I wanted you to be the first to hear the news.
At the Democratic National Convention next month, we're going to kick off the general election with an event that opens up the political process the same way we've opened it up throughout this campaign.
Barack has made it clear that this is your convention, not his.
On Thursday, August 28th, he's scheduled to formally accept the Democratic nomination in a speech at the convention hall in front of the assembled delegates.
Instead, Barack will leave the convention hall and join more than 75,000 people for a huge, free, open-air event where he will deliver his acceptance speech to the American people.
It's going to be an amazing event, and Barack would like you to join him. Free tickets will become available as the date approaches, but we've reserved a special place for a few of the people who brought us this far and who continue to drive this campaign.
If you make a donation of $5 or more between now and midnight on July 31st, you could be one of 10 supporters chosen to fly to Denver and spend two days and nights at the convention, meet Barack backstage, and watch his acceptance speech in person. Each of the ten supporters who are selected will be able to bring one guest to join them. Make a donation now and you could have a front row seat to history.
We'll follow up with more details on this and other convention activities as we get closer, but please take a moment and pass this note to someone you know who might like to be there.
It will be an event you'll never forget.
Thank you,
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
If you haven't signed up for an event yet, there's still time to find one near you:
http://my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange
The goal of Unite for Change is to bring together people who supported all of the Democratic candidates, as well as Independents and even some Republicans. Obama supporters like you are reaching out to anyone who is tired of the politics of the past and looking for new solutions to the challenges we're facing.
People have signed up to host more than 4,000 events tomorrow -- and they need your help to bring change to their communities.
Read More »
Join us this Saturday, June 28th, for a Unite for Change house meeting near you. Obama supporters will be opening their homes and reaching out to Democrats who supported other candidates in the primary, as well as Independents and even Republicans who are hungry for change.
There are more than 3,000 events planned in all 50 states -- find a Unite for Change house meeting near you and RSVP today:
http://my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange
House meetings are a great way to get to know your fellow supporters and help build a united volunteer organization in neighborhoods all across the country.
It doesn't matter if you've been with us since the beginning or if you're just tuning into the process now -- our goal is to reach out to anyone who is tired of the politics of the past and looking for new solutions to the challenges we're facing.
Supporters like you have already signed up to host events and talk about the common values we share. All you need to do is show up on Saturday -- and maybe bring a friend or two.
Here's what some Unite for Change hosts and guests are saying about these events:
"This is the first time that I have ever hosted an event like this. I am inviting my friends and colleagues to the event. Many of us were Edwards and/or Clinton supporters but I want everyone to come together now and support Obama."
- Jessica in Florida
"For the last several weeks, I have been thinking of becoming a volunteer for Senator Obama's presidential campaign. When I read the announcement about Unite For Change Day, I thought it was an awesome opportunity to get involved.
"I am new to my town (been here just over 4 months). The event will give me an opportunity to meet other supporters in my new community."
- Loye in South Carolina
We'll provide event hosts with the materials and support they need, but these meetings can't happen without you.
Sign up now to attend a Unite for Change event in your area:
http://my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange
Over the past year, millions of Americans have gotten involved in this campaign.
By attending a Unite for Change house meeting, you can keep building that momentum all the way through November.
Thank you,
Jon
Jon Carson
National Field Director
Obama for America
The campaign sent out this email this morning...
Friend --
Barack Obama recorded a video message with an important announcement that he wanted you to hear first:
Link to video: An Important Campaign Announcement from Barack Obama
We have made a crucial decision that will impact how we compete in the general election, and it's important that you understand the decision, its implications, and the challenge ahead.
Please take a moment to watch the video.
Thank you,
Scott & Martha @ Obama HQ
A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States.
Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.
This moment and this election are too important to let pass without taking action.
That's why I am asking you to join me in showing your support by making a contribution to this campaign today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/gore
Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action.
With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.
If you've already contributed to this campaign, I ask that you consider making another contribution right now. If you haven't, please take the next step and own a piece of this campaign today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/gore
On the issues that matter most, Barack Obama is clearly the right choice to lead our nation.
We have a lot of work to do in the next few months to elect Barack Obama president, and it begins by making a contribution to this campaign today.
Thank you for joining me,
Al Gore
LIVE TONIGHT -- 8:30 p.m. EDT: Watch streaming video of Al Gore and Barack Obama at a rally in Detroit, Michigan:
(As prepared for delivery)
Apostolic Church of God
Sunday, June 15th, 2009
Chicago, IL
Good morning. Its good to be home on this Father's Day with my girls, and it's an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus closes by saying, Whoever hears these words of mine, and does them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon a rock: the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. [Matthew 7: 24-25]
Here at Apostolic, you are blessed to worship in a house that has been founded on the rock of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. But it is also built on another rock, another foundation" and that rock is Bishop Arthur Brazier. In forty-eight years, he has built this congregation from just a few hundred to more than 20,000 strong" a congregation that, because of his leadership, has braved the fierce winds and heavy rains of violence and poverty; joblessness and hopelessness. Because of his work and his ministry, there are more graduates and fewer gang members in the neighborhoods surrounding this church. There are more homes and fewer homeless. There is more community and less chaos because Bishop Brazier continued the march for justice that he began by Dr. King's side all those years ago. He is the reason this house has stood tall for half a century. And on this Father's Day, it must make him proud to know that the man now charged with keeping its foundation strong is his son and your new pastor, Reverend Byron Brazier. Read More »
At the latest stop in his Change that Works for You tour in Chicago this morning, Barack discussed his plan to protect consumers (remarks as prepeared)...
Before we begin, I just wanted to say a word about the flooding devastating so many communities. We were scheduled to be holding this event in Iowa, but we decided to cancel it because we didn’t want to divert state resources from going to help with flood relief.
My heart goes out to the families in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and across the Midwest, who have been forced to flee their own homes, and leave their businesses and communities behind. Right now, many of them are wondering when they’ll be able to return, and what they’ll find when they get there. Well, we cannot assure them that their communities will be rebuilt overnight, but we can assure them that they will be rebuilt – because we’ll work to ensure that the full resources of our state and federal government are there to help. And I will do everything in my power to see to it that those resources get to the people who need them as swiftly as possible.
Read More »
Moments ago, Senator Clinton officially announced her support for Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton made history over the past 16 months -- not just because she has broken barriers, but because she has inspired millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to causes like universal health care that make a difference in the lives of all Americans.
Please take a minute to thank her for her hard work and for supporting this campaign.
Use the coupon code HOPE at checkout for a 20% discount at http://store.barackobama.com
We are excited by the amazing amount of support we have received from the art community and are honored to announce the second print in our Artists for Obama Gallery.
Scott Hansen has generously donated his design talents to create this piece titled "Progress." Hansen is a California-based musician (Tycho) and artist (ISO50). He is well known for blending retro textures and styles with a modern design ethic.
All purchases made on the Artists for Obama Gallery are 100% contributions to the campaign and count toward your overall contribution limit of $2300. Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Visit the Obama Store now for this and other new summer items.
As you know, only three contests remain in the Democratic primary.
Voters head to the polls in Puerto Rico on Sunday, followed by South Dakota and Montana on Tuesday.
So help give our campaign a crucial boost before these final contests, and send the message that we are ready to move to the next phase and compete against Senator McCain in all 50 states.
Visit the Obama Store and use the code HOPE at checkout for your 20% discount.
Order summer items now!Sincerely, Scott & Martha @ Obama HQ
On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes, our sense of patriotism is particularly strong. Because while we gather here under open skies, we know that far beyond the Organ Mountains – in the streets of Baghdad, and the outskirts of Kabul – America’s sons and daughters are sacrificing on our behalf. And our thoughts and prayers are with them.
I speak to you today with deep humility. My grandfather marched in Patton’s Army, but I cannot know what it is to walk into battle like so many of you. My grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line, but I cannot know what it is for a family to sacrifice like so many of yours have.
I am the father of two young girls, and I cannot imagine what it is to lose a child. My heart breaks for the families who’ve lost a loved one.
These are things I cannot know. But there are also some things I do know.
Read More »You know, there is a spirit that brought us here tonight- a spirit of change, and hope, and possibility. And there are few people in this country who embody that spirit more than our friend and our champion, Senator Edward Kennedy. He has spent his life in service to this country not for the sake of glory or recognition, but because he cares deeply, in his gut about the causes of justice, and equality, and opportunity. So many of us here have benefited in some way or another because of the battles he's waged, and some of us are here because of them. Read More »
I have some very exciting news.
My good friend John Edwards is endorsing our campaign and joining our movement for change.
We're here in Grand Rapids, Michigan -- and if you receive this message in time, you can probably turn on your TV and be part of the moment.
I'm deeply honored by John's support. He is a true leader who dedicated his career to improving the lives of ordinary Americans.
John ran a strong, principled campaign for president, focusing on a number of important issues where we share common ground -- universal health care, bringing our troops home from Iraq, and eliminating poverty in America.
The way he ran his campaign was also important. He ran in a way that reflected our shared conviction that we need to fundamentally change politics.
Like our campaign, John's campaign never accepted donations from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs.
Let's welcome John Edwards to the campaign with an outpouring of the kind of grassroots support that is bringing our political process back to the people.
Make a donation of whatever you can afford now, and if you choose, include your own note to Senator Edwards. I'll make sure he gets them:
https://donate.barackobama.com/johnedwards
Thank you for all that you're doing,
Barack
Tomorrow is the official kickoff of Vote for Change, an unprecedented 50-state voter registration and mobilization drive. In over 100 cities across America, from Anchorage, Alaska to Miami, Florida, grassroots supporters will hit the streets to register voters. With events planned in every single state, no matter where you live, you can find an event near you.
As Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas explained,"This could change the face of American politics for decades to come."
Our efforts across the country have already yielded incredible results. According to a recent Associated Press survey, over 3.5 million people registered to vote in the first three months of 2008. Now we're expanding our approach to every single state, as part of a sustained, six-month effort that could reshape the electoral map.
Most events will begin in the late morning or early afternoon, and will run approximately four hours. No prior experience is necessary, and materials and training will be provided at each location.
There is no better way to start your weekend tomorrow, and no more important work to be done right now than bringing more voters, and more voices, into the political process.
These loans total more than $6.4 million, which combined with her previous personal loans, add up to at least $11.4 million she's loaned her campaign since February.
A spokesman said she may continue to "loan the campaign additional money out of her jointly-held assets" -- which include more than $100 million in income since her husband left the White House.
Meanwhile, by winning a double-digit victory in North Carolina and closing the gap in Indiana, Barack won another 100 delegates.
Barack Obama is now just 172 delegates away from winning the Democratic nomination. It's within sight.
This is a decisive moment in this race.
Barack has already won more votes, more delegates, and more than twice as many states as Senator Clinton, whose path to the nomination has grown extremely narrow. But these loans show that her campaign will continue to contest the remaining primaries vigorously.
We need to show that the voices of more than 1.5 million ordinary people donating whatever they can afford are more powerful than one person giving more than $11 million to their own campaign.
You've helped build this historic movement -- please help close out this nomination by making a donation of $25 to match Senator Clinton's loan:
https://donate.barackobama.com/results
Here's the math of where we stand ... Read More »
Yesterday, in preparation for the start of our GOTV weekend, we asked our grassroots phonebankers to sound off and let us know who was committed to making calls to voters over the next two days.
Here are just a few of the people who have pledged to make calls this weekend to help Get Out The Vote in Indiana and North Carolina:
Teresa: I plan to call 1000 people this weekend. I am also canvassing from 1-7 Saturday! I have called about 50 so far, but I am not stopping until 1000!
Makeda: I will commit to make 100 calls to Indiana tomorrow....
Doris: I will promise to make at least 10 calls to Indiana Saturday. I will be calling from Florida. We must be a part of this change.
Sarah: I will make 100 calls this weekend ... At least!
Chris: You can count on me to make at least one hundred calls this weekend.
Tracey: I can commit to 25 calls tomorrow, maybe more! It's our 7 year olds' birthday party but I'll do some in the morning.
Max: I'll be calling all Saturday and Sunday too! Going for at least 250 calls!
Read More »
On May 10th, there will be voter registration events in all 50 states. Click on the map below to find an event in your area and bring new voters into our democracy...
Voter registration and expanding participation in the process is more than a campaign strategy; it's a vital part of Barack's identity.
When Obama graduated from Harvard Law School, he could have taken a high paying job at a private law firm, but instead, he chose to return to Chicago and run a voter registration drive that brought thousands of new voters into the process and changed Illinois' politics.
Watch the video detailing Obama's work with Project Vote.
Read More »MTV News recently ran a feature on two young Iraq War veterans, Manny Arevalo and Phillip Nelson, who are part of our volunteer operation on the ground in Pennsylvania. Together, they're working to connect with Pennsylvania voters to share their experiences and explain why they support Barack Obama.
Peer to peer contact is one of the most effective ways to connect with voters. In addition to our Get Out the Vote efforts, right now we're running a special Veteran to Veteran online calling campaign. If you are a military veteran, you can help by speaking directly to Pennsylvania veterans about the issues that you care most about. Click here to read more about this unique program.
You've probably heard about the latest dust-up in the Democratic race.
A few days ago, Barack spoke about the frustrations that working people in this country are feeling and said what we all know is true: that many people are bitter and angry because they believe their government isn't listening to them.
You and I both know that the hope of changing that reality is what drives the unprecedented support for this campaign from ordinary people in every part of the country.
But our opponents have been spinning the media and peddling fake outrage around the clock. John McCain's campaign, which will continue the George Bush economic policies that have devastated the middle class, called Barack out of touch and elitist. And Hillary Clinton, who is the candidate who said lobbyists represent real people, didn't just echo the Republican candidate's talking points: she actually used the very same words to pile on with more attacks. Read More »
“When I go around and I talk to people there is frustration and there is anger and there is bitterness. And what’s worse is when people are expressing their anger then politicians try to say what are you angry about? This just happened – I want to make a point here today.
Read More »
I want to tell you about one of the most exciting projects of this campaign. It's called the Obama Organizing Fellowship.When I was a young man, I was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and the idea of people working at a grassroots level to bring about change.
I got my chance on the South Side of Chicago, as a community organizer, and it was the transformative experience of my career.
It allowed me to put my values to work and to see that real change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up, when ordinary people come together around a common purpose.
The experience changed the course of my life -- and I want to share that kind of opportunity with you.
That's why we're introducing a program that's going to train a new generation of leaders -- not only to help us win this election, but to help strengthen our democracy in communities across the country.
If you apply and are selected, you'll be trained in the basic organizing principles that this campaign and our movement for change are built on. You will be assigned to a community where you'll organize supporters. Assignments will begin in June, and you'll be required to work a minimum of six weeks over the summer.
This program is designed to give you real world organizing experience that will have a concrete impact on this election.
Apply to be an Obama Organizing Fellow and put progressive values to work in the real world:
http://my.barackobama.com/fellows
If you can't take the time away from work or your family that's required for the fellowship program, you can still get involved.
Reach out to someone you know who may be interested in this program, and let them know we could use their help:
http://my.barackobama.com/fellowsinvite
House an Organizing Fellow -- If you have a spare room, you can help by offering housing to an Organizing Fellow near their training or near their eventual assignment. We haven't set locations for all of the trainings and assignments, but if you sign up, our staff will be in touch as the campaign grows:
http://my.barackobama.com/fellowshousing
Support this program by making a donation to this campaign:
https://donate.barackobama.com/fellowsdonate
Being a community organizer wasn't easy, but it was the most valuable education I ever received. It taught me that together, ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
Organizing changed my life, and I hope it changes yours.
Thanks,
Barack Obama
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