Canvassing for Health Care Reform
Posted on July 15th, 2009 in Health Care Reform, OFA, Organizing |
This is the ad that Organizing for America (OFA) has released in the states of “Blue Dog” Democratic senators and moderate Republicans to put pressure on them to support health care reform. The people in this ad are not actors, but rather citizens who submitted their videos to OFA describing how lack of health insurance has negatively impacted their lives. This Boston Globe piece provides brief bios of these individuals and their situations regarding health care.
A more significant sign of just how much OFA is engaging in health care reform organizing is their effort to get volunteers to canvass their neighborhoods and make calls to their neighbors. The first round of weekend canvassing was this past weekend, and OFA plans to continue asking volunters to canvass every weekend throughout the summer. It’s clear to me that this is the make-or-break moment for OFA to show that they can effectively mobilize Obama’s base. If they cannot engage Obama’s list of 13 million supporters for one of the most significant domestic policy fights of his presidency, there is little chance that the group will be viable in the future IMHO.
Early signs, however, are promising. Here in Massachusetts, we still do not have a paid staff person from OFA, and yet the volunteer-led group OFA-MA is organizing a Health Care Reform 101 Forum that will take place this Saturday, July 18 in Boston. As of today (Wednesday the 15th), 99 people have signed up.
One Response
I really like this ad, and I’m glad that the OFA is making some inroads. Here in Wisconsin, Jefferson and Watertown Dems had a health care forum last week. It was a good one, and the local paper had a very nice article on it. (Kind of a surprise since the County Union usually supports conservatives.)
I still wish that people would hold some actual outdoor rallies, with signs, etc., that would generate enough news coverage to get through to the conservatives in Congress. This could be done all around the country, and would be in addition to going door-to-door and making phone calls. I really think we have to go all out. Not too much interest in doing that here, though.
I email Sen. Kohl every week, trying to find out whether he’ll support a viable public option (without a trigger). He’s finally started answering me and no longer just sends me token newsletters unrelated to health care reform. But he’s still on the fence and trying to dodge the issue. When I tell him we, as his constituents, want to know where he stands, he talks around the subject and says he’s keeping his options open. I’m concerned that he’s still joined at the hip with the Senate conservatives, and that they could scuttle real reform. I’ll keep emailing him, though.