AFL-CIO kicks off largest Get Out The Vote effort ever
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/07/art.obama.il.gi.jpg caption="The AFL-CIO endorsed Obama's campaign in late June 2008."]
(CNN)—With less than two weeks to go before voters cast their ballots, the AFL-CIO launched a massive Get Out The Vote campaign Tuesday, targeting over 13 million union voters across the country in presidential, congressional and gubernatorial battleground states.
250,000 volunteers will disperse across the country in 20 presidential battleground states, including some “non-traditional’ key states like North Carolina and Indiana.
The efforts will also target 12 Senate races and 60 House races in an effort to secure a filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate.
The group, which has been targeting union voters throughout the campaign season, says it also plans to increase the volume of phone calls and door to door knocking in the key states, with an emphasis on veterans, elderly voters and gun owners, who are typically harder to contact.
According to AFL-CIO Spokesman Steve Smith, in 2004 and 2006 the grassroots organization had about 200,000 volunteers working in only 13 states. Compared to the efforts in 2008, Smith says they are targeting “more states and more House and Senate races than ever.”
These final efforts wrap up a $250 million grassroots mobilization which began in late June after the organization threw its support behind Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
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No doubt in my mind who I will vote for. John McCain is the most honest and honorable leader to stand tall and represent the US as our next president. Obama you are really grasping at straws and trying to win vulnerable people over with your straight forward lies. It will come out in the end sooner or later.
Dismissing Obama's Socialist tendancies, is like ignoring the fart in the room!
Demwit/Tim in NC.......... The idiot party 08
John McSame/Falling Palinn
As far as comparing the campaigns, both sides are targeting the other with all they have. The difference is that while McCain's claims about Obama, while factual have signifigant spin, Obama's claims about McCain are outright lies. Just go to FACTCHECK.ORG and see for yourself. Also Obama is running 3 or 4 times as many ads as McCain, so even if only a third of them are negative, he's still outnumbering McCain's negative ads by a healthy margin. Just goes to show what one can do if they go back on their word and throw lots of money behind their lies.
"O"bama
"O"= zero; zero credibility, zero competence, zero integrity
The GOP are running scared and crying voters fraud. As a election judge there are checkpoints in place to stop fraud!!
May I just say, Our thoughts and prayers go with Senator Obama as he travels to his GrandMothers Side.
Blessed Be
Obama-Biden '08
Whenever labor endorses a candidate, all intelligent people vote just the opposite.
Can someone explain to me why a GOTV initiative by the AFL-CIO is suddenly "suspicious" and "shady"? What about all of the Republican GOTV iniiatives – are they suspicious, too?
THANKS
Ok, CNN why is it that I can't leave a comment for the article on Cindy McCain....I just get an error message but I can leave a comment on this article. The media is so clearly biased toward Barack that it is absolutely ridiculous. LEAVE CINDY ALONE! YOU SUCK!
McCain will have us in a war with Iran in his first 6 months. He will (as he said months ago) reinstate the draft for male, female, single, married – ALL between 18 and 35.
Is that what you want?
Obama/Biden '08 – vote early
McCain will have us in a war with Iran in his first 6 months. He will (as he said months ago) reinstate the draft for male, female, single, married – ALL between 18 and 35.
Is that what you want?
Obama/Biden '08 – vote early
Socialism, Unions, Obama = No more America!
@ demwit October 21st, 2008 9:34 am ET
I see your preschool was closed today and mommy is letting you play on her computer.
Great. Another liberal outfit to bring in dead heads who want a free check from the Government.
I"m soooooo ready for this election to be over. Its gotten so "fake" I cant stand it anymore.
McCain and Palin are running for their lives. They know the battle is lost and are determined to do anything they can to LIE to the people of this GREAT COUNTRY. They LIE when they say Joe the plumer is going to pay more taxes under Obama. Fact is if he does not have children He will not see any tax break uner McCain. Unless he is one of the CEOs that make millions a year then McCain has a tax cut for them.
Lets hear it for the Union Vote! I'm 100% with them good men & women of America.
In other words, the largest intimidation and vote fraud campaign in history. John F. Kennedy won by vote fraud in 1960 with labor's help, so I guess old habits die hard. All of you druid union bubbas ought to know the rest of us in America know EXACTLY what you're up to. In my home town, the backwards union bubbas were the ones riding around in their deisel spewing trucks snatching GOP yard signs in the middle of the night. Democrats will do anything to win an election, except play fairly and legally.
I hope that Palin takes McCain back to Alaska with her after Nov 4
Good place for both of them.They would have been run out of town if they were in any other country spreading their lies.
Just vote everyone, it's almost over.
If Obama wins and their is no checks and balance in the Congress... our country is in real trouble!!!
Besides what Biden is telling all the big wigs behind closed doors... He basically is telling them to get ready for a national crisis or attack in 6 months.... No fear in this campaign!!!
I hope the New York Times looks into Obama's drug past as well. I also would like to see more stories about Senator Bidens remarks that the world will test Obama within the first 6 months. Does he know something we do not know. Other than the obvious, that Obama is weak and naive about world affairs. That is all we need is Russia or Iran pulling a crisis. Vote McCain.
Thank you McCain-Palin and the Republican Party!! Your efforts to pull in all the home grown radical and dangerous extremist groups under the marketing of hate for Americans, will make it so much easier for our Secret Service to identify, profile and better protect the American public. OBAMA-BIDEN 08!!!!!
Jill American October 21st, 2008 9:15 am ET
Lots of Independents in NJ. and lots of McCain signs too. But there are no Obama signs. Why? According to Obama's office they don't need to campaign here. If you ask for a sign they say no. Guess he thinks NJ is a closed deal.
I guess it's OK for me to vote for Hillary.
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You know what? You go ahead and do that Jill, just because you STILL can't let go of the fact that Hillary lost in the primaries fair and square, go ahead and hurt yourself economically and your children as well if you have any because of your HURT feelings. The rest of us will be voting for Obama and getting on with our lives and our economic issues.