Posts with the tag phonebanking

priorities

Kirsten — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:22:21 EST

So I was all set to begin the brainstorming work of organizing in rural communities, but the national priority at this time is not rural organizing. Health care reform is driving the work, and what is needed now is something called a "Rapid Response" team, i.e. a team of volunteers who can mobilize into a phonebank at a moment's notice.

But this goal fits nicely into what I envision for a rural "team." We are by nature kind of spread out over the geography, so a technological approach is warranted, and a phonebank suits that need perfectly. We come together across the miles to join our efforts in the same project. So while we aren't building a rural orgnization per se, we are in affect setting one up via this Rapid Response team, and we can build from there.

OFA in West Chester, PA - phonebanking and canvassing

Bill of Downingtown — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:25:45 EDT

On Sunday, August 9, in West Chester, PA, OFA will do a phone bank and canvass for the President's health care reform principles.

Undoubtedly you have been following the national debate (and the politics). You know the opponents of change are hard at work. We have the numbers of people on our side. We need to do our own hard work to translate those numbers into real pressure on individual members of Congress. We do that through phone banking, canvassing, and tabling.

Please join me and the rest of Chester County OFA in West Chester on Sunday. I’ll probably be canvassing (unless we have rains like last Sunday’s). But others will phone bank. Your choice.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple?source=topnav

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

Can you tell I was happy to help? :-D

Michael from Santa Monica, CA — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:35:44 EST

Calling for Obama on election day...

http://pictures.match.com/pictures/11/14/61114I.jpeg

Call Ohio Now!

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:07:06 EST

Are you not from Ohio and want to help the state go blue? ARE from Ohio and want to reach some fellow Buckeyes so you can be proud on Election Night? Then call Ohio voters now! Just click the button below:

Reaching out to still undecided voters one of the best things you can do right now, during this get-out-the-vote effort. Many of the people you call will already be supporters--they just need a reminder to go and vote! If you click the button above, you'll get directions and a list of people to call--the campaign makes everything very easy and unintimidating for you.

This movement has always been about neighbors talking to neighbors about what they see in Barack Obama, and it's going to end that way too--right now hundreds of thousands of people across the United States are organizing and going door to door and calling voters. Now is your final chance to get involved. Don't let this moment pass you by.

Call Ohio now. It's waiting to hear from you.

California Phone Bankers Don't Quit

Sarah Gallagher — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:47:43 EST

Californians made a record number of phone calls to Obama supporters across the country, encouraging them to get to the polls and cast their votes.
Joined by celebrities like Orlando Bloom and Eliza Dushku, volunteers overflowed offices across California, sitting on file cabinets, in garages, in alleyways, on yards so that they could call for change all day.Check out the slideshow for more, then join us at a phone bank near you to make history!

A Picture of a Movement: Profiles of Ohio Volunteers

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:18:46 EST

Right now, tens of thousands of volunteers are getting out the vote for Barack Obama, in this final stage of the Election. Their work is crucial--now more than ever--so in honor of them, the Ohio Campaign for Change takes a look at some of the people who make this campaign the powerhouse that it is.

Marion is practically a celebrity in the world of Obama volunteers. She recently had a whole article written about her and her dedication to volunteering in the Dayton Daily News, entitled "Fairborn Grandmother Hits the Streets for Obama." Hers is a special story--she got involved in the campaign shortly after her husband Lanny died from cancer, after losing his job and being left without health insurance. She's featured in two YouTube videos hugging Barack at rallies in the Dayton area, but more importantly, she makes an appearance as a Neighborhood Team Leader in this video from the campaign. She's the one who makes the joke about the conservative politics of Greene County, where she lives:

(It's not too late to be a leader in your neighborhood-- sign up to get out the vote right now).

Many an Ohio Field Organizer sings the praises of his or her best volunteers. Here's some appreciation from Tommy:

Sherill, one of my NTL's, tore something in her foot (doctors think it might be a stressed ligament or something) while canvassing earlier this week. That shift she got something like 85 doors. When she called me this evening, I was expecting her to cancel her shift tomorrow to go door to door, but instead she called to tell me that if she wrapped her foot in an Ace bandage and wore the right shoes, she could walk on the foot. She said that we only had a few days until the election and that she didn’t have time to not be on the doors. And so, with a wrapped foot, she’s going to lead a canvass tomorrow of 12 volunteers. Not a story from today’s work, but worth noting nonetheless.

Here's a picture of Mr. Hanna--as his Field Organizer Seth describes him: "86 years old, fired up and making calls."

Richard in Scioto County recounts a day of activity amongst his volunteers:

Volunteers traveled out to the home of Christina, our Western Scioto Neighborhood Team Leader who already had their maps, clipboards and sign-in sheets prepared. Christina gave an inspiring training, explaining to the students why she supports Obama and then allowing them to share as well. They knocked on doors, and found a stray dog that they promptly named “Scioto.” They took the dog and themselves out to the Scioto County Sorghum Festival, where they helped us sign up supporters at the Democratic Party booth. They and their new dog “Scioto” are now sitting fat and happy, bellies full of sorghum molasses, making phone calls here in the office.

And finally, Graham in Lawrence County swears by his tough guy volunteer, Sparky:

Sparky -- Charles if you look him up in the voter file -- is seen here posing in front of his truck, with the Lawrence County Democratic Headquarters and the Lawrence County Courthouse in the backdrop. Sparky makes sure that everyone in Lawrence County is properly registered to vote and makes sure that people are voting for Sen. Obama. Sparky doesn't understand how we are spending ten BILLION dollars each month in Iraq paving roads, building hospitals, and improving infrastructure in Iraq when there is no hospital in Lawrence County and people worry when they drive over the Ironton-Russell bridge because of its dilapidated condition. Sparky doesn't understand why the people in the upper echelons of society are relishing in the Bush tax cuts when people who depend on fixed incomes are spending a large fraction of it on soaring health care costs. Sparky doesn't understand these things because it is hard to understand that these things are happening in America. What Sparky does understand is that in America, we can do better. Sparky works everyday telling people he talks to in Lawrence County that in order for us to do better as a nation, they need to vote for Sen. Obama and that Sen. Obama is not going to take away his guns. Sparky knows that Sen. Obama is a supporter of the 2nd Amendment as he is. That is why he has two GUN OWNER for Obama stickers on his truck.

Are you a volunteer--a part of the backbone of this campaign? Give us your story in the comments section below.

257!!!

Pinked and Inked for Obama! — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:41:59 EDT

Yesterday, Tuesday, I made two hundred in fifty seven calls, most if not all in battleground states, I only got one who said they were voting McCain, a few who said it was too personal to tell me, but the rest were proudly Barack! There was this one woman I called in Pennsylvania. Her name was Anna Joyner. I'll never forget her. What was a routine phone call about our campaign...it feels good to say that. Barack, you have made this our campaign and the voters of america love you for it! Anyhow, we ended up talking for almost twenty minutes about Barack and change and ohter things. She really touched me deeply. She said I made her day, I was too choked up (crying) to tell her how she'd made mine. I really wish I could make more calls I'm really bummed about it. I had oral surgery this morning. They took eight teeth. I have a calcium deficiency because believe you me, I'm a stickler about oral hygine. brusha, brusha, brusha, with the new ipana...sorry a little "Grease" moment for you there. They took all four of my wisdom teeth two were impacted than four molars, two on each side in the back of my mouth. So i'm in a lot of pain and I don't want to sound that why whilst campaigning on the phone for someone I believe in so much it makes me cry. Im just trying not to talk and ith where the teeth used to be. But I think two hundred and fifty seven callls in one day, the bulk of it being done for four hours in the morning. I live in California so I was up at 5 calling. I'm a night owl so i hadn;t even been to bed yet, but now i'm exhausted and have slept just a but butI need to finish eating my mashed poatoes then i can have some homemade soft serve vanilla icecrean. then bedtime because these painkillers are really kicking my butt. But I just wanted to share about the callls, among other things haha. I'm rarely if eve proud of myself but I was yesterday. I feel like I made a difference in cementing peoples votes for Barack. Okay all, take care and. yes.we.can.

Cell Phone Army Volunteer Receives Call Backs from Angry McCain Supporters

Ms Lovelee — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:12:52 EDT

Photo from MoveOn.Org Party Photos

I received an e-mail from a MoveOn.Org member inviting us to a Cell Phone Calling Party. I told my sister and we felt compelled to volunteer for the Cell Phone Army for Barack Obama. We thought if we did not participate in some way we would feel guilty for not doing our part in order for him to be our next President of the United States.   Politics has excited our family unlike ever before, we eagerly headed to the address sent to us by e-mail the week before by a MoveOn.Org member in our area. I had helped calling before for Hillary during the primaries but my sister never did any kind of calling before for a political candidate so I dragged her along.

As we parked our car we saw about 10 people in a backyard scattered, as if they were in a city park each with a phone in ear and a script in hand. Upon entering the home of an unknown fellow Obama supporter and MoveOn.org member, we saw at least a dozen people in the living room as well.   The Host greeted us with a warm welcome, food, coffee, and lots of goodies. She continued to hand us information on what our goal was for phone calls, a script and a list of people printed out from a database that MoveOn.Org uses online to contact their own members all over the country. The goal was to call all MoveOn.Org members in swing states and have them commit to volunteering next weekend. We had times and a list to check off yes, no, do not call, wrong number, etc...
I made calls from my own cell phone but a majority of my calls were not going through or went to a voicemail and we were told not to leave messages. I successfully called 4 pages of phone numbers which was way beyond what I thought I could do so upon completion I left with my head high and happy.

Last night, two days after my day at the Calling Party I started to receive calls back from Indiana. Some people were willing to go help in their area but I received 3 phone calls back from angry McCain supporters. They each asked me who I was and I proudly told them what I was calling about. After stating I was an Obama supporter asking for them to volunteer each of them verbally attacked me. The first woman said that she was a McCain supporter and why would I have her phone number. I explained where I got the numbers and told them they were registered with MoveOn.Org and that the phone number was on the roster. She then proclaimed her Patriotism and yelled that I was a fool and un-patriotic to believe in a Muslim Socialist and that anyone who was for Obama were commi's. Thankfully she hung up. The other 2 calls were from men who one called me a welfare monger who is trying to destroy our country to the last person who crank-called me for over an hour telling me that I am stealing their information and how did I get their cell phone number? That I was a liar and corrupt and that FOX News was going to hear about my fraudulent activity. The continued went with hang up calls with the final call asking me to volunteer for McCain's Campaign. I kindly declined by saying, " Oh, I'm sorry I can not volunteer for Senator McCain because I am an Obama supporter. I do appreciate the call and may the man with the most votes win! Thanks again.." I then hung up and never heard from them again....

I still feel good about what I did, I just wish people were not so angry and wished those people believed me that I did get their names and phone numbers from this organization that they signed up to be contacted. Maybe someone signed them up as a joke.... some joke huh...

Campaign Phonebanking in the "Real" Virginia

Lisa from Staunton, VA — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:18:08 EDT

Oct.24

(from the Huffington Post)

Nearly five hundred Democrats gathered at Staunton, Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum, Saturday evening for barbeque and speeches by candidates for office and leaders in the Democratic Party, one of the largest such rallies in Virginia ever and a first for the Shenandoah Valley.

The enthusiastic crowd gathered partially to support local candidates Sam Rasoul (Sixth District), who is challenging Bob Goodlatte, a Republican congressman who has remained unchallenged for the past ten years (according to the Rockbridge Weekly, Rasoul is the first Democratic challenger to receive district side support since 1992); and to see rising star and former governor Mark Warner, who this past week was named keynote speaker for the upcoming Democratic Convention. Warner is running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by long-time Senator John Warner (no relation), whom he lost to in 1996. With a bi-partisan agenda and a business background, Mark Warner turned the state around, gaining one of only two A- ratings by the Pew Charitable trust, which helped Warner declare Virginia "the best managed state in the nation."

Warner, however, had to speak to the crowd by cell phone from the University of Virginia Hospital. Warner had been slated to open the Waynesboro, Virginia, Democratic headquarters and then head to the rally, until he fell victim to teenage speed and muscle. Speaking to Saturday night's crowd, Warner said that, at 53, he should know better than "to play basketball with nineteen year olds."

According to Mitch Stewart, Virginia campaign director for Barack Obama for President, the Dems signed up 200,000 new voters from January 1 to July 31 of this year, 65 percent of them 35 years old or younger.

Virginia has shaped up to be a key battleground state this year and for that reason 44 offices have been opened around the state manned by thousands of volunteers. The consensus among party heads is that if Virginia goes for Obama, there is "no way Obama won't be the next president of the United States." If Virginia does go Democratic, it will be the first time in 44 years.

Obama plans a visit to several cities and town around the state this coming week.

Michelle Obama Rallies and Makes Phone Calls for Change in Columbus and Akron!

Michael in Ohio — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:52:31 EDT

Sad circumstances may have brought Michelle Obama to the Buckeye State today (she was filling in for Barack, who is visiting his ailing grandmother in Hawaii), but for the people in Ohio it was nothing but an absolute pleasure to see the woman they hope will be the next First Lady.

At rallies in Columbus and Akron, crowds packed gyms to hear her speak about who her husband is, and why this is so important. She had special guests at each, with Senator Sherrod Brown on hand in Columbus, and actress Jurnee Smollett amongst the crowd in Akron. There, local volunteer Gail took the stage to introduce Michelle. Gail spoke about how she had lost her job, and became a victim of predatory lending, to the point where her home was foreclosed. She nearly teared up as she talked about how it is to drive by the old family home now. But she fervently urged the crowd to get involved volunteering, and to cast their vote early.

I hate politics. This is the first time in my life that I've ever been involved whatsoever...
I do whatever I can do. Because when you don't have a job... you have a lot of time!
I have voted early, and I brought my mother. If you're wondering if voting early is complicated--trust me, it's not!

Here are some pictures from the events:

At her rallies, Michelle talked about Barack as only she could. In her own passionate way, she riled the crowd by imparting to them just why her husband is running for president, and exactly what is at stake. Even more than at a Barack rally, she traded jokes and back-and-forth conversations with people in the crowd. At one moment she stopped because something caught her eye. "Ooo, it's an Obama mask! I forgot it was Halloween!"

With Michelle, there is never a shortage of great sound bites, but she was best when talking simply about how...

Barack gets it.
There's something that happens to you when you grow up regular.
Don't we deserve a leader who knows what it's like to carry a little loan debt?

And that is what she drove home: that Barack will work for working people, because it's in him. He knows what it's like to pay off debt, work two jobs, and sacrifice some daily expenses for others when money is tight.

Between events, Michelle made phone calls with volunteers at the Summit County Headquarters, and at the Akron rally she mentioned one woman she had talked to:

This woman had gone blind, her husband had left her, and her son had gone off to war. And she was praying for Barack's grandmother. That's America.

Michelle also did a stellar job of making everyone in the crowd feel the importance of doing their part--volunteering, and voting early. Not only did they hear her, but they were fired up and ready to do it. As she said:

Barack can bring us 85% of the way there. But it's on us--we have to provide the last 15%.
Don't wait until Election Day to vote! You might have a flat tire! You might not have gas!

Do your part.

Volunteer in these last 11 days.

And vote early.

Phonebanking Old Hollywood Style: A Post from Nancy D in LA

Sarah Gallagher — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:07:02 EDT

This weekend, the Obama campaign held four ginormous super phonebanks in the Los Angeles area. Harnessing the amazing enthusiasm here in the final weeks of the Presidential campaign, these phonebanks are full of great energy, dedication, and cell phone waves (oh, and yummy snacks). In my neck of the woods, our Hollywood-Los Feliz-Silver Lake phonebanks joined forces at the fabled Sunset-Gower Studios, located at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Gower St. (This intersection was once known as "Gower Gulch" - silver-screen cowboys used to gather there looking for work as extras on western films.) Last weekend, this particular phonebank drew 200 volunteers who made 13,000 calls to battleground states and, in phonebanks throughout California, over 500,000 voters were called! This weekend our goal was higher - the campaign has challenged California volunteers to reach at least 625,000 voters - the Last Call For Change!

Former home of Columbia Pictures ("It Happened One Night", "Funny Girl" and "The Caine Mutiny") and current home to such TV shows as Dexter and Heroes, Sunset-Gower houses many independent film and television production companies. It was also the former home of one of my all-time personal favorites: Six Feet Under. (You can read more about the studio's history here.)

Last weekend, entering data from calls to Colorado, I was really heartened by the number of voters solidly in the Obama camp, versus the ones for McCain. The polls there are bearing this out. This weekend, we're over halfway toward beating last week's totals - 111 volunteers on Saturday, making nearly 9,000 calls! Sunday will surely rock.

Thanks to the incredible volunteer coordinators who are making this phonebank happen every weekend. Your dedication is inspiring. And of course, the roomful of volunteers who didn't want to leave.

Folks, if you haven't tried it yet, it's not too late - get thee to CA.BarackObama.com and find the nearest phonebank. You can make calls, enter data, sell swag, bring snacks - the possibilities are endless. You won't regret it!

Phone banking--the best bang for your volunteer buck

Scott D. — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:29:01 EDT

Just wanted to get in a few words here about the "neighbor to neighbor" tool available here on barackobama.com.

I am consistently impressed by the ingenuity of the Obama campaign. What we have here is a well-oiled machine that enables you to call swing voters from the comfort of your living room! You sign in. You use the simple, intuitive web interface to make your calls and input the responses. Rinse, repeat.

It can be amazingly rewarding. Depending upon which state you choose to call, you could either be calling supporters to make sure they vote and provide them with early voting info. Or you could be calling undecided voters to help convince them to support our cause. It's a little more work, but pays off in a much bigger way.

I would encourage all of you who are struggling with how to get involved to utilize this tool and connect with other voters. Yes, you'll be nervy for the first call or two. But believe me--if I can do it, then YOU CAN DO IT. You'll find yourself relaxing in no time. And when it goes well it can give you some serious warm fuzzies!

Make phone calls. Be an ambassador for Barack to undecided or McCain supporting friends and family. Make sure your friends and family who support Barack show up and vote. Encourage them to vote early, if they're in a state that provides for it. THESE are the biggest ways you can have a postiive impact on this election.

What are you waiting for? It's going to be a tough 21 days ahead. Victory is within grasp. But we cannot get complacent or lazy.

23 days left - get involved today!

Josh In Michigan — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:51:30 EDT

With 23 days left until Election Day, there’s no better time than now to get involved in the most important election of our lifetimes! With over fifty offices open across Michigan, from Sault Ste. Marie to Monroe, there’s a Campaign for Change office near you to get involved. From phone banking to canvassing, if every Michigander steps up for Barack, we can ensure that Barack and Democrats up and down the ticket win.

Contact your local Obama office today to learn more about how you can get involved in your neighborhood. As Barack says, “This election is not about me… it’s about you.” So, get involved today!

You can:

Volunteer in Your Neighborhood - Talk to undecided voters, help out in our offices and more.

Become a Neighborhood Team Leader - Take a leadership role in the campaign in your neighborhood.

Raise Money - Help fund our Campaign for Change

Intern with The Campaign - Join one of our campaign's departments and get school credit and great experience

Join a Policy Advisory Committee - Help guide the campaign's message of change on critical issues in Michigan

Report a Smear - Get the facts, and report any smears

Upcoming Camp Obama Express & Debate Parties!

Beth — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:22:36 EDT

Camp Obama Express

We are having training for all those that are canvassing in PA or phone banking to PA by an Obama Campaign Representative. No conribution needed.

Camp Obama Training: For Canvassing in PA
Date and Time:
October 7th (Tuesday night) 5pm to 7pm

Location:
Morton Memorial Library and Community House
Rhinecliff NY
Library website:
http://morton.rhinecliff.lib.ny.us/
rsvp for training to m.whaley@verizon.net

Debate Parties Tuesday, October 7th:

New Paltz, NY - Please join us Tuesday October 7th at the Gilded Otter in New Paltz, NY for a Presidential Debate Watch Party, 8-11pm (debate begins at 9pm). Happy Hour prices on bar drinks, beer & wine. Learn how you can get involved in this historic Campaign for Change! Hosted by MariAnn & Jonathan Sennett, New Paltz & Vicinity for Obama and Hudson Valley for Obama.

Rhinecliff, NY -$25 at the Rhinecliff Hotel. Bountiful hor d'oeuvres and cash bar. Limited to first 80 people. rsvp for debate party to buckley@buckleypell.com

Saugerties, NY - Come to Saugerties Tuesday night to watch Barack clean McCain's clock.
Where: Stella's Station, Partition Street, Saugerties.
What: Free Buffet( wings, poppers, fries, calamari), other food items available for sale. Cash Bar. 5 TVs, Surround sound, High powered heaters if needed, wonderful friends. This is not a fund raiser! This is a party for everyone supporting Obama and the Democratic ticket in Ulster County and the United States.RSVP to erinralph so I can give the cook(Victor) an idea about food requirements. The bartender(Josh) will have everything you want!

Kingston Debate Watch Party Wed. Oct 15th!
LARRY DELAROSE
THOMAS HOFFAY
MICHAEL MADSEN
Invite you to an
OBAMA DEBATE PARTY

Join us October 15th at
BACK STAGE
PRODUCTIONS
Wall St. Kingston
Party starts at 8pm - Debate starts at 9pm

Phonebanking and Even More Bands

Sylvia — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:25:45 EDT

Volunteerism: Just got an email from the National Call Team urging people to call supporters in Ohio and encourage them to to vote early (they have two more days to do so). We plan to spend part of the weekend making calls, and encourage you to do likewise. If you're interested in calling Ohio or any other states, please click here to get started.
Music News: On Saturday, Oct. 4, Bruce Springsteen will play an acoustic solo set in Philadelphia, Penn. at an open-air Obama rally. That might help make up for the Carnegie Mellon University chapter of Students for Obama having to cancel their own Oct. 4 event featuring Vampire Weekend. As a bonus, peripherally-related tidbit, Regina Spektor sported a rocking Obama belt when she sang "You Don't Know Me" with Ben Folds on Conan.

Come to Ohio!

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:01:14 EDT

... And if you already live here, GET YOUR FRIENDS HERE.

A huge influx of out-of-state volunteers can make the difference. Share this video with your friends, and then get them to sign up to come to Ohio at http://oh.barackobama.com/cometoohio

The campaign will give you everything you or your friends need: a resources page, a ride board, and free housing. All anyone has to do is sign up.

And did I mention the opportunity to make history? Your friends can tell you that other states are important too, but the fact remains that if Barack wins Ohio, he almost certainly wins the election.

Enough messing around. Let's win this thing.

Hungry for Obama?

Xavier Lopez-Ayala — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:34:19 EDT

Looking for something to snack on in between phone calls at the St. Paul Obama headquarters?

Treat yourself to an Obama cookie:

If you're using the campaign's Neighbor-to-Neighbor tool to reach out to undecided voters in your neighborhood, you might consider making some of your own!

My reccomendation? Try making some of Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies. They're delicious.

One voter at a time

Corey — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:35:34 EDT

I just had one of those calls with a (semi)-undecided voter that makes your day. I called and asked for "John". The lady who answered said he was deceased. I said "I'm sorry to hear that". Then she asked if I was talking about the "John" is his 60s, and I said, no the 25 year old John. Apparently, this was her son, and he doesn't live there any more.

Redesigned Ohio Calling Script

Daniel — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:18:24 EDT

I redesigned the script for calling Ohio. I was getting ready to make calls and realized I was finding it tough to know which section to go to next on the fly. So, I decided to put the script in a format to give a better idea of the flow of conversation and to let me know which part to go to next. And I figured it might be useful to other people, too.

If you spot any errors or any changes you think need to be made to it to make it more useful, please let me know.

Download here

What happened to phonebanking from home to Battleground States

Bob Shafron — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:36:04 EDT

Last week I was making 30 calls a day to the Battleground States of Nevada, Ohio and New Hampshire from my home in Los Angeles and I had recruited 5 friends to do the same. Then suddenly the link to the Battleground States phone bank was redirected to making calls locally. My friends and i want to continue making calls to the BattleGround States, where the effort counts. FYI...my personal goal was 2,000 calls. Can somebody tell me what happened?

Phonebanking - another person's log...Great ideas!

Vickie — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:02:26 EDT

What I Learned Phonebanking Today by benvautier Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 11:53:24 AM PDT

I started phone-banking last week, and I've been doing a couple of hours a day since then. Today I called a bunch of voters in Pennsylvania, and had long conversations with five undecided voters.

It was really illuminating. A lot of what I've been reading on this board is supported by my observations, but a lot ISN'T.

First of all, all of the undecided voters I talked to like Palin. They like her a lot more than they like McCain. They are compelled by her energy and her looks and her demeanor. A couple were pro-life, and McCain's selection of Palin had turned them from "leaning Obama" to "undecided."

BUT, by far the MOST important issue for all of them is the economy. These people are disgusted by oil company profits, disgusted by high gas prices, disgusted that relatives of theirs are losing their jobs and unable to find new ones. They KNOW that the system is unfair, that corporations are bleeding this country dry while they are suffering.

When I spoke to them about Obama's tax plan (the elimination of income tax for many seniors, the tax breaks for middle-class people and the increase for corporations and the rich) - EVERY UNDECIDED VOTER I TALKED TO WENT FROM UNDECIDED TO LEANING OBAMA.

benvautier's diary :: ::

I can't say it strongly enough: from my non-scientific sample, attacking Palin will get us exactly 0 votes. Getting the word out about Obama's economic policies will win us this election.

These people don't want to hear us rip anyone apart. They want to know that Obama has a plan.

And I applaud them for it, really. I even found myself doing the old switcheroo, gritting my teeth and praising palin: "sure, she's attractive, she's got a lot of energy -- of course, the vice president doesn't decide any policy and doesn't really have an active role in making decisions. It's going to be McCain's government, not hers. And that means it's the same old Bush cronies in for another four years."

Another argument also seemed to work well. One voter said that the experience factor affected her. She parroted back the "a vote for obama is a gamble" trope. Which I countered with "well, those guys have had 8 years to run the country, and the economy is in shambles. I'm ready for some new ideas, and Obama is the guy who's got them."

My personal feeling was that these undecided voters are a little confused - torn between their emotional approval of Palin's personality on the one side, and on the other, their fundamental agreement with Obama on the issues.

I believe when it comes down to it on Nov. 4th, these voters and voters like them will get real and vote issues rather than personalities.

BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE THE CASE.
EVERY DAY.
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
ECONOMY ECONOMY ECONOMY.

PS: I used Feldman's "solutions to real problems" frame again and again. I hit "practical," "getting down to real work," and "solving our real problems." It worked great, and I felt STRONG saying it.

PPS: my first diary. fun!

UPDATE: Thanks for the comments, and the rec list and all that. not sure what tip jars accomplish. How about instead of a tip jar, we all just keep sharing more strategy ideas for undecideds? I like a good strategy session better than props.

UPDATE: someone suggested I link to this:

http://my.barackobama.com

The Neighbor to Neighbor tool at the site makes phonebanking beyond easy.

FINAL UPDATE: ok, I also just joined a group at the Obama website called BaracksInspiredPhoneBankArmy -- and wouldn't you know, the first email i got from the group was an INCREDIBLY useful list of arguments to try. I really encourage people to join that group if you're planning to phonebank. They're saying the same things there that we're talking about here. Cross-fertilizing the discussion can only make us stronger!

Phonebanking Gathering, Ballston Spa, 9/21, 6pm

Matt Beane — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:51:09 EDT

Now's our time! Join us for an evening in Ballston Spa to support the Obama campaign (Phone Bank)

Come join us at a wonderful Ballston Spa tea house for an evening to support the Obama campaign. We will primarily be phonebanking for the campaign, so please bring a cell phone. We'll take care of the rest. If you want to support the campaign but don't like the idea of getting on the phone, please join us anyway to get involved and energized about our country's future.

Now is our time - our time to do what we can to ensure Barack Obama is the next president of the United States, and, more importantly, it's our time to create the future we all want for this country.

Together, yes we can!

Click here to RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gs7rxc

Cannot Phonebank!

Lauren — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:24:22 EDT

I really want to phonebank, but the map's not letting me click on any states (nor stay logged in)! I shot the campaign an e-mail, but a week later, they're still not getting back to me. Can anyone help me figure out the problem?

Neighborhood Team Leaders: Fired Up, Ready to Go!

Michael in Ohio — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:48:49 EDT

For one moment we take a break from the excitement of the Convention for the thrill of grass roots energy. Because the only thing more gratifying than watching our nation's leaders come together to speak out for the common direction they seek for our country, is hearing from the everyday people who are going to get those leaders in office, and make that change happen

Imagine 900 people crowded into one room, coming from all over the whole of a state, united by their commitment to Barack Obama--both the promise he represents, and the work it will take to get him into the White House. Each person had such pride in their community that it was hard for someone to announce where they were from without at least 30 voices hooping and hollering to represent their region.

But all the voices together were the most forceful. Yes, they listened attentively as Field Director Jackie explained the Neighborhood Team program, and General Election Director Jeremy outlined what these Leaders needed to do to bring Barack's message to their friends and peers in their communities. But once endowed with knowledge and strategy (not to mention an awesome t-shirt), and pumped up by a visit from Governor Ted Strickland, there was no quelling the decibel piercing energy of these community leaders.

They carried this passion with them to their regional break-out sessions, where they carefully thought out what exactly they could do in their area to reach out to the most people. And after a final big group session where people shared both their perspective of what we're up against, and ideas of how to surmount it, everyone left more than ready to bring their commitment to the phones, to their neighbors' doors, to voter registration drives, and to each of the next 69 days, before this movement makes history.

Be a part of that history. Sign up to volunteer or go door-to-door in your own neighborhood... right now.

Phonebanking!

Matt — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:34:35 EDT

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted you to share of experience with phonebaking with you all! I made my first phone calls to volunteers on Tuesday Night with Rian and CeCe and it was great! At first I was nervous since it was my first time making phone calls, but once I got into it, it was like I was an old pro. Its amazing the feeling you get when you get a sucessful phone call! Just remember to tell your story, listen and above all have fun with it!

I can't stress enough the importance of making those connections with voters. Even though the presidency is won through the electoral college, the popular vote is just as important. Jimmy Cater in 1976 was the last Democrat to win 50 percent or more of the popular vote. Senator Obama can not do the things we need him to do once he is elected without 50 percent or more of the popular vote! The more people we have phonebanking and making calls and establishing those connections the closer we get to making that elusive 50 percent plus of the popular vote a reality. We can do this guys!

Anyways, I just wanted to share my experiences phonebanking. Its really easy and really fun, doesn't take much time to do and it gets us closer to seeing Senator Obama taking the oath of office on 1/20/2009.

I hope to see you all at the convention watching party on Thursday and I'll be happy to answer any questions or reservations. Remember to bring a friend! And you young voters and first-timers, be ready to get involved!

Regards,

Matthew

Birthday Round-Up

Michael in Ohio — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:19:19 EDT

Earlier this week, for Barack's birthday (August 4th), supporters gathered across the state at over 100 different locations, to hold pot luck and phone bank parties. The unlikely goal was for volunteers to make 47,000 calls to their neighbors, in honor of Barack's 47th year. The entire state was blanketed with events--no corner left unturned, no region left unspoken to--but we wanted you to see how a couple specific areas stood up to the challenge on Monday, and show you some of the memorable moments captured on camera.

Lorain and Medina counties were out in force, with 117 volunteers between them eager to take action.

In Lima, not exactly a Democratic stronghold, no fewer than 40 volunteers showed up for the festivities, filling the phone bank so past its capacity that some supporters hit the streets to do voter registration instead! But there was no lack of calls being made; there were five other phone banks in the region as well...

The Ironton area also hosted a disproportionately huge number of volunteers, with 46 reaching out to their community in the region of Ironton at large.

And against all odds, Marion (an area with a huge number of swing voters) hosted 53 volunteers, who made well over a thousand calls in 4 hours!

GRAND TOTAL: Buckeyes all over the state not only met their goal--they busted through it and then doubled it.

What better birthday present could Barack possibly get??

From Hillary Supporter to Obama Team Leader

Michael in Ohio — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:51 EDT

Ever since June, dedicated volunteers have been hitting the doors and the phones on behalf of Barack in the general election. Through events like Unite for Change parties, and Women to Women meetings, former Hillary supporters have smoothly transitioned to become an integral part of our effort, and they bring a drive and dedication to changing this country that is truly admirable.

Some have even stepped up to become leaders. An organizer describes one such amazing woman, Robin, in Toledo:

Robin was a huge supporter of Senator Clinton in the primaries, travelling to four states, working, in her words, "thousands of hours," to make the change we need in this country. After the primaries ended, Robin was disappointed, but knew that she needed to help Barack...
Over the last several weeks, Robin has held a Unite for Change House Meeting where Hillary supporters got a chance to clear the air and move forward. She has made hundreds of calls to Hillary supporters from the primary, and my friends, I have never seen so many undecideds turn into supporters in my life. Robin is essentially single-handedly unifying her area of Toledo. Several days ago Robin got 5 Hillary supporters from the primary to come to the office, she trained them on Unity calls (as she calls them), and had a three hour Unite for Change phone bank.

Robin...has been an inspiration to me, by helping ensure that Democrats will be united to make history in November. And thank goodness the primaries are over, so I get to work with the wonderful Hillary supporters like Robin.

Are you a former Hillary supporter? Have you had a unifying experience with a Hillary supporter? Let us know in the comments section below!

And to join our movement in Ohio, click HERE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BARACK!

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:42:19 EDT

Today is Barack Obama's 47th Birthday!!! People all over Ohio seem to know it. Listen to this story, from one our regional field staff in Akron:

I was in Walgreens buying balloons with no Obama gear on – The guy in front of me asked, “Is that for Barack’s birthday?” I responded in shock saying, “Yes. Yes it is…”
He said he got a text message about it, so I told him about our 7 phonebank locations across the county… He is stopping by this evening.

You can attend a pot luck or phone bank party too. Click HERE to find an event near you!

Want to send Barack a personal birthday message? Click HERE to send along your best!

Attend an event yourself, and text OH to 62262 to receive campaign update texts like the supporter in Walgreens!

The Latest in Ohio...

Michael in Ohio — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:47:36 EDT

The Campaign for Change is an ever-present fixture in the Ohio news, and this past week was no different.

First, a couple days ago, the Youngstown news picked up on the local Obama phone banks in honor(?) of George Bush's recent trip to that part of the state. Click here to see the story; look at the sidebar on the right.

Then, word caught on in the blogosphere about our Barack and Governor Ted Strickland birthday celebration this weekend and Monday (which is their joint birthday). With over 100 pot luck and phone-banking events planned across the state, it was only a matter of time before our message spread.

Finally, Governor Strickland made clear in the third of his appearances at a Campaign for Change office opening, this one in Chillicothe, that he and Barack share more than the same birthday: they're also united in the direction they desire for Ohio. It's well known what Governor Strickland himself looks like; the photo above aims to show what he and Barack inspire in people when they talk of the change they seek for America.

Facebook Challenge: 4700 Supporters by Monday

Michael in Ohio — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:59:51 EDT

Okay Ohioans- There are many ways we're celebrating Barack's 47th birthday (August 4th) this weekend and Monday, including canvassing and phone-banking events across the state... but none are as simple as what we're asking you to do right now.

We've just rolled out our Ohio for Obama Facebook page, and though we already have 2740 supporters, we need more. Our goal is 4700 by the end of Monday, in honor of Barack's 47th birthday. Here's what the page looks like--click on it to add us as a supporter right now, and then invite your friends to do the same!

Right now, Michigan is beating us by 1500, and Florida's ahead too. And that's just unacceptable. Let's show Barack where the most support lies.

Women on Wednesdays Phonebank

Xavier Lopez-Ayala — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:02:15 EDT

Barack is surrounded by strong women on a daily basis. He was raised by single mother and inspired by his grandmother. Barack describes his wife, Michelle, as "the rock" of the Obama family.

All of Barack's accomplishments have been made possible because of these women. So it's not surprising that women have an important role in his presidential campaign.

Right now, a dozen members of Women for Obama are phone banking at the St. Paul HQ of the Minnesota Campaign for Change.

Jackie Hays and Audrey Schroeder (pictured above) are longtime friends from Roseville, MN, who came to phonebank together. Jackie is one of many supporters of Hillary Clinton now supporting Barack Obama for President, citing his commitment to ending the War in Iraq and energy policies. On her last call of the night, Audrey called a house with 5--yes, 5!--Barack Obama supporters!

From now until Election Day, Women for Obama will be phonebanking around the state every Wednesday. Stay updated on Women for Obama events in your area:

Find a Women for Obama event near you.
Join the Minnesota Women for Obama group on my.BarackObama.com.

See more photos from tonight's phonebank here.

Phone Banking Success!

Wade Sanders — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:13:59 EDT

This is a copy of an e-mail sent to the group Sunnyvale for Obama on July 21, 2008.

Hello Sunnyvale for Obama!

News flash: the phone-banking team had a very successful phone-banking party yesterday!

Preeti graciously opened her home to the movement for change, and four of us joined her in calling New Mexico, which is a swing state. We reached out to registered Decline to State (independent) voters there to spread the message of the Obama campaign and hopefully recruit volunteers. Before we started, we set a goal of recruiting five, and we met that goal! In effect, we doubled our impact on the campaign as volunteers!

The only problem we had was that I talk too loud, so I had to be sequestered on the porch. :-)

Thank you, Preeti, for so kindly hosting, and thank you Thomas, Cristiana, and Fred for joining us to make calls!

If anyone would like to be involved in phone banking in any way—whether hosting a party, going to a party, calling from home, or calling from the PA office—and you’re not already on the phone-banking team, just let me know and I’ll provide the info you need.

GO OBAMA ‘08!

Wade

Problems calling Nevada--needs attention

Stephanie — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:40:32 EDT

I just wanted to let people know there are problems with the on-line calling tool in Nevada. I was suspicious initially because the area codes kept changing as I went down the list, and at least half the numbers were disconnected. When I did get someone, I was told that it was after 10p, though it should have been about 7:30p, because I was actually calling Virginia. It would be helpful if someone posted a notice on the national call team blog when the problem has been fixed. Thanks.

The Magic of Voter Registration

Liz — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:10:21 EDT

I did the phonebanking from home thing. I did the precinct door-to-door thing. I really wanted to get involved in the primary, and these were the ways I tried. But I wasn't very good at it. I'm not a salesperson at heart. I am a relativist, mostly, and the idea of trying to convince someone to vote for my guy doesn't sit well with me. I had a great time making phone calls because of the interesting people I talked to, but I don't think I was able to put aside my squeamish feeling about pushing my politics on someone else.

Voter registration has been a completely different experience for me. Here is a situation in which I'm actually doing something practical that helps a person participate in our democracy, helps them get a little chore done, and I don't have to preach to them. This is the kind of thing that appeals to me: helping people.

Obama has inspired me to get involved, to get to know my community, to understand what it means to be American in a POSITIVE way. To me, registering voters is a great way to do this.

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!

Phonebanking events idea

David C. — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:26:31 EDT

A fellow Obama-supporter from Killeen and me just started a brief conversation about how best to mobilize the people represented by those three or four polls showing Senator Obama within five or six points (or less!) of Senator McCain.

My only idea so far is allowing volunteers to phonebank for Senator Obama without spending their own minutes through this website. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea that harnesses those people willing and able to donate that time and that money. But I myself have had a difficult enough time donating less than $50 to Senator Obama, and as heartfelt as I tried to make those $50, my realization that it is just one thing among many that I could do is couple with the realities of my phone plan.

Great Sunnyvale for Obama Meeting May 4!

Wade Sanders — Sun, 04 May 2008 23:23:21 EDT

This is a post of the text of an e-mail sent to the group Sunnyvale for Obama on May 4:

The meeting today of Sunnyvale for Obama was fantastic! We got to know each other, talked about our hopes for the campaign and our country, and planned the first steps on our Sunnyvale for Obama actions! How cool!

Furthermore, we set our NEXT MEETING. It will be on Tuesday, May 13, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Bean Scene café, at 186 S. Murphy Street in Sunnyvale. This is between Washington and Evelyn Streets downtown, very close to the Caltrain station. (Link to Bean Scene: http://www.beanscenecafe.com/contactus.html) Please join us!

Here’s a brief list of what this e-mail covers from today's meeting:

1. Why participants are eager to help the Obama campaign locally

2. NEWS: Obama wins Guam on May 3!

3. EVENT: Primary results watching party in San Jose the evening of May 6

4. Tabling for Obama at Farmer’s Market in Sunnyvale

5. Blogging for Obama on the Sunnyvale for Obama web page . . . and beyond!

6. Stuff you can do right now!

Not Really Good at Phonebanking But Good at Postcards

bdette — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:27:11 EDT

I tried phonebanking but wasn't really good at the phone. Plus I don't like it when people are mean to you on the phone. I wrote alot of postcards on behalf of Obama. Got writer's cramp but it was worth it.

Sunday calls

Campbell — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:46:01 EDT

Spent some time calling Guam and North Carolina today. Spoke with a really great "Mom" in NC who said she and her entire family were voting for Obama. That was 6 people in total she brought to the table.

Gaum seems to have some problems with the phone lists....many disconnected number or busy and hardly any answering machines... and the people really have no idea that they have a caucus upcoming. One guy, who was a Gaum Native, said many people were bitter there, that they're votes do not count in the actual US Presidential Election.

senate record

Stephanie — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:52:04 EDT

I just thought I'd send out a reminder to folks to check out the "know the facts" section under "Learn" on this (the Obama) website. I hadn't checked it myself in a while and realized today that there is some great information there on Obama's record in the Senate that I had been looking for previously. I knew a lot but was once again amazed at the breadth of this man's accomplishments and his excellent forthought. It lists them by topic and has some information about each so it's great info for convincing undecided voters. There is also some good info on the same page about Hillary's hypocracy and selective memory regarding Blackwater and other contractors.

So to quote a woman I called today in Indiana, "We've just got to get this man elected."

How to leave a message when someone else answers?

Tracy — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:53:59 EDT

I've just started phonebanking and have run into a common situation that I don't quite know how to handle. Let's say I'm calling for John, but a woman answers. I ask if "John" is available. She says no. I don't feel comfortable going to the whole "Leave message" script, nor does simply saying "Thank you, have a good evening" feel right. What do you say in this situation? I'd love some suggestions that I can add to my scripts! Thanks!

some good info for phonebankers, etc.

Stephanie — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:56:23 EDT

I just wanted to share this blog entry written by a "grassroots mom." She did some research at the library of congress website, looking at the accomplishments for Clinton and Obama in 2007. She found that Obama had passed more, and more meaningful legislation. I checked it out myself and found it to be accurate. Going back the pattern seems to hold. I have convinced a few undecided voters wtith this information, those who think this is a choice between an experienced and an inspiring candidate. It helps to break down that whole way of framing the choice--with Obama you get proven competence and inspiration. Hope it can help some fellow callers. cheers, S

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633

Mississippi Forecast: Sunny with Scattered Landslides

Jim Parker — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:04:24 EDT

That’s my read of the way things are shaping up, anyway, from the vantage point of my trusty telephone in Tempe, Arizona.

It’s based on pre-election phonebank interviews that I conducted over the past three days with 256 registered Democratic voters in Mississippi who—incidentally and unexpectedly—moved into a virtual tie with Vermont and Wyoming voters (at least, in this reporter’s practiced eye) as the most polite, and enthusiastic, Obama phonebank call-recipients in the nation.

All results are unofficial and preliminary, of course, but this observer believes that they will borne out by early-afternoon exit polls while tomorrow’s voting is still in progress in the Magnolia State.

My prediction for an early projection of the state for Obama by the newschannels tomorrow evening? I’ll go way out on a short limb and guess that the first “calls” of Mississippi for Obama (by CNN, MSNBC, and FNC) will come in somewhere between 7:00 p.m. and 7:01 p.m. CST, 30 seconds or so after the polls close.

The “slash-and-burn” campaign tactics of Senator Hillary Clinton were rated as a significant factor powering their individual choices by survey participants, who preferred Senator Barack Obama, in this sample, by a margin of 66 to 6. [No kidding...about that, at least, although some kidding is coming. Keep reading and see if you can find it.]

The unofficial tally for my phonebank sample follows:

Barack Obama: 66
No Answer: 54
Line Disconnected/No Longer in Service: 44
Left Message: 43
Refused Call: 19
Line Busy: 14
Hillary Clinton: 6
Undecided: 6
Fax/Modem Line: 3
Republican: 1

When asked for a response, a hypothetical spokesman for the Clinton campaign (pontificating inside my own head) immediately downplayed the survey’s results, arguing that Senator Clinton shouldn’t be judged by results in states she loses or in which she otherwise “underperforms.”

“Besides,” my imaginary Clinton spokesperson sputtered on, “if you assume that Senator Clinton would carry 80-plus percent of the ‘No Answer’ and ‘Line Disconnected/No Longer in Service’ voters—which we believe is our natural constituency and plays to Senator Clinton’s strengths as an experienced leader and a vital change-agent in a dangerous, dangerous world—then you factor in all the 3 a.m. calls that President and Senator Clinton will make to all the superdelegates, and multiply by why?, this race is a statistical dead-heat.”

“And, hey,” my internal Clintonspeak spokespecialist shrugged, eying the results one last time for a glimmer of the spin that campaign absolutely lives on (and for), these days: “Senator Clinton is beating the pants off the ‘Fax/Modem Line’ crowd. That proves something, right there.”

Grassroots Organizing: Nick in Mississippi

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:50:37 EDT

Yesterday, voters turned out in record numbers to make their voices heard in Wyoming -- and delivered an overwhelming victory for Barack Obama. Senator Obama has now won nearly thirty contests, half the states in the country, the most primaries, the most caucuses and the majority of the popular vote. Democrats of all ages, regions, and backgrounds are making their choice for President (in many states, by landslide margins) -- and that choice is clearly Barack Obama.

Next up? Mississippi!

Meet Nick (below, right), a public policy grad student in Mississippi who has been doing enormous amounts of grassroots organizing for Senator Obama in the state. He's working with a great team of volunteers on the ground -- and they're glad that now the whole movement (you guys!) can give them an extra boost by making phonecalls to voters in Mississippi all today and tomorrow. So check out Nick's statement of support for Barack Obama, and then make some calls to Mississippi!

I support Senator Obama not only because I see him as a truthful honest man, someone who will fight for a better America as a whole -- but specifically because of his stances on the issues.
On that front, the issue I care about most is education. His Teach Service Scholarships, the "Zero to Five" plan both show how the Senator will commit the necessary resources and policy makers to one of, if not the, biggest challenges of this next generation. To rebuild our public schools, hire and keep the best Americans as teachers, truly educate our children for success, and move our nation forward. If you told students, hey teaching is not only emotionally but fiscally rewarding, and we'll pay for your schooling in college, we would have an outpouring of support from the best and brightest.

His support for the Water Resources and Development Act will greatly help my new state's economy in Mississippi. And his work with Senator Harkin to get cities and states to not just re-envision their approaches to mass transit, but do something about it by creating a pedestrian friendly society once more, gets me right where my professional career wants to see accomplished. The Senator's commitment to new transportation ideas is something I firmly stand behind.
After moving to Starkville last fall, I was determined to help put Democratic politics back on the map in the deep Red Mississippi. After Senator Obama's speech in Iowa, I decided it was he whom I would support to lead our Party and country in the next 4 years.
I armed myself with a handful of flyers around Mississippi State, a Facebook event, and a BarackObama.com event page and hoped to find 5 people who wanted to help get him nominated. At my first meeting I had 30 people. At the second one 30 people showed up again, but they were all new. Shortly after, we organized an Alabama canvassing trip for 4 local supporters and 1 from Jackson State to help in Tuscaloosa before their primary. We've had 2 viewing parties, 1 fundraiser, multiple days on campus handing out flyers printed at home, and so much more. Before I knew it combined with Irene Miller's efforts in neighboring Columbus I would say we have at least 120 people on our personal volunteer call sheets. All that in 1 month. Now we have a Columbus office and a Starkville staging ground. It's legendary.

I've made so many new contacts, new friends, that I would never have without stepping out on my own one day and randomly setting up a Bulldawgs for Obama meeting. There are so many nice, wonderful, intelligent people right next door to you, that you'll never know existed if you weren't involved in your community.

You can connect to people in the community as well -- please help us make calls to Mississippi voters to spread the word about Barack Obama and get out the vote this Tuesday.

Pick up the phone!

And if you're from Mississippi, go to MS.BarackObama.com and get involved today. No time to lose!

One Voter at a Time in Wyoming

Sarah Ramey — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:15:24 EST

Just spoke to Lindsay, a youth pastor for her local church and founder of Wyoming for Obama.

Lindsay was mid-canvass when we called (going door-to-door to talk to Wyoming voters about Barack Obama before their big caucus tomorrow) -- but she was glad to take a second to tell us why she's working so hard for Obama.

"My number one thing that I respect about Obama is that he doesn't take any money from lobbyists. Not a dime. It shows who he is in his character -- it shows that honesty. His Presidency is not going to be about the corporations who funded him, who will want X, Y and Z from him -- it will be about us. We the people. We've had 8 years of the opposite. It says so much about Obama and the people working with him that he's been able to keep up with -- actually, to out-raise -- a lot of these other candidates, who all take money from lobbyists."

But she knows that Obama's trust in the grassroots movement means the grassroots need to get out there and do all the work it's going to take to change this country!

Thus, our conversation was short and sweet -- she was off to the next house to talk to more Wyoming voters about Barack Obama.

You can help Lindsay right now -- we need everyone to pick up the phone and call as many voters as you can in Wyoming whose critical caucus is tomorrow.

Let's get out the vote! Pick up the phone:

And please help fund Barack Obama's 100% grassroots-powered campaign. Your 10's, 25's and 50's are changing the face of politics:

Calling Wyoming

Sarah Ramey — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:36:19 EST

Meet Steve -- one of our top phonebankers on the National Call Team to make calls to voters in Wyoming, whose caucus is coming up this Saturday. Steve lives in New Hampshire, so he knows what it's like to have the nation's attention turned suddenly your way.

When Senator Obama first announced his candidacy, Steve got right to work and contacted the New Hampshire campaign office with his ideas and his willingness to help out. Once the office was up and running, they put him to work.

Soon, Steve was phonebanking -- initially he of course focussed on New Hampshire, but most recently he's been making calls to Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and now Wyoming. And Steve's not just any phonebanker. He was the #1 caller in Rhode Island. And the #1 caller in Vermont. Top ten, in Wisconsin. And as of now, he's one of the top ten for Wyoming too.

That's a lot of calls.

Like a certain Senator, Steve has found plenty of opportunities in his legal career to be an advocate for civil rights and civil liberties.

"In the last 8 years, I've seen the federal government failing to fulfill its responsibilities with respect to civil liberties, environmental protection, and many other areas of concern. My decision to help Senator Obama's campaign is based not only on his positions on many important issues, but also, even more importantly, on my perceptions regarding his character, his sense of ethical responsibility, his preference for advisers who are not 'yes men,' and his judgment."

And so, Steve is doing everything he can to communicate his support to hundreds of voters around the country, one phone call at a time.

Please help us make calls to Wyoming today. Your calls are crucial -- they inform voters, they help get out the vote, and are the epitome of what makes this campaign special: real people, connecting and coming together around a common purpose one call, one conversation, one vote at a time.

Pick up the phone!

Want to be on the National Call Team? Click here and join today!

The Politics of Hope and the Politics of Fear (and Loathing)

Jim Parker — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:44:02 EST

After making 118 calls to Rhode Island, Ohio, and Texas yesterday, I'd say that I'm (literally and figuratively) still bushed, but, by george, I don't have the energy—or any sense, at all, of hillary-ity.

Still, I’ll comment on two calls that truly were amazing, both for what they reveal about about the potential power of a single phone call and the fragility of the hope that unites us all.

The first revelation came during my last call of the day to Ohio, just before the 9 p.m. cutoff, and it centered around a wonderful 85-year old woman in Ohio named Mary, who admitted at the outset that she just couldn't make up her mind between HRC and Barack.

I asked if I might be able to help her sort through her feelings about the relative merits of each candidate, and a half hour or so later, a brand-new Obamacrat was born!

The call was so special, and touched upon so many of our mutual dreams, that I almost hated for it to end, and Mary seemed in no real hurry to end it, either. Still, we both knew our long-distance relationship couldn't last—especially when I pointed out that it was only 8 p.m. in Texas, and another difference might be there to be made in our now-mutual cause of cultural liberation and societal transformation.

So after Mary assured me that she does, indeed, have a ride to the polls today (with her son, whom she pledged to deliver for Obama, too), and she thanked me for my time, I told her that the appreciation was mutual and the honor had been all mine: “In fact, Mary,” I told her, “you just made my whole day.”

Then, I told her something else that might sound corny or silly in the retelling, but which seemed true then and still seems true now: “I’m going to miss you, Mary.” Pause. Heartbeat. Drumroll. “But we’ve got to win this thing.”

An hour or so later, a second revelation popped up during my last call of the evening, this time involving Michael, an African-American Obama supporter in Houston.

Michael told me that he and his wife had already cast their ballots for Barack, and had even taken their daughter along so she could bear witness to the role their family would play in selecting America’s first African-American major-party candidate. (“I told her, Jim, that voting is, like, holy," he told me, “that men have died...” Then his voice trailed off.)

So I reminded Michael how important it is to participate in tonight’s caucuses, and he assured me that they’d all be standing up for Obama there, too.

And even though he told me his dinner was getting cold, Michael was only warming up to the topic he really wanted to talk about: The role of superdelegates, and whether or not they might eventually be arm-twisted into denying the nomination to Barack and handing it to Hillary.

I explained that superdelegates are elected Democrats and party officials, and pointed out that they’d have to be crazy and stupid to let themselves be used that way.

Still, Michael reminded me that stranger things have happened, and Barack is running against a Clinton.

And even though we both agreed that Billary’s already had eight years in the White House—a time during which, not uncoincidentally, the Democrats lost control of both houses of Congress and had to suffer through an impeachment process that, to Bill Clinton, centered mostly around what the definition of is was—they're still around, and still mostly focused on what's good for Hillary and Bill.

We both had to admit the real risk that undeniable state of affairs represents, especially given the shrill, slimeball, “kitchen-sink” campaign they’ve hurled at Barack in Texas and Ohio and Rhode Island over the past few weeks.

Maybe the Clintons really do have no shame, we seem to decide mutually, right then and there. And maybe they really won’t stop at anything to tear Barack Obama down and put themselves back on top and aboard Air Force One for another victory lap or two, crassness and divisiveness be damned.

That’s when I told Michael that, should Hillary “win” at the convention the same way that George W. Bush “won” the elections of 2000 and 2004, the nomination wouldn’t be worth having.

Then I even surprised myself by saying what I said next, which I hadn’t known until that minute might actually be true: “If that's the way it goes down, I won’t vote for her.”

That’s when the revelation came, when I realized that—this time, the way this campaign is playing out (and no matter what your definition of is, is)—I’m actually capable of doing something I've never done in my whole life: Voting for a Republican for President of the United States.

We were both aware of the strange turn the conversation had taken, but Michael only agreed. A dream deferred does offer all sorts of advantages over a dream destroyed—especially when the dream in question has been denied, as ours has been, for nearly 40 years, since the 1968 murders of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy nearly erased it altogether.

I could almost feel Michael's head nodding assent through the long-distance connection, when he seemed to decide for both of us: “I mean, we’ve waited this long. If we have to, we might as well wait four more years. I mean, if we have to...”

His voice trailed off at that point, and Michael told me that his wife was hollering at him to get off the phone so I could make some more calls, and maybe rustle up some more votes for Barack Obama.

I told him that he was my last call of the night, anyway, but his dinner was probably getting cold, maybe even as cold as Hillary Clinton’s heart—or, at least, her brain.

We both laughed and started our goodbyes, but then I remembered that I’d just threatened to do something I now realized was plainly impossible: vote for John McCain.

I felt obligated to point out that impossibility to Michael and emphasize the need for us both to hope — especially in a campaign as tacky and tragic as the one that's being waged against Barack Obama.

“We're gonna win, Michael. This time we have to.” Pause. Heartbeat. Drumroll. “And don’t forget to caucus.”

As I put down the phone, I felt myself cringe inside at the thought of voting for John MacCain and four more years of war and occupation in Iraq.

But I also noticed that I didn’t cringe (or feel any real self-loathing) at the prospect of voting for (and actively supporting) Ralph Nader, should Michael's fear of yet another “political fix” turn out eventually to come true.

Let’s all hope it doesn’t.

And speaking of hope, I’ve got to run. I’ve got more calls to make.

phone banking is not my forte

ccyl — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:21:27 EST

*sigh*

I did it. I tried it. I think I have to admit it's just not for me.

I don't mean to discourage other people from phone banking. I just think maybe we all have different gifts. I can write..I can blog, I have a nice tendency to get my letters to the editor published. I've been interviewed on camera about Obama and I do the facebook thing. It seems silly that the old technology- the phone- would be what trips me up. And yet I'm glad I did some because if TX and OH didn't go well and I didn't call, I'd always regret that I didn't help.

What I'm trying to say is...yes, I can...yes, I did! But maybe I have different gifts to offer. If anyone else feels like me, I have this advice. Try it, for sure! But if it's just not you, it's okay not to phone. Just be sure you're active in other ways! Whether it's writing to your paper or giving rides to seniors to vote, there seems to be room enough for all of us in this campaign. For the Christians out there, I would reference 1st Corinthians Ch 12 where Paul says "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit" I think that applies here. We can all do different things, but together...ah, together..."yes, we can!"

Final Push to March 4

Nancy G — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:21:39 EST

I was happy to see an endorsement of Senator Obama in The Cincinnati Enquirer online today; it will appear in the Sunday edition. My Obama letter was published on Wednesday, and I hope to see a few more letters on the editorial page alongside the endorsement.

I stopped by the campaign office today. The energy is incredible! I was offering to input some data but they were all caught up and were encouraging canvassing and calling. I am recovering from plantar fasciatis so it hurts me to walk too much, so I went home, settled in with my phone and laptop and started making calls to voters in Ohio. I love how easy it is to phonebank from home.

(I also drove by a lone Hillary supporter at a busy street corner, holding a sign. I didn't hear anyone honk, even though I sat for a while at the light waiting to make a left turn. I felt a little sorry for her, because I know the Obama honk & waves usually get more response.)

Calling for Change

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:25:23 EST

Dear Barack Obama blog community:

It's time to pick up the phone!

We only have a few more days until the critical March 4th elections.

Before each election so far we have made hundreds of thousands of calls, bringing new people into the movement one phone call at a time. These calls have made a huge impact on voter turnout for Obama, and right now, we have the chance to phonebank our way to history.

Remember, anyone can phonebank -- and in fact, everyone should! Our goal is one million calls by March 4th -- and we've already made over 700,000. This is incredible. Let's keep up the pace.

Here are a few of our very dedicated callers to get you inspired...

Meet Tara, from New Jersey, who is attending a phonebank party at Rutgers University on Sunday to reach out to voters in Texas and Ohio for March 4th:

My name is Tara, I live in New Jersey and I have been a registered Democrat since I turned 18. I am now 27.

I cannot say, however, that I have ever donated money to a particular campaign or dedicated my time the way I have to Barack Obama's campaign. That is because, although I have supported my democratic party, I have always felt there was something lacking in each presidential candidate. I can say honestly that I wholeheartedly believe in Senator Obama's message of hope, and that I agree it is not just blind optimism.

...I believe that faith needs to be restored to the American people, where it belongs, and Barack Obama and his supporters are clearly marching forward, doing exactly that. I have never found myself so energized; making phone calls to register voters and to encourage independents to vote, campaigning with my best friend in our spare time to inform our close friends and strangers alike about Barack Obama's visions for our future and also the voting process...

I find myself hopeful for the first time in a very long time. I believe Senator Obama is a unifying figure- he has proven himself by reaching out not only to Democrats but also to Republicans and Independents; he has broken racial and ethnic barriers; and long after his speeches are complete, his words resonate within the American people like no other political figure I can think of in recent history. I have asked many people to come along with us on this beautiful journey and make history, so that we can take back our country and make it a country we can all be proud of once again.

Yes, we can.

And here are John and Tracy in California, who in the last few months have called a staggering 7,000 voters:

My husband John and I have always had an interest in the political process but never really believed that there was a place for someone like us since we do not have the connections or the money. This was true until Senator Obama came along.
He inspired us to volunteer, to organize, and to encourage others to do the same. Within the last 3 months, we have called at least 7000 strangers, knocked on hundreds of doors in our own precinct as precinct captains, served as volunteer leader and coordinator for our neighborhood, and our neighboring state when we traveled to Nevada.
We have never volunteered -- or donated a cent or a minute of our time in the past for any candidate. Senator Obama changed that because we know we are not doing it for him, we are doing it for ourselves, and our country.

We have gone from political neophytes to community organizers -- recruiting people, organizing events, making calls, coaching volunteers, and building databases. We have spent more hours than I ever knew I had, doing things I never thought I would do. Barack Obama is living the American Dream, and he is inviting all of us to challenge our own self doubts, and stand up and take control of our destiny as Americans.

My husband is Caucasian, and I am Asian. He grew up in the conservative South; and I am a true blue Bay Area woman according to him. There is something different this time, something neither of us sought out, or could have predicted. We have both found a candidate of such credibility and authenticity, that we were drawn, without persuasion (and without threats of divorce!), to the same conclusion: we need a leader – and his name is Barack Obama.

Please join Tara, Tracy and John by picking up the phone to help us reach our goal of 1,000,000 calls by March 4th!

And if you have been phonebanking, please send us your story and a digital photo to Blog@BarackObama.com and we'll share it with the community.

Let's get calling!

Off to Ohio

Evanmack — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:16:54 EST

Early Friday I leave for Cincinnati Ohio. There is a huge get-out-the-vote operation and I plan to help. If anyone is interested, let me know. There are other groups, like from Roanoke or Charleston, planning on going to Ohio. This is the true power and test of the grassroots movement. Now, I know many can't go, but phonbanking would be a tremendous help. At first, I did not like phone calling. However, for the most part people have been amicable. Even if people on the other end of the call are Hillary supporters or Republicans, then that is a good thing. You see, all the undecided and Yes voters need to get face time--door to door helps win elections. So, all that phone calling really does is tell all the volunteers which houses to walk to in Ohio. I hope we can overcome our fears and make calls. The way the Obama Site has set it up is extremely user friendly.

It is going to be cold in Cincinnati, so the more house I don't waste my time on, the better

Phonebanking and Canvassing at Middlebury

Reilly — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:53:31 EST

We're doing Get Out the Vote work at Middlebury, Vermont every day until the primary on March 4th (including the day of the primary). Come and volunteer; we need your help! This election may come down to the delegate, so it's important that we squeeze Vermont for every delegate we can get.

View the event details here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4r987

Two of the Million: Esther and Ben in California

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:58:06 EST

There are nearly one million donors to this campaign. This is a first in political history.

So last night we asked anyone who's donated to send us their statements of support and a photo so we could show you what one million grassroots donors looks like -- and the responses came pouring in.

Today we'd like to introduce you to just a few of the grassroots supporters who are powering this campaign.

Meet Esther and Ben from California:

My husband and I both donated to the Obama campaign - and we are first time donators to any campaign.

We are moved by the transparency of Barack and by his eagerness to lead all of us into a newer more dynamic government which elicits the help of all of us.

My husband is a Democrat (life-long) and I am a registered Republican but we are both on the same page when it comes to Barack. Barack is easy to identify with and certainly reflects our concerns about dependency on oil, health care and education of all and inspires us to get involved to help our country achieve a more loving relationship with others (including our "enemies")

...Of course we appreciated his position on the war and he has demonstrated his ability to reach across the aisle to reach common goals.

And let's not forget his dynamite "sidekick" Michelle. What a woman.

We are over 60, white, one college educated, one not and Christian - one of us formerly right wing and together we want a good world for our four children and 7 grandchildren.

Please join Esther and Ben and help us get to one million grassroots donors:

And we have another important goal -- one million calls to voters in upcoming states by March 4th. Just think -- if everyone who has donated made just one call today...

Please send us your statements of support with a picture to Blog@BarackObama.com -- or upload a video stating your support to YouTube and email us the link.

For Phonebanking: Obama's Legislative Achievements

Karen S, Cleveland OH — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:18:34 EST

This is GREAT INFO about Obama's achievements in the Senate. They range from global warming to veteran's benefits, healthcare, voting, and campaign and finance reform. Plus more!

Go to Daily Kos' Grassroots Mom. She was a skeptic of Obama until she went to the Library of Congress and compared his legislative actions with Hillary's. Her whole post is amazing! Here are only some of Barack's acheivements that she compiled:

Grassroots Mom says,

"I was blown away as I started going through his record. I've already mentioned his bills on health care and energy. In addition he had introduced bills on Iran, voting, veterans, global warming, campaign finance and lobbyists, Blackwater, global poverty, nuclear proliferation, and education.
On Iran: S.J.RES.23 : A joint resolution clarifying that the use of force against Iran is not authorized by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, any resolution previously adopted, or any other provision of law.

On votingPassed out of Committee and now on the Senate Calendar for Feb. 22, 2008
S.453 : A bill to prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections Please check this out! This is a great bill. We need this. I can't believe that this time voter intimidation is not already illegal.

On veterans and military personnel: S.1084 : A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans;

On global warmingS.1324 : A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuel sold in the United States;S.1389 : A bill to authorize the National Science Foundation to establish a Climate Change Education Program; S.AMDT.599 to S.CON.RES.21 To add $200 million for Function 270 (Energy) for the demonstration and monitoring of carbon capture and sequestration technology by the Department of Energy. (This last one passed both the House and the Senate as part of the budget bill.)

On campaign finance and lobbyists S.2030 : A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require reporting relating to bundled contributions made by persons other than registered lobbyists; and S.AMDT.41 to S.1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.

On Blackwater S.2044 : A bill to provide procedures for the proper classification of employees and independent contractors, and for other purposes, and S.2147 : A bill to require accountability for contractors and contract personnel under Federal contracts, and for other purposes.

On global poverty S.2433 : A bill to require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.

On global nuclear proliferation S.1977 : A bill to provide for sustained United States leadership in a cooperative global effort to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, stop the spread of nuclear weapons and related material and technology, and support the responsible and peaceful use of nuclear technology.

_______________________

I think this is great stuff for phonebanking! For anyone on the other end of the phone that thinks Obama's an "empty suit" this will go a long way in deflating that perception!

Grassroots Mom did a phenomenal job listing the differences between Hillary's accomplishments and Barack's. That will be even better to use w/ folks who are leaning Hillary.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!

OBAMA '08!!!

Last Night's Letter Writing Event

Evanmack — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:23:10 EST

We wrote over 85 letters to invite Democrats from Greenbrier Co. to join our group. It was a lot of fun. A new member came from VA. We all wrote a letter to Ms. Biafore, a superdelegate, telling her our story and our support of Obama.

Tuesday is a phonebanking party. We will meet for 1 hour and make phone calls to Ohio to identify supporters. All you need is a laptop and a phone and your cell charger. The fierce urgency of now

Last Call for Wisconsin Calls!

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:58:25 EST

Spoke to Christine in Wisconsin last night who took the whole night off to make calls to fellow Wisconsinites to help get out the vote today.

"The thing I am most impressed by with Senator Obama is that he doesn't take any money from lobbyists or PACs, he raises money in small donations from regular people -- and that's how Washington is going to change. When he is President, it's going to be a 180 change in the White House. He won't have to answer to corporations and lobbyists -- he'll have to answer to us, and that's how it should be."

Christine works full time at an engineering company, and she's a full time student and she also volunteers at a domestic violence center. And she's still making time to knock on doors for Obama, to make hundreds of phone calls, to blog on the website and to donate to the campagn.

So even the busiest of us can take just half an hour to reach out to Wisconsin voters! Even if you've never done it before, now is the time. Just check out the call center, you'll get a script and numbers and you'll be on your way...

Your calls are making a big difference.

And there's still time to make calls into Wisconsin to make sure we get out the vote!

No time to lose, meet us in the call center:

Phonebankers in Wisconsin

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:52:54 EST

Last night we caught up with some volunteers in Wisconsin who are doing exactly what thousands of you are doing all over the country right now: making calls to Wisconsin voters to get out the vote.

Chris is one of the phonebankers we talked to who had taken last night to go to her local Obama office to help out, and she took a minute to tell us why she got involved.

It’s interesting, I’m nearly 60 years old, and I started out thinking how great it would be to have a woman as President. But then I started looking at both candidates closely, and Obama is clearly the better candidate. The more I have watched, the more I realize it it time for my generation pass the baton to the next generation.

Chris relates to Michelle Obama's life story -- especially when she talks about how her father supported four kids on a city salary, and it was enough. Chris thinks that we need to get back to a kind of government that supports working families. "Obama's overall plan, if you step back, is about making life affordable again for the middle class, and that's what this country needs. Life needs to be affordable so we can get back to the basics of living the American dream. If you look at any one of his domestic policies, that's his focus."

"There is something he says -- he quotes Dr. Martin Luther King who talked about the 'fierce urgency of now' -- and he's got it exactly right. We need someone like Obama now -- not in 4 years, not in 8 years. Now."

Chris has also been out in the neighborhoods knocking on doors and talking to voters in person to get the word out, and of course to get the vote out. On Friday she knocked on 71 doors -- and the majority of people she talked to were either excited about Obama, or excited to learn more.

That's why these calls are so important -- people are listening.

So, please pick up the phone and make a few calls!

My.BarackObama.com/calls

We've made an astonishing 185,000 calls so far. We're so close to our goal of 200,000.

Make a call.

Your calls to Wisconsin voters are making a huge difference.

Let's get out the vote!

Call now.

And to find out any information about where, when and how to vote in Wisconsin, visit WI.BarackObama.com or click here:

Doing Things I've Never Done Before...

MrJWenn — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:11:53 EST

Sending out emails to friends and family some I've spoken to recently, others that I haven't seen since my wedding; Calling people in IA, HI, WI, TX, MD, ME, WA, VA that I have never spoken to in my life; driving to NV to attend caucuses (and discover what they are); knocking on doors of neighbors I've never had a chance to get to know, spending precious hours on talking about our Nation's future know that every minute I could be spending with my children reading a book or playing outside.

Why? Because like everyone who is doing the same I'm investing in our country. We have an opportunity and sometimes if you don't take an opportunity it never comes around again. I strongly believe that is what faces us now. We are on the cusp of changing politics forever. I am actually able to participate in helping Senator Obama win. I can be his "surrogate" by talking to everyday American's and listening and explaining why I support Sen. Obama. I sit still trying to watch Face the Nation, MSNBC, CSPAN...but I know just sitting and wishing won't do it. So I do what I least enjoy which is hopping on the phone to call people I don't know and ask for money from people that I do know.

Having taught World and US History to public middle school students for the past 11 years, I realize that for the first time in my voting life I have a candidate that I 100% support and wouldn't be able to face my students and say that they can make a difference if I sat back and let others do the talking for me. "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train" says Howard Zinn. Election day is coming and win or lose I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I didn't do everything I know how to do to get Sen. Obama elected as president.

So I'm getting out of my comfort zone and calling, listening and talking about why Senator Obama is the best candidate for this country, our kids and our future. And you know what, it is a great feeling to talk to someone in HI and explain the caucus system or someone in WI who is trying their best to make up their mind and just might want to hear why somebody else would give up her/his Sunday to make that call. I've been asked why I am doing this? And that is one question I am glad to answer...I believe in myself, the future, the US, our youth and I believe in Barack Obama.

I'm no longer a Virgin Caller!

Obamakim — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:19:43 EST

Hi just got home from phonebanking for Obama @ SEIU Local 1199 here in Columbus, Ohio! The SEIU endorsement has paid off in this very practiacal way, thank you SEIU!

I was really nervous but after a few calls I was ok. I got ALOT of undecideds in Cuyahoga County outside of Cleveland. I had a couple of great conversations with undecideds and I hope along with my words that directing them to the ISSUES link on this website will help them to make their decision. I suspect many of them were already leaning toward Obama, I believe that adding more policy information into his speeches is what is needed to convince many of them.

The other thing that was brought up alot was the upcoming debate in Cleveland and how important that might be in their decision.

Making calls to Ohio

Obamakim — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:26:33 EST

I'm a rather shy person from Columbus, Ohio. I will not let my shyness keep me from making calls to Ohio voters on behalf of Barack Obama. I e-mailed my Obama district organizer about this & here was his response:

I have just the ticket for you. Our new user friendly phone bank is at SEIU 1199 at 1395 Dublin Rd. There are going to be tons of people who have never phone banked before there so it will be a lot of fun and nothing to worry about. You should just come on by anytime after 12pm on Sunday or anytime between 9am-9pm every week day.

If you live in Columbus & like me need a little push to pick up the phone & make these important calls come join me. You'll be glad you did!

Kim

Calling in Spanish

Lenny Sharlet — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:43:57 EST

Si Se Puede!

I made some calls to Texas yesterday and it was fun and easier than I expected. I am NOT fluent in Spanish, but I am conversant. I'd say my comprehension is at about 80% and ability to speak about 65-70%. Spanish speakers were very understanding and patient with me when I had to fumble for a word.

First- Speak english! Many of these voters are fluent in English and you don't want to assume anything from a name like Rodriguez. If there is hesitancy or someone says something in Spanish, reply, "Puedo hablar espanol si es mejor"

Then stick to the script as much as you can because it will help you keep from miscommunicating, but don't be afraid to go off script if you are comforable! We are most effective when we speak naturally from the heart.

This was fun and easy, make calls now!

Si se Puede! Si se Puede! Llama ahora, Call Now!

A New Obama Phonebanking Strategy?

Graham from New York, NY — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:22:54 EST

Hi everyone — sorry if this diary is a little disorganized (it is my first one), but I wanted to know what you all think of a phonebanking plan I have for the Obama campaign. While Obama’s campaign has shown major strength in a number of areas, two key strengths have been in organization and netroots support. But there seems to be a potential overlap between these two areas that has not yet been fully explored.

The online phonebanking tool on Obama’s website is a revolutionary step forward in campaigning, but in order to fully utilize this great new resource we should apply caucus-like organization to it. The idea is this: create a structure of volunteer phone “precinct captains” who are responsible for organizing a small group of, say, 10-30 other volunteers. The Obama campaign has a huge amount of young supporters — supporters who frequently have a lot of time, but not a lot of money (like me). After forming a core group of volunteer “phone precinct captains,” the Obama campaign could send out an e-mail along the lines of: “We know many of you would love to support the campaign, but currently cannot afford to donate money: there are 20 days left before the March 4th primary — would you be willing to donate 20 phone calls?” A volunteer would then pledge to make a certain amount of phone calls — of course they would not be required to follow through on their pledge, but they would know that the number of pledged calls they do not complete would then be made by their “precinct captain” (although the unmade calls could be pooled by all the precinct captains).

The precinct captain would be responsible for sending out e-mails to his or her group personally encouraging them to make calls and periodically reminding them how many calls have been made. Like the bios and letters that get attached with matched donations, it would be a nice way of personalizing the Obama effort. The Obama website already has a “National Call Team” and a number of groups documenting how many calls a person makes to each state, but the addition of volunteer phone “precinct captains” could exponentially increase the number of phone calls made and add a great sense of community to the project and campaign.

One last benefit of this organization would be the ability to organize groups of people according to specific skills or shared experiences (i.e. Spanish speakers or union members) that would allow the Obama campaign to target particular areas with particular groups of callers, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the calls. There would probably have to be a number of managing volunteers who would serve as the conduit carrying the information and message from the Obama campaign to the precinct captains, but I don’t think it would be difficult to get people to volunteer for these positions. (Also, people would not be forced to opt into this system — if they do not pledge to make phone calls, they will not be assigned to a captain, but could still phonebank by themselves.)

Let me know what you all think, and if you know of a good way to pass this idea along to the Obama campaign please let me know!

Thank you for reading.

Graham

It doesn't stop

cgrantmaledy — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:54:24 EST

Three more states! This is amazing, i'm sure a lot of the people who are voting in the current primaries are hyped about the fact that their vote counts in a big way. I wish I would have started phonebanking earlier, it's an amazing way to do the business of electing a good man. Huckabee's phonebots beware, I have spoken to the great states of maryland and virgina and they're not to be meddled with. if you've got the extra minutes in your cell phone plan, this is just as crucial as any other way of volunteering.

fired up.

ready to go

78,000 calls and counting: Margaret in New York

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:49:26 EST

"I was a political cynic before I even knew what that meant," says Margaret.

"But Barack Obama has challenged me to participate. After Iowa I started getting more and more involved -- and now I make as many calls as I can. This is just too important. We have the opportunity to elect somebody who we trust."

Not only has Margaret made well over 1,000 calls to voters all around the country -- she's also knocked on doors, traveled to other states to help out, and hosted a Honk for Hope.

"I have never been like this. My friends are all kind of looking at me like they can't believe it. I'm involved. And it's great -- you get to talk to so many people who you would normally have no excuse to talk to, and you end up making real connections. People are generally pretty positive and open -- and it makes such a big difference for them to talk to a real person, not an automated robocaller. It says everything about how this campaign is different."

Just under 3 more hours until polls close. We've made an unbelievable 78,000 calls already.

And we've also made 5,000 calls in Spanish to Virginia! To use the Spanish language phonebank tool, just click here.

Let's do this.

Please pick up the phone -- and help get out the vote.

Keep it up everyone!

Make the call.

Time to hit the phones

Lenny Sharlet — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:27:11 EST

I am on my way to my folks' house for dinner. I am going to take advantage of their landline and make as many calls as I can to MD and VA tonight.

GoBAMA!

Stark Differences

Kevin Triskett — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:59:08 EST

If anyone needed any more proof that this Democratic primary season is about to end swiftly and decisively in the next three weeks, here it is:

Monday, February 11, 2008, Associated Press

"There is just too much to be done, so we had to add some more people. There really is not significant change, we really just got to get more help, we just don't have enough help," Clinton told a Chicago television news crew.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g-qGLDs-gAnZiUXD2NU51ry3j3dwD8UO73L02

Monday, February 11, 2008, Sam Graham-Felsen's Blog on Barack Obama's website:

"Yesterday, this movement delivered. We exceeded our goal and made 45,000 total calls."

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/CyNX

Let's answer Senator Obama's challenge and make over 100,000 phone calls before the end of Tuesday, and prove to Senator Clinton that we are not a silent majority, rather an oerwhelming movement ready for and calling for change!

Democracy in Action: Make the Call

Sarah Ramey — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:39:38 EST

This Monday, thousands of you picked up your phones and called voters all around the country. The message was simple: this year, real change is possible in Washington. We don't have to settle anymore. In Barack Obama, we finally have a candidate who can honestly turn the page and give the nation a fresh start.

And judging by Barack Obama's strong showing across the board on Tuesday, your work really paid off.

Your calls are making a real difference -- one conversation, one connection at a time.

It's democracy in action.

So tonight, before you get ready to go out on the town, please take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour to call a few voters in Washington, Louisiana, Nebraska and Maine.

It's exciting if you think about it -- with each call, you are making history.

So make a few calls right now, tonight -- and then go out and celebrate the fact that you just helped achieve what we all know is possible!

Grassroots in the Bellwether State

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:22:41 EST

Tuesday we saw Barack Obama succeeding in Red states and Blue states, in the East and in the West, in the North and the South. And as Senator Obama said, it's not just because of him. It's because of this movement.

Please meet Sarah, her husband Kelvin and their son Kel, an incredible family of grassroots volunteers whose essential work on the phones, knocking on doors, and getting the word out to every last neighbor helped pull out this critical victory for Barack in the bellwether state of Missouri. Here's a letter from Sarah about why she and her family are so passionate about Barack Obama:

I grew up in Wichita, Kansas. My dad ran a rock quarry in Augusta, KS (where Barack's grandmother is from!) and my mom was a high school English teacher who didn't go to work until we were in junior high school and our family needed two incomes to support us 4 kids. My dad was a navigator-bombardier during WWII and he was a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserves. I remember when Dad was called to active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis, during which a 45-year-old John F. Kennedy negotiated with Nikita Khrushchev to avert a nuclear war. I was proud of my father and I was inspired by JFK.

My husband, Kelvin, is one of 10 kids. His father, Hal Walls, was a sharecropper and then a tenant farmer in Mississippi as a boy and young man, until he moved to the Bootheel of Missouri in the '40s and was able to purchase his own farm. Hal Walls only attended school through the 3rd grade, because he had to support his family. He is now 89 years old, and quit farming a few years ago.

I attended the University of Kansas via National Defense Student Loans and Work Study jobs, [and] received Masters Degrees in Social Work and Public Administration from KU's campus in Kansas City.
I have experienced the power of HOPE to transform people's lives…youth from low income families have been the first in their families to attend college, juvenile offenders have experienced the pride of obtaining money through legitimate work, people with severe and disabling mental illness have lived in the community rather than institutions, and Veterans who have risked their lives for our country have earned and benefited from the best health care system (yes, a government "program") in the nation and world.

We are saddened by the lost opportunity costs of spending billions of dollars on a war we never should have started. We look forward to a time when we don't have to be ashamed that the United States engages in torture, a time when people in other countries can once again see Americans as generous and compassionate people and, when appropriate, true liberators.

We are concerned that, unless we have the kind of leadership that Obama can provide, politics as usual will continue on the downward spiral of focusing energy and resources on things that don't really matter; of self-righteous, vicious attacks on those who disagree…at the expense of forming coalitions to actually get things done; of policy being determined by those whose credentials are that they have the financial resources to "buy" the politicians. Barack Obama's candidacy is not about stepping right in and playing by the rules of the old order; rather, it's about changing the rules of the game, to benefit the American people. It is about ENGAGING the American people in taking an active role in governing and in contributing their time, talents, and resources to improve life for us all. It's about giving up fear and embracing hope. YES WE CAN!

I read Dreams from My Father prior to Barack's campaign for president. In the course of reading the book, I found that Barack was so genuine, so smart, so compassionate, so sophisticated in his understanding of the complexities of life, such a global citizen, such a loving family member, such a good listener, such a great motivator and organizer who could actually move people to get real results, such a wise and inspired leader, that I had to find out more about him.

...[Then,] after the first organizing meeting for Kansas City Volunteers in April, 2007, at which people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, religions, socio-economic positions, and sexual orientations shared their passion for this movement of change led by Barack, Kelvin started catching "hope." He saw that this was really a MOVEMENT, something completely novel in American politics and history. That Barack could bring out the best in us, could bring people of different positions and political parties together to accomplish real results. That, under Barack's leadership, our nation's standing, in the eyes of people of other parts of the world, would take a tremendous leap forward.

Thereafter, we found a wide variety of ways in which to help with the campaign, for example—videotaping at the Obama-Rama at the Uptown Theater in April, hosting a "Walk for Change" canvass in our neighborhood in May, handing out water at the National VFW Convention in August, signing up volunteers at the Tom Joyner morning show in September, organizing a "happy hour" at Baja 600 restaurant, canvassing in Iowa three Saturdays in November, and helping in Des Moines on caucus day. Sarah is a Precinct Captain for our neighborhood and we have been canvassing and will be on the phones!

We believe that this is the time in our history when we can rise above the old divides and actually support someone based on his or her abilities to lead this country and the world into the light of a very much improved future.

The grassroots are the backbone of this movement -- every day, making calls, knocking on doors, block by block, town by town. It's the model of organization inspired by Barack Obama himself, our Community-Organizer-in-Chief, and it is what is making the difference in states like Missouri.

And it's going to be what makes the difference in all the states to come.

So please click here, find your state, and see what you can do in your area to help. Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington and Maine are next -- and everyone can help from all over the country by making phone calls starting right now.

We need the whole movement, calling, emailing, canvassing -- doing the work that has gotten where so many said we would never be.

Yes we can.

I Just "Phonebanked" For Barack and I feel GREAT!

Brad — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:44:04 EST

I just phonebanked for an hour or so, and it was an incredible experience -- it's extremely easy, they provide a "step-by-step" script and you choose the state (I chose North Dakota b/c I have family in the area -- well, Minneapolis, Montana and Ontario, so at least I got them surrounded!) but you can call California, New York or New Jersey or another Feb. 5 state of your choosing.

If you're looking for a way to participate, please get on and at least give it a try -- it's quick and easy and no matter who you talk to at the other end, it'll give you some long-distance (and thankfully anonymous -- I screwed up the first couple times!) preparation for the upcoming Ohio campaign in March...great practice!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter

CD 32 phonebank under adverse conditions

Mr. Baquet — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:40:10 EST

Well, Obama fans, I haven't written in awhile not that nothing has been going on. I have not had time to write. So don't be hating. Yesterday CD 32 continued to do its duty by having a phonebanking party. We met at Joe's Place again, who weren't expecting us but were happy to see us anyway and eagerly provided us space to do our phonebanking. Our leader was not able to attend due to illness, as well as 2 other of our regular group was unable to attend. There were 3 of us who continued on. But to our surprise a young 17 yr. old from Canyon High School all the way from Anahiem Hills came to join us. How exciting it was to have him here. But we were unable to get online via WiFi because the Verizon network was down. We quickly put our minds together and came up with another plan. We went to Monrovia Coffee Co. a few miles away were we called ahead to find their Wi/Fi up and running. We regrouped there. Then to our amazement we got news that 2 more High School students showed up. How wonderful is that? Well, we took them under our wings and oriented them to volunteering and how to phonebank. We even put them to work phonebanking. The only other problem was getting access to the Votebuilder site in order to acquire a list. The generic site were difficult to access but persistance prevailed and we did the best we could. The students were a bit intimidated but we pushed on and gave each several chances to make calls. So, though the evening did not go as planned we felt we made some kind of contribution to the campaign and to the future of our society by involving these wonderful young men in the political process, even if it was to get academic credit for a school political science class. So let's give a shout out to Raj Patel, Sean Newton and Simon Li.

See ya'll on the flip side. Stay fired up and ready to go!

Phonebanking Day #1

MrJWenn — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:10:32 EST

Yesterday was the first day that I did some phonebanking. I am not by nature a person who enjoys time on the phone or people calling my home that I don't personally know. However, I really want Senator Obama to be President so I took a big gulp and started calling. Surprisingly, most of the people I called were friendly and interested in telling their story. Though a only got a few very strong Obama supports, most were undecided many people were interested in learning more about Senator Obama and were intersted in checking out his website. From my experience talking to people I've come to the conclusion that many Californians are just "dialing into" the campaign. I hope that by speaking to undecideds that they will seek more information and become strong Obama supporters. I know it can happen. It wasn't until earlier this month (after watching him speak at Universal) that I really decided he is the best person for office because he has a plan and he is willing to work with others both domestically and internationally who may differ in oppinion. Back to my phonebanking...it really wasn't that hard. I hope the little bit I started to do will help and I plan to phonebank my ear off until Barack wins the nomination and the presidency.

Phone Banking in California's CD32

Julia from Pasadena — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:28:49 EST

Instead of our usual weekly meeting, we gathered tonight at a local coffee shop to make phone calls to voters in our congressional district. We are only at 40% of our quote for this month.

It was a very productive night. We made about 100 calls, left a lot of messages, talked to a lot of undecided voters, found a few supporters, and a few people who didn't know anything about Obama and where interested to learn.

Sherry won the $25 kiva.org gift certificate door prize.

Phonebanking can be uplifting.

Maggie — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:11:33 EST

I made my first ten phone calls today for the Obama phonebank movement for New Hampshire primaries; and, while the majority were fairly disappointing with most resulting in a left message or a "No, thanks you," I was pleasantly surprised by the last name I called.

This man shared with me that he would not be able to volunteer due to the fact that he has Parkinson's disease and is not able to travel too much. But, following his obviously disappointed refusal, he said, quite cheerfully, "We're gonna win!" That simple less-than-one-minute interaction made my day. His positivity and hope for our cause reminded me why I want to be a part of this campaign and what inspired my to participate in the first place.

Thank you so much, Larry.