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Barack the Vote In the Remaining States

By Steve Cobble, PDA Co-Founder
March 24, 2008, Washington, DC

Massive voter turnouts in state after state. Record-breaking online fundraising. Two talented and impressive candidates going toe-to-toe in one exciting primary or caucus after another. Unheard of participation by young people. Excitement and interest that seems unprecedented. And the mind-boggling truth that, one way or another, we are about to make an historic nomination.

This has been quite an election so far. I'll be sad when it's over.

As someone with a lifelong interest in politics, it has been nothing short of amazing. As someone who believes it's time to end the conservative era of Reagan and Bush, the turnout and participation in this election have been uplifting and inspiring. As someone committed to the power of "bottom-up" progressive change, it's been a very hopeful time.

And then, last week, Barack Obama delivered one of the most incredible speeches in the history of American politics. Under pressure, dealing with a very complex issue, with the nomination on the line, Senator Obama walked us through his view of how--as Jesse Jackson used to say--we can move from racial battleground to common ground to higher ground. It reminded me again of how much words do matter, how much the ability to inspire does matter in a democracy, how much it counts when you have the faith to take voters seriously and talk to them as adults.

Now it's time to finish this primary season cleanly, positively, with a clear winner and a unified party. To me, that argues strongly for the candidate who inspires the young in such massive numbers; the candidate who had the Iraq War right before it started; the candidate who seems to have not only the best chance to win, but also the best chance to increase the number of blue states, and expand the electorate; the candidate who started his career as a community organizer; the candidate whose very election will say to the world, America has finally "turned the page."

To me, that says it's time to help Senator Obama win the nomination. It's time for those of us who support Obama in PDA to help "Barack the Vote" in the remaining handful of states. Our job is not to bash Hillary Clinton, but to make history during this incredible race, and to mobilize the vote in the remaining contests for Barack Obama, using issues that PDA cares about.

Since no candidate has won an official PDA endorsement, the only fair way to organize our own participation now is to form campaign teams for the two remaining candidates, Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. It's time for those of us who support Obama to get a PDA Obama campaign team going, to maximize the vote in the remaining states (PA, Guam, NC, IN, WV, OR, KY, PR, SD, MT-plus maybe FL & MI). We did these working groups for both Kucinich and Edwards earlier in the cycle, and they were useful.

So we are scheduling an organizing call for any PDAers who want to "Barack the Vote" in these last remaining primaries.

Date: Wednesday, March 26
Time: 9:00 pm EDT
Conference Dial-in Number: (616) 712-8000
Access Code: 1085662#

Please join us. This is an historic election, and PDA is playing its part. And we'll need everyone's help to end the Bush Era once and for all in November.