I challenge every DUer

[Emit]

to get out and volunteer for our Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama, at least once, over the next few months.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008, will be the 56th consecutive quadrennial United States presidential election and our country will select the next President of the United States and Vice President of the United States.

We have 5 months to get involved. 5 months to contact your local Democratic Party office and offer your services. 5 months to contact your local Obama campaign office if and/or when one is set up in your area. 5 months to go on line and offer to volunteer through http://my.barackobama.com. 5 months to contact your voter registrar's office and volunteer to register new voters or work at the polls.

Phone banking, door knocking, stuffing envelopes, sending mailers, dropping literature, making copies, hosting a party, surveying voters, voter registration, volunteering to help at an event, offering to bring food to your party headquarters, offering to clean and/or organize your party headquarters' office, offering to drop off yard signs, calling your friends and families, talking to your neighbors, putting up signs in your own yards and bumper stickers on your cars, sending money, writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, participating in critical GOTV activities like organizing teams, driving voters to the polls, poll watching, calling and knocking to urge voters to get out and vote.

There are hundreds of ways to help get this man elected and now is the time for us to step up to the plate, turn off the internets and go out and do this -- let's help get this man elected.

Who's with me on this?

[Emit]

1. No one?

:shrug:

:(

[AtomicKitten]

2. Absolutely. The battle begins tonight.

:thumbsup:

[Emit]

4. Thank you!

Thank you, thank you.

Yes.

[Barack_America]

3. Voter reg events in Philly this weekend.

Both Saturday and Sunday.

PM me if interested.

[Emit]

62. Thanks for your work, Kristi1696

I happen to enjoy voter registration in particular, and I am impressed with the numbers of new voters over the last few years. I think it will be key in this GE to continue voter registration -- the Dem party, of course, has hit record numbers lately thanks to this Primary.

Thanks again for your work -- we need people like you! :hi:

[Solon]

5. I'll vote against McCain, that's about as much as I'm willing to do...

and before you state that I'm some bitter Hillary supporter, on the contrary, I would say the same damn thing if Hillary was the nominee instead. I'm not exactly a fan of the Democratic party in my state right now, and I hate our Attorney General right now, who is running for governor, by the way. So I'm not a happy person right now.

[Aloha Spirit]

7. but...

[Solon]

11. First off, cute pic, second off, no, no huggy time...

frankly, I'm puzzled as to why people are so excited that a Moderate won the nomination at all. Wow, that's like, typical, what's atypical is that he is a member of a minority, and that is historic, but beyond that, there is nothing to be excited about in regards to the guy. Just more of the same.

[Emit]

27. I understand the purist position

Neither Obama nor Clinton were my first choice. But, that question no longer applies -- it's out of our control -- and after Bush & Co., I welcome Obama and will work for him against McCain.

[Solon]

33. This has nothing to do with purity, but acceptability instead...

Hell, even Kucinich wasn't all that, I disagreed with him on many things as well, but at least he was acceptable. Obama and Clinton, not so much. I agree with them less than half the time.

[Emit]

48. The things you are talking about do have to do with purism, imo ...

... and electability to a large degree

[Solon]

50. Frankly, I don't care, there is no one in government who comes even close to representing...

any of the policies or positions I agree with, not on the local, state, or federal level. For all my adult life, the act of voting has been an exercise in frustration and disappointment. I don't see any change in that here for the future.

[iconicgnom]

37. I don't understand such "purism". In fact I think it's counter-intuitive

The Dems have finished their primaries with an exciting candidate, and we already, tonight, got a first hand look at the difference there is, the kind of fight it'll be, between Obama and McCain. I look forward to that fight! Oh, do I! I look forward to a conclusive Dem win and the door slamming on a rogue administration that was tearing the heart out of not just the US, but of the free world.

This "same old centrist thing" talking point is a load of BS. It throws a wet blanket over a flawed understanding and claims "hey, that's just how it is".

[Solon]

38. Being a wet blanket is what I'm good at...

there is no denying that Obama is better than McCain, however he doesn't represent a great shift in the Democratic party either. What I fear is that so many people are so excited that they forget that. A lot of people are setting themselves up for disappointment. The fact is that Obama is a centrist, you can go to his website yourself and see all of his policy positions, and look at how moderate he really is. That's just a fact, not BS.

[iconicgnom]

39. The fact is that the US has enormous momentum and that Obama is facing an most enormous challenge.

I can see that you enjoy the smell of disappointment and keep it close, and prefer that others feel a sense of disappointment so it can feed you. Else why would you post this absolute bullshit on this night of nights?

cyall, I'm heading off to bed

[Aloha Spirit]

29. Well, if you'll recall, Obama was not the first choice for many, many of us. Too lazy to find those

polls for ya.
The bad situation our country's in makes us a wee bit desperate--totally possible.
But let's give the guy a chance.
Now, the Natl Journal says Obama's the most liberal Senator.
I know that's a lie, but moderate?
Here's a guy who's considered single payer healthcare, prison reform, legalizing weed, starting bold service programs.. substantial capital gains taxes and tax reform...
He doesn't know everything all the time, and in fact says some stupid stuff. But I'll back this guy, because I fairly trust him and respect his campaign. That's just how I feel about my fourth choice for nominee. (After this many months, he's not exactly an enigma).
And people seem to like him.
The three-syllable chanting freaks me out, but it works for other people.
Whatever, time to bedtime.
Hey, I'm glad you're voting!
Please though, can you give the guy a good faith effort to keep an open mind? we can revisit whether or not Obama's typical in a couple weeks, after he's been campaigning virtually nonstop for eight months.

[Solon]

32. He's not for single payer health care, look at his campaign website if you don't believe me...

He supports some pie in the sky bullshit about access that does nothing to address people who can't afford not only premiums, but co-pays and deducts as well. In addition to that, I don't agree with him on energy independence, indeed, I think he's being completely stupid there, in addition to his environmental policies, which seemed to have been lifted wholesale from the DLC, etc.

In addition, most of his reforms are the same as Hillary's, would you have been just as excited if she had won instead?

[Aloha Spirit]

35. he's discussed single payer... he seems fairly oblivious about the environment, and yes, if Hillary

were a different person with the same platform, I'd be somewhat psyched.

[Solon]

36. Discussed doesn't equal support, he doesn't support it...

Indeed, his health care plan is a mess, to put it simply.

[bhikkhu]

45. Congress is where the health care thing gets done anyway

Which is why I haven't worried about it much as a presidential issue...its a piece of law congress will have to write, and always has been.

Trying to bypass them or shove something through wouldn't work this time any better than the last time (sorry, HRC).

[Solon]

47. True, and frankly, it would be enough for Obama to not veto H.R. 676...

or whatever it would be called when it becomes a bill passed by both Houses of Congress. But, one thing Obama could do is help strong arm reluctant Democrats into voting for the bill, similar to the Strong arming LBJ had done to pass the Civil Rights Act, or even what FDR did. The problem is I don't see him doing that.

[bhikkhu]

49. Exactly.

If Hillary supporters disagree with a point of detail on health care, do they really think that Obama would veto a bill over this point? I don't.

[Solon]

51. One thing I think would be helpful is for people who can to concentrate on electing...

Democrats into Congress who are willing to vote for H.R. 676. That's actually constructive. I can't do it, my district was drawn as a negotiation between Democrats and Republicans to be a permanently safe Republican district, and this happened before I was old enough to vote. Bipartisanship sucks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. reaches for the bookshelf and pulls out a History of Electoral politics

flips back to the 1932 race

One FDR ran a very CENTRIST, even moderate campaign

There was no New Deal anywhere in his agenda

He did govern very differently

We are in for a hell of an economic crash, so Obama will have two choices

He can reach to the shelf for my copy of Maynard Keynes, or he can continue the way things are

The first may assure his place in that pantheon,

The second will assure tar and feathers.

Just saying.... the situation on the ground when he takes over will determine a lot of what he does... just like the Great Depression forced the very conservative hand of the Democratic party of FDRs days.

And yes, he is a moderate

[Solon]

46. So basically what we should be hoping for is a second Great Depression...

to push Obama to the left as is needed? That just shows the sad state of affairs in this country. It would be far better if we had a candidate interested in preventative measures rather than waiting for the current one to react to such a crisis after the fact. Besides that, its just as likely that he ends up as a Hoover rather than a Roosevelt.

[bhikkhu]

52. I am hoping for an effective response

To a situation already well along...Bill's economy came apart before he left office, and the * team rebuilt it with duct tape and tinkertoys. I don't know what to do myself, I just hope someone else does as the path we are on is about as f*kd up as it gets.

And I have panted a big garden this year. That's about the best thing I could think of.

[Solon]

53. Actually, I know exactly what needs to be done...

at least on a general level, and that's a great source of frustration for me. I think of things in practical terms, as to what's possible to do now, and how to do it in the most efficient way possible. In fact, you can look at my Journal and see some of my posts related to the economy, health care, transportation, oil, etc. and see a lot of the ideas I have.

[bhikkhu]

54. Thanks...I'll take a better look when its not so late

but you got me with the first line there: "What the fuck is with this "past glory" shit, Pax Americana or something?".

Peace.:)

[Solon]

56. Oh, that was just a response to some poster's "Love it or leave it" thread for 4th of July...

Just a bunch of BS. I called him on it. I'm proud to say I'm unpatriotic.

[newmajority]

58. I don't think we need to "hope" for a Great Depression

Sadly, we're on the edge of one right now, thanks to the BushClinton economic policies of the last 28 years. :evilfrown:

[Solon]

70. And Obama's economic policies aren't going to prevent it...

Hello, Obama is a moderate conservative, especially on the economy, his economic policies are more or less a clone of Clinton's. I don't see how he would help us through an inevitable Great Depression, and I also don't see him preventing it from occurring either.

[pnorman]

61. This is LESS about the candidate, and MORE about the movemt that he has generated,

and will CONTINUE to generate! And it'll most CERTAINLY take on a life of itself after he takes office.

Consider FDR in 1932 (I was 2 yrs. old then:bounce: :bounce:), and the parallels. It's 2AM here (PDT) and I'm up for a piss-call, but I'm not up to the necessary Googling. But do it yourself, and you'll see what I mean.

pnorman

[Solon]

73. What movement, I see a campaign, not a movement...

Movements are about issues and policies, not candidates, one started by a candidate to ensure that he wins an election is properly called a campaign. Indeed, his campaign, while grassroots, is also diverse politically, so I wouldn't be surprised if it collapses entirely the day he is inaugurated into office. Infighting is an inevitable outcome of a campaign of that sort when its primary goal is accomplished. There will be Moderates in the "movement" as you call it who think Obama is just fine as he is now, there will be leftists and liberals who will want to pressure him to move left after being elected, and there will be a conflict as a result of that.

[Emit]

10. I can relate, Solon

But I do hope you are voting for the Dem Presidential candidate, at least. One thing some of my friends and I were considering doing, depending on who the nominee was and whether we could go door to door to support him or her, was voter registration at various events -- I love doing voter registration because I feel like it's more of a civic duty thing and sometimes less partisan.

[Solon]

14. I'll vote to prevent McCain from winning my state, but don't confuse that with support for the...

Democratic party or its nominee. Indeed, they are almost as bad as the Republicans, and its that almost that is the reason I vote for them at all.

[still_one]

17. After what many Democrats in Congress did the past 8 years I can't blame you

[Solon]

21. Hell, look at what Missouri's Attorney General pulled today...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x76163

And he's a fucking Democrat! Now you know why I am not nor will I ever be a member of the Democratic party.

[Hippo_Tron]

26. I can totally understand that...

IMO candidates need to earn their donations and the support of their volunteers and nobody should feel compelled to work for a candidate if that candidate doesn't share their values. In terms of voting, well that's a different story, lesser of two evils, yadayada.

Honestly I don't even know why I'm writing this. Other than to say that there are some days when I'm not particularly proud to be a Democrat.

Anyways, I respect the fact that you have chosen not to work for Obama and I also respect the fact that you recognize why it is important to vote for him in November even if you don't like him.

[Solon]

28. Hell, except for a few social issues, I agree with the Democrats practically none of the time...

The only thing we agree on is, in general, being Pro-Choice, and that's about it. On everything else, the Democratic party is far too conservative for me. Its seriously mind boggling as to how anyone can consider them the liberal counterweight to the Republicans.

Even on Choice I have a problem with many Democrats who supported the stupidly worded Partial Birth Abortion Ban. I really hate idiots, especially idiots who act that way and should know better.

Fuck it, I'm saving up money to leave this nation, go to saner pastures, this nation is nuts, and there's no "left" here to speak of.

[Aloha Spirit]

6. Dude, I'm tired right now. Aske me again on Saturday, after our party simmers down.

[Emit]

34. I'll give you a pass tonight, beat tk

But I'll be knocking on your door first thing tomorrow. :evilgrin:

[ruby slippers]

8. got my yard sign up and sticker on my car....in Florida.....

and considering helping register voters on June 17th in a little rural African American town near me where they need volunteers.

[Emit]

65. Good on you, ruby slippers!

Hey, I thought I saw a post here with your ruby slippers in it last night -- did someone steal them -- or was I merely dreaming? :)



Keep up the momentum -- voter registration, especially in small, neglected areas of our cities -- is sorely needed and extremely rewarding from a civic duty standpoint, IMHO.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bicentennial_baby]

12. I'm signed up for the 14th!

Marching in Boston Pride with Team Obama! :bounce:

[Emit]

22. Cool!

Let us know how it turns out. This is so exciting.

[Condem]

13. We're all here, Emit.

No worries.

[Emit]

19. Thanks, Condem

:hi:

Probably jumping the gun here, but I always regret not getting my butt out there sooner in '04.

[Condem]

23. No, thank you, emit.

We have to win.

[KSinTX]

15. Already pledged

$250 more in donations
250 hours
25 new voters
25 hours phonebanking

[Emit]

25. I salute you

:patriot:

You make it happen and I am thankful to you for your tireless work and donations, KSinTX! :thumbsup:

How's the phonebanking down in TX? It's always a gas here in Nevada. You never know what you might encounter -- In doorknocking, I've had at least two occasions where a nude guy answered the door. :silly:

[KSinTX]

55. Oddly, all my phonebanking was out of state

in the run-up to Texas, I was volunteering locally (can't do canvassing, but I suppose this round I'll have to!) I called New Mexico, Arizona and South Carolina and it wasn't all that bad. Most of the time no one was home, but I didn't have any of those great conversions I've heard others talk about. It just takes one and I have to keep going til I get one :)

[JimGinPA]

16. Our New Headquarters Has It's Grand Opening Friday

I'll be working through November, just like I did for our primary.

[Emit]

31. Good on you, JimGinPA

I had to drop out of my volunteer coordinator position last fall, but I did co-chair our precinct caucus. I'll be at it again starting this month. Thanks for your work.

A side note: I just got back from a business trip to Pittsburgh, and while I didn't get to see much of the city, I have to say, I enjoyed what little I did get to see. I taste tested the crab cakes at almost every restaurant we went to and they were by far better than any I've had in a long time -- of course, I live in the high desert here, so not much of a comparison, I guess. :) Don't know where you are in PA, but I was glad I went.

[WillyToad]

18. As long as Obama's supporters continue their hate, I will not join them...

I will vote for Obama, but will never join in the chorus of hatred.

[Condem]

20. What fuckin hate?

[Emit]

24. chorus of hatred?

All the more reason for you to get away from DU for a while perhaps. I hope the last 7+ years of Bush & Co. will finally sink in and that you understand the need for a Democrat in the WH. Good luck. :hi:

[Swamp Rat]

30. k&r

Great idea!

[PoliticalAmazon]

40. I have days of comp time I will use to be boots-on-the ground for Obama in the GE. n/t

[Emit]

67. Working on your comp time is very generous of you, PoliticalAmazon

Thanks for doing that -- :thumbsup:

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. I just gave five bucks

that's all I can afford to right now!

Does that count?

[Emit]

43. Absolutely it does, nadinbrzezinski!

Every bit counts

Thanks!

:hi:

[writes3000]

42. I will absolutely do that! Count on me. N/t

[cboy4]

57. Nope.....I said months ago that I planned on voting for Obama

if he turned out to be the nominee, because I'm a loyal Democrat.

So, that's what I plan on doing now that it appears it's him.

However, I also said I will not be lifting one single finger, or sending one single cent to help him campaign.

The only think I will be doing is casting my vote before throwing up and driving home.

Better than nothing, right?

[Emit]

63. Funny, I said a similar thing if Clinton got the nomination

but, I left out the "throwing up part," although, in all honesty, I may have referenced something about holding my nose.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

59. I challenge every DUer...

...to a duel!



I DEMAND SATISFACTION!

[Breeze54]

60. Nope, I won't be doing that. Sorry. n/t

[Emit]

74. I do hope, at least, that you will vote for the Democratic Pres Nominee

Here's a message from my Hillary-supporting mother: "McCain is not an option." :hi:

[MrCoffee]

64. I'll pass

I just can't get excited about yet another moderate centrist nominee...which one is it, anyway? It's so easy to get them confused.

[mkultra]

66. i challenge you to sotp challenging people

[bullwinkle428]

68. I can promise you I'll be out there in the fall, doing the canvassing

and phone-banking work for Obama along with the rest of the Democratic ticket. I did that for the first time in '06, and it genuinely made me feel like I was a part of the process, albeit an incredibly tiny one.

I won't let a small handful of idiots temper or diminish my desire for honest change, and really couldn't live with myself if I did nothing and we ended up losing. I did that in '04 and felt absolutely sick for several days afterward...

[Emit]

69. Thank you, bullwinkle428

I walked into my Democratic Party headquarters in the summer of '04 -- with just a few days before not even knowing where it was located -- never having volunteered in politics before that. It was the least I could do -- and, so, I know exactly how you feel -- I felt like I never got involved soon enough and never did enough. I learned very quickly that I used to expect so much from the party machine when, in reality, ours is the party of the people at the local level and that without volunteers like you and me, things do not get done. It can't get done without us. I started getting very vocal about that when I walked door to door and long-time Dems would complain -- I'd make no excuses and flat out say -- "We are the party of the people, and so, if you don't like what's happening, come join me... it is up to you to make a difference..."

Anyway, thanks and I'll be there, too -- :thumbsup: :yourock:

[Ysabel]

71. yes i'm with you...

k and r...

:)

[Phillycat]

72. Absolutely NOT.

I will vote for Obama, that's all. And I'm not thrilled I have to do that much.

[Emit]

75. At least you will be voting for the Democratic Nominee

and thanks for that :hi:

[Phillycat]

77. Of course I will.

I'm a lifelong Democrat. This isn't the first candidate I didn't like that I'll vote for, and it won't be the last. Such is the nature of party politics. I enjoyed voting for both Al Gore and Bill Clinton, so it hasn't been all that long since I've had a candidate that I actually liked. This will be a hold-my-nose year, but it won't kill me, and it certainly would never dissuade me from voting for him. Who the hell else am I going to vote for? I'm a Democrat.

[PoliticalAmazon]

76. I have a lot of comp time built up, which I will use to be boots-on-the-ground...

for Obama.

[NotThisTime]

78. Got it many times over....