As a small note at the top of the page alludes to, Brooklyn for Barack is in the process of organizing a major voter registration drive, the details of which will be rolled out in the coming days. But now that we’ve had a few days to savor Obama’s victory, I wanted to say a sentence or two about the importance of voter registration in Brooklyn. New York will be a safe Democratic state in the general election in November, but Obama will need a strong coalition of engaged supporters to govern effectively. Now is the time to bring people into the system and build that coalition.

Via Kid Oakland and Al Giordano, from whom the title of this post was shamelessly stolen.

Brooklyn is, by population, one of the strongest Democratic counties in the entire country. Only a handful of counties (Cook Co., Illinois (Chicago), Wayne Co, MI (Detroit), Los Angeles Co., CA, and Middlesex Co., MA (Boston north to NH)) delivered more Democratic votes to Al Gore in 2000 than Brooklyn. By all rights we are the Democratic party. But we don’t normally get a lot of interest and attention in national elections, and that’s because the popular vote doesn’t count. There’s simply no incentive to run up the score in Brooklyn to boost popular vote totals in heavily-Democratic New York.

The primary is similar. If the primary election had been a matter of turning out the highest number of registered Democrats possible, Brooklyn, and other major urban areas, would have been ground zero of the campaign. Instead, neither candidate sent paid staffers to Brooklyn. I’m incredibly proud of what we did as volunteers, but I don’t think I’m giving away any secrets by saying more resources would have been helpful. Those resources went to places like Idaho instead, and that’s why Obama will win the nomination. Does anyone believe that Senator Obama wouldn’t have spent more time in Brooklyn and less time in Idaho if this were a popular vote contest?

By the way, if you include an estimate of the popular vote in the caucus states (which Team Clinton does not) we’re actually winning the popular vote.

But still.

UPDATE:And now, thanks to Nate Silver over at 538, you can calculate the popular vote choose-your-own adventure style from a menu of 7 different choices that create 972 different popular vote options.

Florida
The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee met yesterday to determine the status of the Florida and Michigan delegations. (For those who haven’t been playing along at home, Florida and Michigan jumped their turn in the primary calender and were penalized by losing 100% of their delegates. Yesterday’s meeting was to discuss reinstatement of all or some portion of their delegates) The committee voted to use the results of the Florida primary (for which neither candidate campaigned) to seat the Florida delegation, including superdelegates, with half a vote each. Obama gained 36 delegates from Florida; Clinton gained 56.5. Although there were many on Team Clinton who felt that the Florida delegation should have been seated at full strength, the motion to seat the delegation at half strength passed unanimously. Here’s Clinton supporter Alice Huffman making an extremely graceful plea on behalf of the compromise over the heckling of some Clinton supporters: (Via)

“Madame chair, obviously this is not the motion that I would have liked. But I also know that we cannot leave here and not do something for relief for Florida. I know that for many people who don’t really understand how important rules are for rulemakers, that this is really a big step on behalf of this committee to move to give the relief that you think you can do within the purview of our prerogative. So I would ask my friends out there that just saw us go through the first vote, that the world’s not perfect, but it’s good. And when you can come here and you can leave with unity, that’s what this party needs is unity.”

…

“Do not interrupt me, and please don’t do what people expect us to do. And let me just tell you this. When we get this vote, we will leave here more united than we came. This is not about each other’s campaigns. This is about finding a way to make whole, to some degree.

…

Can I tell you something? That vote failed. Do you believe in democracy? Then if you do, then here is the next best thing. And I want to ask all of you to respect it and to please conduct yourselves like proper men and women who understand that we must compromise, that the world is not perfect, and I’m going to ask for an ‘aye’ vote.”

Michigan
Michigan was a sticking point. Obama (and John Edwards) removed their names from the Michigan ballot but Clinton did not. So people could only vote for Clinton or vote “uncommitted,” leaving the results of that primary suspect at best. Using a variety of less-than-transparent metrics, the Michigan Democratic Party put forth a plan (which eventually prevailed) to seat the delegates 69 for Clinton to 59 for Obama at half a vote each. Superdelegates also received half a vote each. Chuck Todd from MSNBC is reporting that the Obama campaign had the votes to force a 50-50 split of the delegates, but chose not to in hopes of preserving/creating party unity:

Per multiple sources inside the closed Rules and Bylaws Committee lunch, Obama actually had the votes to get a 50-50 delegate split out of Michigan — but by just a vote or two.

However, it was decided to go with the 69-59 split to win a larger majority. That measure passed 19-8.

So, 69-59 at half a vote works out to 32 delegates for Obama and 38 delegates for Clinton (including supers). All in all, Clinton picked up 25 delegates on Obama yesterday and bumped the magic number from 2025 to 2117, leaving Obama needing 64 delegates to clinch the nomination.

Puerto Rico
So we got our butts kicked in Puerto Rico. As of 10:00PM, Clinton is winning 68-32. CNN estimates that she will gain 38 delegates and Obama will gain 17 delegates. Combined with Michigan and Florida, that’s a net Clinton gain of 46 delegates for the weekend, and by my math leaves Obama 46 delegates away from clinching the nomination, 156 delegates ahead of Hillary Clinton. Montana and South Dakota (31 delegates between them) are on Tuesday, so stay tuned for that.

Also, be aware that the Clinton campaign will try to use the results in Puerto Rico to argue that they are winning the popular vote. I’ll address that in a separate post.

PRIMARY DAY!!!! April 22 at 7 a.m.

Your Vessel of Hope is called: “Today’s Bus”

Departing New York at 88 East Broadway, Manhattan at 7 AM SHARP
Arriving Philadephia at 121 N 11th Street

Returning to NYC in the evening.

$12 one way and $20 round trip

You can prepurchase tickets here or purchase tickets on the spot.

To RSVP, email jesposito@newyorkobama.com.

If you are interested in staying overnight, lodging is available at very low rates. For more information, email jesposito@newyorkobama.com.

Trips are being organized for GOTV weekend, Friday 5/2nd – Wednesday 5/7th (options for return travel on Sunday 5/4th). Please see below for a summary of travel costs, but keep in mind that airfare will increase the longer we wait to book travel. The quicker you commit to traveling, the cheaper trip cost will be!

Total Trip Averages:

The average total for this trip, including airfare, lodging and rental car for transportation in NC (factoring in various airfare and lodging options): $320

The average total for this trip for volunteers who opt to drive instead of fly, including rental car and lodging: $165

Ways to cut corners on this trip:

1) Secure supporter housing; the sooner you commit the more likely we’ll be able to secure supporter housing for you.

2) If you have a flexible schedule you can check other flight time options.

3) Consider driving instead of flying to NC. The drive is 10 hours. If you are interested in carpooling please let me know and I’ll connect you to other volunteers interested in driving to NC.

Please email or call regarding any questions. Hope to see you in NC!

Contact:
Deanna Tilley
Tel: 917-566-8421
E-mail: deanna@brooklynforbarack.org

Please RSVP here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rrxl

Event details:

Phone Bank – Port Authority/SEIU
When: Thursday, April 3 at 6:00 PM
Where: 330 West 42nd St (7th Fl)
Host: Deanna Tilley

Here is how you can help:

Phone bank from 330 W 42 St, NY, NY
5 to 10 pm
Through Friday
Weekend hours available

Phone bank from 75 Broad St, NY, NY
6 to 10 pm
Through Friday

Also, the opportunity exists to travel to Rhode Island!!! Staffers in the Ocean State are ready and excited for us!!! Visit this link for more details: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/gotvinri

You can also show your support for Barack by volunteering today at one of several Brooklyn locations.

Let’s show everyone that Brooklyn is fired up and and ready to go!!!

• http://www.elections.state.ny.us/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteform.pdf (print out and send in – it’s that simple!)or
• Call: 1-800-FOR-VOTE

In order to vote for Barack Obama, you must be registered by January 11, 2008 as a Democrat.

If you’re going to be out of town or traveling on February 5, 2008, please request an absentee ballot now to ensure that the ballot reaches you in time.

• http://www.elections.state.ny.us/NYSBOE/download/voting/absentee.pdf or
• 1-800-FOR-VOTE

We will leave NYC on January 3rd returning Jan. 9th. We’ll be in New Hampshire in time to watch the Iowa results come in! After a victory in Iowa, volunteers will hit the ground running in New Hampshire and stay through to the PRIMARY!!!

If you can’t make it the week of Jan. 3-9, there are other available weekends to choose from if you wish to volunteer in NH:

Dec. 22-23
Dec. 29-30

With spots for the New Hampshire trip going fast, please email sanderson@newyorkobama.com ASAP to make a deposit and lock in your spot! The cost for transportation and accommodations is only $200.

Let’s show Barack just how deep his support in Brooklyn runs! Thanks and see you in New Hampshire!!!

BARACK OBAMA LIVE AT THE APOLLO!!!
November 29th
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
253 W. 125th Street
New York, NY

RSVP REQUIRED
To purchase tickets, visit
https://my.barackobama.com/apollo  or call Vinson Cunningham 212.763.4853

By the way, BARACK IS LEADING THE POLLS IN IOWA!!!

“Barack Obama is the candidate who I feel has the leadership, the sound judgment and the will to change this country,” said Congressman Major Owens. “Obama stands for the concerns of the masses in the black community who have been let down by the broken promises of past leadership. Our leadership on both sides of the aisle has continued to fail us by supporting the war in Iraq and by standing by while poverty, disparities in our healthcare system and lack of affordable education opportunities for young people weaken our communities. It is time to shake loose from the past and Senator Obama’s record shows that he will deliver on his promise to stand up for us in the White House.”

“I am proud to have the support of my friend Major Owens. Together we will stand up for the thousands of men and women in New York and across the country who have never had a voice in the White House,” said Senator Barack Obama. “Owens’ continuing commitment to the overwhelming educational needs in the black community and his belief that every person can play a key role in changing this country make him a valuable asset to this campaign.”

Former New York Congressman Major Owens joins the New York City Correctional Officers and a dozen New York City elected officials supporting Barack Obama’s campaign including Senator Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn); Assemblyman Michael Benjamin (D-Bronx); Assemblyman Karim Camara (D-Brooklyn); Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Suffolk County); Suffolk County Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-Suffolk County City); Councilwoman Helen Diane Foster (D-Bronx); Suffolk County Legislator Elie Mystal (D-Suffolk County); Senator Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn); Senator Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan); City Councilman James Sanders, Jr. (D-Queens), City Councilman Al Vann (D-Brooklyn) and Senator John L. Sampson (D-Brooklyn).

The Obama campaign recently opened an office in downtown Manhattan that will serve as a base for Obama’s large and enthusiastic base of grassroots supporters and his growing staff in the state. Owens was a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus and head of the Congressional Black Caucus education brain trust. He is currently a fellow at the Library of Congress for a year while he works on a book about the Congressional Black Caucus.

Please share this information with your friends, family, and neighbors so that we can make sure that all of our supporters are registered Democrats.

http://vote.nyc.ny.us/register.html

October 2nd marks the five year anniversary of Senator Barack Obama’s speech opposing the invasion of Iraq. To commemorate this anniversary, Barack Obama supporters in cities across the nation will rally against the conventional thinking in Washington that led us into the War in Iraq.

Community leaders, activists, and supporters will gather at 5:30 p.m. next Tuesday on the steps of Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, to show the world that we stand in solidarity against the continuation of violence in Iraq. We hope you can join us for this historic event.

RSVP now.

RSVP now for the rally next Thursday.

Just announced: Senator Obama is returning once again to New York City! Come out and join fellow Obama supporters on Thursday, September 27th as we rally en masse with the Senator at Manhattan’s Washington Square Park. The gates open at 5:00 PM, but be sure to get there early to beat the crowd. To RSVP for the event, please go to http://my.barackobama.com/nyc. Let’s demonstrate once again the incredible support that exists in NYC for Senator Obama and his campaign! See you at the rally!

The week in events:

Tuesday, 9/18
Audacity of Park Slope Trivia Night, 6:30 pm, Loki Lounge

Wednesday, 9/19
BurgPoint Voter Registration Drive #3, 3:00 pm

Saturday–Sunday, 9/22–23
New York to New Hampshire Trip #2, still time to register!

Saturday, 9/22
Gowanus/Faux Slope/Sunset Park Voter Registration/Visibility Drive #2, 1:00 pm, Gowanus Pathmark

Audacity of Park Slope: Voter Registration Drive, 10:00 am

Sunday, 9/23
Bay Ridge Weekend Outreach #9, 12:00 pm, Corner of 86th Street & 5th Avenue, Bay Ridge

There are debate watching parties popping up all over the city, in Brooklyn please join Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn for Barack at one of two locations off the Kingston-Throop C, or join groups in Bay Ridge or Crown Heights.

In Manhattan, you can head to a lively gathering at the Riviera Cafe; and in Staten Island Terrence is hosting a party. As always, see the Brooklyn events page for more details (and more events). Show up early and stay late to talk about organizing support for Senator Obama in your neighborhood!

You can only register online, so RSVP now.

And please put BROOKLYN down in the “Additional information” box so we can make sure that the senator and the campaign can see how much support there is on the street in the borough.

Send this on to your friends, and get your contribution in right now. Last time tickets were gone before most people heard it was even happening, and this time around the place is going to be twice as crazy. See you there.

The official New York campaign will kick off at 7 p.m. on June 5th with a volunteer summit at Middle Collegiate Church (50 E. 7th Street in Manhattan) and the Walk for Change national canvassing day the following Saturday, the 9th. There are three things we can do as volunteers to demonstrate the deep strength of Brooklyn’s support of Barack: pack the house on the 5th; turn out in huge numbers on the 9th; and show that the rest of the borough feels the same way.

We need your help!

1. PLEASE RSVP NOW for the organizational meeting.
2. Make sure that you’ve signed up for a Walk for Change event near you: links to all of the scheduled Brooklyn events are on our events page, or you can use the campaign’s interactive map to find more.
3. And, to demonstrate the support of the rest of the borough, bring out your friends and neighbors to both events! To help spread the word and sign up new volunteers, we’ve launched a petition drive to “Bring Barack to Brooklyn.” Please e-mail Andrew for more info about helping canvass, and sign the electronic version here.

And don’t forget! Tell your friends!

Donations are welcome and encouraged. You can make your contribution online, or at the event. If you prefer to make your contribution by bringing food for the event, please e-mail Jacki.

We look forward to seeing you and thank you for your ongoing support. Here’s just a taste of some of the excitement from past meetings: