Faces of the Campaign: Baillee Brown
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Category: 2012 Stories
By @OFA_AZ on 2012 Stories Faces of the Campaign
By Pam Coleman, State Director, OFA New Mexico on 2012 Stories Faces of the Campaign Photos
Tomorrow is Election Day. For me, it’s the culmination of several years of hard work, years I spent talking to people all across New Mexico. And one thing is crystal clear:
This campaign is about people.
It’s never been about the polls or the pundits or the deeply cynical view that our elections can be bought by the highest bidder.
This election is about Victor in Anthony, who used the organizing skills he learned during the President’s 2008 campaign to lead—and win—the fight to incorporate his community. Today his kids have a better shot at good schools, cleaner water and safer sidewalks.
It’s about Dianne in Taos, a licensed social worker who is called by her Catholic faith to support a President who fights for us all.
It’s about William, who walked the streets of Navajo country in the blistering summer heat because Barack Obama stands up for tribal communities in New Mexico and across America.
It’s about Lydia, a nursing student in Las Cruces, who has been phone banking in English and Spanish to empower her Hispanic neighbors and protect her rights as a woman.
It’s about Joshua in Corrales, who has a great new software job and a bright future ahead of him thanks to the President Obama’s work to make education more affordable.
It’s about Somáh in Albuquerque, who, for the first time ever, has a President speaking out for her right to marry the person she loves… regardless of her sexual orientation.
And it’s about my very good friend Judy. Judy received a free mammogram under Obamacare, which meant doctors could find and treat her breast cancer early, saving her life. And even as she was undergoing chemotherapy, Judy continued to make calls to her neighbors, encouraging them to vote to re-elect the President.
Tomorrow is about Judy, Somáh, Joshua, Lydia, William, Dianne, Victor… and all of New Mexico.
Tomorrow, we write history. Let’s win this thing.
A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for all of us. Find your polling location at http://vote.barackobama.com
By OFA New Mexico on 2012 Stories

Dianne is a licensed independent social worker living in Taos... and a devout Catholic. She is standing up for the President because Barack Obama stands up for what she believes in:
"Listening to the Living Word in Mass has been a place of solace for me. I try to do my best to let my decisions be guided by the words and actions of Jesus Christ. As a woman who loves and cherishes her Catholic faith, I voted and am volunteering for President Barack Obama. In my heart I know it is the right and just thing to do for our country.
In the past four years, President Obama has demonstrated steadfast leadership with strong values. Values that resonate with me and my faith: compassion, commitment and courage, to name a few.
These values have been evident in the important objective of the Obama administration to support women and families. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, financial support to organizations that serve pregnant women, enhancing the Adoption Tax Credit and protecting safety net programs. Not to mention, with perseverance, the President signed a health care law that will allow millions more Americans to obtain affordable health insurance and free preventive care, such as cancer screenings, that lead to wellness and empower individuals to make healthier decisions.
Our President is committed to the American people. He has courageously led the way in rebuilding our country from when he took office four years ago, as seen in the creation of millions of new private-sector jobs and providing tax cuts for working families and small businesses.
Barack Obama is a President for all Americans. This is evident in the laws he has signed and policies he has put in place such as strengthening Medicare and Medicaid for seniors and people with disabilities, giving children of undocumented immigrants the opportunity to pursue their dreams without fear of deportation, allowing LGBT Americans to serve openly in the armed services and helping women receive equal pay for equal work.
I am not supporting President Obama despite my faith. I am supporting President Obama BECAUSE of my faith."
There are two days until Election Day. Stand up for what you believe in. Sign up to help get out the vote at: http://www.barackobama.com/gotv.
Read More…By Alison Shurter and Elizabeth Kricfalusi, OFA New Mexico on 2012 Stories Volunteers Across America

When she was only 18, Barbara was already lobbying Congress in support of the first-ever law banning workplace discrimination. Today she’s bringing that same determination to her fight to re-elect President Obama.
A Jewish-American woman, Barbara knows one of the great strengths of New Mexico is its incredible diversity of people. But as someone who grew up in the 1930s and 40s, when segregation and discrimination were still commonplace, she also knows how important it is to continue to stand up for equality for all.
“I have been a fierce advocate for social justice, promoting respect for others without bias and caring for people who need the help of the wider community,” says Barbara. “This is what I think Barack Obama stands for too, and that is why I am working so hard to see that he is re-elected.”
Barack Obama is fighting to ensure that all Americans have the same opportunities regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnic background or sexual orientation. Will you fight with him? http://ofa.bo/gotv
By Elizabeth Kricfalusi, OFA New Mexico on 2012 Stories Faces of the Campaign Volunteers Across America

John is a plumber and heating and refrigeration technician in the South Valley of Albuquerque. He’s volunteering to help re-elect President Obama because the President is giving working folks like him a fair shot.
“He’s done pretty well considering all the trouble we’re in. But he’s trying to get us out of it. The other one running for President, I don’t think he really wants to do anything—he wants to go for the rich.”
As with many people during the recession, John lost his job and isn’t sure how he would have made it without President Obama’s extension of unemployment benefits.
Today, John has his own business. “[The President] gives us a break on that too.”
John has the President’s back because the President has his. With only three days left until Election Day, will you join John in helping get out the vote for President Obama? Sign up here: http://ofa.bo/gotv
By OFA New Mexico on 2012 Stories Profiles

Lydia, a 26-year-old nursing student in Las Cruces, is working hard to re-elect President Obama. She's getting out the vote by making calls in English and Spanish:
"I'm working hard to re-elect President Obama because he gives me hope for the future and inspires me to help those in my community... but most of all because he gives a voice to those who are not always heard. He defines what it means to be a true leader and evokes the greatest feelings of respect and love that one can have for a President."
There are only a few days left to help decide this election. Please sign up now at http://ofa.bo/gotv to help Lydia get out the vote for President Barack Obama.
Read More…By OFA New Mexico on 2012 Stories Photos
Some of the most influential Native American artists in New Mexico are showing their support for the President's re-election effort under the banner of Native American Artists for Obama:
Neighborhood Team Leader Marita Hinds, with help from Native artist, Ben Calabaza (Santo Domingo Pueblo), who designed the artwork, kicked off the effort. She says:
"A lot of these artists are some of the most prominent, well known artists in the Native American arts community.
They have a following and are mentors to a lot of younger artists. They have collectors. They have galleries. It resonates to another audience too.
These artists all are for Obama and support what he's done for the last four years and want to support him for the next four years."
President Obama has shown an unprecedented commitment to Native American communities. And there are just five days left to re-elect him. Please sign up to volunteer between now and Election Day at http://ofa.bo/gotv
Read More…By Chris Burley, Obama for America on 2012 Stories
"I like Barack Obama because he includes people with disabilities," says Nannie Sanchez, an Obama supporter who has Down Syndrome.

Working for the New Mexico State Legislature, Nannie fights hard for the rights and opportunities for people with disabilities.
Growing up, she was integrated in a regular classroom. She attended a community college. She worked hard in school, advocating for the programs and services she needed to make a successful transition to adult life.
As an adult, Nannie has received awards and honors for her work on behalf of people with disabilities. She’s been awarded the Governor's Women on the Move Award and a Human Rights Award. And she was recognized as one of New Mexico’s Women of the Year.
Nannie supports President Obama’s re-election because she knows that the President is committed to expanding opportunities for all Americans – and that Republican cuts could spell disaster for people with disabilities.
“Mitt Romney has no platform for people with disabilities. He’s not fighting to protect Medicare or Medicaid.”
Nannie knows that Barack Obama's policies provide people like her pathways to opportunity. And that’s why she supports him.
Nannie is speaking out for Barack Obama. Will you help? Go to http://www.barackobama.com/people-with-disabilities today, and join People with Disabilities for Obama.
Read More…By Chris Burley, Obama for America on 2012 Stories

Communal land grant communities have a rich history in New Mexico. Some of these small, often remote, communities have existed for hundreds of years.
But members of communal land grant communities face significant challenges, including disparities in economic opportunity, health care and education.
These are exactly the type of challenges that President Obama has steadfastly committed to tackling. LM García y Griego, an advocate for New Mexico’s land grant communities, puts it this way:
“In New Mexico we have witnessed a steady economic recovery since 2009, a recovery especially important in those small towns and communities where Spanish and Indian peoples have lived for generations--for centuries before New Mexico became a state."
“In these communities people have a strong attachment to the land where their ancestors worked, hunted--a land that still provides their livelihood today.”
“These communities are located next to national forests and other federal lands, and the people there look toward a new partnership with the federal government to create jobs, provide access to ancestral lands, and to protect the environment.”
Arturo Archuleta, another Albuquerque-based advocate for New Mexico’s communal land grant communities, knows the importance of collaboration in addressing these challenges.
Both of Arturo’s parents came from land grant communities. His father was from Tierra Amarilla. And his mother was from Manzano.
To improve their economic opportunities, Arturo’s parents moved to Albuquerque. But Arturo grew up visiting Northern New Mexico and recognized early on the importance of fighting for communal land grant communities:
“I always grew up knowing this was an issue. In middle school, I decided to do something to help my community.”
Arturo knows that the President is committed to working with the communities Arturo is fighting for:
“We’re a land-based people. [Barack Obama]’s administration has been more proactive in interacting with communities.”
In just one example of this collaboration, federal funding is being used to pay the residents of Chilili to implement a forest thinning project which will help keep the neighboring forest healthy and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
It’s a project that means jobs and a healthier environment. And that’s good for everyone.
President Obama will keep fighting for all of New Mexico’s communities. You can help ensure he can keep fighting in a second term by getting out the vote for Barack Obama. Sign up to volunteer now at http://www.barackobama.com/gotv
Read More…By Renata on Voting 2012 Stories
"I’m sure many people look at me and don't think that I am old enough to be a veteran. But at 22, that’s exactly what I am. I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. I am proud to have served my country, and I know it has made my family proud, too. I’m a fourth generation Army man, so I guess you could say it’s in my blood. I’ve always been passionate about my beliefs, and I felt that the Army was a place that would allow me stand up for them.
"After my tour in Afghanistan, I realized there was another future for me outside of the military, a future secured because of the President’s post-9/11 G.I. Bill. I returned home in late 2011, and by February 2012, I had enrolled at the University of New Hampshire in their business program. If it weren’t for the G.I. Bill, I’m really not sure where I’d be right now.
Read More…