“It’s an important time for people to pay attention.”
From Axcess News in Guilford, Connecticut:
With the sun shining overhead and the crocuses poking through the grass, Diva and Lois Kenkare walked up Fair Street determined to bring President Obama's budget battle home to their neighbors.
"Hopefully, we can make an impact," said Ms. Kenkare, as she approached a house armed with a stack of pledges and the aim of helping Mr. Obama win the votes he needs to pass his record $3.6 trillion budget.
In what's shaping up to be a different kind of permanent campaign than is usually waged by Washington's political consultants, thousands of volunteers across the country took to the streets over the weekend at Obama's behest. They knocked on doors, stood in front of stores to collect signatures, and urged their neighbors to call their congressman.
With this canvassing operation, the Obama administration is taking traditional presidential strategies for building public support to a whole new level.
President Franklin Roosevelt had his fireside chats and Ronald Reagan urged his supporters to call their congressmen, but Obama is asking people to give up their time and engage their neighbors in policy battles usually waged within Washington's Beltway.
"What the Obama team is trying to do is far beyond what any president has tried to do before. Take the enthusiasm and activism that helped him win the presidency to help him win his political agenda," says Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of communication at George Mason University...
From KCBA in Santa Cruz, California:
People on the Central Coast were pledging to support President Obama's plan for renewing America's economy by focusing on energy, affordable health care and education through his Organizing for America project.
Volunteers did not let the rain discourage them from spreading President Obama's message. In the first fifteen minutes volunteer Shoshana Spielman of Santa Cruz received two pledges to support the president crusade to restore the nation's economy.
"I think local people on the central coast really are still in the momentum and really want to see change and willing to do their part."
Assemblyman Bill Monning says that President Obama was the first to say that he couldn't do it alone. Calling upon all Americans to come together and join the movement for change.
"Staying engaged whether that is through direct work with Democratic Party or working with community volunteer organization. It Order Generic Cialis Online without Prescription creates a synergy among all everyone, that volunteerism energy."
And from WCCO TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
"It's important to continue the support that we had and the energy that we had at the end of the campaign and make that transition, much like the administration did into actually getting support for the stimulus package but the budget," Chris [Kramer] said.
The 17-year-old says the face-to-face approach seems to be working.
"Almost all of the contacts we've had have been positive. People have signed," he said.
...The bad economy had a lot of folks opening their doors and listening.
"I think it's incredibly important. I'm in education and I think that if we don't do something about education really soon, we're going to be having many, many more problems," said Nancy Dana of St. Paul.
While Dana added that the door knocking can be annoying, she thought it was worth taking the time to get involved.
"It's just really critical. This is a critical time. It's an important time for people to pay attention. It's an important time for people to step up and be involved, to get involved."