First Americans for Obama's Notes
"I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you." - Barack Obama, Election Night 2008
Three prominent Native American newspapers have endorsed Barack for president...
Perhaps carelessly, this election for President of the United States has been called the most important race for the highest office ever. There are some compelling reasons for the Nation and certainly for Native people. For reasons beyond experience, and finally looking past race, I support U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States.
Native Americans have been the margin of victory in races all across Indian Country and we can have a role in electing the next grateful President in Barack Obama. The Tanasi Journal without reservation endorses Obama to be the next President of the United States. Vote November 4th, 2008.
Indian Country Today endorses Barack Obama for president. This election is a remarkable opportunity for change in policy direction and leadership style. As a person, Obama exhibits humility and grace, and his story inspires creativity and action. As a candidate, Obama redefined American politics. The first African-American candidate for president deftly inspired legions of disenfranchised and first-time voters to participate in the democratic process. His campaign avoided divisive politics, instead finding common-ground issues like education and the economy to bring minds together. American Indian voters, especially those who support Obama, seized their right to vote like never before and have embraced political participation as a new ethic. We are certain that Native voters will make a noticeable difference in the presidential race and in local ones as well.
Barack Obama loves making phone calls. If he has time in his busy schedule to make a stop at a local office on the campaign trail, he always stops by to make some phone calls to undecided voters.
This past Sunday he was in Colorado holding Early Vote for Change rallies in Denver and Fort Collins but that didn't stop him from visiting a volunteer office in Brighton.
Contacting voters is one of the most important ways we can reach out to voters during this last week. The McCain campaign is bombarding undecided voters with robocalls full of lies and smears but personal calls from supporters will help spread the truth about Barack's message.
Whether you spend 30 minutes or a couple of hours calling voters, one-on-one conversations could help us win some crucial battleground states. Polls open one week from today. With most battleground states in a tie, your phone calls could make the difference and put Barack over the top.
Yesterday our supporters beat the goal of 100,000 calls by making 124,000. Today, the goal is to contact 125,000 voters.
Call time is 5-9pm local so log on to Neighbor-to-Neighbor and contact undecided voters tonight.
Indian Country Today endorses Barack Obama for President, October 27th
As the United States makes final preparations in the selection of a new president, it is a turning point in American and American Indian history. The world economy is faltering on the heels of a government rescue of American financial institutions. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have depleted the once mighty U.S. military, not to mention the American public’s confidence in the executive branch. Native peoples continue to defend sacred sites and religious freedom against threats posed by eminent domain and corporate development. Indian health care remains tragically underfunded by Congress. Tribal sovereignty faces challenges in the courtroom, the workplace and on Capitol Hill.
These difficult times necessitate a leader who will consider legal, intellectual, and moral consequences before executing strategy. The next president must inherently value diversity and curb isolationism. This presidential race was often punctuated by marked differences in demeanor. The candidate who demonstrated confidence and composure throughout this long season forged an image of a new kind of American leader.
Indian Country Today endorses Barack Obama for president. This election is a remarkable opportunity for change in policy direction and leadership style. As a person, Obama exhibits humility and grace, and his story inspires creativity and action. As a candidate, Obama redefined American politics. The first African-American candidate for president deftly inspired legions of disenfranchised and first-time voters to participate in the democratic process. His campaign avoided divisive politics, instead finding common-ground issues like education and the economy to bring minds together. American Indian voters, especially those who support Obama, seized their right to vote like never before and have embraced political participation as a new ethic. We are certain that Native voters will make a noticeable difference in the presidential race and in local ones as well.
Throughout this long campaign, Obama did not just talk about Indian issues; he talked with Native peoples and brought their messages to the national stage. Sen. John McCain made no appearances in Indian country during his campaign despite requests by several tribes. Obama’s successful outreach efforts that included visits with tribal councils and speeches on reservations rendered McCain practically invisible.
This was unfortunate and ill-advised. McCain has been a respected leader and advocate for Indian issues, serving twice as chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. He won his party’s nomination by opposing unpopular Bush policy on immigration, torture and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – all issues that won him praise from Indian supporters. But the “maverick” strategy is failing, mostly due to a disappointing campaign that baits the right-wing conservative base with negative ads and McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Palin is both embraced and criticized by Native people. Much of the praise for Palin stems from her husband’s Yup’ik heritage and the inference that she will be sympathetic to Indian rights as vice president. Her detractors point to a record of opposing the subsistence rights of Alaska Natives. Palin’s involvement in a state ethics investigations and her willingness to exploit xenophobic conservative themes at campaign appearances add more reason for concern. If McCain’s selection of Palin was an attempt to attract Clinton supporters, it was an alarming miscalculation and an insult to that educated, open-minded voting bloc.
The political will exists in Congress to sustain the foundation of Indian sovereignty. We are encouraged by a progressive leader like Obama, who offers a principled blueprint for an Indian policy that addresses rights and cultural integrity. He believes that treaties are “paramount law,” which will inform his judicial appointments and help the case for U.S. recognition of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The country and the world need a new signal. We believe Barack Obama can generate that signal and provide a more encompassing leadership from the United States. With the country and the world on the slippery slope toward the precipice, Obama commands intelligent and decisive approaches to difficult issues. The other side, unfortunately, does not exude confidence as much as obvious negativity.
In particular, the ridicule by the McCain/Palin campaign of Obama’s education and eloquence has been both distasteful and confounding. Have we not always encouraged and celebrated educational achievement? This season, the choice is between exceptional intellectual integrity and continuous mediocrity. We choose the exceptional – and endorse Barack Obama.
Barack Obama has said we can put out children on a path to success and close the achievement gap by giving every child a good education. And Barack has a plan to educate the next generation.
It will start with expanding early childhood education like Head Start, so that every child has the start they need. Barack also has a plant to improve K-12 education, by fully-funding No Child Left Behind and improving it by using new assessments. He will also improve NCLB’s accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement – rather than punishing them. Barack will make math and science a national priority and expand college outreach programs to help students prepare for college.
To improve education in the classroom, Barack will work to recruit, support and retain new quality teachers so we can keep our classrooms small and our students engaged.
Finally, Barack believes every young American who has the drive should be able to attend college. To help make college a reality for all students, Barack will provide a $4,000 annual tax credit to every American student. This will make community college nearly free for most students, and cover two-thirds the costs of an average state college or university.
Those are the highlights. But you can watch this video and hear the details from Barack himself:
Read more about Barack’s education policy.
And read about John McCain’s record on education.
From the beginning of the general election, strategically, we tried to have as wide of a map as possible. Our belief was we wanted to, on the morning of Nov. 4th, have as many possible avenues to as many electoral votes as possible. And we think we've been able to create that dynamic and have a lot of competitive states in play here. - David Plouffe
national polling averages as of 10/25/08 via pollster.com
With only ten days left, it's become apparent just how wide the election map is. But as the number of competitive states grows larger, so to does the universe of voters that we have to identify, persuade and get to the polls. Now more than ever, we are relying on volunteers in every corner of the country to help execute the field plan we've built over the last 20 months.
Jenna Maui, the battleground states director, explained:
We have expected all along that this race is going to tighten up, especially in the battlegrounds states. So we have spent a lot of time building our organizational strengths, building capacity and really focusing on our voter contact and our neighborhood organizations. We really feel that in a number of these states, this election is going to come down to our ground organization and what happens in the final days of the campaign.
In almost two dozen key states, the outcome is very much still up in the air. Over the next ten days, you have an unprecedented opportunity to be part of this effort and to contribute directly to the outcome of this election.
If you live in or near one of the many battleground states, you can connect with a local office and help our field operation on the ground. Face-to-face contact is the most powerful way to get out the vote or persuade undecided voters in battleground states. Sign up today -- state staff are waiting for your help.
This weekend, we're counting on our grassroots phonebankers to make an additional 300,000 calls to voters in key states. As of 7:00 PM Central tonight, you've already made 113,762 calls. Right from your own home, on your own schedule, you can do your part in just an hour or two by calling voters in one of these crucial states. We'll give you the phone numbers and the talking points. It couldn't be easier. You can get your list of targeted voters to call right now.
Finally, supporters will be coming together on Wednesday, October 29th, to watch Barack's national TV appearance and call voters in battleground states. Talking one-on-one with potential fellow voters is one of the easiest and most effective ways for you to make an impact in this election. Find a Last Call for Change house party near you or sign up to host one.
As National Field Director Jon Carson said in an email sent out to supporters tonight, each passing day is an opportunity we'll never have again to change America. You hold this election in your hands.
Polls close in 10 days.
Barack recently wrote an op-ed for Indian Country Today. Read his article below...
For 20 months now, I’ve traveled this country, often talking about how the needs of the American people are going unmet by Washington. And the truth is, few have been ignored by Washington for as long as American Indians. Too often, Washington pays lip service to working with tribes while taking a one-size-fits-all approach with tribal communities across the nation.
That will change if I am honored to serve as president of the United States.
My American Indian policy begins with creating a bond between an Obama administration and the tribal nations all across this country. We need more than just a government-to-government relationship; we need a nation-to-nation relationship, and I will make sure that tribal nations have a voice in the White House.
I’ll appoint an American Indian policy adviser to my senior White House staff to work with tribes, and host an annual summit at the White House with tribal leaders to come up with an agenda that works for tribal communities. That’s how we’ll make sure you have a seat at the table when important decisions are being made about your lives, about your nations and about your people. That’ll be a priority when I am president.
Here’s what else we’re going to do. We’re going to end nearly a century of mismanagement of the Indian trusts. We’re going to work together to settle unresolved cases, figure out how the trusts ought to operate and make sure that they’re being managed responsibly – today, tomorrow and always.
Now, I understand the tragic history between the United States and tribal nations. Our government hasn’t always been honest and truthful in our dealings. And we’ve got to acknowledge that if we’re going to move forward in a fair and honest way.
Indian nations have never asked much of the United States – only for what was promised by the treaty obligations made to their forebears. So let me be absolutely clear – I believe treaty commitments are paramount law, and I will fulfill those commitments as president of the United States.
This week Barack Obama addressed the National Congress of American Indians' 65th Annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.
Senator Obama said, “I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Navajo Nation. I look forward to partnering with Indian tribes, including the Navajo Nation, on a government-to-government basis, to address the special challenges facing tribes today, including access to affordable healthcare, economic development, energy independence, and education. Joe Biden and I look forward to working with the Navajo Nation and all of Indian Country to bring about the change we need.”
The Navajo Nation is comprised of over 250,000 members on the largest federally recognized Native American Nation, located around Southeastern Utah, Northeastern Arizona and Northwestern New Mexico.
This morning, the campaign sent out the following message to supporters, along with a link to a special video from Barack. . .
Election Day is exactly two weeks from today.
But right now, we're facing an urgent deadline that will determine exactly where we can compete -- and how fiercely -- in the final push.
Barack recorded a special video message about why your support is so vital before this Thursday at midnight.
Will you watch the video and make a donation before the deadline?
On Friday morning, we have to make the final, hard decisions about deploying our resources.
Your support will determine how hard we can fight in key battleground states -- and if we can expand our operation into some newly competitive states in the final days.
What began in Springfield, Illinois, more than 20 months ago will reach its peak on Tuesday, November 4th.
We know what we need to do to win. But it's up to you whether or not we have the resources to fight hard and expand our reach.
Thank you for all you've done to bring the campaign this far. Will you watch Barack's message and make a donation before Thursday at midnight?
Thank you for everything you're doing,
Obama for America
New to the site or still undecided? Learn more about Barack Obama and his position on important issues. If you're already a supporter, find out what you can do to help between now and Election Day, and please consider making a donation to strengthen our field operation and help Get Out The Vote.