Things have been pretty busy lately (needless to say) but I wanted to take a quick moment to give you an update about some interesting facts and stories from the past week or so.
Voter Registration: The Obama-Biden campaign is committed to enabling as many people as possible to exercise their fundamental right to vote. But you have to registered in order to vote, and the campaign has been very successful in ensuring that every eligible voter is on the rolls.
Taking Virginia as an example, just a week ago a group of committed HS students travelled down to Virginia from Maryland where they knocked on an astounding 12,000 doors in a single weekend.
It's this kind of hard work that has resulted in the numbers described below.
Virginia now has more than five million registered voters, a new record, as of the deadline for registration for the fall election closed on Oct. 6th, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections. The total number of registered voters in Virginia is now 5,021,933. Since January, Virginia, a swing state this cycle, has experienced a net gain of 436,000 new voters, including what they call an "onslaught" of new voters in the last week of registration. Nearly 40 percent of the newly registered voters across the state are under the age of 25. Trends show that, regardless of age, females represent the majority of new registered voters. Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/15/1549807.aspx
Virginia now has more than five million registered voters, a new record, as of the deadline for registration for the fall election closed on Oct. 6th, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections.
The total number of registered voters in Virginia is now 5,021,933.
Since January, Virginia, a swing state this cycle, has experienced a net gain of 436,000 new voters, including what they call an "onslaught" of new voters in the last week of registration.
Nearly 40 percent of the newly registered voters across the state are under the age of 25. Trends show that, regardless of age, females represent the majority of new registered voters.
Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/15/1549807.aspx
VoteforChange.com
One of the key components of our voter registration efforts has been www.voteforchange.com
This website is a one-stop shop for voter registration.
This website also will allow you to request an absentee ballot, check your registration status, and even find your polling location for election day.
You can check it out on Facebook as well at http://apps.facebook.com/obama/
Debate
Near the very end of the final presidential debate last Wednesday night, Obama stated:
"I also have to disagree on Sen. McCain's record when it comes to college accessibility and affordability."Recently his key economic adviser was asked about why he didn't seem to have some specific programs to help young people go to college and the response was, well, you know, we can't give money to every interest group that comes along."I don't think America's youth are interest groups, I think they're our future."
"I also have to disagree on Sen. McCain's record when it comes to college accessibility and affordability.
"Recently his key economic adviser was asked about why he didn't seem to have some specific programs to help young people go to college and the response was, well, you know, we can't give money to every interest group that comes along.
"I don't think America's youth are interest groups, I think they're our future."
From Day 1 through the present, Senator Obama has understood that investing in young people is an investment in our future. As President, he will follow through on his promises to make college accessible and affordable to all Americans.
Campaign Is Putting Their Money Where Their Mouths Are
In addition to our strong field outreach, our campaign has been doing a variety of innovative advertising designed to reach out to younger voters and make sure we don't leave anyone out. We're continuing this commitment through the end, and are excited to see the initial result of our efforts both on the ground and on the air on Election Day. You may have read recently that the Obama-Biden campaign is the first presidential campaign to take out virtual advertisements in video games.
The Talk
The campaign recently unveiled this website about having "The Talk" with your parents and grandparents. This may not be "The Talk" you're thinking about though...instead it's about talking to your parents and grandparents about supporting Senator Obama. While intimidating for many young people to initiate, I think we've already seen the impact of these cross-generational conversations. You can check out the whole website here at: my.barackobama.com/thetalk
Blog
Finally, I'm very proud of the blog we have up and running at students.barackobama.com, it's being constantly updated with stories and anecdotes relevant to youth on the campaign trail, I hope all of you continue to regularly check it out.
I first saw Senator Obama speak at UNH, the same weekend in February 2007 that he announced his historic candidacy.He was amazing. He's well versed on any topic you can throw at him, and it's easy to tell there is nothing glib or simple to his answers. He has really thought about all the issues that are important to Americans; thought deeply, and critically, and examined issues from all sides. I support him for so many reasons, but chief among them is his ability to wed hope and practicality, all the while steered by not ideology, but facts.My big issue is climate change. I think it's tied to everything; foreign policy, national security, energy security, biodiversity loss, rising health care costs. So many of our problems stem from our poor management of our local and global environment. Science has been attacked for decades by people more concerned about their yacht than the health of the fauna in the ocean. Senator Obama respects science and the incredible ability it gives us to help shape our future, for better or worse. He will enact policies that reflect what our best scientists are telling us: that we have much to do, and soon. The world needs a leader in America, not a reckless consumer, and yet that has been our legacy over the last eight years.My role in helping elect Barack Obama started out immediately after he visited my campus: I became Vice President of the fledgling UNH Students for Barack Obama group. I was a campaign intern in the days leading up to the NH primary, and afterwards I volunteered in MA, RI, and ME.Now I'm president of our student group on campus, and we're very active and growing. The energy that poured onto campus with the wave of freshmen is almost palpable. We are excited about the chance to make our mark on history, and the hours we put into reaching out to other students show it. From now until Election Day, we'll be registering students, holding informative and fun events to get students involved and thinking about the issues, and canvassing and phonebanking the surrounding community for Obama.There's lots of work to do. I dare you to go to the nearest Local Field Office, find an organizer, look them in the eye, and say: "I'm free Wednesdays in the afternoon." Or some variation of that, depending on your schedule. Incidentally, Women's Wednesdays are phonebanking opportunities for women to speak directly to women about how Obama's candidacy is the one that will ensure equal pay for equal work, reproductive rights, and a healing economy.Or, if you're a more restless type, canvassing in the fall in New England is the best way you can spend time outdoors! Beautiful turning leaves and undecided voters abound. It's my favorite way to volunteer, and far and away the most effective.If you haven't yet, please, get involved now. The organizers need your energy and your passion; it's the way New Hampshire is always won. Sign up for a Women's Week event HERE or to volunteer go HERE.Fired up!Morgan(Morgan is below wedged between Barack and the guy in the blue Obama shirt)
I first saw Senator Obama speak at UNH, the same weekend in February 2007 that he announced his historic candidacy.
He was amazing. He's well versed on any topic you can throw at him, and it's easy to tell there is nothing glib or simple to his answers. He has really thought about all the issues that are important to Americans; thought deeply, and critically, and examined issues from all sides. I support him for so many reasons, but chief among them is his ability to wed hope and practicality, all the while steered by not ideology, but facts.
My big issue is climate change. I think it's tied to everything; foreign policy, national security, energy security, biodiversity loss, rising health care costs. So many of our problems stem from our poor management of our local and global environment. Science has been attacked for decades by people more concerned about their yacht than the health of the fauna in the ocean. Senator Obama respects science and the incredible ability it gives us to help shape our future, for better or worse. He will enact policies that reflect what our best scientists are telling us: that we have much to do, and soon. The world needs a leader in America, not a reckless consumer, and yet that has been our legacy over the last eight years.
My role in helping elect Barack Obama started out immediately after he visited my campus: I became Vice President of the fledgling UNH Students for Barack Obama group. I was a campaign intern in the days leading up to the NH primary, and afterwards I volunteered in MA, RI, and ME.
Now I'm president of our student group on campus, and we're very active and growing. The energy that poured onto campus with the wave of freshmen is almost palpable. We are excited about the chance to make our mark on history, and the hours we put into reaching out to other students show it. From now until Election Day, we'll be registering students, holding informative and fun events to get students involved and thinking about the issues, and canvassing and phonebanking the surrounding community for Obama.
There's lots of work to do. I dare you to go to the nearest Local Field Office, find an organizer, look them in the eye, and say: "I'm free Wednesdays in the afternoon." Or some variation of that, depending on your schedule. Incidentally, Women's Wednesdays are phonebanking opportunities for women to speak directly to women about how Obama's candidacy is the one that will ensure equal pay for equal work, reproductive rights, and a healing economy.
Or, if you're a more restless type, canvassing in the fall in New England is the best way you can spend time outdoors! Beautiful turning leaves and undecided voters abound. It's my favorite way to volunteer, and far and away the most effective.
If you haven't yet, please, get involved now. The organizers need your energy and your passion; it's the way New Hampshire is always won. Sign up for a Women's Week event HERE or to volunteer go HERE.
Fired up!
Morgan(Morgan is below wedged between Barack and the guy in the blue Obama shirt)
Hello Louisiana Obama Supporters!
Students for Barack Obama (SFBO) in Louisiana has a new State Leadership Team.
We have currently been charged with and will be working hard to establish Students for Barack Obama Chapters at Colleges & Universities throughout the State. High Schools are also welcomed to form a SFBO Chapter. For instructions on how to formally establish a SFBO Chapter, please e-mail cdixon@studentsforbarackobama.com. Additionally, if you would like to join an existing chapter please visit http://students.barackobama.com/ and click on the find a chapter link on the right.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do to ensure that Barack Obama is elected as the next President of the United States.
Candice M. DixonObama Organizing FellowLouisiana State CoordinatorStudents for Barack Obamacdixon@studentsforbarackobama.com(225) 341-1580
A Youthful Perspective from Keyanna - Valuable Insights for ALL:
Today, I was asked by a colleague to explain why I am “SO FIRED UP” and “READY TO GO” for Barack Obama. All of you are well aware of my support for Barack Obama and it allowed a moment for me to express my views.
To begin, I want to stress the importance of my age and ask that you step into the eyes of my generation. I am overcome with sadness because I draw a blank when trying to think of even one inspirational leader of my generation. You see, many of you came along not too long after the civil rights movement. This movement allowed you the ability to dream and to hope for a better future. You had the opportunity to glance back and envision leaders of those times such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Bobby Kennedy, etc. You also had the opportunity to connect with their passion and hard work to later become destined to make your mark in America.
Well, times have changed! My generation looks back and sees King’s dream as thing of the past. We see that we have overcome certain challenges and no longer need to hold on to this myth that we have been told. It does not help that our parents have fought a good fight and now feels the obligation to shield us from that fight. They wanted a better life for us so they worked tirelessly to provide us with that life. Nevertheless, they have forgotten that it was that fight that taught them character and meaning in this world.
So again I have been looking for those leaders who can reach our youth. I find that many individuals who have climbed the “ladder” of success often forget that they were once standing at the bottom looking up and dreaming about climbing. I challenge them now to climb down that “ladder” for moment and think about when they were at the bottom. Now, envision the current youth at the bottom and tell me what you see. The world has changed and new problems and obstacles are waiting to tackle those young minds before they even start to think about climbing that “ladder.” This is a NEW day with NEW problems that face our youth and we need a NEW leader with the vision of HOPE. What worked for your generation going up no longer applies to the challenges that we face today. What worked in the ‘90’s is no longer applicable to the challenges that we face today.
Presently, my generation lacks leaders to inspire and give us hope. Consequently, we turn to the entertainment and sports industry and idolize these individuals instead. The net result is that our children are growing up not wanting to be “The Great Debaters” but rather the new Jay-Z, 50-cent, Kanye West, or “American Gangsta”. This is a problem that cannot be overlooked. You must understand that these are individuals that you will be turning this country over to very soon. The crisis that we face requires every individual to stand up and make a CHANGE! At age 23, I have attended many more funerals than desired. “How many more funerals must I attend before you decide that this is something of grave importance?
I realize that my friends and I are the minority who are blessed to transcend this epidemic and mobilize ourselves up the “ladder.” However, I feel the need to emphasize that there are too many people not attempting that mobilization and that should open your eyes to the world you are leaving your children. As we all know, you may raise your children in the correct manner, but when they leave your presence they are in someone else’s territory. I am familiar with that territory and to answer your questions, it is as bad as it seems and it is not getting better. I want you to really see the black community and tell me if your children do not deserve better.
Through all of the despair there is still HOPE. I was reminded by a friend that not all children have hope. Some are born into a cruel world and were not fed hope, inspiration, or motivation. Some were fed the realities of this brutal world, which leads to destruction. We need our youth to have HOPE again. We need our youth to believe in the beauty of a DREAM. It was this belief that pushed me along and I am afraid that we are losing that by the day.
When I first listened to Barack Obama, something came alive within me. It was only then that I was fully aware of the desperation from which we suffer. I saw what he was offering the world and realized that it is what we have been missing all along, HOPE. I believe so strongly that this generation deserves the right to have a leader who can inspire us to become better. This is a movement that is long overdue. Many people show concern for the state of our nation but I show concern for the state of our race. I long for the day that African-Americans grace the polls in massive numbers. As you vote, I want you to take your children and express to them that you are casting a vote for the first African-American President. They may display cynicism by the thought, but the day is coming when they will turn on the television and see the first African-American President being inaugurated into office. I pray that many will say, “Jay-Z is cool, but I want to be like Barack Obama.” We have the opportunity to bring our dreams into reality and give our children the right to dream again. Just think about it…
Idaho Students for Barack Obama needs student volunteers on every college campus in Idaho. Since Idaho's caucus is one of the earliest (Feb 5th), Idahoans are in a unique position to make a significant impact on the 2008 Presidential election. We are looking for students who are willing to create or participate in local chapters, canvass neighborhoods, organize events in your community, and fill regional & statewide leadership positions. Whether you can volunteer for 2 hours or 200 hours, we need you! Whether this is your first campaign or your 15th, we need you! This is also a great opportunity to earn internship credits, build your resume, or just show your support for Senator Obama by demonstrating that the youth of America truly care about the future of our country. To find out how you can make a difference, please contact Stacy at 208-859-5739 or email herbgirl1012@msn.com
Stacy Falkner
State Coordinator
Students for Barack Obama
Early this morning this morning Latoia Jones President of the College Democrats of America announced that Senator Obama will be speaking at the opening ceremonies of the 2007 CDA convention in at the University of South Carolina in Columbia South Carolina July 26-29. (see the "extended entry" for the full announcement)
This is a great chance for the leaders of the Democratic Party on campuses across America to see first hand why their fellow students are so supportive of Obama's campaign for hope.
“I am looking forward to seeing all the College Democrats in South Carolina,” said Senator Barack Obama. “Thousands of young people are getting involved in this campaign because they see it as a powerful way to change our country. I’m pleased to see young organizers taking leadership roles at the grassroots level, and I hope that College Democrats everywhere will get involved in our student organization.”
We have an unmatched, in fact unprecedented, student campaign, with over 60,000 individual student members and nearly 400 chapters on campuses around the country. If I had to guess, I'd say that Students for Barack Obama has been so successful is that it is organic and self organized. SFBO was started by students before Senator Obama even declared his candidacy. To this day SFBO is student run and organized. We are formally part of the campaign now, which gives us access to many more resources but the campaign has never tried to "take over" we (students) continue to lead a student run organization.
For more information or to register for the CDA Convention, head over to convention.collegedems.com
We would love to see all of you at the CDA Convention. This event is an incredible opportunity for us to come together as an organization—and to get to know some of the best college organizers in the country. The convention also gives us a chance to show the country how much College Democrats love Barack—please sign up today!
If you have not already signed up, you can do so by visiting Link. Registration is $55 if you register before July 1st. The cost goes up after July 1st, so don’t wait! Housing is available on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at $115.
When you sign up, please make sure to include your Students for Barack Obama role in the “Title” field. For example, you should write “Field Coordinator, Texas State Students for Barack Obama.”
The Barack Obama campaign has announced a new and exciting contest to encourage members of my.barackobama.com to reach out and get their friends involved.
Two people will have the opportunity to have Senator make them a personalized voicemail recording. Imagine having your friends call you and hearing "Hey, this is Senator Obama sorry my friend [your name] isn't available".
It's a great and unique opportunity for everyone to participate in, not just the rich or elite. All you need to do to win is just get all your friends and family to chip in $5 and your golden.
Below is the message from the campaign with all the details and rules.
-Nate
The individual who raises the most money and the individual with the largest number of contributions on their personal fundraising page at the end of this week will each get a message from Barack. To make it fair to those who have already started, we’ll measure everyone’s total from the beginning of this week. Hopefully this will be a fun competition for this already dedicated community, and the end result will be great for the campaign. Log in now and get started: My.BarackObama.com You have until 11:59 pm this Saturday, June 30th to reach out to as many of your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors as you can. Inspire them to join our movement and support our campaign during this crucial week. All you need to do is log on to My.BarackObama.com, go to your personal fundraising page, and follow the simple steps to send out an email to your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. Anyone who contributes to your page before midnight on Saturday June 30th will be counted toward your goal. Please note that in order for a donation to be attributed to you, your donor must donate directly through your personal fundraising page and not through the main Barack Obama donation interface.
To make it fair to those who have already started, we’ll measure everyone’s total from the beginning of this week.
Hopefully this will be a fun competition for this already dedicated community, and the end result will be great for the campaign.
Log in now and get started: My.BarackObama.com
You have until 11:59 pm this Saturday, June 30th to reach out to as many of your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors as you can. Inspire them to join our movement and support our campaign during this crucial week.
All you need to do is log on to My.BarackObama.com, go to your personal fundraising page, and follow the simple steps to send out an email to your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. Anyone who contributes to your page before midnight on Saturday June 30th will be counted toward your goal.
Please note that in order for a donation to be attributed to you, your donor must donate directly through your personal fundraising page and not through the main Barack Obama donation interface.
To the doubters, I say today; You Sir or Madam are wrong. We (America’s youth) will turn out, we will volunteer and we will make a difference.
Alone I am a movement, together we are a force! A force that is energized and activated like never before.
I need only point you to an article in the Daily Iowan to demonstrate my point High-Schoolers Work On Voters. In a scene replicated throughout the country, High School students are getting involved and volunteering on the Barack Obama for President campaign.
Specifically, the article highlights various students that participated in our national canvass on June 9th, Walk for Change.
“We’re going to be the youngest ones voting,” said Kayla Haines, a West High senior. “It’s important we understand the issues and have a say in what happens in U.S. politics”
But will they and their peers vote? That really is the ultimate question. The answer appears to be an emphatic “Yes!”.
While some of the volunteers were not even old enough to vote, such as Lukas Ovrom, a sophomore at City High, he understands the importance of voting. “Getting people to vote makes up for the fact that I can’t” he said.
Those of us that are old enough to vote are turning out in numbers that are very encouraging.
47 percent of people between the ages of 18-24 voted in the 2004 presidential election - an increase of 11 percent over 2000, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning
In Iowa, that number is even higher with 62 percent of 18-24 year olds voting in 2004.
We are not only voting in the general election, we are also participating in the caucuses.
Also, in the 2004 caucuses, 21,000 people under the age of 30 voted - quadruple the number in 2000.
At the launch of Students for Barack Obama at George Mason University, (click here for video) Senator called for us to take action expanding on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, and we responded.
The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. It bends towards justice. But here’s the thing George Mason, here’s the thing young people. It doesn’t bend on its own. It bends because you put your hand on that arc and bend it in the direction of justice. It bends in that direction because you decide that you’re going to stand up to a war that should never have been waged, it bends because you decide that we need a health care system for all Americans, it bends because you make a decision that every child in America deserves a decent education even if they’re not wealthy…You make that decision and if you grab that arc, think about all the power that is represented here if all of you decide that you are going to get involved. If you all grab that arc, then I have no doubt, I have absolutely no doubt that regardless of what happens in this presidential year and what happens in this election, America will transform itself.
Just a quick FYI. Students for Barack Obama blog now has an RSS feed that will let you create a “live bookmark” and get all the latest updates and blog posts or syndicate our writings.
Just click on the link below.
The official Students for Barack Obama blog is located at
students.barackobama.com
Check it frequently for profiles of students, events, campaign news and action alerts.
The AP reports that the answer at Camp Obama is "Yes".
The article highlights Chris Wyant, a recent graduate of Yale University who quit a financial job to attend Camp Obama and volunteer for our movement for change through November '08.
But don't look for bonfires or singalongs at this nearly weeklong summer camp. Here, campers are holed up on a sparsely decorated floor of a downtown office building, gathered around folding tables where they learn more about Obama and how to galvanize support for him.
"Nine o'clock at night you're like, 'Give me the next assignment, like who's the next speaker?' ... It's worth it,"...said Julia Duncan, a 19-year-old from Menlo Park, Calif., who will be a junior at the University of Virginia next semester.
Sound like something you want to be a part of? Check out the blog entry three posts down to see how you can get involved and attend an upcoming session of Camp Obama and get placed in Iowa, Nevada or South Carolina.
Aimee Fausser, a rising junior at Virginia Tech recently saw the potential for change and joined our movement (full disclosure, Aimee is a good friend of mine).
A few weeks ago, I was talking to Aimee and she let me know that she was unsure of whom to support for president in 2008 but was leaning towards one of the other candidates. I knew I could talk to her and explain what the Obama campaign was all about and why I was ready for a new kind of politics, but instead, I let Senator Obama do the talking. I challenged Aimee to watch two specific videos of Senator Obama speaking and still be undecided. She accepted.
I am happy to say that Aimee is founding a chapter of Students for Barack Obama at Virginia Tech! As she says, she is ready for a leader that
"understands the changes that need to happen in this country. A leader that is strong enough to fight for what is right rather than what is easy."
Aimee is not alone in this, I have heard numerous stories from around the country of students being inspired into action and refusing to sit on the sidelines after hearing Senator Obama speak.
So, by now you may be wondering what two videos I asked Aimee to watch. Or how you can inspire your friends by simply pointing them to YouTube?
Here are the two videos.Senator Obama’s Keynote address at the 2004 DNC ConventionPart 1:
Part 2:
And Senator Obama at George Mason University on February 2nd at the Students for Barack Obama launch.
