GOTV, Get Out The Vote

Phone-banking in the city

Sarah Jessica Parker, or SJP as we like to call her, was phonebanking Friday at the Obama HQ; of course, looking flawless.

New York has the onus of making 2, 000, 000 phone calls by the closing of the polls on election day. Please take some time off and get your arse parked at one of the phone banking locations.  If you have an iPhone, get the Obama phonebanking application, and volunteer from the comfort of wherever you're at the moment.

Liza Sabater's picture



An interview with Dave Pollak, Obama's State Director

Interview conducted by the New York blogs.

Q: Can you explain to us what the state director does?

The State Director is the quarterback of the campaign in NY. I help coordinate the political, field, communications and logistics of the campaign. I am also the all-around trouble shooter. As problems arise, I can direct certain parts of the team to address matters. The State Director assists with fundraising, is a spokesperson for the campaign… and reaches out to Elected Officials and other important constituencies.

Q: What are your top goals?

We want to have a historic victory for Senator Obama in NY. We want to contribute to the swing-states – where this race will be won or lost. We want to make sure that people realize that Senator Obama’s message of change is transmitted all across the State.

Q: Do you see a down-ballot effect from Obama’s overwhelming popularity in this state?

Yes, we know that many first-time voters will be coming out to the polls. We anticipate record turnout. This should have a coattail effect on close elections farther down the ballot.

Q: What can people who don’t want to or can’t travel to a swing state do here in New York?

For the first time, all the Get-Out-The-Vote phonecalls in battleground states will be made by volunteers. There are no paid phonebanks in the Obama campaign. Therefore, big states like California, Texas, Illinois and New York are responsible for turning out voters in states like Florida, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina – to name a few.

In New York, we need to make nearly 3 million phonecalls in the final four days of this campaign. This means that volunteers in New York who are unable to travel to a swing state can have an impact like never before.

We have large phonebank locations set up all over the state. Check out our website at: http://ny.barackobama.com/nylastcall to find a location near you!

Q: Some final words for your volunteers?

This is it people... this is when the Presidential race will be decided. With many battleground states too close to call… this race will be won by whichever side gets more of its voters to the polls.

Every Barack Obama supporter in NY needs to dig deep and commit as much time as possible to calling battleground state voters and get them to the polls.

We need you to join us. Barack Obama needs your help to win.
Please commit a day or two (or four)… and spread the word to ALL your friends. Reach out to all your networks; family, friends, Facebook, alumni groups – we need you to reach EVERYONE!

Thank you for your time, Dave. Now let's go out and win this thing.

Michael Bouldin's picture



Call for Obama

We've been flogging the idea of traveling to swing states, but there are always people who can't do that. Maybe you can't travel for health reasons, for job reasons, family, the list of hindrances is endless.

Well, fret not: you can help out in swing states from the comfort of your couch. Go to the Obama website, and sign up for the final four days phone banking push.

New Yorkers have probably made millions of phone calls into swing states. we can make a few million more. And, when this is all over and we finally move this country into a new era, one with dominant Democratic majorities and a crushed right wing, don't you want to feel that you did everything possible to help make that happen?

Michael Bouldin's picture



Domenic Recchia, Go Home

Domenic Recchia, go home.

Brooklyn City Councilman Domenic Recchia has been making the rounds on Staten Island in recent weeks. Some speculated that the Daily News Knucklehead award winner( http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2006/12/26/2006-12-26_how_stupid_can...) was visiting the forgotten borough because he was seeking citywide office. Others correctly speculated that he was contemplating running a primary against Steve Harrison for the right to attempt to unseat Vito Fossella, New York City's only Republican member of Congress, who represents all of Staten Island and a portion of Brooklyn. Crains' and the Staten Island Advance confirmed his potentially disastrous for those wanting to Veto Vito, ambitions.

Brooklyn attorney Harrison ran a gallant campaign last year, losing by a smaller percentage of the vote than any of Fossella's opponents since he supplanted the Molinari dynasty in 1997. Harrison accomplished this despite being out spent 12-1 by Fossella, largely because people like Recchia, who represents a tiny portion of the Congressional District in the Council, did squat for Steve.  read more »

Roy Moskowitz's picture



More on Titone and Alexander

The City Board of Elections denied Independence Party candidate to replace the late John Lavelle representing Staten Island's North Shore in the March 27 Special Election Kelvin Alexander's bid to place his made up Family First line (Not to be confused with Working Families which supports Democratic opponent Matt Titone ) as an additional line on the ballot. The board ruled that 611 of the petition's 1616 signatures were invalid, leaving him short of the 1100 he needed for that additional line.

Alexander, a Staten Island Democratic County Committee member, is running on the Independence line and potentially turning a potential easy Democratic win into an opportunity for Republican Rose Margarella, because the party chose Titone over him. He is undecided if he'll fight the ruling with the state Supreme Court.

Alexander has accused any challenge of his fabricated party petition as marginalizing minority voters. I find that a stretch since he's already on the ballot as a better known party's candidate.  read more »

Roy Moskowitz's picture



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