I know there are a lot of diaries here detailing more powerfully than I can just how amazing Barack Obama’s campaign events have been. Especially in some places folks thought would’ve been unlikely - - hello Boise! – but then again if there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that nothing is ordinary about this campaign.
The last days, I’ve been on the road for Barack, and I’ve seen 1,600 people come to a town hall meeting with me in San Francisco to talk about Barack, seen hundreds standing in the driving rain in San Jose, and seen a hundred people shivering in a driveway in New Haven just yesterday – every one of them energized by this movement. Something’s happening out there. Half way through my day in California, knowing I had the pleasure of a red eye flight coming up, it was enough to make me call my guy in Chicago and tell him I wanted to be in Connecticut on Superbowl Sunday to try and do some more events.
We’ve got another event together tonight, and you’ll be able to watch. Details of that and how you can help the Obama campaign from home below ...
Barack, Ted Kennedy, Gov. Deval Patrick and I will all be at an event in Boston at 8 tonight, and I’m sure the room will be packed. If you’re in Boston, come on by, but if you’re not, you can watch it on barackobama.com; they’ll stream it live from the hall (again, at 8 pm tonightevent begins at 9 pm now). It’ll be the final event before Super Tuesday, so don’t miss it. And tell your friends and family about it, as well. We want to make sure as many people get a chance to see Barack speak before the vote on Super Tuesday.
I’m proud to be a part of this fight. I had no illusions when I endorsed Barack; he had just lost New Hampshire, and Hillary Clinton had a substantial national lead and in all the big states. But I believed in Barack’s candidacy. I’ve served with him on the Foreign Relations Committee, I’ve seen how he works and the way he listens. I know this guy. He’s a special kind of leader, a rare leader, a once in a generation talent. And I know this is his moment. He has gifts, and one of those gifts – wisdom – is rare in any field, as Oprah said I thought very powerfully just yesterday in California.
Now the campaign has tightened considerably. The polls show a tight race all over the country, an amazing turnaround for Barack’s campaign. He now has the momentum, and it shows no sign of stopping, if people like you - much more than people like me - keep it growing. That’s the bottom line. One of my mentors Gary Hart once told me that endorsements matter not in the least – and he told me that even as he was endorsing me! But Gary was and is right – what matters is that I’m just one of hundreds of thousands of people who are putting serious time and effort into this campaign.
If you can spare some time and haven’t volunteered, you can work for the Obama campaign right from your home. Go to http://action.barackobama.com/... and you can take part in what could be the largest phonebank in history - a virtual phonebank going on all the time – as campaign supporters from all over call undecided voters to help persuade them, or call Obama supporters to help get-out-the-vote. It makes a big difference, and it’s an incredible feeling being part of this campaign.
And, of course, get out and vote yourself tomorrow if you are in a state holding a primary or a caucus. You can find your polling or caucus location by going here: http://action.barackobama.com/...
And, don’t forget, take some time out to watch Barack’s final event before Super Tuesday on live streaming video tonight. Just go to the homepage at http://www.barackobama.com starting at 8 pm; the stream will be front and center.
The momentum you see can be felt at these events all across the country, but the vote will still be very close. Tell your friends and family to watch the event tonight, make calls, volunteer at your local campaign office … only with the organized, concerted push from millions can we bring real change to this country.
I see it happening, and we need to do all we can to make sure it succeeds. Our nation – the world – can’t wait.
update: The crowds were so big at all of Barack's events today that we're running a little late. The event here in Boston should be starting in a little less than an hour (10:00 pm). Check often for the beginning of the stream on barackobama.com.
update2: (from Brian Young, Internet Director) Hey, JK's talking to people here, but he told me to put up an update with the new information: the program has started ... I should have a link to the stream really soon ... and here it is: it's up on BarackObama.com now.
