Hi Louisiana.Obama For America is now Organizing For America. The goals have shifted from getting Barack Obama elected to helping make sure his presidency is a success, both politically and policy-wise. You are still needed in this effort.Last week, Congress voted to pass our president's 2010 budget. Only 2 legislators from Louisiana helped to make that happen: Senator Mary Landrieu and Representative Charlie Melancon. We need help showing that Louisianan's care about how our members of congress vote.Could you please take a moment and send a letter to the editor of your local paper thanking Senator Landrieu (and congressman Melancon if you are in his district)? There is a great tool on MyBO to help make this really simple:http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/ThankCongressBelow I've attached some ideas for letters, but please write from your own heart. And thank you for continuing to support Barack Obama.Best,Lynda Below are a few ideas to guide your letter writing. Visit our website for more additional tips and information http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/ThankCongress LTE #1President Obama is talking to us like adults. He doesn’t sugarcoat his message or claim to have the silver bullet. Since taking office, he's encouraged us to be patient and persistent in charting our course - I think his words were, “more ocean liner than speed boat.”President Obama’s budget is big, but it’s a bold and important down payment on our long-term economic recovery here and across the nation.And that's why I applaud my congressional representative for voting in support of the President's plan to put our country back on the path to prosperity - a vote all of us can be proud of.
LTE #2I’m sick and tired of our bubble-driven economy. From the dot.com craze to the housing bubble, I know so many people who have been affected by the constant boom and bust that has made our economy unstable.President Obama’s budget plan takes on the challenges in our healthcare system, public education and energy policy – and aims to make those things operate better and more efficiently for people just like me here in my town.I agree with President Obama that now is the time to make significant investments to help our economy develop in a sustainable way, and provide real growth and services the people on Main Street need. And that's why I applaud my congressional representative for supporting President Obama's plan.
LTE#3I volunteered for President Obama’s campaign, was thrilled to watch his inauguration, and have been following the early months of his presidency.These days, all the pundits seem to talk about is President Obama’s budget plan. Is it too expensive? Is it too ambitious?I am happy to see that President Obama is engaging his supporters - the regular people who elected him to office – to help build grassroots support for his budget blueprint.Making healthcare more affordable, investing in education, and creating a safer, greener energy policy, are the changes we fought for during the election.And that's why I was so pleased to see my congressional representative vote in support of the President's plan and give him the help he needs to put a down payment on a more sustainable, economic future for all of us.
We know that getting out and talking to your neighbors is one of the best ways to win elections, which is why newspaper letters to the editor are such an important way to spread the word about the change Barack will bring Michigan. By writing in to your local newspaper, you can show your community why this election is so important to you - why this campaign really matters. After all, it's all about you!
Check out your Letters to the Editor tool here, and write your local newspaper! It's easy, it's quick, and it makes a difference.
This is the "letter to the editor" that I submitted to the Nevada campaign for the Nevada newspapers. (I checked them all.):
While some of the big financial institutions may need that kickstart of a bailout, families and individuals need help too. We're all feeling that pinch. Most of us lucky enough to have jobs may only be one or two paychecks away from our own financial crisis.Obama's economic recovery plan will help stimulate job creation----help more of us get jobs in the first place, rather than watch them bleed away overseas. His plan includes a moratorium to help homeowners work with their banks to avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. His plan would cut taxes for 95% of all workers---those earning less than $250,000 per year. What has McCain offered? Well, he started by admitting he "doesn't know much about economics." Then he switched to merely attacking Barack Obama with falsehoods and misleading innuedos. He hasn't offered anything that George Bush hasn't been offering for the past 8 years. Are you better off now than you were 8 years ago? Most of us decidedly are not.Barack Obama will bail all of us out. We can count on his steady, thoughtful, reasoned, and compassionate programs and strategies. We can count on his careful deliberation with knowledgeable persons from all sides of an issue. He is the best candidate to lead us out of this financial debacle. Please Nevadans, help all of us by voting for Barack Obama on Nov 4!
As you may have heard, the McCain campaign is showering Ohio with shamelessly negative robo-calls that make false attacks against Barack Obama, on various fronts. This is a desperate attempt for the opposition to frighten voters into voting against Senator Obama. The video below contains an actual recording of one of these robo-calls--this one attempts to link Barack to the terrorist acts of the Weather Underground forty years ago.
YOU have the power to stop these disgusting tactics, that twist the truth beyond recognition in order to try to take down our candidate. YOU know that Barack has real solutions to the issues that face us, which is what we need right now--not more of the same old cynical, negative politics that have crippled this country in the past.
Take action against these calls. Write a letter to the editor of your local papers and tell John McCain and the Republican National Committee that Ohio won't take these kinds of Karl Rove-ian tactics.
Don't know what you'd say? Haven't heard all the calls? Don't worry, we'll inform you and provide you with talking points. We make it so with just a few clicks you can send to multiple newspapers across the state. Get started right now.
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.
The electoral college determines who becomes the next President. Below are the votes for each State. If you look at the Washington Post they have predictions, and they do look good, but there is still work to be done. There are many ways to work for the Obama campaign. I personally hate telephones. My cell phone is usually turned off and in my purse or car. I even hate using the phone to talk to friends and family.
But what I do love to do and what is easy for me is to write. So this past week and today I have been working on sending out letters to the editor to the high electoral vote States’ newspapers. There is a site called Porject Vote Smart that lists the number of votes each State gets. http://www.votesmart.org It’s a great site with lots of information, voting records, etc.
Here is what I downloaded:
U.S. Electoral College 2008 - List Of States And Votes Total: 538; Majority Needed to Elect: 270
Alabama - 9 Alaska - 3 Arizona - 10Arkansas - 6California - 55Colorado - 9Connecticut - 7Delaware - 3District Of Columbia - 3Florida - 27Georgia - 15Hawaii - 4Idaho - 4Illinois - 21Indiana - 11Iowa - 7Kansas - 6Kentucky - 8Louisiana - 9Maine - 4Maryland - 10Massachusetts - 12Michigan - 17Minnesota - 10Mississippi - 6Missouri - 11 Montana - 3 Nebraska - 5Nevada - 5New Hampshire - 4New Jersey - 15New Mexico - 5New York - 31North Carolina - 15North Dakota - 3Ohio - 20Oklahoma - 7Oregon - 7Pennsylvania - 21Rhode Island - 4South Carolina - 8South Dakota - 3Tennessee - 11Texas - 34Utah - 5Vermont - 3Virginia - 13Washington - 11West Virginia - 5Wisconsin - 10Wyoming - 3
Source: United States National Archives & Records Administrationhttp://www.archives.gov/federal_register/ele ...
The top States are the ones I concentrated on sending letters to the editor. I found the newspapers on a site called 50 States.com www.50states.com/news/ Ask Google for daily newspapers and a State name, and you will find this site, or use the above link and add the State.
My home State is Pennsylvania (where I was born & raised). I know hunting & guns are a big item there as are jobs in the former steel town areas. Both are hot items that McCain likes to twist. So I’ve sent quite a number of letters to the editors in those areas. I used some information from the Barack Obama site and then added my take on the issue in my words. It’s hard but I tried not to be confrontative and just give the facts. What I’ve been doing mostly lately when talking to people is encouraging them to go to the source (eg., congressional record) for the real facts or promise to read their candidates page if they’ll read mine. I’m proud to say, and surprised, that Barack Obama is 10 points ahead of McCain/Palin in the polls there. Yea!!
I also had fun adding up electoral votes for McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden. If you include State of birth, college educational States, and political career it comes out like this: McCain/Palin 21 votes; Obama/Biden 134 votes.
I guess what I am trying to say is that if your talent isn’t writing then use the talent you have, or your passion, for Obama. If you sing or play a musical instrument, do that. If you are good at organizing talks, do that. If you cook, gather some folks together for food and an Obama video. I plan to attend the training next week and do some door to door. Every day we are one day closer to the election, and to an Obama Presidency. Let’s stay involved to make it happen!
VOTE FOR CHANGE!! VOTE FOR THE FUTURE!! VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!
Heartland Issues Week may have technically ended on Sunday, but there's so much grass-roots activity going on in rural areas and small towns in Ohio that it would be a lost opportunity not to keep covering it on the blog!
Here is an account of a recent supporter meeting in Marengo (which, like Mount Gilead, is also in Morrow County), from Regional Field Director Shira:
17 residents of Morrow County attended a house meeting at the farm of Dick and Carolyn... Dick, who attended the Neighborhood Team Leader training in Columbus in August, spoke to the group, which included Obama supporters who have been lifelong Democrats, Independents, as well as Republicans.
I can relate to Barack Obama. I can’t relate to John McCain, a man who can’t even remember how many homes he owns. I own this one property, my farm... Barack Obama is a man I relate to.
Dick also said that no presidential campaign had ever come to his home until this year, when Field Organizer Amin called to ask Dick to meet up and discuss the effort in Morrow County. With his passion and determination, Dick will lead the Marengo Obama team to victory this fall.
The group also discussed strategies for reaching out to undecided voters in Morrow County, including planning phone banks and writing letters to the editor (of which 3 were recently published in one day!) Morrow County is putting up a fight. You can do the same: Volunteer. Go door-to-door. Write letters to the editor. Host a house meeting for your undecided friends.
Ladies! Our group is fired up and ready to go. Here's our first call to action and it's an immediate one. Some of you received this email, but if you didn't please read on. And remember to send your letters by 5PM on Monday, 9/22.
Wyoming Women for Obama, hello!
As our group originated with the desire to create a coordinated female demonstration in response to Sarah Palin's presence in Jackson, we did not want the arrival of Cindy McCain in her place to go completely unnoticed. In that vein, we decided at our inaugural meeting to write questions posed at Mrs. McCain in the form of letters to the editor of the Jackson Hole News and Guide and Planet Jackson Hole. Respectful, important, personal and poignant is the order of the day.
The idea is that these letters all have the same feel, so I've created a template. Feel free to deviate, but let's try to keep these as similar and concise as possible. Below I've listed the template, a list of issues, and the email addresses to whom your question/letter should be sent.
Please send your letters to the papers by 5 p.m., Monday, September 22nd, although the sooner the better. We'd like to flood the inbox of these editors and make a cohesive statement, which would be impossible to ignore. Our hope is that many of them are run in Wednesday's paper, when the Cindy McCain brunch is occurring.
Happy writing! Forward this to other women who you think would be interested in participating in this campaign. And feel free to email me with questions.
While this gesture needs IMMEDIATE response, we do want to continue to inundate the local and regional news outlets with our viewpoints on the issues throughout the final weeks of the campaign. Please ponder the issues below and consider writing a letter or an op-ed piece in the next 46 days.
Best, Leya
SAMPLE LETTER
To the editor:
I am a local small business owner and mother of two young sons. I have a question for the McCain campaign, whose surrogate, Cindy McCain is visiting Jackson Hole. Mrs. McCain, how does your husband, Senator McCain, plan to make America a leader in promoting a global effort to meet the demands of the 21st century, when he has sided with the heavy-handed, saber-rattling foreign policy of the Bush administration 90 % of the time?
Leya Simmons Oswald,605 East Hansen, Jackson, WY 83001, 512-917-0393(Submissions should include full name, address and phone number, so the editor may verify the source).
ISSUES IDEAS
Here are a few issue ideas. There are MANY more at www.barakobama.com, with far more information. I encourage you all to take a look. Also, if you have a personal relationship to anyone of these topics, please address that one more specifically.
1. Ending the war in Iraq responsibly.
2. Finish the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban
3. Secure all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue nations
3. Achieve true energy security
4. Reducing carbon emissions to stop climate change
5. Increasing gas mileage standards
6. Grow more American renewable fuels
7. Investing in renewable technologies
8. Providing middle-class American tax relief
9. Solving the crisis on Wall Street and holding regulators responsible
10. Lower health care costs and increased access to it
11. Modernizing our financial regulatory system
12. Modernize our trade agreements
13. Restoring fiscal discipline
14. Creating new green jobs (Obama calls for 5 million jobs and a $150 billion investment over 10 years)
15. Fighting for trade that benefits US workers, farmers and businesses
16. Ending tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas and supporting companies that create jobs in America
17. Investing in our national infrastructure
18. Reforming Washington lobbying and ethics violations (many of McCain's top campaign advisors are lobbyists)
19. Freeing the executive branch from special interest influence
20. Reforming federal contracts, tax breaks, and earmarks
21. Giving government back to the people
22. Social security reform and protection
HOW TO SUBMIT
For this immediate response to Cindy McCain's appearance in Jackson Hole, please send to the following local papers:
NEWSPAPER
SEND TO:
JH News and Guide
editor@jhnewsandguide.com
Planet Jackson Hole
editor@planetjh.com
Additional news outlets to which you should consider sending future letters to the editor and op-ed submissions:
Casper Star Tribune
letters@trib.com
Billings Gazette
speakup@billingsgazette.com
Denver Post
openforum@denverpost.com
Welcome to the Ghost Writer Guild and thank you for helping with the submission of our ghost-written articles. In addition to using the “Speak Out” tool on MYBO, we are trying to reach even further by contacting a wider range of newspapers and also the online blog community.
To get started:
With your help, we can influence public opinion in these last crucial weeks.
YES WE CAN!
[posted by [Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor New Mexico Sun News]
Vote With Conscience for All Americans
When I hear one of the candidates for President say, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong," I have to speak out. It is so important in this campaign for Americans, whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, to think long and hard about the state our country is in. Regardless of party, we should study the issues, and when we go into the booth to vote on November 4th, make our decision based on a good knowledge of the real facts and not campaign rhetoric. Too often, voters stubbornly vote along party lines instead of what is the best for America.
This year has to be different. We must be informed and vote our conscience. We must check out facts presented for the truth. I researched the following information and it can be verified at the sites noted:
The unemployment rate is up to 6.1%, a five-year high, this quarter and more than 10 percent of Americans are unemployed or underemployed, a nearly 25-percent increase from one year earlier (Wall Street Journal). More than a half million Americans (530,000) have been subject to mass layoffs in the last year. Real estate foreclosures in the U.S. were up 75 percent in 2007. The overall rate in the U.S. was 10.3 per 1,000 households. Eight states ended the year with foreclosure rates of more than 15 per 1,000 households (CBS News), yet Exxon-Mobil smashed the record for highest profits ever made by a public U.S. company by posting a net profit of $40.6 billion in 2007.
To put these figures in perspective, Exxon made $77,245 per minute in 2007—that’s more money generated per minute than 70 percent of Americans earned all year according to the Census Bureau (Center for American Progress).Over the past nine months, global food prices have soared 40 percent, while food reserves are at 30-year lows (CNN Money). Energy prices were up 6.6% in the month, led by a 10.1% jump in gas prices. That left gasoline prices up nearly a third from a year earlier.
Many people, tired of politics as usual, think nothing will be done any differently when one of our candidates becomes President in 2008.
I urge all of you to think carefully about how the past eight years have affected 95% of the American population, and that John McCain has the same economic policies that President Bush has had.
McCain thinks multimillionaires are members of the middle class, homeowners are to blame for the housing crisis, and Big Oil needs more tax breaks.
Barack Obama will put the middle class first. He’ll pass a middle class tax cut that gives 95% of working Americans a tax cut of up to $1,000—and he’ll give families an emergency energy rebate to help folks cope with rising gas prices. For example, in the $38 to $66 thousand salary bracket, McCain's plan gives a tax break of $31. Obama's plan gives a break of $1042.
In the $603 thousand to 2.8 million brackets, McCain's plan gives a tax break of $45,361 while Obama's plan will tax them $119,574 more (Tax Policy Center.org)! He will tax the big oil companies on their record profits, and put that money to use for the middle class. He’ll offer students a $4,000 tax break to pay for tuition in exchange for doing 100 hours of community service. And he’ll raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. He will eliminate income tax for seniors making less than $50,000 per year. He will eliminate oil and gas loopholes. And there is so much more.
Check out the Major Tax Revisions Chart at Tax Policy Center.org ( a non-partisan research firm that reports factual, proven, information to the American consumer) where there is a comparison chart showing the two candidates economic policies.
Barack Obama is the clear choice for American families. Barack Obama has been working for the poor and the middle class all of his adult life, and I hope that Americans will reach deep inside their conscience and have a spirit of love for ALL the people in our great country when they vote on November 4th.
When this candidate spoke on Labor Day, I heard and will forever remember these words, “If there’s a poor child out there that’s my child; If there’s a man out there who lost his job, that’s my brother. If there’s a senior out there in trouble, that’s my grandparent; If there’s a woman out there without health care, that’s my sister.”
Vote your conscience for the largest majority of the American people. You really can make a difference!
A Concerned Citizen
Donna Roepenack Lake Geneva WI donnamike@wi.rr.com 262-248-1822
When I hear one of the candidates for President say, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong," I have to speak out. It is so important in this campaign for Americans, whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, to think long and hard about the state our country is in. Regardless of party, we should study the issues, and when we go into the booth to vote on November 4th, make our decision based on a good knowledge of the real facts and not campaign rhetoric. Too often, voters stubbornly vote along party lines instead of what is the best for America. This year has to be different. We must be informed and vote our conscience. We must check out facts presented for the truth. There are non-partisan websites like Snopes.com or Truthorfiction.com, that will tell you what is the truth and what is a rumor, lie, or misinformation. I researched the following information and it can be verified at the sites noted:
The unemployment rate is up to 6.1%, a five-year high, this quarter and more than 10 percent of Americans are unemployed or underemployed, a nearly 25-percent increase from one year earlier (Wall Street Journal). More than a half million Americans (530,000) have been subject to mass layoffs in the last year. Real estate foreclosures in the U.S. were up 75 percent in 2007. The overall rate in the U.S. was 10.3 per 1,000 households. Eight states ended the year with foreclosure rates of more than 15 per 1,000 households (CBS News), yet Exxon-Mobil smashed the record for highest profits ever made by a public U.S. company by posting a net profit of $40.6 billion in 2007. To put these figures in perspective, Exxon made $77,245 per minute in 2007—that’s more money generated per minute than 70 percent of Americans earned all year according to the Census Bureau (Center for American Progress).Over the past nine months, global food prices have soared 40 percent, while food reserves are at 30-year lows (CNN Money). Energy prices were up 6.6% in the month, led by a 10.1% jump in gas prices. That left gasoline prices up nearly a third from a year earlier.
Barack Obama will put the middle class first. He’ll pass a middle class tax cut that gives 95% of working Americans a tax cut of up to $1,000—and he’ll give families an emergency energy rebate to help folks cope with rising gas prices. For example, in the $38 to $66 thousand salary bracket, McCain's plan gives a tax break of $31. Obama's plan gives a break of $1042. In the $603 thousand to 2.8 million brackets, McCain's plan gives a tax break of $45,361 while Obama's plan will tax them $119,574 more (Tax Policy Center.org)! He will tax the big oil companies on their record profits, and put that money to use for the middle class. He’ll offer students a $4,000 tax break to pay for tuition in exchange for doing 100 hours of community service. And he’ll raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. He will eliminate income tax for seniors making less than $50,000 per year. He will eliminate oil and gas loopholes. And there is so much more. Check out the Major Tax Revisions Chart at Tax Policy Center.org ( a non-partisan research firm that reports factual, proven, information to the American consumer) where there is a comparison chart showing the two candidates economic policies.
Barack Obama is the clear choice for American families. Barack Obama has been working for the poor and the middle class all of his adult life, and I hope that Americans will reach deep inside their conscience and have a spirit of love for ALL the people in our great country when they vote on November 4th. When this candidate spoke on Labor Day, I heard and will forever remember these words, “If there’s a poor child out there that’s my child; If there’s a man out there who lost his job, that’s my brother. If there’s a senior out there in trouble, that’s my grandparent; If there’s a woman out there without health care, that’s my sister.”
Earlier in the week, Gov. Richardson sent out an email to all Obama supporters in New Mexico asking us to help Barack bring real change to New Mexico.
As we enter this final stretch in the campaign, we need everyone's help.
* If you haven't volunteered yet, please spend a few hours of your week helping the campaign.
* If you're an active volunteer, thank you so much.
Here's Gov. Richardson's email:
Shayne, Bring change to New Mexico Did you see what I saw? If you watched the Republican National Convention last week, you saw a whole lot of insults thrown at Barack Obama and at people trying to make change in their communities. But you didn't see a single real proposal for how to fix this economy. Just last Saturday, John McCain and Sarah Palin were campaigning here in New Mexico because they know how important New Mexico is in the race for President. Now, you have an opportunity to teach them something they apparently don't know -- how effective community organizing can be. Check out Neighbor to Neighbor, a new online tool the Obama campaign developed that makes it easier than ever to grow this movement. With Neighbor to Neighbor, they're putting the tools in your hands so you can make a difference right in your own community. Just enter your name and location, and the website will provide you with a list of phone numbers and addresses of people near you to contact -- on your own time, and on your own schedule. New Mexico was one of only two states that voted Democratic in 2000, but Republican in 2004. George W. Bush won on his second try in New Mexico by less than one percentage point -- not even 6,000 votes. Once again, our state is a crucial general election battleground. Barack needs us to deliver New Mexico -- with your help, we can make it happen. Act now to show the Republicans that real change comes from the bottom up -- and community organizing really works. Use our new Neighbor to Neighbor tool today and start reaching out to your community: http://nm.barackobama.com/n2n In my lifetime of diplomacy and governing, our country has never faced as many difficult challenges as we do today. America needs change. America needs Barack Obama. Thanks, Governor Bill Richardson P.S. -- I want to tell you about another new way to make your voice heard. The Republicans want to make this election a smear contest, but if you take a moment to write a letter to the editor, you can help make sure it stays focused on the issues that matter to you. With our online letter to the editor tool, you can quickly and easily send a note to local and national newspapers. Get started right now and share why you're supporting Barack: http://nm.barackobama.com/NMYourVoice
Shayne,
Bring change to New Mexico Did you see what I saw?
If you watched the Republican National Convention last week, you saw a whole lot of insults thrown at Barack Obama and at people trying to make change in their communities.
But you didn't see a single real proposal for how to fix this economy.
Just last Saturday, John McCain and Sarah Palin were campaigning here in New Mexico because they know how important New Mexico is in the race for President.
Now, you have an opportunity to teach them something they apparently don't know -- how effective community organizing can be.
Check out Neighbor to Neighbor, a new online tool the Obama campaign developed that makes it easier than ever to grow this movement.
With Neighbor to Neighbor, they're putting the tools in your hands so you can make a difference right in your own community.
Just enter your name and location, and the website will provide you with a list of phone numbers and addresses of people near you to contact -- on your own time, and on your own schedule.
New Mexico was one of only two states that voted Democratic in 2000, but Republican in 2004. George W. Bush won on his second try in New Mexico by less than one percentage point -- not even 6,000 votes.
Once again, our state is a crucial general election battleground. Barack needs us to deliver New Mexico -- with your help, we can make it happen.
Act now to show the Republicans that real change comes from the bottom up -- and community organizing really works.
Use our new Neighbor to Neighbor tool today and start reaching out to your community:
http://nm.barackobama.com/n2n
In my lifetime of diplomacy and governing, our country has never faced as many difficult challenges as we do today.
America needs change. America needs Barack Obama.
Thanks,
Governor Bill Richardson
P.S. -- I want to tell you about another new way to make your voice heard. The Republicans want to make this election a smear contest, but if you take a moment to write a letter to the editor, you can help make sure it stays focused on the issues that matter to you. With our online letter to the editor tool, you can quickly and easily send a note to local and national newspapers. Get started right now and share why you're supporting Barack:
http://nm.barackobama.com/NMYourVoice
[Introductory note from Stephen Fox: We are all awash in emails, self congratulation, hairsplitting, preaching to the choir, and all of the other communication idiosyncracies and dysfunctions that contributed to Democrat losses in prior years.
Nonetheless, I must share this great article with you from John McCutcheon, one of the livest wires in one of my 5 favorite groups, WRITERS FOR OBAMA, with the hope that it will fire you up to write letters to the editor and send them out to 25 papers in a battle ground state. In a reply to John's outstanding article, Alan Moses makes the point that Republicans understand marketing much better than we do, and by golly, I think he is right....Dr. Dean said recently nothing works better than going to door in your neighborhood, and I second that with a plea to you do precisely that, as well as fire off some letters to the editor around several battleground states and in your own home town newspaper. Join Writers for Obama and get in on this dialogue, please!]
from John McCutcheon:
I was going nuts about this time four years ago when Kerry refused my "slogan" lies and incompetence, incompetence and lies, lying incompetent crooks. Indeed I read in post mortems that factions in the Kerry camp had unsucessfully pressed this line and the result seems to have been a vascilating message throughout September to the very end of the campaign - almost weekly in fact.Being direct and forceful in calling out a liar and standing for your message/program is what it is all about. The substance of say a foreign policy plan may be nuanced adn even "pacifist" but if forcefully presented in the attack, it reassures voters that you are a leader, that you are strong, makes them feel strong themselvesThey know all this.It looks like McSame has emerged from the convention with about a 4 point lead. How long it lasts depends on developments in political time which can be hastened by an aggressive campaign which daily sticks to message and presses the adversary into making mistakes. Get personal with McCain and he will lose his temper. Browbeat the media - God knows McCain is and damned if they don't deserve it for 8 years of supine cowardice.What distresses me is the belated and ooblique response. You and I have known about the Bridge to Nowhere Lie virtually from the day McCain uttered it. The Campaign knew before that but have you heard any thing as forceful, as direct as this from Howard Kurtz (of all people):
The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz gets it right on the new McCain ad's repetition of the Palin-blocked-Bridge-to-Nowhere falsehood:
The Arizona senator has made a crusade of battling pork-barrel "earmarks," but the whopper here is that Palin opposed her state's notorious Bridge to Nowhere. She endorsed the remote project while running for governor in 2006, claimed to be an opponent only after Congress killed its funding the next year and has used the $223 million provided for it for other state ventures. Far from being an opponent of earmarks, Palin hired lobbyists to try to capture more federal funding.
More than half the population is made up of idiots. I'm sorry, in my experience its a fact of life and you either live in denial or you adjust. Why have the Republicans done so well the last 12 years or so? Because they understand marketing.All you need to get your marketing to work is a better than average first impression. That's it. Nature takes care of the rest as people build up these beliefs that we use in our daily life to frame our existence. The Republicans realized a while back that if you define a term your way or create a slogan that is accepted to be true, you can MAKE a perceived reality.One of my biggest gripes has been that the Dems have by, and large, been nice and fair-game playing folks. Well, I want that in my office and I DO want that in my politics, it just can't hold a candle to someone who's cheating.Does that mean you HAVE TO be just as dirty? NO! You can do it without lowering yourself, but you have to get serious about it. Attack them on all the legitimate fronts. Keep a consistent theme throughout your 2nd tier supporters letting them know the angle you're approaching this from. For example, the fact that Palin supports creationism, is a TOTALLY VALID point. You don't criticize her for her beliefs (not only does she have the right to have her own, but so do the voters that associate with them), but you can attack her on her desire to place creationism in public science class.Attack them because they don't have details. And you can't just leave it with a platitude... "uh... McCain doesn't have... uh... enough uh.... details...." Most Americans will tune out by the second "uh". Its too flat, doesn't stick. Isn't at all musical. And certainly doesn't have the sensational sting that causes it to reverberate in the media.Remember IT IS MARKETING! Think about all the ads you get bombarded with. If you see an ad that says it can fix all your life's ills, you probably wont believe it. But if it has a sincere enough slogan or pitch (and human association and emotion is big points towards that) IT WILL WORK. Just look at "Male Enhancement" and other snake oil promotions.Most people go off that first simple human impression which is a combination of subtle details. Those' "uh..."'s of Barack will kill him in debates or anything else on TV. Empty pauses are better than Uh's. To be fair, McCain is worse than Barack in this regard, but Palin is not. And neither is their 2nd tier supporters who get the Talking Points memos and go to town with B.S. line after B.S line.Here's what I suggest:
I am cogitating and all I can think of is attack...they've been very reluctant it seems..heard next to nothing from Biden, and from what I saw on ABC This Week Barack's elliptical answers .....thoughtful yes professor..but weak and Americans go for strong. That's why we need to attack directly. His mocking remark "you just can make this stuff up" etc was cute even clever bitingly sarcastic but what about "They LIE, they've been doing it for 8 years"Negative attacks can easily embrace substantive issue positions God knows Bush-McCain have given us a ton. And they do not have to detract from the campaign theme that we have to take back washington from whom? From liars and incompetents and theives and crony capitalists and lobbyist Republicans.Face it though, McSame has regained the initiative and a campaign can only do so much. We lost the battle of the conventions..time to move on ..patience and attack like a tigerThey know what to do. Do it. Time is running out John McCutchen, Esq [
From: nalongo zabeeti <sengafm@yahoo.com
Hi John - Agree we need to call a spade a spade, direct attack like them but can we thats not us?oba is careful beyond limits?? is it him or his campaign troops?
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Primal Scream by Josh Marshall
The TPM email bag this morning is chock of emails saying, in so many words, is it time to panic? I'm actually not taking much summary license here. Most of the emails I'm talking about actually ends with some form of that sentence. Since a lot of you are asking this I thought I should provide some sort of answer.
First, I think the USAToday/Gallup poll is an outlier. I wouldn't put much stock in it. It's clear that McCain is getting a sizable bump out of his convention. But remember, Obama did too. It quickly subsided, as was expected. And we should expect McCain's to as well. We'll know more by the end of the week.
Polls aside though, I continue to see a campaign in which the McCain camp has a consistent and aggressive message. They're constantly on the attack and largely defining the debate. The Obama campaign is largely reactive, parrying the attacks -- sometimes rapid response, sometimes slower response, but defined largely by response. It seemed that way to me in July, in August and it seems that way to me now.
At several points over the last year, I've underestimated Obama's campaign. And I take it that their position now is that they're not going to get knocked off their game. Instead they're staying focused on the ground game in the dozen and a half states where they believe the race will be one or lost. That's difficult for someone in my position to evaluate. The messaging and air war is something that is inherently visible. The ground game is very difficult to evaluate because it's much more difficult to see. So we're left to take it on faith that they know what they're doing, without having much way of seeing for ourselves.
I certainly hope they do.
But what I see is a campaign that is for some reason either unwilling or unable to take the initiative in the national messaging war. It's all reactive. And, yeah, that worries me!
--Josh Marshall
Every morning when I wake up, I have "letters to the editor" dancing in my head. I have had two published in the Wisconsin State Journal in the past week, one under my married name, one under my maiden name. I am running out of names, and the editor calls to verify the writer's identity before running the letter.
I've decided to post letters to my blog in the hope that some of you will pick them up, send them to your own newspapers, and use your own name. I am not proud <gr>.
So please, help yourself. If you edit, please keep in mind that most newspaper want only 200 words.
Letter #1:
“McCain-Palin are not change”
Obama has removed the corrupting influence of lobbyists and PAC money from his campaign and from the Democratic Party; McCain welcomes and embraces both. Obama refuses to participate in the slash-and-burn politics of personal destruction; McCain-Palin do not. Their snide derision of Obama, coupled with repeated lies about his record, are the kind of politics that Americans are tired of and will reject. Obama has laid out a visionary plan to cure what ails our country after eight years of Bush and Republican rule. McCain-Palin embrace the failed policies of both and offer nothing new. McCain bragged about voting with Bush 90% of the time; Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere (before being against it), accepted more pork per capita for Alaska than any other governor, and left her small town deeply in debt when she moved on to be governor. Obama worked across the aisle to pass sweeping ethics reforms as well as to secure loose nukes. McCain now opposes his own immigration bill, as well as the GI Bill, women’s reproductive health guarantees, and wind-solar packages.
Letter #2:
What We Need in a President
While McCain graduated near the bottom of a class of 900 at the Naval Academy, Obama graduated magna cum laude at the top of his class at Harvard. McCain’s explosive temperament has been questioned by Senate colleagues, including Republicans. Obama has shown himself to be ever cool under pressure. Given the challenges Bush has left us with—a recession, two wars, an eroded Constitution, and our reputation in tatters abroad—it’s going to take a healthy, energetic successor to begin to repair the damage. Obama fits the bill. The true picture of McCain’s health—physical and emotional—has so far evaded media scrutiny. In two key displays of judgment—whether the Iraq War should have been waged and who can step in as president on Day One, if needed—Obama’s judgment trumps McCain’s.
Wake up, voters. Don’t feel fooled again. We need someone wiser than us to fix Bush’s mess—not a guy we want to have a beer with or the hockey mom next door.
Letter #3:
When self-described big gambler John McCain chose Sarah Palin for vice president, he proved he won’t put “America First.” In fact, he’s gambling America’s security to win an election.
Actuarial tables indicate a 72-year-old four-time cancer survivor has a one-in-three chance of dying in office. Palin, not “ready on Day One,” is now reportedly cramming to learn a fraction of what Obama and Biden already bring to the table. McCain’s “judgment” in the Palin selection reveals a cynical, impulsive “executive” willing to do anything to appeal to polled voting segments. We elect him at our peril.
Palin is not the Reformer she and McCain claim. She was for the “Bridge to Nowhere” in 2006 before now being against it. She lobbied for and received at least $17 million in earmarks for Wasilla, but left the city $20 million in debt. Under legislative investigation for abuse of power, she opposes abortion, even in the case of rape or incest. Skeptical of global warming, she headed indicted Sen. Ted Stevens’ PAC. As recently as two weeks ago, Palin sat in her church where hate speech against Jews spewed from the pulpit unchallenged.
McCain-Palin is not the ticket to unify and protect all Americans.
Letter #4:
McCain No Longer A Maverick
McCain now supports Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy he used to oppose; Obama’s tax plan reduces taxes on the middle class three times more than McCain’s, while increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans and businesses that ship jobs overseas. In pushing for the Iraq war right after 9/11, McCain incorrectly linked the anthrax attacks to that country and claimed we would be hailed as liberators. Obama opposed that war early on, employing sound judgment over politics. His predictions that war in Iraq would imperil our economy, fan anti-American sentiment, and distract us from Afghanistan have sadly proven true. For all McCain’s talk of ethics reform, lobbyists run his campaign and set his policies. Obama is vigilant about removing the corrupting influence of lobbyists and their money both in his campaign, in the DNC, and in the “change government” he intends to run.
If you have any success, please let me know where (e-mail scsinykin@gmail.com).
Cross-posted at www.YesWeCanOregon.com
How To Write Letters To The Editor
Letters to the editor are great advocacy tools. They reach a large audience. They are often monitored by elected officials. They can bring up information not addressed in a news article. And they can create an impression of widespread opposition or support to an issue or candidate. Over the years, I have written many letters to the editor, about four-fifths of which have been published. I am often asked for tips on how to write a good letter to the editor (LTE). The first thing I tell people is to remember that, depending on the newspaper, between only ten and twenty-five percent of letters get printed. Therefore, it is important for writers not to give up if your first attempt does not get printed. Newspaper editors tend to publish letters that:
Every day the news offers us many topics on which to comment. When deciding to write a LTE in order to comment on a current event, timeliness is crucial. Try to submit your letter within two days of the event to have the best chance of your letter being published. The same holds true for responses to published LTEs or OpEds. Waiting a month to write and submit your letter responding to another author’s opinion makes it very unlikely your letter will be published. Timeliness is less crucial when writing a LTE in support of a candidate or issue. Nevertheless, waiting until ten days before an election to write your LTE in support of a particular candidate or issue makes it more likely your letter will get lost in the crowd. Be one of the first, and you are much more likely to be published. Some stylistic tips which are useful to remember:
And, finally, a few tips on etiquette:
For further advice or assistance in editing or phrasing, do not hesitate to contact me. Good luck!
Oregon Newspapers’ Submission Criteria
Check out these letters to the editor that were published today. If you would like to write your own, consider using our online letter writing tool. Click here to get started.
'Yes we can' with Barack ObamaLucie from Iowa CityI am a senior at City High School. Barack Obama is the first politician who I ever have been able to relate to. He inspires me to be a better person.I remember watching the 2004 Democratic National Convention with my parents when Barack Obama spoke. I stopped reading "Harry Potter," and I actually listened, something I hadn't done all evening. He seemed real. He seemed honest. He gave me hope. I turned to my mom and said, "He's cool, and he should run for president." To which she responded, "Sure, maybe." I left it at that.Then November 2006 rolled around. I was at a rally for Chet Culver when Barack Obama came on stage, and I realized why I'd been enamored with him in the first place: His charisma, his attitude, his mission. After his speech, I braved the crowd and got the senator's signature. The next time I saw the senator, and times following, just strengthened my support. Obama is one of the only politicians who speaks to the youth. He doesn't shove us aside as others do; he shows us what we can do as people to better ourselves. He inspires us when usually we are a much-ignored group of voters. We are the future leaders of the world, and he makes us feel like we are important and what we say matters. He makes you want to go out there and change the world. That's what he is all about, changing the world for the better. He is honest. I believe he truly means what he says. Other politicians seem to say whatever their constituents want to hear. Obama is different. He tells us what we need to hear even though it may not be a pretty picture. He doesn't simplify issues; he tells it like it is. He knows that we aren't naïve and doesn't speak to us as such. He tells us what he means to do and is honest about his intentions.Barack Obama makes me believe that what I do really makes a difference. I can change the world -- we all can. He teaches us that even in our very complicated and war-torn world, there always is something to hope for and something to strive for -- a better world. And when we ask if it is too hard and if we really can heal all the world's wounds, we only have to look to the words of Obama, "Yes We Can!"Obama ’s good management will bring about change Carol in Iowa City As always in an election year, we are talking about candidates and comparing their styles of communication, their messages and their promises. I think it’s also important to look beyond campaign rhetoric and consider the candidates’ management ability. After all, the president of the United States is not only the leader of the free world, he manages the largest organization in our country, the federal bureaucracy. In upcoming years, it will be the president’s leadership in selecting upper level staff, directing their work and demanding loyal performance that determines whether he can deliver on his promises. Good management is a set of skills, but it also has an element of talent. I see that talent in Barack Obama . I’ve watched his campaign — well planned from the start, with well-disciplined and highly organized staff, with resources ready when needed, and — most importantly — with the intensity of purpose that marks the culture of a dynamic organization. I believe in Obama ’s dream. But I’m supporting him because I believe he has the management talent to bring about true change in America.
'Yes we can' with Barack Obama
Lucie from Iowa City
I am a senior at City High School. Barack Obama is the first politician who I ever have been able to relate to. He inspires me to be a better person.
I remember watching the 2004 Democratic National Convention with my parents when Barack Obama spoke. I stopped reading "Harry Potter," and I actually listened, something I hadn't done all evening. He seemed real. He seemed honest. He gave me hope. I turned to my mom and said, "He's cool, and he should run for president." To which she responded, "Sure, maybe." I left it at that.
Then November 2006 rolled around. I was at a rally for Chet Culver when Barack Obama came on stage, and I realized why I'd been enamored with him in the first place: His charisma, his attitude, his mission. After his speech, I braved the crowd and got the senator's signature. The next time I saw the senator, and times following, just strengthened my support. Obama is one of the only politicians who speaks to the youth. He doesn't shove us aside as others do; he shows us what we can do as people to better ourselves. He inspires us when usually we are a much-ignored group of voters. We are the future leaders of the world, and he makes us feel like we are important and what we say matters. He makes you want to go out there and change the world. That's what he is all about, changing the world for the better. He is honest. I believe he truly means what he says. Other politicians seem to say whatever their constituents want to hear. Obama is different. He tells us what we need to hear even though it may not be a pretty picture. He doesn't simplify issues; he tells it like it is. He knows that we aren't naïve and doesn't speak to us as such. He tells us what he means to do and is honest about his intentions.
Barack Obama makes me believe that what I do really makes a difference. I can change the world -- we all can. He teaches us that even in our very complicated and war-torn world, there always is something to hope for and something to strive for -- a better world. And when we ask if it is too hard and if we really can heal all the world's wounds, we only have to look to the words of Obama, "Yes We Can!"
Obama ’s good management will bring about change
Carol in Iowa City
