I received a very important email yesterday - and I'm guessing some of you received the very same email. I'm sharing it today for several reasons -
- It's imperative that we follow the instructions in this email immediately if we intend to actually see any change in our country in the next few years.
- Kath25, lirtydies, and hekebolos asked me to post a diary today on this topic - because they're busy canvassing today in TX and they need us to help them.
Here is the email (emphasis added by me):
Elise --
Make calls now I need you to make your voice heard today -- literally.
Over the past week, supporters have made more than 700,000 phone calls right from their own homes. They are reaching out to voters in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont before the March 4th primaries.
We've set a goal of 1 million calls to help Get Out The Vote for these critical contests -- will you help?
All you need is a few minutes, a phone line, and a passion for change. Start making calls right now:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
Personal contact is the best way to grow this movement, and now you can make these connections right from your own home.
We've identified likely supporters in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont, and with our online phonebanking tool, you can start calling them right away.
It couldn't be easier.
Simply choose the March 4th state you'd like to call, and you'll get a list of phone numbers and a simple script you can use to start growing this movement, one person at a time.
Take a few minutes to make a call, and I'm certain you'll want to make five more:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
We asked a few of the thousands of supporters who have already started making calls what they wanted to tell you about the experience. Here's what some of them had to say:
I am a fairly new caller from Texas and I wanted to pass on a few thoughts. I called this afternoon to some fellow Texans (mostly from the San Antonio area) ... one woman was initially undecided but now is definitely supporting Senator Obama and so is her husband! It was talking to her one on one that made a big difference. I explained the primary and caucus deal to her (which she did not know) and she was very appreciative. Please let the other callers know that voters in Texas are very willing to hear our message...please keep calling Texas! There are a lot of undecided voters here. Thanks so much for all that YOU do!!
-- Bonnie from Texas
Just want to mention that I had been wavering between Barack and Hillary for a long time -- I'd even donated money to both campaigns. However, over many weeks I received calls from Sen. Obama's volunteers ... Those calls from the phone bank volunteers went a long way toward finally helping me make up my mind. Their sincerity, their passion, and their loyalty to Barack really impressed me (and I don't impress easily -- I spent 20 years as a TV producer in LA). I'm a woman who's Hillary's age and the last campaign I volunteered for was (oddly) Bill Clinton's first run. Anyway, I will do my best to duplicate the passion of the Obama supporters who called me, as I pick up the phone to talk to others.
-- DeeDee from Arizona
Make some phone calls right now, and see just what Bonnie and DeeDee are talking about:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
You have helped accomplish some extraordinary things during this campaign.
But the most extraordinary things happen at the personal level, when you can make that personal connection to a voter and discover that you share a common vision of what ought to be.
Make a call and make that connection today.
Thank you,
Barack
photo courtesy of the texas observer
My phone woke me up this morning - "Yes We Can!" and I groaned a bit and said, "oh, but do I have to wake up now? I'm still tired!" I thought it was my alarm :-)
But it wasn't my alarm, it was fellow kossack Kath25! I called Kath back and talked to her and then to lirtydies and hekebolos. They were on their way to Obama campaign headquarters in Austin, TX for a day of canvassing! They had been on the bus and were walking the rest of the way, and while we were on the phone - they ended up getting a ride from another Obama supporter who was on the way to campaign headquarters!! The friendliness of Obama supporters never ceases to amaze me. There is always an abundance of food, rides, good music, and cheer. Obama supporters who have never met one another can find similar things in common very quickly. One thing that we all have in common - a desire for change and a willingness to work for it.
Kath, lirtydies, and hekebolos will be walking precincts in Austin all day. They need our help to win TX for Obama. The polls show a tied race - that means we run like we're 20 points down - which means we have a LOT of work to do between now and Tuesday! You read Senator Obama's email - We have 300,000 calls to make!
Let's help our fellow kossacks win TX. Let's help our Party by ending this primary on Tuesday. Let's help our country be nominating the best candidate by far for the Presidency.
Here are some links you'll need:
- How to (Ba)Rock a Phone Bank II - is a diary I put up a few weeks ago that includes tips for phone banking. The comments are also incredibly helpful.
- Are you in a different time zone as the state you're calling? Here's a time zone converter.
- Download the Blueprint for Change and keep this info nearby while you're on the phones. It's incredibly useful.
- Make those calls NOW!
If you have 5 minutes - call for 5 minutes. We need your help - however many calls you can make. Speak Spanish? Call spanish speaking voters in TX. If you're a woman for Obama - you can call women in TX, OH, and RI and explain WHY you're a woman for Obama and why that woman should be too! If you're a student from Obama - call fellow students in OH and TX and encourage other students to support Obama too!
Let's get to work! We have 300,000 calls to make!
Update: Kath25 and the others say, "We've been riding around in the back of a truck North of Austin. People are incredibly receptive. The lists seem really targeted. Lots of support for Obama! We are grateful for all the calls you're all making!"
She also said they'd knocked out a whole list already...so that's good!
Let's get back to those calls!
Update 2:
Canvasser and Obama supporter ankey says:
I've been canvassing in TX today too
Been walking for 4 hrs and about to go out for some more. Just stopped in to make a comment/suggestion.
If you're making calls to TX PLEASE make sure to explain the caucus! I cannot emphasize this enough... I've been canvassing in the precinct my parents live in (very red area right outside of Austin) and only about 1 out of every 20 people I've talked to are Obama supporters (most are Ron Paul supporters and repubs for Clinton) but none of them (and I really mean none) knew anything about the caucus held after the primary until I told them. And all had been called at least once by an Obama supporter. If we want to win TX, we've got to get people to the caucus...
by ankey on Sun Mar 02, 2008 at 02:54:23 PM CST
Thanks for knocking on those doors ankey!! And thanks for the tip!
Help supporters find their precinct and caucus locations here. Senator Obama has a video explaining the Texas Two Step.
Update 3:
Hat tip to vertexoflife - we hit the goal of 1 million! And we've increased that goal to 1.5 million!
From Sam Graham Felsen - with the campaign -
Believe it or not, 300,000 calls were made on Saturday and we have already met our original goal of 1,000,000 calls by March 4th. This is a remarkable achievement.
Now we're upping the ante: let's make 1,500,000 calls before polls close on Tuesday.
Update 4:
Kath25 says: THANK YOU to all the lurkers who are making calls. And...give them a big sweaty hug for me too.