our country to move in. Decades from now, your children will ask you what you did today. Do you want to be part of the moment that changed America - or do you want to stay home, and just hope for the best?
Our moment is now. Get out and vote - bring your roommate, your friends, anyone you can think of. After you vote, help us get out the vote on this critical day - sign up to help get out the vote on your campus today!
By Franklin Katunda 36 seconds ago (Updated 36 seconds ago in the website's main page)
Hello Obama Supporters,Thank you for reading my thoughts this morning on the "D DAY Nov. 4th 2008"-- I'm glad I made it from Virginia where I work to Boston my home place yesterday, Monday. I escaped ably the traffic caused by the Manassas, VA Obama's Last Rally when driving to DC Reagan Airport... I got on the Anerican Airlines RJet plane at 7:30 flight and by 8 pm I was in Boston Logan. This morning (fired up), I am getting ready to go vote two blocks away from my sister's place in my little town of Revere, Massachusetts than I will ride the metro to downtown Boston where the Obama Team has assigned me and Brad, a friend of mine to work on GOTV in "ChinaTown"... Chinatown? First time campaigning in such neighborhood doing field organizing; I have one day to learn "Hands-on" about it and I;ll surely do it with all the excitement it brings! My friend, Brad (young white fellow) is preparing to travel to China next year for a temporary work. You can read how happy he is to experience first-hand the feeling of working in a community other your own. For me, nothing particular! All I know is that I am a young African-American Community Organizer and I am campaigning for Change in Chinatown for the first time on November 4th. That's what makes it exciting to be in the Obama Team: "A campaign by ordinary folks like you and me working for change on the behalf the American people"Here is the picture: A Black young man in his thirties, wearing an Obama styled-sweater and PIN written in Hebrew (Israel) that reads Barack Obama 08' campaigning in Chinatown -- About the pin: A campaign person gave it to me last weekend in Boston...She said they got them from Florida where a "Get-Out-The-Vote" in the Jewish community has been successful. Well, for my first time, I am canvassing in Chinatown, downtown Boston on an important election day. Considering I worked for "Obama for America" in Goffstown NH, Arlington TX, Washington DC, Jamaica Plain MA, and Charlotte NC... The question is - How more surreal this campaign can be... Hein?I hope you are blessed by this story. Lets get out and win this election; lets organize our neighborhoods and change the world!I am Franklin, an Obama Surrogate and I approve this message!
"As you make these connections, I know you understand the historic nature of this election. I would argue that this election ranks up there with 1860 and 1932 as two of the most transformational elections of our time. I don't care if you live to be 100. We're going to look back on the year 2008 and we are going to say we were part of that effort. That was the year we changed America. That was the year we gave America new hope."
Meet Hannah and Jonna:
Meet a pair of extraordinary volunteers who live in Vermont, and have been canvassing in swing-state New Hampshire every weekend -- since July.
Every weekend.
Since July!
Here's the story in Jonna's own words:
Hannah and I had never met before but went out together each weekend to canvass, and Hannah went from being a shy, retiring canvasser to a star. Now she's helping to staff the new Enfield office. Today, volunteers streamed in all day. Hannah did back-to-back training sessions, and I took two packets and canvassed all day. As always, I visited with many truly nice people, including some died-in-the-wool Republicans voting for Obama -- and a true NH Independent, who makes his decisions one at a time. He is voting for Obama. It was a great day -- we were out in archetypal, conservative New Hampshire country, and it's becoming Obama country! We are almost there. In this brand new Enfield office the stream of volunteers was never-ending, all day. Many people I talked to want to vote in this historic election. They are voting for themselves, as well as for Obama. The only thing that can defeat us now is complacency. As we saw in the New Hampshire primary, we lost when we thought we were winning. We can’t assume anything. We must do everything now to get out the vote for Obama. The campaign is so well-organized – it is all GOTV now. You can even put signs on doors at 4 a.m. to get out the vote if you’re busy during the day. GOTV is easy; anyone can do it. So don’t just worry about whether he wins. Get out there and help the campaign bring in a landslide mandate for this inspiring, honorable, brilliant man. I’ll be out all weekend and at the polls all day helping the campaign do what’s necessary to put him over the top, and I know there are hundreds of thousands of people all over this country doing exactly the same thing.
Hannah and I had never met before but went out together each weekend to canvass, and Hannah went from being a shy, retiring canvasser to a star. Now she's helping to staff the new Enfield office.
Today, volunteers streamed in all day. Hannah did back-to-back training sessions, and I took two packets and canvassed all day. As always, I visited with many truly nice people, including some died-in-the-wool Republicans voting for Obama -- and a true NH Independent, who makes his decisions one at a time. He is voting for Obama. It was a great day -- we were out in archetypal, conservative New Hampshire country, and it's becoming Obama country!
We are almost there. In this brand new Enfield office the stream of volunteers was never-ending, all day. Many people I talked to want to vote in this historic election. They are voting for themselves, as well as for Obama.
The only thing that can defeat us now is complacency. As we saw in the New Hampshire primary, we lost when we thought we were winning. We can’t assume anything. We must do everything now to get out the vote for Obama. The campaign is so well-organized – it is all GOTV now. You can even put signs on doors at 4 a.m. to get out the vote if you’re busy during the day. GOTV is easy; anyone can do it. So don’t just worry about whether he wins. Get out there and help the campaign bring in a landslide mandate for this inspiring, honorable, brilliant man. I’ll be out all weekend and at the polls all day helping the campaign do what’s necessary to put him over the top, and I know there are hundreds of thousands of people all over this country doing exactly the same thing.
Please join Jonna, Hannah, and hundreds of thousands of volunteers in this historic movement for change.
Help get out the vote now:
OK "my friends",
It's been a long and wonderous year. I went to my local caucuses. I was a precinct delegate. I donated. I got people to donate. I attended meetings. I hosted meetings. I canvassed. I emailed. I blogged. I phonebanked, locally and out of state. I called my state representatives. I talked with my friends. I talked with my family. I gave out stickers. I attended rallies. I voted.
And you? There's still time to help bring CHANGE: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter
We're almost there - YES WE CAN!
P.S. For all you've done, THANK YOU.
If you're watching the electoral map, an amazing thing is happening. Some states that started off a deep red, have steadily gone in the last few weeks from red to pink to purple, and in the last few days, are even starting to look a little blue.
Georgia is one of them.
Meet Nicole -- mother of 2-year-old Gavin and eight-week-old Hayden, small business owner, and one of the extraordinary volunteers we can thank for Georgia's dramatic transformation.
Even with a newborn, Nicole knows how important this election is and has found the time to canvass, host a Call For Change party, donate -- and most importantly to her, she registered her husband.
Here's Nicole in her own words:
I’ve been an avid fan of Meet The Press for many years. I first became aware of Barack Obama when I saw him appear on Meet The Press. I was struck by how thoughtful, composed, and straightforward he seemed.Our country is at a critical juncture. We have the opportunity to elect someone who is intelligent and thoughtful about the interests of our nation, and speaks to the dreams and aspirations of so many of us. Now is the time to get out and get involved. It’s time to return honor and admiration to the United States’ reputation in the world. It’s time to create a moment where we can all make our country a better and more prosperous place. It’s time to help elect Barack Obama.
I’ve been an avid fan of Meet The Press for many years. I first became aware of Barack Obama when I saw him appear on Meet The Press. I was struck by how thoughtful, composed, and straightforward he seemed.
Our country is at a critical juncture. We have the opportunity to elect someone who is intelligent and thoughtful about the interests of our nation, and speaks to the dreams and aspirations of so many of us. Now is the time to get out and get involved. It’s time to return honor and admiration to the United States’ reputation in the world. It’s time to create a moment where we can all make our country a better and more prosperous place. It’s time to help elect Barack Obama.
Please pick up the phone, and give Nicole a hand.
You can redraw the electoral map.
Get out the vote:
I 've voted in every election since I was 18.
This past weekend I've done something I've never done before: went door-to-door talking with registered voters in Indiana as a Barack volunteer with the GOTV program. I did this because I believe that Barack gets it. This is evidenced by the type of organization he and the campaign has built to get people involved in changing our broken, ineffective and inefficient government.
If Barack, when elected, surrounds himself with quality people (as I witnessed this past weekend) and utilizies technology to make every government agency efficient, effective and accoutable to the people who pay for it, we together truly will change the direction of our country.
What an amazing effort by all.
Back in the early 1960's when I was a young boy, I saw images of freedom riders; young men and women, riding buses to Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and yes, Florida. These heros, men and women, black and white, came to the South to stand up for justice and sometimes to sit in. Their heroic efforts changed our country and society forever. When you look at those old photos from back in the day, you'll notice that many of those young men and women came to the protest actions dressed formally.
Tomorrow, it's looking increasingly hopeful that we will elect a new president and he will be a sure enough multicultural/multiracial man with a African father and a Midwestern mother. It's the most significant public event of my 58 years on Planet Earth.
To mark this occasion and to honor the brave heros of the early 60's, I'm wearing my best (OK, my only) suit and tie when I go to vote tomorrow. I hope some of you will join me in marking this life changing event.
We had a small, but mighty force out on Meheula Sunday afternoon. Received plenty shakas, honks, plus a brief Mililani rainshower blessing on our team of sign wavers, just in time to cool us off from the afternoon heat!
We will continue sign waving from 3pm to 6pm Monday, 11/3.
Login to my.barackobama.com, sign-up and bring family & friends. The person who registers for the event AND brings the largest number of sign-wavers to this event, wins one of my Obama Ohana T-shirts (up to $29.99 value, plus shipping)! www.cafepress.com/obamaohana HINT: We had a family of four out on Sunday, so you gotta beat that turnout for a chance to win!
For Election Day Tuesday, 11/4, let's concentrate on GOTV calls from home or come down to headquarters (Ward Warehouse, 2nd floor, above Nohea Gallery) to make calls and stay for the celebration in the evening. See you there!
Susan Gordon created an application on Facebook where you can a) donate your status which means tell people who you voted for and b) send e-mails to friends in your profile. This is a a really fast and effective way to GOTV. People do not read e-mail any more, but they sure do use Facebook.
If you have an account go to http://causes.com/election?m=4912bdd3
If not get one, find some friends and get the word out. Its really easy this is amazing technology. For people like me who are phone bank-phobic this is great.
Team,My name is Tiffany Campbell and I am organizing the polls for election day. Weneed your help to man the polls for this last stretch. The polls are open from7am to 7pm on Tuesday.
Following are all of the poll locations that Alabama Team Bessemer is going tocover. Please give us some of your time on this final day.We will be handing out sample ballots, holding signs and telling anyone whowants to know why we are supporting Barack Obama.
Please take a look at this list and email me: lanae_campbell@yahoo.com or call205-243-7474 and let me know where and when you can work. We will be meetingMonday night at 6pm to get final details and supplies. We need you help for onemore day!!! THANKS!!!
District Location 5607 Bessemer City Hall
- Sadie M. Williamson - all day
5610 Bessemer First Station #5
- Rosa Scott (am) (driver)
5710 Brighton Middle School – THIS LOCATION MAY NOT BE IN USE
5711 Brighton Senior Citizens Center Bldg
5713 Bryant Chapel AME church
- Jerri Clark - 9-12pm
5610 Canaan Baptist Church
5609 Dunbar-Abrams Community Center
-Stephanie Cook - 1 to 7pm
5606 Thompson Manor Community Center
- Patrice Damron - 3 to 7pm
5605 Fire Dept Admin Bldg - 2nd Avenue
5604 Jonesboro Elementary School
- Stacie Robinson - 8 to 2pm
5611 Lawson State Community College
5613 Lipscomb City Hall
5614 Lipscomb Fire Station
5615 New Bethel Baptist Church
5608 Southside Homes Community Center
When Early Voting began, answering the question of "Where are the Democratic voters in North Carolina?" was easy: in the counties with the highest Democratic registration. But now that Early Voting is over, answering that question is a little trickier, b/c it depends on who has already voted. Luckily the NC Board of Elections makes that data available to us.
Below is a table where I attempt to answer this question. For purposes of clarity, I've taken out the obvious examples of the top 3 counties in population--Mecklenburg, Wake, and Guilford. In the first column below, the % is that county's Democratic turnout by the end of Early voting. In the 2nd column, counties are ranked in descending order by their Democratic Registration.
But the 3rd and 4th columns are the important ones. Column 3 is where the counties rank after Early Voting by their numbers of Democrats who've not yet voted. Notice the counties in bold that are moving up the list from Column 2. Finally, Column 4 is a bit of guess work: based on Early Voting, how will these counties rank, after Tuesday, in terms of Democrats who did not vote at all? To arrive at this total I did a rough, across the board estimate: I multiplied the county's early vote turnout % by 150% (FYI, doing this across the state would give Democratic turnout of 80%--optimistic, but very possible). Again, note how the counties in bold continue moving up the list, if things go on as they have so far.
Is this alarming? Yes it is. The reason is that whereas in the 2nd column, registration, the counties in bold account for only 21.3% of Democratic registration (again, not counting Mecklenburg, Guilford, & Wake), in Column 3 they have increased to 24.3% of Democrats who've not yet voted. Not bad, one might say, but it gets worse. If those same turnout trends are extended through Tuesday, those counties in bold (column 4) will then account for (outside of the Big Three), 43.2% of all registered Democrats left at home. I.e., not Durham County, not Orange, or Buncombe, which look set to get their turnout, but these smaller, more rural counties, which probably have fewer volunteers and less GOTV organization. These counties look likely to leave voters at home (just as many of them did in 2004, especially Robeson, which has historically low turnout).
Can this pattern by changed in the next 54 hours???
Early turnout Rank, Dem. Rank, Dems Est.final rank,
registration not yet voted Dems. who stayed home
57% DURHAM CUMBERLAND ROBESON
46% CUMBERLAND FORSYTH CUMBERLAND
47% FORSYTH DURHAM FORSYTH
56% BUNCOMBE ROBESON CABARRUS
51% PITT BUNCOMBE NEW HANOVER
46% NEW HANOVER NEW HANOVER GASTON
58% ORANGE PITT DAVIDSON
23% ROBESON GASTON JOHNSTON
44% GASTON CABARRUS HARNETT
46% ALAMANCE JOHNSTON ALAMANCE
42% JOHNSTON ORANGE ROWAN
37% CABARRUS ALAMANCE COLUMBUS
52% UNION DAVIDSON PITT
52% NASH ROWAN DURHAM
56% WAYNE IREDELL ONSLOW
46% IREDELL UNION HALIFAX
37% DAVIDSON ONSLOW RANDOLPH
42% ROWAN HARNETT CLEVELAND
48% CATAWBA CLEVELAND IREDELL
43% ONSLOW CATAWBA CRAVEN
52% WILSON NASH ROCKINGHAM
44% CLEVELAND COLUMBUS BUNCOMBE
51% EDGECOMBE HALIFAX CATAWBA
51% BRUNSWICK ROCKINGHAM HAYWOOD
45% ROCKINGHAM CRAVEN UNION
38% HARNETT WAYNE SURRY
44% CRAVEN WILSON DUPLIN
41% HALIFAX BRUNSWICK BEAUFORT
37% COLUMBUS RANDOLPH LINCOLN
As of the time of this post, there are 54 hours left until the Michigan polls close in the most important election of our lifetime.
Can you spare a few hours to help us out in these last fifty-four hours? There's so much to do, and your work will make such an impact. Check out some of the ways you can help us out:
I wrote the following for you my fellow citizens who are attending college, and are supporters of Senator Barack Obama. I want to you to think about it while you are waking up on Election Day and while you are standing in line to vote.
A Minute Of Your Time
By Terry Cardwell
On November 4th., 2008, Cpl. Leroy C. Howe is asking you for a minute of your time.
I first became aware of him as a 13 year old girl, the day my mother took me to visit his mother. When we walked in to the house, her sobbing was the first thing I heard, it still echoes in my soul. She was sitting at a table with a picture of her youngest son, propped in front of her. Leroy was such a handsome figure in his military uniform, his face is forever seared on my heart. She was blaming herself for signing the papers that let him join the service. He was only 17 when he begged her to let him go to fight for freedom, in a place called Vietnam, there was no stopping him. Reluctantly she let him go.
She was now facing the nightmare she had feared that day she had signed the permission slip, she was going to have to bury her baby. He had been killed while trying to save the life of a fellow soldier. His heroic action had earned him the Silver Star. And there was a write up in the local paper, in which the headline on the front page screamed, the total number of soldiers killed to that date was 10,000. Their names are etched on a black stone wall.
Leroy instilled in me something I have carried with me through the rest of my life. He had the courage to fight for us all, so we wouldn’t have to use a gun to change things. It was so ironic that he died before he could even vote at the age of 21. Therefore, when the 18 year olds won the right to vote, I honored his sacrifice by exercising it.
Over the course of my life, the amount of time I have spent voting will never add up to the loss of his. He should have turned 60 this year. This year the Leroys of all of our generations are asking you for a minute of your time. Please vote.
Now please take a second to pass this on to every college student you know.
