Sen. Barack Obama is the most inspiring public leader in America. He has a bold vision to help the middle class and restore America's prestige in the world. Join this grassroots effort to support Sen. Obama's historic and uplifting campaign for president. Keep hope alive! Obama '08!
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- Make a Secure Contribution Directly to the Campaign. Show some Texas-sized love!
(anyone else encounter problems? leave a comment, so we are all better aware, thanks - promoted by mariochampion)
How, and to whom, do we report voting problems?
Yesterday morning at 9:00 am, my father-in-law, a lifelong Republican, went to vote for Obama in Houston, in Precinct 0493, at the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum. He had a newly issued voter registration card, which he reports had not yet been used in any election. He reports that he was told he was a registered Republican and had to vote in a specific area of the building. When he got to the poll, it of course had Republican presidential candidates and thus he could not vote for Obama.
We do not know if this happened to other voters at that location or whether it was an isolated event/mistake. But we lost a vote for Obama.
Can someone from Houston volunteer to go to that location to observe? How else can we proceed?
A brilliant speech capping a brilliant campaign, here is President-Elect Barack Obama's Victory Speech!
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
ELECTION PROTECTION - Please spread the word widely.
We are running election protection efforts in several counties throughout the state. If you are in one of the
following counties, contact information for your ?rst line of protection is below.
Cameron County
melissa@martinezybarrera.com
(956) 544-1014
Dallas County
obamavoterprotection@gmail.com
(214) 525-3790
Harris County
houstonobamalawyers@gmail.com
(713) 218-6020 (Bay Area)
(281) 462-7523 (Crosby)
(713) 926-1334 (East End)
(713) 524-1338 (Midtown)
(713) 697-8898 (North Side)
(713) 802-0085 (Pinemont)
(281) 998-3366 (South East Harris County)
(713)733-2583 (Sunnyside)
(281) 496-3366 (West Side)
Travis County and Texas HQ
travisobamavoterprotection@gmail.com
(512) 465-2608
Greater Corpus Christi
ariverajr@swbell.net
(361) 816-0605
If and only if you have exhausted the remedies above or live outside one of those ?ve counties and cannot
get assistance from local authorities you can report incidents do so directly at:
By way of the Houston Chronicle and with a big h/t to libbyshaw's post at burntorangereport.com, comes some good news about Harris county and Houston: "Obama and Noriega up by Seven Points in Harris County."
Ken Flippin, a texansforobama.com co-founder and statewide-director-on-a-non-rest-sabbatical was tapped months ago by the DNC/Obama efforts to help coordinate efforts in Houston, or as as we call it, the swing state of Texas.
For months, teams of dedicated folks have been wrangling America's most sprawling city into shape. One big issue has always been that, other than the Mayor, no one really runs city-wide and so cross-town strategic allegiances, heck friendships, are rare. So there are few seasoned activists to manage the GOTV efforts for a city which is larger than several states!
The demographics favor Dems, but the turnouts do not, held down in part by Republican Paul Bettencourt, the Tax-Assessor-Collector, and his imaginary voter fraud bogeymen -- even the republican atty gen couldnt substantiate his claims of any voter fraud. I think it is fair to say, his office is or should be the number one target for those interested in systemic fixes to low voter participation.
A strong Harris county turnout frightens Republicans, and they work to keep it low. Bow, imagine that office held by someone who instead worked to make it easier for qualified folks to be part of the process.
It looks like Harris might go our way his time, so peoples of Harris, my old hometown, please, take your friends, volunteer, vote early, and let's shock the nation.
Passing this along from Texas Director, Juan Sepulveda.
Dirty tricks designed to mislead Texas voters have been spreading across the state, and many Obama supporters are getting incorrect information about the voting process.
Bogus claims about voting machines are spreading via email chains -- and in one reported case, even broadcast on a Houston radio station -- that could have a huge impact on voter turn out on Election Day.
Here is the truth that every Texan should know: If you vote a straight Democratic Ticket you will cast your ballot for Barack.
Gen. Colin Powell, on this morning's Meet The Press gave a long and reasoned analysis of the candidates, and came out clearly for Obama.
While giving respect to McCain, Powell called out McCain's bad judgment in choosing Palin, "who is not qualified to be President," his bad judgement and erratic behaviour with a daily changing set of tactics on addressing the economic crisis, and more.
Powell also flat out said the "more right" response to the inaccurate 'Obama is a muslim' assertions, should be "does that matter? A 7yr old muslim american should be able to dream of being president."
So, we dont write too much about the polls, national or state, the electoral count projections and the battleground state swings and shifts, but it doesnt mean we dont follow them. In part, because we have to act like we are ten points behind, even if Obama nationally is a few points ahead, because here in Texas, we probably ARE still 10 points behind, but also because we have such a focus on actions.
As Obama warned New Hampshire yesterday, we can't get cocky, we have to put in the work. As you know, Obama needs Rick Noriega to take out Cornyn, to make us one more senate seat closer to a filibuster-proof majority, a majority big enough to pass the healthcare and energy policies we need to Change this country, to end the war in Iraq in a reasonable and sane manner, and, to make sure the Wall Street CEOs no longer run wild over our economy.
but still, a tip of the hat to kath25 for leading the travis county vote for change efforts, and tip of the hat to Bruce Curtis for this note:
"In case you haven't seen it, http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/ mentions
the Travis Cty. Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign: "When the Travis
County, Texas Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign registers 30,869 new
voters in a cycle when Texas isn't supposed to be on the map at the
presidential level, something seismic is happening."
Toward the end of the "Battlegrounds as of Mid-October" post: fivethirtyeight.com
The Austin Chronicle reader's results are in, and Texans for Obama is proud to be named the Best Grassroots Movement!
We have such a great group, partly online, so much offline, helping channel and steer the energy of so many new activists. Here in austin at least, 500, 600, 800 people regularly packing into Scholtz's to watch the Debates and 50-100 volunteers a day at our coordinated campaign HQ. So many starting with Texans for Obama, and now helping out great down-ballot folks like Rick Noriega, and Valinda Bolton.
And while I have been part of a number of political organizations, truly this is the first where i would have to agree it IS a movement -- diverse in geography, age, experiences, united in building and being the Change we need, and just plain old going out and getting things done.
Best Grassroots Movement: Texans for Obama
Where were you on Feb. 23, 2007? If you were with 20,000 other Austinites on Auditorium Shores, watching Barack Obama before he was even a serious front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, thank Texans for Obama. These determined activists saw the hunger for change and have fought tirelessly to keep that campaign energy high. www.texansforobama.com
Give yourselves a big round of applause, and then get back to work - barely two weeks to go!
There are three ways that Texans can help elect Barack Obama this week! Join us on the Road Trip to Change, make calls to voters in battleground states, or join us at a Generation Obama fundraiser on Tuesday. With only 24 days to go, we need all hands on deck to make sure Barack Obama wins!
15 Seats Left For Road Trip to Change!
It's not too late to join Texans for Obama on a Road Trip to Change! There are only 15 seats left on the two buses headed to New Mexico this weekend. Early voting starts this Saturday in New Mexico. Help get out the early vote for Obama and make a difference in this election! Join us!
Details: Depart: Friday Oct. 17th, 7:00 p.m. from 1107 N I-35
Drive: Ride overnight to New Mexico.
Arrive: Arrive in New Mexico on Saturday morning.
Saturday/Sunday: Go door-to-door identifying and turning out voters for Barack Obama.
Free supporter housing and discount hotel rooms available.
Depart: Sunday, October 19th, 6 p.m. from Obama HQ in NM
Drive: Ride overnight back to Austin. Sleep the whole way home.
Arrive: Monday, October 20th, 7:00 a.m. at 1107 N I-35.
Can't make it to a battleground state in person? Join volunteers every day calling targeted voters in key precincts. Identify the voters that will make a difference for Barack Obama in Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, and Ohio! Each shift will focus on that day's highest-priority voters. Send your voice to a battleground state to get out the vote for Barack Obama.
Call From Home! Can't make it to the office? Host a calling party in your home or at a local coffee shop. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/call4change to Call for Change!
Generation Obama Happy Hour Tuesday!
Generation Obama is hosting a Happy Hour with Paul Tewes this Tuesday. Paul Tewes is a Democratic strategist specializing in national political organizing. Tewes was the Iowa state director for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, and continued to lead Obama's field operations in key states such as Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. According to the Huffington Post, Tewes "is widely regarded among the very most talented of political organizers in the nation," and was "largely responsible for Obama's surprise win in Iowa. Meet him here in Austin this Tuesday!
Generation Obama Happy Hour With Paul Tewes Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Sky Lounge
Address: 416 Congress Ave, Austin TX
Admission: $20 General // $10 Students
Join Us:RSVP Here
Important information for Hurricane Ike voters, passed along from the TDP, you should pass along as well.
Attention All Democrats:
Many voters have been affected by Hurricane Ike. Some may not be able to return to their homes before Election Day and others may find that their local polling location has been damaged and they will need to vote elsewhere. There are options available to these voters which vary depending on the circumstance. Whether you are in an affected county or your county is sheltering Hurricane Ike evacuees, please be aware of the voting options available to you and help facilitate that information to others.
Option 1: VOTE EARLY IN PERSON - If the voter is in or near the county of their residence during Early Voting, they should try to vote then. All Early Voting locations are county-wide, so it won't matter if they are in the right precinct. Early Voting locations can be obtained from the County Early Voting Clerk, listed here:
http://www.txdemocrats.org/.
Option 2: VOTE BY MAIL - If the voter is not going to be in their county of residence for the entire early voting period or on Election Day, absence from the county qualifies the voter to cast a ballot by mail. Voters who choose to exercise this option should make sure that they have somewhere to have their mail ballot sent that is outside their county of residence where either the voter will be for the remainder of the election or where there is someone who can forward it to them. Furthermore, we have recently confirmed with the Texas Secretary of State's office that a mail ballot can be forwarded to a specific address as long as there is an official forwarding request filed with the United States Postal Service (voters can file a formal forwarding request with the United States Postal Service here:
http://www.txdemocrats.org/
*Voters who are over 65 years of age or are disabled are automatically entitled to cast a ballot by mail. These voters may have the ballot sent to their residence, as opposed to being required to have it sent outside the county.
Option 3: VOTE ON ELECTION DAY - Voters must make sure to verify the correct polling location for their precinct. Voting on Election Day is precinct specific, so the voter will need to know exactly which location they must go to, and it may not be the one they are used to using. Elections officials in the affected areas are working to finalize the Election Day locations and they should be available soon. However, the best option is to vote early. If a voter waits until Election Day to vote and there is a problem with their registration or location, it may be too late.
It is the voter's right to cast a ballot in the jurisdiction of their permanent residence, even if that residence doesn't exist anymore. No one, not even an Election Judge, can question a voter's residency.
The Texas Democratic Party is working with our County Chairs and campaigns in the affected areas to make sure that all voters get to exercise their right to vote and have their ballot counted. Voters can visit the TDP website's Voter Information page for more details. You can help by disseminating this information to others who may have friends or loved ones facing these situations.
If you have any questions about how to help these voters exercise their rights, feel free to call the Texas Democratic Party at 512-478-9800.
Your friend and fellow Democrat,
Sondra Haltom
Political Director
Texas Democratic Party
Hey, any economist, or those who play them on TV, I have a question.
If W and Gang (and the the free-market fundamentalists on RedState.com and the like) had succeeded in efforts to privatize Social Security, what would that be like today?
As in, what real affect on real people can we explain to conveniently show how Republican policies just arent good for 98% of the country.
We say "every vote counts" (altho that should probably be 'every counted voted counts' but that is a discussion for later...), but do you know how little change we need to bring among voters to bring the Change we are after? A student at MSU ran some data and made some helpful tables and maps to drive the point home.
If you can at all take a weekend or a few weeks or just phonebank to help out in New Mexico or Colorado, please do. This election might just turn on volunteers bringing out 'just a few more, just a few more'.
For the Stats lover in you...
There have been 12 Presidential elections that were decided by less than a 1% margin; meaning if less than 1% of the voters in certain states had changed their mind to the other candidate the outcome of the entire election would have been different.
That is what this page solves. What is the smallest number of total votes that need to be switched from one candidate to another, and from which states, to affect the outcome of the election?
It's a fast thing you can do in two clicks - SECONDS! The Right is having people vote that Palin is qualified...LET'S TURN THIS AROUND!!!
PBS has a poll that asks: Is Sarah Palin qualified to be VP? Let's turn this around. You don't have to give your name or email address in order to vote. It's very simple.
The October 6 deadline for all eligible, but unregistered voters to become registered is fast approaching us. The link below is a spreadsheet which outlines just how much more work is still needed. Read it!!
As some ad a few years back used to ask: "Will you have enough stories for your grandchildren?" If you can be part of history in this way, you should jump on it!
By earlier announcement asking for volunteers, I am asking for people to go with me to New Mexico from Oct 3 through Oct 13 or any part of that. I plan to drive - 920 miles one way - from Milam, Texas through El Paso to Las Cruces where the campaign says they want the help. I have space for 3 or 4 others and I'd like to be able to split the gas cost. We can get it down below $30 per person. You can't beat that. The campaign has already arranged housing and food. And I'm offering travel that costs only more than hitchhiking!
Let's go. Contact me by email or my cell.
Hill Kemp
Former Texas State Representative
318-256-9793
We are all Texas Proud in Texas, and in many neighboring States. We have Obama for America Foot Soldiers and Troops on the ground Fired Up and Ready To Go! However, the critical sense of urgency in this defining moment of only 51 days to go is victory in the "Battleground States". We are in additional need of Obama for America Foot Soldiers and Troops in some Battle Ground States; New Mexico being one of them.
There are several ways to helps the tens of thousands of your fellow Texans affected by Hurricane Ike.
Donations of food, supplies to the Foodbank are always welcome. Check BurntOrangeReport.com for details on how to help.
Check this earlier post on how to donate time and money to the Central Texas RedCross at Volunteers needed
also, Juan Sepulveda, Texas State Director for Obama for America sends this message:
Dear Texan for Obama --
Help victims of Hurricane Ike Over the last few days, the victims of Hurricane Ike have seen an outpouring of sympathy and support -- and many of you are asking what you can do to help.
Here in Texas, much of the Gulf region was devastated by the storm. Many Texans are returning to homes that have been severely damaged, and more expect to be displaced and without power for several days to come.
But there is something you can do right now to lend a hand to fellow Texans.
Your financial support can strengthen organizations like the American Red Cross that help give shelter to families who have lost their homes and help communities get back on their feet.
Make a donation now to support the American Red Cross today.
Together, I am confident that we can help rebuild the communities affected by Hurricane Ike -- but we need your help.
Right now, you can make a huge impact in the lives of those affected by the storm by donating whatever you can afford -- even $10 -- to make sure the American Red Cross has the resources to help those in need:
Texans like you are already getting involved in the clean up and aid efforts underway across the Gulf area. If you would also like to be a part of those efforts, you can sign up to help an affected area near you:
Now is the time, more than any other for YOU to make a difference in this tight election.
Obama for America URGENTLY needs phone banking volunteers from Central Texas to make calls to fellow Central Texan Obama Supporters and ask if they are available to go to a battleground state for 5 weeks for the Obama for America Campaign. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are asking Texans to find several hundred Texans that can go to the battleground states as FIELD ORGANIZERS by September 29th!
Most Texas volunteers will be going to either NM, CO or Florida. They will need to go to Camp Obama before they leave for a battleground state. The final two Camp Obama sessions are scheduled for September 20-21 and 27-28 right here in Austin. All expenses will be paid by the volunteer, although lodging is provided and typically includes breakfast. The local field offices will also provide some food. Transportation in many cases will be donated by Obama supporters. A web site for free/cheap airline tickets follows: http://www.travelforchange.org or call 650.353.1018 .
If you are interested in helping with these calls then please send Andy Balinsky an email @ balinsky@gmail.com with your name, email, and phone number so that he can assign you an account to access the virtual phonebank for this project. You can call right from home, from the Coordinated campaign Offices and from the 620 Democratic Office. Andy will also put you in touch with Starshine Nolan, Obama For America Central Texas Field Organizer.
This is something we can all do to help OBAMA & BIDEN win!
Please forward this URGENT REQUEST to all of your OBAMA contacts.
The campaign has been waiting for final answers on lots of logistical issues before scheduling trainings and making assignments. We're now at that point.
There are three groups of volunteers that will be assigned to each of the 31 senate districts to perform functions of oversight and monitoring the process. Another group of volunteers will be needed to staff the Obama office and do projects for the operation.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License. Some Rights Reserved. TexansForObama.com 2007 Paid for by TexansForObama & not Authorized by any Candidate or Candidate's Committee. [ADDRESS] Austin, Texas 78768. blog@texansforobama.com
