Obama-Merkley HQ opens in Portland
T.A. Barnhart
The "Obama for President" and "Merkley for Senate" campaigns opened their joint headquarters on SE Division and kicked off the general election with a party that featured an overflowing potluck, Gov Barbara Roberts and the kind of energy that will elect both of these great candidates.
Not surprisingly, Sen Obama was a no-show at the event. Jeff Merkley, too, was unable to appear (I believe he was getting ready for the Home Run Derby in New York). Instead, we were forced to make do with the surrogates, as we are now required to call such people. One Jeff would call "his wife," and indeed that is who came to thank us for the evening, the energy and the support. Mary Sorteberg spoke of how when she and Jeff decided a year ago to tackle this job, they had no idea something as special as the campaign headquarters and all the people who turned out were even possible. And then she got to do something truly special: Introduce Gov Barbara Roberts.
(Ok, I think that's special, but then, I love Barbara Roberts.)
Oregon's #1 Democrat — and after all these years and all she's done, can there be any doubt she's not? — had a simple message for the crowd: We have to do something every day to make sure we elect Barack Obama and Jeff Merkley:
So let's go out every day and make a difference, so on November the 5th, we will not be sitting home wishing we'd walked one more precinct, we'd made twenty more telephone calls, we'd written one more check. On November the 5th we should be doing nothing but recuperating from hangovers from a celebration!
I love Barbara Roberts.
So come join the campaigns. These are, without doubt, the two most important campaigns in Oregon in 2008. We must help put Barack Obama in the White House, we must have Jeff Merkley in the Senate with Ron Wyden to ensure Pres Obama's programs come to fruitition.
Obama-Merkley Headquarters
3016 SE Division
Portland, OR
Obama for America
503.236.2008
Merkley for Senate
503-274-4439
My video skills are not the greatest. The crowds scenes have nothing but crowd noise, but the excerpts from Mary Sorteberg's and Gov Roberts' words are ok. Anyone wants to donate a tripod or external mike to the Multnomah County Dems will help future vids sound & look a lot better!
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connect with blueoregon
Jul 14, '08
At a minimum, my effort for Merkley every day is biking 30 minutes through downtown Portland traffic with big, bold Merkley stickers on my helmet.
It may not sound like much, and it isn't, but I can't help but believe it gets some serious visibility by hundreds of people on the days when I can't do anything else.
11:59 p.m.
Jul 14, '08
verasoie:
Yea, I have to say it's nice driving around Gresham with my Merkley and Obama stickers on the car. It gets me a lot of looks - especially in parking lots. There are a lot more Obama stickers out here, but the only Merkley ones I've seen are on a few fellow dem activists' vehicles.
8:05 a.m.
Jul 15, '08
I attended the potluck and listened to the speechifying with my youngest daughter. She's not even remotely interested in politics and in fact didn't want to go. But she leaned over while Gov. Roberts was speaking and told me how much she loves blunt-spoken older folks like Barbara.
At first I was a bit surprised that she'd been so impressed with a politician that she'd feel the need or desire to express it. But then I thought... well, this is Barbara Roberts - how could anyone NOT react favorably?
BTW, I hope those who attended got a chance to try my Curried Chicken Salad. I brought a large pot of it and there wasn't much left when we headed home.
Jul 15, '08
Their HQ is on "Divsion" st. HAHAHA
How appropriate - that's exactly what they're doing to this country: Divide and conquer.
5:08 p.m.
Jul 16, '08
Just one more reason why we badly need a Democrat in the White House:
<h2>Take Action for Women's Health - The Bush Administration is proposing a rule to move funding from health clinics that provide reproductive health and unwanted pregnancy prevention services to crisis pregnancy centers instead.</h2>