Dave and Tim are playing right now at Indiana University's Assembly Hall in Bloomington. They just finished the 1995 hit Satellite. It's a great concert and the crowd is pumped. Dave reminded folks to get out and vote - no matter who you support. Then he added:
"Based on some of the signs around here, you certainly know who I support."
The crowd loved it.
Before Dave and Tim came out, the crowd was chanting "Ob-am-a" and "Yes We Can!" while waiting for things to get under way.
Here are some pictures.
And there was a surprise appearance on the arena floor by new Hoosier basketball coach Tom Crean. It's obvious students are pumped for the new coach!
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds are playing a voter registration concert today at Indiana University in Bloomington. Tickets were free and distributed across the state - we had huge lines at several of our offices! There were 13,500 tickets given out.
The concert starts at 7 pm, and already people are in line and are fired up for Dave and Tim! Here are some pictures - including one of the sound check.
Here's a picture of some volunteers signing people up - always working!
No matter where you are, there's still time help us in this final voter registration push by making calls to Indiana and encouraging supporters to register before tomorrow's deadline . . .
Barack is in Waterloo right now, then he heads to Des Moines for one last big rally before the caucuses. We are now less than 24 hours from the doors closing at 1,781 precincts across Iowa.
Here's some video from Barack's appearance in Coralville. It was a packed house!
This ad is up across Iowa tonight. We are now 24 hours from Caucus Day. Find your caucus location here.
The time is near.
Are you ready?
In the last few days, we’ve had comments pouring in to our Iowa email in box about people getting ready to caucus tomorrow evening at 6:30 PM.
We just got a message from Sharon in Boone. She told us that she plans to caucus for the first time in years tomorrow evening - and she's caucusing for Barack.
She also said three co-workers and two people she has lunch with plan to caucus for the first time!
Many of the people she talks to have only recently made a decision on who they intend to vote for at the caucus or to even attend.
Sharon is fired up and ready to go! She ended her email with a note of confidence:
We also downloaded how you figure the delegates during the caucus – we are prepared.
Barack started the day off with a great rally in Davenport. He's closing out the last day before Caucus Day with this stop in Davenport, then Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and finally one last rally in Des Moines.
Here's video from Davenport.
Yesterday, Barack had huge rallies all over the state - with at least 1,000 people at each stop. More than any polls, these events showcase the energy our campaign is encountering all over Iowa.
Check out this video:
Here's some video of Barack this morning at the canvass kick-off with 1,000 people in Des Moines. Jaime wrote about it here.
Barack had his whole family with him today!
Happy New Year! We are excited to ring in 2008 and look forward to a year that brings real change we can believe in.
Last night, Barack celebrated with 1,000 of his closest friends in Ames. Check out video from the rally.
Under Iowa Caucus rules, who Iowans choose as their second-choice candidate is vitally important. If a person's first-choice candidate doesn't meet a certain "viability" threshold at the caucus, they then have an opportunity to cast their support to their second choice.
Check out this video of Gene Blanshan, a farmer in Panora, Iowa. Gene is supporting Joe Biden.
Gene has caucused every year since 1972, was visiting some friends in Jefferson and decided at the last minute to head out, along with 400 other Iowans, to Barack's event there this afternoon.
This video also shows the importance of candidates continuing to answer questions in the last days and hours before the caucus. Some voters are still undecided - and they deserve to have their questions answered.
Gene asked Barack his question - and Barack is now his second choice.
In Clinton on Friday, Senator Obama was introduced by Sheriff Rick Lincoln. Sheriff Lincoln is concerned about the amount of money spent on the war in Iraq, and the effect on local law enforcement. Here's a video featuring the sheriff.
Barack had an incredible event last night on the south side of Des Moines. Caitlin wrote about it here:
We were expecting only a few hundred people and ended up getting 1,000! People filled the aisles, stood in doorways and packed the bleachers to hear Barack speak. One person was Laura Abad, from West Des Moines. Laura said she came in 90% sure she'd support Senator Obama and left a full-fledged, signed supporter!
Here's some video.
After Knoxville this morning, Barack's next stop was Newton, IA - former home of Maytag until the company was bought by Whirlpool and left in 2006. Senator Obama was greeted by a crowd of 500 at this stop.
Newton has been hit hard by recent job losses and stands to benefit from Senator Obama's plans to strengthen the economy:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
Here's some video from the event:
This morning Barack was greeted by more than 400 people in Knoxville. Again we are seeing many undecideds going into these events - and collecting several supporter cards on the way out.
Today, Barack was endorsed by the Marshalltown Times-Republican. Here's the full text of the endorsement.
Obama brings message of hope, change Open the doors and let the American people in. WIth a philosophy of openness - from education to the economy, government to military actions - Barack Obama has based his message of hope and change on the belief that Americans want to be involved in their government. We couldn't agree more. In an age where closed doors, secret military posts and middle-of-the-night pork barrel votes are all too common, Obama believes we can still come together as a country, we can work together to build a better America. It's true, his experience in running a country may not be as lengthy as that of his opponents, but perhaps that is a good thing. Too many of the candidates already have too much "experience" in our eyes - too much "experience" manipulating the system, too much "experience" bowing to special interests and too much "exp-erience" during a previous White House stint. Obama has what we would call more "down to earth" experience: helping in his community working as a civil rights activist, and, of course, his time in the Illinois State Senate. The argument has also been made that Obama lacks experience dealing with foreign policy and foreign leaders. Perhaps that "lack of experience" will translate into some bold, decisive actions that actually deal with foreign issues, rather than the typical "nod and smile" philosophy. And while many Democratic candidates have called for an immediate troop withdrawal in Iraq, Obama understands that such action would be detrimental to foreign relations, the people of Iraq and our own troops. Instead, he proposes a controlled and responsible withdrawal from Iraq that would take a couple of years to properly complete. Obama also understands that a universal healthcare plan must be practical and achievable, not a pipe dream used only to gain momentum on the campaign trail. His plan doesn't ram a national health insurance program down our throats, rather it merely guarantees access to health insurance for all Americans. His common sense approach carries through to other issues as well: a sensible energy plan that helps reduce environmental impacts without shutting off everyone's electricity and a teacher pay program that rewards those who work hard to teach our children and doesn't reward those who don't. Obama offers a new path, one filled with hope and change. We think it's a path worth traveling down.
Good morning! We're just five days from Caucus Day here in Iowa. Barack has been drawing huge, enthusiastic crowds all over the state on his Stand for Change Tour. People are ready for real change.
Last night was no exception. Barack was in Davenport for a huge rally. Check out the video.
This afternoon Barack had more than 400 people in Clinton, Iowa. Here's a short video clip of part of his speech there.
Here is video of Barack's full speech from this morning.
After a full day of standing-room-only crowds at events with both Barack and Michelle, Senator Obama finished up the day with an incredible rally in Carroll. It was another capacity crowd of more than 600. Here's some video:
This morning, Senator Obama received the endorsement of the Ottumwa Courier - his seventh endorsement from Iowa newspapers. Here's the full text.
Americans clamor for change. And every election cycle, a candidate or several candidates will offer his/her ideas on how they would change the course of American governance. But Iowa Democrats have a real choice next month and there is one politician who we believe will not only create change, he’ll inspire others to do the same. Barack Obama has earned our support in the Iowa caucuses. “I think this is a ‘change’ election,” he told the Courier editorial board. “Change is more than just changing political parties. The culture of politics in Washington has to change. And to change it, you’ve got to get the American people involved.” On domestic issues, Obama insists that government has to be transparent, whether it’s environmental issues, the economy or education. Open the books, he said, and let the Americans see firsthand the steps that have to be taken in order to make life better for all its citizens. He said Washington has a responsibility to create programs that have the necessary funding so that local and state governments are not swimming in a sea of red. “When the federal government is not fulfilling its requirements … that is putting a burden on local governments and state governments to raise property taxes or sewer rates or what have you. That disproportionately impacts people on fixed incomes,” he said. On the war in Iraq, Obama has been consistent about his opposition to the war and his desire to move troops out as soon as possible. Iraq is just one issue, of course, that will be part of the next president’s foreign policy agenda. Arguments, however, have been made that Obama is inexperienced and does not have the foreign policy credentials to sit in the Oval Office. But the senator is clear that experience need not be “Washington experience.” He points to his work as a community and civil rights activist and his time in the Illinois State Senate. Obama suggests that there is a tendency not to count state and local work as real-world experience. However, much of his time doing that work has meant working across the aisle and getting things done. Obama knows he must surround himself with people who will help him move the country down a prosperous path. “I trust my judgment but I don’t presume to know everything,” he said, adding he will surrounded himself with qualified people. And he promises his cabinet members will always know that “your job is not to protect me. Your job is to protect the Constitution and to be an advocate for the American people.”
Six other Iowa newspapers have endorsed Senator Obama:
