Primary Watch Party

5/25 Meeting

We had a great introductory meeting yesterday, and there were several new faces (Welcome Ann, Thomas, Chris, Belinda and Kurt). We discussed ways of getting involved in the coming months- particularly when the Obama campaign opens an office here in Florida, organizing, canvassing, the opening of the Orlando4Obama office on Colonial Dr., and our personal reasons for supporting the campaign.

We discussed a few upcoming events
~~~
June
***Orange County Dems Social, Houlihan's
Friday, June 6th at 5:30

***Downtown Orlando, Orlando Summer Jam Fest 2008
http://www.theorlandofestival.com/index.html

July
***Cranes Roost, Red Hot & Boom!

This annual fireworks display is held in the City of Altamonte Springs adjacent to the Altamonte Springs shopping mall behind Route 436.


***Downtown Orlando, Lake Eola Picnic in the Park

A local tradition, the Lake Eola Fourth of July celebration features games, activities, entertainment and spectacular fireworks. Location: Lake Eola, Rosalind Avenue (between Central Boulevard and Robinson Street), downtown Orlando. Time: 3 p.m.-9 p.m.
~~~

We also discussed organizing a canvassing event soon. More to come on that.

Just for fun:

Meeting this weekend!

We've worked out our scheduling difficulties, and we'll be having a meeting this Sunday (5 p.m.) at Panera in Altamonte Springs. There is much to discuss!

As many of you probably know, Senator Obama is in Florida this week making the rounds and raising some money. I was a volunteer for the Maitland fundraiser on Wednesday, and it was really a great experience. Orlando loves Obama!

Here is one Orlando Sentinel article about the events this week. Check out the video from the Kissimmee rally. The Maitland fundraiser was very successful, raising almost twice as much as expected.

Obama in Orlando

With Hillary clearly falling behind in the race, many Democrats have begun to turn their attention to the general election, and John McCain. The Obama campaign Vote for Change kickoff was this past Saturday, and grassroots groups across the country began registering voters and informing them about Senator Obama's goals for the country.

The DNC has released a memo detailing McCain's many weaknesses as a candidate and current weaknesses of the Republican Party as a whole. These include the fact that McCain has won less than 50% of the Republican vote throughout the primaries, his fundraising difficulties and general inability to rally key Republican constituencies, his disconnect with the general public and his unpopular stances on key issues such as the economy and the war.
In preparation for the general election, Senator Obama will be in Florida next week. He'll be passing through Tampa, Orlando, Palm Beach County and Miami, generating support in this important swing state and raising money for the campaign. He will be in Orlando for a fundraiser on May 21st (next Wednesday), for anyone interested in attending. The fundraiser, which is being sponsored by Orlando 4 Obama, will be held at the Sheraton in Maitland, and tickets are priced as follows:
> Friend: $2,300 per person (includes photo)
> Guest: $1,000 per person (includes private reception)
> Supporter: $250 per person

Any questions can be directed to:
Orlando4Obama@gmail.com
Or you can call Nancy Whited at (407) 443 - 6734

Orlando4Obama Grassroots Headquarters
231 East Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32801 (Google Map)
Office Hours: Mon-Thurs. 5:30 pm -7:30 pm
Fri. by appt. only
Sat. 12 pm - 4 pm
Sun. 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

DFA Training Academy in Orlando

*Note: We haven't had a meeting for the past few weeks because of scheduling conflicts, but we're trying to work out a new day/time, and the next meeting will be Sunday, May 24th, 5 p.m. at the location of the first meeting- Volcano's. We would be having a meeting this Sunday, but Democracy for America is holding a training event for anyone interested in getting more involved with a campaign this election season. I have included the details of the e-mail I received from the DFA below*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DFA TRAINING ACADEMY IN ORLANDO, FL



Complete Details and Signup Here





Saturday May 17 through Sunday May 18, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM each day



*Note: DFA just rolled out a new site and there may be some navigation issues. If you cannot get back to the Orlando Training Page from inside the site, you can always get back using the link above. Sorry for the inconvenience.



You have the power, now learn the skills! The Democracy for America Training Academy is coming to Orlando for two days of exciting campaign training.

How many votes will it take to win in November? How do you find the perfect message and get it out to voters in your district? How will you raise enough money to pay for it all? The DFA Training Academy will help you answer these questions and more.

At the DFA Training Academy, top campaign consultants with decades of experience give you the skills to run a winning campaign. Topics include: field planning, voter contact, fundraising, communications, volunteer recruitment, precinct organizing, and more.

Attendees will also get a copy of the DFA Training Manual packed with over 180 pages of winning campaign info.

Who should attend?

* Candidates for city, county, state or congressional elections
* Campaign interns
* Campaign volunteers and staff
* Anyone who has ever given a moments consideration to running for any office
* Precinct leaders and Neighborhood Leaders who want to be more effective

www.democracyforamerica.com/orlando_training*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~