For President Obama’s first State of the Union address this week, thousands of OFA supporters gathered at Watch Parties across the country. Here are just some of the news coverage following the events…. Related Product: Barack Obama “News Paper” Hoodie #B191 (Black Large)Barack Obama “News Paper” Hoodie. President Elect Barack Obama has spurred a huge [...]
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For President Obama’s first State of the Union address on Wednesday, thousands of OFA supporters gathered at Watch Parties across the country.
Watch the video below to check out some of the news coverage following the events:
Here some reports from the Watch Parties:
From Nevada’s Reno Gazette Journal:
Dave Osolnick, a deputy field director in Reno for the Organizing for America group, watched the speech amid the packed Amendment 21 tavern in downtown Reno. "What the president talked about was a genuine spirit of bipartisanship," Osolnick said. "The economy and jobs are on everyone’s mind. The health reform Democrats are supporting is a jobs creator."
From Florida’s Palm Beach Post:
At Joe and Dina Heffernan’s home, 36 supporters of Organizing for America gathered to hear David Plouffe promise that he and the President would fight for jobs, fight for the middle class and fight for health reform. When Obama’s former campaign manager finished, deputy field director Craig Borkon urged the attendees to stay involved with the local races."
And from Georgia’s WSAV NBC News:
About 15 people came to watch the speech at the Kluetsch family home on East 45th Street. The hosts set up a projector screen and encouraged those of all viewpoints to come watch and share their thoughts on the State of the Union. “It wasn’t for the Democrats specifically that were for Obama, the people that have helped organize, but all points of view were welcome as long people were willing to listen as well as talk, and I feel like that’s something that’s been lacking over the last year,“ said Elizabeth Lietzau-Kluetsch, the party’s organizer. Those at the party watched and listened intently, some of them taking notes while the President spoke.
Before the President’s speech last night, Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe spoke on a conference call with OFA supporters about where we’re at and what’s up next. Here are some highlights from the call:
On the fight for health reform:
You’ve done great work. Over a couple million of you have taken action on health care, we’ve had hundreds of thousands of people on single days call Congress, you’ve held thousands of press events, you guys were all over the town hall meetings throughout August. You’ve done great work, and without that, I think that health reform would be absolutely dead on arrival.
I’m here to tell you tonight, and the President is gonna say it, that we are still going to get health care done. So for all of you that got involved in the campaign because you believed in that issue, all of you that worked hard, obviously we’ve had a little bit of a hiccup here, but presidents have tried to do this for a hundred years. The President is going to make clear tonight that health care is a jobs issue. We are not going to have a strong economy without it. We are not going to have a strong country unless people have the guarantee of coverage, unless we rein in insurance industry abuses. The path may be more difficult now, but we’re going to get this done.
On the 2010 midterm elections:
[2010] is an election year, and I think many of you indicated that you’d like to get involved in local elections… A lot of campaigns historically have not had great grassroots organizations, we can help fix that, or at least make it better. We have over 15 million people who voted for the first time in 2008, many of you on the phone probably fit in that category, and a lot of these people have never voted in an off-year election… We gotta go out there and talk to these first time voters. You clearly indicated an interest to do that, and we’ll be working with you to make sure we facilitate that. A lot of you helped register a lot of voters, and it was a big part of why we won. We directly registered over 5 million voters as a campaign, there’s tens of millions out there eligible to vote in these states in 2010 who aren’t registered, so that’s another reason.
And on changing Washington:
What’s going on here is a belief that, well, everybody in America is having to make some sacrifices and change the way they do their business, but Washington really hasn’t changed. There’s still too much special interest influence, there’s not enough transparency, there’s a lack of trust. Barack Obama ran to try and change Washington. He can’t do it alone, but that fight, that he’s delivered a lot of things on, needs to continue… This town is not working for the American people. I know that Democrats control Congress, but the fact of the matter is not enough change has come and we’ve gotta have more change come.
You can also listen to the full call below:
From President Obama:
I just finished delivering my first State of the Union address.
I set out an urgent plan for restoring economic security for struggling middle class families. This is my top priority, but I cannot do it alone — and that’s why I’m writing to you now.
Tonight, I called on Congress to enact reforms and new initiatives to defend the middle class — to create millions of new jobs, support small businesses, and drive up wages; to invest in the education of our children and the clean energy technology that must power our future; and to protect the economy from reckless Wall Street abuses.
And I made my position on health reform clear: We must not walk away. We are too close, and the stakes are too high for too many. I called on legislators of both parties to find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.
I have no illusions — there have been setbacks, and there will be more to come. The special interests who have shaped the status quo will keep fighting tooth and nail to preserve it.
So tonight, I’m asking you to join me in the work ahead. I need your voice. I need your passion. And I need your support.
Can you help fuel our fight for the middle class with a monthly donation of $15 or more?
We have just finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don’t quit. I don’t quit. Let’s seize this moment — to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.
Thank you for making it possible,
President Barack Obama
There are only a few hours until President Obama’s first State of the Union speech, but you still have time to join an OFA Watch Party near you for tonight’s event.
Immediately before the speech, Watch Party attendees will have the chance to join a conference call for a special strategy session with Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe.
Find a Watch Party near you here.
In preparation for President Obama’s first State of the Union address, OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird gives an update and preview of tomorrow’s speech from outside our nation’s Capitol.
"Tomorrow night, as the President speaks from this building right behind me, it’s an opportunity for us as Americans to come together, to regroup, revitalize, and refocus our efforts as we move forward…
"We’re not backing away from this fight, the President’s not backing away, and you’re certainly not backing away. We’ve seen that since Tuesday and we look forward to seeing that throughout the year."
The State of the Union address will air live at 9:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow night. You can join an OFA State of the Union Watch Party here.
From David Plouffe:
On Wednesday evening, President Obama will deliver his first State of the Union address. It comes at a critical moment.
We must regroup, refocus, and re-engage on the vital work ahead. So let’s watch it together at a State of the Union Watch Party in your neighborhood.
We’ve hit some serious bumps in the road recently in our march toward change. We always knew it would be difficult, but this past week has definitely been a hard one, for all of us.
But this movement didn’t come so far without making it through some challenging times. It’s at moments like these when we need you most. People are hurting. Our country is at a crossroads, and in communities like yours all across America we must all fight for the progress our families and businesses need to thrive.
The President’s resolve has never been stronger to keep fighting for health insurance reform, for lasting job creation, and to rein in the big banks and fight the undue influence of lobbyists. Wednesday’s speech will be a pivotal moment for us all to get on the same page and continue the fight together.
In just two days, OFA supporters like you will be gathering at State of the Union Watch Parties in living rooms and community centers across the country. You can share ideas and experiences — and I’ll be joining on the phone for a special strategy huddle before the speech.
Find and RSVP for a State of the Union Watch Party near you:
http://my.barackobama.com/AttendSOTU
I hope you can join us,
David Plouffe
P.S. — Volunteers have set up hundreds of Watch Parties over the last few days. But if there isn’t one yet near you, just sign up to host one yourself. It’s easy and fun, local OFA organizers will help you with any questions you have, and it’s an incredibly important way to let supporters near you be part of the action.
In today’s Washington Post, Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe penned an op-ed in which he admits that the Democratic Party received a resounding "wake-up call" from the Massachusetts special election on Tuesday, but he argues that the way forward is to continue to fight, and to show American people that they are capable of doing the hard things that voters sent them to Washington to do.
[The 2010 midterms] will be a tough election for our party and for many Republican incumbents as well. Instead of fearing what may happen, let’s prove that we have more than just the brains to govern — that we have the guts to govern. Let’s fight like hell, not because we want to preserve our status, but because we sincerely believe too many everyday Americans will continue to lose if Republicans and special interests win.
Plouffe also outlines a few key principles the Democrats can use to be successful in this November, the first of which is passing a meaningful health insurance reform package without delay. He also urges Democrats to focus on job creation, and to do a better job articulating the positive impact American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on the economy.
Finally, Plouffe urges Democratic candidates to "run great campaigns," citing many of the same core organizing principles that proved to be so effective during the Obama campaign:
Our campaigns can leave no stone unturned, from believing in the power of grass-roots volunteers and voter registration, to using technology and data innovatively, to raising money — especially with big corporate interests now freed up to dump hundreds of millions of dollars to elect those who will do their bidding. Democratic candidates must do everything well. Each one must make sure that the first-time voters from 2008 living in your state or district — more than 15 million nationwide — are in their sights. Build a relationship with those voters, organize them and educate them. On Nov. 3, many races are sure to be decided by just a few thousand if not a few hundred votes. These voters can make the difference. We have to show them that their 2008 votes mattered, and passing health insurance reform is one way to start.
…If Democrats will show the country we can lead when it’s hard, we may not have perfect election results, but November will be nothing like the nightmare that talking heads have forecast.
In today’s Weekly Address, President Obama talks about the fight against special interests, as well as the fight to come in the wake of Wednesday’s Supreme Court decision:
"This week, the United States Supreme Court handed a huge victory to the special interests and their lobbyists – and a powerful blow to our efforts to rein in corporate influence. This ruling strikes at our democracy itself. By a 5-4 vote, the Court overturned more than a century of law – including a bipartisan campaign finance law written by Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold that had barred corporations from using their financial clout to directly interfere with elections by running advertisements for or against candidates in the crucial closing weeks.
This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy. It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way – or to punish those who don’t. That means that any public servant who has the courage to stand up to the special interests and stand up for the American people can find himself or herself under assault come election time. Even foreign corporations may now get into the act.
I can’t think of anything more devastating to the public interest. The last thing we need to do is hand more influence to the lobbyists in Washington, or more power to the special interests to tip the outcome of elections."
