In case you missed it, Michelle was on Colbert last night and the other Obama was on HBO Real Sports shooting hoops . Check it out…
We really do need a leader who can deliver in those critical moments. Obama’s the one…
Voter registration for Indiana’s May 6th primary closes this coming Monday, April 7th. With the help of local organizers and grassroots supporters, we have already inspired thousands of voters across the state to get involved and register to vote.
From the Palladium-Item, Richmond, IN:
“This is one of the most important elections in a long time … This year, our voices need to be heard,” said Marissa Stevens, 20, of Richmond, a Ball State University student who registered from Muncie.
… Cherlyn Lambert, 29, of Centerville, has voted in the past, but not recently. She also registered Wednesday.
“I think it’s really important, especially with the state of the economy right now,” she said. “I’m voting because Indiana counts. This year, Indiana can make a difference. It’s a good thing.”
From the Journal and Courier, Lafayette, IN:
“[Barack is] reminding people that this is a great country. Many of us in this age group have grown up only seeing divisive politics. … He’s offering a vision of unity,” [said Laurent Wrzesinski, Purdue student and Obama supporter].
However, we can’t stop now.
If you live in Indiana, there are several ways that you personally can help to build our movement and participate in the registration drive this weekend. These next few days are our best opportunity to build our base of support before the primary — and bring more voices into the political process.
If you have not yet registered to vote, you can fill out and download registration forms online.
You can also help by volunteering to make calls or canvass. We will be going door-to-door this weekend, spreading the message of change and personally helping people register to vote. Canvassing shifts start at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. on Saturday and at noon and 2 p.m on Sunday. There are two dozen staging locations across the state, and you can find a location near your and sign up now.
For college and high school students, Saturday and Sunday are the final days to register fellow students as part of the “3-on-3 Challenge for Change.” By registering at least 20 students to vote, high school students will be eligible for a chance to play 3-on-3 basketball along with two friends against Barack Obama and former Indiana Hoosier star Calbert Cheaney.
College students who register 30 of their peers can also enter and earn the chance to play on Barack’s team. The deadline for entry is Sunday April 6th, and registration forms can be turned in at any local Obama campaign office. You can find more details on the “3-on-3 Challenge for Change”here.
Our efforts to motivate and register young voters have already had a significant impact on this election cycle. Again, from the Journal and Courier:
“We are doubling, even tripling” the number of young voters, said Chrissy Faessen, communications director for Rock the Vote. “There’s absolutely been a surge in young people.”
The weekend caps off at Indiana University’s Assembly Hall in Bloomington with “Change Rocks”, a concert and voter registration drive featuring Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. Tickets for the event are sold out, but you can check back here on the HQ blog for coverage of the event.
Dave Matthews first endorsed Barack Obama back in February, saying:
“I believe that corporate greed and its involvement in policy making, along with political cronyism have made it nearly impossible for the people to govern. So we fight amongst ourselves over the spin of political slogans and half truths… It is time for a change and that is why I support Barack Obama for President.”
The time to act is now. Please get involved this weekend so we can ensure that every voice is heard on May 6th.
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Making phone calls from home is an effective way for anyone, no matter where you are, to reach out and impact this historic race for the presidency. Our Indiana field staff and grassroots supporters are working around the clock right now, with the same intensity as during the run-up to primary day.
Earlier, Indiana Deputy Field Director Rachel Haltom-Irwin spoke on a conference call about the important part that your calls play in our efforts on the ground:
“What it really means is that everyone on the ground can spend a lot more time going door to door, talking to people in person. We know that you guys are making the calls, and that we’re doing this together.
We look at the numbers every day to see how many calls you’ve made into each state, and it’s very powerful. It keeps us going, to see that the entire country is helping out.”
Also speaking on the call was one of our top grassroots phonebankers. Patty from South Carolina has literally made thousands of calls over the past few months to voters in states across the country and now Indiana. She shared an incredible story from one of her many calls into Mississippi, and offered some valuable tips and advice on calling:
The Indiana calling campaign runs from 9:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST each day, from now until Monday night. It only takes a minute to log in, review the script, and get started making calls.
All eyes will be on Indiana soon, for the first competitive Democratic primary in the state in over 20 years. Together, with supporters on the ground and with callers from all across the country, we can make a difference in these next 48 hours.
UPDATED: Barack is in Missoula, Montana today, for a rally that is just now getting ready to start . . .
the first two people in line this morning.
UPDATED: Barack just took the stage . . .
There are 8,000 people inside, with another 500 or so in the outdoor overflow. We’ll have more from Missoula later today . . .
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UPDATED: Our weekend voter registration efforts are in full swing right now. Find out how you can help in Indiana.
The Indiana primary is still a month away, but the deadline to register to vote is this Monday. This weekend is our last, best chance to bring new voices and new voters into the political process in Indiana, and the last chance for Indiana residents to stake their claim in the political process.
We’ll have more information shortly on some of the events we have planned this weekend and what you can do to help in Indiana. No matter where you are, you can help out right now by making phone calls to encourage supporters to register by Monday’s deadline.
If you live in Indiana, or if you’re calling supporters in Indiana, here’s what you’ll need to know:
In order to register and vote in the Indiana primary on May 6th, you must:
You can fill out and download your completed voter registration form online right now. The completed form must be postmarked or hand delivered to your county voter registration office or the Indiana Election Division by April 7th, or you can deliver it to any Obama for America field office before April 7th.
You can also apply in person at the voter registration or county clerk’s office, any DMV license branch or public assistance office.
Do you have friends or family in Indiana?
If so, you can use our online form to send emails to your friends and family and remind them to register before Monday’s deadline. Our email contact importer allows you to quickly and easily import emails (don’t worry – we won’t hold on to any of the email addresses you share).
For more information, you can visit the Indiana Secretary of State website.
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After his town hall meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Barack headed to Scranton to hold a town hall meeting there.
One person asked Barack how he would restore our image in the international community and build alliances with other nations. He said:
When you don’t have allies, it’s a lot harder to get stuff done. U.S. interests are not met. That’s why it’s so important to build alliances. Building alliances means listening to other countries. A lot of our European allies are concerned about climate change. We should be too, but for the first seven years that Bush was in office, he said it was a hoax.
…There’s no magic formula for creating allies. It’s like dealing with anyone else. We’re going to listen to their concerns, show them respect and dignity. That’s what I’m going to do as President of the United States.
Another person asked Barack how he will protect the environment and reduce pollution. He responded:
I’m going to set up a cap and trade system on the emission of gases. If you pollute, then you’ve got a pay a price. If you stop polluting or you reduce your pollution, you can make money. It’s worthwhile from an investment perspective to be environmentally sound.
We put a cap and trade system in for sulfuric acid and basically ended acid rain. American ingenuity is always up to the challenge. I’m going to make sure that natural gas companies should not be able to simply pollute when the rest of us bear the costs of it.
We need your help to reach out to undecided voters in Pennsylvania! Stop by your local office to volunteer or make some phone calls!
On April 12th and 13th, women from across the country will be traveling to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as part of the Weekend of Women.
These two days of canvassing, phonebanking, house parties and fundraisers are part of a major push to reach undecided women voters as part of our Pennsylvania Get Out The Vote campaign. There is no better way to connect with voters than through one on one, peer to peer contact, and this is a unique opportunity to impact a key voting bloc in the final days before the Pennsylvania primary.
Here’s a message from Becky Carroll, National Director of Women for Obama:
Dear friends,
With less than four weeks left before the last batch of Dem primaries kick off – beginning with Pennsylvania on April 22nd – we hope that you are ready to hit the road to meet us in Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina and other key primary states!
Our first, major push with women in this last leg of the primary season starts in Pennsylvania the weekend of April 12 and 13 – join women from across the country and in Pennsylvania as they unite to recruit undecided women throughout the state. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the breadth and diversity of support that Senator Obama has among all of you – we can make the difference in PA! All you need to do is pack up your bags for Philadelphia or Pittsburgh!
This weekend will include a pre-canvass rally on Saturday with special guest speakers, followed by canvassing activities – phone banks, door to door, house parties and other activities – throughout the day and a low dollar Women for Obama fundraiser in Philadelphia for those who want to mix and mingle with old and new friends afterwards. Specific details on location of the rally and fundraiser will follow in the next several days. So book your flight or train ticket or be ready to drive out to Philly or Pittsburgh!
The campaign will provide supporter housing on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reduced hotel room rates will also be available. We can also help match you with women driving into PA from your area if you should need a ride. Whatever you do, don’t miss this opportunity to show the country that women are the backbone this is historic campaign!
Please sign up for the Weekend of Women, April 12/13, in PA by clicking on the link below and please share with others who should join us – invite your sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts and friends:
- Becky Carroll, National Director of Women for Obama
Visit Women.BarackObama.com for more information.
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Earlier today NBC News confirmed that Barack has gained a pledged delegate from the March 11th Mississippi primary:
NBC News has adjusted the delegate count in Mississippi, giving one more to Obama and one less to Clinton. The count was 19-14 and now stands at 20-13. The official results were certified in Mississippi and Obama finished with a slightly higher statewide vote result than originally indicated, 62.5% to 37.5%. That result broke a threshold and triggered the extra delegate.
Additionally, final tallies from Saturday’s Texas County Conventions confirmed that Barack won the total Texas delegate count 99-94, after the remaining nine caucus delegates were allocated 7-2 for Obama.
Thanks again to all our supporters made phone calls, canvassed, and organized in Mississippi and in Texas. Today’s news confirms just how hard you worked, and shows the impact you were able to make.
You can track the full results of the primaries and caucuses at our Results Center.
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On November 7th, 2006, at age 20, Matthew S. Delligatti was elected as the youngest council member in the city of Fairmont, West Virginia’s history. Recently, Delligatti announced his formal endorsement of Barack Obama:
It is a truly rare occurrence that a person can ignite the otherwise tamed resource of our nation’s youth. I remember in high school being drawn to President John Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. not just because of what they did or what they stood for, but because they asked that generation what they could do and inspired them to achieve it. This opportunity has come again.
… When I decided to run for the council, my critics said I was too young and that I did not have enough experience. I was discounted from the start. What they didn’t know was the citizens of Fairmont were tired of the political bickering and the standstills that prevented us from moving into the future. The great people of Fairmont were ready for change.
Today, the United States of America is ready for change. Some people will say Senator Obama is too young or that he doesn’t know the ins and outs of Washington, but what they are really saying is that they want to cling to the political standoffs that are preventing us from solving the pressing problems that we now face. In my case the criticism at least had some semblance, but Senator Obama’s unique life experiences put him in a place to restore America’s standing in the world and heal our nation from the political battles of past administrations.
… One of the primary reasons I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama for president is what he calls the politics of hope. Like me, he believes in uniting our citizens to work together for the common good. I have witnessed, on a local level, the detriment derived from divisive politics. When I stepped into office, I inherited years and years of schismatic local politics brought on by personal conflicts. This type of politics gives us policy that is not created out of compromise for the common good, but policy that is made in spite of a political rival for the interests of a select few. He understands this because he has lived this from his time on the streets of Chicago to his times in the halls of the Senate.
Visit WV.BarackObama.com for more news and info from West Virginia, and to find out how you can get involved.
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MSNBC reports…
At a time when Sen. Hillary Clinton is increasingly relying on superdelegates to vault her to the Democratic Party’s nomination, a handful of undecided and pledged superdelegates are coming forward to say her campaign’s tactics in recent weeks are doing more harm than good.
The Democratic Party insiders say they believe Clinton’s direct attacks against Sen. Barack Obama in recent days are hurting the party and its chances in November, and also say it is showing a calculated, desperate-to-win side of Clinton that they dislike.
“In looking at the manner in which the candidates are campaigning, I think it would be best they focused their attention on the presumptive nominee and showed our party which one is better in campaigning against McCain,” said Garry Shay, a California superdelegate, who announced his support for Clinton.
…
As activists committed to the party, they said, they have been impressed by Obama’s ability to bring new Democrats into the fold, and they worry that Clinton is threatening that.
“We like the fact that there is a candidate that has won so many states overwhelmingly,” the delegate said. “We’re feeling her advisors are leading her in a path that diminishes her as well as him.”
Several said they were angered by comments from James Carville, who called Bill Richardson “Judas” for backing Obama after serving in the Clinton White House. One delegate said Richardson’s rationale for supporting Obama, and his implicit frustration at the Clintons’ heavy-handed approach to garnering his support, was echoed among superdelegates.
Others said they were frustrated by recent reports that Clinton embellished her description of landing in Bosnia as First Lady, and said it suggested she would do anything to win. “I don’t remember what movie I saw two weeks ago; I don’t necessarily remember what I had for dinner last night,” one superdelegate said. “But I would remember having to duck and run from sniper fire.”
The final straw, though, were Clinton’s comments Tuesday, when she said the Rev. Jeremiah Wright “would not have been my pastor.” Several superdelegates saw it as a direct, personal attack on Obama.
“I think it’s very dangerous for any candidate to constantly thrum on what they perceive as sensational criticisms of their opponent,” said Debra Kozikowski, an uncommitted superdelegate from Massachusetts. “I would be more likely to respond positively to discussions of issues that effect Americans versus what might be perceived as character flaws.”
If you’re also tired of these negative tactics, please make a donation and help build the Obama movement.