Upcoming events

by Matt Flamm - 5/14/08 11:42 PM

There are 3 events in the next week that you should participate in.

The Oregon and Kentucky primaries are next Tuesday, May 20th. Oregon is too far away, but the campaign needs your help in Kentucky. Sean Schindl, a member of the Obama campaign staff who lives in the western suburbs, is organizing a bus trip to Louisville this Saturday, May 17th. Call Sean at 630-624-8116 or email him at sschindl@barackobama.com.

This Sunday, May 18th, the Wheeling and Palatine Township Democratic Organizations will award their first annual Patrick S. Botterman Leadership Award to our own Kelly Friskics and Chet Farley, who formed the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago for Obama in February 2007. The late Patrick S. Botterman served a s Wheeling Township Democratic Committeeman for 13 years. He was campaign manager for numerous candidates and most recently was instrumental in the election of Senator Dan Kotowski, Park Ridge. He counseled hundreds of candidates and mentored scores of young people. It is in this spirit that the award will be given to Kelly and Chet. They exemplify the fearless determination to form a grassroots organization that now numbers over 400 members. The award will be given on May 18th, at Chevy Chase Golf Course, 1000 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling. Guest speaker will be Missouri State Senator Jeff Smith. For more information, go to www.palatinedemocrats.com or call 847-253-9032. Please sign up by Thursday if possible, since we need to know how many people are coming.

On Tuesday, May 20th, we're having an Oregon (and Kentucky) Primary Party at Gators in Palatine. ;Celebrate with your Obama friends as the results come in, and discuss how we'll keep the momentum going through the summer. Everyone who comes gets a free raffle ticket, and we'll be raffling off a couple bumper stickers and pins. Free stuff!
Sign up here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4wfv.

Thanks for all your support. The rest of the country is seeing what we've known for a long time. Welcome to the team!

Matt Flamm
Organizer, NW Suburbs of Chicago for Obama

Kentucky and Beyond‏

by Kelly Friskics - 5/10/08 7:39 PM

Hey folks,

While the news lately may be encouraging to put your feet up and breathe a sigh of relief, remember: "almost there" only counts in horseshoes! We've still got to keep working to get this nomination secured.

This Tuesday, May 13 6pm-9pm Obama Phone Bank at Melissa Bean's campaign office in Palatine
Sign up here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4wl3

Saturday, May 17 through Tuesday, May 20 NW Suburbs to Kentucky! This will be our final trip to another state (unless we charter a flight to Puerto Rico) so don't miss our last chance to help out on the ground! Come for a day or stay through the primary!
Sign up here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4wlc

Tuesday, May 20 Oregon Primary Party at Gators Celebrate with your Obama friends as the results come in, and discuss how we'll keep the momentum going through the summer. Everyone who comes gets a free raffle ticket, and we'll be raffling off a couple bumper stickers and pins. Free stuff!

Sign up here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4wfv

Just remember, early on in the night on May 6, CNN was saying South Bend was a Hillary stronghold, but the results came in and Obama took South Bend! Those kind of victories depend on volunteers making that personal contact with voters. This campaign has a grassroots effort that no one can match, let's keep it going!!

FIRED UP?

Kelly
Organizer, NW Suburbs of Chicago for Obama

Victory!‏

by Matt Flamm - 5/07/08 12:29 AM

"We now know who the Democratic nominee will be." -Tim Russert on MSNBC.

"A big moment in history -- I think we're going to realize it later."-Chris Matthews. [Chris, some of us have realized it for a long time!]

Barack Obama won a huge victory in North Carolina Tuesday. With 99% of the vote in, Barack's margin of victory is 15% (56% to 41%). That offsets every gain Clinton made in Pennsylvania, whether in delegates (which count) or in popular vote (which doesn't). As I write this, final results from Indiana aren't in. Even if Clinton wins Indiana by 1% or 2%, consider this: exit polls show that 7% of the voters said they voted for Clinton but would vote for McCain against Clinton in November. In other words, 7% of her vote was Republi cans trying to get the Democratic party to pick the weaker candidate. If you exclude those votes, Obama won a substantial victory.

On MSNBC tonight, Keith Olbermann asked Chris Matthews, Chuck Todd, Pat Buchanan and Rachel Maddow whether the race for the nomination ended tonight. All of them answered, "yes."

Volunteers from this community, the NW Suburbs for Obama, sacrificed every Tuesday, Saturday and any spare day they had for the last 6 weeks making calls and traveling to South Bend to register new voters and canvass for Barack. Politico.com said South Bend was a pivotal battleground for the race. The 1,000s of calls we made and doors we all knocked on over the last few months made the difference, added with the help of 100's of other volunteers from the Michiana area and beyond. (We saw volunteers even from Ontario, Canada!) Tonight Barack won St. Joseph County, 53% to 47% , a difference of 3,165 votes.This weekend, we had volunteers in South Bend on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. We had originally planned only the Saturday and Tuesday trips, but you asked if you could help on the other days, so we scheduled events for those days. That's one of the things that make this campaign special: people volunteer to help even when they're not asked.

View a slideshow from a few of the trips here.

Let's not quit until victory is absolutely ensured.

Make Calls to West Virginia: www.mybarackobama.com/call

-And-

Donate: my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/maingroup/NWSuburbsofChicagoforObama

Thank you for all your work, from Iowa to Indiana. We'll keep working until Barack Obama is elected in November.

Matt Flamm
Organizer, NW Suburbs of Chicago for Obama

Larry delivers Guam!‏‏

by Chet Farley - 5/04/08 12:07 AM

If you've ever thought your one vote or voice doesn't matter, think again. One of our die-hard members, Larry Glowacki, was up at 3am Friday morning making phone calls to Guam, which is 15 hours ahead of us in IL. He called around 75 people, and talked to multiple Obama supporters that didn't even know they could vote!

Thanks to Larry, Barack won Guam by 7 votes, 2,264 to 2,257.

Just think what we can do in Indiana if we all pitch in just like Larry did. Attached is a message from the campaign staff in South Bend, IN, where 20 of us from the NW Suburbs knocked close to 2,000 doors today. We have 18 more going out tomorrow, and a few more on election day. But the campaign needs your help too. You can go anytime you are able. Call the campaign staff at (574) 288-8300 if you can make the trip any time before the polls close on Election Day.

Every 7 people you talk to may be the difference in Indiana.You could be the deciding factor that marks end of this hard fought battle. Please don't pass up this opportunity.

Chet
Organizer, NW Suburbs of Chicago for Obama