And now I'm repeating myself, for a cause
Some words I wrote to spam a lot of family, friends (and probably you already):
Dear friends and loved ones,
Let me start this note by emphasizing that I never write these notes. I distrust mass-emails and issue advocacy emails doubly so. I highlight this fact not to apologize, but to drive home the fact that my passion for the topic has finally outweighed the risk of annoying you.
That topic is the Democratic Party’s Presidential Primary Election. More specifically, YOUR upcoming vote. I firmly believe that, if you can, you should vote for Senator Barack Obama.
Obama’s message is clear: our domestic priorities have lost their way, our image abroad is horribly tarnished, and most of all our federal system of government has reached an almost gangrenous level of ethics misconduct, corporate greed, and partisan trench warfare. We need to change things now.
This may sound like every reform-minded candidate ever known, but he backs up his principles with action. Obama has accepted no PAC or lobbyist money for his presidential campaign, yet he keeps pace in fundraising with his chief rival on the strength of enormous grassroots support. Perhaps his greatest achievement as US Senator to date was passing a transparency and ethics reform bill which creates a search engine where we can go online and see where our federal tax money is actually going.
He speaks of ending divisive politics in favor of unity, and he means it. He has fired staffers for “going negative”, and everywhere in his campaign’s Atlanta office are signs urging volunteers to never say anything against another candidate when on a call. From personal experience I can say that his campaign is a symbol of how ready people are to work across traditional dividing lines of race, age, gender, and party.
In taking these extraordinary steps, Barack Obama has galvanized thousands of people who may have never felt more than apathy or disinterest towards politics. This is not just about changing the tone, it is about an approach which every cynical insider and strategist dismisses as hopelessly optimistic. That approach, the message of hope, is working.
In a little more than three short months, Teena and I will have a daughter. I am neither exaggerating nor attempting to pull your heartstrings when I say that I am doing everything I can for the Obama campaign because I want her to be proud of her country. And I want her country to be worthy of her.
This Tuesday, Feb 5 and the primaries which follow are our first opportunity in a generation to change our world for the better with a single vote. Most Super Tuesday states allow registered Independents and even Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary. It doesn’t matter how much support you think Obama has in your state; all Democratic primaries award delegates proportionally. Your vote matters.
I welcome your responses, and I hope this note finds you well. Please do vote, even if you do not ultimately agree with my choice of candidate.
Yours,
David
Dear friends and loved ones,
Let me start this note by emphasizing that I never write these notes. I distrust mass-emails and issue advocacy emails doubly so. I highlight this fact not to apologize, but to drive home the fact that my passion for the topic has finally outweighed the risk of annoying you.
That topic is the Democratic Party’s Presidential Primary Election. More specifically, YOUR upcoming vote. I firmly believe that, if you can, you should vote for Senator Barack Obama.
Obama’s message is clear: our domestic priorities have lost their way, our image abroad is horribly tarnished, and most of all our federal system of government has reached an almost gangrenous level of ethics misconduct, corporate greed, and partisan trench warfare. We need to change things now.
This may sound like every reform-minded candidate ever known, but he backs up his principles with action. Obama has accepted no PAC or lobbyist money for his presidential campaign, yet he keeps pace in fundraising with his chief rival on the strength of enormous grassroots support. Perhaps his greatest achievement as US Senator to date was passing a transparency and ethics reform bill which creates a search engine where we can go online and see where our federal tax money is actually going.
He speaks of ending divisive politics in favor of unity, and he means it. He has fired staffers for “going negative”, and everywhere in his campaign’s Atlanta office are signs urging volunteers to never say anything against another candidate when on a call. From personal experience I can say that his campaign is a symbol of how ready people are to work across traditional dividing lines of race, age, gender, and party.
In taking these extraordinary steps, Barack Obama has galvanized thousands of people who may have never felt more than apathy or disinterest towards politics. This is not just about changing the tone, it is about an approach which every cynical insider and strategist dismisses as hopelessly optimistic. That approach, the message of hope, is working.
In a little more than three short months, Teena and I will have a daughter. I am neither exaggerating nor attempting to pull your heartstrings when I say that I am doing everything I can for the Obama campaign because I want her to be proud of her country. And I want her country to be worthy of her.
This Tuesday, Feb 5 and the primaries which follow are our first opportunity in a generation to change our world for the better with a single vote. Most Super Tuesday states allow registered Independents and even Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary. It doesn’t matter how much support you think Obama has in your state; all Democratic primaries award delegates proportionally. Your vote matters.
I welcome your responses, and I hope this note finds you well. Please do vote, even if you do not ultimately agree with my choice of candidate.
Yours,
David