Yesterday the Iowa Campaign for Change opened six new offices, and has planned four more next week. Our organization here is ramping up, and we are going to need everyone to join their Obama Organizing Teams to ensure that we are reaching out to every neighborhood across the state.
During the office opening in Muscatine, our local Team Leader Bonnie encouraged people to find what drives them within. She encouraged everyone to lay it out on the line and to put everything they have into the next three months. “We don’t want to look back on November 5 and realize we could have done more.”
Join Bonnie and Obama Organizing Teams across the state at your local office, or sign up online to join your local organizing team. Check out a few of the news stories about our new rural office openings:
Obama plans to open 10 more offices in Iowa
Democrat Barack Obama plans to open 10 more offices in Iowa, focusing on rural sections of the state. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said the presidential candidate will open six offices this week, then four more next week. That will bring Obama's total number of field offices to 36.
The offices being opened this week are in Carroll, Grinnell, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Muscatine and Spencer. The offices are a repeat of the huge field organization Obama built in Iowa in his successful campaign for the state's precinct caucuses.
Obama courting rural Iowa voters
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama opened six campaign offices in rural Iowa Tuesday and will open four next week, a signal Obama will make a serious effort to woo all Iowa voters. Last week, Iowa Democrats sought to highlight Obama’s support for the most recent farm bill and ethanol subsidies in contrast to Republican opponent John McCain, who voted against the farm bill and has a longstanding opposition to subsidies for ethanol. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Obama is committed to reaching out to rural voters and already has held more than 100 town hall meetings in rural parts of the state. “We want as many people involved in this campaign as we can, because the stakes are high this November, especially for rural America,” Harkin said during a conference call with reporters. “We need a president who will stand up for rural America, and Sen. Obama is the candidate who will fight for our rural communities.”
Finally, Governor Strickland made clear in the third of his appearances at a Campaign for Change office opening, this one in Chillicothe, that he and Barack share more than the same birthday: they're also united in the direction they desire for Ohio. It's well known what Governor Strickland himself looks like; the photo above aims to show what he and Barack inspire in people when they talk of the change they seek for America.
This past weekend the Campaign for Change staked its claim in territories across the heartland, with offices opening all over the state quicker than you can say "buckeye."
In all corners, crowds flocked to find out what they can do to get involved, to eat the tastiest Obama-related cuisine, to hear local candidates and officials sound the call for change, and to explore the beautifully adorned spaces that will quickly become the heartbeat of this campaign's life for the next three months plus.
A quick photo tour from around the state:
In Lakewood, supporters filled the seats to get in on the Obama energy.
It was a good night by all accounts in Springfield, where there were 183 sign-ins at the office opening and 37 shifts scheduled for Barack's birthday (August 4) volunteer events. Not to mention 14 pledged in-kind contributions of volunteer food, gas cards, office supplies, or a month of unlimited cell phone use.
Shaker Heights didn't wait till its opening started to make its presence felt.
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If you've checked our page lately, you've seen that campaign field offices are opening up all over the state in the next week.
But those who live near Lima, Chillicothe, and Athens, are in for an extra-special occasion this weekend, as the highest official in the state, none other than Governor Ted Strickland, will be at their community's office openings to help lay the foundation for our campaign for change!
The Lima event is tomorrow, at 1 pm, the Chillicothe event is on Saturday at 9:30 am, and Athens holds its own at 1:30 pm on Sunday. More details are available on the campaign's grass-roots social network site, my.barackobama.com. Come out and listen to the Governor talk about his and Barack's shared values, and how crucial it is to help get Barack elected for the future of our country!
In other corners of the state, groups herd into other fresh new spaces to begin the work of the next few months. Sandusky held its own office opening yesterday. After mingling and treating themselves to some refreshments, supporters listened as Field Organizers Eric and Rich talked about what the community can do to get involved. Above, a volunteer indicates her commitment by filling out a shift sheet.
Parma also had its local politically star-studded office opening yesterday. State Senator Dale Miller gave a rousing speech underlining the urgency of our times, and praised the area Obama team's eagerness to work on the same level with locals. State Rep Tim DeGeeter also spoke, and afterwards the crowd of around fifty socialized and talked about what they could do to help.
One by one, counties in the Buckeye state are opening themselves up to the possibility of a new moment in our nation's narrative.
With a healthy showing of twenty-four attendees, those involved in local education talked about what they specifically could do to get the word out and expand the effort in Akron. Conclusions revolved around a continual voter registration drive aimed at high school and college students, as well as the promotion of local volunteering opportunities within the campaign to those students who are Obama supporters... and might have some time and youthful energy to spare for Barack. It was the perfect example of a professional or social group looking at the skills and resources they bring to the table, pooling these tools together, and putting them to work in the name of change.
Join us and find an office near you!
We hope that you to be talking to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers about the importance of this upcoming election, and our need to get involved and make a difference in every single community across the state.
This is what a campaign looks like that isn’t paid for by lobbyists or special interest groups. Join us here in Iowa by either finding an office near you and stopping by, or sign up and we’ll let you know about local events and other ways you can get involved. In the upcoming weeks and months we’ll be doing the important work it will take to ensure that Democrats are being elected up and down the ballot, and Barack Obama is elected as our next president. Join us and make the difference in your neighborhood!
As the momentum for Barack grows in early states, Nevada is aiming to capture the enthusiasm by opening three new offices in cities with an already strong base of grassroots supporters. The new campaign offices in Henderson, Boulder City, and Winnemucca will bring the total number to ten across the state—more than twice the number of offices of any other presidential candidate.
Obama Rising: Four Offices in the North, Six Offices in the South
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On a conference call with reporters this afternoon, David Plouffe announced the growth of the organization in Nevada.
"This campaign's strength is based on our incredible volunteers," said Plouffe. "The new offices will support the grassroots organization that we have built in every corner of Nevada and will allow for supporters from many communities to take part in the campaign on the ground level."
Already up and running are regional offices in Carson City, Reno, Elko, Pahrump and three in Las Vegas.
Plouffe also noted the growing momentum for Barack Obama in all four early nominating contests.
"The tightening of the race we are seeing in the early states reflects the strength of the Obama campaign's grassroots organization and the growing momentum for Senator Obama's candidacy,” said Plouffe. “Our campaign’s focus will remain on building the strongest precinct-level grassroots organization in Nevada, reaching out to potential caucus-goers and getting them active in their communities.”
The support in Nevada is growing, and our organization is working overtime to keep up. When Barack was in Las Vegas on Monday, he announced the new winter internship program that is going to provide real world experience, in one of the most important early states in the country, to those of us who are willing to stand up and speak out for change. We are encouraging anyone in the West who wants to get trained for a Get Out the Vote/ Caucus effort to join us in Nevada this winter break. You can make an important difference in the momentum for the February 5th extravaganza, by helping an early state like Nevada, while also being trained for your own local organizing efforts.
Meet great people, learn tons of valuable organizing tools, and help Senator Obama win one of the four early state contests—what could be more rewarding? Get a gift this holiday season that keeps on giving, and take a week or more out of your break and work in Nevada to turn the page and change the world. Ready to go?
