“They say they want to take America back—what they mean is they want to take us backward, and we’re not going to let them”
On the wall of the Travis County Democratic Party, huge letters that cover the length of the main room spell out the words ‘Turn Texas Blue.’ That goal motivated more than a hundred volunteers to gather here in Austin this morning, where they got fired up and went out to make sure voters turn out to support Democratic candidates this November.
Though they know Austin is typically an island of blue amidst an otherwise red state, it doesn’t stop them from working methodically to make a difference this year. They are laser-focused on critical and winnable races—from electing Democrat Bill White to the governor’s office to getting several great candidates on to the Board of Education, these folks are organized and ready to win.
Today's event is part of OFA's national Moving America Forward Day of Action, where thousands of volunteers are gathering all over the country with the goal of knocking on 200,000 doors.
Austin's event is called the Back to School Block Walk, and education is the focus. Republican Governor Rick Perry has refused national funding for Texas schools, and the Board of Education has gotten national attention for its extremist attempts to re-write history and and put conservative politics in Provigil online No prescription the classroom.
Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who represents the Austin area, greeted the crowd this morning and mentioned another very different group that was gathering in Washington, D.C. to rally with Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin as he spoke:
“They say they want to take America back—what they really mean is they want to take America backward, and we’re not going to let them do it.”
While Congressman Doggett is in a safer seat than many this year, he isn't taking anything for granted. Rep. Doggett is running a full force campaign against his Tea Party opponent, who is part of the Tea Party Doctors group and is speaking today at a Texas event in support of the Glenn Beck rally. Congressman Doggett told the crowd that building enthusiasm this year starts with them. "There’s still hope, there’s still progress, and it begins right here because of the efforts that you’ve made," he said.
After the rally, the crowd broke up into small groups to role play what they would say at the doors and get their clipboards in order.
As volunteers headed out, I caught up with Congressman Doggett, who had a message for all OFA volunteers out knocking on doors and making phone calls today:
“Everyone who worked so long to bring change for the better to our country is in real danger of seeing that change reversed. The only thing that will prevent that from happening is to try to remember the most joyous moments in 2008 and work to repeat them this year—we have to build up the excitement—it’s that type of excitement our opponents have this year, they’re convinced they can take us backward. But despite all the prognosticators, it’s the person who comes down to make calls, talk to neighbors, get people who have been listening to too much Fox News to come to their backyard and talk about these things—that’s the only thing that will allow us to embody the change this country can become.”
