...if they're NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE!!
This weekend marks the kick-off of the Obama campaign's Vote for Change 50 State Voter Registration Drive. Have you signed up in your community? There are hundreds of events nationwide with thousands of volunteers looking to make hundreds of thousands of new voters for Barack Obama.
It's time to look towards November and how to beat John McCain. The Obama campaign knows it, John McCain knows it, and now even the media knows it. What better way to get things started than with a nationwide effort to recruit new voters for Barack Obama?
The most remarkable aspect of the Obama campaign, from my perspective, has been the breadth and depth of support he's garnered. Across the country and in every demographic category, he has inspired new people to vote, vote for a Democrat, and believe again in the possibility of a functioning government for and by the people. Obama's campaign is a movement, and one that needs to be directly translated into registered voters who can support him in less than six months at the polls.
This is a big weekend for Barack Obama's grassroots network of supporters, as we look to grow our base for the November election. Last night, I was on a conference call with organizers across the Southern U.S. listening to all of the great events planned for this weekend. We've got big efforts going on in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama... You name it. Best of all, this effort means that come October and November, we'll already have a base of support in states that are traditionally anathema to electing Democrats.
Our event in Austin will be great. We're planning to target all of the high-traffic areas and community events in the city. More importantly, we've put together a list of markets, libraries, post offices and community centers in a range of ethnic neighborhoods here in the city. It's important to show how Obama is reaching out to all voters, and asking each of them to consider his message and ideas.
I know a lot of other Kossacks are putting time in to their regional efforts as well... casperr is fired up and ready to go in New York City, as is Femlaw in Northern California. Texanomaly will be pounding the pavement up in Dallas, too. From the comments, I see that BlueMama will be rockin' Little Rock, and LV Pol Girl will make sure that who is registered in Vegas votes in Vegas. Blue Armadillo will be remembering AlamObama in San Antonio, and hekebolos will be working Los Angeles. smash artist is ready to go in Florida, and marypickford in Seattle. Here in Texas, RokkiBlueboa is fighting for Houston, while Leno is organizing in Dallas. Steven R will also be in Houston, and laderrick will be joining me here in Austin. BetterTogether will be registering voters in Los Angeles, too, along with in2mixin. In Tampa, boofdah is getting in on the action, while MarcoNYC is busy in New York. They'll be joined nationwide by UrbandaleForObama in Des Moines, Giodude and friend in Los Angeles, and brklyngirl in--you guessed it--Brooklyn! sab39 will be registering voters in Jenkintown, PA, while Sarge in Seattle works Newcastle, WA Sarge needs help! juslikagrzly will be in Madison, WI, and TrueBlueMajority in Boston!
How about you? Where are you planning to make more Obama voters this weekend? Steven R points out that you can even help from home right now: call volunteers and ask them to join in the excitement!
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We've got momentum on our side, we've got the media narrative at our back. The polling shows Obama steading gaining against McCain. We've got to capitalize on this, and find more enthusiastic folks who want to join our movement of change in America.
Let's also not forget that all of these new voters can help elect Democrats down the ballot as well. We've got many hotly contested Senate and House races, not to mention governorships, state legislative positions, and other positions. Thus, the 50 State Voter Registration Drive goes hand-in-hand with the 50 State Strategy. We're electing more and better Democrats, and that means not just fielding strong candidates, but registering as many supporters as possible to vote for them!
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Voter registration has always been near and dear to my heart. As many of you know, it was the first volunteer activity I ever did. In 2004, I was living on Chicago's South Side, and became inspired to volunteer for Obama's Senate campaign. The experience was life-changing, and I'm so lucky to be able to volunteer for Obama again.
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That was then... | ...this is now! |
Now, it's your turn to have this kind of life-changing experience. If you've never volunteered before, this a great way to start! Look on the Barack Obama website for an event near you, and sign up! You'll meet new friends and feel the power of registering voters, helping them to take part in our democratic process.
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Let's not forget that Barack Obama himself got started as a voter registrar on Chicago's South Side. Here's a fantastic video put together by the campaign about his experiences:
I hope to see some of you at Victory Grill Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. here in Austin. Otherwise, I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures in voter registration across the country.
Yes We Can!