I'm the New Media Director for Barack Obama's campaign.
One great consequence of having Barack Obama as our Democratic nominee will be the continued growth of a grassroots movement that is making an impact in all 50 states on races up and down the ballot.
Every day the energy is growing, and it's an amazing sight to see as folks getting involved in politics for the first time work together with others (like me) who got involved for the first time last cycle.
Add to that mix the seasoned activists who've been involved for decades and those who were involved decades ago but had given up on the political process (one small donor recently wrote that she and her husband, both seniors, were involved 40 years ago and now feel "politically resurrected by Barack's candidacy"), and you've got a diverse movement ready for change.
Building on yesterday's mobilization in OH-05, today's target is next week's special election in VA-01. Message from Barack after the jump.
Today Obama supporters in Virginia are receiving this message from Barack:
Dear Friend,
Time is running out for you to make an impact in a special election in Virginia for a Representative in Congress, which will be held this Tuesday, December 11th.
A solid Democratic candidate, Phil Forgit, has stepped up to take on the fight in this traditionally Republican district.
Phil Forgit is an Iraq War veteran and a Bronze Star recipient; as a Naval Reservist, he was mobilized to serve from his former job as a 4th grade teacher. His service at home and abroad makes him uniquely suited to bring change to Washington.
It's a tough race, but if we're going to change this country, we have to be ready to stand up for our principles everywhere.
There's no time to waste -- here's what you can do:
* Contact other Obama supporters in Virginia's 1st Congressional District to encourage them to get involved now and get to their polling place on Tuesday. You can make calls from home using the My.BarackObama.com phone banking tool:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
* Donate to Phil Forgit's campaign to help fund get-out-the-vote operations:
https://www.completecampaigns.com/...
* If you're in the area, find local campaign events on the Forgit campaign web site, including events with Governor Tim Kaine and former Governor Mark Warner:
http://philipforgit.com/...
One of the most inspiring things about the movement we've created together is that it's bigger than a presidential campaign.
We've brought new people into the political process, and we're proving that a new model of grassroots campaigning works. The ground support we are building now will impact races up and down the ballot for a generation.
Right now, you have the opportunity to make a difference -- to impact this election, to strengthen our party, and to build the broader movement for change.
Please join us in taking action.
Thank you,
Barack
As I wrote yesterday in my diary on OH-05:
One of the things I love about my boss and this campaign is that we are everywhere. This campaign has been an exciting mash-up of overwhelming grassroots energy and empowerment and a substantial field organization gearing up across the country. As one commenter mentioned on the other diary, we're up and running with offices in places like Alaska, Kansas and Idaho (don't forget the three offices in Alabama, too). But more importantly the grassroots support network has organized itself everywhere ....
As in OH-05, Obama supporters in Virginia with a My.BarackObama.com account will now find a virtual phonebanking campaign on your dashboard to make calls into VA-01 reminding people to turn out for the GOTV events this weekend and, of course, for Election Day.
It's another tough race, but one where the energy is building and it's important to take a stand.
On the web:
Phil Forgit for Congress
Donate to the Forgit campaign
Local campaign events in VA-01 (feat. Tim Kaine & Mark Warner)
Ongoing coverage of the race