Wednesday, June 18, 2008

I Went Back to Ohio...

I just returned from 3 days of rather intensive training for Obama Organizing Fellows in Columbus Ohio. It was a great experience, I met some wonderful people and am excited to be helping the campaign organize my home city of Toledo, Ohio. Here is a picture with me (my back turned) with several of my fellow Toledo team members.


Click here for a link with more information on the training that I attended.

Going back to Ohio and seeing the sad contrasts between San Francisco where I now live and Columbus, arguably the current most prosperous major city in Ohio brought the old Pretenders song back to mind:







Sorry Rush, but the ideals you stand for are the ones that contributed to these tragic conditions.
In any case, I am excited to be helping the Obama campaign organize in Toledo!

2 comments:

Jim Macdonald said...

Qunnipiac poll shows Obama leading in key battleground states, including Ohio.

June 18, 2008 - Obama Leads McCain In Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll Finds; Clinton On The Ticket Does Not Help Dems --- FLORIDA: Obama 47 - McCain 43; OHIO: Obama 48 - McCain 42; PENNSYLVANIA: Obama 52 - McCain 40

See http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2882.xml?ReleaseID=1187.

Obama could win Montana, especially if Bob Barr gets a significant share of the vote. Otherwise, I think people here in the state would buy the gas tax gimmick.

Interesting side event could help Obama here - the Republican for U.S. Senate was a surprise winner - a former Green, 86 years old, whose only issue is making the government parliamentary (I actually plan on voting for him against Baucus - but fret not, Baucus has no chance of losing). The Republicans are in disarray as a result with one of the losers now running a write-in campaign. All of this down ballot stuff probably helps Obama (though the Democratic winner for the at-large house seat has vowed not to campaign or raise money; still not as high profile as the Senate race).

Still, an uphill fight for Obama - his organization might pull it off, but it's hard to gather from the center of Obama-land here in Bozeman.

Best of luck in Ohio ... it's quite an experience organizing and working on the ground with others - that's really where it's at no matter what it is you believe - just the simple act of congregating and acting together (the way, for instance, the church is supposed to be) is revolutionary - it can only rub off (and change the sort of dynamic you witnessed and brought to my attention when you noted that the internet had the tendency to destroy campus and other groups). What you are doing - however much I disagree with so much that Obama is for - is very good.

Warm wishes,
Jim

Matt said...

Thank you for your kind words, Jim.

The level of participation being sought after for the average person by this campaign is truly amazing. I am very glad to be playing such a role in it.

About Me

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Lima, Ohio, United States
I was born and raised in Ohio. I am a lifelong Catholic Christian who has always been interested in the big questions of life. I have a passion for learning especially Philosophy, Science, Religion, History and Culture. I graduated from the University of Toledo in 2001 with a B.A. in International Relations. I married my soul-mate, Jen in 2001 and we moved to rural Tanigumi-mura Japan where we taught English for 3 years. We moved to California and lived in San Francisco and the Bay Area for 4 years. Tired of sitting on the sidelines, I began volunteering for the Barack Obama campaign in March of 2007 and was eventually hired as a Field Organizer. Through the Obama campaign, I found my calling and moved back to Ohio to continue organizing. In 2009 I helped the field operations of the Keith Wilkowski for Mayor of Toledo race. After that, I was hired as a Regional Field Director for 15 northwestern and north central Ohio counties for the 2010 Democratic Coordinated Campaign. Jen and I are continuing to volunteer as we wait for the next organizing opportunity to present itself.