A Progressive Alamedan

Various writings from a resident of Alameda regarding the political scene. The local perspective of local, state and national politics and a few other odds and ends of local concern. May not be particularly interesting to people outside of the Alameda area.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Alameda Meetup for John Edwards

I'm pleased to announce Alameda's first-ever meetup for the candidacy of John Edwards for President in 2008, later this month. All three of you readers of this blog are welcome to attend!

You've probably gotten wind of the fact by now that I'm a big supporter of John Edwards this time around. The primary election is only a few months away (Feb 2007) so I wanted to get organized in Alameda and help get the word out about the most Progressive AND Electable candidate out there.

So please mark your calendars to save the date: Wednesday, September 26, 7 PM at Crosstown Community Center (Corner of High St. @ Encinal). (We'll be doing this monthly on 4th Wednesdays.)

If you want to learn about Edwards and why I and so many politically active and knowledgeable people in the area are backing him, please be sure to come for the FIRST HALF of the meeting. I want to start out with some presentations and discussion about "Why Edwards?" to help bring more people into the fold, or at least help get the word out. If you are curious about John Edwards, please come to at least the first part of the meeting, 7 PM ~ 8 PM.

The second half of the meeting will be focused more on Edwards supporters. If you are already supporting Edwards, I hope you can stick around for the second half. We'll be planning activities for helping get out the word in Alameda and the area. I also have a bunch of "swag" available.....

RSVP (Yes/No/Maybe) at our meetup site here.



Regarding Edwards, just to whet your appetite, or if you can't make it to the meetup...

"I can say without equivocation that no one who is running for president has presented anywhere near as comprehensive and accurate a prediction of what our country ought to do in the field of environmental quality, in the field of health care for those who are not presently insured, for those who struggle with poverty" -- Former President Jimmy Carter

EDWARDS IS PROGRESSIVE:

Edwards has proposed a specific plan to end poverty in the U.S. by 2036 through measures including: raising the minimum wage, tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit, strengthening labor unions, investing in rural community colleges and training centers, and expanding college opportunities.

Edwards has issued a comprehensive proposal to end the war in Iraq--starting today: It calls on Congress to use its funding power to block President Bush's escalation, immediately begin withdrawing troops by capping funding and requiring complete withdrawal of all combat troops in 12 to 18 months.

"More than any of the presidential candidates, John Edwards has come up with a specific and plausible plan that provides for health care coverage for all Americans." -- Nicholas Kristoff, The New York Times

EDWARDS IS THE MOST ELECTABLE:

"Nationwide general election polling shows John Edwards is the Democrat with the best chance of defeating the Republican candidate in the 2008 general election for President. Edwards is the only Democrat with a significant lead in a head-to-head match-up against Republican frontrunner Giuliani."
Global Strategy Group, Polling Memorandum, 8/27/2007

"We believe that Senator Edwards will have a great appeal in a general election. He has the ability to reach out to moderate voters, including the members of our union, and to address their very real concerns about jobs, health care and the economy." -- Douglas J. McCarron, President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in his 8/30/2007 endorsement

EDWARDS WILL FIGHT THE CLIMATE CRISIS:

In July 2007, MoveOn.org members voted John Edwards the presidential candidate "Most Likely to Succeed in Solving the Climate Crisis" by a margin of 2:1.

John Edwards has produced the "...strongest, most comprehensive climate and energy plan among the three Democratic front-runners. He's stumping for 80 percent cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, and fleshing that goal out with detailed proposals for big boosts in renewables and fuel efficiency, changes to the energy grid and efficiency standards (the only front-runner to emphasize these), a green-jobs program, and more."
Grist: July/Aug 2007

2 Comments:

Blogger Becks said...

I'm behind Edwards 100%... do you know of any meetups like this happening in Oakland? I've been wanting to get involved in the campaign locally but have been unsure of how to best plug in. I'm also thinking about going to Iowa in December to help ensure he gets an early and much needed win...

7:01 PM  
Blogger A Progressive Alamedan said...

Becks, the Oakland group is meeting on the 11th... see the meetup page to RSVP.

8:38 PM  

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