Barack Obama for President (and how to volunteer for Barack)

I am proud to endorse Barack Obama for President, and I will work hard to elect him as the next President of the United States.  At the end of this email you will find ways that you can help elect Barack Obama.

As an elected official committed to creating change in Massachusetts and in society, I believe it is important to support candidates for public office who show a commitment to challenging the status quo, to create positive change.  I believe that candidate is Barack Obama.

I have put a great deal of thought into who to endorse for president in 2008, both because of the strength of the candidates, and because it is such an important election.  Every election is important, but given the corruption, incompetence, and destruction that President Bush has wrought on America and so many other countries, the challenges that the next president must take up are both exciting and daunting.

There are lots of arguments about the qualities, experiences, and positions that each Democratic candidate for president has and which makes that candidate the most qualified and the most electable against the Republican nominee.

Contrary to what many Democratic insiders think, presidential election after presidential election shows that voters support politicians who stand up for their beliefs, inspire the public to believe in a better world, and have a compelling narrative for why they are running for public office.  As Paul Waldman said in Being Right Is Not Enough, “Electoral success isn’t about plans, it isn’t about resumes, it isn’t about experience, and it isn’t about ideas.  It’s about connecting on an emotional level through ethos and pathos – how people feel about a candidate, and how he makes them feel about themselves.”

Throughout his life, Barack Obama has shown himself as someone who has been able to see the complexities behind challenging issues, and successful in finding a solution.  Since he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, Barack Obama has been able to inspire millions of Americans with his speeches and work in the U.S. Senate.  His story, described in his book Dreams from My Father, touches upon what makes this country so full of possibility, from America’s strength through diversity, to its opportunities to move up in life, to the need for fresh new ideas to help all Americans improve their lives.

On a more personal level, I believe that Barack Obama’s professional career is exactly what is needed in the White House to make government more responsive to people outside the Beltway.  As someone who worked as a Legal Aid lawyer before being elected to the Massachusetts Legislature, I know firsthand how working directly with poor people, as Barack Obama did as a community organizer in Chicago, instills in you a sense of urgency of working to create change for people with no power.  As a state legislator, many accounts of Senator Obama suggest an individual who stood and fought on his principles, while having the pragmatism to work with legislators with opposing ideas to improve the lives of the people of Illinois.

In my observations, Barack Obama has run an excellent campaign that is exciting, clear, and powerful.  He has shown a willingness to question the status quo, and not take assumptions at their face value.  Senator Obama has shown that he is comfortable going out on a limb, speaking eloquently about his opposition to the war in Iraq, his new approach to diplomacy, and challenging the Democratic establishment to be bold in proposing solutions to American’s problems.

Finally, I believe that Barack Obama’s opposition to the war in Iraq before it began is an important distinction in this year’s election.  Nothing represents the incompetent, bullying, corrupt, and extralegal nature of the Bush Administration more than the conflict in Iraq.  The war has not just left the Middle East destabilized and the world more dangerous to terrorism, it has also weakened civil liberties in the United States, and placed a heavy burden on the American public, whether on military families who lack proper support when soldiers return from overseas or taxpayers shouldering more and more debt to pay for the occupation of Iraq.  The issue also showcases a recurring weakness within the Democratic Party establishment – a fear of not standing up for our core Democratic values in order to avoid appearing “weak” – when the very act of turning from our beliefs only reinforces voters’ impressions that our leaders don’t stand for anything.  Senator Obama is someone who did not fall for President Bush’s lies, and his opposition to the war will make it clearer for him to end the occupation of Iraq as president, as well as send a signal to the rest of the world that America has a leader who understands the follies of unilateralism in securing world peace.

With the early presidential primaries fast approaching, now is an important time for presidential candidates.  Whomever you are supporting for president, I would encourage you to set aside some time to travel to New Hampshire, make phone calls, volunteer on the campaign, or make a campaign contribution (www.barackobama.com).  I will be traveling to New Hampshire on Sunday, December 30th for Barack Obama, and invite you to join me.  If you live in the Acton area and are interested to make the trip up on Sunday, please contact me at James@RepEldridge.com.

I will also be traveling up to New Hampshire on January 5th and 6th, and New Hampshire primary day, Tuesday, January 8th.  In addition to New Hampshire there are also opportunities to campaign for Barack Obama in Massachusetts, as listed below.

James B. Eldridge
State Representative

Join the Obama Campaign in New Hampshire for the Next 2 Weekends- Dec. 29th/30th , Jan. 5th-6th
The New Hampshire primary is LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AWAY and Barack is closing the gap in the Granite State.  This is a critical time to talk to voters across the state and we need your help this weekend.

**Buses to New Hampshire on Saturday, Dec. 29th (carpools from this location on Dec. 22nd-23rd, Dec. 30th and Jan. 5th-6th)
10:30 AM
99 Restaurant Parking Lot, Bunker Hill Community College T-Stop (Orange Line), Charlestown

**Carpools on Dec. 22nd-23rd, Dec. 29th -Dec. 30th and Jan 5th-6th
Cambridge: Alewife T-stop, Bertucci’s parking lot, Meet at 10:30 am
Framingham: Shoppers World,1 Worcester Rd. Route 9, Meet at 10:30 am
Andover: Andover Park and Ride, Dascomb Rd., Exit 42 off of 1-93, Meet at 10:30 am
South Shore: South Shore Plaza in Braintree behind the Sears store, 250 Granite St., Meet at 9:15 am

You can also drive directly to our Manchester office- 60 Rogers St.- and arrive at 12:00 pm on Saturday and/or Sunday.

To RSVP for the canvass please call us at 617-981-0642 or email us at ma2nh@barackobama.com  Please let us know if you will be taking the bus, joining a carpool or handling your own ride.

Be There on Primary Day- January 8th!
January 8th is the single most important day of this campaign and we need you to join us.
To RSVP for Primary Day please call us at 617-981-0642 or email us at ma2nh@barackobama.com

Volunteer with us in our New Office in Somerville
This week we are thrilled to move into our very own office at 240 B Elm St., Suite 7B in Somerville (only one block away from the Davis Square T-stop).
We are now open daily- generally from 9:00 am- 10:00 pm.  Come join us!

We need your help making phone calls, doing data entry and helping us organize.  If you have a laptop, please bring it when you come in to volunteer.

To sign up for a volunteer shift please call us at 617-981-0642 or email us at ma2nh@barackobama.com.

Come to one of our Local Phonebanks
Thursday, Dec. 20th, 5:00-8:00 pm

112 South St., 2nd Floor, Boston

Sunday, Dec. 23rd, 5:00-8:00 pm
Harvard University Law School- Pound Hall

Wednesday, Dec. 26th, 5:00-8:00 pm
Our office- 240 B Elm St, Suite 7B, Somerville

Thursday, Dec. 27th, 5:00-8:00 pm

Our office- 240 B Elm St, Suite 7B, Somerville
          
To RSVP for our phonebanks please call us at 617-981-0642 or email us at ma2nh@barackobama.com

Make Phone Calls from Home
We can easily set you up to make phone calls from the luxury of your own home!  To get more info on how to use our online phonebanking tool call us at 617-981-0642.