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Road Blog: Day in Pictures, Reno

post from Obama HQ on 17 August 2008 10:52:18 PM. © Obama HQ

Before asking Barack a question at the town hall this morning, Kathleen, a Reno local, told him to “enjoy the cooler half of Nevada.” Indeed, the weather was perfect today. Reno is a town that lies in the shadows of the Sierras and belongs to a region that is in stark contrast to the southern Nevada desert area of Las Vegas.

Folks here are having a hard time. Jobs are disappearing, healthcare and gas costs are increasing sharply.

Barack spent all afternoon here, first speaking with oilman-turned-alternative energy-promoter T. Boone Pickens before holding a town hall at Earl Wooster High School.

He ended the day at PJ & Co Restaurant Saloon, where locals had drinks, A-HA played on the jukebox, and Barack enjoyed an enormous slice of carrot cake. He also listened to Nevadans talk about the challenges they face in their daily lives.

Here's a glimpse of the day in pictures.

Arun Chaudhary
August 17th, 2008
En route to Albuquerque NM

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http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaroadblog/gG5FpL

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Millions Who've Had Abortions Don't Know It

post from Barack Oblogger on 17 August 2008 08:34:30 PM. © Barack Oblogger

If John McCain is right in his assessment at last night's Saddleback Forum that "life begins at conception," then millions of women are having abortions daily and they don't even know it. From Ann...

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rtions-dont-know.html

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What We Have Become

post from Why We Need Obama on 17 August 2008 08:28:00 PM. © Why We Need Obama

From my watching of Obama and McCain's performances at Rick Warren's Church, Obama came off unequivocally more thoughtful, wise and deliberative. One would think that would count for something. Well, from the ~~media bloviators'~~ political commentariat's perspective, substance and nuance count for sh*t and the only people who win debates and get elected are pandering one-sentence hacks who jump up and down about "destroying evil [, my friends]".

As Andrew Sullivan puts it:

[One Reason We're Polarized.] Because Chuck Todd can describe the following as a reason Obama lost last night's debate:
The two answered the Supreme Court justice question VERY differently, with Obama seemingly trying to say a nice thing or two about justices he disagreed with, while McCain went right to pander mode in his answer. And yet, McCain's straightforward answer easily penetrated while Obama's did not.
Chuck basically says that unless you pander in soundbites, you lose. If you show respect for your opponent's views, you lose. However defensible this is as analysis, it isn't part of the solution, is it?

It disgusts me at times like this what we've become as a country. Fat, satisfied, too afraid to rock the boat and more concerned with spraying our children's toys with Lysol (TM) Disinfectant Spray than we are with our President torturing innocent suspects.

As a reader at the Dish so wisely points out:

More and more, November seems to be shaping up, above all, up as a referendum on the American people - on what we collectively are prepared to take responsibility for. If McCain wins, we'll deserve him.

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Road Blog: Town Hall in Reno, Nevada

post from Obama HQ on 17 August 2008 06:07:47 PM. © Obama HQ

“You can get the government that you deserve.” – Barack Obama

It was a beautiful day in Reno at the town hall at Earl Wooster High School, home of the Colts. Over two-hundred attendees, mostly union members and local activists, sat at picnic tables for the event.
Barack walked among the tables, sharing his observations about what he’s learned on the road. “What you learn traveling America," he said, "is that it’s big and full of lots of different kinds of people, but they all want and need the same things for themselves and their families.”
One of the most interesting things about the long campaign season has been meeting and revisiting many of the same people across the country over the course of several months, or in some cases, an entire year.
Introducing Barack today was one such person – Patty Chastain. Patty was a precinct captain during the primary caucuses. As a real estate agent, Patty moved to Nevada five years ago -- before the housing market collapsed. With the market in its current state, Patty is struggling to make ends meet and living month-to-month. Having health problems and rising medical bills, she is very concerned that she will become a financial liability for her children. This is a familiar story in Nevada, where foreclosure rates rank the highest in the nation, and the subsequent economic fallout affects everyone. Patty is only one member of a generation of parents who are worried about what they are leaving behind for their children.
Here are Barack’s opening remarks from today’s event:

video details and more

Arun ChaudharyAugust 17th, 2008Reno, Nevada

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Camp Obama: Building Community

post from Obama HQ on 17 August 2008 04:53:12 PM. © Obama HQ

Community leaders on the ground have local knowledge and relationships that can’t be built in just a few months. A good organizer’s job is to reach out to the leaders in the community who can recruit and coordinate others. Good leaders reach out to people and empower them to take action.

House parties and organizational meetings are effective ways to identify potential volunteers and grow a grassroots organization. As part of today's Camp Obama training, attendees learned how to conduct effective organizational meetings and to help build the campaign's local grassroots organization.

You can find resources and information on how to host organizational meetings in your own community in our online Action Guide.

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http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gG5F4Z

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Fighting the "Obamanation"

post from Republicans for Obama - Public Blog on 17 August 2008 04:40:22 PM. © Republicans for Obama - Public Blog

I heard a couple of you asking a last week if Obama was being aggressive enough in his counters to McCain's recent offensive against him.

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http://www.republicansforobama.org/?q=node/1678

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Upcoming Special Events for Voter Registration

post from Texans For Obama - Barack Obama in '08. - Front Page on 17 August 2008 03:54:18 PM. © Texans For Obama - Barack Obama in '08. - Front Page

Victory for Obama in Texas will depend on registering thousands of new voters who can support Barack and our other great Democratic candidates. We've got big voter registration events coming up in Austin in the next few weeks. Pitch in and help make more voters for Barack Obama. If they're not registered, they can't vote!

Austin Hot Sauce Festival -- August 24, Waterloo Park
Register hot and spicy voters at this fun community tradition. Bring 3 non-perishable food items for the Capital Area Food Bank.

Sunday 8/24 - 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Sunday 8/24 - 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. -- Sign Up Here

Austin BatFest -- August 30-31, 1st Street Bridge
Keep Austin Weird and Voting at BatFest! This is a fun community event with many people that will need to update their registrations.

Saturday 8/30 - 4-8 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Saturday 8/30 - 8-11 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Sunday 8/31 - 2-6 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Sunday 8/31 - 6-10 p.m. -- Sign Up Here

ACL Festival -- September 26-28, Zilker Park
Thousands of unregistered young people will pass through the gates to ACL Fest. Let's help get them registered before the October 6th deadline!

Friday 9/26 - 12-3 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Friday 9/26 - 2-5 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Saturday 9/27 - 12-3 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Saturday 9/27 - 2-5 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Sunday 9/28 - 12-3 p.m. -- Sign Up Here
Sunday 9/28 - 2-5 p.m. -- Sign Up Here

Yes We Can Register More Voters for Barack Obama!

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http://blog.texansforobama.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1287

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Camp Obama: Aiden, Jan, Jackie, Jerry and Stefan

One of the most important roles of an organizer is to bring new people into the process and empower them to help bring about the change they are looking for. Volunteer recruitment and voter registration are key goals for the next two months, and the attendees of today's Camp Obama in Austin will soon be emersed in both.

Aiden, Jan, Jackie, Jerry and Stefan are all Austin residents who are giving up their free weekend time to learn how to organize others.

Aiden watched the primary season excitedly, knowing that the Democratic party had its most diverse set of candidates yet. And after Barack won the nomination, he knew his time for sitting on the sidelines was over. He wanted to get more involved and started with conducting voter registration.

We can make a big difference with voter registration. We can get under-served folks, students, people who haven't been involved in politics before involved. We need to make sure that everyone has a part in this process.

Aiden has also gotten involved online through his My.BarackObama.com account and personal fundraising.

Jan said that she is motivated by compassion and by bringing people together. Jan ran for school board in her local district a few years ago, where her motto was "We are in this together." When she first heard Barack on the radio, she said that he was talking like she talks.

At first it was a toss-up between Barack and Hillary... But then I saw my sons and their friends saying that they were in this, they were getting involved, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

Jan is attending Camp Obama to learn how to best incorporate others in this movement. She is determined to make sure that every voice is heard and that everyone is working together this fall.

Jackie and her husband Jerry first learned about Barack from their daughter, and Jackie decided to do her own research. What she found excited her...

He had all of our values, and he was going to involve all kinds of people who were not already involved in politics. That was it for me. It's awful that sometimes fewer than 50% of people vote in America. And the fact that people were getting involved, especially the younger generation, was very motivating to me.

Stefan, a retired teacher, first heard about Barack from his wife. She saw Barack speak in February and came home "enthused" by what he had said. They read Barack's book and signed up for campaign emails. When she was asked to be a precinct campaign she said yes, and Stefan joined her in volunteering during the primary season.

Barack wants to change the way politics is run. I am so sick of the politics of fear. And if you take the time to actually talk to people about what can happen, they get excited. Over the years I watched students get discouraged by politics, but this year they are getting involved again. It's great to watch and to be a part of.

Read The Full Article:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gG5HdP

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Barack visits Reno

Sen. Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail today speaking at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada.

Among the subjects Barack discussed was the housing crisis, which has hit Nevada particularly hard.

Here is a video of Barack's opening remarks.

video details and more