Change can start in every neighborhood across the country one household at a time. I believe in the neighbor movement and created NeighborPal.com to support it.
NeighborPal.com supports households who share the same street block, apartment building or subdivsion, and want an easier way to connect and exchange neighborly information.
I would like to encourage every Obama supporter, if you are so inclined, to make calls to help get out the vote for Jim Martin in Georgia. I just did a few and the call script is specifically designed just to ensure his voters show up and no knowledge of Martin or convincing of voters is required. As many of you may already know turn out is key in run off elections. Martin only lost by 3% on election night and if we can ensure all of his voters show up while maybe a few Chambliss voters do not we can get that much closer to that filibuster proof 60 vote Senate. Not to mention the "Remember Max Cleland" call needs to be heard throughout this country by getting Chambliss out of the office he never deserved to have in the first place. Chambliss has vowed to block Obama's and our vision for this country so this is one of the first ways we can ensure the change we want happens.Luckily My Barack Obama has created an easy way for all of us to help out. The call lists are available using the neighbor to neighbor tool we used during the campaign and the link is included below this paragraph. Please check it out and make a few calls prior to the election on 12/2. Note early voting has ended in all but one county(Coweta and only part day this Sat 11/29) from what I can tell, so the idea is to remind people of the run off and get them to the polls on 12/2. No persuasion is required so it is very simple and unobtrusive, though you can find out more about Martin at http://www.martinforsenate.com/home.html.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/votercontact/landing
Good luck everyone! and Happy Thanksgiving! We sure have a lot to be thankful for this year, as despite the hard times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks,Wayne
Sayre lives in Seattle -- not exactly a politically up-for-grabs city come November 4th.
But that doesn't mean Sayre, or Seattle, can't help. In fact, it's exactly what's motivating thousands of volunteers all over the country to make the extra effort this weekend -- to pick up the phone and call into states that could use a little help.
Virginia.
North Carolina.
Nevada.
Ohio.
Pennsylvania.
For Sayre, a small business owner in graphic design, this is no last-minute decision to volunteer:
When I saw that speech at the 2004 DNC convention, I wanted him to run so I could sign up to volunteer for his presidential campaign.The one good thing about the Bush administration is that it made people like me realize that we cannot take our democracy for granted. We must fight to preserve it. Barack Obama is a brilliant man and we are so fortunate that he wants to be our President. We cannot squander this opportunity to elect this proven leader to restore our beloved country. There is no time to wait. We will one day be proud of the work that we do.
When I saw that speech at the 2004 DNC convention, I wanted him to run so I could sign up to volunteer for his presidential campaign.
The one good thing about the Bush administration is that it made people like me realize that we cannot take our democracy for granted. We must fight to preserve it. Barack Obama is a brilliant man and we are so fortunate that he wants to be our President. We cannot squander this opportunity to elect this proven leader to restore our beloved country. There is no time to wait. We will one day be proud of the work that we do.
She couldn't be more on the money.
And when it comes to doing that work, there's no time to wait. It's not a matter of months or days anymore. We're counting down by the hour.
Please lend a hand:
For months, Sayre has been doing as much as she can: designing t-shirts, buttons, banners, and posters, and shipping them around the country -- all when she's not registering legions of voters, and canvassing local neighborhoods. And here's why:
Barack Obama got the nation's attention in 2004 and never lost it.I love that he talks about things like sacrifice and personal responsibility -- that he isn't afraid to say what we need to hear. He refuses to oversimplify -- such a relief after years of, "Don't worry, just keep shopping..."But the most crucial thing he offers us, I think, are his extraordinary leadership skills: a President needs to articulate a vision for the country, and galvanize people around the goals needed to realize that vision. Obama has been doing that for a long time. He has engaged masses of people who have never been interested in the democratic process before. He is already a great leader. He has already brought change to this country.
Let's get this guy elected.
Tonight I completed my first batch of Neighbor to Neighbor phone calls, 25 in all. I will call another 50 tomorrow. I chose Colorado because of the 2-hr time difference and because it is a key battleground state in this election. I also have some affinity for Coloradoans: I used to camp near Colorado Springs as a teen and near Fort Collins as an adult. I have spent hours in the Denver airport waiting for the weather to clear so I could get back to Chicago. That, and that one of my BFF's lives in Denver, makes me an "almost Coloradoan." I can relate.
So, how was it? Not bad. Mostly I left messages telling people where to find their polling place and the hours of operation. The hard part was leaving my reasons for voting for the Obama Campaign for Change in a voicemail soundbite. Should I share the political reasons, the philosophical reasons, or the common sense reasons? Could I get them all in?
Not sure, I plugged away at it anyway, leaving messages that were a little herky-jerky on the "how come" side but clearly leaving people with a call to action, to vote as if their life and life as we once knew it depended upon it. Because I believe it does.
This political apparatus of ours has become more than moribund. I remember being inspired by Jack and Bobby Kennedy, by the idea of a Peace Corps where even I could be an ambassador and give of my talents and abilities. I was inspired by the young men and women who went into the South by the busloads to teach in Freedom Schools so young black children could learn to read and write. And I was inspired by the courage of those who were undaunted in the face of billy clubs and waterhoses and death, and by the leadership--albeit reluctant for some-- of lawmakers who passed the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts.
No doubt about it, there have been other times when my heart stirred at the promise of what this country could be as a force for good. I could go on with a long litany but what would be the purpose of that? The point is that somewhere along the way I became resigned and cynical about what's possible for that America, probably right about the time that Jimmy Carter was defeated.
I wasn't inspired by Bill Clinton, but I was hopeful and intrigued. I admired his ability to make complex things understandable for the simplest of us. He was charming and even his enemies loved him. What could have been an extraordinary presidency turned into tabloid fodder. Deeds perhaps forgiven, but never forgotten.
I was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton even though I wasn't sure she could win "the big one". Still, I hung in there because I thought she'd earned the right to have her shot at history. And, sisterhood is powerful. Still, something was missing; and even though my friends and family were early Barach Obama supporters, I held out. I was burned out on hope and change, and change for the sake of change wouldn't make me want to leave from my armchair in the stands. Transformation might.
Somewhere along the way, I allowed myself to venture into that rarified air called hope. Maybe it was the debates, where the Senator went from the off-the-rack suits and perriennial blue and white striped tie he always seemed to wear to those infamous $1500 2-button suits and beautiful ties that made him look as elegant as he is eloquent. The more "presidential" he became, the more hopeful and inspired I became. Inspire: to breathe life into me, you, us, our political system. Now that's transformative, and change I can believe in. I'm prepared to go to work to see that it happens.
And that's what I'll be leaving in my next voicemail soundbite messages.
Brian has lived all over the electoral map. Born in Minnesota, he moved with his dairy herdsman father and family to Wisconsin and then Illinois. From there, onto Nebraska, then Washington, Ohio, North Dakota, and finally back to Wisconsin. And now, having lived in so many states -- as many red states as blue -- Brian has a good sense of what this country really looks like: purple.
And there's a Senator who really agrees with him.
"I started early looking for the best candidate to get us moving to where we need to go. I found Barack's positions all very compatible with my own and his personality to be outstanding."
There are specific "purple" issues that Brian thinks the whole country could get behind, and energy independence is one of them. As a landscape construction worker employed by a Wisconsin forest preserve, he knows that an energy-independent United States would be good for the environment -- and not only that, it would increase our national security as well. By creating over 5 million new green collar jobs, it's also a much-needed boost to our economy. This bipartisan issue is at the center of Barack Obama's campaign, and that's one reason Brian got motivated to get out there and help.
I have worked on three walk lists in my local area -- and it's a little hard at first to go knock on a stranger's door. But, I've found that it's actually interesting to meet neighbors I would never have any other reason to meet. Most people I have talked with have been nice, and some are really enthusiastic about their support. I have another walk list that I am anxious to start because I still see the polls put Wisconsin in the toss-up category. We can do much better to show our support of a sane and prosperous future by getting behind the only candidate that makes any sense.
I have worked on three walk lists in my local area -- and it's a little hard at first to go knock on a stranger's door. But, I've found that it's actually interesting to meet neighbors I would never have any other reason to meet. Most people I have talked with have been nice, and some are really enthusiastic about their support.
I have another walk list that I am anxious to start because I still see the polls put Wisconsin in the toss-up category. We can do much better to show our support of a sane and prosperous future by getting behind the only candidate that makes any sense.
With the clock ticking down, and so many states in the toss-up category, now is the time to join Brian by knocking on some doors in your own neighborhood -- or making calls to someone else's neighborhood!
As Brian put it, thinking about the future of this country:
I can barely wait to get started fixing this mess.
Let's get started now.
Make calls. Knock on doors.
Elect Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.
If you saw last night's TV special, "American Stories, American Solutions," you know what this election's about.
It's about people all across America who are trying to fight for their families while feeling the pinch of the economic crisis.
It's about parents and grandparents who want their children to have better lives than they had.
It's about making health care accessible; it's about helping Michigan's middle class.
It's about rebuilding our economy and restoring the American Dream.
Most of all: it's about you.
Don't be sorry on November 5, the day after the election, that you didn't do more. We have over sixty Campaign for Change offices open across the state, and so many ways to get involved in your own community.
There are five days left to get involved in this historic campaign. Together, we can create the change Michigan - and America - needs. What will you do to help?
When Sashi first read Dreams From My Father, she couldn't believe how much she could relate. If you're Sashi, it's not every day you find a candidate running for President who has lived in Indonesia, like you, who was raised by a family that valued education and hard work above everything, like you, and who chose community organizing and social service over other jobs on Wall Street -- just like you.
Sashi recommended the book to everyone she knew.
"Growing up in the developing world gives you an understanding of poverty that is impossible to grasp otherwise. We live in an increasingly global community, and Barack Obama is exactly the right person to lead this country, and other countries, into the new interconnected age."
30-year-old Sashi was originally born in Sri Lanka and came to the United States when she was 6. Her family left their country because it was in a state of war. Once they got to South Florida, Sashi says she watched her family live the American Dream.
We didn't live in the best of neighborhoods, but my parents instilled in us strong values and an appreciation for education. They helped us improve ourselves simply through hard work and school. My sister and I went to public schools our entire lives until we both received scholarships to college. In college, I became involved in social change and mobilizing people to advocate for the betterment of their communities. Reading Senator Obama's memoir, I understood why he stayed in Chicago and could appreciate some of the difficulties he faced in learning his own identity. I also know how hard it is to choose a career, such as his in community organizing, that is not lucrative and is outside the norm. He did these things because he felt he had to.
We didn't live in the best of neighborhoods, but my parents instilled in us strong values and an appreciation for education. They helped us improve ourselves simply through hard work and school. My sister and I went to public schools our entire lives until we both received scholarships to college. In college, I became involved in social change and mobilizing people to advocate for the betterment of their communities.
Reading Senator Obama's memoir, I understood why he stayed in Chicago and could appreciate some of the difficulties he faced in learning his own identity. I also know how hard it is to choose a career, such as his in community organizing, that is not lucrative and is outside the norm. He did these things because he felt he had to.
And Sashi herself went on to do work that needed to be done, leading a group of students on a HIV/AIDS peer education trip throughout South India after college, interning with the World Organization Against Torture, working in an NGO for 2 years in microfinance, and working on economic development issues in Sri Lanka. When she read Senator Obama's first book, she found someone as committed to the same principles she valued -- and so, what seems like ages ago, started recommending the memoir to anyone who might listen.
But she knew that wasn't enough.
During the primaries and over the summer, Sashi got seriously involved in the campaign and canvassed in Pennsylvania and also Northern Virginia, where she currently lives. She recruited lots of friends to join her in canvassing and phone banking and she also donated to the campaign.
I've been a pretty outspoken advocate of Senator Obama, because I want people to know that his supporters are not afraid to talk politics and not afraid to confront the major issues. If we can't talk about these things then are we really informed voters?
Now with only six days to go, Sashi and thousands of other Virginian and Floridian volunteers are making the final push to prove, as she says, "that grassroots movements and communities CAN have a voice in government."
Every door knocked is one step closer to electing the first President to inspire our nation to be global citizens and local community organizers; a President who knows that the American Dream is alive in red states and blue states; in public schools and private schools; and on the main streets of small towns everywhere, from South Florida to Northern Virginia.
Vote Hope.
And get out there:
This blog was written by Jennifer, a volunteer from the Upper Valley for Obama Team Nestled in the beautiful landscape of Hanover, NH, the Kendal retirement community is renowned for its active, engaged senior residents. A dedicated group of Obama campaign volunteers from Kendal demonstrates why this reputation is well-deserved. For several weeks now, Kendal residents have been holding their own phone bank for Obama out of their residences, with Edie taking the lead in organizing their efforts. The dedicated group has proven to be quite a force in reaching out to New Hampshire voters throughout the state, smashing their own calling records and earning a special trophy from campaign staff (seen below). How do they do it? Each morning, Edie's pie basket (also seen below) appears with fresh calling packets for volunteers to pick up. By evening, packets are returned to the pie basket to be picked up by staffers for data entry. The next day, the process starts again, and hundreds of calls are made. Hats off to our great team of Kendal volunteers!
This blog was written by Jennifer, a volunteer from the Upper Valley for Obama Team
Nestled in the beautiful landscape of Hanover, NH, the Kendal retirement community is renowned for its active, engaged senior residents. A dedicated group of Obama campaign volunteers from Kendal demonstrates why this reputation is well-deserved.
For several weeks now, Kendal residents have been holding their own phone bank for Obama out of their residences, with Edie taking the lead in organizing their efforts. The dedicated group has proven to be quite a force in reaching out to New Hampshire voters throughout the state, smashing their own calling records and earning a special trophy from campaign staff (seen below).
How do they do it? Each morning, Edie's pie basket (also seen below) appears with fresh calling packets for volunteers to pick up. By evening, packets are returned to the pie basket to be picked up by staffers for data entry. The next day, the process starts again, and hundreds of calls are made.
Hats off to our great team of Kendal volunteers!
If you'd like to get active and help out the efforts of our great Kendal team on the phones, find your local field office and get involved. Get Out The Vote starts tomorrow, so we need your help now more than ever. If you can't make it in to your local office, or if you have limited time to volunteer, think about using Neighbor to Neighbor, our online call tool, to make calls whenever it is convenient for you.
Whether you're Joe the Plumber, Renee the Computer Technician, or Sarah the Blogger -- you're concerned about your taxes. With good reason.
That's why Barack Obama has a tax plan that lowers taxes for Joe, Renee, bloggers everywhere and another 95% of working Americans.
But as Renee knows well: a lot of people only know what they hear in the negative ads on television.
The McCain campaign has been relentless about repeating misinformation about Barack Obama's tax plan. But the good news is: what's going to happen to your tax rate is actually very clear. Senator Obama's plan is undeniably better for the average working class American. When I meet people who think Obama is going to raise their taxes, I don't just tell them it's not true -- I send them links to any number of non-partisan tax calculator sites that will do the math for them. All of the people I've done this for find they'll have lower taxes with Barack Obama as their President. I know I will.
By now Renee, a proud single mother of an adopted daughter, has done enough volunteer work for Barack Obama that she knows what voters want: facts, not attacks. So when she phonebanks to swing states all over the country -- states like Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado -- she's ready with the facts. She tells them about Barack's healthcare plan which will lower costs for working families and cover every child in America. She talks about Barack's plans to rejuvenate the middle class. And she sends Barack's pamphlet outlining all the issues, "Blueprint for Change" to anyone who's interested in learning more about the specific topics they care about most.
I'm 46 years old and I've always voted. But I've never done anything like this.
In addition to phonebanking, Renee has been hosting house parties for Barack since the primaries and here's how she says you do it:
1) Post your event online at My.BarackObama.com.
2) Sit back.
3) Watch as 10, 20, 30 people from all walks of life show up at your home to talk about Barack Obama.
In Renee's experience, she saw everyone from college students to senior citizens to neighbors she didn't even know she had.
What's so important about Obama is that he inspires regular people to get involved. That's the best thing about him. And not just volunteering -- I think people are really thinking about government differently. The dirty name of politics might not be so dirty when he's done -- people might even look at those types of office as honest again.
And in fact, the best evidence she has to back up that idea is right in her own living room:
If my ten-year-old daughter walks into a room and he's on TV speaking, she stops and listens to him. I like the fact that he is making public service honorable. I like the fact that my daughter can look at him and his family and see people that look like her and that have worked very hard and are doing what they believe to be best for this country. It encourages me to see in her eyes the possibility that she really can do anything no matter what her race or gender.
You still have time to make sure Barack Obama is elected President of the United States. Join Renee, her daughter, electricians, plumbers, shoe salesmen, secretaries, store clerks, teachers and hard working Americans all across this country who are volunteering for change.
I'm about to head out to vote early and volunteer on the local Obama headquarters phone bank for awhile. I want to be available to help get out the vote for Obama on Nov. 4, and if I've already voted, I have more time to help.
I have to stop off at the bank on the way.
I have never gotten involved in campaigning for any candidate in the past and I'm 47 years old. I was old enough to vote in the 1980 presidential election, and I've voted regularly ever since. But I've never seen such an important election in my lifetime as this one. The last most important election prior to my birth was in 1960 when JFK was elected. I feel this is an election of that magnitude. In 1960 the world was changing fast and we needed fresh leadership with a true vision for the country.
Today we are faced with some similar needs and some different ones. We need vision and leadership and calm to deal with the financial crisis the world is going into.This is turning into a global recession. The far east markets overnight dropped dramatically and our own stock exchange opened and plummetted again. We need a mix of JFK and FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt, the only President to be elected 4 times in a row before term limits were imposed).
FDR was a Democrat and he took office in 1932 when the great depression was gripping the country. He was president until he died in office, and Harry Truman, the vice-president took over the presidency and had the responsibility of ending WW II.
Those men were great leaders, and all were Democrats. The only Republican president I feel that even comes close was Ronald Reagan, and then only on leadership. He started trickle-down economics and continued deregulation that has finally culminated in our current financial quagmire. Reagan wasn't the only one to deregulate, but he did a lot of deregulating that paved the way for more deregulation. He was also responsible for the start of redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the rich.
I believe Barack Obama has the qualities of both JFK and FDR to take this country and move it forward, help lead the world out of the recession and begin a new time of prosperity for America with new industry built around independence from oil (not just foreign oil, oil period). When we develop the new energy technologies, we can share them with the world and wean everyone off of oil as an energy source. I also believe he has the steady temperament to bring us out of the war in Iraq and get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. The Iraq war is turning into a mess and we must end it responsibly but quickly and redeploy troops to Afghannistan to take down the Taliban and al Quaeda.
President GW Bush made a grave error going into Iraq. His father, GHW Bush, did not and would not make a similar mistake. He had far better judgement. I feel John McCain and all his Maverick-ness would be as reckless or more so than the current president Bush concerning war in the middle east. I can see him leaving troops in Iraq for decades and continuing to fail to get bin Laden. My dad was a life-long sailor, and he would not have agreed with the course the military has taken in the last 6 years.
As I have said previously, I'm a Republican (for now) but I've never voted along party lines. I've always voted for the candidates that share my vision and values for Louisiana and the U.S. So in many cases, I've voted for Democrats, Independents, a few Republicans, and even one Libertarian along the way. I registered as a Republican because my parents were Republicans, although my mom may have changed her party affiliation when she moved to Texas after Hurricane Katrina. I believe she's a Democrat now because she was able to vote for Barack Obama in the primary in Texas. I'll be changing my affiliation to either Democrat or Independent. I need to check the voting rules and see which affiliation gives me the biggest opportunities for vote. Here, Independents can vote in Democratic primaries and elections, and in the small party primaries, too. Democrats can't always vote in the small party primaries and elections. I'll have to see, but I want to be able to have the widest range of choices and the biggest influence.
In Louisiana you get a lot of opportunities to exercise your civic duty and vote. We have around 5 or more elections a year for various reasons, from Sheriff to State Constitutional Amendments to run-offs. Here, if any candidate running for office doesn't reach a simple majority (50% + 1), then the top two candidates are put in a run-off election to choose between them. We had an election on October 4 in case the election for Mayor resulted in a run-off. There are some judges that are in run-offs for the Nov. 4 election.
Louisiana's election system is a pain, but you have lots of opportunities to make sure your name is on the voter roles long before a major election day arrives. I'm set. I voted without trouble on Oct. 4. But, I've had the same address and the same ward and precinct for 15 years and that solves a lot of problems.
I'd better stop writing and get moving!
Sherri
Can't make it in to your local Campaign for Change office, but still want to volunteer? Working out of a local office is the best way to get involved, but if you can't make it in, you can use our online Neighbor to Neighbor tool to reach out to undecided voters in around the state by phone or in your neighborhood. Using Neighbor to Neighbor, you can print off walk lists, scripts, and maps to go door to door talking to your neighbors about the change Barack would bring - the most effective form of voter contact.
You can also get names and phone numbers of undecided voters around the state, and make calls from your own home. There are scripts available, so whether you have a few hours or a few days, you can help bring the change Michigan needs without even leaving your home!
Okay, out here we have low manning Fridays since it's the Afghans weekly religious holiday.
Since I don't have to be at work at 6am as usual I'm going to take a nap after I get back from the shower (3hrs in the gym is on the menu tonight BRUTAL) and get up by 230am local time.
It will be 6pm on Thurday in the states and that will give me two hours of calling. I hope to knock out 50 calls in that time...maybe more. On the weekend I'll be able to call at normal hours here (730pm) since it'll be late morning there. It should work out well.
My poster came in the mail but my t-shirt and magnet didn't. Does it sound weird to say I'm sad? Oh well, I can't wait for my Barack the Builder t-shirt to get here LOL.
Siobhan
0941, Kabul
So...last night I stayed up a bit late...about 0030 and made calls with the hopes that I had waited long enough for people to be home (remember 8.5hrs ahead). Not so much luck there but I did spend 45 minutes on the phone with a voter in PA who identified herself as undecided.
When I reached her I stated who I was and asked if she was voting. She said she was undecided. So I gave my quick story on the military and my view and asked her if she had any questions on any specific issues.
Well...when it rains it pours. Let's just say I'm very happy I'm familar with Mr. Obama's platform, had a copy of the "Blueprint for America" with me, and was aware of the truth in all the smear ads. We went from Healthcare, to negative campaigning, to Miltiary concerns, to the GWOT, women's health (had to clarify pro-abortion vs pro-life) and gun control. I answered all her question to the best of my knowledge (so I hope that was enough) and referenced the Blueprint (Whew).
While talking with her I FINALLY understood how someone could still be undecided. She and her husband have had alot of health concerns and issues with money. In other words they were more concerned with their day to day survival than the campaigns. They didn't have a tv until recently and they don't have internet access at home.
She describes the area she lives in as the backwoods both campaigns talk about so much. She told me that people pass around that fake NRA flyer about the Obama campaign but they don't know it's fake (she was unsure if it was or not so I clarified) and her husband works in a hunter shop, earning minimum wage, so gun control is a concern (the flyer claims Mr. Obama will close gun shops).
Her major concern was healthcare (the cost of some of the stuff she's been through without insurance is crazy) and she shared her concern for others who could end up in the situation she used to be in. She felt both camps put out conflicting data so it's hard to understand what the truth is unless you are actively researching the issues.
By the end of our conversation she said I cleared up much of the information she was confused about and that she would come visit the website, which she wrote down, via a public terminal. She said that she was definately more interested in Barack Obama as a candidate since so many of his views seems to match up with hers.
So...I only ended up making 6 calls last night but like the one 20 minute call I had on my first night (with a now Obama campaign volunteer) I felt that really speaking to that one person made a difference.
I am going to hold off until the weekend (in the states) to make anymore calls after I finish my current list. It seems to make more sense to call during the day ON THE WEEKEND. I will try for about 150 calls over the weekend (Friday night through Sunday night) averaging about 50 calls a day.
My real goal is 300 calls but I have to be realistic about missions and such happening.
I also set up a fundraising site with a goal of a $1000.00. I'm already started emailing it around so we'll see how that goes.
Has anyone been on this site before: www.ifkidscouldvote.com ? I bought the horrendously cute Barack The Builder t-shirt. As soon as my campaign poster comes in I'm going to pose with everything, take pictures, and update all my websites LOL. (My myspace will get it first www.myspace.com/hipployta)
beautiful kisses from chilly Kabul, Siobhan
I just finished listening to the Neighbor to Neighbor webinar and I'm going to start making calls to Indiana as soon as I finish dinner. I would start calling Florida tonight, but they are on Eastern time and I am on Central time. Indiana is still on the same time zone as I am for at least a few more days to a week. We change to and from daylight savings time and Indiana doesn't.
My grandparents, great grandparents, mother, father and sister are from Indiana, and my aunt, uncle and some cousins still live there and vote there, so I feel I have more of a connection with Indiana. I'm also a Republican for Obama, and many Hoosiers are Republicans, so I can connect well with them on that note.
I have plans to change to the Democratic party as soon as this election cycle is over to protest the direction the Republican party has taken. But for now, I want my solid voter registration to stay intact so I can vote without incident on Nov. 4 if I can't get over to the early voting office this week in Baton Rouge.
I'm going to heat up some leftovers and get busy on my computer. I think I can make my laptop microphone work and use my headphones and I shouldn't create any feedback. If I have problems, I'll get a USB headset tomorrow and start calling again tomorrow evening.
I can't afford to give money, but I can give my time and effort to help make sure Barack Obama is our next President.
Barack says in his speeches, ads, and i even found it on the script of my neighbor-to-neighbor walklist, that in order for change to truly take place we all have to want it to. I hope that "Turning off the TV" goes beyond rhetoric and hyperbole this time around.
Barack has done alot to energize a great many of us, and my hope is that if he is elected our energy does not dwindle back into complacency and that we don't rely on Washington to bring us all the change we need. In doing neighbor-to-neighbor canvassing, while i may only be able to dedicated four or five hours a week to it, i have relearned why volunteering is so crucial to the spirit of our country.
Do you want to be involved in a battleground but don't have the time to drive for change or go into your local office? You can still make a direct impact in New Hampshire, a critical battleground state, by using Neighbor to Neighbor to make calls or get canvass lists right from your home computer.
Our Neighbor to Neighbor tool makes it easy to get in touch with voters in your community. Recently, Jill Biden visited our office in Chicago and used Neighbor to Neighbor to contact voters in a battleground state near her. Check out this short video of her experience:
We need your support now, and Neighbor to Neighbor helps you be involved no matter where you live, on whatever schedule that is convenient for you.
You can make a huge impact in this election. If you can make calls anytime between now and Election Day, sign up now and make a commitment to battle for every vote with us.
We need your support now, and Neighbor to Neighbor helps you be involved no matter where you live, on whatever schedule that is convenient for you. You can choose what campaign you would like to be involved in:
After months of phonebanking for Obama, Helaine had an epiphany.
A phone solicitor selling something or other called, and he asked if he could have a moment of my time. I said sure. If I could have a moment of his.
A phone solicitor selling something or other called, and he asked if he could have a moment of my time.
I said sure. If I could have a moment of his.
She's been educating phone solicitors ever since. "That's our thing, right? One voter at a time!" she says, laughing.
Helaine is "a 63-year-old Jewish Independent, retired and on Social Security," living in South Carolina. She volunteers regularly at the Obama headquarters in her small, southern town -- and since South Carolina is a pretty red state, she spends much of her time phonebanking to the critical swing states.
"Our motto is: work like you're 20 points behind," she says. And talking to Helaine about all the extraordinary work she and her fellow South Carolinian volunteers are doing -- they must have that motto taped to the wall.
There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama is the one unique person we need at this time to change the direction of our country. He is intelligent, honest and instills hope at a time our country is desperate for it. He has the judgment and temperament to become one of the best presidents ever. I haven’t felt this way since JFK. Barack has inspired the younger generation to get involved in a politics the older generation regards as cynical and one that cannot be changed. He represents and brings out the best in all of us. It’s so obvious that he is the future and his opponent is the past.
Exactly.
So let's work like we're 20 points behind, and put everything we can into helping out in these crucial swing states: Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Nevada, Minnesota, Iowa -- even Indiana and North Carolina.
Let's redraw the political map.
Do you live near any of these states?
Road trip!
Do you have a phone?
Here's one:
Before you get going, here's a few more inspiring words from Helaine:
The world is watching and has a vested interest in the outcome of this race. The stakes couldn't be higher. Barack Obama has forward vision -- he does not have the "if you're not for us, you're against us" war mentality of the past as does his opponent. I feel he would be a great Commander-in-Chief because he would use diplomacy as well as force only when absolutely necessary. He would once again make America great in the eyes of the countries of the world. This is our time. I feel we’ve come to an important crossroads in our lives, in the direction of this country and the world. I am glad to be living in a time when my decision can make such a difference in the path our country will be taking. We cannot allow four more years of the same disastrous policies. I truly want to thank Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama for their great sacrifice for our country to finally put the American people first. We will not let them down.
The world is watching and has a vested interest in the outcome of this race. The stakes couldn't be higher. Barack Obama has forward vision -- he does not have the "if you're not for us, you're against us" war mentality of the past as does his opponent. I feel he would be a great Commander-in-Chief because he would use diplomacy as well as force only when absolutely necessary. He would once again make America great in the eyes of the countries of the world.
This is our time. I feel we’ve come to an important crossroads in our lives, in the direction of this country and the world. I am glad to be living in a time when my decision can make such a difference in the path our country will be taking. We cannot allow four more years of the same disastrous policies. I truly want to thank Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama for their great sacrifice for our country to finally put the American people first. We will not let them down.
Right?
Marla is a home health therapist in Florida -- when elderly patients come home from the hospital, she's there to help them get around the house, get dressed, navigate the shower, and balance their checkbook.
This part of Florida is like the deep South -- most of my patients think they should be Republicans. Hey, I thought I was a Republican.
That was before she really started looking into the issues. Once Marla found out about Barack's plan to initiate a new era of affordable healthcare that would put the interests of patients first, she started to lean towards Obama. When she learned that Barack has been against this war from the beginning, (and Marla has a cousin of her own who will be deployed to iraq this winter) she really started to take Obama seriously. Then, looking at Barack's plan to jumpstart the economy, and his plan to protect Social Security, and it all made a lot of sense to Marla. In fact the more she learned, the more impressed she became.
At the beginning, it was a question of getting informed. Now it's a question of making the effort to get that information out there.
And if those are the questions, Marla is making sure that she is part of the answer. Using the Neighbor to Neighbor tool, Marla has canvassed an impressive 250 neighbors in her tiny community, all by herself.
I remember what my questions were about Barack Obama, my reservations -- and so that's what I talk about when people open the door. One issue in particular that resonates with many of the older Florida folks is of course Social Security. I talk about it with my clients all the time. The problem is: people don't really know what privatizing Social Security means. First things first: John McCain wants to privatize Social Security, Barack Obama does not. McCain makes no bones about it. But people still don't really know what that entails. They look at stocks going up and down on Wall Street, and they think that's just about the fat cats who can afford to play the market. So I tell people -- you know how you keep waking up every day and the stock market keeps dropping 200, 500, 700 points? Privatizing Social Security means that your money, your Social Security gets put into the stock market -- and your money, your Social Security could drop 200, 500, 700 points. That's a good way to convert a Florida McCain supporter.
I remember what my questions were about Barack Obama, my reservations -- and so that's what I talk about when people open the door. One issue in particular that resonates with many of the older Florida folks is of course Social Security. I talk about it with my clients all the time. The problem is: people don't really know what privatizing Social Security means.
First things first: John McCain wants to privatize Social Security, Barack Obama does not. McCain makes no bones about it. But people still don't really know what that entails. They look at stocks going up and down on Wall Street, and they think that's just about the fat cats who can afford to play the market. So I tell people -- you know how you keep waking up every day and the stock market keeps dropping 200, 500, 700 points? Privatizing Social Security means that your money, your Social Security gets put into the stock market -- and your money, your Social Security could drop 200, 500, 700 points.
That's a good way to convert a Florida McCain supporter.
Marla is full of good ways to convert McCain supporters -- often pointing out that Barack Obama recently paid off his student loans. That he was raised by single mom and his grandparents, sometimes on food stamps. And that John McCain, on the other hand, has seven houses.
If you have too much money, you can't possibly begin to understand people like my mom who won't be able to pay her electric bill at the end of the month.
Which is why Marla's whole family, who she describes, "very, very Catholic," are all voting for Barack Obama.
Of course there are a lot of Catholics who vote Republican because of one or two issues. But we're talking about the future of this country -- and we have to look at the broader picture: healthcare, the economy, education, Social Security, the way we're respected around the world. Barack is the clear choice when it comes to any of these issues.
Please help Marla continue to keep up the good work educating residents in Florida -- a critical swing state -- one voter at a time. You can even call Florida residents right now, using this handy calling tool.
And wherever you are, check out Neighbor to Neighbor like Marla did -- which gives you the names and addresses of people right in your neighborhood -- and start talking to some people on your own block:
This election is too important to sit on the sidelines -- so get out there, and get started!
