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
Adams * Adel * Adrian * Agness * Albany * Allegany * Alsea * Alvadore * Amity * Antelope * Arch Cape * Arlington * Arock * Ashland * Ashwood * Astoria * Athena * Aumsville * Aurora * Azalea * Baker City * Bandon * Banks * Bates * Bay City * Beatty * Beaver * Beavercreek * Beaverton * Bend * Blachly * Blodgett * Blue River * Bly * Boardman * Bonanza * Boring * Bridal Veil * Bridgeport * Brightwood * Broadbent * Brogan * Brookings * Brothers * Brownsville * Burns * Butte Falls * Buxton * Camas Valley * Camp Sherman * Canby * Cannon Beach * Canyon City * Canyonville * Carlton * Cascade Locks * Cascadia * Cave Junction * Cayuse * Central Point * Chemult * Cheshire * Chiloquin * Christmas Valley * Clackamas * Clatskanie * Cloverdale * Colton * Columbia City * Condon * Coos Bay * Coquille * Corbett * Cornelius * Corvallis * Cottage Grove * Cove * Crabtree * Crane * Crater Lake * Crawfordsville * Crescent * Crescent Lake * Creswell * Culp Creek * Culver * Curtin * Dairy * Dallas * Days Creek * Dayton * Dayville * Deadwood * Deer Island * Depoe Bay * Detroit * Dexter * Diamond * Dillard * Donald * Dorena * Drain * Drewsey * Dufur * Dundee * Durkee * Eagle Creek * Eagle Point * Echo * Eddyville * Elgin * Elkton * Elmira * Enterprise * Estacada * Eugene * Fairview * Fall Creek * Falls City * Fields * Florence * Forest Grove * Fort Klamath * Fort Rock * Fossil * Foster * Fox * Frenchglen * Gales Creek * Gardiner * Garibaldi * Gaston * Gates * Gervais * Gilchrist * Gladstone * Glendale * Gleneden Beach * Glide * Gold Beach * Gold Hill * Government Camp * Grand Ronde * Grants Pass * Grass Valley * Gresham * Haines * Halfway * Halsey * Hammond * Harper * Harrisburg * Hebo * Helix * Heppner * Hereford * Hermiston * Hillsboro * Hines * Hood River * Hubbard
Halloween has passed, so October is over! Which means America is just three days away from electing a new President, and hopefully realizing this incredible movement with an Obama White House.
And like all of the last few months, October was full of Obama activity appropriate for the season. A perfect example is the website www.yeswecarve.com, with multiple Barack O'Lanterns on display for Halloween.
Ohio has its own fall customs too, and Barack supporters made sure to infuse their love of the candidate with these traditions. Doug, from the Rural Team, has a report from the Pumpkin Show in Circleville:
One of Central Ohio’s biggest festivals of the year, the Circleville Pumpkin Show enjoyed some great weather and tens of thousands of people. I saw about 15 city blocks packed with people enjoying food, crafts, rides, parades, and bands. The “Greatest Free Show on Earth” awarded first place to the largest pumpkin (over 1300 pounds) and featured every imaginable type of pumpkin fare.I sampled pumpkin burgers, pumpkin cheese cake, pumpkin cannoli, and, of course, pumpkin pie. Beyond the enthusiasm for the orange, I saw some great enthusiasm for Obama. This young family proudly sports their Obama stickers.And finally, the Obama pumpkin at the Pickaway Dem booth, that smartly wears a stocking cap to meet the October chill.
One of Central Ohio’s biggest festivals of the year, the Circleville Pumpkin Show enjoyed some great weather and tens of thousands of people. I saw about 15 city blocks packed with people enjoying food, crafts, rides, parades, and bands. The “Greatest Free Show on Earth” awarded first place to the largest pumpkin (over 1300 pounds) and featured every imaginable type of pumpkin fare.
I sampled pumpkin burgers, pumpkin cheese cake, pumpkin cannoli, and, of course, pumpkin pie. Beyond the enthusiasm for the orange, I saw some great enthusiasm for Obama. This young family proudly sports their Obama stickers.
Lastly, a couple weeks ago, after the Toledo area knocked an unprecedented 28,883 doors, local Field Organizer Liz carved her own Barack O'Lantern in celebration:
And with all this energy and enthusiasm, plus everyone helping to get out the vote, in a couple days this amazing campaign will prove Barack Obama to be Mr. November--no longer Senator, but President-elect!
Do your part. Get out the vote.
Tonight's program, called "American Stories, American Solutions," introduced viewers to a few citizens of the country with uniquely American personal narratives, and uniquely American struggles. These are the people who make this country great, but also the people who need Barack the most. Eight years has been tough on them.
In Ohio, the campaign recently released a podcast, "Hope in the Heartland," that profiles characters and stories just like these... but straight from the Buckeye State. The first episode is about Jason, whose had his share of struggles too. The son a single mom, family tragedy, and poverty underscore just some of what he's been through. Listen to the podcast below on the page, or download it to listen on your own mp3 player.
For more information, visit the podcast's homepage at http://OH.BarackObama.com/HopePodcast
Download this episode to play it in your iTunes, or any other mp3 player, by clicking the button above, or by RIGHT CLICKING HERE and selecting "Save Link As".
We hope you enjoy, and if you do, please visit the podcast homepage to share it with your friends!
Small businesses form the backbone of the American economy, and Ohio is no exception. In the Buckeye State, small business owners comprise a crucial part of Barack's movement for change. They can do even more by uniting to spread the message of why they, as people involved in small businesses, support Barack.
Watch this video of Barack in Toledo talking about small businesses, then sign up for Ohio Small Businesses for Obama:
Click HERE to join Ohio Small Businesses for Obama today. On the sign-up page, you can:
With all the recent attention thrust upon Joe "the Plumber," from Toledo, there are a lot of misperceptions about Barack's tax and small business policies, and this movement is about people coming together to put forward the truth about Barack's plan for change.
Join Ohio Small Businesses for Obama right now.
During the 7 day overlap between voter registration and early voting, where Buckeyes could register and vote on site, Obama supporters gave the campaign a huge advantage by turning out in droves.
Now that registration has closed, all that's left is to vote! Voting is going on every day up through Election Day. Thousands in Ohio have already voted, and all reports find that voting early an easy and convenient way to cast a ballot for change--just check out this article from the Youngstown Vindicator. You can locate your early voting location using the tool below, which is also located at www.VoteForChange.com.
Here are some more personal testimonies from early voters in Ohio. Sue from Toledo writes:
I voted on the first day of early voting & it was so exciting! I took a friend with me, & we went to Obama offices first to get more [materials], then it was on to the polls! I was never so excited about voting before in my life, nor have I ever been more proud to cast my vote! Barack is our hope for the future!
Nickie in Wadsworth says:
“There were so many people ready to cast their votes and I was very proud...! It's time for a positive change in this country and I've never supported anyone more than I support Obama! For the first time I'm not voting for someone to keep the 'other guy' from becoming President! What a great feeling to really have HOPE FOR CHANGE! Obama/Biden are bound to instill a renewed faith and pride in our country!”
Have you voted already? Share your experience here, or let us know how it went in the comments section below.
Newspapers across the Buckeye state have come out in favor of Barack Obama, and some in places you would never expect. Here are a few recent endorsements from the flagship newspapers in Springfield, Canton, Dayton, and Toledo. From different perspectives, they all aptly emphasize the importance of this moment, and an Obama presidency.
You are not better off than you were four years ago. Or even eight years ago for that matter. This is not a rehash of the past; it is the basis of a decision for the future.The News-Sun Editorial Board is endorsing Barack Obama for President as the best hope for the nation to return to prosperity and to regain its standing in the world.Obama is clearly a smart, caring, committed candidate for the job of president.Obama is not an idealogue. His polices are pragmatic and tempered with the realization that the Bush economy may foreclose or postpone some of his initiatives.Moreover he has quickly mastered the important issues confronting America. No one who listens to him can doubt that.One of Obama's best qualities is simply his ability to inspire people.We're going to need that in the coming years.
You are not better off than you were four years ago. Or even eight years ago for that matter.
This is not a rehash of the past; it is the basis of a decision for the future.
The News-Sun Editorial Board is endorsing Barack Obama for President as the best hope for the nation to return to prosperity and to regain its standing in the world.
Obama is clearly a smart, caring, committed candidate for the job of president.
Obama is not an idealogue. His polices are pragmatic and tempered with the realization that the Bush economy may foreclose or postpone some of his initiatives.
Moreover he has quickly mastered the important issues confronting America. No one who listens to him can doubt that.
One of Obama's best qualities is simply his ability to inspire people.
We're going to need that in the coming years.
On Main Street, families are watching their homes and retirement savings lose value while the cost of their most basic needs goes up and up. On Wall Street, a hands-off approach to oversight of financial institutions has led to the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Halfway around the world, the United States remains mired in a country it should never have invaded. Stark Countians rightly want change in Washington. The Repository editorial board believes that the presidential candidate who can deliver on this demand is Democrat Barack Obama. In the realm of foreign policy, Obama said unequivocally in 2002 that a U.S. invasion of Iraq would be a mistake, as The Repository did. It was not a popular conviction, but it was the right one. McCain supported the pre-emptive war, as did the vast majority of Congress. We believe that Obama's intellect, caution, levelheadedness and calm demeanor make him better suited to lead a nation that must respond to many unwelcome changes with yet more change. The Repository endorses Sen. Barack Obama for president.
In this unhappy passage, the nation faces a happy choice: a brilliant young man offering a new generation of leadership — and a remarkable turning point in the nation's history — opposes an accomplished veteran who has punched all the right tickets in his rise toward the presidency. Both are thoughtful, modern people alert to the real problems of the world and the nation. Neither should be chosen because the other is frightening.In a time of change, Sen. Obama is the more promising leader. With his agile mind, often pitch-perfect judgment and preternatural calm and self-confidence, he seems built for the job of sorting through this thing, if anybody can. The nation faces a choice that looks more and more like a choice between the future and the past. It has never been one to shrink from the future.
In this unhappy passage, the nation faces a happy choice: a brilliant young man offering a new generation of leadership — and a remarkable turning point in the nation's history — opposes an accomplished veteran who has punched all the right tickets in his rise toward the presidency.
Both are thoughtful, modern people alert to the real problems of the world and the nation. Neither should be chosen because the other is frightening.
In a time of change, Sen. Obama is the more promising leader. With his agile mind, often pitch-perfect judgment and preternatural calm and self-confidence, he seems built for the job of sorting through this thing, if anybody can.
The nation faces a choice that looks more and more like a choice between the future and the past. It has never been one to shrink from the future.
Like another member of Congress from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, Senator Obama initially rose to prominence on the strength of soaring oratory. Over the past 18 months of the grueling campaign, his background has been thoroughly inspected and dissected by the press and a political opposition dedicated to keeping him from the White House. The man who has emerged is young (47) but well-educated and accomplished, both as a state legislator and a member of the United States Senate. He is somewhat professorial but not stodgy, and in our direct contact with him he proved to be one of few politicians at his level with the capacity to actually listen to others and appreciate what they have to say.We have to ask ourselves: Which candidate will be better able to inspire the American people? Which will do a better job of casting off the politics of personal destruction and appealing to our better natures, calling us to service, encouraging needed sacrifices, and developing the new approaches necessary for the 21st century? Which will see the current troubles as an opportunity to shape a better future?Themes from the abbreviated reign of John F. Kennedy, as well as FDR, resonate in 2008. Fear drives the domestic and international financial markets. As FDR realized, calmness, confidence, and optimism are part of the solution. In these troubled times, JFK's call to ask what we can do for our country instead of what it can do for us gains new meaning. Americans must step up and hold out a helping hand to their fellow citizens both as individuals and collectively.
Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 4:13 PM on October 13, 2008.
Obama struck an optimistic yet pragmatic tone in a policy speech on the economy today.
There were reports this morning that Obama was scheduled to give a "major" speech on the economy, but there have been plenty of "major" speeches, and it's hard to know when and if an address will include new information.
As it turns out, today's "Rescue Plan for the Middle Class" speech, delivered in Toledo, Ohio, really was a "major" speech.
Video excerpts aren't yet available online, but I'd encourage folks to check out the transcript. It included a healthy dose of both rhetoric and policy specifics.
"Right now, we face an immediate economic emergency that requires urgent action. We can't wait to help workers and families and communities who are struggling right now -- who don't know if their job or their retirement will be there tomorrow; who don't know if next week's paycheck will cover this month's bills. We need to pass an economic rescue plan for the middle-class and we need to do it now. Today I'm proposing a number of steps that we should take immediately to stabilize our financial system, provide relief to families and communities, and help struggling homeowners. It's a plan that begins with one word that's on everyone's mind, and it's spelled J-O-B-S."Read more:http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/102828/obama_expands_on_economic_plan%2C_emphasizes_%27j-o-b-s%27/
"Right now, we face an immediate economic emergency that requires urgent action. We can't wait to help workers and families and communities who are struggling right now -- who don't know if their job or their retirement will be there tomorrow; who don't know if next week's paycheck will cover this month's bills. We need to pass an economic rescue plan for the middle-class and we need to do it now. Today I'm proposing a number of steps that we should take immediately to stabilize our financial system, provide relief to families and communities, and help struggling homeowners. It's a plan that begins with one word that's on everyone's mind, and it's spelled J-O-B-S."
Read more:
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/102828/obama_expands_on_economic_plan%2C_emphasizes_%27j-o-b-s%27/
Barack addressed a riled up crowd here in the Sea Gate Convention Center in Toledo, where prior to his appearance, excitement to have him in town (for 4 days!) boiled over into never heard before chants of "We Will, We Will, Barack You!" and "Bye Bye Bush! Bye Bye Bush!" Even during his speech, in this dark but spacious Convention Hall, they hooped and hollered and even stomped on the risers, to thunderous effect. But they paid attention when attention was due, because as Barack says, "These are serious times."
Local Field Organizer Jesse urged everyone in the crowd to not only vote early but vote today, and do their share of the work to reach out to voters, mentioning the "collective power of small action." Senator Sherrod Brown, who has become all but a fixture on campaign stops, mentioned that Lucas County had the potential to be a leader in the alternative energy sector, and it was a common theme throughout the day. A fellow who had been laid off his job for fourteen weeks made an appropriate introduction for Barack, who took this opportunity to roll out the steps of his Rescue Plan for the Middle Class:
The first involves the thing that's on everyone's mind, and it's easy to spell: J-O-B-S. We are going to take a cue from Toledo, which has become a leader in solar panel technology...
The first involves the thing that's on everyone's mind, and it's easy to spell: J-O-B-S.
We are going to take a cue from Toledo, which has become a leader in solar panel technology...
Barack fleshed out the rest of his 4 step plan:
He called on everyone to participate in the fiscal responsibility that Wall Street has so brazenly bucked in the last eight years, and that the nation will need to demonstrate to overcome this crisis:
We have to break that cycle of debt.We have to take responsibility for living within our means.
We have to break that cycle of debt.
We have to take responsibility for living within our means.
As a city that has seen much better days, but never more potential progress, Toledo was the perfect place for Barack to lay the foundation of his plan to rescue America's economy.
As any volunteer knows, the Campaign for Change in Ohio holds canvassing sessions every weekend, where supporters go door-to-door to talk to voters about why Barack Obama is their choice for President. This, along with phone calls to voters, is the meat-and-potatoes of the voter outreach field effort, and such neighbor-to-neighbor interaction has been proven to have more of an effect than any other sort of less direct contact. These door-to-door outings are often called "Weekly Walks," or "Knock for Barack." Sometimes canvassing can be tiring and frustrating, but it is the most important thing anyone can do.
But today in Toledo, proving that no one is above anyone in this movement, Barack himself knocked for Barack. Just like any other volunteer, he went door-to-door to bring his platform of change to the people in Lucas County. He carried a walk list, and marked voters on a scale from 1 to 5 depending on their level of support.
He listened to their concerns and spoke to the solutions he would propose as President. Conversations involved the auto industry, the credit crisis, health care, and other day-to-day things on the minds of the people of Toledo.
Barack has clearly developed an affinity for the Buckeye State. He made five stops on Thursday and Friday (Dayton, Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Chillicothe, and Columbus), and is staying in the Toledo area from now until Wednesday to prepare for the debate that night.
But between the cheering rallies and the strategy sessions, there may be nothing Barack does during his stay in Ohio that better sums up the meaning of the grass roots organization that this movement has built than knocking doors in Toledo. It's proof that change comes from the bottom up... and then to the bottom again.
Be a part of that change. Knock doors like Barack.
During Golden Week in Ohio, September 30 - October 6, residents can register AND vote at the same time.
Check out this 90-second video, Vote Today Ohio, and share it with everyone you know in Ohio.
Barack and Senator Joe Biden rounded off their trip through Ohio yesterday with two well-received stops. Barack attended church services in Lima, a town where though support is strong, renown as a conservative stronghold had kept previous Democratic presidential candidates from visiting for the last fifty years, according to this news story...
But of course this is a different kind of campaign. Obama supporter and actress Kerry Washington also made a splash in Lima on Saturday, showing up for an Obama 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
Barack and Joe followed the Lima trip with a discussion the economy on the roof of the Toledo-Lucas Library, which had positive reviews in the local press. Toledo is a city hurting, and Barack had this to say about renewing America's urban areas:
Many jobs are leaving Toledo, and Joe offered concrete solutions to the citizens listening:
One of the ways to keep America’s corporations here, and Barack has been talking about it for three years, and I’ve been talking about it as well -- the way is to invest in the infrastructure.And, by the way, if we invest just twenty billion dollars a year or ten billion dollars a year in the United States of America, in infrastructure towards airports, roads, sewer systems, guess what? You are creating jobs where the average pay, even for laborers, is fifty thousand dollars a year. There’s two ways of dealing with it – you’ll cover both ends.
The two made it clear that they stand for working people, and working people agree--read this editorial in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A photo slideshow of the days events, along with later day stops in Hamilton, Indiana, and Battle Creek, Michigan, is posted below:
It was a packed day for the Obamas and the Bidens yesterday in Ohio, as the two families criss-crossed the state and made nothing short of four stops for a variety of events.
The climax of the day was no doubt the Rally in Dublin, at Dublin Coffman High School, where 19,000 people packed both sides of the football stadium, not to mention the sprawl of the sidelines, to hear Barack and Joe. The two Senators were introduced by Governor Ted Strickland, Senator Sherrod Brown, and Ohio hero and former Senator John Glenn. Pictures from the event, and the rest of the day, are posted below:
Even before Barack took the stage and shouted "O-H!" (to the roaring reply of "I-O"), the energy in the open air stadium was off the charts. Joe Biden aptly explained what's behind all the excitement in his introduction of Barack:
"I watched a guy tap into, just by his very being and his ideas, tap into the age-old American belief that many have forgotten. And that is, you don't have to accept a situation you cannot bear; you can change it."
The rally was preceded by a stop in tiny Marengo, in Morrow County, where Barack and Joe stopped at a sweet corn stand.
Before that, in Cleveland, the families attended the memorial service of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who died on August 20th. Senator Clinton and President Clinton were also present, and though the service stretched to four hours, Barack stayed for the duration, and made remarks as well.
The duo kicked off the morning with some breakfast at the Yankee Kitchen Diner in Boardman, near Youngstown. The stop was caught on video, which you can check out here:
Today, Barack and Joe were in Lima and then Toledo, for a discussion on the economy at the Toledo-Lucas Library. More on those events coming soon...
One of our Organizing Fellows, Chip, recorded some of his impressions from working one of many of our campaign's 4th of July events this weekend--his voter registration drive was in Toledo. We thought we'd share his words and images with you (first two photos thanks to Xanthe, also a Fellow):
During the Declare your Independence from Washington events this weekend in Toledo, fellows and volunteers had great – and tasty – success in registering new voters at the Taste Toledo festival.This two-day eating extravaganza featured a thrilling fireworks display over the Maumee River at dusk on the Fourth. It was especially fun to welcome new voters to the democracy on the birthday of our country.We heard many great stories that day, including a 51-year old woman who had never voted before in her life, but felt that this election was too important for her to stay on the sidelines. But the most wonderful story was told to me by a local restaurateur as she served me delicious gyoza.Lynn of Tea Tree Asian Bistro spoke of her fourth-grade daughter, who came home from school one day energized for Barack Obama. “He’s going to lower our taxes and fix the economy.” Her enthusiasm spread to her little brother, who was excited by the prospect of making the country better. A few days later, a little unclear on the concept, the brother asked her, “Is Barack Obama the president yet?” “No,” she answered scornfully, in that voice that big sisters reserve for pesty little brothers. “Have you seen the gas prices? They went UP this week!” From the mouths of babes… Kudos to Lynn for keeping her kids engaged, and if even the fourth graders get it (if not yet the first graders) then things are looking good for Change in Toledo!
During the Declare your Independence from Washington events this weekend in Toledo, fellows and volunteers had great – and tasty – success in registering new voters at the Taste Toledo festival.
This two-day eating extravaganza featured a thrilling fireworks display over the Maumee River at dusk on the Fourth.
It was especially fun to welcome new voters to the democracy on the birthday of our country.
We heard many great stories that day, including a 51-year old woman who had never voted before in her life, but felt that this election was too important for her to stay on the sidelines. But the most wonderful story was told to me by a local restaurateur as she served me delicious gyoza.
Lynn of Tea Tree Asian Bistro spoke of her fourth-grade daughter, who came home from school one day energized for Barack Obama. “He’s going to lower our taxes and fix the economy.” Her enthusiasm spread to her little brother, who was excited by the prospect of making the country better. A few days later, a little unclear on the concept, the brother asked her, “Is Barack Obama the president yet?” “No,” she answered scornfully, in that voice that big sisters reserve for pesty little brothers. “Have you seen the gas prices? They went UP this week!” From the mouths of babes… Kudos to Lynn for keeping her kids engaged, and if even the fourth graders get it (if not yet the first graders) then things are looking good for Change in Toledo!
From Toledo to Canton, from Youngstown to Athens, from the streets of Cincinnati to the suburbs of Cleveland, from the apartment buildings of Columbus to the outskirts of Lima, this weekend Ohioans attended hundreds of Unite For Change House Meetings.
Obama supporters joined former Clinton supporters, as well as Independents and Republicans, in homes, schools, churches, libraries and just about anywhere they could gather across the Buckeye State.
Mary Lou, who attended a Unite For Change House Meeting in Beachwood, said:
We need a complete change. I think we have to bring our troops home. I have a grandson who's in Iraq. He may have to go back. I think the economy has to change. I just think everything has to change... I haven't always voted Democrat. It depended who's running.
Judy, another attendee, is still looking for more specifics:
I want someone who sounds intelligent, but also who acts intelligent. I'm on the fence, but I want to learn more about Barack Obama.
One man in a T-shirt emblazoned with the date 01-20-2009, had his own take on what this election means to the people of Ohio, and the entire nation:
This election is going to come down to a letter. It's me or it's we. And for a long time we've had "it's me. What can I get out of the country?" And now we have a guy that says we is possible. And that, to me, is the most powerful thing... We're sitting here, we're being we tonight— people who agree or disagree— we're being we.
Barack has often said that this election is not about him, but about all of us, and how we must come together to make change possible. This weekend in Ohio, thousands of people did just that.
Invite your friends and neighbors, and host a House Meeting of your own. It's easy and fun, and we'll give you all the info and support you need.
Sunday Voting in Toledo, Ohio Lucas County
Lucas County Board of Elections will open Sunday, March 2, to meet demand for early voting.
Lucas County Clerk's Office
Address: One Government Center, Suite 300, Toledo, OH
"Holly Toledo"
This is America in action. I just got in. I couldn't wait to tell everyone
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :):):):):):):) THANK YOU :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
What a great voter turn out. The polls here closed at noon. I got to One Government Center at about nine o'clock this morning. The line was already pretty long. If they wouldn't have had the line snake around inside the lobby it would have gone out the front door(s). It took me about an hour in line before I could cast my vote. Although the line was long and there was a wait everyone was in good spirits. The air was electric. You could feel the pride. It was wonderful to see all the "people" giving voice in America.
Yes this is a changing world. A changing America. This is the America we want the world to see. One like today in downtown Toledo, Ohio. However voter turn out was so great they did not close until 1: pm. I searched my local news stations websites and found that over 500 people showed up to cast ballots.
I did come across some more exciting news. The demand for voter turn out was/is so great that Toledo has added voting tomorrow. On Sunday. Sunday, March 2, from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Way to go Toledo.
!!!! TOLED, OHIO!!!!
VOTE EARLY
Vote Today Saturday March 1, 2008
Toledo,
You can vote early.
Vote today or early Saturday
Your early vote location.
Location: Lucas County Clerk's Office
Address: One Government Center, Suite 300, Toledo, OH 43604
Thurs and Fri 8:30 am to 4:30 pm,
Sat 8:00 am to noon, and Mon 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
In last night's debate, Tim Russert referred to a piece called "Business as Usual" by two journalists in Ohio.
The general point was that NAFTA is not the only cause, or perhaps a cause at all, for the loss of jobs in places like Ohio (I lived in Cleveland from 1977 to 1982, and every day you could see the decline of manufacturing). I do wonder if both candidates are appealing a little too much to nativist or protectionist sentiment in their talk of NAFTA.
Obama's answer in the debate was superb: that beyond NAFTA, there's the much larger problem of ignoring our infrastructure and education.
The "Business as Usual" piece appeared in three parts in the Toledo Blade in Sept. 2006. Here are links to the three articles:
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060917/NEWS24/60917002 -- Part 1
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060924/NEWS24/609240334 -- Part 2
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061001/NEWS24/610010318 -- Part 3
A woman on another blog mentioned how the "Yes We Can" video motivated her and so I went to the website http://yeswecansong.com/ just to check it out, but not expecting anything out of the ordinary However, this is a special video - the kind you could play every morning and go out to meet the day excited about helping Obama win. Watching this video evokes the same feelings that I had yesterday when I witnessed the enthusiasm of folks from all over Ohio coning to Columbus to start planning for February, because as it turns out the day after Super Tuesday, Ohio will play a central role in this election. Young, old, black, white, Latino - the sound of voices filled up the room.
