No Concession....Obama Secures Delegates

CNN
(http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/03/election.democrats/index.html) is reporting that Obama has declared he will be the Democratic Nominee. However, although in her speech, Clinton repeatedly thanks Obama and his supporters (people like you and I), even calling him her "friend" and saying he has run an "extraordinary race," she does not concede the nomination. I wonder what she is waiting for. Tonight, Obama passes the threshold for the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination and it looks like superdelegates are still joining his side. Now is truly the time for everyone to start turning the page. The general election is now less than six months away. If Clinton does not concede now, it certainly does not make any sense and definitely hurts the party. However, we will see what is in store for the New York Senator.

McCain recognizes the fact that Obama probably will be his opponent and has already been trying to skew the idea given by Obama's message of change saying the country must now decide between "the right change and the wrong change, between going forward and going backward." Let's hope people are not fooled and keep listening to the true message of hope.

We need to continue to be vocal in our support of Obama. Six months until everything changes....

Obama Ties Clinton in Superdelegates - Because of YDA

CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/11/campaign.wrap/index.html) is reporting that Senator Obama today has officially tied Senator Clinton in the superdelegates column. But not just any superdelegate came out in support of the likely nominee; it was the Young Democrats of America's own Crystal Strait. As we reported a few months ago, Crystal, National Commitee Woman for YDA, was rumored to be leaning Hillary despite the overwhelming majority of young people in support of Obama. But as of today, Ms. Strait has pledged her vote to Sen. Obama and stated "listening to how young people voted and caucused around the country, I know this was the right decision."

She also goes on to state that she feels supporting Obama will cause those millions of young voters who have cast ballots in the last two general elections to remain involved and come out again this November for their third election in a row. And according to Democratic party research, and a theme consistently stated by YDA, if a young person votes for a particular party in three consecutive elections, they become a party voter for good. Dems for life, or so we hope. What is interesting, and rather powerful, about this statement is that she is implying that not only does she see Obama as the best candidate for President, but she also sees him as having the means to strengthen the Democratic party and its base. A view not always shared (for either candidate) by party players.

I for one am very glad that Crystal is following the voice of her constituents and those that elected her - the members of YDA. I truly hope that YDA's remaining two superdelegates will also make the same decision and pledge their support to the candidate that young people all over the nation have come out to support in mass.

Rolling Stone Endorses Obama

Here's the full article:

A New Hope
JANN S. WENNER

The tides of history are rising higher and faster these days. Read them right and ride them, or be crushed. And then along comes Barack Obama, with the kinds of gifts that appear in politics but once every few generations. There is a sense of dignity, even majesty, about him, and underneath that ease lies a resolute discipline. It's not just that he is eloquent — with that ability to speak both to you and to speak for you — it's that he has a quality of thinking and intellectual and emotional honesty that is
extraordinary.

I first learned of Barack Obama from a man who was at the highest level of George W. Bush's political organization through two presidential campaigns. He described the first-term senator from Illinois as "a walking hope machine" and told me that he would not work for any Republican candidate in 2008 if Obama was nominated. He challenged me to read Obama's autobiography, Dreams From My Father.

The book was a revelation. Here was a man whose honesty about himself and understanding of the human condition are both deep and compassionate. Born to a white mother and an African father, he was raised in multiracial Hawaii and for several years in Indonesia. He drifted through some druggy teenage years — no apologies! — before emerging as a star at Harvard Law School. He chose to work as a community organizer in the projects of Chicago rather than join the wealthy insider world of corporate law. And as a young adult, he searched, in the distant villages of Kenya, for the father and family he never knew.

As I read all this, so elegantly written, my mind kept rolling over: Might it be possible? Is there some fate by which we could have this man as president of the United States?

Throughout the primaries, and during a visit he paid to our offices, we have come to know Barack Obama, his toughness and his grace. He would not be intimidated, and he declined to back down, when Senator Clinton called him "frankly, naive" for his willingness to meet leaders of hostile nations. When one of her top campaign officials tried to smear him for his earlier drug use, he did not equivocate or backtrack. On the matter of experience and capability, he has run an impressive, nearly flawless campaign — one that whupped America's most hard-boiled political infighters. Indeed, Obama was far more prepared to run a presidential campaign — from Day One — than Senator Clinton. And at no point did he go negative with personal attacks or character assassination; as much as they might have been justified, they didn't even seem tempting to him.

Obama has emerged by displaying precisely the kind of character and judgment we need in a president: renouncing the politics of fear, speaking frankly on the most pressing issues facing the country and sticking to his principles. He recognizes that running for president is an opportunity to inspire an entire nation.

All this was made clearer by the contrast with Hillary Clinton, a capable and personable senator who has run the kind of campaign that reminds us of what makes us so discouraged about our politics. Her campaign certainly proved her experience didn't count for much: She was a bad manager and a bad strategist who naturally and easily engaged in the politics of distraction, trivialization and personal attack. She never convinced us that her vote for the war in Iraq was anything other than a strategic political calculation that placed her presidential ambitions above the horrifying consequences of a war. Her calibrated course corrections over the past three years were painful. Like John Kerry — who also voted for the war while planning a presidential run — it helped cost her that goal.

Although Obama declined to attack her personally for her vote for the war in Iraq, he did call it, devastatingly enough, a clear demonstration of her so-called experience and "judgment." He has also spoken forcefully about the need to break the grip of lobbyists — at a time when Clinton is the largest recipient of drug-company donations of anyone in Congress. Clinton could not address this issue at all, and neither will John McCain, who is equally a player in Washington's lobbyist culture.

Obama also denounced the Republican campaign of fear. Early in the campaign, John Edwards took the lead, calling the War on Terror a campaign slogan, not a policy. Obama rejected the subtle imagery of false patriotism by not wearing a flag pin in his lapel, and he dismissed the broader notion that the Democratic Party had to find a way to buy into this entire load of fear-mongering War on Terror bullshit — to out-Republican the Republicans — and thus become, in his description of Hillary Clinton's macho posturing on foreign policy, little more than "Bush-Cheney lite."

The similarities between John Kennedy and Barack Obama come to mind easily: the youth, the magnetism, the natural grace, the eloquence, the wit, the intelligence, the hope of a new generation.

But it might be more to the point to view Obama as Lincolnesque in his own origins, his sobriety and what history now demands.

We have a deeply divided nation, driven apart by economic policies that have deliberately created the largest income disparities in our history, with stunning tax breaks for the wealthiest and subsidies for giant industries. The income of the average citizen is stagnant, and his quality of life continues to slowly erode from inflation.

We are embittered and hobbled by the unnecessary and failed war in Iraq. We have been worn down by long years of fear- and hate-filled political strategies, assaults on constitutional freedoms, and levels of greed and cynicism, that — once seen for what they are — no people of moral values or ethics can tolerate.

A new president must heal these divides, must at long last face the hypocrisy and inequity of unprecedented government handouts to oil giants, hedge-fund barons, agriculture combines and drug companies. At the same time, the new president must transform our lethal energy economy — replacing oil and coal and the ethanol fraud with green alternatives and strict rain-forest preservation and tough international standards — before the planet becomes inhospitable for most human life. Although Obama has been slow to address global warming, I feel confident that his intelligence and morality will lead him clearly on this issue.

We need to recover the spiritual and moral direction that should describe our country and ourselves. We see this in Obama, and we see the promise he represents to bring factions together, to achieve again the unity that drives great change and faces difficult, and inconvenient, truths and peril.

We need to send a message to ourselves and to the world that we truly do stand for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And in electing an African-American, we also profoundly renounce an ugliness and violence in our national character that have been further stoked by our president in these last eight years.

Like Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama challenges America to rise up, to do what so many of us long to do: to summon "the better angels of our nature."

Why We Need Universal Healthcare

If anyone questions why we need universal healthcare in America, they have not seen this story:

Young Democrats of America to Ignore Members and Vote Clinton?

The Young Democrats of America, the official arm of the DNC for people under 36 across the country, has three superdelegates that will be able to cast their votes at the convention in Denver. As we all know, every superdelegate vote is going to mean something significant...at least if the nomination process continues to be as tight as it has been. Each of these three people, the YDA President, National Committeeman and National Comitteewoman, were elected at the YDA Convention in Dallas by the members of YDA.

A few weeks ago, YDA President David Hardt, declared to the press that he was supporting Sen. Clinton, after receiving calls from the whole Clinton family (and yes, Bill included). Of course it is against the YDA rules for the organization to endorse a candidate in the primary, so why is David announcing he is voting for Clinton to the press when he represents YDA more than anyone?

From the Statesman of Austin, TX: http://www.statesman.com/search/content/region/legislature/stories/02/07/0207texprez.html

"Superdelegate David Hardt of Dallas, officially uncommitted because he is president of the Young Democrats of America, plans to vote for Clinton after fielding calls from her, her husband and their daughter Chelsea, who also visited him."

But it does not stop there. The YDA National Committeeman to the DNC, Francisco Domenech, has even officially announced he is supporting and voting for Sen. Clinton at the convention. The National Committeewoman, Crystal Strait, has yet to announce anything officially, but is rumored to be joining her fellow officers in casting her powerful vote for Clinton as well. As reported on the blog FutureMajority.com at http://futuremajority.com/node/981

"Domenech declared his support for Hillary Clinton in December. Crystal Strait would not declare support for a candidate during our conversation, but the youth rumor mill has it that she will likely cast her ballot for Clinton..."

While there is no official poll of YDA members to show who the body's members support, more than 60% of young people have turned out to vote for Obama in the primary elections held across the country according to exit polls and national media polling. In fact, as I have reported on this blog before, the young vote has been the deciding factor in several states for Sen. Obama. This sounds like a pretty good way to me to determine who the membership of YDA supports. And just looking around the conference hall of a recent YDA meeting will give you the exact same impression: The majority of YDA members support Obama.

I understand each superdelegate has the ability to vote for whomever they choose, I think the leaders of YDA need to recognize who they represent and, more importantly, how they represent them - they were elected by the members. The members who support Sen. Obama. If all of the YDA superdelegates cast their vote for Clinton, it shows that YDA casts its vote for Clinton. And this is just simply not the case. Follow your members David, Francisco and Crystal - support Sen. Obama.

Mayor Bloomberg is Out

It's official.

Mayor Bloomberg of New York City will not run for President of the United States.

Bloomberg is a highly respected politician. He has worked vigorously and successfully to reform the city's education system, keep guns off the street, maintain a strong economy and solve global warming.

Bloomberg's success is due to his ability to act independently of any one party's ideological constraints. Thankfully, in a NY Times editorial, Bloomberg has vowed to stay involved in national politics and endorse a truly independent candidate:

If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy — I’ll join others in helping that candidate win the White House.

I believe that Generation Obama believes in Barack, because we believe in a new approach to politics. We believe in Senator Obama, because he believes in a nonpartisan approach to solving America's problems. Generation Obama is excited about a new approach to politics that escapes the partisan gridlock of the past.

I encourage all of you to send a message to Mayor Bloomberg that lets him know we would welcome and appreciate his endorsement, and that explains why you believe that Senator Obama is the true independent in this race that he is looking for:

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)

FAX (212) 788-2460

E-MAIL:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Houston, We Have Liftoff

After an exciting win in Wisconsin last night, Barack Obama gave an inspiring speech in Houston. What follows is a firsthand account from Generation Obama member Christopher Gregg of Houston, TX:

It was amazing to walk to the Toyota Center and see the line to the entrance wrapped around the corner. It seemed as if all of Texas was represented in the line.

Before Barack spoke, I had a chance to sit with this older African American man and just talk about Barack. He had to be in his 70's, and he had a lot of good things to say. What really hit me, was when he started to talk about some of the struggles he had gone through growing up here in America. Then he kind of paused, looked up, let out a breath of relief and said, "I never would have thought in my lifetime I would ever see this day.”

That did it for me. I understood exactly what he was saying. I understood even more so how important this time is for America. The beautiful things is, what he said is exactly what Barack Obama's message is all about: Hope and Change.

When Barack came out, the place went nuts. You know when you witness something real dynamic and you start to get chills? When you can look in the audience and you know you are with the right party because you feel so comfortable? It was one of those moments.

The thing is, Barack has not changed or wavered from what he believes in and still manages to grow his party. I guess what I got out of the whole thing is what everyone is starting to get. McCain, Hillary and the others want to talk policy, which is fine. Barack has a plan of action also. The major difference that he brought last night is opening up the grey area between old America and the new America. That is the Change that he is talking about and Hope he explains.

He made a very good point at the end when it came to Hope. He explained how he was raised by a single mother and his grandparents after his father left when he was two. He went on to talk about how he went to school, got his education, did his time as a Senator, and now he is standing in front of us today. The place erupted and cheered, "That is what Hope is all about!”

Hands down this is one of the most important things I have ever experienced and I am so glad I had the chance. Most of the people I know have parents that fought, struggled, and suffered so we could get to this point. Let's not let them down, it is now our turn to do our part. They got us the right to vote, let's make the right choice!

And in case you missed the Houston speech, here it is:

Part I

Part II

Give Your Age

If you are part of Generation Obama, you are probably a lot like me when it comes to money. I do not have a lot of expendable income, but I still believe it is important to give to the charities and causes that I care deeply about. So, what is someone my age supposed to do if they want to contribute to Barack Obama?

Well, I think I've stumbled upon a good strategy that will help out the campaign and not hurt my wallet - I am going to give my age.

With two critical contests on the horizon in Texas and Ohio, I am going to make a contribution for change with some of my own.

I encourage you to do the same!

For the price of a few cocktails or a dinner out, Generation Obama can contribute to changing America.

So, how much am I giving? $25! But I promise, I don't look a day over 24.

Contribute: https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/main?source=homedropdown

70% of Young Voters Vote Obama in Wisconsin

The news is in. And, as has become par for the course over the last 3 weeks, Obama is victorious in yet another state. With an estimated 57% of the vote, Obama will win Wisconsin to add to his post-Super Tuesday sweep. The state has a total of 92 delegates, and with this win, Obama will lead the total delegate count (including supers) by close to 60 delegates. Since this is the Generation Obama blog, let's focus not only on the unstoppable momentum behind the campaign, but specifically on how the youth vote continues to turn out in force to support Senator Obama.

CNN Exit Polls show a whopping 70% of voters under the age of 30 voted for the Senator from Illinois, compared to just 26% of the vote for Senator Clinton. The under 30 vote made up 16% of the total estimated turnout, with the under 44 vote accounting for 38% of the total vote. One other unrelated, yet interesting exit poll stat: the female vote was split 50/50 between the two major candidates, with the male vote heavily in Obama's favor. Barack is showing he can pull support from all demographics and is not just a candidate of the young or the black or the men, he has support from all groups.

The Obama Generation is stronger than ever and shows no signs of slowing. I predict closer races in Texas and Ohio, but I think this momentum of hope will still deliver 52-54% of the vote for the Obama campaign in Ohio. Texas might be very close, and may give the edge to Hillary because of the predicted Hispanic support. But if Barack sweeps both of these, there will be surprised bloggers here!

Full CNN Exit Poll numbers available here: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#WIDEM

Texas Students Organize for Obama

There is no doubt that the March 4th contests in Ohio and Texas are going to be critical to the Obama campaign. In a tight race for delegates, surprising wins in these states could make an important difference. Again, it will likely fall on Generation Obama to push the Senator to victory in these states. It turns out, students in Texas area already heeding the call to action:

On the University of Texas campus students for Obama are already organizing - hoping to push him to victory on March 4 primary.

Austin City Councilman Mike Martinez is leading the troops.

"We think we can win Texas, we know we can win Texas. But we can't do it without you guys," Martinez told of group of students.

Nearly 150 students putting their hearts into political action - attending a Valentine's Day rally for volunteers.

"The whole campus is really excited about it, people wearing shirts putting up signs and everything like that," Obama supporter Bryan Farmer said. "It's going to be a huge youth involvement come March 4th. I think it's going to be a huge blowout for Barack Obama here in Austin and probably the whole state."

Here's hoping Bryan is right!

Mom Voted Democrat!

Below is a great story that we received via email from Kess Leake-Campbell of Lorton, VA. If you have a story that you would like to share, email stories@generationobama.com:

When I turned eighteen in 1981, I registered to vote Democratic. My mother accused me of registering Democrat simply because my parents were Republican and I was being a rebellious child and “just had to be different”. The conversation would be revisited over the years at various family gatherings when politics would come up and I would tell her again, what I told her then, "It's how I feel I should vote, Mom," and leave it at that.

Yesterday, I sat down with my Mom and played the "Yes We Can" video for her and asked her if it reminded her of Kennedy's campaign for president. She said that it was very much like watching that event happen all over again. And then she said to me, "Don't tell anyone, but I voted for him too." I almost fell out of my chair! My mother...voted Democrat!

She then went on to tell me that she had been listening to Senator Obama's speeches and had seen him on Oprah, and that she felt he just might be the person to help us keep from losing our country. "I was holding you in my arms, crying as I watched the news tell us that President Kennedy had been shot," she tells me, "and it was if all the dreams, the hopes....it was the end of an era. Now, there's a new era, and it has the same feeling of hope, of promise, that we had back then. I never thought I'd live to see it happen again, and I am so grateful I am part of it now."

I, too, have hope.

For generations, my family members have served our country, and have always respected the office of the President. We may not always like the person inhabiting that office, but we do respect the position and duty. This time around, I have felt that our country is being systematically deconstructed. Freedoms, ideals, concepts and beliefs are being challenged and blocked. The basic rights - to be able to love whom we wish, to live in peace, to have privacy and security - those rights are being challenged and blocked and removed piece by piece. I have hope that Senator Obama will be the president that restores our rights, restores our peace and reinforces our security. I hope that as our President, Barack Obama will rebuild the trust that the United States of America once was given by other countries and other peoples.

Like my Mom said, "I am so grateful I am part of it now." - I am grateful to be part of the new generation of hope.

Rendell Needs to Apologize

What so inspires me about Barack Obama is that he speaks about a new generation of politics, one where the old superficial divisions of race, gender, sexuality, etc. are no longer relevant. Unfortunately, it appears that some people still want to hold fast to the politics of the past. In a direct blow to the ideals that Generation Obama aspires to, Governor Ed Rendell, a Clinton supporter, made some questionable comments to the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Below is meeting particpant Tony Norman's account of what happened at the meeting:

Gov. Ed "Don't Call Me 'Fast Eddie' " Rendell met with the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week to talk about his latest budget. But before turning the meeting over to his number-crunchers, our voluble governor weighed in on the primary fight between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama and what the Illinois senator could expect from the good people of Pennsylvania at the polls:

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," he said bluntly. Our eyes only met briefly, perhaps because the governor wanted to spare the only black guy in the room from feeling self-conscious for backing an obvious loser. "I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann [2006 Republican gubernatorial candidate] been the identical candidate that he was --well-spoken [note: Mr. Rendell did not call the brother "articulate"], charismatic, good-looking -- but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so."

I know I have a habit of sometimes zoning out in these meetings, but it sounded to me like Mr. Rendell had unilaterally declared Pennsylvania to be Alabama circa 1963. Was he suggesting that Pennsylvanians are uniquely racist in ways that folks in the states Mr. Obama has won so far aren't? By the way, Mr. Obama won Alabama on Super Tuesday, thank you very much!

What accounts for Mr. Rendell's overweening confidence that, no matter what, he'll always find a way to overcome the odds by at least 17 points even in a racist commonwealth, but that Mr. Obama can't?

If Mr. Rendell, a Clinton backer, is right about Pennsylvania's racial attitudes, maybe we should get a new state slogan. How about: "You've got a friend with a pointy white hood in Pennsylvania"

Governor Rendell must apologize for these comments immediately and seek forgiveness from the voters of Pennsylvania. His stereotyping is disrespectful and is the type of divisive politics we need to leave in the past.

I Voted for Change

This morning I left my apartment in the District of Columbia to head to the polls and vote for Barack Obama.

While I was walking down the street, I was immediately struck by how many smiles and knowing nods I recieved. Apparently people like the "Obama 08" sticker stuck to my coat. I was also excited when I got these nods from a group of soldiers and FBI agents on their way to work. Who doesn't want the support of the folks who are defending our country every day?

It was about a 45 minute commute to my polling place by subway, which is quite a distance to travel to vote in a city. However, the frustration of the commute was eased by a woman sitting next to me. She immediately struck up a conversation about how she loved my sticker and had just voted for Obama.

Finally I got to my polling place and was able to cast my vote for change. I gotta tell you, it was a great way to start the morning!

I am excited to see the vote count this evening, but I beleive Generation Obama will carry the Potomac Primary for Barack. We'll have to review those exit polls.

Our Next First Lady

This originally was broadcast on CNN last night:

The Choice is Stark

I cannot wait until the general election, when Senator Obama will have an opportunity to tell the man who wants to stay in Iraq for 10,000 years that he was against the war from the start!

A funny (and scary) parody:

Obama Has Intriguing Ideas for Helping You Go to College

A piece of the Obama platform that I was not very familiar with before this weekend is the American Opportunity Tax Credit. I was listening to the Senator's speech he was giving in Maine on Saturday and this program really caught my attention.

Here is the text off of the campaign website:

"Obama will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Obama will also ensure that the tax credit is available to families at the time of enrollment by using prior year's tax data to deliver the credit when tuition is due. "

What is not covered in this statement is what really caught my attention during the speech, which he also gave the next day outside D.C. in Alexandria, VA. Obama said "and we are going to ask for something in return." He went on to explain that in order to receive these much needed funds, the student would need to contribute back to society through community service of their choice. While details were not given as far as the level of contribution or what qualifies, I found this incredibly interesting and saw it as very much a fresh idea. I for one am not a fan of "forced" volunteering, which is what I assume is what some will call it. But the idea of motivating young people to give back to not the government, but society and our country in order to get a helping hand is fantastic.

These are the kinds of ideas that you don't usually hear, and even now they are getting lost in the major platform pieces that are largely idealist and rhetorical statements from all candidates - because they pretty much have no choice. But listen closely for the little things and sometimes they can really show how one candidate can provide a different outlook on solving our problems that provides for a true win-win situation for our citizens.

Give back to others in society and you can go to college. Kind of like "Pay It Forward". Intriguing and inspiring, it can work.

Obama Fever - The Momentum Keeps Growing

Louisiana, Washington, US V.I., Nebraska and now Maine. Obama won decisively in each of this past weekend's contests. We are not talking about a squeak by victory here either. Obama supporters turned up to support him to the tune of between 59 and nearly 70 percent of the vote in each of these states. The delegate count, which as we all know is impossible to nail down completely because of the ambiguous "super" delegates, now shows Sen. Obama within about 30 delegates. Take out the super delegates and Obama is ahead.

If you have only listened to the news for the last week or two, you may think this was to be expected and the Obama campaign is performing as they should have. While I agree they are performing as they should have, this was indeed not expected by the polls, pundits or journalists just weeks ago. Clinton has held a theoretical lead in this race for months, according to the press. But with every inspirational speech, more and more light bulbs turn on above voter's heads. They see that there is a possibility for hope and that there is a candidate who can put aside the political mess of the past 8 years and provide a fresh voice and a healthy direction for the country.

The Obama Fever is sweeping the country and the more time the voter's have to watch and listen to what Sen. Obama has to say, the more likely they are to vote for him. VA, MD and DC look just as exciting as the contests over the weekend. Virginia's Gov. Kaine has endorsed him and the movement on the ground in the "Potomac Primary" region is amazing.

Look for more wins tomorrow, the Obama Fever has no cure!

Seizing Opportunity

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in the Potomac Primary, as I trekked with friends through the suburbs of Virginia knocking on doors with the intention of asking folks to vote for Obama. However, it turned out that we did not need to ask anyone for their vote. Door after door, with the exception of the few people not home, voters opened their homes to us and immediately exclaimed that they support Barack Obama!

While we may not have had a chance to encourage more people to vote for Obama, it was striking to be out on the streets and witness the enormous amount of support Obama has. We spoke with young people, older people, women and men, and they were all proud to be for Obama.

When we came back to the District later in the day with our Obama buttons still fastened to our coats, a friend and I were bombarded with requests for buttons from folks that also wanted to show their support for Obama. We were even asked for a button by a woman looking for one for her Obama-supporting Republican mother. It was great!

I am excited about a potential Obama sweep in Maryland, Virginia and the District on Tuesday. Yesterday confirmed for me that Obama really does have the ability to transcend the political divisions that have split our country for way too long. Obama can bring us together again for a brighter future.

Barack's VA JJ Dinner Speech

I was watching this video on mute at a local pub last night and I was amazed at how inspiring the speech was just from reading the closed caption version. My friend told me it was because I can hear Barack's voice booming in my head. I think he was having the same experience. Well, whatever the reason, you should all check it out with sound:

My Opportunity

Today Americans in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington and the Virgin Islands will have an opportunity to caucus or vote for Barack Obama. Today is also the first day that I will be on the streets walking door-to-door telling folks to vote for Barack Obama.

On Tuesday is the Potomac Primary, which includes Maryland, DC and Virginia. It appears that the race will be closest in Virginia, so I will be canvassing Northern Virginia with fellow Generation Obama supporters.

I very rarely go out and canvass for a candidate. In terms of Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts, it's probably my least favorite activity. Of course I believe that it is important to engage voters one-on-one, but it can also make me very anxious walking up to a stranger's home on a weekend day and asking them to cast their ballot for a particular candidate.

I feel less anxious canvassing for Obama today, because I believe that this election is so important to my generation. I also believe that Barack Obama is the candidate that we need today, not tomorrow. I am confident that I can make the case for Obama because, simply, he is a candidate that inspires that type of confidence.

I cannot wait to blog about my efforts and success. And I can't wait to pound the pavement for Obama, and to let people know why I believe America needs Barack's leadership.

Obama Has Young People to Thank for Super Tuesday Success

It's official! Obama can send a big fat thank you to those under 30. The young voters of Super Tuesday pushed him over the edge in several states, which has played a big role in his recent unheard of fundraising abilities.

Jack Cafferty of CNN shared a few of his thoughts at http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/08/young-people-revved-up-for-election/. Including:

"For example, Barack Obama won Missouri by just 10,000 votes. That’s a state where 75,000 young people voted for him. The fact is Obama probably owes thanks to young people for a lot of his Super Tuesday victories. In fact, Obama won the youth vote in 19 of the 22 states that voted on Tuesday."

As I mentioned in my last post, the youth turnout on Super Tuesday was amazing and included a triple turnout in Georgia and several other key states. Obama gets close to 60% of the youth vote on average, considerably more in some states. The combination of this powerful up and coming generation supporting Sen. Obama AND getting out to the polls in record breaking numbers is really paying off.

Gone are the days of young people being "lazy" and not getting to the polls, or not caring because their vote "didn't matter". This is a powerful and mighty voting force that is showing they care about this country, and they care about seeing Barack Obama with the title "President" before his name come January 09.

Karl

Which Generation?

David Ignatius has an interesting OpEd in the Washington Post, in which he explores what generation will have the most appeal to voters. Will voters elect the third Baby Boomer in a row with Hillary Clinton; Will voters regress backwards towards the Greatest Generation with John McCain; Or will voters turn the page towards the next generation with Barack Obama? It looks like Obama may have the advantage as far as history is concerned:

The most obvious and emotional generational appeal is Obama's. The 46-year-old senator, though technically a baby boomer, is really the bow wave of the next generation now rising in politics. Watching him Tuesday night, appearing on television immediately after John McCain, it was striking just how young he looked. Even his soaring rhetoric has a generational pitch. "Our time has come, our moment is real, and change is coming to America," he said.

The Kennedy comparison is overused with Obama. But on this issue, it's entirely justified. JFK was a candidate of generational change -- of youth and "vigor," as the Kennedys liked to say. Part of what charmed America and the world in 1960 was that Jack and Jackie were so young and marked such a break with Dwight Eisenhower's "granddad" Republicanism. America in 1960 was confident and restless enough to roll the dice and vote for a 43-year-old.

The Youth Vote Turning Out for Obama

While MTV is not known for great political coverage and has been unsuccessful in its attempts at GOTV efforts, there is an interesting article on their site about Super Tuesday results and how the youth vote played a very, very important role. Especially for the inspirational Senator from Illinois.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1581027/20080206/id_0.jhtml

Young voters coming out in force, as shown by this quote from the article:

"According to the results of CNN's exit polls and tabulations from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, young voters turned out in record numbers in more than 20 states. In practically every state holding a primary or caucus Tuesday, youth turnout increased astronomically, doubling, tripling and even quadrupling the turnout in the 2000 and 2004 electoral seasons. "

And they are mostly doing it for Obama:

"CBS News reports that Illinois Senator Barack Obama owes much of his victories Tuesday to America's young voters. Nationwide, Obama netted 59 percent of voters under 30 years old, while New York Senator Hillary Clinton was supported by 38 percent. "

The youth voting movement has been building significantly over the last few election cycles and it looks like this year it is finally really coming to life. Youth turnout tripling in Georgia to help nominate Sen. Obama?? Amazing. And it is happening all over the country for the most part.

I've been to many, many speeches and talks from political leaders where they have been telling young people that we are "the leaders of tomorrow". You have seen this rhetoric shift slightly over the last year or so to "you are not the leaders of tomorrow, you are the leaders of TODAY!" Putting the fact that many young people are running for office across the nation aside, the first step to being the leaders of today is to make a significant impact on the political process...by voting. And that is most definitely happening today.

Karl

A Whisper from Springfield that Swept the Country

Obama's Super Tuesday speech:

Some Light-Hearted Election Fun

I am a big fan of the movie Election and I probably was Tracy Flick in high school, so I found this pretty funny:

Super, Super Tuesday in Perspective

Obama campaign manager, David Plouffe, set the right tone yesterday, when he explained in a memo that the candidate's supporters should not expect any sort of blowout this evening when the results start rolling in. Instead, we should be focused on running a campaign for delegates and buidling up enough momentum to dominate the states that vote after February 5th.

Super Tuesday is as close to a national election that we are going to get in this primary cycle, and it would be impossible to expect Senator Obama to overcome the overwhelming name recognition that the Clintons' enjoy. Amazingly, Obama has been able to overcome huge polling deficits in just a few days in some delegate rich states. It is certainly clear that momentum is on our side, and it is momentum and a belief in hope and change that will win this nomination and the White House.

While many of us have been in this fight for over a year now, many Americans are just starting to get to know Barack Obama. In the coming weeks, after Super Tuesday, most Americans will finally have an opportunity to know Barack. And once America knows Barack, they will feel the fierce urgency of now that has already permeated the electorate in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Once America knows Barack, America will give him the opportunity to change America.

Dave Matthews Endorses Obama

This is a little self-indulgent, but Dave Matthews Band is one of my favorite groups:

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you well.

A question, a reflection, and an endorsement.

Why is our country divided?
Why has this division been growing?

Can we not all agree that we are a country that supports its families, that protects
its citizens and respects its neighbors?
A country that educates its children?
Are we not a country that can lead by example rather than by force?
Is ours a government of the people, by the people, for the people?

I would like to think so.
But 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.
And so we are divided.

It is time for a change and that is why I support Barack Obama for President.

Respectfully,

Dave Matthews

Media Hype?

I was watching the Today Show this morning and caught another story about 2008 being the year of the youth vote. While it is certainly easy to get caught up in media hype, I truly believe that this is the year that youth will make a difference.

What is so inspiring about Generation Y is their committment to politics and their genuine interest in the well-being of America.

It is also amazing that this generation has no interest in continuing the partisan fights of yesterday. This generation is ready to turn the page and is truly ready to solve the problems that confront us all today. This is a generation of pragmatic idealists.

And that is why Generation Y is also Generation Obama. Senator Obama truly understands that America needs to heal and move forward. This generation is not seeking compromise on the issues that matter, but we are asking for a new way. We are asking for a successful government that can provide true solutions for the people.

I am proud to be a member of Generation Y and Generation Obama.

Youth Matters

Time Magazine does a magnificent job analyzing the youth vote in 2008 and the critical role it has played in Obama's success. As the article clearly states, Obama asked and worked for the youth vote and that is why Generation Obama exists:

Obama's outreach to students didn't spring from some starry-eyed principle. It started as a specific element of his early strategy in Iowa. The first-in-the-nation caucuses allow 17-year-olds to vote if they are going to turn 18 before the general election, which means most high school seniors are eligible. To win those kids, Obama did something unusual in politics: he made them a genuine priority. After his rallies in towns across the state, he met backstage with student leaders from the area — a privilege most campaigns reserve for local VIPs and fund raisers. He also hired as his youth-vote coordinator Hans Riemer, a veteran of Rock the Vote, which has been working to mobilize the student vote for years, with increasing success. Riemer extracted a promise that his work would be an integral part of the overall campaign, not a lip-serviced, photo-op'ed afterthought. His timing was perfect. The art of political organizing is in the midst of a broad philosophical overhaul that erases many of the old distinctions between young voters and their elders.

And the result of Obama's outreach is clear:

Obama is the only candidate in either party who is viewed favorably by a majority of young people, and he has half again as much support as his nearest competitor, Democrat or Republican.

Now Generation Obama needs to continue to rally their friends for the rest of the campaign season:

Basically, it's 19th century politics using 21st century tools. The idea is rooted in a deceptively simple truth: voters are more likely to go to the polls if they are asked face-to-face by someone they trust. The rediscovery of this antique notion began in the 1990s when researchers at Yale University published several influential studies proving that personal canvassing is more effective than direct mail or phone calls from strangers. In 2001, Republicans put the idea to a test in several special congressional elections, and the extra money and time devoted to door-knocking produced instant results. So the G.O.P. expanded the effort in 2002, then applied it to presidential politics in 2004. The party's mammoth "72-Hour Project" — named for the final weekend of the campaign, when G.O.P. volunteers made literally millions of personal pitches — helped George W. Bush become the first candidate since 1988 to win a majority of the popular vote.

Bridging the Political Divide

It is not just Democrats that believe in Obama, but he also represents a new generation of politics that can transcend the divisions that disunited us all in the past. In a Washington Post column, Peter Wehner, a former Bush administration insider, explains why Republicans believe in Obama:

A third reason for Obama's GOP appeal is that unlike Clinton and especially John Edwards, Obama has a message that, at its core, is about unity and hope rather than division and resentment. He stresses that "out of many we are one." And to his credit, Barack Obama is running a color-blind campaign. "I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a white South Carolina or a black South Carolina," Obama said in his victory speech last weekend. "I saw South Carolina." That evening, his crowd of supporters chanted as one, "Race doesn't matter." This was an electric moment. Obama's words are in the great tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Obama, more than any figure in America, can help bind up the racial wounds of America. In addition, for the past eight years, one of the most prominent qualities of the American left has been anger, which has served it and the country very poorly. An Obama primary win would be a move away from the politics of rage.

Yes We Can!