A long time ago in what seems a blogosphere far, far away I wrote a diary in advance of the 2004 elections entitled The Politics of Mosh.
The subject of that diary was an eminem video about youth empowerment, GOTV, and how we needed to get ourselves to the polls and register our voice and our vote in 2004...as citizens, as young people and as Americans.
What I'd like to do tonight is threefold. First, I'd like to share with you what I see as the significance of this upcoming weekend in our political life. Second, I'd like to explain to you, step-by-step, how you can get involved. And, finally, I'd like to invite you to join me in a grassroots effort right here on DailyKos.
Okay. With no further ado, it's time to Barack the Vote.
My point is simple. If you are for Barack Obama, this is it.
No matter where you live, no matter what your plans are, you want to be involved in GOTV (Get Out the Vote) this weekend in advance of Tsunami Tuesday.
I've done Democratic politics and GOTV for a long time, and I've been thinking about how to convey the nature of this weekend in simple terms, and here's what I'd say. You want to be involved in this. This is Woodstock. This is Florida 2000. This is Ohio 2004. This is a singular moment like 1968. And with a record turnout and the participation of so many young volunteers, this is a chance to truly mosh the vote.
This is a generation-shaping moment.
You want to be able tell your friends and family that you were a part of the primary day that helped decide the Democratic nomination of 2008.
And, yes, you want to be able to say that you Barack'd the Vote.
::
If you read this excellent piece from Huffington Post, you'll see that the Obama campaign is made up of grassroots volunteers all over the country...students, labor union members, Obamadads and Obamamoms, Obamakids, Obamasingles (ahem...) and Obamaseniors too...all of whom are working on a massive, nationwide grassroots people-powered effort to reach out into every community in America and talk about electing Senator Barack Obama President of the United States.
If there's one challenging thing you should know today, it's this. (And this may seem surprising to Dailykos readers like us.) Too many people around the country just don't know Barack Obama. They haven't had a chance to really take a look. They're busy. They have busy lives. And, you know what, they are waiting for us. That's the challenge, the downside.
On the upside, I can also tell you this, the more people get to know Barack Obama, the more they meet the diverse, energized and committed array of volunteers who are giving their time for the Senator, the more they know about his positions, his achievements and his story, the more they like Barack Obama.
And, yes, the more people get to know Senator Obama before Tsunami Tuesday the more votes he will get and the more delegates he will win.
::
This is a big one.
Sure, the general election this year will be huge. But this primary has been something special. It's not like 1992 or 2000 or 2004. We all know it.
As a party we have a chance to nominate the most gifted, capable and inspiring Democratic leader of his generation to represent our party as President of the United States. We have a chance to make a change, to truly turn the page in a way we haven't seen in decades. This election is truly about our future.
But what we're trying to do this weekend won't be easy. And the outcome is by no means a given.
What can you do?
Let me show you.
It will be much simpler than you think.
::
If you're interested in participating in this effort to help elect Senator Barack Obama President and win the Tsunami Tuesday primaries and caucuses, you should click on one of the two links below:
EVENTS or VOLUNTEER
It's that simple.
If you click on EVENTS you will be taken to a page where you can enter your Zip Code and a radius and find a list of events near you.
For example, when I enter my Zip Code, 94609, I get 141 events within a 25 mile radius of me. Some of the events involve doing visibility (I highly recommend this option for those who are shy or new to GOTV), some of the events involve rallies (yet another easy way to break into GOTV and do something social at the same time) and some of the events involve phonebanking and canvassing and also feature training sessions where you can learn to phone bank or canvass in a supportive and positive environment.
Clicking on EVENTS is a no muss, no fuss way to get involved. You can RSVP or, in some cases, just show up, but you don't have to sign up for anything. This is a way to participate and find out what level of participation is right for you.
Now, if you know you want to be involved directly in the effort to do voter outreach for Barack Obama, especially if you are a seasoned volunteer, you can click on the link that reads VOLUNTEER. Clicking on VOLUNTEER will take you to a page that explains the volunteer philosophy of the Obama campaign and allows you to register as a volunteer at my.barackobama.com.
This is the most powerful thing you can do this weekend, wherever you live in the country, to get involved in electing Barack Obama President of the United States.
When you sign up to VOLUNTEER, you join the team of activists that's been on the ground in Iowa, in New Hampshire, in Nevada, in South Carolina, and in every Tsunami Tuesday state. You can phone bank from your house, you can hold events of your own, and if you live in one of the Tsunami Tuesday states, you can join other folks just like you in Getting Out the Vote.
That's it. It's that simple.
EVENTS or VOLUNTEER
::
There's one more thing I'd like to add. I want you to tell me how it goes.
If you go sign up tonight, please leave a comment in this thread and share your experience. Or, if you are not a member here, or participate in an event later this week or weekend, leave me an email at kidoaklandactivism@comcast.net (Just put BaracktheVote in the subject line.)
I want to know how this goes for you and I'd love for you to share your stories and experiences with other people here. Too often when we volunteer, we are atomized and separated. It doesn't have to be that way.
Drop a comment or an email and tell us how it's going...or better yet write your own diary...and I'll find a way to share as much of that news as I can in diaries and posts.
::
Now, I know maybe I've come on a bit too strong for some. I recognize that. It takes a village, you know.
But I want to convey that GOTV is one of the most rewarding things you can do in politics...and my hunch is that this weekend in the 22 States of Tsunami Tuesday...it's going to be something special.
You can be a part of that.
Volunteering this weekend is something you will remember. Like many other Democratic activists here, I have great memories of GOTV. Over the years I've walked the streets of New Hampshire for Jesse Jackson, attended rallies in South Minneapolis for Paul Wellstone, phonebanked for Al Gore and Joe Lieberman in Oakland, doorknocked for Jerry McNerney in Tracy and done visibility for John Kerry and John Edwards at the West Oakland BART. I want to share with you that in doing so I have met some of the coolest people and have had some of the most rewarding experiences in my political life.
Trust me, this weekend, all over the United States of America, if you choose to do so...you can have that kind of experience too.
This is a once in a generation opportunity. This weekend is something special.
This is something you want to be a part of...and, yeah, bring your friends.
mosh the vote / Barack the Vote....