What Can WE at BOG Do To Support Our President?

[goclark]

Right now, he seems to be doing ALL the Work and WE (his loyal supporters) are not really organized to support him.

I was thinking of the "Yes. WE.Can." that he always talks about ~ he is probably thinking that he is doing what WE wanted him to do but what are WE doing to be supportive of him now.

What can we collective do to make an impact ~ we need to be in a campaign mode... have links to all the polls etc.

For example: I was reading in a post at DU that someone wanted to have another MARCH ON WASHINGTON type show of support. They were suggesting that the Teabaggers were Marching and WE were just watching our President do all the work.

That type of thing would be hard to organize but there are other things that we can devote our time to that can make a difference.

I was reading an excellent Post here in BOG that had a beautiful letter that the poster had written to his/her local Newspaper! I think that is the kind of thing that WE need to do.

How do WE put the WE back into the Issues that the President is working so hard for ~ do we march, write letters, scream at the M$$M?

What do WE do?

[madamesilverspurs]

1. Where I am

there are a few of us who are working to stoke the fires that burned so brightly during the presidential campaign. We're presently meeting when we can to brainstorm, and we're talking to others to bring them into the process. One of my personal objectives is to re-invite the young people who were so much a part of our effort. We're presently looking at venues, examining the ideas of potlucks and house meetings. To that end, we invited the new executive director of the state party to be our first speaker at our launch event (next month most likely); she's a gen-xer and enthusiastically and positively responded to our invitation. I should mention that this effort is not confined to Democrats; we have some independents who are still enthusiastic Obama supporters and they also want to participate. Sometimes all we have to do is ask.

I'm hoping that you'll get lots of responses to your post, lots of ideas on how to proceed. Glad you took the time to post your query!

---

[goclark]

4. Fantastic ~ you are really working to keep the WE

moving in the right direction.

Thanks, I hope others will give us input on this thread too.

[FrenchieCat]

2. I think we need to write to the media, and continue to call and write to congress.....

Also, if there is a Democratic Party meeting in one's district, one should attend and provide FACTS about this President; his accomplishments and the fact that if folks want him to do so much instead of complaining, they should be having the same discussion that your OP entails; ways to help, not ways to hinder his agenda.

[NYC_SKP]

3. I try to keep my snark to a minimum when countering other DUers in GD.

But occasionally, I fail miserably at this.

:P

Seriously, to the extent that anyone there has anything like an open mind, I still try to explain things rationally.

Like speaking to the Republicans is a good thing, it exposes them and doesn't leave Obama looking like the obstructionist in the room.

I swear, some people thing he should treat them the way Bush treated Iran.

:shrug:

[goclark]

14. I try so hard to minimize my communication with them

My grandmother always told me to never put anything in writing that I will regret the next day ~ that was before the computer and fake names came into being. LOL

I don't visit there often because I think about my grandmother too much!

Some people over there think the President is their personal Howdy Dowdy.

[Peacetrain]

5. Absolutely we need to get back in full campaign mode..

The republicans have been in full bore mode since day one.. we need to gear up and boots on the ground also..

Writing and responding to letters to the editor in local papers is a great way. I have noticed the right moves in a concerted way to flood letters.. and when just one or two opposition writes in to refute them.. they dry up like a dead leaf and float away... till the next week when something sets them off again.

I know it gets plenty tiring to be in operational mode all the time.. but anymore that is what it takes. Accusations left unanswered just fester.

Thanks for opening up an idea thread.. I know I can use all the ideas I can get!!

[madamesilverspurs]

6. LTTEs are always good.

I've talked to some who think that's 'old school', but I figure there's still an important segment of our population for whom newspapers are THE source of news. But the letter-writing can be made a bit challenging by the rules of the publishing entity. Our local paper has the smallest word-count limit in the state, and letter writers are limited to one letter per thirty-day period; adding to the frustration, the editors will call to confirm authorship of those letters they choose to publish but then it may be two or three weeks before they actually publish it, and your thirty day window begins with publication. It's difficult to have an effective 'rapid response' in that type of setting.

The same paper has another 'two cents' feature where readers can call with a comment or response; the editors transcribe those calls and print them. But even those are sometimes published so many days later that readers are left to wonder what the comments are about.

Then there are the online comment boards. At our paper about 75% of those posting comments are NOT Democrats or liberals or progressives. There are several who work in tandem, recommending each other's comments and reporting 'abuse' on comments that disagree. And it is unsurprising that 'moranic' spelling and grammar prevails among them. Small wonder that those of us who post there often wish for flameproof clothing as we're called every epithet they can conjure. And our DA, who fancies himself a fit candidate for the senate, eggs them on by proclaiming that the greatest threats to the county are "criminals and liberals".

But we keep trying. Our civil liberties need to be taken out and exercised if we want to keep them healthy, and every now and then we manage to get through the flak in our efforts to make our voices heard. It's worth the slog.

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[goclark]

7. Exactly ~ Obama is in full Campaign Mode

He is working 24/7 doing Rallies, even trying to set up meetings with the Republicans.

I think I will start with a letter to the Editor of our local paper ~
I think I want HEALTH CARE as my issue because
WE have got to WIN this one!

If anyone has a generic letter that includes the basics on Health Care,maybe many of us can send it with a focus on how those issues will affect our own community.


Need your input ~ thanks!

[Cha]

8. The Perfect Question! "This victory alone is not the change we seek —

it is only the chance for us to make that change."

— President Barack Obama, Election Night, 2008

<snippety>

"There are many ways to get involved:

Joining grassroots OFA campaigns to support the President's agenda. Online, on the phone, on doorsteps and in town halls in communities across the country, we're building the bottom-up support that makes real change possible.

Spreading the word to friends and neighbors about the President's approach on the big issues facing our nation, like health care, energy and education. Nothing is more powerful than your voice in your community.
Serving our community in ways big and small. Rebuilding America starts today.
Connecting with other supporters to form strong local groups, ready to take on whatever challenges we face.

Supporting leaders who share our values and are ready to carry forward the fight for change .
Our task is enormous. To succeed, we'll need all Americans, no matter how they may have voted, to join us in the work ahead. If we set aside the old politics that have kept us apart, there's no limit to what we can achieve."

<much more>
http://www.barackobama.com/learn/about_ofa.php

That was great letter to the editor from BOGGER, Hamlette, on Health Care Reform..

Here's Frenchie's Action ..

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TOOLS

http://www.democrats.org/page/speakout/letterstoeditors
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media /

Thanks goclark:loveya:

[goclark]

9. Letters to the Editor Tools is fantastic! Txs and saved

[sandnsea]

10. HCAN is the union arm for health care

Al Franken was on the call with them Friday. Feb 17 they are organizing marches all over the country, one from Philadelphia to DC. If you don't have a march near you, they have an online call database to get people to turn out in cities that do have marches.

This, and letters to the editor, are what we need to do to help Obama.


http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org/

[goclark]

13. Thanks so much sandandsea

[euphoria12leo]

11. I'm sure you know about

http://www.my.barackobama.com to see events being held in your area. We can organize from our homes which I think is a good idea. We did sit back and watch the teabaggers mostly to avoid confrontation. Seems like police "protect and serve" the teabaggers. I'm sure everyone saw what happened at the Mccaskill townhall meeting. The elderly guy tore up the AA woman's poster but she was the one thrown out. A policeman was heard saying "we can't just remove the black people" or something to that effect.

We should not expect the president to do all the work. Democrats want him to be more involved, do all the speaking, campaign for them, raise money, etc. He can't do everything.

[goclark]

16. Txs for the important information

I am going to bookmark this thread so that I will have the website at my fingertips.

[Arkana]

12. Tell DNC fundraising callers that we'll donate

rather than giving them high-and-mighty lectures?

Support the idea that the President should have a staff he can work with rather than the staff that the far left THINKS he should have?

[Cha]

15. Kick for the Prez~