Obama 2012 Campaign – Ananda Leeke

ObamaSprintCampaignBlue Button — Photo Credit: BarackObama.com

Happy October!

A few days ago I was in Las Vegas attending the Blogalicious Weekend Conference. During one of my breaks, I checked my email and read a message from my digital sister, Chrysula Winegar, that invited me to participate in Women Online’s Social Media Sprint Campaign. When I visited the Women Online (WO) web site to research the campaign, I learned WO is a boutique digital public relations and marketing firm founded by Morra Aarons-Mele, an Internet marketing professional who established The Mission List and served as the founding Political Director for BlogHer.com. After digesting this information, my response to Chrysula’s invitation was YES…YES… YES!!!!! So I joined the group of amazing women bloggers and top social media voices in a “social media sprint” to Election Day (#blogforobama).

obamawomen — Photo Credit: BarackObama.com

So why join? I think President Obama is the only Presidential candidate who represents my interests as a woman. Since June, I have actively participated in the Obama 2012 campaign by:

Making financial donations to BarackObama.com.
Canvasing in my U Street neighborhood.
Serving as a volunteer at the PG County Obama campaign office phone bank with my dad.
Helping my dad with his Dr. John blog that is dedicated to supporting the Obama 2012 campaign.
Seeing President Obama speak at the BlogHer 12′ Conference.
Teaching a monthly yoga class as a BarackObama.com fundraiser.
Using my social media platforms to promote the campaign each week.

obamacanvasing — Photo Credit: Ananda canvasing in her U Street neighborhood in DC

obamaphonebank2 — Photo Credit: Ananda volunteering at Obama phone bank

obamaphonebank1 — Photo Credit: Ananda volunteering at Obama phone bank

bh12-presidentobamacollage — President Obama speaking at BlogHer 12 Conference

anandayogamlxpk_jpg_w300h200 — Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley wwwleighmosley.com

Today, I participated in WO’s first conference call and learned more about the role I will be playing in the Social Media Sprint Campaign. I also learned my digital sisters, Stacey Ferguson, BeBlogalicious.com co-founder and chief curator, and Xina Eiland, President of The Eiland Group and BeBlogalicious.com publicist, are also participating in the campaign. What great company I am in!

From now and until November 7 (the day after the Presidential Election), you will see me online a little more. For example, I will tweet during the Presidential Debate on October 3. Later this week, I will share more information from the Social Media Sprint Campaign. So look out for my tweets and posts on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.

Enjoy your day and remember to register to vote, get your ID, help others register or obtain their IDs, vote early (if you can), and vote for President Obama!

Moving FORWARD with President Obama,

Ananda, a proud 2008 and 2012 Obama supporter

Happy Summer!

It’s 100 degrees in Washington, D.C. today. It’s HOT like burning fire! Here’s the good news. The weather matches how I feel inside. I am fired up about President Obama’s successful re-election campaign. I am totally in!!! Are you?

obamaatbarnard-51412 — Photo Credit: WhiteHouse.gov

Here’s what happened to me this week. I had a chance to read President Obama’s commencement speech given on May 14 at Barnard College. The advice he gave to the graduates was exactly what I needed to read … inspiring and encouraging! See below.

“My first piece of advice is this: Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table… So don’t accept somebody else’s construction of the way things ought to be. It’s up to you to right wrongs. It’s up to you to point out injustice. It’s up to you to hold the system accountable and sometimes upend it entirely. It’s up to you to stand up and to be heard, to write and to lobby, to march, to organize, to vote. Don’t be content to just sit back and watch… Which brings me to my second piece of advice: Never underestimate the power of your example… My last piece of advice — this is simple, but perhaps most important: Persevere. Persevere. Nothing worthwhile is easy. No one of achievement has avoided failure — sometimes catastrophic failures. But they keep at it. They learn from mistakes. They don’t quit.”

Click here to read his entire speech. If you have 30 minutes, click here to watch a video of his speech on the White House YouTube Channel.

meobamavolunteer — Photo Credit: Ananda Leeke’s HTC Smartphone (love my phone!)

President Obama’s advice reminded me of the reasons I decided to volunteer my time to actively support the his 2012 campaign. Last weekend I participated in voter outreach by engaging my neighbors in conversations about how to register to vote and support President Obama’s re-election campaign as I walked up and down the streets of my U Street neighborhood with a bright smile and an Obama/Biden button, sticker, and sign.

This weekend I am wearing that same smile with my pink Women for Obama t-shirt as I teach a kind and gentle yoga class in Malcolm X – Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C. on Sunday morning. If you are in the area, come out and join me. Click here for more details. At the end of the class, I will invite folks to show their gratitude by making a donation of their choice to the Obama 2012 campaign (online or by giving me a donation that I can submit online). If you are not able to attend the class, please visit BarackObama.com and make a donation. Thanks in advance!

How are you supporting President Obama’s successful re-election campaign? Share your comments below.

Category: Obama 2012 Campaign

Ananda’s Obama 2012 Campaign Volunteer Update #1