Barack Obama The Change We Need To get our country back on track, it will take all of us working together

Welcome To the 2 nd meeting of RedWingForObama A little about your host… I will also have a repeat of this meeting if anyone is interested, or can’t stay the whole time, or want to bring others in to help, upstairs at Caribou Coffee 6pm Thursday Dec 18 th. If no one shows by 6:30pm I might leave.

For nearly two years amazing supporters like you have organized, made phone calls, knocked on doors, and talked with friends and neighbors about the challenges facing our country. This year the pundits and people pushing politics as usual didn’t decide the outcome of the election. It was ordinary Americans who took power into their own hands by getting involved and leading this movement. The American people spoke loud and clear that we are ready for change. This was a monumental journey and historic victory, but it was only the first step. On Election Night, President-Elect Barack Obama reminded the nation, “This victory alone is not the change we seek; it is only the chance for us to make that change.” Intro

You are attending one the many grassroots house meetings taking place throughout the country. Supporters are coming together in every part of the country to reflect on what we've accomplished and plan the future of this movement. Your ideas and feedback will be collected and used to guide this movement in the months and years ahead. Exactly one month ago, you made history by giving all Americans a real opportunity for change. Now it's time to start preparing and working for change in our communities. Intro

Since the election, the challenges we face -- and our responsibility to take action -- have only gotten more urgent. You can connect with fellow supporters, make progress on the issues you care about, and help shape the future of your community and our country. Learn what you can do now to support President-elect Obama's agenda for change and continue to make a difference in your community. Barack and Joe have a clear agenda and an unprecedented opportunity for change. But they can't do it alone.

Intro Your feedback from these house meetings will be instrumental in guiding this movement through some important and unprecedented territory. With the enormous challenges we're facing at home and abroad, we have no choice but to continue working together. Make sure your friends and family get involved as well. There's so much more we can do to help Barack bring change to America. This grassroots organization has always been about more than an election. It's about transforming our country -- and we've only just begun. Thank you for continuing to make history with us.

What we will be working on today It is up to each one of us to take the fate of our country into our hands. 1.Get to know others in your area who are ready to work for change. 2.Get a summary of last meeting for MoveOn.org Share issues and ideas that the group came up with. 3.Reflect on the campaign and the issues that are most important to your group. Show the Flyers and how the group can get more of them. 4.Discuss how you can collectively make an impact on the future of your neighborhood and nation.

What we will be working on today It is up to each one of us to take the fate of our country into our hands. 5. Brainstorm how you can ensure your voices are heard. Plan how you can reach out to your local representatives and media to ensure your voices are heard. 6. Get started bringing change right away by planning a service event before the Inauguration, January 20 th. 7. Next Meeting for Red Wing For Obama will take place Jan 11th where MoveOn.org has a Grassroots Lobby Training planned.

Introductions Please take a moment to introduce yourself, town your from, and share what inspired you to be involved in this monumental journey, what issue if any is close to your heart. Also mention if you were here at the last gathering in November or not. I will be trying to have one gathering, per month, if possible, tell all that you know!

Online Video Show Change is Coming Video (10 minutes)

MoveOn.org A word about MoveOn.org and how they will fit into this gathering. Explain about the “Fired up and ready to go” project of taking pictures of the people and the issue they stand behind. Get updates on how the picture taking is going. Do we want to go out as a group to take pictures before Jan 11th?

Flyers Flyers are a great way to share information about Barack Obama. You can pass them out in public spaces, street corners, share them with people who might not have Internet access, or leave them in key places for people to peruse when they have a spare moment. Print them out and pass them along! Go to the following link to print your own: ceflyers/ ceflyers/ To avoid having to register with the FEC, you should limit your printed flyers for any event to 500 or fewer

Plan for Change -Issues (10 minutes max) Here is where we lay the groundwork for our group’s activity in the coming weeks. Share issues and ideas that the group came up with, during the last gathering in November. Reflect on the election itself and which issues are most important to your group. What issues are most important to our group? Find out what issues are top priorities. For each issues consider if it is local, national, or both.

Plan for Change-Connections (10 minutes max) Change never comes easy, but by identifying how to apply pressure in the right places, your group can have a great impact both locally and nationally. The key is to lay the groundwork for your group’s activity in the coming weeks Who are our local representatives? US/State/Governor How can we build relationships with our representatives and keep in touch with them about the issues that are important to us? Brainstorm ways to build relationships with your local and federal representatives. Ask what relationships we already have with political or social organizations in our community. Do we have any connections to them? What are local social and civic organizations, schools, churches, we can work with? How can we reach out to these organizations to work together? Are there schools or local churches we’d like to become partners with?

Plan for Change-Advertizing (10 minutes max) Think about ways to amplify your groups actions, such as reaching out to local media outlets. Local Television: Local Newspapers: Local Radio Stations:

Plan for Change-Action (10 minutes max) What can we do even before Barack Obama is President? Consider what actions you can take in your area to start bringing the change you’d like to see right away. You can take action in your community right away to make a difference. Also to plan a local event in Red Wing area to watch Barack Obama inauguration. Help lead our future efforts to plan events and reach out to local political figures, the media, and your community.

Future Plans Decide on and commit to hosting a service event in Obama’s name before the Inauguration on January 20th. Then invite your local representatives to join you at your service event. Here are some ideas: Hold a book, toys, winter gear, or food drive to prepare for the holiday season. Work with local organizations such as Toys for Tots, The Salvation Army, or a local school or church. Host or participate in a blood drive in your neighborhood. Work with organizations like the Red Cross to plan a blood drive with your group. Excited about the much anticipated First Dog? Support your local animal shelter to give animals in your area a chance. The Humane Society of the United States provides lots of great ways you can help. Fight for a cause that is important to you, such as finding a cure for Breast Cancer. Participate in a walk-a-thon like Relay For Life. Congratulations, you have taken the first steps to bring change to your community and our country. Now begin planning your next event. It’s people like you who can change this country, one step at a time.

References/Contacts Obama’s Resource Library /actioncenter/resourcelibrary/ /actioncenter/resourcelibrary/ Moveon’s site: “Fired up and ready to go” project material. Video: bcast.html?id= xE2zVx&t=1 Documents: erials.html?id= xE2zVx&t=2 bcast.html?id= xE2zVx&t=1 erials.html?id= xE2zVx&t=2 My personal website for this group: ama_intro.html ama_intro.html My My home phone: