Campaign for Barack Obama

Barack Obama is far from Merlin in King Arthurs Court. There is no way that he is going to wave his magic wand and make all right and just in the world. There are heavy duty challenges worldwide, and not just the old standbys of poverty, starvation, wars, and global warming – but also an economic crisis that gives revitalizes the old phrase “When America Sneezes, The World Catches A Cold.”

As supporters of Barack Obama we need to be diligent in our efforts to support and defend our President daily. Simple things, like doing all we can to conserve eneergy and reduce our dependence on foeign oil as he has often called up us to do, but acting for and explaining to, those people who did vote for Barack Obama so that we can demonstrate that he is their President too, and we are more than willing to welcome them to Our American Dream.

The “tax increase for the very wealthy” is sure to become a hot button issue in the coming months and years. The tax roll backs offered by the Bush administration do not expire until 2010 – of course both sides have the potential to get their knickers in a twist over the expediency of the promise to let those roll backs expire. (I wonder how many people know that GWBush put an expiration clause in those tax breaks?)

The Automotive “bailout” or “loan program” is another hot button issue. After years of putting their eggs in one basket Detroit has fumbled greatly while Honda, Toyota, and Subaru are making smaller, more fuel efficient cars in the United States that people are buying. Volkswagen is even building a new assembly plant in Chatanooga. Do we help Detroit or let market conditions prevail? Do we put conditions on the loans to that jobs stay in the US (versus ramping up production in Hermilliso Mexico)?

And what of healthcare and family services for our veterans. Surely we cannot ask them to sacrifice more than they already have.

The campaign starts today, and continues tomorrow, and next week, and next month, and next year.

We need to be ready to head the call of our President, continue to educate ourselves on the crises and solutions facing our Nation, and be prepared to defend Barack Obama at a moments notice.

Yes We Can!

WOW, the election is over and Barack is now the President-elect of the United States of America! We, and the millions of other (non-43 Things)people across the country who campaigned for Barack deserve a giant “Atta-Person” (or an atta-boy or atta-girl, if you prefer).

The political campaign is over. Barack has a huge job ahead of him and it’s going to take everyone in the country, WORKING TOGETHER, to make it happen. It will take a lot of leadership on his part to get us all pointed in the same direction. It will take a lot of EFFORT and “CAMPAIGNING” on the part of each of us help him do that.

So, the “social” campaign now begins. I will make an effort, every day, to try to heal the divisions that separate us as citizens and will work to make us, once again, a united American people.

Would you like to join me?

I have completed my most important task for the day. I cast my vote for Barack and all the other good candidates for office.

The rest of my day will be spent making Get Out The Vote calls followed by a VICTORY PARTY this evening!

I have signed up for canvassing at 7:30 AM for four hours and then again, at 4:00 PM for four hours. Then, I’m grabbing that bottle of “champers” out of the fridge, and going to one of the big victory parties.

There will be dancing in the streets here. It’s going to be pandemonium. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like.

I’ve been doing Get Out The Vote calls most of the day and it is so nice to talk to supporters—people who are actually glad to hear from us. For some reason, the Barack supporters who have already voted seen particularly pleased with themselves, with life, and with my calls.

YES, WE CAN!

While making Get Out the Vote calls in Ohio this morning, it was my good fortune to talk briefly with a 79 year old man from Cleveland. His name had an Italian spelling and he spoke with a bit of an accent. There was no doubt in his mind that Barack Obama was the greatest thing to happen to this country EVER! CERTAINLY he was going to vote! He was going to the polls EARLY and told me exactly where he had to go to vote. He wasn’t going to take any family or friends with him because “They don’t live around here but they were CERTAINLY GOING TO VOTE FOR OBAMA, TOO!”

He thanked ME for calling HIM and hoped I would convince a lot of other folks to get out there and VOTE FOR OBAMA! By the time I hung up from talking to him, he had managed to get me totally PUMPED! If we had recruited him as a volunteer at the beginning of the campaign by now he would have convinced McCain to vote for Obama!

It’s amazing how one person can be so influential. I will remember him for a long time and I hope I am able to pass on to others the enthusiasm he gave me!

This time, it will be Manchester. I’ll take pictures this time too!

The Nevada campaign has good video on how to canvass, here

Today, the focus was on new and sporadic voters who tend to vote Democratic; only a few undecideds/unknowns.

Sometimes I think my main purpose is just to listen to people. Example: some white guy, in his late 50s, starts off by telling me he doesn’t want to talk politics with anyone. I’m cheerful and say that’s fine, and start to mark down “refused” on the walk sheet, and then he proceeds to talk politics with me for maybe the next twenty minutes. I give a few prompts, like, “what issues concern you the most in this election?” However, it’s mostly me saying things like, “uh huh”, or “I hear you” or “I can see why you feel that way”. Maybe only once or twice did I offer some sort of thoughts of my own on why My Candidates would be better on his concerns.

I don’t know if this is really “persuasion” the way some folks probably think I’m supposed to be working it. Probably not. But I don’t know if arguing would have worked. Instead, I do think there’s a lot of folks who feel that their voices aren’t heard; guys like this one who feel cynical, and unhappy with the existing system. With my buttons and clipboard, I appear to be a representative of officialdom, even if all I am is a neighbor from down the street. I hope that my open demeanor and respectful listening communicate that this is campaign of openness and respect. Maybe, in the privacy of the voting booth, he’ll color in the right oval. I guess I’ll never know.

I like knocking on doors. Although my mood changes on a regular basis, today, I like it. And I’m taking that enthusiasm to NH. People need to hear from another real person about why they should vote for Barack Obama. It’s very important that folks really think about the direction of the country and our impact on the world.

My hope is that with some thoughtful reflection, folks will vote Obama.