Listening to America: Your Stories
There are only three days remaining for our Listening to America Platform Meetings - three days for you to play your part in writing the next chapter in the history of the Democratic Party. This weekend, over 500 events will be held across the country - click here and find one near you.
We're still getting reports in every day from Platform Meetings that have already taken place, including this one, from Alma in San Diego:
Obama Supporters Making a Difference held a Platform Meeting on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at Barnes Bar-B-Que in Lemon Grove, California (just outside San Diego). The conversation was rich and covered several topics. Each participant received a packet, a bumper sticker and a lapel sticker upon arrival. Some came with issues on their minds while others perused Obama fliers on issues and the 2004 Democratic Party Platform. The conversation ranged from discussions on jobs, retirement benefits, healthcare, and education to Community Colleges, national unity, the war in Iraq and more. A huge thank you goes out to the Barack Obama campaign for suggesting this excellent work in democracy!
This came from Sharon in Bedford, Massachusetts:
Our platform meeting on Tuesday evening drew 23 people from 13 different towns! Everyone came energized to discuss the issues important to their lives and the live of others. We were fortunate to not only have a policy expert from the campaign, but also a local delegate to the National Convention and a member of the DNC Platform committee as attendees. After brainstorming a long list, we grouped the issues into the Economy, Healthcare, Foreign Policy and the Environment & Energy. We broke into four small groups for more detailed discussion. We talked, agreed, disagreed and debated. Then we wrapped up with a moderator from each group presenting our policy statements for a final review and came up with three or four bullet points for each of our policy areas to contribute to the discussion at the National Platform meetings. It was a very satisfying evening and clearly displayed the hunger for this kind of conversation with our friends and neighbors.
Over 1000 Platform Meetings have already taken place across the country. This weekend is your final chance to participate, and to take advantage of this unique opportunity to add your voice to the 2008 Democratic Party Platform. It's easy to get involved - just click here, enter your zip code, and sign up to attend a meeting near you.
Senator Obama with President Nicolas Sarkozy LIVE in Paris, France
Senator Obama is in Paris, France today meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. At the conclusion of their meeting, they will be holding a brief press conference.
You can watch a live stream of the press conference below:
Morning News
From the New York Times:
Senator Barack Obama stood before a sea of cheering admirers on Thursday and sought to inspire fresh cooperation among American allies to defeat terrorism and other threats, introducing himself as a leader who could summon other nations to join the United States in confronting the world’s next challenges.
On a perch steeped in history, Mr. Obama said it was time to reprise the spirit that conquered communism, and use it to heal divisions and forge closer partnerships to deal with nuclear proliferation, global warming, poverty and genocide. Without naming President Bush or going into detail about European disenchantment with the Iraq war and other policies of the current administration, he suggested the United States would become a better partner, but called on European countries to uphold their responsibilities
“The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand,” Mr. Obama said, putting a new twist on the cold war calls to bring down the barrier that divided Berlin. “The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.”
The German police estimated that more than 200,000 people came to hear him speak from the base of the Victory Column in the Tiergarten, a sprawling park in the center of the city. Berliners waved American flags — provided by the campaign — throughout the address, offering precisely the visual message that Mr. Obama’s aides wanted to beam back home: a candidate who could restore the world’s faith in strong American leadership and idealism.
He looked out toward the Brandenburg Gate, where President Ronald Reagan once implored the Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” and end the cold war.
The setting of the speech, as well as the size of the crowd, seemed to place Mr. Obama among a litany of American leaders who have stood before him, even though he is simply a first-term United States senator.
“I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before,” Mr. Obama said. “Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for president, but as a citizen — a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.”
In his 30-minute address, Mr. Obama did not overtly criticize Mr. Bush or his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, but he did offer a gentle dose of criticism of his own nation. That, too, drew loud cheers from the crowd.
“I know my country has not perfected itself,” he said. “We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. But I also know how much I love America.”
As he offered a glimpse of an active foreign policy, should he be elected — mentioning Darfur, Zimbabwe and Burma in his address — he signaled an intention to leave behind what Mr. Bush’s critics see as often-misguided unilateralism in favor of greater cooperation. Yet Mr. Obama also suggested that he would expect the cooperation to flow both ways, urging Europe to be more supportive of sending additional NATO troops to Afghanistan, a politically unpopular stance in Germany.
“No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone,” Mr. Obama said.
From the WDIV-TV:
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's Campaign For Change invited the public to attend the grand opening of the Detroit headquarters Wednesday.
The doors of the Detroit headquarters on 2875 West Grand Blvd. opened at 5 p.m. and a program including Obama's earliest supporters from across Detroit began at 6 p.m.
Senate Democratic Floor Leader Buzz Thomas and Sen. Tupac Hunter spoke at the event.
More than 150 paid staff members will manage Obama's Michigan headquarters.
From the Denver Post:
The crowd enveloping Barack Obama when he accepts the Democratic nomination for president at Invesco Field at Mile High will be asked to get to work for the privilege of witnessing the historic event live.
In a half-hour interview Wednesday with The Denver Post, Obama's deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, said he wants to use the ticketing process as a massive recruitment tool meant to bring in supporters from all 50 states and energize them to carry the campaign into the final 60 days of the general election.
"We're going to ask those 80,000 people in that stadium to march out of there and go with very specific instructions and goals to register millions of new voters," Hildebrand said.
The campaign announced July 7 that it would hold the final night of the Aug. 25-28 convention at Invesco Field and open Obama's acceptance speech to thousands of spectators. Official details of the so-called "community credential" process are expected early next week, the campaign said.
By seating the 6,000 delegates down on the field normally defended by the Denver Broncos, and by keeping the number of journalists, technicians and VIPs at the same level as those attending the Pepsi Center events earlier in the week, the campaign could bring in more than 60,000 members of the public, Hildebrand said.
As a battleground state hosting the convention, Colorado will have access to the largest percentage of public tickets, but Hildebrand wants to draw significant support from neighboring states, such as the other Intermountain West battleground states of New Mexico and Nevada.
From KOMU-TV:
Presidential candidate Barack Obama is taking aim on the Show-Me state for his 2008 campaign.
Downtown Columbia is home to one of 23 new regional campaign offices in Missouri, more than twice as many as Republican candidate John McCain.
Over the next week, Barack Obama's campaign will be opening offices all across Missouri.
"The purpose of that office is to base the operation out of, will be contacting voters there, will be during voter's registration's rise in that office," said executive director of the Democratic party Mark Buhrmester. "That's gonna be base of our operation. Everything that will Obama campaign does in Mid-Missouri will be based on that office."
Earlier this month, the campaign announced it would have 150 paid staff in Missouri. And that staff says it has a simple goal:
"I hope that's going to educate many people in Columbia especially in downtown, not just young people, but especially young people to go out and vote and they will come out large number of vote for Obama," MU student Shpend Ibraimi.
Road Blog: Jerusalem to Berlin - The Day in Pictures
Our global trip with Barack Obama continued today across time zones and continents.
The moon still hung in the sky when the Senator's motorcade rolled through the gates of old Jerusalem to the Western Wall. Senator Obama joined a rabbi in prayer before the illuminated wall and inserted a note into one of its crevices, as is tradition.
The next stop was Berlin. Senator Obama met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the morning, and later in the day delivered a public address in Berlin's Tiergarten Park. The full text and video of the speech are already available but we had some special pictures from the event that we wanted to share with you. We hope these pictures will give you a sense of this remarkable day that spanned cultures and borders and reminded us of how interconnected we really are.
Arun Chaudhary
July 24th, 2008
Berlin, Germany“Refeshingly Honest and Straightforward”
Barack has always valued the importance and the service of Veterans. In a recent speech in Fargo, North Dakota, Barack said...
The brave Americans who fight today believe deeply in this country. And no matter how many you meet, or how many stories of heroism you hear, every encounter reminds that they are truly special. That through their service, they are living out the ideals that stir so many of us as Americans - pride, duty, and sacrifice.
As a grandson of a World War II veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. And veterans across the country are responding. Here are some of their stories...
David in Missouri:
I am a veteran of the first Gulf War, and a lifelong Republican voter. I have become disillusioned in recent years with the current political process. When I see Mr. Obama campaign I really feel a sense of change, of freshness with new ideas that this country truly needs. We need to get away from the politics of personal destruction.
If I was still in the military and for necessary reasons we had to go to war, I would proudly and enthusiastically say "Reporting for duty, sir".
Mike in Ohio:
Of the many reasons, I support Barack because he supports me. I am a 24 year old veteran of the Iraq war and feel support for veterans under the Bush administration has been less than adequate. Barack realizes the sacrifices all of us have made. His views and policy ideas regarding veteran issues are refreshingly honest and straightforward. They also show that he truly cares about issues that affect us.
Orlando in Georgia:
I support Obama for several reasons, primarily because I believe as he does that America is far too divided along political, economic, and racial lines. We have lost sight of the fact that we are all citizens of the United States of America. The American dream is slowing slipping away from the masses, and expanding for the privileged few.
I believe along with him that it is time for the people to reclaim America, take it back from the special interests and wealthy few. I plan to cast my vote for Obama because I truly believe that he has the qualities that we need to show to the world.
Kevin in Virginia:
I believe that Barack Obama understands that the oath I took as a seventeen year old, to defend the Constitution against all enemies, was a solemn one. I believe he understands that when a person is willing to offer their life in defense of their country, their elected leaders have an obligation no less solemn; to send them to war only as a last resort.
I believe Barack Obama understands that the lives of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines should never be used to further political aims and that the duty to uphold and defend the Constitution should be held just as sacred by our government as it is by those who risk their lives for it. I believe that Barack Obama will allow me to be proud, once more, to say, "I served my country in the Army of the United States of America."
Vote for Change: “Voter reg, and a movie”
"The Dark Knight", one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer, premiered at 12:01am on Friday the 18th. Across the country, Obama for America staff, Organizing Fellows, and volunteers helped register voters at theatres throughout the weekend, including Baco Raton, FL and Wilkes-Barre, PA.
For Giacomo, a 24-year-old Organizing Fellow in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, registering younger voters had proved difficult in his region. The "Dark Knight" premiere provided a creative opportunity to reach his targeted demographic on their own turf.
Giacomo started preparing for the weekend two weeks in advance, first by calling the local theatre.
I explained that our registration efforts were non-partisan, that our volunteers were courteous and friendly, and that on a personal level we were all looking forward to seeing The Dark Knight as soon as we finished!
After being referred up the chain all the way through Tennessee to the main Colorado office, and then eventually back to the local manager, Giacomo was finally set to go. Along with two other Organizing Fellows and an intern, the foursome tackled the late-night rush for two hours, before finally sitting down to catch the 12:51am showing themselves.
On Friday, Giacomo was joined by three additional volunteers, and they returned to the theater again on Saturday.
"Voter reg, and a movie!" was how I billed it on my.barackobama.com, and that's exactly what it turned out to be: the kind of thing anybody would want to do on their weekend.
By the end of Saturday, Giacomo and his three colleagues had registered 72 voters. Counting another Organizing Fellow who was independently registering voters the first night, they left the theatre with 83 new registrations.
Giacomo explained:
Senator Obama inspired us to be out there registering voters those evenings, and you know what? We met hundreds of theatergoers just as excited about his candidacy as they were to see "The Dark Knight", maybe even more excited. So many individuals that evening, most of them our age or younger, spoke with us, laughed with us, wished us well, shook our hands, and thanked us for everything we were doing for the campaign and country. Truth is, I can't thank them enough for wanting to be a part of this process by taking the time to listen to us, to register, and eventually to vote. It was Senator Obama who inspired them to register that night, and for so many of us to be there when it happened at theaters all over the country.
The Vote for Change national voter registration drive will be continuing all summer long. You can find events in your area, or sign up to create your own.
Video: Senator Obama in Berlin
Barack Obama addressed a crowd of over 200,000 people in Berlin's Tiergarten Park today. Watch the video...
Click here for the full text of the speech and click here to learn more about Senator Obama's foreign policy plan.Listening to America: Across the Nation
We've been getting amazing reports from the Listening to America Platform Meetings that are going on right now all across the country. Here are some of the pictures we've received from supporters over the past few days:
Click here to find a platform meeting near you and help contribute to a party platform that embodies your values and vision for the future. Have you already been to or hosted a platform meeting? Send your photos and a few words on how it went to blog@barackobama.com, and we'll feature the best photos and stories right here on the HQ blog.
Organizing Fellows: Coretta in Georgia
As part of a continuing series, we're following Obama Organizing Fellows as they share their stories and their experiences. They discuss the people they meet, the hardships of organizing, what the campaign means to them, and how this summer is changing their perspective.
Coretta is an Organizing Fellow in Georgia. Her stories appear each Thursday.
At times I have a hard time believing how heavily involved in the campaign I've become. Politics, I used to think, was not for me. But having been present when hope takes hold in the hearts of supporters has forever changed my mind. This campaign moves me to strike up conversations and before I realize it, I am a few sentences into why I support Barack Obama. Under normal circumstances, people are pleasant but some of my best experiences are when I was able to uncover our common denominator, and then, voilà, a new volunteer signs up and is ready to be plugged in!
I have been amazed at how attentive and open people are, especially once they find out I am an Obama Organizing Fellow. When I meet someone who thinks differently, I try to understand their position, so I ask a probing questions like “What is it that concerns you about Senator Obama?” and “Have you visited BarackObama.com to get the facts?” While these types of questions have mixed responses, they tend to help create some elbowroom for the Senator. As much as I do not like to spend too much time debating partisan issues, I know that times like these give me a chance to recruit some new people for the Campaign for Change.
This brings to mind how an unplanned stop turned into an ongoing voter registration drive. After setting up two hair salons in Adamsville as new voter registration locations, we stopped by one of the oldest bookstores in America, The Shrine of the Black Maddona Bookstore & Cultural Center. We were welcomed to use a portion of their bookstore to set up for voter registration. Early Saturday morning we took them up on their offer and set up a voter registration event, and we plan to return each Saturday to build a stronger following.
Later that evening we went to a Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU), which is a citizen advisory council held at the Community Baptist Church of God. I was able to give an overview of what I am doing as an Obama Organizing Fellow, and highlighted the focus on voter registration and the recruitment of volunteers. We gave voter registration forms and added more names to our contact list. The day ended around 10pm for us, but we accomplished a great deal.
I cannot believe there are less than four days left until my Organizing Fellowship ends. Where did the time go? These last six weeks have shown me that politics requires a passionate spirit and good character: neither one alone will get the job done. With less than 102 days until the General Election I've started my election countdown, to keep me focused on working to ensure that Senator Obama is our next President.
Check back next week for more from Coretta in Georgia, and visit our Flickr page for more of her photos.
Remarks of Senator Obama in Berlin Germany
Senator Obama delivered the following remarks in Berlin, Germany...
Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.
I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.
I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father – my grandfather – was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning – his dream – required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.
That is why I’m here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life.
Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof.
Continue reading for the full remarks (as prepared for delivery)...
