"Hope, Action, Change Outdoor Community Kick-Off", Washington, DC, 3/31/07

            Hello:

Attached are photos from the DC Outdoor Obama Kickoff at Dupont Circle
today! Although the weather became colder as the afternoon moved on, you
could see the piqued interest of those passing by for Sen. Obama's campaign
and ideas. Among those whom I got the chance to chat with were a labor union
member weighing Obama and Edwards, two moms with kids in tow, a little girl
holding a framed picture of her and Sen. Obama from Hawaii, non-profit
sector workers, a student who helped organize the Oakland, CA rally a few
weeks back, females undecided between Obama and Clinton, and a fellow
college alum whom I just met for the first time today at the event! There
was an abundance of help, with two people holding the screen down so that it
wouldn't fall over during the webcast to a random biker who took the time to
work magic on our computer system so that we could watch the webcast in a
bigger and smoother format.

Some were just getting to know Barack, but most others were there to show
their support. I could tell that Obama supporters were in it for the long
haul; there was a spirit of acknowledgment that it was early in the
campaign, and many of us seemed newcomers to this thing called "campaigning"
and grassroots efforts - uncertain as to the power and effectiveness of
taking matters into our own hands, but one thing was certain - our belief in
Barack's power to unify all of our differences in a time of division. Our
belief in his personal background and experiences that would make him, out
of all the candidates, a fairer and sounder decision-maker and executive.

Not everything was perfect at the event - it was difficult to remain
connected to the webcast, there was a lack of materials, buttons, info
packets, stickers that multiple people were asking for, and some came and
left after a momentary glance over. But what this experience has taught me
is that this entire campaign and our part in it must be an ongoing learning
process. On one part, I am glad that we have almost a year to really build
this campaign! Now we can learn from our mistakes so that we can better
outreach over the next 10 months, and most of all, as I found myself noting
what could be done better next time and what things were working, it made me
realize my own power as a member of the grassroots revolution that is
happening right now in history. Some things I took away from the event:

1. Preparation is key in organizing - prepare enough packets, buttons,
stickers, materials for everyone to pick up
2. Designate point persons for each segment - this will allow the event to
run much more smoothly rather than having one person trying to answer/decide
everything; assign a sign-up person, assign a tech person, assign a food and
drinks person, etc.
3. Utilize the space most efficiently - set up the space so that it attracts
the most amount of passersby with easy access to materials and people
equipped to answer questions on Obama; separate the space into a viewing
area, chatting area, etc.

As I discussed and shared with others, I could sense a mutual camaraderie
that even though politics and business as usual may seem intimidating and
immovable, maybe, just maybe, this time the people really can win this
thing. Maybe more than being a test of Sen. Obama, this campaign is a test
of the American people - and how we choose to reclaim our own power as
citizen.

Thanks and much support,
Sunhee Choi
Steering Committee Member
DC for Obama
   

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Taken on: March 31, 2007

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Sets appears in: • "Hope, Action, Change Outdoor Community Kick-Off", Washington, DC, 3/31/07

Camera: Minolta Co., Ltd. DiMAGE Xt, f/2.8, 1/180 sec, 6mm, ISO 50 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Minolta Co., Ltd. DiMAGE Xt
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/180)
Focal Length:	6mm
ISO:	50
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Ver. 1.00
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