Home of Barack Obama Supporters in Texas!

Volunteer opps in Austin

2008-07-25T20:42:45Z

There are volunteer opportunities galore at Travis County Democratic Party HQ!

Any day, from 9am to closing, come on down and spend an hour or more with fellow Dems preparing for the coming campaign season.

Opportunities include:

Voter registration
Data entry
Recruiting more volunteers
IT support
Phonebanking
More!

Pick a shift, show up and tell the Front Desk you're here to volunteer, and help Turn Texas Blue!

(There's also a need for food & supplies! Check out the list of needs here.)

TCDP HQ: 1107 I-35N - corner of 12th & I-35, next to CVS
(There's plenty of parking & air conditioning!)

Netroots Nation Party Video

2008-07-21T21:27:55Z

(feel free to x-post!)

Data entry volunteers needed!

2008-07-09T18:20:09Z

The Travis County Democratic Party office is looking for volunteers NOW to do data entry of precinct information. This is a crunch project we need to finish in the next 3 weeks as part of the preparations for the campaign. The information we are entering will mobilize more volunteers!

This is easy data entry into a web form that must be done onsite at the TCDP office (1107 N I-35, at the intersection of 11th & 35). There is air conditioning and plenty of parking!

Schedule:
Sunday-Friday - 9am-8pm - STARTS TODAY
If you have a laptop with wireless Internet access, please bring it, but computer not required. If you have a wireless-enabled computer you'd like to loan to us, please let us know!

SATURDAY PARTIES
You're invited to help us get organized by entering data from the precincts every Saturday in July (or until the project is done).

Bring your laptop & friends and come in for a 3-hour shift!

Sign up - Go to http://www.TurnTexasBlue.com/volunteer and check Precinct Data Entry box.

There will be snacks, drinks and air conditioning!

This work must be done onsite--no at-home or remote work.

Email abbyphenix at gmail.com with questions!

Obama Volunteers Needed in Austin!

2008-07-07T16:12:41Z

x-posted from texansforobama.com
Obama Volunteers Needed in Austin!
by: kath25
Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 19:27:18 PM CDT

Obama needs you to help register voters here in Austin this summer. Please sign up for one of the upcoming Vote for Change registration drives and make more Obama voters. Each person you register helps close the gap on McCain!

We start each event at the Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign office, at 1107 N IH-35. There's plenty of parking available! We'll train you, answer any questions you have, then give you everything you need to make more Obama voters. Soon, we'll even have Vote for Change stickers, and who doesn't love an Obama sticker?!

Dates and times below. Sign up for an event today! Barack Obama needs your efforts, the sooner the better.
kath25 :: Obama Volunteers Needed in Austin!
Upcoming Austin Vote for Change Registration Events:

..

Wednesday July 9, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gbxg

Wednesday July 9, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gb7x

Hope to see you at one or more of these events!

Congressman Chet Edwards Would Accept a Vice Presidential Nomination

2008-07-02T18:52:20Z

“Would I serve if asked? Yes, but it is a privilege just to have been mentioned.”

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Chet Edwards: VP?

2008-06-26T18:34:26Z

From Lost in College Station:

Who the Hell is Chet Edwards?

Everyone who isn’t from the central Texas area finds themselves asking this question after Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said that Congressman Chet Edwards should have his name tossed onto the list of potential Vice Presidents. Well, I’ll say that he is my Congressman, and I’m a fan.

From the Austin American Statesman:

“Anyone that Barack Obama wants is my choice for vice president,” Pelosi told the interviewer, who appeared to be from Newsweek. “But I do think in the list of considerations there should be somebody from the House of Representatives and Chet Edwards is a person that many of us think would be a good person to be in the mix.”

Obama HQ Moving Needs

2008-06-10T20:44:37Z

We boxed up quite a lot already, and there's still more to do.

The Obama HQ at 816 Congress needs sturdy computer/printer boxes for boxing up printers, monitors, and desktops. Maybe your company just bought a bunch of hardware or you work at Dell and have access to the recycling? Boxes, boxes, boxes BUT NOT flimsy ones, half-crushed from your last move.

(Also, more hands to put stuff in boxes is nice.)

Give JD a call to make sure someone's there before you drop by with your boxes:
JD Gins 512-636-4457 512-476-2002
jgins@barackobama.com

Thanks!

my bad!

2008-06-10T04:04:01Z

The TX HQ is moving

http://blog.texansforobama.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1243

Hey Austin folks

Obama HQ has to vacate the lovely and cavernous 816 Congress, immediately, as in Tuesday, starting at noon!

Much of the office is being transferred to a new location in the new TCDP coordinated campaign office at 12th and I-35, which is great news.

PRIORITY NEEDS
-People with trucks to ferry loads between the two spaces.
-Packing supplies (boxes, peanuts, tape, newspapers)
-Labor, Labor, Labor.

It is not mountains of material, but it is more than the last-working Austin field director JD Gins can do on his own.

Show up, email him or call him if you can help.
JD Gins 512-636-4457 512-476-2002
jgins@barackobama.com

Texas Democrat Video!

2008-06-10T02:00:44Z

Unofficial Campaign Think-Tank

2008-06-09T18:29:51Z

Ideas From the Grassroots

Obama wins Texas again!

2008-06-08T18:13:23Z

http://blog.texansforobama.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1241

Thanks to all our volunteers who worked so hard over the last year. Your efforts have paid off!

Obama wins Texas - finally
Statesman
Unless Democratic officials say otherwise later Saturday, it looks like Sen. Barack Obama will take 99 Texas delegates to the August Democratic National Convention in Denver with Sen. Hillary Clinton landing 94 delegates based on voting on primary day and at battles starting with the boisterous primary-night caucuses. It took this long to say (that's three months since the March 4 primary) so for sure because the total depended on which Democratic delegates showed up for this weekend's state convention.
So ink in the headline for sure: Obama Wins Texas.

Yes we did!

Hope into History - Texas Democratic Party Convention 2008

2008-06-07T22:55:39Z

Chelsea Clinton 2008 Texas Democratic Convention

2008-06-07T13:30:13Z

TX Democratic Convention 2008 Call to Order

2008-06-07T13:27:42Z

Delegates!

2008-06-06T21:05:48Z

Who all is at the Texas Democratic party convention right now?

Got IT skills? Love Obama?

2008-06-04T18:11:23Z

The Obama campaign needs IT geeks!

If you are willing to put your life on hold for a few moths to get Obama elected
I am helping to find some State IT Directors for the Obama 50 State Campaign.

What we're looking for State IT Directors to have:

(The hard part) A willingness to be assigned to a state and move there until November 5th.
Ability to configure a printer on a network (set an IP address, connect other computers to it)
Ability to configure a wireless network and add workstations to that network
Basic understanding of Internet access (DNS, Gateway/Router, etc.)
General IT knowledge and ability to troubleshoot
Some willingness and ability to work with people. We are asking of our field IT folks to act as a Field Organizer to identify locals who can cover remote office and help with day to day operations on a volunteer basis. This would turn the State IT Director (the current title for the positions) into something of an FO, manager, and IT guy all mashed into one.

We plan to offer training, so if you don’t meet all the criteria that doesn’t necessarily preclude them from being turned into the people we need depending on their current level of experience, knowledge and interest. It’ll be something of a case-by-case basis.

Folks would be assigned to a given state, we’d find them supporter housing, pay travel to get them there, and they’d spend the entire election in that state working out issues, recommending solutions and working under the management of Regional IT Directors who would be tasked with coordinating the State IT Directors in about a 3^rd of the country apiece.

This is a paid position, with everyone being laid off on Nov. 5^th (which is the deal at HQ as well). The dollar amount is still being debated, and obviously I’d like it to be higher, but campaign pay is never very good.

If you are interested please message me through lj.

This is what Democracy looks like!

2008-03-30T19:34:21Z

"After six or so extremely hot, crowded, confusing hours, many of us were unable to determine why, exactly, our credentials had been challenged. The Clinton camp had announced that they were targeting the 23rd district for credentials challenges and, by god, that's what they did.

By the end, the Clinton folks were willing -- hell, eager -- to throw out not just random individuals but the entire delegation of 2 precincts. (So much for voter enfranchisement, eh, Hills?)

The protest process was tailor-made for alienating committed voters, wearing them out to the point where they would drop out. By the end of the night, the convention floor was abuzz with tired, pissed-off voters who now hate Hillary with the fire of a thousand suns."

Unfortunately, this is what democracy looks like. Thanks to all of you who sat through conventions and fought to good fight to represent the will of the people who elected you at the caucuses. I was at the Travis County convention and it was overly long but went smoothly.

I did feel like I was held hostage by the democratic party in hopes that enough of us would break. I was up at 7am and got home around 6:30pm after the credentials committee finally let us vote. The convention was delayed about 2 hours to begin with because the traffic was handled so poorly that we had to extend the sign in. I had to give up waiting in traffic park and walk from a mile a way because they had two lanes for 6,000 cars trying to park all at the same time and it seemed far more important to collect the parking fee with just two people collecting money from everyone than to start the convention. Sign in was a fiasco as expected but just as unecessarily confusing and poorly planned.

And then we got to the fun part, waiting, for 8 hours not knowing what was happing, not knowing if you have time to go to the restroom or eat of not because any minute you need to cast your vote and be present or your delegation will loose your vote. This is after these people all went through this at the caucuses so they could come to this to represent their candidate.

I have to say if the democratic party is trying to bring people in to the process, first they need to get a better process.

Thanks guys!

2008-03-30T06:51:59Z

Obama Wins Texas Again!

with his projected lead in the caucuses he should win Texas by 5 delegates
like we predicted after the March 4th primacaucus

Thanks for rockin' so hard!

Back from Convention

2008-03-30T02:19:14Z

I have done nothing but eat, sleep and dream convention for the last few days. We did manage to pinch a list of Obama delegate names from the Dem Chair--but no phone numbers. This resulted in a mad scramble for data bases, phone books, people who know someone who knows someone....I think we ended up reaching about 85% of our delegates.

As an aside, it frosted my behind to get a Clinton robo-call on Wednesday. They knew I was a delegate and had my phone number, and I couldn't even get my OWN phone number from our Dem Chair.

They released our precinct pairings for those that didn't meet threshold about two hours before the convention which was enough time for us to gather pairings and get our strategy figured out. Most of our precincts went for Clinton and many of the even or Obama precincts were paired with Clinton heavy precincts--but we prevailed! It was looking we might only get three to four state delegates total from the precinct caucuses--but we got 9 to their 12. We also snagged 2 of the 5 at-large delegates for a 11 Obama to 15 Clinton total. Trust me, this is over performing for Obama based on our primaries.

In my caucus, there were four precincts paired together for a 14-7 Clinton advantage with two delegates and two alternates at stake.(originally 16-8 but we had one no-show with no alternate and they had two) Fortunately used our down time to pick a delegate (nice young man of 20) and back him--and get this--his dad same precinct caucus was a Clinton but voted for his son, as did the dad's friend. So we picked up two votes. :P Meanwhile the Clinton camp nominated the sun, the moon and the stars--I think four or five people. You only get one vote. So we snagged one of the delegates. Made me personally happy since our precinct was so stacked against us, and my precinct had gone 3-3 on election night and we worked hard for that! Our block voting worked well in several precincts, and forced a coin toss in one (which came out our advantage)

I credit the Obama ground team for training us well in the convention and game plan, and for our enthusiastic youth volunteers that kept us "older" folk motivated. We all met afterwards at a local restaurant and formed an Obama club that will meet once a month. We're going to make sure our young folks have the money to get to state, and national if they make it that far. I feel very relieved that it worked out this well for us.

This is what we are up againt people

2008-03-28T18:14:57Z

FUD in Texas, courtesy of Camp Clinton

by kos

Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:08:28 AM PDT

While the Clinton campaign steps up its efforts to ratify the sham elections in Michigan and Florida -- their lone lifeline in a campaign they have otherwise thoroughly lost on the merits -- they seek to disenfranchise actual voters in a real contest -- that in Texas.

On Wednesday:

Garry Mauro, Clinton's state campaign chairman, said Wednesday he is satisfied that the process is working well. Mauro said Clinton is planning no challenge to the process.

Birnberg said he is not expecting many challenges to convention delegates because too many delegates would have to be rejected to change the mix for either Obama or Clinton.

"If you're talking about Senate District 13, which has 4,000 delegates, you cannot imagine how many credential disputes you'd have to have to change" the outcome, he said. "That probably takes 1,000 successful challenges mathematically."

Then on Thursday:

Hillary Rodham Clinton's Texas campaign is challenging the seating of delegates from numerous precincts for Saturday’s Democratic county conventions, particularly in Barack Obama's strongholds.

State Senate District 23, which includes much of southern Dallas County, was a central target of the Clinton campaign.

Just before Wednesday’s deadline to file complaints before the county convention credentials committee, Clinton campaign officials delivered a large packet of challenges.

"There are numerous challenges," said Dallas County District Clerk Gary Fitzsimmons, who is temporary chairman of the District 23 credentials committee. The district went solidly for Mr. Obama in the primary, and there’s a question over whether Mrs. Clinton will reach the 15 percent threshold needed to receive delegates.

The committee meets Thursday night to deal with minor challenges. The rest will be handled on Saturday, the day of the county conventions.

On a conference call Wednesday, Clinton campaign officials said they would not try to influence the county conventions with mass challenges before the credentials committee [...]

"Apparently the promise that the Clinton campaign made less than 24 hours ago not to challenge the seating of delegates at Saturday's district conventions was just another made-up story," [Obama spokesperson Josh] Earnest said. "The Clinton campaign's politically-motivated outrage over disenfranchising voters apparently doesn't extend to the 1.1 million Texans who participated in the precinct conventions earlier this month."

Of course it doesn't. Clinton originally agreed to the sanctions against Michigan and Florida. Yet now, even after the states have admitted they don't have the money, time, or political will to get new sanctioned contests, the Clinton campaign clings to the states in an effort to spread enough uncertainty to keep her failed campaign alive.

Note that in Texas, SD-23 in Dallas is little different than SD-13 in Houston -- Clinton got only about 27 percent of the vote, and only about 18 percent in the caucus. She's in danger of failing to reach viability there and in Houston's SD-13, and those are huge districts. Note also that the district, which the Clinton campaign is trying to disenfranchise, is essentially half African American, half Latino. But every delegate counts, and SD-23 has six of them. They'll fight for every single one of them no matter how many people and communities they disenfranchise.

There are also reports that several south Texas counties, Clinton territory, are refusing to publish the location of the conventions. In the old day, no one showed up to these things, delegate slates were just filled in without hassle by some local party honcho. These people would like nothing else than to fill in a full slate of Clinton delegates without the hassles of "democracy" and all. So between credential challenges and other subterfuge designed to depress Obama's performance and cast the caucus results in doubt, we'll see that once again, Camp Clinton will do and say anything in its mad pursuit of power.

Texas Delegates! Fired Up!

2008-03-28T16:11:30Z

Who is ready?!!!!

This Saturday will be a potential to win or loose delegates so we gotta have our best showing!

Here is some info:
Basic facts
http://www.lonestarproject.net/index.html
Good Info from the TDP
http://www.txdemocrats.org/media/top_story/county_senatorial_district_information

This is where they are held across the state
http://www.txdemocrats.org/page/content/countyconvs/

What questions do you have?

Help call Texas delegates before Saturday! Last chance for big delegate gain before PA.

2008-03-27T04:25:01Z

From Daily Kos:

"'Obama Gains Delegates in Texas!'

That’s what the headlines will read on Sunday, if you make it happen.

This Saturday, Texas will hold its Democratic County Conventions and State Senate District conventions. Until Saturday, election-night caucus results are NOT certified. The delegate totals predicted from March 4th are approximations. The final delegate numbers all depend on who shows up this Saturday. All the precinct conventions did was determine which people go to their County or State Senate district convention, in what proportion for each candidate from each precinct. The real numbers are determined by the sign-ins at this weekend's conventions.

We need to turn out all of our Obama delegates and alternates. I need you to call Texas delegates and alternates and make sure they can attend. There are too many numbers for those of us in Texas to do it alone. You all did such an amazing job calling Texas the weekend before the primary. Can I count on you, one last time?

Look, it’s a numbers game. If Obama turns out a larger percentage of people to sign in on Saturday, we gain delegates. Traditionally, only 40% of precinct-level delegates show up at their county conventions. Yes, this is an extraordinary year, and the numbers should be higher. BUT. We still need to do the work to make sure that as many of Obama’s delegates as possible make it to their county conventions. It’s the only way to guarantee that we win more delegates in the state of Texas.

Here’s the thing: Texas is a huge state. There are just so many delegates to contact. For comparison, let’s look at Iowa and Texas:

	Iowa	Texas
Caucus Turnout	220,000	1,100,000
Number of Precincts	1,800	8,000
Delegates Elected On Caucus Night	13,485	Over 40,000

We were able to call almost every delegate in Iowa, and it paid off: we picked up delegates. With four days to go, I know that we can call every delegate and alternate in Texas, too, and do the same. It’s a big challenge, but there are some great callers out there and I know you’re up for it!...

The alternates are really important, too: if a Hillary delegate doesn't show, and there aren't any Hillary alternates, we get to replace that person with an Obama alternate. To maximize our gains, we need as many people as possible at these conventions.

Call Texas Delegates and Alternates

Go to the National Calling tool and call delegates and alternates. Make sure the Obama delegates can attend this Saturday.

The script is simple. First, you’ll tell the person they were selected as a delegate or alternate, and ask who they are supporting. There may be Clinton supporters on the list, and we need to know that, too. If you get a Clinton person, follow the script and politely end the call. If you get an Obama supporter, you’ll ask if they plan to attend, and if they can, give them a little more information. If they cannot, encourage them to attend at least for the sign-in. The first step is just to get as many Obama supporters as we can out to the conventions.

Before you start, I suggest that you first read the diary I posted yesterday: Texas County Conventions: A How-To Guide. This will prepare you to answer any questions the Obama supporters have. You should also keep the Texas County Conventions page on the Barack Obama website open, too, to help people find their locations. If someone wants more information, direct them to a training session near their home.

Some of the precinct conventions were so chaotic that people don’t know who was elected a delegate or alternate from their precinct. In some cases there weren’t the correct number of people elected. It is imperative that we contact all of these people at let them know.

We can’t run the risk of having a lower turnout than Hillary this Saturday....

If nothing else, consider it a personal plea from me: I need your help. It’s been a long slog here in Texas, and we haven’t let up on the ground since March 4th. Volunteers have entered the names and contact info of every last Obama delegate from across the state. That data entry is finally done, but we’ve only got four more days before the conventions this Saturday, and we need to call so many delegates. If you can make even just 25 calls each night this week, it will do those of us in Texas a big favor and let us focus on organizing our precincts and looking for places where we can pick up the most delegates.

This is our last chance to make a major gain in delegates before Pennsylvania. I want to wake up to headlines on Sunday that talk about how Obama has definitively won Texas, thanks to our outstanding showing in the county conventions. Help us seal the deal."

Texas County Conventions: A How-To Guide

2008-03-25T04:31:39Z

From Daily Kos:

"So you’re going to your Texas County or State Senate District Convention this Saturday as a delegate for your candidate of choice. Good news! This diary contains the basic information you need to do your delegate duty. I’m going to cover the basic who/what/where/when, give a rundown of what happens at the conventions, and provide more links than you can possibly click through between now and Saturday.

Important: If you are going to your convention as an Obama delegate, alternate, or observer, make sure to RSVP here. If you want to receive some training beforehand find a training event near you."

...because I said I would

2008-03-23T21:15:22Z

so, i'm sure everyone has seen this macro:

NSFW (not safe for work), excessive language

yes, that would be the one. well, this is the second part of my icons. it's just for the lols and i hope you can see the humor in this macro. it is the best macro ever. seriously.

:: comment, i greatly appreciate it
:: credit - sincerely_jane or spattergroit; i'm not picky
:: hotlinking is a no-no
:: friend the journal to keep yourself updated
:: affiliate?
:: please let me know if you're nominating any icons! ty!
:: textless icons are NOT bases

i'd add more but the rest are full of curse words. haha.

21 obama macros

(find the rest here lol)

Volunteering for Obama

2008-03-20T16:59:35Z

There is still work for volunteers down at the Austin HQ or at your local office. I went down yesterday to help with data entry and now have a home project I can do anytime. We need to get all the info we can together so we can have an organized and trained bunch of delegates going to the county. Please let me know if you are interested in helping!