I started a fundraising page a couple of nights ago. What's another $10 for our futures?
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/hopemongering
Organizational meeting and GOTV training
When: Thursday, January 31, cell phonebank from 6:30 – 7:30, GOTV meeting and training from 7:30 – 8:30
Where: Morse Auditorium, Boston University at 602 Commonwealth Ave. The closest T stop is Blandford Street Station on the MBTA Green Line – B line (towards Boston College). It is located just west of Kenmore Square.
Who: Anyone who wants to volunteer during GOTV
Questions/RSVP: 617 367 1187
Sign Up! http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/organizing/4vty4
We're hitting the streets and the phones this weekend to talk with Massachusetts voters about the upcoming primary! Please join us in making history for Barack!
Saturday
Sunday (I know there's a Pats game, but come on... at least BE a patriot until 2pm)
Jared grew up with a Republican sister (voting Obama!!) and parents (not voting Obama), served in Iraq (ouch), and is one of the most fun and reasonable guys I know. He sent this out this morning under the heading "The Obama email." I can't express how proud of him I am.
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I've seen a number of great videos in support of the campaign at this point... figured I should just start posting the ones I like someplace... starting with the one I just watched:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oq4uoIG-UyI
Yesterday was a big day. Jam, Robyn, and I drove to Manchester, NH to canvass for a couple of hours and then go to the Oprah & Obama rally at the Verizon Wireless center.We ended up canvassing in Litchfield, a largely Republican town, and for all the conservatives we spoke with, Robyn and Jam got a supporter card (they went out together), and I spoke with some really kind people who were undecided. On a slow day like that I try to remind myself that each door needs to be knocked, and even making a few contacts with supporters or people who are only leaning toward one or the other is valuable.After taking our sheets back to the office and writing a few follow up post cards, we headed to Athens, a great Greek restaurant that Jam knew about. Turns out it was two blocks from the Verizon Wireless center! Perfect. I had baked lamb with rice, potato, and green beans, followed by a delicious dessert made from phyllo dough, custard, honey, and cinnamon. Perhaps a little too full, I went to buy MORE food at a convenience store, because some brilliant campaign staffer decided to turn the rally into a canned food drive! I love that this many people coming together can be leveraged to help hungry people in the community. While I'm not a fan of canned food (the truth is out - I prefer fresh vegetables any day!), there were times that my family had to go to the food bank growing up, and I know how important it is to the families who receive this help. Note a few photos of the New Horizons van where volunteers were dropping off the boxes of food that they were collecting from supporters waiting in line.So... we waited in line for quite a while... turned out I was right in front of a volunteer that I had met in Nashua a few weeks before at the Holiday Stroll, and then found on mybo through blogs later. Hi Derek! Hope you got home safe! We finally got in and scrambled for the best seats we could find (at the time we wished we could be on the floor, but in hindsight I'm really happy to have been sitting!). Then there was more wait time, which I used to take pictures and chat with the people behind us. A ninth (I think that's what I heard) grader sang the national anthem, and a couple people got up to speak - I think the first was a prominent woman in the NH campaign staff, and then the Governor of NH, who for someone who hasn't endorsed a candidate (his wife has endorsed Hillary) had a lot of kind things to say about Senator Obama!Next up, Michelle, who spoke briefly... I always wish she would speak longer - what an amazing woman.And then Oprah! I had watched her speech in Des Moines on CSPAN, but she had noticeably loosened up, and had found her groove (not so nervous as last time!). She spoke passionately and forcefully about our responsibility to do something about the current state of affairs... I'm sure everybody has watched or read about this speech so I won't elaborate...And finally, Barack came out to speak, and gave an impassioned oration that pulled from his standard stump speech, his JJ dinner speech, woven with new stories and jokes (he joked about releasing his kindergarten papers... so funny). It was truly inspiring... especially near then end when he talked about people in the past standing up for what they believed in when it wasn't popular and was a really risky move. When he starts to really feel it he shouts and implores, and really speaks to every person in the room. As he spoke of the ability for one person who stands up to change the world, everyone in the place stood up with him and cheered. It was really moving - definitely gave me goose bumps.When he finished we all filed out to discover that it was snowing... and we drove home in what could probably be described as a blizzard (though visibility wasn't quite as bad as the ones we had in Iowa as a kid)... slow, slippery going with multiple stints of traffic where everyone had their hazards on. We finally made it back to Boston, and I (of course) got online to listen to the SC speech... a little different from the IA and NH versions. I can't get enough of this guy, nor can I get enough of people like Oprah speaking emotionally about him. Fired up! Click for more (many more!) photos!
I went to the Manchester Oprah/Obama rally tonight. It's the best I've been to yet - and pictures to come soon. But I came home and wanted more, so I just listened to the SC rally speeches. Holy sh*t that was good. Barack was on point! Hit his stride indeed... this man is truly inspiring. Here are the videos:
Link
There have been a lot of negative troll attacks on the community blogs today... so I think reposting this blog is in order:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/ScholarsForObama/CJmY
By Adoyo - Aug 25th, 2007 at 1:48 pm EDT
Sometimes it's not easy to keep a cool head in the middle of a passionate political discussion - and even less so during a campaign when your candidate and his family become the targets of rhetorical propaganda. Well, a couple of us compiled some basic guidelines to help us communicate Senator Obama's message better and respond more effectively to both creditable challenges and unfounded attacks. Todd Smyth provided the first part of the guidelines: Always ask questions like: "What issues are most important to you?"Listen and learn from the people you talk to. Listening builds trust, respect and empathy. If you listen to others, they are more likely to listen to you. Pay attention and do not interrupt.Pause before you respond and think about what they said.Try to summarize what they have said in a few words and emphasize those points that you have in common. Nice segues include: "I see that we agree that..." / "Yes, you mentioned some of the things that I really care about, too..."Disagree with the argument, not the person. Possible segue: "The difference here is..."Be respectful, not angry or condescending.Respond with brief answers (limiting the length of your answers forces you to focus on what is most relevant and important at that time).Be polite and receptive and do not be afraid to be humble, or to concede.If they raise their voice or get agitated, lower your voice and stay calm. Reassure them that you hear what they are saying.When you speak, speak with calm, conviction and confidence. Show no doubt or hesitation. I added the following details: Talk consistently about Senator Obama's strengths and remain silent on the weaknesses of opponents (any energy you spend casting the other candidates in shadow is energy you could otherwise spend shining more light on Senator Obama).Answer every question directly and truthfully.When you don't know the answer, simply say "I don't know, but perhaps we can find out..." - great segue to the BarackObama.com website and other media about Senator Obama if you are near a computer with an internet connection.At the end of your exchange, thank the other party for telling you their views (now you know more about what they care about) and ask them to consider the fact that Senator Obama is the kind of leader who can effectively bring about the changes they care about. So, for example, when someone brings up experience in any form, it's important to get a clear idea of what they mean by 'experience'. Ask them directly. You now have a great opportunity to talk about Senator Obama's work as: a dedicated law maker who brought new ethics reform legislation to a state senate that had balked for twenty five years and brought new laws to ensure the civil liberties for citizens (videotaping interrogations);a Civil Rights lawyer in Chicago and as a Professor of Constitutional Law at University of Chicago Law School;a young man mobilized ordinary people to bring about change on issues they most cared about;a community organizer who ran wide voter registration drives to empower more people in the democratic process.In addition to all this, he brings new, much needed energy to the national political arena. He understands conventions yet is nimble enough to think outside the box for innovative and effective solutions to the challenges the country faces.Above all, he is a trustworthy leader whose good judgement we have seen throughout his pubic life: He is the person who could get difficult things done - like Universal Health Care - because he is an effective consensus builder.He was elected President of the Harvard Law Review in one of the most hotly contested years in a politically volatile moment at Harvard Law School.He listens to everybody: his direct constituents as well as those who represent others. He approaches every discussion with the assumption that the other legislators care as much about their positions as he does his. Just as they did at Harvard, they listen to him in the Senate because they know that he is listening to them and is attentive to what they care about.He is calm, thoughtful and decisive. When he speaks, he has already asked the tough questions and thought about the problem deeply to gain a thorough understanding of complex issues. He can therefore speak responsibly and with authority and does not contradict himself.This is how, in 2002, he opposed the Iraq after examining the situation and seeing that the case had not been made. He was therefore able to predict - almost to a tee - just how the situation would play out. (Watch the video of his interview in 2002)He has lived abroad and intuitively understands how cultures throughout the world are different from one another, yet see clearly that human beings intrinsically share more in common. Ultimately, Senator Obama is the best and most reliable source for where he stands, what he believes and what he has done. Get to know his legislative record and his speeches in particular. Quote these speeches, recommend them to others and encourage everyone to listen to him for themselves. In the end, try to always steer the discussion or the argument in the direction of the issues and make sure that the context of any given quotation is always front and center.The press has worked hard to create the illusion of conflict and strife among the candidates, yet many of these 'dust-ups' are really just rhetorical. There is really no reason we should be starting or getting into fights over the campaign. I hope some of these tips are useful to you.
Sometimes it's not easy to keep a cool head in the middle of a passionate political discussion - and even less so during a campaign when your candidate and his family become the targets of rhetorical propaganda. Well, a couple of us compiled some basic guidelines to help us communicate Senator Obama's message better and respond more effectively to both creditable challenges and unfounded attacks. Todd Smyth provided the first part of the guidelines:
I added the following details:
So, for example, when someone brings up experience in any form, it's important to get a clear idea of what they mean by 'experience'. Ask them directly. You now have a great opportunity to talk about Senator Obama's work as:
Above all, he is a trustworthy leader whose good judgement we have seen throughout his pubic life:
Ultimately, Senator Obama is the best and most reliable source for where he stands, what he believes and what he has done. Get to know his legislative record and his speeches in particular. Quote these speeches, recommend them to others and encourage everyone to listen to him for themselves. In the end, try to always steer the discussion or the argument in the direction of the issues and make sure that the context of any given quotation is always front and center.
The press has worked hard to create the illusion of conflict and strife among the candidates, yet many of these 'dust-ups' are really just rhetorical. There is really no reason we should be starting or getting into fights over the campaign.
I hope some of these tips are useful to you.
I uploaded all of the photos from the Boston Countdown to Change event (at the Park Plaza Castle), and the Generation Obama fundraiser at VENU.
According to the reports, there were 2100 people at the first event, and the second sold out at 500. I shook the Senator's hand for the first time, which was pretty exciting for me, given I've been volunteering and donating like a crazy person. heh. I met a lot of new converts too: ran into some people from work who just started paying attention, took a picture for a girl from BU who is going to canvass for the first time next weekend. Lots of new volunteers, lots of positive energy, and 3 city councilmen endorsed (though I think one had already). Very exciting to see how many young people are getting involved... even at the later event which was $100 to get in. People are getting fired up! Those who have doubted are coming around.
I was so excited when he shouted passionately that he needed us all in New Hampshire every weekend between now and the primary... and people were listening. I think we're building a solid base in Boston... on January 9th, all of those people will be informed and ready to mobilize in our own state.
Click on the photo for more!
Direct link.
I just read a pretty amazing post in response to Oprah's a Winner - Can She Make Obama One Too?
Posted by: jade7243
Mr. Balz: Here is the view of someone who is black, female and unabashedly FOR Senator Obama and defiantly AGAINST Mrs. Clinton. Clinton is a known quantity. and that makes her no different than any of the known white men in the contest. Neither Mrs. Clinton nor the former president did much to advance what might be called the "black agenda" while they were in the White House. In fact, they were decidedly late or silent on those issues. They paid lip service to things like affirmative action (AA) (where during Clinton's term the Supreme Court began the gutting of AA in higher education. They were slow off the mark with regard HIV/AIDS which, during the Clinton term, began to ravage the black community. They did little to improve education in African American neighborhoods, allowing the idea that vouchers, and No Child were good enough. In fact, it has always bothered me that when the Clintons could have put a big spotlight on the disparity of schools by putting Chelsea in Washingont, D.C. schools, they opted to go the private school route. Think of what the impact could have been. (And trust me, no one is going to let the daughter of the president languish in school.) Instead of raising the minimum wage when they "reformed" welfare, they allowed millions (both black and white) to enter the endless cycle of working poor -- working minimum wage jobs (2 or 3 or 4 just to make ends meet), with no health insurance (which Hillary would now mandate), few benefits, and no safety nets to assist them like child day care, after school care and real parental support. Instead of recognizing the unequal impact of impoverished neighborhoods have on their citizens (no grocery stores, banks, health clinics, for example) and the terrible toll the loss of the few good jobs to NAFTA would take on these families, it was more important to broker a deal on the Defense of Marriage Act. Instead of changing unfair mandatory minimum sentences, the Clintons supported three strikes laws and maintained the unfair disparity of white users of powder cocaine getting off lightly compared to black and other minority users of crack cocaine. The Clintons paid lip service to the motherland too: a stroll down a Johannesburg avenue when Nelson Mandela was released from jail (as if they had something to do with it) but a blindspot as big as Rwanda and Burundi during the genocide there. (The excuse: "It happened too fast. We didn't expect anything like that to happen." Sounds a heckuva lot like Katrina to me.) But Bosnia and Kosovo? Hey, we're johnny on the spot with military troops and aid. No, Bill Clinton wasn't the first black president. and Hillary still ain't got soul as hard as she tries. More importantly, there is the effect of feminism on the civil rights movement, which for all intents and purposes ground to a halt when white urban and suburban women needed to have their "consciousness" raised, and important focus on racial inequality was shifted to women. Sure women make 67 or 73 cents to every dollar a white man makes, but what about what an equally qualified black man makes in comparison? You see, our loyalties are not as lop-sided as you might think. First and foremost we black women -- no matter how "equal" our white sisters get, always have the added issue (some might say "burden") of being black. Obama's "issues" with black voters have far less to do with building trust with black voters as it has to do with "undoing" generations of having to choose among the least likely to do more damage to us from a field of all white candidates. It has to do with dismantling all the false hurdles white politicians and pundits put forth as the reasons a black candidate can't win. And we've heard every single one of them in this election so far: Barack is too black, he's not black enough. To win he has to be non-threatening to white voters ("can't have the scary, angry, militant black man") but that moderation is a turn-off to black voters who --as you tell us what we want-- is too soft and compliant. The artificial bar of "experience" is set artificially high: how does somoeone who was elected to a series of political offices with support across party and race lines for more years get trumped by a white woman whose HUSBAND holds the resume she covets? It has to do with the threat of assassination ("they'll gun you down if you get too uppity") -- the same argument which kept Colin Powell from running as an independent. That was the basis for Powell's wife Alma suggesting that he not run. And it is the very real threats that brought Obama early Secret Service protection. It has to do with untangling the fear of failure that will set back the "race" (as in "you are a credit to yours") to leaving it to the white man in hopes that if he ignores you or overlooks what piecemeal progress you do make, you can hang on to what little you have. It has to do with believing the empty promise of not now, but someday. Barack can't win in 2008, so maybe 2012 or 2016 is better. Heck, we all know that there'll be some new reason that Barack won't be good enough then too. How long? Not long. But if not now, then when? Perhaps Mr. Balz should wander down the hallway to Eugene Robinson's or Colbert King's offices and have a heart to heart about what's really in the minds of black voters. Then we won't get this drivel about what black people think as deciphered by white folks. But that's just my take on it. How should I know what I think. I'm just middle-aged black woman who inexplicably is voting for Barack Obama in 2008.
Mr. Balz: Here is the view of someone who is black, female and unabashedly FOR Senator Obama and defiantly AGAINST Mrs. Clinton.
Clinton is a known quantity. and that makes her no different than any of the known white men in the contest. Neither Mrs. Clinton nor the former president did much to advance what might be called the "black agenda" while they were in the White House. In fact, they were decidedly late or silent on those issues. They paid lip service to things like affirmative action (AA) (where during Clinton's term the Supreme Court began the gutting of AA in higher education. They were slow off the mark with regard HIV/AIDS which, during the Clinton term, began to ravage the black community. They did little to improve education in African American neighborhoods, allowing the idea that vouchers, and No Child were good enough. In fact, it has always bothered me that when the Clintons could have put a big spotlight on the disparity of schools by putting Chelsea in Washingont, D.C. schools, they opted to go the private school route. Think of what the impact could have been. (And trust me, no one is going to let the daughter of the president languish in school.) Instead of raising the minimum wage when they "reformed" welfare, they allowed millions (both black and white) to enter the endless cycle of working poor -- working minimum wage jobs (2 or 3 or 4 just to make ends meet), with no health insurance (which Hillary would now mandate), few benefits, and no safety nets to assist them like child day care, after school care and real parental support. Instead of recognizing the unequal impact of impoverished neighborhoods have on their citizens (no grocery stores, banks, health clinics, for example) and the terrible toll the loss of the few good jobs to NAFTA would take on these families, it was more important to broker a deal on the Defense of Marriage Act. Instead of changing unfair mandatory minimum sentences, the Clintons supported three strikes laws and maintained the unfair disparity of white users of powder cocaine getting off lightly compared to black and other minority users of crack cocaine. The Clintons paid lip service to the motherland too: a stroll down a Johannesburg avenue when Nelson Mandela was released from jail (as if they had something to do with it) but a blindspot as big as Rwanda and Burundi during the genocide there. (The excuse: "It happened too fast. We didn't expect anything like that to happen." Sounds a heckuva lot like Katrina to me.) But Bosnia and Kosovo? Hey, we're johnny on the spot with military troops and aid.
No, Bill Clinton wasn't the first black president. and Hillary still ain't got soul as hard as she tries.
More importantly, there is the effect of feminism on the civil rights movement, which for all intents and purposes ground to a halt when white urban and suburban women needed to have their "consciousness" raised, and important focus on racial inequality was shifted to women. Sure women make 67 or 73 cents to every dollar a white man makes, but what about what an equally qualified black man makes in comparison?
You see, our loyalties are not as lop-sided as you might think. First and foremost we black women -- no matter how "equal" our white sisters get, always have the added issue (some might say "burden") of being black.
Obama's "issues" with black voters have far less to do with building trust with black voters as it has to do with "undoing" generations of having to choose among the least likely to do more damage to us from a field of all white candidates.
It has to do with dismantling all the false hurdles white politicians and pundits put forth as the reasons a black candidate can't win. And we've heard every single one of them in this election so far: Barack is too black, he's not black enough. To win he has to be non-threatening to white voters ("can't have the scary, angry, militant black man") but that moderation is a turn-off to black voters who --as you tell us what we want-- is too soft and compliant.
The artificial bar of "experience" is set artificially high: how does somoeone who was elected to a series of political offices with support across party and race lines for more years get trumped by a white woman whose HUSBAND holds the resume she covets?
It has to do with the threat of assassination ("they'll gun you down if you get too uppity") -- the same argument which kept Colin Powell from running as an independent. That was the basis for Powell's wife Alma suggesting that he not run. And it is the very real threats that brought Obama early Secret Service protection.
It has to do with untangling the fear of failure that will set back the "race" (as in "you are a credit to yours") to leaving it to the white man in hopes that if he ignores you or overlooks what piecemeal progress you do make, you can hang on to what little you have.
It has to do with believing the empty promise of not now, but someday. Barack can't win in 2008, so maybe 2012 or 2016 is better. Heck, we all know that there'll be some new reason that Barack won't be good enough then too. How long? Not long. But if not now, then when?
Perhaps Mr. Balz should wander down the hallway to Eugene Robinson's or Colbert King's offices and have a heart to heart about what's really in the minds of black voters. Then we won't get this drivel about what black people think as deciphered by white folks.
But that's just my take on it. How should I know what I think. I'm just middle-aged black woman who inexplicably is voting for Barack Obama in 2008.
"“I have a hunch that the emotional energy that Sen. Obama’s building is more powerful than the emotional energy that Sen. Clinton is building.”
I fount this gem on Reuters this morning... ha!
Hey all -
There's a meeting in JP on Monday. Let me know if you're interested and I'll put you in touch with Mark to RSVP.
-Rena
To: Mark PedullaSubject: Barack Obama Volunteer Meeting in JP Greetings,I hope that this email finds you well and that you enjoyed the holiday. My name is Mark Pedulla and I am a volunteer with Barack Obama's campaign. Along with many of you, I live in Jamaica Plain. We are setting up volunteer meetings in different neighborhoods around Boston with the immediate goal of helping Obama win the New Hampshire primary. There are only 6 weeks left until the primary in NH on January 8th, so if you are interested in getting involved to help with the campaign, now is a great moment. We are holding the volunteer meeting for Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill and the Fenway this Monday, November 26th at 7:30pm in the back room of Doyle's Cafe (3484 Washington St., Jamaica Plain). We hope that you can join us for this meeting. If you are planning on making it and could let me know by email or phone, that would be great: (message me for his contact info. -Rena). If you cannot make the meeting, but are interested in volunteering please also contact me by email or phone and we can figure out the best place for you to plug into the work. In terms of major upcoming events after the Monday meeting, there will be a large group from Boston traveling to NH to canvass on Saturday, December 1st and Sunday, December 2nd, feel free to contact me for details. This is a very exciting moment in our national politics and there is a lot of work to be done. If you have any questions, please let me know, and we hope to see you at the meeting this Monday the 26th.Sincerely,Mark Pedulla
To: Mark PedullaSubject: Barack Obama Volunteer Meeting in JP
NPR will be hosting a radio and web only debate (with no studio audience or video cameras) with all of the Democratic candidates. Be sure to catch it on December 4th!
NPR press release.
I just read this article on Time.com. Check it out.
Particularly pleasing to me was this paragraph:
Even some former Bush supporters and advisers are Obama converts. Three former major fund-raisers for the President have given money to Obama. One of them, James Canning, a Chicago financier, is openly supporting Obama after he grew tired of what he calls the G.O.P.'s "Neanderthal positions on things like stem cell research and global warming." Mark McKinnon, Bush's chief media consultant during both of his presidential campaigns, has warned his clients — including Senator John McCain — that if Obama wins the Democratic nomination McKinnon won't work against him in the general election. And Matthew Dowd, Bush's former top political strategist, told the New York Times that the only candidate that appeals to him this cycle in either party is Obama.
This is really inspiring... I'm not the only one who believes he can draw support from the other side... they're standing up and demanding to be counted.
I went canvassing in NH again last weekend, and again found somebody who said they liked Obama but was turned off by the hand over the heart smear email campaign. I wish I had found this first:
Barack Obama's Patriotism Barack Obama's Religion
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/
