Hildebrand: Massive 3-Day Voter Registration Drive Set for Labor Day Weekend

As always, the Obama team is organized and smart.  

More than anything else, it is new voters that will win him the election.

In NY, we've been registering people for weeks (just back, myself). We have a September primary, pushing up the deadlines. I suppose that each state has different deadlines. In any case, this seem to be the official end of the summer activities, and a beginning of the final sprint to November.

I just wanted to say, that if nationwide the 'quality' of the Obama Fellows was as high as the gentleman that has been working our area (Western North Carolina), then the program has been a huge success. He was top-notch. I really wish he'd become full-time, but alas, he's a college english teacher, and school is starting back soon.

News straight from our Obama Fellow's mouth - the campaign is planning on putting 150 paid staff on the ground in North Carolina - 7 staffers in Western North Carolina (Asheville and parts west). This is well more support than we had in the primaries, where outside of Asheville there were 2 field organizers (which is 2 more than the Clinton campaign had out here, btw...). The fact that the campaign is already here organizing, in mid-July, is gratifying.

We've been doing voter registration daily at our local Democratic Headqtrs (which is fully staffed and open 6 days a week, in a large part due to enthusiastic Obama supporters), and are pulling in 8-10 a week, which doesn't sound like much, but there are a little more than 10,000 people in the whole county. We've had a steady run on Obama bumper stickers and buttons, going thru a supply of several hundered I though would last until the general election on July 4th alone. The amount of enthusiasm off the street has really encouraged me, and has turned some heads with some of the long time democrats here.

Thanks for all the info. from NN this weekend, I've been lurking since the primary and have appreciated your insights.  I live in typically "R"-leaning SW Ohio and so far I'm fairly impressed with the Obama operation in our end of the state.  The weather has been less than helpful, with torrential rains July 4th weekend, not great for registering voters.  I expect Ohio to be close and hope the campaign hews to a populist theme, with Sherrod Brown, Gov. Strickland, and possibly Paul Hackett (if he would agree) to stump for Obama in this area.  It's pretty exciting to know we're getting paid help this fall, let me tell you!  Labor Day weekend is an excellent time to blitz the state for new registrations as all must be registered by Oct. 4 to vote in the GE.

It looks like ya'll are having a wonderful time in Austin, really love the updates and pics.

We have been out evenings and weekends registering new voters in northern Ohio (between Cleveland and Toledo) and the enthusiasm is high. Lots of young people for whom this will be their first election, and more than a few of the area's fastest-growing population, the working poor. If the post-convention push furthers these gains, Ohio will be the source of wonderful news the night of November 4. (Thank the voters that Jennifer Brunner replaced Ken Blackwell as Secretary of State two years ago, so we can have some assurance that voters will a) be able to cast votes and b) those votes will actually count.

Mark T: Most welcome news from North Carolina. Your work might mean the difference not only for Obama but for Bev Perdue and Kay Hagan this fall. Here's hoping and working for the best outcome.

Thanks for the update Al. I think the most powerful aspect of the organizing campaign is the following:

Volunteers will be trained to register voters and "to take ownership over your turf," said Bird, "giving people the skills to register, persuade and turn out voters, so when we go to doors and when we talk to people on the phone, it won't just be reading from script, but forming relationships."

Having worked as a precinct captain for during the primaries there are many of us that are very hungry for more. As a US history teacher in a public middle school, these are skills and experiences that I want my students to be aware of because of the often cynical response when I discuss civic involvement. This skill set and taking "ownership of turf" can be used over and over again to ensure that issues that are important to use become more than just great ideas.

The next step to registration - making contact with undecideds - check this new tool out - it's called the Neighbor to Neighbor program - and I think it's available in most states now (I just printed a list of 25 neighbors just down the road from me in Vermont)

Watch the video - it's a pretty amazing too.  Imagine if every donor to the Obama campaign talked to 25 voters in person.  now that's an impact

http://my.barackobama.com/page/votercontact/training

Also check out Sam Graham Felsen's diary on Kos reagrding this event - there's a great video from a volunteer called Grace from SC

KD

Ohio looks mighty important this fall, and I look forward to hearing more.  My state, New York, is a shoo-in for Obama, and I'll register voters in Michigan for a week this August, and canvass for Obama in Pennsylvania for a week this October.  (Gotta go where there are family and friends and free housing.)

Fantastic news from Hildebrand about the registration drive. If you like it, I'd love for you to pass along this idea about how to kick it off:

Obama and his running mate go directly from Denver to New Orleans, to pitch in with whatever work needs to be done that Friday, the 3rd anniversary of Katrina's landfall (and John McCain's 72nd birthday). Later in the day they kick off the Labor Day registration drive in the Lower 9th Ward. On Saturday at 1:45pm, with a couple hundred paid and volunteer workers, they board The City of New Orleans for the trip to Chicago,

past houses, farms and fields

Passin' trains that have no names,

Freight yards full of old black men

And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.

At each stop--Hammond, LA, McComb, MS, Brookhaven, MS, Hazlehurst, MS, Jackson, MS, Yazoo City, MS, Greenwood, MS, Memphis, TN, Newbern-Dyersburg, TN, Fulton, KY--workers disembark and fan out in registration waves (or head for their pre-aranged bunk for the night)

Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee

Obama and his VP stop for the night in Memphis, and spend the next day helping to register voters there and in the surrounding towns. They re-embark The City of New Orleans at 10pm and head home to Chicago to continue the registration drive Sunday and Monday.

Maybe they can get Willie to ride along with them.

This is so creative and what a plan.  I couldn't think of anything more impressive.  It reminds me of some of the creativeness of the 1960's and 1970's.  Whoever you are, you know your stuff.  Who can you get to organize all your ideas?  They are so exciting and would give great HOPE to the people who look forward to something new.  Keep it going and keep up the spirit.

Joan

for your very nice comment. I'm sure you know I was inspired by Al's post of a few days ago, Good Mornin' América, How Are Ya?

and in general by Al's enthusiam for, and talent for advocating, political action at the most important, fundamental level. From what we've seen so far, Hildebrand and the rest of Obama's Field baintrust share those qualities. Following Obama's acceptance speech, on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's I Have a Dream address, I hope they do something along the lines of what I described to underscore the fact that the Obama campaign is committed to grassroots change--and that they are walking in the footsteps of a quintessentially American political tradition.