Obama organizers discuss their efforts to mobilize voters and what still needs to be done before November 4. Is this campaign any different? And with less than one week remaining before the scheduled execution of Troy Anthony Davis for a murder he says he did not commit, we speak to AlterNet Editor and anti-death penalty activist Liliana Segura. We close with a live performance and interview with Toshi Reagon.
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Washington Post today reports that 283,000 new voters have registered in Virginia.
“New voters are central to Obama’s efforts to become the first Democratic presidential nominee since 1964 to win Virginia.
According to statistics from the State Board of Elections, the biggest percentage gains in new registrants are occurring in heavily black communities. In Richmond, 11,673 signed up to vote this year. They now account for 10.5 percent of the city’s 111,000 registered voters. Similar gains have been made in heavily black Petersburg and Norfolk.”
By GRITtv on September 17th, 2008 at 11:28 am
And the Orlando Sentinel on volunteers and organizing in Florida:
“This year, the Obama campaign has built a precinct-based organization that answers to a central command in Tampa. “[John] Kerry outsourced a lot of his voter-registration and get-out-the-vote effort,” said campaign manager David Plouffe. “We’re keeping that in-house.”‘
http://www.orlandosentinel.com…..6810.story
By GRITtv on September 17th, 2008 at 11:32 am
From the Alaska papers:
“As most of us have seen around the city and around campus, since the very beginning of the 2008 Presidential Race, the Obama campaign has been highly active in the Anchorage community, spreading the idea of change to local citizens. There are hundreds of members involved in the Obama campaign, and a large majority of that number are what we call campaign volunteers. These people raise awareness about the importance of voting and of supporting the presidential nominee.”
By GRITtv on September 17th, 2008 at 11:34 am
In speaking of voting, I feel the bottom line is getting to the poles. We can speak all we like of intent but the true action of physically getting to the voting booth will determine, to a large part, the outcome of this election. Because so many people work with difficult schedules, can you address WHY we have election day on a Tuesday? Why could we not vote as a nation on a Saturday or Sunday when parents could take their children to the poles and teach them the value and power of the vote. Would your guests support this? Is it realistic? And lastly, are there shuttles or mobilizations for voters (i.e.- vans) to take voters to the poles that might not otherwise have the transporation to get there?
Thanks,
Frances (NY)
By FSAYM on September 17th, 2008 at 12:27 pm