Posts with the tag organizing

Click For Obama

Click For Obama — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:24:53 EDT

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Public Option is a "Win-Win" for Liberals and Conservatives

Julian from Nyack, NY — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:08:47 EDT

As our contentious national debate on health care reform nears its conclusion where are the big ideas that can unite Americans across the political spectrum? There is growing evidence that including the choice of a government run health insurance plan (a “public option”) would significantly strengthen the legislation and advance key principles held by liberals, moderates and conservatives. Here’s why:

1. The Public Option Increases Free Market Competition and Choice

One of the central principles of conservatism is the power of the free markets and consumer choice. Adding the choice of a public plan to compete with private plans will generate more choice and encourage healthy competition with insurance companies to drive down premiums and offer more value and quality to patients.

2. The Public Option Brings Us Closer to Universal Health Care

A core liberal principle is promoting an inclusive society with universal rights. A public plan will bring our nation much closer to the long-held goal of universal health care. It will make affordable health care available to millions of Americans through a public plan without the pressure to increase private profits for shareholders and raise revenues to cover marketing costs and exorbitant CEO salaries.

3. The Public Option Saves Money

"Blue Dog" Democrats and other moderates are committed to the principle of fiscal responsibility. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the strong public option included in the original House bill (with reimbursements set at Medicare rates plus five percent) would save taxpayers $110 billion by pushing down premiums for health care consumers. A modified version of the public option supported by some “blue dog” Democrats would save $25 billion because it would require the HHS Secretary to negotiate rates with providers independently of Medicare and its larger purchasing pool.

Given these facts about the public option and their consistency with guiding principles across the ideological spectrum, it appears Congressional opposition to a public option must be based on: 1) a commitment to protect insurance company profits and the campaign contributions they engender, or 2) a fierce partisan determination to block strong health care reform to undercut President Obama and gain political advantage going into the 2010 and 2012 elections.

Fortunately, the opposition is losing credibility as the benefits of reform are better understood. Several polls demonstrate that the choice of a public plan is popular and that including it increases overall support for health care reform legislation. For example, a recent New York Times poll found that support for offering “a government administered health insurance plan” to compete with private plans is overwhelmingly favored by 65 to 26 percent, a five point gain in support compared to their poll a month earlier.

Now is the time for reform advocates to push hard on these points as the moment of truth approaches for the public option and the health care reform that America so urgently needs.

Intelligence Report on Town Hall (Hell) activities: New details leaked re Right Wing Plans

Varun from Berkeley, CA — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:22:28 EDT

Guns at rallies, Attacks, Using the N word, calling Obama a Nazi, chanting Nazi slogans and even attempting to attack elected officials as they try to moderate the Health Care town halls, it seems the press is moving very slowly to understand who the FEW, the Minority, screamers, racists and right wing nut job, home grown terrorists really are.

Just reported: the SEIU obtained a Tea Party startegy via a Right Wing mobilization conf call.

The summary: Just destroy Obama's plan at any cost....No reasons....just be the party of NO

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/seius-notes-on-a-tea-party-strategy-conference-call/

June 27th, 2009's Health Care Reform Rally, Rockford, IL

Christopher Donshale Sims — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:56:35 EDT

Let me update you all:
We had a very successful healthcare reform rally at State St. and Alpine Rd here in Rockford. After having gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL to register, make signs, and listen to a speaker, we enjoyed the "honks for health care" we received.

In Rockford, people are up in arms about health care reform. This is what the people showed us.

I can recall listening to a woman at the light about health care reform. She had none and it was because of her job. She was angry and showed it.

This is what makes us organize around this issue and do something about it.

Stay tuned and interested.

On Saturday July 11th, 2009 at 12 PM I plan on showing Sicko by Michael Moore at Katie's Cup. Afterwards we will have discussion. Come on out. 502 7th St., Rockford, IL Right across from Amcore Bank.

Christopher D. Sims
Community Organizer and Activist

Local OFA Steering Committee Meeting

George A Sanders — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:53:13 EDT

We (a group of team leaders and volunteers in York County) decided we needed to stay in touch and brainstorm things we can do locally to improve our community. We wanted to be ready to mobilize volunteers and share information when the national OFA calls on volunteers to help with projects.

We are looking for volunteers to present ideas for projects and to organize projects. The only rule to get your voice heard is to show up. See the extended post for details...

The local steering committee meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm at the Red Lion B&B, 101 S Franklin St, Red Lion PA 17356. Contact George and 717-332-7429 or george.a.sanders@gmail.com for more information.

Our Mission (adapted from an email from David Plouffe)

George A Sanders — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:35:51 EDT

"We won because the American people mobilized for change. It was really people at a grassroots level who carried our campaign financially, who carried it organizationally, and we don't want that to dissipate." - Barack Obama

The organization will operate on these core organizing principles:

Respect. Empower. Include.
A special emphasis on super volunteers and team leaders/coordinators.
Organizing, training and development for staff and volunteers at all levels. The organization will have professional organizers on the ground nationwide, and they will focus on strengthening volunteer leadership.
Keeping in mind the three primary areas President Obama has outlined critical for our economic future: energy, health care, and education.

The organization's goals will be to promote:

Legislative issue organizing to support President-elect Obama's agenda.
Electoral organizing to create/support/enhance good government.
Civic engagement to help and empower ourselves and our neighbors.
Promote two-way communication between the Administration and grassroots.

In order to accomplish these goals, we will:

Expand the existing grassroots organization.
Directly lobby members of Congress and other elected officials.
Work to win local elections for candidates that support our principles and believe in transparency, accountibility, and hunting for the best solutions to problems.
Develop and work on community service projects.
Communicate well to OFA, the local press, the general public and team members.

GrassRoots OFA Team Leader's Coalition EVent Planning Committee

Marcia Riquelme — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:44:08 EDT

Hi Everyone,

In the months after the WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY GRASSROOTS CONFERENCE on Feb. 21st, a coalition of Team Leaders and active volunteers decided to meet and discuss how we could continue on with our network still on the ground post-election.

It is clear there is a great interest to strengthen and continue that network. Dan Grandone and J.D. Stier attended our second meeting and agreed it is a good thing they are enthusiastic to see continue.

There is now a third and fourth event on the calendar. Please consider attending if you can.

Tuesday, May 7th -- a collaborative meeting to set in motion a more 'formalized' sort of group description and establishing the group as an entity working within the goals of OFA but also working with many local and statewide community service issues and focus groups. We are expanding our invitation base to anyone who is interested in attending, and especially those who were part of the network that volunteered to elect Obama. Here is the agenda:

PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will move us from talking to walking. So come prepared to be in on the ground floor of developing an action agenda for Dane County.

Thanks

Dear Obama Team Leaders,

The anticipation of spring is upon us and with it the arrival of President Obama's first 100 days in office. It's difficult to determine which to be more excited about, but for most of us it probably is the 100 days.

Throughout the long winter we have continued to work with our teams, participate in the Grassroots Festival, and meet the OFA Wisconsin Coordinator, Dan Grandone). It seems clear that we will be stronger and more effective if we share our energy in some form of county wide network.

With this realization, it is time to take the next step in building the Dane County Grassroots Network. Join us at the Alicia Ashman Library (large meeting room), 733 N. High Point Rd.1 on Thursday evening May 7, at 6:30 pm. This meeting will be a work session with some heavy lifting for the future. We encourage you to bring one or two additional team members with you who are also committed to this project.

See the attached agenda for details.

We look forward to seeing you on May 7. If you have questions call any of the numbers below.

Ron Biendseil 836-1920

Bruce Green

Nate Timm 220-0139

Eric Sundquist

GRASSROOTS NETWORK AGENDA

MAY 7, 2009

6:30 p.m., Alicia Ashman Library, 733 N. High Point Rd. (Corner of High Point and Old Sauk, one block east of the Beltline)

WHO WILL KEEP US ON TIME??

6:30 WELCOME AND BRIEF HISTORY OF EFFORTS TO CREATE A GRASSROOTS NETWORK IN WISCONSIN. (Obama campaign experience, Grassroots Festival, Organizing for America listening sessions, Dual Rail Meeting, first meeting of grassroots teams at the Alicia Ashman Library
6:40 PURPOSE OF TONIGHTS MEETING:
1. Identify top priorities of issues people want to begin working on with other area teams
2. Develop preliminary work plans to address top priorities

NOTE: the underlying assumption is that you are here because you want to DO SOMETHING

6:50 WHO’S HERE Rapid fire -- Your name and community
7:00 MISSION STATEMENT:

The Dane County Grassroots Network consists of progressive groups, teams, and individuals committed to the civic betterment of the community and the nation.

The mission of the Dane County Grassroots Network is to:

Facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and skills among network members in order to promote the civic betterment of our community and nation
Identify issues of common interest to groups and facilitate shared activities and campaigns.

Is there anyone here who CANNOT live with this as the mission for this initiative??

7:10 Identify top priorities that the network will address
Who will join the Coordinating Team for Dane County? This group will support work groups, problem solve, trouble shoot, and plan follow up activities of this meeting
7:30 Break into Work Groups to begin developing action plans
8:15 Reconvene as large group to BRIEFLY report on highlights of work plans
8:30 We’re out of here.

Possible Priorities ( for further action by work groups)

Note: participants at previous meetings have endorsed the need to develop an electronic communications network to support our efforts. Marcia has agreed to coordinate this effort. If you’d be interested in being part of this work group STAND UP AND BE COUNTED NOW.

WORK TOGETHER TO:

(First, circle your top 5-6 priorities. Then check off your TOP 3)

___Influence state legislative priorities
___Support President Obama's political agenda
___Influence the national legislative agenda
___Support a national Health Care initiative: facilitate education, information

dissemination and action etc, on this issue

___Support a state Transportation initiative: RTA facilitate education, information

dissemination and action etc, on this issue

___Support a national Energy policy: facilitate education, information dissemination

and action etc, on this issue

___Support a national Education initiative: facilitate education, information

dissemination and action etc, on this issue

___Organize coordinated community service projects (short term and ongoing

projects)

___Develop and support youth involvement in a grassroots network
___Find and support a credible Dem. candidate to oppose Rep. Paul Ryan
___Establish Study/Discussion Groups (books, articles, issues, etc.)
___Establish a Grassroots Academy to help network members hone their political

skills, community organizing skills, communications skills, etc., and develop political, business and community linkages

Others??

1 The library is at the back of s small shopping center at the corner of High Point and Old Sauk Rd. Turn into the shopping center and head to the back corner. We’ll be there.

I will post the announcement of the HealthCare Reform forum announcement in my next posting. Please take a look and consider attending. We are and can still make a huge difference if we keep the network alive and functioning!

Ioenajca

Najcaj from Vallonia, IN — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:09:00 EDT

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Organizing For America (OFA) in Alaska

Jonathan Teeters — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:20:21 EDT

Good afternoon,

I just wanted to get active again with my blog, and I wanted to find out if anyone out there is interested in helping me to learn what is going on in Alaska with Organizing For America. I am pretty sure there are things happening...

I am eager to get involved here again continuing all the great work that we accomplished together.

What's going on where you are?

Please leave me a comment, or send me an email to get.at.jonathan@gmail.com.

Talk to you soon!

Jonathan

Power To The People

Oscar Carter — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:44:20 EDT

Until Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign, I had never been involved with politics. The reason to a large extent may be due to my biggest learning during the campaign.

What excited me most was the openness and transparency about which and under which President Obama spoke and ran. It was that and his ability to inspire hope and possibility that caused me to work so hard on his, my and all of our behalf’s. It was exciting to see how so many people were empowered when they also got involved in the process.

Contrary to my experience with the Campaign, I learned how our organizations, institutions, and yes even the nations we have built across the world have separated us from one another. President Obama found a way to bring people together with a common vision toward a common end.

Over the last week in working with the Organizing for America initiative, I have watched and experienced people, in the name of “grassroots” effort initiating organizations, groups and taking actions that have become and are becoming politicized, taking on lives of their own and separating themselves from others as well as the masses. Although I believe in mantra, "All is Good," to the extent the foregoing continues to occur, achieving “Change We Can Believe In” will be delayed.

We must build open organizing systems and other initiatives and efforts that are inclusive and transparent. If we do not, we will continue to separate, alienate and in fact cause conflict with one another that will not be productive. I believe we all believe in a common good and desire a world that works for all. We will accomplish that by working together, and I will agree with opposition as well, so long as it is peaceful and respectful.

Oscar Carter

Creating A World Community

Register your Social Skills Set

Life Skills Coach — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:06:33 EDT

Hello fellow Obama Supporters: Support the Houston Resource Directory by subscribing and adding your Social Skills Set. MyHoustonTexas.Info - is an INFORMATIONAL website and a RESOURCE directory; developed by a group of Houston campaign workers for President Barack Obama; 2008 Presidential Campaign [www.My.BarackObama.com]. Similar initiatives have been started in other States. Social skills set are similar to interests, hobbies, qualifications and competencies; which highlight marketable skills and work experience.

Examples: (a) Betty listed her Social Skill Set as retired, clerical, and bookkeeping. Shelia is a small business owner who lives in the same neighborhood, and needs assistance managing her business finances so; she contacts Betty about her bookkeeping services. (b) Willie listed his Social Skill Set as painting, yard-work, and mechanic. Jose lives in the same neighborhood, and needs assistance cutting a tree (from a natural disaster) so; he contacts (interviews) Willie about his yard-work services.

This social skills set concept is indicative of community empowerment, community development, and sustainable communities, and representative of President Obama's goal of empowering communities to work together. For information about collaborating or developing a similar community resource mechanism; please contact: Darryl.Riser@MyHoustonTexas.info

ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA'S PLEDGE PROJECT

Dimples02 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:55:35 EDT

DEAR OBAMA SUPPORTERS:

The next few weeks will be some of the most important our movement for change has encountered yet.

Mitch wrote earlier this week about Organizing for America's Pledge Project -- an effort to identify and mobilize support across the country for the economic vision President Obama has outlined in his budget.

If you haven't yet done so, pledge your support now and ask your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same.

The budget that passes Congress has the potential to take our country in a truly new direction -- the kind of change we all worked so hard for. We didn't fight to shy away from the tough long-term decisions Washington has ducked for far too long.

President Obama knows, as you do, that our future strength and prosperity depends on Washington finally taking the hard and smart steps in energy, health care, and education that will make sure America and its families are strong for decades to come.

And while his budget reflects those important values and priorities, the President also understands the government has to cut spending like so many families and businesses are being forced to do now. He invests where we need to and cuts where we must.

In the next few weeks we'll be asking you to do some of the same things we asked of you during the campaign -- talking directly to people in your communities about the President's ideas for long-term prosperity. But first, start with your own pledge of support, and the support of your friends, family, and neighbors:

http://my.barackobama.com/pledgeproject

We know this fight won't be easy. But important battles never are. Together, we have the opportunity to shape our country's future. We believed in the power of people to win an improbable election victory. And we believe in the power of people to drown out the cynics and entrenched interests in Washington to bring lasting, meaningful change we can all be proud we played a role in.

Thanks,

David Plouffe

Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Dinner with a Stranger

Brian Chesney — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:50:29 EST

Franke James has a great post on her blog about an offer she received around Christmas: $200 to the charity of her choice in exchange for one night of dinner. Only the catch is, the the person making the offer was a complete stranger. Read her post to see how it went -- reminds me of the great community spirit that organizing can capture.

(via kottke.org)

Second Questionnaire for Progressive Activists

Wade Hudson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:34:12 EST

This survey asks respondents to rate the degree to which characteristics identified in the responses to the first Questionnaire for Progressive Activists apply to their group.

Intended for members and former members of formal and informal groups that push for progressive changes in public or corporate policy, it will take about five minutes to complete and is located at:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zvr7DGdQWc9oqbh8WcaJPQ_3d_3d

Individuals who’ve been active in more than one group can submit additional responses by asking me for an email survey.

For information about the first survey, see http://progressiveresourcecatalog.org/index.php/QPA/Home

Future questionnaires will ask respondents to suggest methods that activists could use to improve their effectiveness and rate those methods. It is our hope that activists will use this information to strengthen their projects.

We encourage you to participate in this collaborative research project and/or tell others about it.

SEIU Change that Works

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:00:24 EST

North Dakotans!

Join the Change that Works Campaign. Help work for a stronger and fairer economy, increase access to health care, and support employee free choice. Sign up for email updates on future activitie.

http://www.seiu.org/changethatworks/northdakota/

So keep us involved already

Leo Romero — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:22:42 EST

We scheduled our Economic Recovery House Meeting before the call was made to have such meetings, so because we were early, we’re late. We broke into groups today to talk about what we can do to stimulate our corners of the economy, but we kept going off on tangents which eventually became the main topic of conversation.

What’s up with Organizing for America? On January 26, David Plouffe introduced Mitch Stewart as the new Executive Director of Organizing for America. And then … nothing. We’re not used to waiting around doing nothing. Mitch said OFA will keep us involved. So keep us involved already.

At least let us know what you want us to do. During the campaign we were asked to make these calls, knock on these doors, check these boxes. Recently, it’s been more like “Watch this video”. What?

Without some leadership, we’re coming up with some crazy ideas on our own. How about we use the phone bank at barackobama.com to ask constituents to get their representatives to vote for President Obama’s initiatives? Or lobby state and local governments to spend the stimulus money on programs that we support? Or have our members monitor how our money’s being spent?

We also need OFA’s leadership to make it easier for our groups to connect with other groups. There are so many groups and members within miles of each other. In our own group we’ve got people who want to expand their community gardens, or increase the membership of their giving circles, or – well we can’t list them all here. Everyone’s already doing something good that could be made better if more people worked together. But the OFA site doesn’t make it easy for groups and members to work together on their shared interests. Facebook and other platforms do a much better job, but wouldn’t it make sense to keep our community all in one place?

We know it’s early yet, and we’re being a little impatient. But this movement was not built on patience. Don’t let us lose our momentum. Give us some guidance, or we’ll go off in a million directions. At least let us know what you plan to do to keep us all involved.

Getting Obama Elected

2morrowKnight — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 10:04:17 EST

We all helped Obama in our own way: some phone-banked; others knocked on doors. Because of my busy schedule, I couldn't do any of that.

So I decided to become a voluntee internet strategist for Obama's campaign. I launched my own "50 State Strategy" - essentially a massive e-mail campaign, where I micro-targeted voters. I sent out over 100,000 e-mails on his behalf the past 9 months to people from the 50 states.

It was a great deal of fun. I spent two hours a day mining the internet for e-mails specific to region, race, ethnicity, etc. And this worked beautifully. For example, when Obama was endorsed by the Asian-American PAC (the 80-20 Initiative) I sent an e-mail out that same day to over 500 members of Asian-American fraternities and sororities. And when Obama had a surprisingly rocky start with a Latina member of Congress in June (the start of the general election), I went into overdrive, e-mailing over 2000 Latinos across the country for a whole week straight about his commitment to concerns Latinos hold dear.

Moreover, when I e-mailed states like MT, ND, WY, ID, WV, and NE, I played up his eye-popping appeal among white voters. However, when I e-mailed NM, CO, OR, CA, FL or WA (more cosmopolitan, and racially/ethnically diverse states) I simply showed how he was winning and what his positions were.

So in four years when we're all working to get Obama re-elected, let's not forget about the internet. Its powerful. And it was largely responsible for him getting elected.

And when he announces his bid to run for re-election, I'm determined to have 600,000 e-mails I can send his info to. I'm growing my list, which currently is over 200,000...we have to keep the momentum going!

2morrowknight is an internet strategist and community organizer who blogs at 2morrowknight.blogspot.com, and is author of a forthcoming children's book. You can follow him at Twitter.com/2morrowknight and friend him at Myspace.com/2morrowknight.

Obama's Movement: Three Questions

Wade Hudson — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:29:06 EST

As we await a full report on what Barack and his team will do with the campaign organization post-election, my primary concerns can be summarized in three questions:

Empowered Teams -- Will they emphasize, encourage, and support the development of relatively small teams that stay together over time, foster supportive friendships, and decide together on what actions to take as a unit, or will they unfortunately continue the past pattern of calling for gatherings from time to time?
Authoritative Input -- Will they create a structure that enables these teams to select representatives to next-higher level groups who can deliberate together to develop recommendations for the national office, resulting in a relatively small national group of representatives that can offer authoritative input to the national office, or will theyunfortunately continue the past pattern of asking for input from tens of thousands of loosely, haphazardly connected individuals and organizations?
United National Action -- Will the national office recommend regularly (perhaps monthly) that all members of the new organization communicate the same message at roughly the same time to all members of Congress, or will they, as has been speculated in the press,unfortunately focus from time to time on only certain members of Congress?

The recommendations implied by these questions apply to both the Democratic Party and a new post-campaign organization, if it emerges. I see no good reason not to implement these methods. It seems to me that this approach is needed to build a strong, united, grassroots activist force that can sustain itself for the long haul independent of Barack's leadership, which is essential at the moment. If the more fragmented, unfortunate options included in these questions are adopted, I will continue to support efforts to implement the goals of the Obama campaign. But I will likely do so with less enthusiasm and look for other ways to devote my energy that hold more potential for the future.

Reflections on the Obama Movement

Wade Hudson — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:21:58 EST

December 31, 2008

by Wade Hudson

In "The Prophet," Ari Berman reports that a former Democratic National Committee (DNC) official close to the Obama campaign says, "Most of Obama's grassroots infrastructure is going to go to the DNC. That's the prevailing gossip of the past few weeks, and it's been pretty consistent."

Primarily merging with the Democratic Party makes sense on a number of levels. But for the Party to help "transform the nation," as Obama affirmed during the campaign, it would have to become much more than a vehicle for elections. It would have to become an activist organization dedicated to fighting for its platform year-round, as discussed in Transforming the Democratic Party.

To transform itself, the Party would need to undertake serious, year-round precinct organizing. As TiVo and other technologies enable viewers to avoid television commercials, old-fashioned, door-to-door, face-to-face outreach will become more valuable. Precinct organizers could work within their neighborhood throughout the year -- meeting, contacting, and mobilizing neighbors to strengthen and expand social connections and engage in political action (including voting) and community service. This organizing would involve establishing personal relationships with as many neighbors as possible, while listening closely to their concerns. Methods would include welcoming new arrivals to the neighborhood and encouraging eligible voters to become registered Democrats, vote in elections, and participate in joint political action, hopefully including national actions coordinated by the DNC. These goals would be accomplished by knocking on doors, making phone calls, leaving personal notes, and convening neighborhood gatherings including block parties, house meetings, discussion groups, and other activities. Organizers would recruit neighbors to become part of their team and share the work. On Election Day, teams would monitor the polls to determine who has voted and, before the polls close, contact those who have not. Pertinent information would be fed into the national database.

Whether through MyBO and/or the Democratic Party, Barack Obama needs to transition his campaign resources into a strong, independent, grassroots organization that can undertake coordinated, united action nationwide. Countless Obama supporters gave their heart and soul to the campaign because they expected as much, based on statements made by Barack and his staff during the campaign.

One such statement was "Obama: The Organizer and the Moment," a post to the official Obama section of a social networking website in early 2008. At the top, this post placed a quote by Barack from his first political campaign, "What if a politician were to see his job as that of an organizer?" The post opened with the following:

As many of you know, Barack Obama started his political journey far away from the confines of the Beltway. As a community organizer on the streets of Chicago's South Side,... That's what Barack Obama has done throughout his life, and that's what this whole campaign has been about. Barack has always been an organizer, and he still is an organizer -- that's how he's inspired millions of people, from myriad social positions, to come together and fight for change… We are training people in all of these states not only to make a difference in this election, but to make a difference in their communities, in a sustained way. Regardless of what happens today and in the days ahead, one thing is clear: Barack Obama hasn't just run a presidential campaign, he's built a genuine grassroots movement. In a single year, Barack Obama -- who started his journey organizing on the South Side -- has organized a broad swath of America.... They are empowered, active participants in the struggle for change and they are not tired. The organizing has just begun.

According to Dictionary.com, the verb "organize" means "to form...into a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, esp. for united action (emphasis added)" -- for example, "to enlist into a labor union: to organize workers."

Organizers help to build an organization, "a group of persons organized for some end or work" with "a formal...structure, esp. to coordinate...widespread activities." As Marshall Ganz has put it, the Obama movement needs "a collective entity capable of exercising agency" -- that is, exerting influence or power through action taken in the name of the organization.

In his forthcoming (Summer, 2009) book, A Community Organizer's Tale: People and Power in San Francisco, veteran organizer Mike Miller states:

We now have a new national climate with the election of Barack Obama as President. Obama, with the strategic assistance of Marshall Ganz—an old SNCC and farmworkers’ union organizer—developed very sophisticated mobilizing approaches to build a new kind of electoral machine. It was central to his election. But as he has noted many times, “change comes from below.” Obama will be responsive to the kind of agenda that was expressed in [San Francisco]. It is the responsibility of people on the ground to put that agenda front-and-center before the new administration and before countless municipalities, counties, special districts, school boards, state governments, congress, corporations and major nonprofit organizations. That will require something different from the electoral mobilization organization that played such a large role in electing Obama. And Obama understands this. Asked during the primary whether Martin Luther King would support him or Clinton, he responded, “He wouldn’t support either of us. He’d be out in the streets building an independent social justice movement.” ...Obama’s agenda is a presidential one. Community organizing’s agenda should be to push the president. There will be plenty of people pushing him from Wall Street, the auto industry and others in elite circles. If there is not a countervailing push, organized independently of Obama, hopefully with his blessing, we will be disappointed in him as a President—and will have ourselves to blame (emphasis added).

Most likely, if the bulk of the campaign's resources are merged with the Democratic Party, MyBO will remain active. The national office will continue to provide some guidance, like suggesting house meetings, and will hire paid organizers to help train local activists. This avenue would provide passionate Obama supporters who want nothing to do with the Democratic Party a way to stay engaged.

The network of local MyBO-based teams may remain largely on their own, however, without a structure that would enable elected representatives to deliberate thoughtfully and speak in a unified, authoritative voice for all the members. This loose, informal network of groups and house meetings affiliated with MyBO may be, or could become, a "movement" -- that is, "a diffusely organized or heterogeneous group of people or organizations tending toward or favoring a generalized common goal: the antislavery movement; the realistic movement in art."

But this network is not an organization. As Micah Sifry has noted, "The more open the process for participating in and seeing how...conflicts [in the national office] are resolved, the greater the likelihood that the base will stay engaged." To sustain and build the Obama movement will require an open, participatory organization to lead that movement.

On Election Night, when Barack called on all Americans to join in the work of remaking this nation "block by block," that phrase suggested an efficient, well-organized effort that would minimize duplication. If Barack wants a grassroots support mechanism that is powerful enough to counter the special interests that will try to block meaningful change, and I assume he does, he needs to tell his people to organize a real organization.

The Obama Movement: Will It Unify?

Wade Hudson — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:11:49 EST

December 12, 2008

by Wade Hudson

As encouraging reports concerning plans for the post-campaign organization trickle out of Chicago, one central question remains unanswered. Will the Obama movement solidify its momentum by enabling a body of representatives duly elected by the membership to speak with a strong collective voice?

Various options are available for structuring a mechanism that would facilitate the grassroots expressing itself with authority. In my Dec. 5 “Memo to the Chicago Summit,” I presented one option that could be implemented quickly and over time modified. I argued:

The national office should establish a mechanism to enable those (local) teams who wish to do so to select representatives to relatively small councils of fellow representatives who would communicate horizontally with one another in a deliberate, thoughtful manner to share reports on their work, ask questions, provide mutual support, and develop recommendations to send upward toward the national office through a layer of such councils (e.g., town/city, intra-state regions, state, regional, national) – so that the national office would pay more attention to recommendations from the national council than they ever could to tens of thousands of recommendations from individual members.

That specific mechanism is not essential. But the key principle on which that proposal is based – the need for a national group of elected representatives that is small enough to enable thoughtful deliberation – is critical.

The proper balance between central leadership and grassroots empowerment is a delicate matter, especially if one wants the central office to make decisions that are quick and timely but also deliberate and rooted in face-to-face discussion, which strengthens the decision-making process. Internet-based instant polls alone could never achieve the reliable quality of careful, old-fashioned, real-time weighing of options.

My concern about these issues led me to propose to Nations for Change that they create the National House Meetings Network, a new MyBO group. The purpose of this group is “to help implement the goals of the Obama campaign by sharing the information obtained from house meetings in a collaborative fashion, engaging in thoughtful discussion, asking questions, providing encouragement, and identifying any trends that we believe should become formal recommendations to the Obama administration and/or the national office of the post-campaign organization.” MyBO house meetings with eight or more members that meet at least monthly are invited to join this Network. This project could serve as a model for the kind of horizontal and vertical communication that is needed to build a powerful movement.

Without a stamp of approval from the national office, and with limited ability to connect with MyBO house meetings, participation in the National House Meetings Network may prove to be minimal. But if enough house meetings select representatives to participate, we may iron out wrinkles and refine the model. And at some point, the national office could take it over and staff it, or create some new structure that would render it irrelevant.

Micah Sifry, a highly regarded analyst of technology and grassroots politics, has argued that the governing board of the new organization should be elected. Eventually, that approach will be called for. But initially, as the organization stabilizes itself and the members get to know one another, it is not necessary. A self-perpetuating board that initially fills vacancies itself would be acceptable – if a mechanism were established for the members to provide authoritative input into the decision-making process.

The most specific report from the Chicago-based planning process that I’ve seen was an email from the national office that Sifry posted. Originally sent to the few hundred participants in the early December three-day planning session, this message reports that the new organization will promote “civic engagement” and “two-way communication between the Administration and grassroots.” This language does not clarify whether there will be a commitment to the articulation of a unified voice by the membership.

Neither did Jeremy Bird from the Obama campaign clarify this matter when he spoke at a Dec. 10 public conference at Harvard that featured a public dialogue with Marshall Ganz, who affirmed the need for a “a collective entity capable of exercising agency.”

The pressure of the looming elections necessitated a certain style of operation. The situation now, however, is much different. As Bird said at the Harvard conference, “Governance is different than both campaign mobilizing and community organizing. It’s key for us to know how to set up the organization.”

Their caution is well justified. The decisions they face are no easy matter. Let’s hope they get it right. With Barack’s guidance, chances are good that they will.

Memo to the Chicago Summit

Wade Hudson — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:06:53 EST

December 5, 2008

by Wade Hudson

In reference to tomorrow's Chicago Summit reported on by the LA Times, following are five key principles underlying the recommendations concerning the shape of the post-campaign organization that I’ve previously presented .

   1. We need an inspiring long-term vision. Drawing upon Barack’s language, I offer a possible mission statement. It reads:To transform the nation and help implement the goals of the Obama campaign by:
         1. Reclaiming the meaning of citizenship.
         2. Mobilizing millions of voices to call for meaningful change.
         3. And restoring our sense of common purpose, based on these core moral principles:
               1. Stewardship.
               2. Service to others.
               3. Personal responsibility.
               4. Shared sacrifice.
               5. And a fair shot for all.
   2. Though methods should be established to enable others to participate in other ways, the primary foundation of the organization should be small teams that meet in one another’s homes (which enable everyone to have a full voice).
   3. The national office should encourage members of those teams to consciously nurture supportive friendships (rather than merely treat each other as instruments).
   4. The national office should establish a mechanism to enable those teams who wish to do so to select representatives to relatively small councils of fellow representatives who would communicate horizontally with one another in a deliberate, thoughtful manner to share reports on their work, ask questions, provide mutual support, and develop recommendations to send upward toward the national office through a layer of such councils (e.g., town/city, intra-state regions, state, regional, national) – so that the national office would pay more attention to recommendations from the national council than they ever could to tens of thousands of recommendations from individual members.
   5. Given that: 1) most individuals have limited time for activism; 2) efforts to persuade Congress to take action on a particular issue often need to be undertaken in a timely manner, and; 3) to be effective such efforts need to involve massive numbers of individuals acting in unison at more or less the same time, the national office needs to issue occasional, perhaps monthly, appeals to all Americans to communicate the same message at the same time to their Congresspersons, Senators, and/or the President.
   6. The national office should try to establish a national coalition that would participate in these (monthly?) actions.

Change We Need Meeting

DanR — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:13:53 EST

Our first Change We Need meeting was held on 12/14 and it was a great success. We have a blog with the minutes from the meeting and our potential community projects here: www.northforknetwork.com.

Something BIG is Happening in Racine, WI

Tony Loyd — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:13:49 EST

A new group in Racine, WI is attracting international attention. After the first week in existence, Yes We Can Racine has already been featured on National Public Radio and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Yes We Can Racine is an organization and an online community for action, information and conversation. We are taking the organizing principles of the Campaign for Change and applying them to local issues. At Yes We Can Racine we take action in four ways:

Work on local issues that impact Racine County
Train volunteers in the organizing techniques we used to elect President Obama
Elect state and local candidates who share the same vision for our country
Help President Obama pass legislation through grassroots efforts

email to Marla Turner, Nations for Change

Madama Ambi — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:29:33 EST

hi Marla--I am now linked with so many different groups I need a program to help me keep track of them! I just joined your organization, Nations for Change, and wanted to drop you a line about what I'm doing and how I see myself interacting with many, many different groups.

My natural group is not my state or my Congressional District or my neighborhood. I've lived too many places to identify with where I happened to retire because I need sun & warmth & swimming; nice people in my neighborhood, but not my political group...

Here's what I'm doing: organizing with feminists. I have my own ideas of a web I'm weaving and what that could lead to, but my web depends on participating in many other organizations and their webs. I see myself as a cross-pollinator, a leader, a thinker, a writer, someone who has public-speaking and workshop-leading experience, and has recently added some podcasting & digital art skills in order to help me communicate.

So, I'm not signing on to any groups as a team member or even a team leader, because my plate is full as I realize my own imperatives; however, there is a lot of opportunity to share knowledge, resources, and whatever else the moment requires. I'm currently working on what I can contribute to another organization's conference in April (EngageHer, headed by Mable Yee), because although our goals are slightly different, we are both aiming for much the same population. My population is women, and in particular, women who are invisible and girls in high school or college.

I would love to be a feminist at-large member of your organization; it's critical that feminists expand their base and do a better job of explaining their goals, and I also think that other activist organizations really need the feminists--we've been organizing for a long time! We're natural radicals. We're out-there thinkers.

I'd be happy to discuss this with you more, or, maybe the best way to get where I'm coming from is just to nose around my blogs. You've already joined the FAB group on Facebook, I think, haven't you? That's great. I'd love to interview you for ROADTRIP. That might be a good way to get to know one another!!!

looking forward to working with you & getting to know you better

yours
Madama

Whose Table Is It?

Madama Ambi — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:53:13 EST

My organizing began when I gathered all of the neighborhood kids plus my cousins, who lived not too far away, to put on a play to raise money for cancer. I must have picked cancer because it was the only "cause" I knew about at age 10. My next organizing venture was as an adult, in SF, and happened because I was suddenly too much at the mercy of decisionmakers who had not thought about how their actions would affect my little life and my puny goals. I won't bore you with the whole story, but both my activism and my feminism got fused into a sunny, warmish place in my brain, encased in an SF/Berkeley-Oakland/Bay Bridge no-snow-globe. And so, though I haven't lived or worked in N. CA for a decade, I have felt a real sense of belonging to the San Francisco for Obama group on MyBO.

This group has at least three activist hubs setting up post-election shop. Wade Hudson & Roma Guy are working together on their network, Paul Currier is organizing, and Paul Warnow, too. Today, Wade Hudson posted a link to Stephen Rose's blog, where a discussion about the future of MyBO is underway. Here's what I wrote in reply to the concerns that it won't be the viable, 2-way mechanism we think it should be when Obama is POTUS.

Thanks for this discussion--I agree that in order to have participatory democracy, many, many 2-way mechanisms must be in place, and must work! I've been writing and networking on this for some weeks now and have a few points to add:

1. The people are the movement, and we are still the movement. Whether or not MyBO continues to function, we can and we will create these structures.

2. The structures to be redundantly networked (a good thing, imo) already exist--I'm on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and more networking platforms. I'm creating post-election subversonance, networking like crazy with other activists, creating mechanisms for less active people to participate in political process...and I expect that other activists will, too...

3. I'd like to see all organizers/activists stay in touch. We need one another. We need to share knowledge, skills, and to collectively hold the Obama administration's feet to the fire on many issues. I agree completely that Obama wants us to "make him do" what he wants to do.

4. Facebook is frequently confusing to me, but it is a powerful organizing tool, maybe even more powerful than MyBO. In case you're not on it, you will discover this as soon as you join and invite your friends. You simply can't avoid finding out what your friends are doing, which instantly expands your awareness & connectivity. Now, how to translate all of that connectivity into action...that's the question.

5. In sum, here's what I'm saying. We, the people, build the table and take our seats. We invite Barack & Joe and anyone else relevant, to come to OUR table and LISTEN to us. We dialogue. We work it, work it, work it.

I will post links to the above groups separately. If you know of other groups that are also creating transparent, horizontal, voter-motivated activism, please feel free to write to me, madamaambi at g mail dot com.

a conversation with other O-activists

Madama Ambi — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:46:45 EST

Hi Paul, Wade, Roma and all O-activists:

I've been paying attention to your organizing ideas, and have had some productive email exchanges with Wade & Roma. Although I've been a member of SF for Obama throughout the campaign, I no longer live there and wasn't able to attend the Post-Election workshop.

As I've discussed with Roma & Wade, I am organizing with my Feminist community, and I'd like to find mechanisms for networking such that what feminists are doing to continue the O-movement are included in the big picture. I'd like to see Feminists included in the long list of political groups mentioned by Paul in his email, below. I'd like to see explicit mention of an already organized online Feminist Community which will have a voice in all progressive alliances and movements.

I'm not asking that you sign on to a particular feminist agenda--just as it is in any political/consciousness movement, diversity exists to keep the conversation going, and push the ideas to be truly alive, creative and responsive to people who need help now.

I'm organizing a Feminist Advisory Board for Obama and I've been writing about my ideas on Facebook, on my various blogs, on Twitter, and soon I'll be podcasting and vlogging about what I envision. My goal is to make feminism accessible to women and girls who don't identify as feminist, and to use existing online platforms for the invisibles of our country to speak about their needs "up close and personal." This is all about narrative, connection, identification, and what I'm calling subversonance...

I don't speak for all feminists, nor do I want to. I'm speaking as a feminist who thinks that what the Obama campaign has set in motion is completely in sync with what feminists have already been doing and continue to do. I'm in the mix as just one of many feminists, but since I happen to feel a particular simpatico with O-activists, I'm comfortable communicating with all of you. Many feminists are still learning to love Obama, but I was on board while Hillary was still in the race, and I think Obama really gets what women's lives are like. Hurrah!

So, here's what I'm asking of you, my O-sisters and O-brothers: will you have a seat at your table for Feminists? Will you open up your agendas so that you actually look to Feminists for leadership?

I'm eager to hear your replies.

yours
Madama

Hi Madama -

Do you have a group on MyBO where others can join?

If not, please take that step and start one up.

CAN is all inclusive.

I am sure all welcome such participation, with the caviat that we are Obama first, and within that, all interest and affinity groups tend to seek out and self organize.

I am running on memory here: My recollection is that 60,000 groups formed on MyBO. 30,000 formed in the last 30 days of the general. I may be wrong on this, as others hold to different accounts. I tend to tune to Micah at TechPresident.com

CAN will become a network of local teams of real people meeting face to face as real Neighborhood Teams. The focus of "within zip codes" makes action possible that has not been imagined before.

I believe there is a huge need for feminist interest groups to form - and work cross-group to reach into all local teams to promote participation, education, and advocacy.

Does this make sense to you?

Please sign up, and list "0" attendants
coming to 11/29/2008, and that will help me keep you in the loop!

All the very best to you!

Paul Currier
San Francisco

hi Paul--thanks for your reply. Although I've had a group on MyBo (ArtistsWriters4ZeitgeistObama/Interview4Obama) and have been active within Feminists for Obama, I just put in for a new group that better expresses my vision. The new group is Feminist Advisory Board for Obama, but it hasn't been approved yet.

One of the things about the feminists is that we have already been doing the face-to-face for decades! The agenda has been feminist. The agenda will continue to be what women need, but as I've been fleshing out in my many writings on this issue, what's good for women is good for everyone.

So, when I say that there is already leadership in the feminist community, I mean a huge network of activists that existed well before Obama came on scene. The task I'm setting for myself is to communicate with all of the groups and develop a mechanism whereby the face of feminism becomes better known, because imo, it is misunderstood.

For instance, on Facebook I've started the group Feminist Advisory Board for Obama, and one of the members is a leader in the group Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, which sponsors activities on campuses. I am now networked with that group in a meaninful way, not only because Ebony Jackson is on board in my group and vice versa, but because we have chatted online and will do a phone interview that I will podcast. This level of netlinkage needs to co-exist with what I call shoe-leather activism, and they will both belong to a system that will sprout circuits. My ultimate goal is to penetrate into groups of women who are traditionally underserved in all ways, and with that in mind, I am now in communication with other feminists who have already been working on these issues.

The key to all of this is visibility. I know how to network, how to interview, how to make a video, how to podcast, and other ways to bring people together in a meaningful group process, but in order to influence public opinion, we will need eyeballs. That's why I think it's so important that all activists stay in communication. However, we don't all have to have the same agenda. I envision a time when, for instance, you will need "votes" or "voices" on a particular issue, put out the call, and all linked activists will put out the call to their networks, and regardless of where we live, we can deliver a highly visible base of support for an issue.

We really need each other. Feminists need support from Obama activists in order to expand their base, and Obama activists need feminists in order to penetrate existing, powerful networks of activist women who can bring in more women.

Frankly, Paul, I think I'm describing something that already exists and that will happen whether or not we agree on every dot and dash! This movement is already moving. I've been calling it subversonance. People are bouncing off of walls with excitement and energy, and I am so busy connecting with people that I'm feeling over-connected! But there's no time to stop! This thing is rollin', rollin', rollin' and I'm typing as fast as I can think to keep up with the demand for authentic communication, new directions, new solutions. I also visited O-supporters in my neighborhood (an almost completely red town) and we are now linked...and will get together for Thanksgiving...and so it goes...

I'm very excited about the future and happy to be among all of you O-activists! The Feminist Advisory Board for Obama on Facebook is open to anyone, and as soon as the group on BO is approved, they will be linked. I'm also signed up on techpresident, which looks great...and communitycounts.com...and velvetrevolution...and the list goes on...

onward
Madama

Explore A Career in Faith-Based Community Organizing

Michael-Ray from San Jose, CA — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:41:19 EST

INVITATION: PICO NATIONAL RECRUITMENT EVENT – WWW.ACTUALRESPONSIBILITIES.ORG

This year’s presidential campaign has been an incredible training ground for grassroots organizers. For those who feel inspired to continue being a part of a grassroots movement to change the country, PICO National Network is offering former campaign staff the opportunity to explore a career as a professional community organizer.

http://www.actualresponsibilities.org

Electing politicians who represent our views is only half of the battle. The other half is building the grassroots political will for change and working to hold elected officials accountable to the needs of their constituents. This is what PICO organizers do.

To help orient potential organizers to PICO and learn more about job opportunities within the network, PICO is hosting a National Recruitment Event in Denver, Colorado from December 2-4. For those invited to attend the event, PICO will cover airfare, hotel, and meals. To learn more about organizing with PICO, or to apply to the Recruitment Event, visit www.actualresponsibilities.org.

Please send all questions to jobs@piconetwork.org.

Sincerely,

Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews

Director of Outreach and Recruitment

PICO is a national network of 53 faith-based community organizations working in 17 states and 150 cities and towns. One of the largest, most diverse grassroots organizations in the country, PICO unlocks the power of everyday people to transform their communities, cities, states and the country.

First "what next" gathering

kurt squire — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:12:32 EST

Last Sunday (November 9), Obama organizer JD Stier held the first post election meetup for teams and organizers at the Brocach in Madison. Al Giordano at the field has a nice post on it which includes some great video of the event. If anyone else is interested in organizing, getting involved. Email me!

After the revolution.

Ready to make a difference! — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:09:07 EST

Four days after the revolution, where are we now? I've been trying to figure out what my next course of action is. I created contraversy by asking for prayer for the president at work so what should I be doing instead? I woke up with the feeling that it is time form me to do something bigger and better. I dont know what your calling is, but mine is to reach out to others in my community as well as nationally. But how do we accomplish this? I haven't figure it out yet. I'm doing my research as I type. Have you thought about it? What is your strength? What can you do to change America? Lets find out!

Organizing For A New Day

Hope4Unity — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:41:59 EDT

"Colin Powell reminded us of what's at stake in this election -- for America and for the world," Obama told the crowd. "He reminded us that at a defining moment like this, we don't have the luxury of relying on the same political games and the same political tactics that are used every election to divide us from one another and make us afraid of one another."

Obama/Unity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLMssMEnVaI

Members Only:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP5ftcSIUjc

community organizer - An individual who brings people together and nurtures leaders at the local level to solve a common problem or meet a shared need such as improving schools, expanding employment opportunities, widening access to affordable health care and housing, seeking relief from environmental hazards, securing equal rights for immigrants, etc. >> COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, ACTIVIST, GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY

Martin Luther King Jr. was a community organizer. Mahatma Gandhi was a community organizer. Cesar Chavez was a community organizer. Great religious leaders, rebels, civil rights activists and just about anyone who has risen up against the status quo and tyranny have been, at heart, community organizers."
-- Ed Sills, Houston Chronicle Sept 10, 2008

http://www.civicmind.com/bcomorg.htm

Carole King campaigning for Barack in Michigan

Josh In Michigan — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:49:15 EDT

Election volunteers got tips from the longtime campaigner, the most important of which is to listen to everyone's positions and ideas -- including those who support Republican Sen. John McCain's campaign for the presidency, King said.

"Listening is the bridge to communication and we need to do more of that," she said.

King empathized with people facing economic hardships and encouraged people to read the candidates' plans for the future. All of the major campaign issues are interconnected, with education, the economy and energy all impacting each other.

"What I love about Barack Obama is he understands the interconnectivity of it ... I love the holistic view he is taking," King said. Read the entire story in the Midland Daily News...

Just another musician supporting Obama

Steve Lin, www.linguitar.com — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:36:01 EDT

About supporting Obama — the speeches are inspiring, his values are grounded, and the policies sound reasonable. But one of the biggest reasons I’m supporting Obama has to do with the idea that “change comes to Washington, not from Washington”.

In the wave of this massive grassroots-generated support and passion for Obama, I’ve come to realize how we can make our voices heard. I’ve also realized how much the characteristics of grassroots initiatives are reflected in my own work in conducting outreach — in taking my guitar and my music into churches, hospitals, libraries, and other community venues.

In 2005, Eliot Fisk and I founded the Boston Guitar Project, hoping to bring our music into the community and to share the privilege of being a musician with new audiences. Joined by guitar students at New England Conservatory, we began spreading our music all over Greater Boston, from churches in Cambridge, to Latino community centers in the South End, to Jewish retirement centers in Roslindale. In the process, we unknowingly began to change public perception and conception about the guitar.

Without intention, Boston Guitar Project reflected the values of grassroots movements–a core group of dedicated minds, working together for a greater cause, and in the process, discovering a greater sense of meaning and worth within our community. I see this value embedded within Obama’s campaign, and that’s just another reason why I support Obama. I believe that in the same way a group of guitarists were able to get together and warm some hearts, a new wave of young and mature voters will be able to join Obama and Biden in bringing the change we need to Washington.

PS. During the Republican Convention, Rudy Giuliani took special care to ridicule and mock Obama’s work as a “community organizer”. As former Mayor of NYC, where there must be tons of grassroots activity and community organizing, he must understand the value of community work. (What else would you call the community response to 9-11?) In the past few weeks, McCain and Palin have also taken their shots as well. So, either the three of them are just hypocrites, playing into the distasteful and dispicable narrative that politicians have dug for themselves, or they simply “don’t get it”. Or they’re all of the above — clueless, distasteful, hypocritical politicians. Whatever the case may be, these attacks, and the mentalities that allow them, represent an insincere and disingenuous attitude towards ordinary citizens that can not possibly serve our country well.

Durham County Democrats Home Page

Kim in Durham — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:38:44 EDT

Obama supporters in Durham - have you been to the home page for the Durham County Democratic Party? It's a great resource to share information, news, and planning as well as to keep up with all of the downticket races in North Carolina. For instance, to help President Obama get things done next year, let's help give him a blue Senate by electing Kay Hagan to knock out the Bush crony Senator Dole. And we can't afford to take our eye off the ball on the Governor's mansion at the same time - we need to elect Bev Perdue to keep North Carolina moving in the right direction.

Community Organizing

Sara G — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:54:15 EDT

I noticed that I haven't updated my blog for a really long time, so I thought I would quick update everyone what is going on.

I had my community organizing training on Labor Day, which was an incredible experience in and of itself. I really had to open myself up and put myself out there, which is something that I never do.

After training, I was sent back to Western Minnesota and met my field organizer, Libby. I was made Team Captain with Heather, and we were sent on our way to do our work. I am not going to get into details, obviously, but I wanted you to know that it has been amazing.

Western Minnesota isn't exactly Democrat country anymore. It has turned more independent, and in fact where I live right now, it is pretty Republican. We have been working hard opening offices, canvassing and making phone calls. I had the opportunity to meet Tom Vilsak of Iowa (the Former Governor), which was pretty great. I have met a tremendous amount of great people, and even the voters who haven't been willing to vote for Obama are "civil" about it.

I just want to urge everyone that is reading this to please get out there and work hard for Obama. He needs our help to win this thing. Make phone calls, talk to your neighbors, make sure people are registered and know voting rules or go door to door. Every little bit helps.

Transforming the Democratic Party

Wade Hudson — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:49:11 EDT

To “change the system” and “transform the world” as proposed by Barack Obama will require a massive, unified, grassroots movement that is joyous, democratic, inclusive, and mutually supportive. The energy gathering to elect Obama President needs to stay together after the election to implement the goals of the campaign.

To contribute to this effort, on Saturday, November 8, the Strategy Workshop will convene a “Post-Election Workshop” in San Francisco to discuss and evaluate specific possibilities for action and consider whether and how to act on them. If you can’t join us in San Francisco, you’re invited to convene a similar workshop in your region.

Whatever the outcome of the election, the wealthy elite will continue to exercise disproportionate influ-ence over Congress. Our social system will continue, first of all, to protect the wealth and power of the wealthy and powerful. To change these realities fundamentally, we must be the change we seek.

Doors for Obama-Biden Idea

Charles Langille Jr. — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:27:14 EDT

Okay...Halloween is coming...trick or treaters coming and so are campaigners, mailpersons, etc...here is the idea: Decorate our doors with Obama stuff. When they come, they will see the Obama adorned door. If enough in a neighborhood...what an impact. Spread the word nation wide to any supporters you know. Leave them up through election day and McCain people will know they met their match. Perhaps we can get the campaign to have a contest, or someone here knows how to get a picture submission blog going. I am going to do all I can with my limited internet campaigning skills....Please help in any way you can to spread the word.

OBAMA-BIDEN Doors for Change

Thinking our way out of current critical messes

Jean Latz from Arlington Heights, IL — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:13:39 EDT

When you stop to think about it, probably no single person on Earth can cut through the tangles of the financial mess we seem to be in.

I have heard it stated that the global economy in all its interconnectedness has become so complex that no one really knows anymore which actions will be helpful and which will trigger a cascade of unintended consequences that lead to disaster.

Like most people, I don't think in terms of short sells and insuring defaults and insuring the insurers of the defaulters. My guess is that few of us even knew what AIG was before we woke up a morning or two ago to discover that if something wasn't done to save keep it from going under, it really could be the end of the world as we know it – and we wouldn't be just fine.

Post-Election Workshop

Wade Hudson — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:48:24 EDT

To “change the system” and “transform the world” as proposed by Barack Obama will require a massive, unified, grassroots movement that is joyous, democratic, and mutually supportive. The energy gathering to elect Obama President needs to stay together after the election to implement the goals of the campaign.

To contribute to this effort, on Saturday, November 8, the Strategy Workshop will convene a “Post-Election Workshop” in San Francisco to discuss and evaluate specific possibilities for action and consider whether and how to act on them. If you can’t join us in San Francisco, you’re invited to convene a similar workshop in your region.

Whatever the outcome of the election, the wealthy elite will continue to exercise disproportionate influ-ence over Congress. Our social system will continue, first of all, to protect the wealth and power of the wealthy and powerful. To change these realities fundamentally, we must be the change we seek.

Arizona, show your support on 10/4

Susannah — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:43:45 EDT

Arizona, show your support for Barack Obama ALL day Saturday 10/4!

Below are just a few ideas:

Show off those Obama tee shirts, hats and bumper stickers while running errands.
Make a sign for your yard or patio.
Invite your friends over for a Bama-Q (BBQ)

SIGN UP NOW! Tell your friends! Let's show everyone how blue this state really is. All you need to do is put on your tee/hat/sign/etc and get out and about.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gs7b2r

impressed with your organizing, hope it holds

Kasha B. — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:40:38 EDT

so far very impressed with your organizing;

over the years i have given the dem. party ops. to prove they had a working system, after all, if you cannot even keep your data list straight how can you run a health care system?

unfortunately the lack of such organizing has discouraged me often from going door to door, or calling...

more than half the contacts had been old and when we had taken the time to note the new persons info, and whether they preferred being called/dropped in on/had specific times for such contacts etc. and passed this along to the party insiders it was never given back in an updated style.

Sadly, we noticed that these lists are also old, (next door neighbor house address offers all the last owners for at least 8 years). You are revealing an ability & knowledge re organizing; will u take the updated info to make more useful lists? hence proving that you respect the invaluable time of volunteers as well as their energies. hard to stay positive when all the data is incorrect. very baseline, which this campaign is all about to me. Please pass this along to the person who can or is determining what to do with this mined info.

Community Organizing is the BACKBONE of the US

FEDupwithRepukes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:11:17 EDT

The Republican Convention totally does not grasp the concenpt of "we the people". When is it that Community organizing is demeaning work, like it doesnt count as experience when you have hands on dealing with "the people"...

Here is a good article on Community Organizing:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080922/dreier_atlas

I guess PTA's and "hockey mom'ing" are "technically" not community organizing...

Senator Obama's Community Organizing Should Be Showcased!

Matthew Lenell — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:53:28 EDT

Governor Palin, Senator McCain and the whole RNC should be ashamed of themselves. They slam Senator Obama for not having executive experience when he was community organizing as the original Director of Developing Communities Project.

For those of you who don't know what the project is, go here:http://www.dcpincorp.org/

Barack Obama not only grew the DCP from himself as the sole person to 13 total employees in his three years there, he also increased revenue from $70,000 annually to $400,000 annually. The area he served has well over 100,000 people. He did this all at the age of 22 while Governor Pailin was still a teenager.

The DCP is alive and well today with 32 employees and directors. It provides literacy assistance to the poor, anti-drug education to the young, and leadership training for young women as well as helping to empower the people of the South Side of Chicago to take control over their lives.

Besides their children, has either Senator McCain or Governor Palin started something from scratch and built it into something independent of themselves? In three years from age 22 to 25 Senator Obama did something that most business leaders only dream of: created a self-sustaining entity, did it with the support of the community, for the benefit of all involved and that is alive and well after 23 years. Senator Obama needs to showcase this feat and educate the public as to what it entails.

http://www.dcpincorp.org/

For Ms. Palin, wherever I may find her

Geoffrey from Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:29:48 EDT

So, this is simple. I don't mind a bit of exaggeration in political campaigns. Hell, that's half the fun. But, when our self-proclaimed lipstick pitpbull made her debut she mouthed some things (SEVERAL, in fact) that were not only distasteful but patentely false.

I made this the morining after. If she keeps it up, it will only get worse.

copy this to your browser until I can figure out how to embed ----->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LShZFrEguuY

"Let's Talk About the Issues" State-Wide Phone Bank

Josh In Michigan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:02:08 EDT

Two days into the Republican Convention one thing has become clear: the Republicans are not interested in talking about the issues that matter to the people of Michigan. This should not come as a surprise, as
earlier this week one of John McCain's top advisers claimed that this election was "not about the issues." With Michigan families and businesses suffering, we couldn't disagree more.

Instead of talking about issues, last night's speakers decided to insult the very idea that ordinary people have a role to play in our political process. So, as Senator McCain prepares to address the final night of the Republican Convention, Barack Obama's Campaign for Change will hold a statewide "Let's Talk About the Issues" phonebank.

Just because the Republicans won't talk about the issues does not mean we shouldn't. We are going to show John McCain just how powerful community organizing is, and prove that people want to hear about real
issues rather than the same partisan political attacks. That is why tonight we are asking you to speak directly with voters in Michigan about Senator Obama's vision and message of real change.

Watch the video below of Senator Obama today giving his thoughts about what has been going on at the Republican Convention.

In addition to the phone banks we are also asking our supporters to chip in to help support victims of Hurricane Gustav. We are asking phonebank volunteers to donate canned goods to the Campaign for Change food drive to support our follow Americans along the Gulf Coast.

Join a phonebank and show John McCain what the people of Michigan are capable of.

Find an office near you here.

Veterans Organizations

Disabled Vet 2000 — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:04:02 EDT

We need your help! Are you a member of a local Veterans organization? We want to reach out to local Veterans to make sure they are registered to vote and have all the information they need to make an informed decision in this election. Please call Stephanie Marushia at 757-650-6393 and let us know about Hampton Roads Veterans groups.

If you want to volunteer please call me. We need help with canvassing, phone banking, voter registration, and hosting House Parties.

Thank You,

Stephanie Marushia

Hampton Roads Veterans & Military Families for Obama

757-650-6393

2539 New Hampshire Doors Down and 78 Days to Go - Join the NH Weekend Canvass!

Nicole LaChapelle — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:44:03 EDT

As summer winds down, the excitement of Obama Campaign for Change is firing up for the last 78 days of campaigning! Last Saturday, our dedicated Massachusetts volunteer crew knocked on 262 doors, made 175 contacts and identified 87 Obama supporters.
WMASS for Obama six weeks canvassing totals are:

2,539 doors knocked on
1,096 contacts made
720 Obama supporters identified

THANK YOU!!! GREAT EFFORT WMASS for OBAMA - WE CAN TOGETHER BUILD ON THIS SUCCESS BY:

Joining WMASS for Obama in New Hampshire to assure an Obama victory by canvassing in New Hampshire. Every Saturday carpools leave for the Keene, NH Obama Office located at 305 Park Avenue, Keene, NH; office phone 603-438-4796 from the locations below:

8:00 AM: West Springfield: Raymour & Flanigan Furniture Parking Lot, near Kohl's, 895 Riverdale Street.

Contact: Corinne Wingard at corinne01001@gmail.com

8:30 AM: Northampton: Sheldon Field, Old Ferry Road, off Route 5

Contact: Nicole LaChapelle at nicollemarie@gmail.com

9:00 AM: Greenfield: Big Y Supermarket Parking Lot, Mohawk Trail, Route 2

Contact: Oscar Arce at oscarma01301@gmail.com

If you do not hear from one location contact person, PLEASE contact another person or all contacts listed and we will help you get connected!

Help us make 100 oversized yard signs for Obama!

Wisco — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:06:57 EDT

The Portage County Dems have secured 100 four foot by four foot wooden yard signs. These signs will blanket the countryside letting people in Central Wisconsin know that this Obama Country.

Obama Startup Meeting

George — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:19:31 EDT

This was the kickoff meeting of the Obama presidential campaign in Jefferson County and the enthusiasm showed throughout. A special “thank you” to the Jefferson County democratic chairman, Sean Hennessey, for offering his time and office space for this meeting. Among the decisions made were: 1. to outreach the Obama New York State Director’s, David Pollak’s, office and request palm cards, 2. to recruit volunteers once we receive these for a literature drop scheduled for up to two weekends (one day each) before the general election, and 3. to use the democratic office at the Lincoln Building for any additional meetings (schedule permitting). What has been accomplished is the establishment of an official Obama presence in Jefferson County that will begin political campaigning on the candidate’s behalf. If anyone is interested in volunteering for a literature drop or can blog this, please let me know.

Al Giordano Is Right: We Need Grown Up Activism

Sean at FiveThirtyEight — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:24:50 EDT

Cross-posted at DailyKos.

This is a response diary to a pretty stupid trend of breathless armchair diaries. I'm not naive enough to think it will stop, but I want to offer the organizer's perspective. Campaign organizers can't talk to the press or blog (message control), so I'll let you in on the mindset.

We Are the War Room We've Been Waiting For:

And that's a large reason why the Chicken Little proclamations that we so often read and hear elsewhere - the petulant demands from armchair campaign managers that the Obama fight back in specific ways - are so silly: Surrogates almost always make the better counterpunchers and anybody with a modem or a network of friends or neighbors is now as much of a surrogate as the big names that can garner mass media attention. When you can do something yourself, it's just plain infantile to call upon daddy or mommy - or the presidential candidate or political leader upon which you project that role - to do it for you. Hopefully, one of the lasting results of 2008 will be the emergence of the more grown-up form of political activism in which rather than calling on others to do things for us we simply do it ourselves.

Winners of the Barack Birthday Bake Off Contest

Mark Wiznitzer — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:22:39 EDT

Thanks to all who signed up and participated in the Barack Birthday Bake Off. There are four Food Tasters for Obama logo t-shirt winners instead of three, because we had a tie in the "organizing ideas" category. The winners (three wonderful recipes are avaiable below the fold) are:

Best Recipe: Erica Rivera's Black and White Birthday Cake (an original recipe)

Best Photo: Hanneke Hoogstrate's Berry Spangled Baked Cheesecake and Banoffi Cheesecake on the Batavia (Jakarta Indonesia's colonial name, providing one more degree of separation from the candidate) ship's chest (posted on her Dutch website at http://www.blago.net/_baking_08/08_04_berry_tart.php)

Best Organizing Ideas:

--David Levy's (who prepared a Unity Pound Cake for 60 at an outdoor party of the Prince George's County MD office), and

--Michaele Camp (whose Sour Cream Pound Cake won the Bake Off hosted by Gena Bowser and Sharon Wilkerson at the Urban Tea Loft in Chandler AZ)

Congratulations to the winners.

Hampton Roads Veterans & Military Families for Obama

Disabled Vet 2000 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:26:21 EDT

We had an incredible grassroots event Sunday at Mount Trashmore park in Virginia Beach, VA for Hampton Roads Veterans & Military Families for Obama! Over 130 Veterans, Military Service Members, and Military Families came to show their support for Senator Obama!

A big thank you to our incredible Veteran & Military Family Volunteers! Everyone pitched in to make the event a success; bringing everything from food to grills and reaching out to other Veterans to let them know about our event.

I also want to thank Delegate Joe Bouchard, Mayor Meyera Oberndorf, and Candidate for Congress Glenn Nye for speaking at our event and attending the BBQ. They fired up the crowd, showed their support for Senator Obama, and stayed to talk one on one about the issues we face as Veterans to many of the people that attended.

The BBQ today has made it even more clear to me that a few people with an idea, a love of this great country, and a candidate we believe in can make a big difference. Everyone I spoke to today was ready to do all they can to help Senator Obama win in Virginia.

We support Senator Obama because he has consistently worked to improve the lives of our troops, their families, and Veterans. Senator Obama's voting record and the policies he will implement once he is elected prove that he is the best choice for military families. He will keep the promises that were made to those of us who have served and he will protect our troops by bringing them home in a safe, responsible manner.

Stephanie Marushia, US Army Retired

Hampton Roads Veterans & Military Families for Obama

Please Forward Event Invite

Disabled Vet 2000 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:23:04 EDT

Hello Everyone -

We need your help to get the word out about our Veterans & Military Families Potluck BBQ this coming Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 pm at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach! Please copy the following into an email and send it to any Veterans & Military Family Members you know!

The Veterans & Military Families for Obama BBQ is being held Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 pm at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. It will be on the lake side of the park (Edwin Drive) in Picnic Shelter 2. If you are a Veteran or Military Family Member please join us, Candidate for Congress Glenn Nye, and Delegate Joe Bouchard at the event!

It is a potluck BBQ, so we ask that everyone bring a side dish or dessert and that they RSVP with the number of people attending so that we have enough of everything. Children are welcome!

We are getting a great response so far, but we need your help in getting the word out to Veterans and Military Families in the Hampton Roads area. Please pass along the link and event information to anyone you know that is a veteran or military family member that would be interested in coming!

Please RSVP through the following link or call Stephanie at 757-650-6393. Here is the event info and link:

Military & Veteran Families for Obama Potluck BBQ at Mt Trashmore in Virginia Beach on Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 pm. Kids are welcome!

If you are unable to attend but would like to volunteer or receive periodic updates, please email me at LearningInspire@gmail.com or call 757-650-6393.

Hope to see you there,

Stephanie Marushia
Hampton Roads Veterans & Military Families for Obama
757-650-6393

Please Forward Event Invite

Disabled Vet 2000 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:20:43 EDT

Hello Everyone -

BODY { FONT-FAMILY:Verdana; FONT-SIZE:10pt } P { FONT-FAMILY:Verdana; FONT-SIZE:10pt } DIV { FONT-FAMILY:Verdana; FONT-SIZE:10pt } TD { FONT-FAMILY:Verdana; FONT-SIZE:10pt } The Veterans & Military Families for Obama BBQ is being held Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 pm at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. It will be on the lake side of the park (Edwin Drive) in Picnic Shelter 2. If you are a Veteran or Military Family Member please join us, Candidate for Congress Glenn Nye, and Delegate Joe Bouchard at the event!

It is a potluck BBQ, so we ask that everyone bring a side dish or dessert and that they RSVP with the number of people attending so that we have enough of everything. Children are welcome!

We are getting a great response so far, but we need your help in getting the word out to Veterans and Military Families in the Hampton Roads area. Please pass along the link and event information to anyone you know that is a veteran or military family member that would be interested in coming!

Please RSVP through the following link or call Stephanie at 757-650-6393. Here is the event info and link:

Military & Veteran Families for Obama Potluck BBQ at Mt Trashmore in Virginia Beach on Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 pm. Kids are welcome!

If you are unable to attend but would like to volunteer or receive periodic updates, please email me at LearningInspire@gmail.com or call 757-650-6393.

Hope to see you there,

Stephanie Marushia
Hampton Roads Veterans & Military Families for Obama
757-650-6393

Please Forward Event Invite

Disabled Vet 2000 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:16:53 EDT

Hello Everyone -

99 days, rural Georgia

Casey Willits — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:10:13 EDT

I have been here for three weeks now and I feel like I have done so little to get towards the very large goals they have put before us. I had an interesting experience this week though, that made me realize that this organizing is a little different from what some people imagine it is supposed to be. When we trained how to do a good one-on-one they always said we should meet our people somewhere they are comfortable. We tended to say something like “Can you meet me for about thirty minutes for a cup of coffee so we can talk?” But in rural Georgia in the summer, a coffee shop is not a very likely thing to exist let alone to go to for this kind of activity.

Instead, I had my last one-on-one sitting in a plastic chair out on the lawn of a small house in very rural Liberty County. We sat under some shade trees in the evening and tried to not let the bugs eat us alive. We had a great talk. It was frequently interrupted by a honking car passing on the small country road that ran in front of the house. Every car that passed must have belonged to someone she knew because my volunteer waved at each one and usually recalled the name of the person driving as well. Her house was situated at what I would call a country crossroads. It had a flashing red light and a small, old church on one corner. Two houses on the other corners completed it. A few miles to a filling station in the middle of nowhere and 15 miles to town.

It’s not unheard of for people to live fifteen miles from town, especially a larger city with good, high paying jobs, but this small town has very little besides a military base. At points in history where wealth was more evenly spread and transportation was accessible and affordable, this living in the country might be a very pleasant thing. If you actually farming your land that provides you work and occupation there close to home. But that isn’t the case for all, dare I say most of the people living out in some of these rural places. They are there because maybe it’s old family land that someone built a cheap house on in the 1950’s. They may have moved there when they had a good job and when gas was cheap. All of this changes when folks get older, or lose their good job, or get sick, or have kids, or have to start watching their grandchildren. Now that gas is more expensive, those fifteen miles starts to really feel more like a million. Rising transportation costs hurt rural families a lot. Indeed, recent articles have discussed how rural people, especially in the poor South, spend a disproportionate amount of their income on just gas and transportation.

These are the folks that need a comprehensive energy plan to be implemented in this country. Sure, people should maybe live in denser settlements where they are close to what they need and where they might have access to public transportation. But that alone is not a comprehensive policy. All good solutions should be put in place, especially solutions that solve multiple problems. In particular in Georgia, advances in cellulosic ethanol would open up the possibility of utilizing the abundant timber resources to drive local energy economies.

I have met some great Americans and Georgians so far, and I am sure I will meet many more as I really get out into my area. These people are citizens, whose opinions should matter. They have the right to vote, and they deserve to be asked for their vote. I believe the politics of cynicism intentionally discourages these people from participating in the political process. I think they are disenfranchised by a lack of being involved in the political culture. And I think it hurts America.

We Are Bridging Generations - At Last!

V, aka VCubed/Virginia V — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:51:07 EDT

We just registered 130 people today, from 10 am til 6 pm at a local festival. Many who registered were just turning 18, first-time voters. It is so exhilarating! We did it in concert w/our local democratic club, and it turned out Obama volunteers were the backbone of the event - 8 of the 10 who worked the registration tables were our volunteers.

Another Obama vol photographed supporters, for free, to post on the Google group Wall of Hope. Galen Swain, our volunteer photographer from a separate district, took over 300 pictures of couples, singles and groups of people who wanted a picture with "Obama" - a life-size cardboard standing figure. He hollers out "Take a picture with the next President! All it'll cost you is a smile!" Who can resist that?

Someone got so inspired he's bringing a plaster bust of Obama's lovely head for our table tomorrow - he bought it from a local artist we'll be contacting, trust me! Two local t-shirt printers offered us ready-made BO t's to sell and take a cut. We're raising money to send people to a battleground state - just a little $50 gas card for each carpool. Looks like we'll be sending lots of carpools!

A local volunteer who has a graphic designing young son with his own printing business made organic cotton canvas shopping bags with an awesome design of BO and quote. We're going to do it in different languages - they're selling like hot cakes! So are the t's he made where we get half the cut on sales - sweet!

None of us but our senior Democratic Club members ever did this before, and the creative fundraising projects we did impressed them no end. Our enthusiasm, the level of commitment, made the organizer, in his 60s, smile all day long.

I had offered to take over on scheduling and confirming volunteers, and a team to set up and break down, when the Democratic Club elder who organizes this every year called me four days ago to tell me his wife, his most loyal voter registration partner, was going in for two surgeries followed by a week in a nursing home. We (our local Obama group) were just gonna show up, sit down, and register people before that very sweet, humble "ask" for more help.

Virginia Beach Office Opening!

Disabled Vet 2000 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:56:37 EDT

Make sure that you come by the new campaign office for the grand opening on Saturday!

Join us Saturday, July 19th at 2pm for a kick-off celebration!

Meet the staff, learn about the campaign, and find other volunteers to work with in electing Barack Obama the next President of the United States!

The new office is located at 3613 Virginia Beach Blvd., the front office in TranSouth Square.

Take the Rosemont exit from Hwy 264. Additional parking behind the piano store. For more info call Matt at 310 902 7182.

Here is a link to the event sign-up!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/vaofficeopening/448rm

"We need your service, right now, at this moment - our moment - in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be; that's for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history." Barack Obama

I hope we'll see you there! They still need a conference table at the office if anyone has one they can use!

Have a great day!

Stephanie Marushia

Hampton Roads Military and Veterans for Obama

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/HamptonRoadsMilitaryandVeteransforObama

Things are Going Well In VA!

Disabled Vet 2000 — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:20:23 EDT

Hello Everyone -

I wanted to let you know that things are going very well in planning the Military and Veterans for Obama event at Mt Trashmore in Virginia Beach Potluck BBQ! For those of you not yet signed up, here is the link:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/4grbw

Please pass along the event details to any Military, Veterans, or Military Family Members that support Obama or are undecided.

The event will be held at Mt Trashmore on Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 pm. We have reserved Picnic Shelter 2 which is wheelchair accessible (as are the restrooms). It is at the Edwin Drive entrance on the lake side of the park (to mapquest it the address is 300 Edwin Drive in Virginia Beach).

I would like to thank everyone who has been helping to get the word out about our event. It is a potluck, so unles you have signed up to bring something else, please bring a side dish or dessert!

If you are a member of a Veterans or Military organization please make an announcement about our event. This is a great opportunity to get to know each other, organize for future volunteer work and events, and to exchange ideas about why we are supporting Obama.

I am putting together a fact sheet/brochure to better inform people about Obama's strengths on military issues. If you have any good facts, articles, sources, or ideas please forward them to me. I will be making it available to anyone that wants it so it can be used in canvasing and other volunteer activities.

Thanks Again!

Stephanie Marushia

Hampton Roads Military & Veterans for Obama

LearningInspire@gmail.com

Where are you my people?

joanne j — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:34:42 EDT

There is no choice in this election. Obama must be our President. We must do everything we can to make that happen. He wants this to be our election, he wants us to organize and decide our priorities for this country. He knows it's not all in our heads. He wants to lead us and the world in a new direction. I am in Beloit, Wisconsin. How many people would come to Beloit for some serious porch sitting. We need to join hands and minds and in numbers there is strength. I swear if Obama doesn't win in Wisconsin, I'm going to have to move.

Hampton Roads Military & Veterans Family BBQ

Disabled Vet 2000 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:57:52 EDT

We finally have a location for our Hampton Roads Military, Veteran, and Military Families Potluck BBQ! It will be Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 pm at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. Kids are welcome.

Please sign up for the event (make sure you fill in the number of people attending part of the sign-up so I can make sure there are enough plates, beverages, etc. for everyone). I would also appreciate it if you can let me know what you are bringing so I can make sure we have everything we need (you can email me or use the comments area on the event sign up).

I made sure our picnic shelter and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. We will be in Shelter 2.

Please pass along the event information to any Veterans, Military Service Members, and Military/Veteran Family Members. Just copy and paste the links below:

Hampton Roads Military and Veterans for Obama Group
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/HamptonRoadsMilitaryandVeteransforObama

Hampton Roads Military and Veterans for Obama Potluck BBQ
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4grbw

Thank you and please feel free to contact me if you have questions or need help with an event.

Stephanie Marushia

US Army Retired

Proposed: Regular House Meetings

Wade Hudson — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:01:57 EDT

Following is a recommendation that I just sent to Marshall Ganz, Brent Messenger, Buffy Wicks, and Pat DeTemple, who are central to Obama's national organizing strategy.

If you believe that this proposal merits consideration and are in contact with any of these individuals or anyone else in the national office who might be interested, please let them know what you think. Your communications might help bring this message to their attention.

Also, please feel free to send this email to others who might be interested, especially people who are known and trusted by folks in the national office.

Thanks,

Wade

+++++

July 10th - Greenfield/Franklin County Organization Meeting

Nicole LaChapelle — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:02:10 EDT

Greetings, Fellow Democrats, Fellow Activists:

Please join me and other Democrats on Thursday, July 10 at 7 p.m. to organize Franklin County's part in the most exciting Presidential election of our lifetime. The meeting is at the Community Room at Elm's Place in Greenfield. The meeting goals are to:

• Identify the ways to participate, large, medium and small,
• How to recruit as many people as possible to participate and
• When to participate in the movement of change started in the primaries by all the Democratic Party's Presidential candidates.

All contributions will make a huge difference.

Please join us as you have before as activists or join us for the first time to be active. But please come and be part of a great moment in our Franklin County activists' history, be part of a movement for change.

There's a lot we have to do in Franklin County and together - Yes, we can!

WMASS Organizing and Supporting NH!

Nicole LaChapelle — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:56:39 EDT

The Western Mass for Obama Organization is moving forward following two very well attended organizational meetings in Springfield on June 30th, (200 people) and in Florence on July 1st (135 people). Next is the time for action - Saturday Canvasses in Keene, NH!
New Hampshire is a battleground state that will be a real tough fight since 40 percent of the voters are independents and McCain is popular there. In 2004, John Kerry won NH by a small margin and only because Keene and the western side of the state provided a margin large enough to overcome the results in the other parts of the state. Although it may seem a long way to election day, canvassing is very important to find out where the voters stand, to find new volunteers for Obama,to persuade the undecided and to let the folks know there is a lot of support for Obama. The work done now will be reflected in more refined efforts as we move into September and October.

For the Keene, NH canvasses on July 12th and July 19th meet us at:

o 8 AM, Raymour & Flangan parking lot, 895 Riverdale Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Contact: Brendan Neal brendanneal@hotmail.com
o 8:30 AM, Sheldon Field, Old Ferry Road, Northampton, MA just before the Tri- County Fair Grounds. Contact: Joel Spiro, joel587@comcast.net or Nicole LaChapelle nicollemarie@gmail.com
o 9:00 AM, Big Y parking lot, 237 Mohawk Trail, Greenfield, MA. Contact Oscar Arce will be volunteers and carpools will are the kickoff Obama canvasses across New Hampshire. we will be going up to Keene, New Hampshire, to canvass for Barack Obama.
o If you want to drive up on your own, the Obama canvass and operation is out of the NH Coordinated Campaign Office at 2 Eagle Court, Keene, NH just off Main Street.

Canvassing begins at 10 AM. We will get a briefing at 2 Eagle Court and packets with maps so we know where to knock on doors, what to say, and how to mark down information that will be useful to the campaign. Obama Field Organizer in Keene is Timothy Kistner and his telephone number is 781-223-3237. Tim's email is tkistner@barackobama.com.

PLEASE let us know if you can canvass on what day so materials can be ready to go in advance and carpools can be organized!

Stay tuned for details about more Keene, NH opportunities throughout the summer and fall!"

Virginia Beach for Obama

Disabled Vet 2000 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:39:15 EDT

Hello Everyone! I attended a great meeting last night at the Town Center in Virginia Beach. To everyone who came, thank you! Matt & Lillian ran a great meeting and gave us a lot of ideas for getting involved! For those who couldn't make it, here is what we discussed...

First, everyone explained the reason why they were there. Many are supporting Obama because we want to bring our troops home and care for them properly when we get back. We had republicans that respect the fact that Obama finds a way reach across the aisle to work with others and get legislation passed. Most are concerned about the economy and are concerned with what will happen if we continue the policies that got us here. Over all, the meeting just confirmed what I have known for a long time - we have great people working to get our next President elected and we come from every demographic group you can think of. In short, anyone would be comfortable and welcome at these meetings. Why not join us and see what you think!

Next, we looked at various ways to support the campaign via phone banking, talking to friends and neighbors, and voter registration. We really need people to use the new Neighborhood Canvassing tool. This is how Matt explained the value of this tool, I did not write this down verbatim, so I'll just give you an idea of what he said:

"People talk about this amazing ground game the Obama campaign has run. This is how we won the nomination and this is how we will win the election. With the neighborhood canvassing tool we go to people identified as likely voters/supporters and identify them for the campaign. This way we can ask them to get involved and make sure they get to the polls (we can offer rides on election day). Barack Obama had 750,000 Volunteers during the primary, it's unheard of to have this many volunteers in the primary, it's historical."

So please, check out the canvassing tool on the top right of your MyBo page. If you don't want to print out pages and pages of documents, use the Condensed or Paper Saver option (I'm not sure which one it says). You are pretty much going into friendly territory when you use this tool, but you still want to make sure you are talking to the person on the list when you are collecting the information.

If you are going to go door to door in your neighborhood, talk to friends, etc., here are a few things I do that I thought might help. I bring a seperate sheet of paper or sign up list in case anyone else in the home is willing to help that is not on my list. When I talk to people about the campaign, I like to bring some voter registration information along and some flyers with the campaign web address (some people don't know how to spell his first name), phone numbers for the national and local campaigns, and a list of ways they can get involved, I also provide my phone number and email address in case they have questions or need help, but if you don't feel comfortable doing that, it's not necessary.

We need people to help out this weekend for our voter registration drive. There are 3 locations in Virginia Beach. We need people at Mount Trashmore near the playground and at the Ocean Front at 19th St & 27th St. We need card tables, chairs, signs (home made and official signs), but most of all we need YOU!

Click here to sign up for the voter registration event!

Here are some things the campaign needs to really get going in Virginia Beach:

Office Space - about 1200 sq ft, and we will need a discount!
Cars - have an extra car sitting around that you aren't using?
Gas Cards
Pre-paid cell phones
Signs - we will need signs for events and if you could make a few it would help.
As I mentioned before we really need folding tables and chairs.

I want to say thank you to everyone for helping to get Obama elected. In 30 years, we will be able to say that we did everything we could in this historic election to get Barack Obama elected. We will tell our grandchildren that we helped to change tide, and saved our country from the brink of economic disaster.

Each of us that makes a phone call, knocks on doors, talks to friends, writes letters to the editor, donates money, and most importantly - votes - is making a big difference. It's time for us to change the world! Let's get out there and do it!

Stephanie Marushia

US Army Retired

Lions for Lambs

Chris Miller — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:23:35 EDT

After viewing the film "Lions for Lambs," I am reinspired to get out there and speak up for my beliefs. I positively agree with the idea that our soldiers are lions being led by the lambs in government.
The state of the US, at least in my immediate area scares me. Instant gratification and "me, me, me" idealogy has taken over and with the help of millions of mind numbing videos on youtube, it seems as if people are getting dumber and share in a community of apathy. Barack Obama's campaign is a sign that maybe there is still hope.
We need to return to diplomacy and fix the problems at home. We fight a billion dollar war effort while our education system is creating a future where adults won't be able to run a country that is so plauged with problems it is irreversable. I feel that the time is now to fight back for our country. The time is now to reclaim the greatness our country is capable of. The world is rapidly changing and if our country doesn't get its act together we will be left behind. Being a person who just recently left his teen years, (I'm 22) I can only liken our country's state to that of rebellious adolescence. The greed of our corporations, and our leaders joy in lobbyist money has led to an irresponsible government rule.

If anyone knows a venue where I can organize people and speak out about what is going on and how to work for change please let me know. I work 30 hours a week and go to college full time but I want to do whatever I can. I'd like to set up maybe bi-monthly meetings in a cafe or something. I just hope there are enough people out there who are as fed up as I am with this apathy epidemic.
-Chris Miller

Unity has invigorated this campaign!

V, aka VCubed/Virginia V — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:01:29 EDT

In the past month, especially just since our Unity district-wide event this past Saturday in Fremont, CA, that drew 150 mostly brand new volunteers for Obama, I've seen a thunderclap of energy erupt in this campaign that I only dreamed of in the primary season.

Don't get me wrong, we've had great energetic volunteers throughout this odyssey. We wouldn't have gotten here without them, and we share the beginnings of this astounding movement that's taken the nation, and the world, by storm - we were at the birth, together.

But there are three new groups, new additions to the Obama Family, that we are all so happy to be working with, at last: Hillary's devoted supporters, the entire local Democratic Party family, and all the new or reenergized political participants fired up to be part the historical triumph of the grassroots in November.

I want you all to have a sense of how intense this desire to be part of change, to get out of the armchair, turn off the TV, and get out and talk to people, has become, because you won't know it from the media. Not from mainstream media, not from the pundits trying to out-yell each other, not even from the liberal blogosphere. Those are all competing for the same audience, thriving on conflict more than solutions, parsing people into categories as if we were still more separate than united. To see the reality, let me share our events.

Dayton Mamas for Obama

Andi — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:28:03 EDT

I've had a busy week. The drop spindle that I talked about in my last post came out of the kiln yesterday afternoon. I put it together as quickly as I could and started spinning a red-white-and blue blend of wools at my knitting group last night. This afternoon, I met with a fellow/volunteer coordinator at the Dayton Obama Headquarters about my ideas about getting moms more involved with the campaign. Below is a copy of a post that I wrote in the forums at 937moms.com.

A First Organizing Event in Red, Red Virginia

Janis from Richardsville, VA — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:04:02 EDT

When I moved to my neck of the Virginia woods a dozen years ago, pickups with confederate flag stickers populated the roads and if there were any fellow aging, ex-hippie liberals in this county, we never met them.

In contrast, this past Saturday night, locals were selling "Proud to be a Democrat" t-shirts to a packed house and planning how our efforts in four rural counties could help Barack Obama win the state in November.

This is the story of one Unite For Change event, held in a Presbyterian Church all-purpose room on a hot, humid Saturday evening, four months before the general election.

Obama Campaign in Montrose County

jason. — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:12:10 EDT

It has been several weeks now since the primaries concluded and the general election campaign began. As part of the coordinated effort to elect Barack Obama, i have officially joined the campaign and have been given the responsibility for organizing Montrose County. This is a particularly special honor for me because Montrose County is not merely a crucial challenge in the fight for Colorado's electoral votes, Montrose is also my home.

i am excited at the opportunity to engage supporters, doubters, and critics alike and to share with all of them the hope and enthusiasm i have for reclaiming our government and returning it to its proper role: an extension of the people's will and advocate for the welfare of the people it represents.

Electing any candidate is no small task, much less a candidate who intends to put values of community and social justice above greed and the established hierarchy of power. That's why the need for our active participation is so vital. i am trusting that with a sense of pride, with a sense of hope, with a desire to see the United States of America once more respected as a great nation not just in word, but in deed as well -- i trust that these motivations will inspire individuals to overcome their doubts and their cynicism, will illuminate this truth: we work hardest for the things which are most important to us.

i will be organizing a number of events this summer and into the fall, and i look forward to meeting every single person in Montrose County. Well... okay, maybe just as many as i can. November 4th is coming up quickly, so let's all get to work.

The best networking tools around

chadlupkes — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:41:48 EDT

Back in 2004, when Meetup.com decided that they would start charging for their services, DFA launched DFA Link to help our members connect with each other and organize at the grassroots level. When Howard Dean moved from DFA to the DNC, he had a new set of these networking tools developed and launched. Senator Barack Obama grabbed the same set of tools, literally from the same vendor, and built My.BarackObama.com to help his supporters organize in order to win the Primary. Now we're going to use them to win the General Election, and we're going to keep organizing after November to continue to build our movement. No more pendulum swings back and forth. We're headed into the future, damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!

What I had not seen yet is a way to bring these tools together. There is a wall between DFA and the other two groups because we are a PAC, but there is nothing preventing links to all tools coming from a single page. Now there is.

Find more Democrats!

The links on this page will take you to all of the websites around the Web that have been designed to help Democrats and Progressives self-organize.

Each of the services give registered users the ability to search for people who live close to them, form groups of people for a specific area or issue, and organize events to bring people together. We encourage everyone to join one or more of these services and start having a conversation with your neighbors on what direction we want the country to go, and more importantly WHY. This is what the grassroots is all about.

Oregon Democrats for Change - 6.27.08 14:00 Pacific

RhOrdway — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:05:06 EDT

Oregon Democrats - Portland Democrats - Saturday event for you!!
Please find this event and attend if you are available. It's a great time to learn where we are heading and how to help get there. Yes We Can! Si Se Puede

Time: Saturday, June 28 at 2:00 PM - 2 hours
Location: Donkey Stable (DPO Headquarters)
232 NE 9th Ave
Portland, OR 97232
Directions:
2 blocks north of Burnside at Everett and 9th.

SoWal -- Time to get organized!

Christi in SoWal — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:17:50 EDT

There are a couple of events coming up this week for those who want to work to help make Walton County a bluer place!

Organizational Meeting -- Walton County Young Democrats
Thursday, June 26

Join us at Amore Pizzeria in Gulf Place to help formulate a plan of action to help get Sen. Barack Obama and Democrats elected in November. This is an opportunity to be involved in shaping a fun group aimed at building a grassroots group that keeps politics fun while building a community movement.

Please let us know if you plan to attend. You may contact Jamie Huggins at 850-210-6889 or sowaldemocrats@aol.com -- or just send me a pm to let us know that you will be attending. See you soon!

www.amore-pizzeria.com, 95 Laura Hamilton Blvd, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459,(850) 267-2202

Democratic Women's Club Meeting -- Fire
Friday, June 27 11am

Lunch Meeting at FIRE, a casual fine dining restaurant in Grayton Beach. Call Marilyn Coe at 267-3733 (mraecoe2000@yahoo.com) or Johnnie Riley-White 267-2044 (rileywhite@embarqmail.com) to make reservations. Plans for participation in Seaside's and DeFuniak Springs' July 4th parades will be finalized.

Please come out and get involved!

How I got here.

Uriah Ward — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:07:39 EDT

The story of how I got involved with the Obama campaign is an interesting one. It actually started off with Bill Clinton. Personally, I am a big fan of Bill. Thats why I got extremely excited when he came to Greenville to give a speech.

I wanted to see him speak, so I found out as much as I could about the situation. It was my dad that told me they were looking for volunteers to help with the event. I signed up at once. I didn't end up doing very much, but I was able to stand almost directly in front of him when he was speaking. And whenever he came around to shake hands with people, I was there.

Bill Clinton has soft hands.

I left that event with a great memory, and an offer for an internship with the Clinton Campaign. I was somewhat confused about what to do now. I believed that an internship would be a great opportunity, but I was an Obama-fan. So, I decided to see if there was an Obama office in Greenville. There was. And I went and asked whether or not they had any kind of internship opportunities. They did. And so I worked for three weeks in the Greenville Obama office during the Democratic Primary.

I spent hours upon hours canvassing, phone banking, entering data into the computer, and getting lost in rural areas. At the end of the NC primary Obama had won, and I was on cloud 9. As I was leaving the Greenville office for the last time one of the feild workers there suggested that I apply for the Obama Organizing Fellows program. I wasn't exactly sure what that was, but I applied. I got accepted, and I received 3 days of intense training so that I could work the general election.

So now I am stationed in Greenville, NC once again. The campaign hasn't really gotten off the ground there yet, but it's coming together.

The past few months have been a great experience for me, and I love where I'm at now. Not many 16-year-olds have had the chances that I've had.

Help with the Campaign

Sean from Decorah, IA — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:07:12 EDT

I am an out of state Organizing Fellow for the Kansas City, Missouri area and there are a few things I could use. If someone is willing to buy and donate any of the following please call me at 8154411411:100 Obama Bumper Stickers100 Obama Buttons100 Obama ShirtsThanks,Sean Sanders

Organizing for Obama: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Resolve

Karoli — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:42:25 EDT

Four years ago I was sure there wasn't another Democrat living in this city. It wasn't an unreasonable thing to believe, given that our representative is a 5-term Republican who voted for the war, thinks we should wiretap whoever we want, and consistently votes for Bush policies with full confidence that he'll be sent back to the House with the same 20-point spread he gets every time he runs for re-election. Hell, he doesn't even run. Supporters put up a few signs and his name is at the top of the ballot, and that's about it.

This district is just about as red as they come.

When I received the notice that there was going to be an organizing meeting for Obama tonight, I almost didn't go. Not because I don't want to support him, but because it would have been really depressing to walk into a room with 20 or so people and know that we didn't stand a chance of changing many minds. At the same time, I knew not going would be giving up before I started. So I sent the RSVP a couple of weeks ago and added it to the calendar.

Change in Action!

Patrick Frank — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:38:57 EDT

Hello friends,

I just got back from the Ohio Organizing Fellowship training. At our training there were over 200 highly motivated fellows that were more FIRED UP and READY TO GO than I have ever seen. In three days, we learned an avalanche of information and techniques and now we are ready to hit the streets for change.

We were able to sign up for 800 new voters as a unit in one day in Columbus, Ohio and are now ready to take the whole state by force of passion. My group is located in Dayrton and we were able to sign up 57 voters in three hours in our Columbus training.

I really hope everyone that reads this will friend me and get in touch with the organizers in their community in order to make sure that Change we believe in, is Change we can be responsible for. As great as Barack Obama is, his real gift is to act as a mirror to our greatest view of ourselves and of our nation.

Thank you,

Patrick Frank

Dayton Organizing Fellow

Frankp@muohio.edu

Excited!

Tim — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:37:43 EDT

In this crazy red state, I believe its time we democrats fight to inform those around us about the facts. I have noticed that when I talk to people who are republicans, here in alabama, they ussually only know 1 or 2 issues. They believe that democrats will only raise their taxes without knowing anything about the facts. It's time that we stop allowing those around us to be so ignorant. I am really excited about this election. I really look forward to meeting other democrats in calhoun county, AL and talking. I will go into neighborhoods, hand out brochures, and get people to register to vote. WE have to DO something. One vote counts, but if each of us gets 20 others to vote with us, imagine the possibilities. YES, WE CAN!!!!

Teach The Children Organizing!: Camp Obama Crew Pasadena :-P

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:11:39 EDT

Famed organizer Marshall Ganz sees history in the makingThe longtime UFW activist, who was there when RFK was shot, is now putting his passion to work for Barack Obama.By Scott Martelle, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 15, 2008 CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Forty years ago Marshall Ganz, a top field organizer for Cesar Chavez's United Farm Workers union, watched in confusion as Bobby Kennedy left a stage at Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel.

Ganz was supposed to whisk him away to thank a roomful of farmworker volunteers who had just helped him win the 1968 California Democratic presidential primary. But Kennedy was heading toward the kitchen.

Before Ganz could catch up, the room erupted in screams and yells. Robert F. Kennedy had been shot.

"Talk about feeling history just falling through your fingers," Ganz said.

Ganz is sitting at his kitchen table as he tells the story, one in a series of personal narratives from his life as a rabbi's son in 1950s Bakersfield, a civil rights worker in Mississippi in the 1960s and, later, a key figure in the United Farm Workers' boycotts.

They are stories of faith and betrayal, love and hate, hope and disillusionment.

And if Barack Obama succeeds in his historic quest for the White House, the Illinois senator will owe a large debt to Ganz's passion for such narratives -- and for the way this graying, portly man taught Obama's top field organizers to weave thousands of individual volunteers' stories into a social movement.

Ganz, 65, has no official role in the Obama campaign. But when key Obama organizers run into a problem, they look to Ganz, who teaches organizing and leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

When the Obama campaign held a series of "Camp Obama" training sessions around the country last summer, Ganz was brought in to hold two-day discussions of personal narrative and leadership.

Campaign officials estimate that 200 to 300 organizers were trained at about a dozen Camp Obamas -- three of them co-led by Ganz.

The effort's biggest success came in caucus states like Iowa, where tightknit organizations were better able to get people to the meeting sites.

But grass-roots efforts also paid off in South Carolina and Wisconsin and helped keep the margin small in Indiana.

Ganz's "style of organizing really does speak to who Barack is as a candidate," said Obama field organizer Buffy Wicks, 30, who ran the campaign's grass-roots efforts in California and Texas.

"Marshall really believes in empowering people and teaching them how to become community organizers."

Maggie Fleming, who attended a Camp Obama last summer, said: "Marshall is able to bring this bigger picture of his work with civil rights and with the farmworkers and [connect] people to this idea that this is bigger than just one candidate."

Fleming, 28, the assistant director of a nonprofit environmental education group, later helped form the core of Obama's grass-roots committee in Oakland.

Ganz encourages volunteers to share their own life stories with voters, in the belief that by speaking from the heart, they turn the tedious -- phone-banking, door-knocking -- into a communal mission. It's not policy but passion that he teaches.

"It's counterintuitive," Ganz said. "At Camp Obama the tendency is, 'I need to know all of the arguments.' No. You need to learn to talk from your own experiences. It's a very empowering thing."

For Ganz too. He sees the campaign as a chance to turn back the hands of time.

Freedom Summer

Ganz was born in Bay City, Mich., and grew up in Fresno and then Bakersfield.

He entered Harvard in 1960 but after two years took some time off. When he returned to Cambridge, he found that one of his roommates had joined Students for a Democratic Society and another had joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

He volunteered for the Freedom Summer of 1964 in Mississippi and was in training when volunteers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner disappeared. They were found dead several weeks later.

Ganz decided to forge ahead -- and found his life's work.

"I had friends involved in SDS, and they would have these big ideological discussions, which never had any appeal to me," Ganz said. "What worked for me was to work with the people, going around and meeting people."

As a way to connect with the black community, the rabbi's son taught adult Sunday school in Mississippi -- Old Testament only. Ganz returned to the Central Valley in 1965 and soon joined Chavez's fledgling farmworkers union, where he helped organize workers, lead boycotts and negotiate contracts until internal divisions led him to quit in 1981.

He then moved into political organizing full time, targeting infrequent voters.

The strategy turned out 180,000 new voters, primarily in low-income Latino and black neighborhoods, who helped Sen. Alan Cranston win a tight reelection battle in 1986.

In 1991, 28 years after he left, Ganz was back in Cambridge, where he earned a master's degree and, in 2000, a doctorate and then marked another transition: from student to teacher.

The challenge

Ganz stands at the front of a Harvard lecture hall, a diet Dr Pepper on the table in front of him. About 80 students fill the room, some from the Kennedy School, others from the Divinity School.

"Today we get into leadership," Ganz says. It is a skill most needed during times of uncertainty, he says, and best done by forming teams.

"Do not try to organize your project alone," he says, a titter moving through the crowd. "Get other people to help you. . . . It's not so much about exercising your own leadership as it is developing the leadership capacity of others. That's where the power comes from."

For the next 80 minutes, Ganz lectures a bit but also poses questions. He doesn't nudge the students toward any specific engagement, but it's clear that several have the political bug.

For a class project, Norena Limon, 25, of Chino was planning to skip a few days of classes to help Obama's grass-roots efforts out of state.

Limon represents the long-term challenge for the Obama campaign -- and for Ganz: how to harness and nurture the enthusiasm of the young and the idealistic, whose energy could dissipate if Obama fails to win the White House.

Ganz has faith that the seeds have taken root. If Obama loses, many of the disenchanted will disengage. But others will stay involved as community activists. They will organize others.

Forty years after history slipped through Ganz's fingers, he feels optimistic again.

"I just love the fact that hundreds of organizers are going to be unleashed on the country," he said, sitting with his coffee mug at the kitchen table amid all those stories.

It's Marshall Ganz's army, and it's marching your way.

scott.martelle@latimes.com

watch this!

Barbara in Northeast Portland — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:25:55 EDT

"Because we won... we now have no choice... we must work twice as hard... we must win."

Senator Obama speaks to his campaign staff in Chicago, 7 June 2008 [youtube]

Let's Get to Work!

Disabled Vet 2000 — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:08:08 EDT

Here are a few ideas for gearing up for the GE...

Is there any way to get lists of purged voters? We need to make sure those that were kicked off the lists get back on before registration deadlines. I was also wondering if we could get lists from groups that raise money for issues Obama has good ideas on (education, environment, gay issues, etc.) and try to switch some undecided and Hillary supporters. Hey - I'm an ex-republican, if I could change my mind anyone can - it can't hurt to at least plant some ideas in the minds of those that typically vote repub - they are alone in the voting booth, they may not admit it publicly, but we could pick up some votes there!

We need to start organizing now so we can get started in the coming weeks. We especially need to focus on battleground states and those that are typically repub, but could be close this year.

We also need to get the grassroots networks from early primary states back up and running. If we could each get a few volunteers we will be unstoppable. If a person participates in a campaign in any way they are much more likely to go to the polls. So get your friends and families out to some campaign events. You can also talk to community groups and appeal to those already active in community service organizations to get involved in the campaign. They already have valuable contacts and training that we need.

Thanks again to everyone who has made calls, written postcards, volunteered in Obama gear, and donated time and money to the campaign! It's time to take America back from these crazy extreme right wing nuts! Democrats, Moderate Republicans, and Independents need to stand together for better government and a brighter future!

Obama Organizing Fellows!

Joel Mendelson — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:24:08 EDT

Just wanted to write a brief note on how excited I am to be a part of the Obama Organizing Fellows this summer! My heart was pounding from the submission of the application to the phone interview and from the phone interview to the congratulatory email. Whew. Now onto June 14th for training! I will actually try and use this blog to discuss all the activities we will be taking part in. Now let's get the Senator elected President!

Discouraging

smffy — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:47:00 EDT

I've read the blogs about the purging on the Clinton website. I've blogged about the attacks on me personally when I called for unity and a focus on McCain and the issues on the national Demoractic website, and I have to tell you I am afraid, very afraid of Hillary and her supporters. My fear is we could see more of the Bush administrations actions such as the CIA leaks on Plume designed to shut her husband up, a writer who has been critical of the Bush administration.

I am also leary of organizing events like the one I organized to watch the debates at my home. I had one acceptance reply, and when I visited his personal blog I discovered he was strange, really strange. I don't feel comfortable with inviting him into my home. I am single, living alone, and I don't want to take an ill-advised risk.

I attended an advertised event that was supposed to be an Obama organizing event. It turned out to be a Demoratic Party Organizing Event. Although I'd like to see a two party system in my state (a very red state) I'm too discouraged by the anger and name calling happening at this time to do anything for the party.

I am not a registered Democrat. I've always thought of myself as a person who decided on the candidates on their merit, not their party affiliation. But, when I have voted I vote Democrat. I haven't voted in years because I didn't think anybody running for office was a good choice. I have been wrong about that.

I've been actively and energetically working for Obama. However, I think I'm going to wait until he has the nomination to do anything locally. I won't do anything for the Party because of what's been happening with Hillary supporters and the retisence of super delagetes to commit.

I really want this nominating process to be over with and wish Hillary would withdraw. I admire the way Obama has conducted himself through all this and I have tried to be as diginified as he has been, not responding to the attacks except to defend his position.

If I sound discouraged about Democrats, it's because I am. I wish it wasn't so and hope ferverently all this will quiet down when the convention is finally over with. If the "dream ticket" came to pass, I wouldn't vote again. My attempt at being an activist now seems like a bit of a bad idea. I'm disillusioned.

The Psychology of Wright in Obama's Life

Madama Ambi — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:01:54 EDT

The Wright controversy has cast some confusing shadows over Obama's campaign, but, for me, not on Obama the man...right now I'm reading both Dreams From My Father and Audacity of Hope, switching back and forth between them...

My thinking is that you have to understand a very longterm and complex relationship with real son/father psychological dynamics woven in to understand how Barack has "seen" Jeremiah Wright. Wright was not only his mentor, pastor, (father surrogate?), but also central to Barack's organizing in Chicago, and arguably the major male figure in his life at that time, his 20's.

If you grew up with a father, you might not understand what it means to grow up without one, or even worse, one that has visited you only once. Oh, so painful. Barack alludes to the pain, doesn't portray himself as a waif, or wounded, but does make it clear that he was hungry for a father while at the same time not wanting anyone to step into the place he held for his real father.

What I read from this is that Barack held open, and waiting, a very alive place in his emotional structure for his father to come back into, and fill up, and catch him up on what he suspected he was missing...but sometimes you don't know what you're missing...

And then, at a critical juncture in his life, he meets Jeremiah Wright, a powerful man who answers so many of Barack's needs.

I have a very personal understanding of early loss of a parent and how children deal with these losses, and these issues can't be understood in the simplistic terms that campaign politics demand of people.

What would Barack say about my interpretation? Would he feel "seen" by me? Or would he scoff, knowing that his psyche is not the book and the book is not his psyche. Ok. I would agree. But, in the meantime, I hope that voters and especially the media will understand that this relationship can't be reduced to broad brush judgments. As a member of Jews for Obama recently reminded me, we do not hold the sons accountable for the sins of the fathers...

The Psychology of Wright in Obama's Life

Madama Ambi — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:56:25 EDT

Distractions, HRC, RNC, & the MSM: A Strategic Relationship? Suggestions.

EMK — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:22:14 EDT

Hey guys:

Haven't you noticed since the March 4 primaries the following "distractions:" Rezko, NAFTA, "3 AM," Rev. Wright's "comments," the "Ayers" association, and now the NC RNC ad?

Do you guys recall how quickly Obama overtook HRC before March 4 in several primaries, especially with Super Tuesday (Feb 5)?

Notice the "strategy?"

Keep these questions in mind while I make my case.

Earlier, with my open letter to the ObamaBloggers, I mentioned the following concerning the MSM, HRC, and older/rural & small-town/less-educated voters:

After last night's primary, I was really frustrated. The MSM and HRC are using psychology to manipulate less-educated and older voters, especially late-deciding voters, as many of them seem to rely on the MSM for their information, into voting HRC by continuously forcing Obama to answer questions which are really "distractions" as he put it. And it shows! It will take more research into the matter, but I recommend reading this Anderson Cooper Blog, as apparently, this psychological manipulation is get them to research the distractions associated with Obama than about Obama's message. As far as this is concerned, we have to take this into account, and encourage them to educate themselves with info outside the MSM (from the blogs by ~Wanda~).

Then this morning, I was reading last night's Open Thread, and I ran accross Stephen Rose's comments, and the following information contained in the links he brought through his Blogger page were irking me:

Hannity Debate Instructions to Stephanopoulos: Apparently, Stephanopoulous got the idea to ask Obama questions about Ayers by Hannity, as cited to at Think Progress, and as you may have noticed, the MSM are already making "reports" about Ayers, especially about comments that were taken out out context, like Rev. Wrights' comments were, even when Ayers explained the context of the comments already.

Next, I recalled my reply to a blog asking about the weak support for Obama by small-town America by 4Seasons:

MSM are the main reference for small-town America
By EMK Yesterday at 11:12 pm EDT

Most small-town Americans may rely on the MSM for most of their information, and are older, so they may be more trusting of what the MSM will have to say, and will base their searches on what they understand of Obama via the MSM.

This is bad because there is a general bias favoring HRC (Remember the debate @ ABC?) and/or the Republicans (though I don't have evidence with the MSM/Republican or the HRC/Republican association) by the MSM.

We may need to do small group talks like the one Obama did in PA: Link.

We need to make sure that small-town IN & NC folk are educated on the issues as well as their background and interrelationships, without overwhelming them with a lecture. It will take the IN & NC HQ & volunteers to pull that off since Obama can only do so many of them. Furthermore, we have to encourage the small-town IN & NC folk to look up information about Obama in a *positive* context and via *non-mainstream, independent* media.

So I realized, it's been HRC's strategy, and possibly the RNC's to use the MSM via their connections to influence older/lesser-educated/small-town and rural voters to vote for HRC by using these well-timed "distractions" to dissuade voters from listening to Obama's story as well as his message. They simply capitalized on the fact that Obama's campaign has to spend time and energy answering the charges in order to keep the campaign viable during the Democratic nomination! Meanwhile, HRC and the RNC, using the MSM are busy spinning the Democratic nomination toward HRC's favor. That doesn't even consider all the hidden controversies concerning HRC, and the fact that Stephanopoulous was formerly a member of Bill Clinton's White House.

Here are a few reasons why the MSM may have a stronger influence on older/lesser-educated/small-town & rural voters:

These voters are located in areas where they have fewer local news sources and they have a slower Internet, so they rely on what the MSM have to say in order to make their comparisons on Obama and HRC. Guess what they are watching?
In addition to having a slower Internet, these communities cannot afford to invest in faster Internet connections and fewer people have computers in order to surf for information by independent sources.
Most HQ's are located in cities and suburban areas and most of us are younger and more highly educated.

So, what should ObamaHQ do, as well as us?

Well, I'm glad to see that ObamaHQ is blogging about ObamaWorks, which is one group I recommend joining, if you are able to. Having ObamaWorks groups in small towns and rural areas will show voters in these areas by example what Obama's message is all about!

Furthermore, I recommend, if you are able to, applying for Obama's Organizing Fellows will also help, especiall for those who are interested in gaining organizational experience. Here's my reasons why from my letter:

...[W]e have to "dig in." Now, this is a critical point, and I wish I could go and join the Obama Organizing Fellows, as this will help everyone become community and political advocates, especially when it comes to "watching our rights," as this will be crucial throughout this campaign and after the election.
...
...I personally would like to have applied because I'm not very good at organizing events, so I would have enjoyed learning the organizing techniques they would be explaining to us. Furthermore, I can personally relate to a lot of Obama's situations, though I may not have met him in person, so I really encourage you to apply and take advantage of it.

Also, we need people at the HQ's to have more locations available in the small town and rural areas as well as having more of these areas staffed by lesser-educated/older voters so that they can relay Obama's message to these groups, as they may be more receptive. It would be great if these staffers rely less on the MSM so that they can dispell these rumors personally. In addition, we need to multiply the number of small-group meetings like this one at PA, and to get these out in the media ASAP. (I recall someone explain that they occur often, but I think they need to occur more often, even if it has to be done by volunteers, and we'll have to publicize the ourselves since not everyone watches C-SPAN).

I want to go and join these groups, but I am unable to at this time.

So that leads me to my next set of recommendations, particularly for those bloggers who are not able to travel:

Educate yourselves about the issues, as well as their historical background and their interrelationships with other issues. Being informed on the background and relationships on the issues will help us explain Obama's points on the issues, as well as help us "watch our rights" on some of them.
Keep everyone informed about the media, and bring out counterpoints when they arise. The MSM won't stop smearing Obama, and the volunteers on the ground need to know what's up as they won't have time to search around like we would. We are going to be the first line of defense.
If you have a good idea about fighting the MSM that ObamaHQ could use, let them know ASAP. I will say that I disagree with negative campaigning because that is the bait which HRC and the RNC are hoping the Obama campaign will fall for.

For me, it's more important for Obama to unite the country than the Democratic Party, as I suspect that HRC is anticipating these negative attacks to be enough "distraction" for the older/lesser-educated/small-town and rural voters so that Obama will be perceived as weak for the Democratic elite to be "convinced" to chosing HRC for the nomination and put pressure on Obama to be HRC's VP choice. However, as Obama wants to focus on being the Democratic nomination at this time, we need to help him get there. Personally, I think Obama has enough support to run as an independent candidate if he choses to, if he doesn't get the Democratic nomination.

One last point, we have to get Obama to the White House, and we have to be make sure we are making sure that he will get the support he needs elsewhere due to a concerning event which has occured during the PA primaries, which were not covered until by local media in my hometown until after the PA polls closed: GWB with Canada and Mexico at New Orleans "cementing" trade affairs. (The post was out during the PA primary, but I doubt a lot of us saw that then, which might have been the MSM's anticipation, in theory). So, keep an eye on that as well as your rights.

Right now, Obama will need our help more than ever, as it is NOW OR NEVER!

"The society's deprivation relies/ not on our differences/ but the separation within."
--Linkin Park, "Frgt/10."

EMK

DV8: Take Back The Mic

urbanteck — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:14:54 EDT

THERE WILL BE REPORT BACKS FROM ORGANIZERS FROM THE PENN PRIMARIES!

You are invited to a special event for the Healthcare Education Project Youth Team...

DV8: TAKE BACK THE MIC

SATURDAY APRIL 26TH 2008

9PM - 2AM

330 W 42ND STREET PENTHOUSE - NY, NY

PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED FLYER AND FEEL FREE TO INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!

Play 'Who Wants to be a President' and gain chance to win a prize during final challenge on April 26th

For more information please call (212) 857-4389

youngvoices@1199.org www.myspace.com/1199seiu_ywp www.1199seiu.org

Please RSVP to youngvoices@1199.org

...Let your fire light your path...

--

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soulfire4ever/2414329001/

Suggestions for PA workers

Martha of Bowie, MD — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:43:40 EDT

I suggest:

--Continue phonebanking upcoming states during the coming weeks to convince them that there is a real difference in this election.

--Voting day ensure that people know to fill out provisional ballot before leaving the polls. Particularly, if they have no time to stand in long lines or there is a problem with their registration

-- Continue registering voters for the November election.

Keep up the good work...we are still winning!

How to Win PA, IN, NC

Disabled Vet 2000 — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:42:50 EDT

I have worked on a lot of campaigns. I've driven elderly voters to the polls, I've stood near entrance ramps to highways in near DC holding signs, made thousands of phone calls, and stuffed a lot of envelopes.

"What can I do?" is the question I've been hearing a lot lately. First, get on the phone, but for those of you that live in PA, IN, and NC, we need to show the political establishment that it is possible to win with grassroots organizing for things campaigns used to pay for.

1. Volunteer to drive voters to the polls.

In the past ward leaders dipped into campaign coffers to pay for drivers, there is no need for this. We have done incredible things across this country the new way - with internet organizing and a volunteer army! We have to show the country we care, and one of the best things you can do for this campaign is to help get every voter to the poll you can - give them the freedom to cast their vote. Don't let age or poverty be a barrier to Democracy! It's also a lot of fun - I heard great stories from older voters about elections held 50 or 60 years ago, the crazy political machines that used to dictate who won, stories about WWII, the depression, and the civil rights movement. You will be tired after a day of doing this, but you'll feel incredible and leave with a greater understanding of our country's people, past, and political process!

2. Be an Obama Ambassador! Put out yard signs, wear Obama gear, write letters to the editor of your local paper, put bumper stickers on your car, and a sign in the window!

Most of all learn the issues, familiarize yourself with what Obama has accomplished in the Senate, state legislature, and as a community activist. I actually sat down and wrote a point by point position paper on why I support Obama so I could more easily communicate my position when speaking to potential voters on the phone and when speaking to friends and neighbors who aren't as involved in politics as I am.

3. Organize a rally for April 19 - NationForChange.com and ObamaBrigade.com have state by state areas on their sites so you can find others in your area and have a rally. In many places they already have rallies planned, but they need you to show up! Make sure you contact local TV stations, newspapers, bloggers, and radio stations to let them know about the rally. Ask them to make an announcement that it's happening and ask them to cover it!

Why do this? We need to show Super Delegates and Pledged Delegates how much support Obama has and that we expect them to support the candidate that voters chose in their district/area.

4. Set Goals - here are some ideas:

Speak to at least 3 people every day about why I support Obama and why it's important to vote in the primary and the GE.
Talk to as many neighbors as possible - especially if they fall outside of Obama's typical demographic.
Hold get togethers in your area (as simple as meeting up with other supporters at a restaurant or bar) to keep the momentum going. Ask them to bring a parent or friend that is still undecided!
Offer to give rides ro co-workers or neighbors to the polls if you can't sign up to drive the elderly and those without transportation to the polls.
If you know a lot of Obama supporter, throw fund raising parties, BBQ's, or gatherings. Again, if you have a group of passionate supporters, try to get some people who aren't sure who they will vote for, or Hillary supporters. You would be amazed at how many hearts and minds you can change!
Buy one of the Support Packs from the Obama store and hand out or raffle/auction bumper stickers, tee shirts, buttons, and stickers.
Get your kids or parents involved and ask them to talk to their friends!

Thanks for your time! The primaries may seem far off still, but we need every vote we can get and it will take hard work to win these primaries and unite the party behind the best person for the job, Barack Obama!!!

Stephanie Schiffman Marushia

How I convinced my VA relatives to go for Barack

my5yoluvsBO-NY,NY — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:54:26 EDT

What follows is the email I sent on 2/11 to my relatives voting in the "Chesapeake Primary". Maybe others can use some of this to convince their relatives in PA, IN, NC,WV, and KY. Some parts need updating because I have learned since that my understanding of Barack's net worth is way off, thought the essence of that paragraph is still there. I have also become much more resolute as to why Obama stands out more than Clinton and think that there is less and less reason I need to think in terms of supporting her no matter what, only becuase I have great hopes that Obama will win this.

-------------------------------------------------------

Hello,

Perhaps you've already decided between Clinton and Obama. Maybe you're even voting for McCain in Tuesday's primary. But if you are as torn as I was just days before I voted I want to share my opinions (yes, it's long) and thoughts that convinced me to pull the lever for Obama. Actually, Spencer is a huge fan of Barack, so I let him pull the levers for the delegates. There's a special treat at the bottom of the email too when you get there.

I really like Hillary Clinton. I'm not one of those 47% of Americans who have an unfavorable impression of her. In fact, I have been advocating for why I think she CAN be elected for the past year or more. However, there have been many votes and actions that she's made which I absolutely have not liked. I had suppressed these disagreements until a week and a half ago when I watched her debate Barack in L.A. Her response for why she won't admit that her vote in Iraq was wrong struck me like lightning. I get that she can't admit that she was wrong when she's running to be leader of the U.S., but the fact that she spun this as a problem of execution and deflected recognizing the reason we're there in the first place as being wrong is what was striking to me. Little ole me was against this war from Day 1 because the rush to war just stunk to high heaven. Obama had the judgment to recognize this too, yet Hillary, who had much more information than any of us, did what was politically expedient and authorized the war. Additionally, during the debate she completely misrepresented the alternative bill that she could have supported with regard to going to war.

The more I've watched Barack debate and in interviews, the more I realize that he is super smart, has such a tremendous grasp of a broad range of issues, picks up nuances that most politicians never could, regardless of their experience, and he's just getting started. He has the temperament to make sound judgments as evidence by his initial opposition to the war. I am less sure that Hillary makes sound judgments and I feel that experience can only compensate so much if you aren't willing to make judgments based more on fact than on politics. The continued polarization, political feuding, knee-jerk calculations, and poll tested positions are not what our country needs right now. We need someone who doesn't have the baggage to carry forward the many superb positions that both Barak and Hillary share, but who can actually get it done simply because it's not her. We need someone who is seen around the world as the new face of America, the dawn of the next best thing America has to offer, and the chance for the international community to start healing. Plus we need someone that offers hope to a country that has been force fed to live in fear since 2001. Hillary actually pulled the terror card when she voted to authorize force against Iran just two months ago.

This election is more than about this one office. The coattails of an Obama candidacy could end gridlock in the Senate and House and protect the Supreme Court from another right-wing appointment. I am not so sure that Hillary Clinton will inspire Americans the same way Obama will by getting them to the polls to turn out a big majority for the Democrats. I really think that the only way we'll be able to work in a bi-partisan manner is if the Dems get a large majority and are led by Obama in the White House.

The McCain factor is a big one. Once I saw that it was going to be him, I realized that the Democrats need a stark contrast to challenge him. I don't think McCain is the sharpest tool in the shed and he's going to make some major gaffes along the way--he has already. But this doesn't mean that his security credentials aren't going to play well for him. Hillary can match him with her own, but I think only Obama can contrast what he would do as being so different and logical compared to McCain who's record basically shows that he is a Bush cheerleader. Hillary can't make this contrast so much and I really think that independents want to see something different. Obama can convince us to move beyond duct tape security rhetoric, move toward real security solutions, and yet offer the best security of all, which is improving our standing in the world community. He can inoculate McCain's security mantra with a mantra of change and living without fear. Hillary? Less so.

There's so much more I could say, like how Bill Clinton's role has really disappointed me and has for the first time really made me see him in an egomaniacle light, and how I don't know if I really want him around the White House anymore, especially since as late as 2004 he was still willing to throw gays and lesbians under the bus for political expediency by suggesting to Kerry that he denounce gay marriage in the last days of the election.

But what I really want to leave you with is to consider that Barack Obama is more like us than any candidate running. He's not a multi-millionaire. His net worth was at most 2.5 million in 2005 and is in large part because of his home's value, so who knows what it really is today. He's not blind to the challenges of being middle class and raising two kids. As a community organizer on Chicago's Southside, he's seen poverty first hand. While I know that Hillary is sympathetic and has seen a lot as a senator and first lady, she was never in the streets working with people struggling to live. The closest she's probably come to that experience is sitting on the board of Wal-Mart determining how to keep costs low for middle and lower class customers. And isn't this election mostly going to be about how to help the average American survive this economic downturn, keep jobs in the community, and reduce the strangle-hold of unaccountable corporations who manipulate Washington into only doing what is good for them and not for the American family or the environment? Is Hillary (or McCain) really going to be able to leave those chits at the door and make the right and hard decisions to fix us?

I'm taking a leap of faith. Obama stands for change and hope for a new beginning. Going with Hillary is much more predictable and in my estimations actually risky in the general election. I will do my damndest to see her win the White House if she gets the nomination, but I really think we owe it to ourselves (and to our kids) to try something new. If Bush is the lemons, let's make fresh-squeezed lemonade by electing Obama. And as one of my colleagues who had been torn walking into the booth said when I asked her how it worked out on Tuesday she answered, "I went to the bright side. I voted for Obama." I thought that was so indicative of where we've been and where we can go.

solicitation to join Falmouth Obama group

elfpix — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:38:37 EDT

I've started sending this out to some people on my personal email list. You might want to consider something like it for your friends. It would be nice to have a connection with other people in Falmouth who are especially interested in Senator Obama's campaign.

Hi,

I'm working on trying to get people interested in the Obama candidacy connected through this group on My.BarackObama.com: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/FalmouthMassForObama If you are interested in joining this email group and in getting information about the campaign and local events, please consider signing up at the link above. You will have to register at the site and then you will be receiving solicitations for the campaign which you can discard or unsubscribe from. Right now, since I don't have a TV I'm trying to assemble a debate watching party on April 16th and hoping to have a group of people that I can contact through this list. If you're absolutely not interested, period, or even not yet ready to think about politics right now, feel free to let me know at elf@landsedgephoto.com. Thanks.

Introduction, Plug for BlueBroward.org

David F. Carr — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:12:17 EDT

The Kerry/Edwards campaign was the first one I got involved with in a big way. After that heartbreak, one of the positive things I put my time into was creating bluebroward.org, which was created as a way of recruiting volunteers who could help win future Democratic races. The Broward County Democratic Executive Committee web site was pretty lame at that point, in terms of offering online tools, and though it's gotten better BlueBroward continues to have an audience.

For the time being, I have to respect the feelings of the Hillary fans who are bluebroward members, but I can still help publicize regional events and recruit volunteers. A few months from now, I hope to be able to hand off a whole list of volunteers and put them to work for the Obama campaign.

I'm a freelance writer, editor, and web developer. Also support the democraticprofessionalscouncil.org website and a number of campaign sites. Currently researching an article on the Obama campaign's use of the web and I.T. for CIOZone.com

Obama's Big Give

Disabled Vet 2000 — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:58:15 EDT

There are a few things we can do to help Obama garner more support in the following weeks. One is attending the Nation For Change Rallies across the country on April 19. Go to http://NationforChange.com to find out about rallies in your area.

One of the best ways to bring people into the Obama Movement for Change is to show people in your community that he is already changing the world. Put on your Obama gear and volunteer! Mentor teens and college students, help with community clean ups, join walkathons and marathons, and get involved with local non-profits.

You don't need a lot of time to do this. Offer to pick up groceries for an elderly neighbor or help them with yard work. Call local churches, non-profits, and community service organizations and let them know you are a campaign volunteer and want to help them make positive changes in your area. There is plenty you can do even if you don't have much time.

By wearing your Obama gear while helping out, you show the community that this is a real movement that goes beyond politics or a single election. You also put a face to the voices demanding change. Educate yourself on issues that are important to you and your community. Look at the Issues section of this site so you can tell people what Senator Obama will do for this country and how he will effect change. When speaking to college students or volunteers, I like to talk about Obama's plan to offer college money in exchange for community service. It lets them know that we value their service, realize it makes a difference, and that we feel everyone deserves access to education. $4000 a year could fund your associates degree at a community college. Good grades at community college could lead to scholarships at 4 year institutions. If used correctly this will mean access to better jobs for people that never believed they could get a degree before and had to accept minimum wage jobs.

Please get out there and do something! We need every vote we can get to keep our lead in the delegate count and popular vote! With Hillary fighting to get Michigan (where we weren't even on the ballot) and Florida reinstated, we need to work even harder. Especially in places where we are in the lead. There isn't a single vote that doesn't count. We need every one to ensure that the nomination isn't stolen.

We also need to show current Clinton voters and Independents that this campaign is the real thing. The media has been trying to portray us as blind followers or all talk. Let's show them what we can do!

Don't forget a note pad or index cards to get information from potential voters and volunteers. Get their email addresses so you can send a link to the campaign website and follow up after you meet them. Also let them know when they need to be registered to vote in order to participate in primaries and the General Election.

Sign Up - Apr 19 Rally For Change

Disabled Vet 2000 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:13:54 EDT

On April 19 Obama supporters all over the country (and even some expats and foreign supporters) will be holding Rallies for Change! Please sign up to the group on BarackObama.com - Nation For Change: Nationwide Rally Sat April 19.

We will be showing the voters of PA and other upcoming primaries that we support them. We are also showing America the incredible amount of support for the next President of the United States this movement has built.

This comes at a very important time. Pledged Delegates are being pressured to switch their support to Clinton even in states that he won by a landslide. We need to let them know that we expect them to support the candidate their voters chose - whether it's Obama or HRC. This will also get the attention of Super Delegates at a time when we need their support to show the party that we need to get together behind the nominee and stop party in-fighting.

Then head over to NationForChange.com to sign up for rallies in your state. We still need help organizing so you can be a leader in your community and let your voice be heard! Another site helping to organize these rallies and connect with other Obama supporters is ObamaBrigade.com.

If we get a good enough showing on April 19, I think we will be able to affect change in PA primaries, and possibly end this primary more quickly. We will show undecided voters how committed we are.

Be the change you want to see in the world! Yes We Can!

Protest Virginia Delegates Overturning Voters Choice

Disabled Vet 2000 — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:25:33 EDT

We need public protests now. We can't afford to wait for the conventions. I am asking that people sign up to act as Lead Volunteers in organizing at different locations. I would like to have multiple protests all over the state on the same day. We will keep it up until they listen to the will of the people.

If you go to a Virginia College, are active in the community, or just know a lot of Dems I need your help as a local leader. I also need location ideas, media contacts, help making signs, etc.

Let our voices be heard again! This is a Democracy and we need to ensure that the voice of the people is heard all over the nation. They also need help in NC! I will be heading down next weekend to Elizabeth City!

What have you done to make history today? Lets keep up the hard work and get Barack Obama elected as nominee and President of The United States!

Sincerely,

Stephanie Marushia

Postcards to PA!

Chrisi — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:50:34 EDT

Barb Slinker of Alexandria 4 Obama put together a very successful "Postcards to PA" event today at Marshall Library, and with just a handful of women and one man (thanks George!) we managed to write out 229 postcards in just a few hours! And even more were taken home to do!

This is a great, fun way to get together with your fellow Obama supporters, too! So please join us this Thursday evening at Duncan library in Alexandria, or at Tysons-Pimmet Regional library in Falls Church next Sunday afternoon.

Obama Earth Day

Disabled Vet 2000 — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:09:06 EDT

Earth day is a great time to remember why we need Barack Obama in the White House. Someone in the "Hippies for Obama" group suggested getting a booth at Earth Day celebrations to get Obama's environmental policy message out. She also suggested some Earth Day fundraisers.

Here is my idea...

We could make some reusable grocery bags with the Obama logo and a list of easy things people can do to save the planet. First use any extras you already have and stencil or iron on the Obama logo. We could also find supplier of Fair Trade, Organic Cotton bags. Another good idea would be water bottles with built in filters to replace all of the disposable bottles people buy that just end up in landfills. Does anyone know of a supplier that sells bottles safe for long term use that are made of recycled materials that might help? Do we need campaign permission? What campaign finance rules do we need to be careful of?

You win some you lose some

Lenny Sharlet — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:53:25 EDT

So, I put together an event tonight for St. Patty's day.

O'Bama '08

Yeah, it's cheesy but I thought it would take off. As it is we scraped together about $300 and I took a loss on some of the gear I bought.

I hope to get a little cash back out of it tonight and tomorrow from the T-shirts and buttons.

People were very appreciative that I put the event together and a few organizers have contacted me for advice on putting together similar events, so a ripple effect can go a long way.

The moral of the story is... this stuff is fun, and even when it doesn't go quite as well as you'd hoped good things can happen.

Mississippi and Plaza Midwood Phone Bankers

Andrew — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:34:18 EDT

Just wanted to say I think we had another successful Phone Bank on Monday night. We can take some small degree of satisfaction in knowing that we were part of the effort that helped put Obama well over the top last night. Thanks again to those who were able to make it out.

If you are interested in helping with the effort to win Pennsylvania and our own North Carolina, please get in touch. And look for the next Phone Bank in the coming days under "events near me".

You can send ME to Pennsylvania!

Lenny Sharlet — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:32:41 EDT

*** BREAKING NEWS ****

I am going to PA to Organize for Obama!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/preview/main/LennyforObama

I will do this regardless of what happens with this idea, but I want to encourage people to continue to fund this movement for change, so SEND ME TO PENNSYLVANIA!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/preview/main/LennyforObama

I will spend 1 Day in PA for every $50 donated through my page. 100% of donations go directly to the campaign, this is just a way for me to keep track of it and take ownership of my personal fundraising efforts.

If you can chip in $5-10 that's great! It'll add up. I can leave as early as March 20th and stay for the entirety of the PA campaign. That's 34 days maximum, so if we raise $1700 I will go for ALL 34 days!!

Let the GAMES begin!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/preview/main/LennyforObama

*************

3/22 = 30 days to D-day in PA

Lenny Sharlet — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:58:38 EDT

3/22 = One month to D-day PA day

The media is going on and on about the "eternity" of 7 more weeks of this.

I for one would like to see the party unified, but the energy and organization of this primary will be GOOD for our party in November and in the long term (provided Hillary doesn't tear the party down around her).

I encourage everyone around the country to make plans for 3/22 to get together with friends and fellow supporters to talk about the issues of this campaign.

Have a good time, make it fun, maybe do a fundraiser, or go to a bar, restaurant, cafe, host a party in your home.

Mark March 22nd on your calendar a day to get FIRED UP and READY TO GO for 4/22! We CAN win Pennsylvania, I am convinced of it. I think voters will begin to see through Hillary and her "do anything to get elected no matter who it hurts on the way" attitude.

I'll put up a local Nashville event when I get the details squared away, but this is to announce the plan and invite and encourage supporters around the country to plan similar events.

I hope you will join me on 3/22 for the countdown and lift up our message of hope!

Join these events!

3/22 = One month to D-day PA day

A Call a Day Keeps the Clintons Away