'Women For Obama' Campaign Initiative Launches For 2012

WASHINGTON -- The Obama campaign is launching its 2012 "Women for Obama" initiative, an effort to mobilize this crucial voting bloc for the president's reelection effort.

In an email to supporters on Monday night, First Lady Michelle Obama, an honorary chair of the initiative, announced the launch of Women for Obama and urged female voters to sign up.

"Today, we are officially launching Women for Obama -- and I am incredibly honored to be serving as its chair," read the email by the first lady. "This is a special group dedicated to growing this campaign from the ground up. Because we know better than anyone that movements for real and lasting change have got to start at the grassroots -- and they're sustained by the relationships we develop with one another. Together, that's what we're going to do -- build relationships with supporters, new and old, and grow this campaign -- one woman at a time."

Michelle Obama also cited health care reform, raising standards in public schools, building out job-training programs at community colleges and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as evidence of the president's fight for women's rights.

"But we have so much more to do. And, as women and supporters of this campaign, we need to keep showing up -- and we need to keep fighting the good fight," she added.

Women for Obama is an arm of the campaign's "Operation Vote," an aggressive effort to engage and mobilize voting constituencies that helped President Obama win in 2008, such as college students, women and African Americans.

The National Women's Vote Director is Heather Colburn, a Wisconsin native who was active in the state's Senate recall elections earlier this year. She has also worked for EMILY's List, Planned Parenthood and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

"Women have always been the heart of the Obama campaign and will play a crucial role in ensuring the President has four more years to protect and continue the progress we've made," Colburn said in a statement to The Huffington Post. "I'm honored to be on board, and look forward to working alongside the thousands of women already dedicating themselves and their time to help deliver the women's vote next November."

Throughout the week, there will be house parties and phone banks around the country, an attempt to reengage women who voted for Obama in 2008 and pull in new voters.

Women for Obama is already doing events in Colorado, New Mexico, Michigan, Florida, California, North Carolina and New Hampshire, among other states.

Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women and Politics Institute at American University, said Obama needs a strong turnout from women in order to win in 2012.

"He needs the women's vote. There's no question," Lawless told HuffPost in August. "What's up for grabs right now is the extent to which women are energized and ready to mobilize for him. In every presidential election since 1980, there's been a gender gap with women more likely to support the Democratic candidate than men. Without the women's vote -- because women comprise the majority of the electorate -- it's virtually impossible for a candidate to win the election."

In 2008, an analysis by the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics found that women were a "significant factor" in Obama's victory. He won 56 percent of women's votes, whereas his opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), won just 43 percent. Men split their vote about evenly between the two candidates.

An October Gallup poll found that 48 percent of women approve of the job Obama is doing, compared to 39 percent of men.

Full email:

From: Michelle Obama
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011
Subject: Women for Obama

Friend --

As I have traveled across the country, I have had the privilege of meeting incredible women from all walks of life. From young women paying their own way through college, to moms working the extra shift to keep food on the table, to women struggling to make ends meet during retirement.

We talk about their bills, their children -- how they're constantly striving to strike that balance between work and family. And no matter what kind of challenges they're facing, they don't complain. They just work harder.

This is what we do as women. We persevere. Because no matter our ages, backgrounds, or stations in life, we are determined to leave a better world for our children and give them opportunities we never even dreamed of.

Women have always been the heart of the Obama organization. We make up nearly half of the American workforce and are the majority of students in America's colleges and universities. We're the primary caregivers for our children and seniors. We're the heads of households and workplaces across the country.

And right now, it's time for us all to dig deep, step up, and keep building this campaign together: person by person, discussion by discussion.

Today, we are officially launching Women for Obama -- and I am incredibly honored to be serving as its chair. This is a special group dedicated to growing this campaign from the ground up. Because we know better than anyone that movements for real and lasting change have got to start at the grassroots -- and they're sustained by the relationships we develop with one another. Together, that's what we're going to do -- build relationships with supporters, new and old, and grow this campaign -- one woman at a time.

I wanted to ask you myself if you'll sign on to join us.

The stories of the incredible women I meet serve as a constant reminder of why we're all here: because American families all around the country are facing very real problems. They're balancing mortgage payments and utilities bills with full-time jobs and raising children. They're struggling to make ends meet while still trying to put money aside to send their kids to college one day.

Barack understands these issues because he's lived them. He was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills. When she needed help, Barack's grandmother stepped in, waking up every morning before dawn to take a bus to her job at a bank. And even though she worked hard and was good at what she did, she ultimately hit a glass ceiling and was passed over for promotions time and again because she was a woman.

So Barack knows what it means when a family struggles. He knows what it means when someone doesn't have a chance to fulfill their potential. And today, as a father, he knows what it means to want your daughters to grow up with no limits on their dreams.

That's why, since taking office, he's worked tirelessly to make sure every child and every family gets a fair shake.

The historic health reform he passed is making sure every American family gets the quality and affordable care they need to stay healthy. The crucial investments he's made in our students and workers -- raising the standards in our public schools and building out job-training programs at community colleges -- are investments in our country's economic future. And the very first bill he signed into law -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- will help make it easier for women to get equal pay for equal work, because he knows that women's success in this economy is the key to families' success in this economy.

But we have so much more to do. And, as women and supporters of this campaign, we need to keep showing up -- and we need to keep fighting the good fight.

So I'm asking you to join me, and women all across the country who support this movement. I'm asking you to say you're ready to work.

Join Women for Obama, and help us grow this organization:

http://my.barackobama.com/Women-for-Obama

Thank you for being a part of this,

Michelle

RELATED SLIDESHOW:

Comments

[pumpkin nose]

06:27 AM on 04/09/2012

I signed up here 3 days ago and I have exposed Obama as a fanatic fraud yet I haven't picked up one lousy fan. I must be the only sane person on this website.

[summer4891]

06:33 PM on 11/16/2011

I enjoyed saying this so much that I'd like to repeat it:
"We need to remember back to the last administra­tion and how they proved to us repeatedly what the Republican Party values truly were; and even after having witnessed how their policies were effecting the country, we still re-elected Bush. And then, after being so excited at the prospect of having a Democratic president, we immediately threw the balance of power in Congress to the Republican­s--castr*ting the new administration. And now, we see the long-term effects of letting the corporatis­ts, and elitists, and old-money aristocrac­y have their way: the rich are getting richer quicker than ever before while common-fol­k are living in their cars and begging for change on street corners.

[Dameocrat]

11:58 AM on 11/16/2011

Not going to work. Obama has pandered to Wall Street, and the insurance companies too much, and to vote for him again would encourage the democrats to betray us some more. It is more important to pass anti corporate personhood amendments. That is what will give us true change. He is just tweedledee to the republican tweedledum.

[excaderesdesire]

08:13 AM on 11/16/2011

Can Somebody PLEASE~~~ clue me in the next time we enter a new dimmension???

[excaderesdesire]

08:12 AM on 11/16/2011

OMG!!!! Did all of these people take a trip to the Emerald City to Visit OZ ??? Or did we all enter into Some weird dimmension of the Twilight Zone... ???

[excaderesdesire]

08:09 AM on 11/16/2011

AND.... WHO is getting a fair shake in this country besides the 1%ers?????????????

[excaderesdesire]

08:06 AM on 11/16/2011

They're balancing mortgage payments and utilities bills with full-time jobs and raising children. They're struggling to make ends meet while still trying to put money aside to send their kids to college one day.

Ummm... Where exactly are these full time jobs she is talking about??? Who is left in this country that can afford to put money aside to send their children to college??? The only true statement she has made is; WE ARE ALL STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET!!!!

I can't speak for the rest of this country but every penny I make barely keeps a roof over my head... food if I'm lucky... I ain't got nothing left over to put aside for a rainy day little alone send my kids to college~~~ She is begining to sound like the sideshows who are running against her husband!!!

[excaderesdesire]

07:57 AM on 11/16/2011

Some one needs to clue her in "We've dug a hole so deep we could visit China"... thanks to the financial state this country is in!

[excaderesdesire]

07:50 AM on 11/16/2011

Because we know better than anyone that movements for real and lasting change have got to start at the grassroots -- and they're sustained by the relationships we develop with one another.

Some one needs to inform her that the only "BIG"change any of us has seen since he took office is this country is crumbling faster...

[trthsetsfree2]

07:53 PM on 11/15/2011

Here is more divide and conquer politics and some gullible men and women are falling for it. Obama is the women and gay President because he has no respect for manhood because of his fatherless upbringing. Obama needs to know that half the reason he grew up fatherless is his mother. His mother made poor decisions and his efforts will continue to encourage even more women to make poor decisions about starting a family. And much of it is financed at the expense of the men and children. Advantages in hiring, custody, education, etc. will cause an even greater schism between men and women. The biased child support system and fruitless and malicious harassment complaints against men are destroying America. There is already a 50 percent official divorce rate. No man in his right mind should support someone who obviously hates us and himself.
I feel the same way about the Republicans but for different reasons. The Repubs only seem to care about the rich.
I am not rich, a woman or gay. Neither of the major parties have a platform for me.
Any candidate who appears to care about the rich, middle class, poor, men, women and children will get my vote. I am still looking for the right candidate.
A candidate who wants men to have equal child custody and rights and who gives a man a positive option if his mate is inadequate or uncooperative will get my support.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

09:57 PM on 11/15/2011

So he's less than a man because he was raised by a woman? These gender stereotypes need to stop.

[trthsetsfree2]

12:52 AM on 11/16/2011

No, there are many men who stand up for themselves and manhood who are raised by women. Unfortunately Obama does not stand up for the men, also. There is no denying his lack of respect for manhood.

[Rosie2]

10:19 AM on 11/18/2011

What is your college degree? How do you know so much about what a person takes away from a "fatherless upbringing"? To say that Pres Obama has no respect for manhood because of his fatherless upbringing is completely speculative on your part. You do not know any of this to be factual, and in the case of "fatherless upbringing" one size does not fit all.

[trthsetsfree2]

11:21 AM on 11/18/2011

His book is a thinly veiled hate message to his father. He bashes men at every turn. He advocates for gays and women only. These are not speculation.There are tons of statistics on the effects of fatherlessness such as:

63% of youths that commit suicide are from fatherless homes
75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes
70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes
82% of teenage girls who get pregnant come from fatherless homes
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes

Responsible people understand average behavior and make decisions based upon the available information. Irresponsible people cannot make decisons and must know every situation individually.
Mr. Obama is a man hater based on his individual behavior and his upbringing.
Yes, there are fatherless men who are not man haters but Obama is not one of them.

[summer4891]

07:25 PM on 11/15/2011

My apologies for going on and on and for being redundant but I believe it was mostly American women who were intelligent enough to realize how bad things had gotten after so many years of Republican rule and so elected an administration which would fight to change the status-quo. [I don’t, however, know or understand why we clipped the wings of that administration before giving it a chance to do the things we all voted for]. Also, I believe it will be the American women who determine whether or not we put officials in office this election who will push for the kind of changes that benefit the whole of society. If “growing government” means more civil rights, more fair taxation, more regulation over corporations, banks, insurance companies, and Wall Street, etc., more benefits for the elderly and indigent, better healthcare for all, better roads and bridges, and better public services, then I want more government. Given the existing lobby system, the way Congress operates, and the Electoral College, we can no longer afford to have Republican Governors, Senators, Congressmen, and Supreme Court Justices in office [and hope for them to vote for policies and laws which might cause them to give up any of the good life they’ve made for themselves just to benefit the lowly middle-classes].

[Charleyeo]

03:16 AM on 11/16/2011

Wise and intelligent post. There is a great deal of truth supporting women in politics. Michele Bachmann excepted. Women are wired to see all sides of a puzzle. The are able to use logic and compassion and fairness and to see needs of society. A spirit of cooperation and working together for the betterment for all is seen as positive. The more I listen and read about the GOP debates I see more of the me me me attitude. The concern for the poor, the elderly, the homeless, gay rights, reproductive freedom, reality education, global warming, climate concern, evolution, right to health care and on and on. Increasing taxation for the wealthy and providing more programs for the american public. Access to skills training therefore improving employment opportunity, subsidized day care, lunch programs in schools, prevention programs, programs enabling single moms to return to school, literacy programs, there are just so many positive programs that will benefit americans. All I seem to hear from the Tea Baggers is what they do not want, or will stop, but where are the policies that are for something. The last straw was the position of Michele Bachman and Herman Cain and their intent to bring back a law allowing waterboarding. Now, bottom line that shows their true morality. The video on Guantanamo was horrific, reminder of Auchwictz. These are not the moral majority. We need more Elizabeth Warrens.

[summer4891]

10:32 AM on 11/17/2011

This didn't make post but deserved to be said. [I hope you don't mind my taking the liberty, Charleyeo]:
"Raising the need for womens ideals, values, and concern for all is desperately needed. The Republicans are committed to preserving their Patriarchal, controlling, bigoted, disrespect of women, gays, children, education, science, etc. They never seem to support anything beneficial to the public. They do support treating the majority of americans as disposable. If you don't belong to the obscenely wealthy and powerful, they have no empathty for the american public. But these proclaimed Christians DO support torture and waterboarding. These policies are against the law of human rights and they are allowed to get away with this cr*p. They should all be made to step down by those who respect entitlement of citizens human rights and freedoms. Not only are they hypocrites, they are corrupt and bigoted."
Well put, Chaz.

[Dameocrat]

12:01 PM on 11/16/2011

The republicans and the democrats caused this problem because of corporate bribery, and because they deregulated the banks. To hell with both of them. We need an anticorporate personhood amendment.

[summer4891]

05:39 PM on 11/15/2011

This is perhaps off-topic, but, although Occupy Wall Street has trumpeted the sound of revolution in the ears of the aristocrac­y, it’s long-term effect on Wall Street will be probably be nil. [The banks, however, will suffer as a result of those who are spanking them by withdrawin­g their funds. I’m not an economist, but I don’t think this well-inten­ded retaliatio­n will have anything but negative effects on our already struggling economy.] When the French population slipped into poverty while the elitists lavished in opulence, the revolutionaries eventually lopped off the heads of their aristocrac­y, ending one set of problems and beginning another. The way I see it, the only intelligen­t action needed to be taken by our society is to realize that, unless you’re a CEO, Wall Streeter, Banker, or an otherwise wealthy part of the upper two percentile­, vote for Democrats who will push for policies that benefit us all. We elected an administra­tion that wanted to represent the best interests of the masses and then took all of its power away in the Mid-terms--giving the other side the opportunit­y to evade and deflect their ownership for how poor a nation we’ve become for having them at the helm for so long.

[Charleyeo]

02:03 PM on 11/17/2011

Summer4891, Thank you for reposting my post. I am so new at this that I do not really know the ropes. If my comment was not posted how did you see it? What reasoning is used to not post a comment such as this one that I posted. Thanks

[summer4891]

04:20 PM on 11/17/2011

Hi Charley! I’m a relative newbie too. I’ve followed various news posts but didn’t start commenting until the articles about Elizabeth Warren started. Honestly, when half of the country voted Bush into office for a second term, I gave up on our ability to elect intelligent, compassionate representatives. I suspect your blog failed to make post because you used the word “cr*p”. I would imagine there's a saucy list of words which automatically kick a comment out (and thank you for the kind words I omitted at the preface of yours). I only saw your reply because it shows up in my list of ‘friends’ who have replied to a comment of my own--an obvious bug in the program. I know my blogs are more than a little idealistic but that’s what I feel is currently at stake: our very ideals (along with the entire infrastructure of our political system). I can’t tell you how gratifying it is when someone with an astute perspective, such as yourself, supports those ideals. I agree with the things you say and will keep watching for your comments with bated breath.

[summer4891]

03:27 PM on 11/15/2011

It seems to me that half of the American people are confused about who's best interests the two major political parties represent; this was made clear by the mid-term elections. Why isn’t it obvious to everyone that one party makes policies and laws which are best for those who benefit from less regulation over Wall street, banks, credit card companies, environmental controls, firearm controls, and big businesses--to name a few--and pursue things such as less benefits for the middle and lower classes [or “less government,” by way of less publicly funded health care, education, Social Security, etc.,], less rights for gays and women in regards to abortion, as well as tax cuts for the rich and rich corporations: Verses the other party, which makes policies and laws to suit the best interests of the entire rest of society? Before the next elections, check to see if you’re one of those who has had the wool pulled over your eyes by GOP spin and rhetoric.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

03:10 AM on 11/16/2011

F&F'd. Due to the system, both parties are corrupt in their own way. However, if you look deeper into policies, they couldn't be any different. Well said. Let's not repeat that lie the same way we did in 2000 (which none of us want to go through again).

[lucky54]

07:02 AM on 11/17/2011

Fan #15

[summer4891]

05:08 PM on 11/17/2011

Thank you for concurring. (I would have said ‘agreeing’ but I get to use big-people words in here. I love it!) I certainly hope there are more than 15 of us who can see through the transparent, dastardly campaign tactics and self-serving motives of the Republican movement. I know it’s rhetorical but weren’t public officials originally volunteers who were supposed to “represent” the best interests of the American people in their entirety? My, how things have changed. Thanks again.

[summer4891]

03:23 PM on 11/15/2011

Does anyone out there think Republicans (on the Hill) care at all about the fact that 28% of American children now fall into the impoverished range? Here’s some easy math for us all; that’s more than 1 out of every 4 children. Call it what you like, but the elitists--the few and the powerful--have succeeded in fooling the country with their rhetoric. Add to the equation the fact that, for the little time Dems did have control, it was like Camelot in America. I heard our leaders use the word “surplus” instead of “deficit” for the first time in my life. There were no refugee camps in the country. People weren't living in tents and cars. By voting for people who actually represent the overwhelming majority of the people in this country, we can give the power back to those who care for the best interests of the whole of society. We simply need to stop voting for those who represent the Aristocratic, Corporate, Elitists. Their policies are intended to suit their own self-serving agenda. Advertising works, and they have always had the money, the motivation, and the lack of integrity it takes to pull the wool over the eyes of the middle classes in order to get the votes they need.

[summer4891]

03:09 PM on 11/15/2011

The Republicans on Cap Hill have always been against the rights of the people, such as gay rights and a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. What's more, to satisfy their greed they allow businesses to operate without regard for our health, the environment, or the future of the planet; they also have no regard for such benefits as police and fire protection, or public healthcare and education--because they are wealthy, they are, of course, above such trivial concerns. They, instead, wield their power with money and influence only to further benefit their own personal gains. The Republicans have always wanted less oversight so they can better manipulate banking, corporate responsibility, and the stock market, as well as a ceiling on the amount of taxes large corporations and the wealthy elite have to pay. It's clear to me that if you want rich people and corporations to continue making laws and policies that have little or no regard for human rights: that only support their greed and covert efforts to strip-mine our economy and the nation, then keep voting for the aristocracy.

[summer4891]

03:31 PM on 11/15/2011

One more note: to vote for any other party (Tea Bag, or even the always-tempting but don’t-stand-a-chance Independents) is ultimately a vote against the Democratic party. And taking votes away from the Democratic candidates is the same as giving votes to the Republican party.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

09:59 PM on 11/15/2011

True, but unfortunately people still haven't learned their lesson from 2000 and 2004 or even the Bush presidency in itself.

[Cynnara Tregarth]

04:39 AM on 11/16/2011

Actually, most independents vote by what the person has done, not along party lines. So, in actuality, it is more that you need to prove that Democrats can get off their collective butts and mobilize. You need to show hat they know how to work hard and can span bridges within their own party much less tbe Republican party-since bipartisanship is a good thing, so things are accomplished. Independents aren't swayed by party bias and bull. We want results, not more broken, unrealistic promises. You need us. They need us. The question is-- what do you bring to the table besides rhetoric and partyy babble?

[Charleyeo]

03:47 AM on 11/16/2011

Thoughtful and intelligent post. The Tea party are against everything positive but will vote for waterboarding. Not to support 500,000 homeless children or extreme poverty, universal health care, access to education and school lunch programs, etc. etc. What does this say about them bottom line. Greed, Profit, Money. There are no options. Obama is the only choice. Not just the moral, logical choice. The only choice.