Throughout this campaign, the community of John Edwards supporters has repeatedly stepped up, spoken out and taken action. Across the country, local chapters of One Corps have organized food drives and park clean ups. They've attended rallies and collected food for the hungry. Supporters have traveled hundreds of miles to knock on doors in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina and have reached out to thousands and thousands of voters.
On a daily basis, the John Edwards blog has hummed with news alerts, opinion pieces and opportunities to engage other citizens. Right here on DailyKos, the community has organized a daily series called the "Edwards Evening News Roundup" and every day for over 200 days, they've posted the latest and greatest news about our campaign on a variety of blogs. Citizen vloggers have gone into the field, and brought back video to the masses, taking the responsibility of telling the story of this campaign into their own hands.
Every time we have asked you to step up - whether it is online or in your community, for the campaign or for a cause - you have surpassed our expectations. And, it is with that thought in mind, that today we launched the "My Vote, My Voice" Create Your Own Ad Contest.
Here is the challenge: Create a 30-second ad in support of John Edwards. You can focus on the reasons why you support John, or one of Edwards' key proposals to build a better America: guaranteeing universal health care, halting global warming, ending the war in Iraq, restoring America's moral leadership in the world, ending poverty in America or strengthening the middle class. Tell us, in 30-seconds, why you think John Edwards should be the next president of the United States.
You can submit your ad anytime between Friday, December 28th and Wednesday, January 16th. Throughout that time, we'll feature different ads at JohnEdwards.com. The winning entries will be chosen by a panel of judges including: Elizabeth Edwards, campaign manager Congressman David Bonior, Elizabeth Edwards' brother and NYU Tisch Film School professor Jay Anania, actor and activist James Denton, bloggers Jane Hamsher and Christy Hardin Smith of FireDogLake.com, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Joe Wineke, and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Then on Friday, January 18th, the campaign will announce a grand prize winner, and the ad will go on the air in February 5th states in the days leading up to "Super Tuesday."
In the announcement of the contest today, Senator Edwards said:
Every time we have asked you to step up - whether it is online or in your community, for the campaign or for a cause - you have surpassed our expectations. And, it is with that thought in mind, that today we launched the "My Vote, My Voice" Create Your Own Ad Contest.
"For decades, big corporations and powerful interests have spent hundreds of millions of dollars and deployed hundreds of lobbyists to try and silence the voice of the American people and block change and progress. The American people - the people on Main Street - need a voice in Washington, and this contest is a chance for everyone in America to have their voice heard. Together, we can stand up to the powerful special interests that have taken over our democracy and fight to build a better future for our children."
We've heard incredible and compelling stories over the past few months from people from every walk of life. They've shared their reasons for supporting John Edwards, their personal stories, and their hopes for the future. We hope this contest will allow us to share those stories with the whole country.
Visit johnedwards.com/myvote now. You'll find tips, tricks, rules and regulations. Then - get started! We can't wait to see the results!
Note: I am the blogger & Deputy Online Communications Director for the Edwards campaign.