在奧巴馬獲得總統大選勝利後的各種慶祝會上，許多參加奧巴馬競選的誌願者都在問一個相同的問題，
What's next。大家在幾個月的競選活動中，為了一個共同的目標-選舉奧巴馬做美國總統-而相識、相聚，共享擔憂和喜悅。遇到困難、挫折，彼此拍拍肩膀，互相鼓勵不泄氣；聽到好消息，就彼此HIGH FIVE，擁抱祝賀。在競選結束後的第一個正式聚會上，大家戀戀不舍，都說，最MISSED 就是周五晚上確認周末競選活動的電話。我們社區的TEAML EADER答應大家會設法保持聯係，維持基層的誌願者組織。一個多月前，我們的TEAM LEADER 參加了奧巴馬總部的全國電話會議。由於奧巴馬總部接到許多來自各地誌願者組織的詢問，經過一段時間的經驗教訓總結和民主黨內谘詢、協商，決定在競選誌願者組織的基礎上成立一個新的組織，利用競選的成功經驗，發展、依靠基層組織，來推動奧巴馬政府的政策方針。組織暫定的名字為 Obama For America，簡稱OFA。希望各地的基層組織可以建立聯係，重新行動起來。一個議題是征求對美國麵臨的種種挑戰的看法與建議，另一個議題是在總統宣誓就職前，組織適應當地情況的服務項目，用實際行動來慶祝奧巴馬政府的新開端。
天天聽到有關經濟形勢的壞消息，早就有不少人在摩拳擦掌，希望能做些具體的事情，幫助當地社區和需要得到幫助的人。這真是一拍即和。
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周末，有100 多人參加了“務虛會”，對當前麵臨的挑戰提了不少問題與建議，希望奧巴馬政府能夠考慮，並進一步闡明政策，改進與基層組織的交流。
TEAM LEADER 向大家保證，會把這些意見和建議反饋上去。接著，大家討論並達成共識，響應奧巴馬的號召，準備在慶祝馬丁路德金生日紀念日的周末，舉行與公共衛生和為當地福利團體征集食品有關的社區服務活動。
經過一番策劃和組織，聯係了當地的紅十字會和若幹家與公共衛生有關的政府機構與團體，並得到一家旅館的讚助支持，在周六舉行了“Health & Hunger" 的活動。
籌辦者都是奧巴馬的鐵杆支持者
盡管天氣很冷，還是有近上百人參加。
參與的公共衛生有關的政府機構與團體
旅館無償提供設施和服務，很支持
有32 人獻了血，超出了紅十字會的準備，不得不告訴後來的獻血者等候另行通知。
也為當地的 Food bank 征集了十多箱捐獻的食品。
盡管在總統大選過程中，幾位共和黨的總統候選人多次取笑奧巴馬的社區組織者的經曆，認為他不俱備做美國總統的經驗。但正是因為奧巴馬有當年在芝加哥參與社區組織建設的經曆與經驗，使他這個名不見經轉的年輕黑人政治家不但在民主黨初選中擊敗了呼聲很高的希拉莉而獲民主黨的總統提名，奧巴馬的競選總部在全國各地建立的誌願者組織，在助選的人力物力與策略上，更令麥肯恩無法望其項背。
奧巴馬在建立基層組織與發揮基層組織在政黨政治中的作用方麵，開創了美國政治的先例。在競選中遇到的不少誌願者都是第一次參與競選活動，提到的原因之一就是覺得奧巴馬接近民眾，願意傾聽不同的見解/意見。奧巴馬作為一個傑出的政治家的與眾不同的特色是，他認識到民眾的意願與力量，他的CHANG 的口號是那樣地順應潮流，民心。現在，奧巴馬作為美國總統在政治經濟方麵都麵臨著前所未有的挑戰，他的扭轉乾坤的力量，不僅來自於他的出色的智囊團，行政班子，也來自於他對民眾的信念，信任，信賴。
And yet, as I stand here today, what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between. It is you -- Americans of every race and region and station who came here because you believe in what this country can be and because you want to help us get there.
It is the same thing that gave me hope from the day we began this campaign for the presidency nearly two years ago; a belief that if we could just recognize ourselves in one another and bring everyone together -- Democrats, Republicans, independents; Latino, Asian and Native American; black and white, gay and straight, disabled and not -- then not only would we restore hope and opportunity in places that yearned for both, but maybe, just maybe, we might perfect our union in the process.
This is what I believed, but you made this belief real. You proved once more that people who love this country can change it. And as I prepare to assume the presidency, yours are the voices I will take with me every day when I walk into that Oval Office -- the voices of men and women who have different stories but hold common hopes; who ask only for what was promised us as Americans -- that we might make of our lives what we will and see our children climb higher than we did.
--奧巴馬 在 JANUARY 17, 2009 We Are One Concert 上的講話摘要--
(http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/18/raw-data-obamas-speech-lincoln-memorial-concert/)
當成千上萬的人一起呼喊“YES，WE CAN！”時，那情景讓人震動，鼓舞，振奮，難忘。如果數百萬的人把“YES，WE CAN！”付諸於實際行動，他們不但可以選出美國的第一位黑人總統，他們也必將扭轉這個國家的方向，改變國家和自己的命運。
It is the time， 曆史的時刻，曆史的使命，不但對奧巴馬總統，也是對每一個人。
新的組織正式稱為 Organizing For America。
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGNgacysHg&eurl=http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/obama_for_american_becomes_org.php&feature=player_embedded
Obama For America Becomes Organizing For America
17 Jan 2009 11:36 am
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The Obama political machine is merging with the Democratic National Committee.
The President-elect launched Obama 2.0, or Organizing for America, this morning with a YouTube video.
An Obama political aide said that OFA will be housed at the Democratic National Committee, resolving a longstanding debate about whether the entity should be separate.
A press release prepared by OFA calls the organization "the next phase" of the Obama organization, and will offer "volunteers the continued opportunity to work for change in their communities by organizing in support of reform in Washington."
"As President, I will need the help of all Americans to meet the challenges that lie ahead. That's why I'm asking people like you who fought for change during the campaign to continue fighting for change in your communities. Since the election hundreds of thousands of you have shared your ideas about how this movement should move forward, and we've listened carefully," Obama says in the video.
The announcement follows month of debate among Obama's political aides about how best to leverage his record-shattering campaign organization as a tool to help Obama in office. Legal questions, too, arose about coordination between the Democratic National Committee and the campaign entity, which possesses the 13-million person e-mail, telephone and contact list that powered Obama's political activity.
More than 500,000 Obama supporters completed post-election surveys. According to the press release, "A clear majority believe that organizing in support of President-elect Obama's agenda should be the most important goal for the organization. Organizing for America will partner with Governor [Tim] Kaine and the DNC."
Campaign aides Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, Jeremy Bird and Mitch Stewart form triumvirate at the head of this new behemoth.
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/obama_for_american_becomes_org.php
