The March 18th Obama Event - Denver, CO

Barack Obama came to Denver for a quick rally on March 18th, 2007. It was his first official stop in Denver since announcing his candidacy for president in '08. The Obama event was such a wonderful experience. It marks my first official campaign volunteer event. I met a LOT of excited and motivated people, everyone was buzzing with a positive charge that Obama instills in people. It was such a thrill to be able to work the event and be a part of "something special".

I got to the Sherman Events Center downtown about an hour early (2:45 pm). The volunteer coordinator came out and brought us inside through the back. We had to check in, then met other Denver campaign staff members, and were divided into jobs for teams. I was in a group of about 3 or 4 ladies who were assigned to escorting the VIP's to their designated places. There was quite a lot of electricity and excitement running through everyone involved - the volunteers to every single person that came through those doors!

Unfortunately it did get kind of confusing as the time to let people in came closer. There were a handful of people who were all "in charge" of something and not necessarily a top down organization to who has the final word. So many people were getting orders from many different people, and trying to figure out whose orders superceeded anothers was a very tough thing. But, that didn't diminish the fact that we were all there to see that everything went off well for the Senator.

As I said before my job was to usher in the VIP's to the "Red Room" so that they could have their time with the Senator before the big speech. Well, the building manager (or one of the building staff) started to freak out about fire codes and stuff when he saw how massive the crowd was that was gathering outside the Events Center. He just started letting people rush in and all our "organized" handling of who goes where went out the window. He said he had to do that because it was a fire code violation to have them all out there. I don't know. It blew apart everything we had set up to do. With people rushing in like crazy, none of the VIP's were getting ushered anywhere of importance. So plans changed to an after-event VIP meeting with the Senator. My job then was pretty much a "Vanna White" thing -- pointing my fingers to the staircase and elevators and saying - "Upstairs to the 2nd Floor..... Upstairs to the 2nd Floor...... Upstairs...." (you get the idea).

One very cool thing did happen though. I did get to meet Pat Waak and usher her up to the event personally before the doors opened (she's the chair of the Colorado Democratic Party and basically one of the main reasons Denver is hosting the DNC in '08 - she is such a wonderful person!). So it was great to be able to meet her and talk to her briefly. Now whenever I see her I can say -- "Hi Pat, remember me? I met you at the March 18th Obama Event..." Wow, never thought I'd be able to say that to some like Pat Waak.... ha ha! I also saw Senator Terrence Carrol (recognized him from our day at the legislature when we sat in on the death penalty hearings -- he chaired that committee) and also think I saw Sen. Ken Gordon come in too (he's the one who co-sponsored the anti-war rally with our church's Peace, Liberty, and Justice Task Force in January).

We "ushered" in the massive crowd from 4 to after 5:30. We got to go upstairs once they shut the doors. I was in the very back of the auditorium (tried to get a shot of the Senator on the news cameras, but didn't get to see much). Being short has it's significant drawbacks! :)

Baracks speech was amazing!!!! He is so right on the target with issues -- health care, energy, education, Iraq, corruption in Washington (one of my favorite parts of his speech was when he said something to the effect of -- They say I may not have enough experience in Washington to be a good President. Well, I say I've been there long enough to know that things have got to change! I've been a community organizer long enough to know that ordinary people can do extra-ordinary things if they're given an opportunity. I've been a civil rights lawyer long enough to know that fairness, justice, and equality have to be fought for everyday and not taken for granted. I've been teaching Constitutional Law long enough to actually respect the constitution! --

Go Barack!

He makes you feel like you really do have the power to make a difference!

Right after the speech we were supposed to go back down to the Red Room to have our time to meet Sen. Obama. But when I got there I was the cutoff person ("You'll be the first of group 2" - the volunteer coordinator said). At that point, I just had a weird feeling that it wouldn't work out. But since I was right by the door it was my "job" to help another volunteer guard the door and not let anyone into the room -- period -- nothing. Crazy stuff started happening and some high dollar donors (like the ones we were originally supposed to usher in before the event) were complaining that they didn't get to go in and meet the Senator. There was a big mix up of who got in -- who didn't. There were some heated tempers -- but I did my job and didn't open the door. While people are arguing and trying to get into the room (I'm still guarding the door with one other volunteer)... an official campaign "dude" came out and said -- "Thanks for coming, thanks for all your help, but the Senator has already left and will not be meeting with any more people at this time."

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. But, in the wider scope of things, it's not about me.

I'm pretty sure that the local politicians got to meet him. And I'm pretty sure that about 10 volunteers and 10 high dollar donors got to meet him, but the other 20+ high dollar donors and the other 30 volunteers didn't get to. It was a little disappointing, but I just told myself that I would have volunteered anyway -- even if there wasn't a promise to meet him. It's not Barack's fault either. The event was thrown into a bit of disarray - which I'm told by others who had previous campaign experience, is the norm.

After all, I really just wanted to be part of the campaign. And it was such a good speech and such a great thing to see all that excitement and hope in one room! You should have seen the crowd. They were amazing! I didn't expect that many people. The paper said over 1500, the event guru (one of them anyway) said about 2000 people were let in! It was a crazy fun day. Can't wait to do it again :)

I did take a couple of pictures from the waaaaaay back place I was at. They aren't good but when I get a chance I'll share them here on the blog. There is video online of most of Obama's speech from that day too. Use the link at the top of this blog post (the title).

When you get to the Fox news page, click on the first small thumbnail under the Sidebar - Related Items - VIDEOS on the right hand side...

Enjoy!

Obama Campaign Aims To Turn Online Backers Into an Offline Force

BarackObama.com:

"'Change won't come from the top, I would say,' Obama wrote in his memoir, 'Dreams From My Father.' 'Change will come from a mobilized grass roots.'"

I was a bit hesitant at first when a volunteer from the Obama for America campaign called my house last Friday and asked if I would consider hosting my own "March 31st Kickoff Party" for the Obama campaign. I'd thought about it briefly a few weeks before. I've been emailing and talking about Barack Obama's presidential run for months and months now, and I honestly don't know who likes the mass amounts of info and who is just silently hitting delete when they see something from me come across thier email inbox. I figured that I'd host a party and only one or two people would trickle by for only half of the event and then I'd wish I had taken part in a bigger party downtown. So initially I decided to not host my own event and go to another event at a local community center.

But, when the campaign volunteer called me she explained that Barack was looking for a wide variety of parties and ways of connecting with people. She said, sometimes the big parties are great, but small get togethers with 2 or 3 or 4 people might make just as much of a difference if people all over the country are willing to host one of those small parties. So, she convinced me. I was on the way to having my own party.

And I am so glad I did. I had about 8 people signed up to come to my house the morning of the party. Two people had to cancel that day due to other things that popped up, and I started to panic again thinking -- did I do the right thing? I could have gone down to the "big" party downtown and met with a lot of folks who share in the excitement that this campaign is generating. Then, an hour before the party was to start, I started getting lots and lots of phone calls. There were people out there, whom I had never met before, who were looking for a kickoff party to attend. Either their original party had moved, or had been a private family function that they weren't allowed to come to after all, and these people were looking for a place to share in the excitement. So I said, "Sure -- come on by!"

It was the best "party" experience I've ever had! I had some of my close friends and family stop by, and I had about 4 wonderful people whom I had met for the first time that day come over too. They were the absolute nicest, fun, and entertaining people I've had the pleasure of chatting with in a long, long time. Everyone had a great time! We exchanged ideas, stories, theories, and ate munchies and sipped drinks. We had a great time, and I realized that this was the kind of experience that the campaign volunteer was talking about when she called me on the phone. I'm going to think back on meeting these people and sharig the excitement of the Obama campaign with a really warm and fuzzy memory. Sounds kinda silly? Well, think about it... What better way to spread the enthusiasm and sincerity of Barack's ideas then getting together in an intimate house party setting and just kicking back and sharing ideas?

By the end of the party everyone was very excited and anxious to get involved and start doing something. Others were going to go straight home and send the campaign a donation. Some skeptics (yes, there were some) may have left with wanting to know more about Obama, or at least willing to stay undecided for the moment. Which, all in all, is a good thing too.

This article (linked at the top) sheds a very good light on the difficulty of trying to turn online excitement (which Obama has a lot of) to actual votes in the next year and a half. I'm already seeing some good things. I'm seeing excitement that is not dying down and people are turning their passion of wanting change into action in actually doing something to see that change actually takes place.

Your chance to See Obama on Sunday - Volunteer Info also...

If you are at all interested in either seeing Barack Obama speek downtown (Denver) on Sunday, or if you want to go that extra mile and help the campaign by volunteering, here's your chance!!!

See you Sunday if you go!

INFO

Meet Sen. Barack Obama

4PM-6PM

Sherman Events Center

1770 Sherman St.



The doors open at 4 PM. There's a suggested donation of $25, but it is open to the public.



Now, for the fun volunteer stuff.



I'll need approximately 40 people to volunteer on Saturday and Sunday. If you can volunteer both days, that's awesome. If not, that's fine too. We can use all the help we can get.



Saturday: Meet me (I'll be wearing a navy-blue Obama for President polo-shirt, and carrying an Obama '08 placard) at Coors Field at 8:30 AM. I'll have a bunch of tickets to hand out to the crowd watching the Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade. I'll need help passing those out, and the more people help me pass those out, the faster we'll be done, and the sooner we can get started on our (unofficial) St. Pat's festivities.



Sunday: Meet me at the Sherman Events Center (1770 Sherman St.) at 3PM. I'll be there most of the day setting up. At that time, I'll get you guys started and set-up on the various volunteer tasks needed.



***Bonus***: If you're someone who knows lots of folks, meet me at the Red Room (320 E. Colfax Ave.) tonight to pick up blocks of tickets to hand out to friends and family. I'll be there from 6-7 PM roughly along with some folks handing out tickets.



Finally, if you have any questions, please call me at 719.641.8966 (cell). I'm here to make your lives easier.



Thanks for your patience, and thanks for all that you do.



Thanks,



Raf Noboa

BarackObama.com | Event | Whittier Community Center Kickoff Party

BarackObama.com | Event | Whittier Community Center Kickoff Party: "Whittier Community Center Kickoff Party (March 31 Kickoff Event)
Denver4Obama will have a kickoff event at the Whittier Community Center. The Community center is located just across the street from the 30th and Downing Light Rail station. "

I'd host my own Kickoff event - house party at my place but that would mean that I'd have to actually clean my house! :) So instead join Denver4Obama for a great time. This is perfect for Obama enthusiasts or people on the fence (come and see the energy, find out why so many people are excited about Barack and 2008). Click the link above for full details, or email me. I'll tell you all you want to know.

Obama on Faith and Politics

BarackObama.com

Uh oh. Religion and Politics. The two things you should never talk about and I've got them all in one post! :) This is a great video of a powerful speech from Obama on Faith and Politics. Many people who know me have asked me questions about Obama and his ideas about religion and politics. Here's the best look into that topic that I've found. Great speech.

Clinton, Obama Link Selma March to Present - washingtonpost.com

Clinton, Obama Link Selma March to Present - washingtonpost.com

This is a great story in the Washington Post today...

Here's a snip - or click on the link (above) to read the ENTIRE story!

In the days leading up to the commemoration of "Bloody Sunday," advisers to Obama and Clinton insisted it would not be a day for politics. But the candidates' mere presence in Alabama signaled the extraordinary importance of black voters in the upcoming Democratic primaries, with recent surveys indicating that Obama is jeopardizing Clinton's lead in the race by gaining among African Americans.

Any pretense that it was not part of the presidential campaign was dropped as the day went on. Supporters carried signs for the two campaigns, former president Clinton joked about the "rainbow coalition" of candidates on the Democratic ballot, and Rep. Artur Davis, the Alabama Democrat who represents Selma, unabashedly introduced Obama in his keynote address at Brown Chapel AME Church as the next president of the United States.

The crowd in and around Obama's appearance was decidedly larger -- his audience included 15 members of Congress, compared with four who went to hear Clinton. Obama, who was 3 years old at the time of the Selma clash, used his keynote address to mark his place in a younger generation of black Americans who do not march in the streets -- but who still, in his words, are required "to fulfill that legacy, to fulfill the obligations and the debt that we owe to those who allowed us to be here today."
(end snip of article)

This weekend I attended a great Meet - n - Greet for Obama supporters in Colorado. It was organized by a member of the Colorado for Obama group - Andrew Nicholas (great job, Andrew!). It was held downtown at the Unitarian Church on 14th and Lafayette. I hadn't been there since my friend Willow's wedding in 1993 or 1994. Wow.

The Meet-n-Greet was well organized and packed with information! I'm bummed that a giant wave of shyness overtook me while at the event and I was unable to find my inner "Obama chattermouth" that errupts from me whenever the subject of Obama or the Presidential race comes up at home. Disappointing really. I hate when I clam up. But it was a rather large group. My son and I showed up late, and I felt intimidated which is really insane because the crowd was really warm and kind and welcoming, and everyone had such intelligent things to say. I learned a lot (amazing that I could find areas of Obama-ism that I haven't thought of myself- LOL!). But I promise at the next rally or event to be more vocal and involved. It was just one of those days.

Right after the downtown meet-n-greet I met up with my husband and daughter who were over at my in-laws house meeting our new cousin! Our cousin David and his partner Ron have adopted a baby girl named Katie who is an amazing, beautiful, sweet, and wonderful 11 month old so full of smiles and love. What a beautiful new family, I'm so happy for them!

While talking to the family I was fielding questions like - Why Obama and not Hillary? (or McCain as my father-in-law kindly bantered with me) You know - that's a very good question. I like Hillary, but I do not feel that she is on the same page as me when it comes to the direction I'd like to see our country go in. She's been in politics for a long long time and while that does have it's positives, it can also be a negative. With it comes the deals and favors owed to others in politics throughout the years. I like the "freshness" of Obama, his lack of time in the game has kept him more in tune with the people and less entwined in the "process". Make sense? Hillary, while a very strong and enigmatic figure herself, has been too much of a middle of the road person, and she's not stood her ground on some issues (such as Iraq) like I would have hoped she would. So am I saying she's not "left" enough for me? Perhaps I am, if we need to label things, then I guess you could say that.

I know people think that being a female I should support Hillary's bid for the White House, and if she does beat Barack in the primary, I certainly will support her. But it's not because she is a woman and I feel a kindred spirit in that fact. I think it's great. More minorities should run! More women! But I will not support a candidate on that basis alone. I need more. A candidates stand on issues is where it's at. Charisma, energy, hope. Yeah, all that helps, but without the platform it's all just fluff.

It was suggested also, that it is "because he's cute" that I'm an early Barack supporter and not a Clintonista. Hmmmm... (Ok, I have to laugh at that -- do people really vote for a candidate or volunteer to pound the pavement because of a candidates cute-meter reading? God, I sure hope not) I don't consider a candidates handsomeness a guage for political savvy. No, I'll admit, Barack's not bad to look at. But that has nothing to do with why I'm supporting Barack Obama. You only have to go back and re-read my political / Barack posts for the last couple of months to see WHY I've decided to back this candidate. And I believe in him with all my heart (not because he's cute).

Enough said on that topic. :) Later!

BarackObama.com | Tammy Smith's Blog

BarackObama.com | Tammy Smith's Blog

Wow. Blogging about my own blog.

A blog within a blog within a blog....

Weird? Or just redundant? I dunno, but I wanted to post here on my "anything goes" blog to say that I'm chronicling my work on the Obama in '08 campaign at the actual My.BarackObama.com blog site (link above). Please feel free to stop by and check out all the cool things that site has to offer. Don't know much about Senator Obama? You will find a whole lot of information there, as well as other people and groups to connect with and get involved in (if that is your inclination).

Why is the Obama campaign so exciting, you want to know? Why all the buzz over one junior senator? Watch this...



There is something unique, something amazing and inspiring to make this 30-something mom to sit up and take an interest in politics. Barack Obama is a big part of my renewed hope and interest in being a part of the process. He makes you beleive which is remarkable because I can't tell you the devastation and disillusionment I felt after the last two elections. I felt that believing in the political process was something that would not be possible again for a long, long time. Then Barack Obama happened. It's wondeful, it's contagious, and it's a spark, and a hope, and a belief in a better future. It's something I hope we never lose.

Have a good weekend!

TS

Stop Him Before He Gets More Experience

Stop Him Before He Gets More Experience

This is an awesome article. I read it again for the second time while sitting in my programming class this morning waiting for the professor to show up (is it the snow or have we really frightened her away?)...

The issue being discussed is the amount of time that Sen. Obama has had in Washington. In my mind this is such a NON-issue. Really! Did seasoning in Washington help the current President become a better leader? Did it help him to better understand the process (of the people, by the people, and for the people). Did it make him and his administration better able to run things?

H**L no, it didn't!

Fact is, that no administration has left behind the American people more blatantly than this one. No leader has been so out of touch with what is really going on in the minds of the people they are supposedly working *for* that it would be almost ridiculous if it weren't so devastatingly lethal.

But I digress... The fact that Obama has not become a robot of the political machine is truly one of the most refreshing aspects about his campaign and what he represents. The people really do matter to him. He listens. He understands. And he wants to change politics. He's had plenty of experience doing that.

Pay no attention to anyone who claims that Barack's lack of experience on the hill will lead him to make bad decisions. We've been living with "The Decider" for nearly 8 years now, and if you ask me we could do with a lot less of that kind of "experience"!

A LOT less.

Obama '08

Obama Presidential Announcement

I say HOORAY!!! Finally! I've been waiting for this. Most people who know me know that I am an avid Obama supporter and have hoped that he would run for President. To see video of his official announcement from this morning click on the link above. He has a wonderful website created around you - the supporter/voter. It is amazing and impressive from a user standpoint. Please go check it out. See why Obama offers hope and promise for our country's future.

OBAMA IN '08!

Yeah! :)

By the way, here's a clip of Obama speaking at the DNC Winter Meeting - listen to what he says about political races and the outlook for the next 18-24 months.

YouTube - Barack Obama -- Sex Offender?

YouTube - Barack Obama -- Sex Offender?

No it's not what you think. Watch here while Fox News tries to pull a subliminal "fast one" over on the viewing audience. Did they just think it was funny to try to associate supporters of Democratic hopeful Obama (and pictures of Obama's face) with news of a pedophile case? Or were they trying to subliminally brainwash those viewers who possibly don't have enough braincells to think for themselves? Hmmmm...


Nope, this is pure and simple - a doubleplus doublethink newscrime. Yep. (Time to get out your Newspeak dictonaries from Nineteen Eighty-Four for this one!)

A Message From Barack. | Obama Exploratory Committee

A Message From Barack. | Obama Exploratory Committee

Great news from the Obama camp! Looking forward to Feb. 10th!!!

Obama For America -

Obama For America -

Do you like Barack Obama?

Do you wish he'd run for President in 2008 on the Democratic ticket?

Do you want to find out more about how you can help give Obama a head start in his campaign (should he run)?

Then check out www.obama4america.com

Sign a petition asking Obama to run, contribute to his future campaign, or join the mailing list to keep up to date with information about Obama's decision to run.