Thursday, December 18, 2008

Tweet Congress!

So the election is over and you voted and made your voice heard...so now what? KEEP TALKING! There are some great web tools to help you reach out to your Congressperson and tell them what YOU want. In your elementary school in need of books? Do you want Blagojevich out of office? How do you feel your Senator is representing your state? TELL THEM!

My new favorite social media discovery is Tweet Congress (www.TweetCongress.org). If you have a Twitter account, check to see if your Congresspeople (Congresstweeple) or Senators are on and tweeting! You can follow individuals like Nancy Pelosi (here: twitter.com/nancypelosi) or visit the Tweet Congress tweetstream to view all congresstweeple's tweets.

You can follow where your congresspeople are going, what they are working on and reply back! Check out the Declare Yourself tweetstream as well at http://twitter.com/declareyourself

Btw I dont think I've ever said "tweet" so many times...

Monday, December 8, 2008

How Can You Help President-Elect Obama Create Change?

Have an idea to make lasting a social or political impression on America? We want to hear it!



We are proud to announce that the Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 will be held on January 9-11, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!


We are looking to give grants to innovative projects focused on creating lasting social and political change using grassroots methods and new online social media. If you have an idea or an organization that needs funding, apply for the Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0, and you could receive up to $10,000 to make your idea a reality. Click here to find out more.


This summit is being held by Declare Yourself, Mobilize.org, Why Tuesday, Change.org, the National Constitution Center and the National Conference on Citizenship.

Help Define the Presidential Agenda and Provoke Social Change!

Declare Yourself is supporting "Ideas for Change in America," a groundbreaking citizen-driven effort to help define President-elect Barack Obama's presidential agenda, and we want YOU to participate!


Visit Change.org and submit your ideas on how you would advance change on an important issue, then discuss with others, and vote on the best suggestions from across the country. The top 10 ideas will be announced in the days leading up to the inauguration and then be presented to the Obama administration!

Declare Yourself is going to the Inauguration!

Declare Yourself will be in Washington DC for the week of the inauguration and we will be blogging live! Check out the Declare Yourself blog for updates on inauguration events, politics, and people! DY will also be throwing an inauguration kick-off event in DC so stay tuned for more details!

Monday, November 24, 2008

White House Counsel

White House Counsel
Name: Gregory B. Craig
Hometown: Norfolk, Va.
Current City: Washington, D.C.
Job at time of appointment: Advisor for 2008 Obama campaign, lawyer
Age: 63

A well-known Washington lawyer, Greg Craig was an early supporter and aide to Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign, and will now serve as White House Counsel.

Having known both Bill and Hillary Clinton from their days at Yale Law School and directed former President Clinton's defense team during his impeachment trial, in addition to serving as a State Department official during Clinton's term, Craig's Obama endorsement was a surprise to many in Washington.

Craig boasts an impressive resume, being a partner at a top Washington firm, Williams & Connolly, LLP, representing several public figures and acting as foreign policy advisor to Sen. Edward Kennedy, and is expected to bring a depth of foreign policy knowledge and negotiation experience to the Obama presidency.

Photo from Free Republic

Obama's Senior Advisors

Senior Advisors
Name: David Axelrod
Hometown: Manhattan
Current City: Chicago
Job at time of Appointment: Chief strategist for 2008 Obama campaign, AXP&D consultant
Age: 52

Hailed as the mastermind of the extremely successful Obama campaign, David Axelrod is graduating from his post as chief strategist for the campaign and moving on to become one of the new president's senior advisors.

Credited for some of the Obama campaign trademarks, such as "hope" and "change," Axelrod has also served on campaigns for Sens. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Chris Dodd.

A consultant for AXP&D Message and Media, Axelrod was a top political reporter before leaving the Chicago Tribune in 1984. As a consultant, he is known for being an "advertising guy" and a "postideological approach."

Photo from USA Today

Name: Valerie Jarrett
Hometown: Shiraz, Iran
Current City: Chicago
Job at time of appointment: Strategist for the 2008 Obama Campaign, President and CEO of The Habitat Co.
Age: 52

A longtime mentor for both Barack and Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett was the chief of staff for former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley when she hired Michelle for a job in his office.

Prior to becoming the chief of staff for the mayor's office and then the city-planning commissioner, Jarrett was a corporate lawyer in a large Chicago firm. In 1995, she left city government to work for The Habitat Co., a for-profit-real-estate firm, rising to become President and CEO. The firm has been accused of mismanagement of some of its properties, which include range from public housing to luxury condos, according to the Boston Globe.

Her longstanding relationship with the Obamas has led to a strew of nicknames, including "First Friend," "big sister" and "the other half of Obama's brain." Jarrett has been co-chair of the Obama transition team and will be become a top White House advisor, taking her name out of contention as a Senate replacement for the president-elect.

Photo from The University of Chicago Chronicle

Name: Pete Rouse
Hometown: New Haven
Current City: Washington, D.C. and Chicago
Job at time of appointment: Barack Obama's chief of staff in the Senate
Age: 62

Having spent three decades on Capitol Hill, Peter Rouse's job as Barack Obama's Senate office chief of staff was to introduce Obama to the workings of Washington, being, as The Washington Post called him, "The Outsider's Insider."

Prior to becoming Obama's chief of staff, co-chairman of the transition team and future senior advisor, Rouse served as the chief of staff to former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D - SD) for 19 years, holding the same position for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) when he was in the House and for former Lt. Gov. Terry Miller of Alaska.

Known as "The 101st Senator" during his long tenure with Daschle, Obama picked up Rouse as his chief of staff following Daschle's loss in 2004. Since then, Rouse has strategically steered Obama in the right political direction to become president, and is expected to continue to use his insider knowledge of Washington to aide the new president-elect.


Photo from The Washington Post

WH Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

Chief of Staff
Name: Rahm Emanuel
Hometown: Chicago
Job at time of appointment: Congressman, Chicago representative
Political Party: Democratic
Age: 48


Barack Obama chose a fellow Chicago congressman to be his White House chief of staff, bringing in the No. 4 Democrat in the House of Representatives and a former senior Clinton advisor.

In the House since 2003, Rahm has served on the important House Ways and Means Committee and was elected to be the Democratic Caucus Chair in 2007, making him the fourth highest ranked member of the House Democrats.

Nicknamed Rahmbo for his tough, combative style in the Clinton administration, Rahm had a successful venture in the world of investment banking before moving into Congress.

Rahm graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a liberal arts degree, and went to Northwestern University for a masters degree in speech and communication.


Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Friday, November 21, 2008

The Youngest Candidate

For those of you who want to avoid the crush of Twilight fans (pale is the new tan btw) at the local movie theater this weekend....check out The Youngest Candidate! The film will be released soon so check out the trailer and spread the word!


Thursday, November 20, 2008

President-elect Obama promises “new chapter” on climate change
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 09:54am EST /
More than 600 climate change leaders from across the country and around the world convened in Los Angeles today for the opening sessions of the Global Climate Summit, a 2-day event arranged by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to break gridlock on the issue ahead of next month's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland.

Watch President-Elect Obama's latest video on the Global Climate Summit. MORE

If I Were President

What would you do if you were president? Check out this video from http://www.247townhall.org/ and (in our comments box) tell us what you would do if you were president.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

What now for the Party of Hope and Ideas?

"Hopefully, in the future, another crazy, independent child of a politician will also draw back the curtain on a journey that so few people get the chance to see up close, and not adhere to an image that is long overdue for change."

Megan McCain wrote these words in her latest blog entry, which remains her final post on The Blogette. The 24 year old was the
face of young Republicans for her father, Senator McCain's, campaign. Her blog chronicled the campaign through pictures, video, and stories (and of course a song of the day), showing McCain not as a seasoned politician, but a father and war hero.

Despite this attempt to connect with young people, Barack Obama overwhelmingly won the youth vote, 66% to McCain's 33%. Considering Bush's
approval rating is hovering around 27%, we can probably assume most American kids and teens, highly influenced by their parents and peers, probably don't hold the highest opinion of the current president either and will likely lean Democratic when they turn 18.

So what will become of the Republican Party? Where are all the Young Republicans? They are going online! A group of under 40 Republicans have built a site called Rebuild the Party in response to the lack of youth support in the Republican party and to the grassroots efforts of the Obama campaign that led to his victory.

"The time is now to set in motion the changes needed to rebuild our party from the grassroots up, modernize the way we run campaigns, and attract different, energetic, and younger candidates at all levels," the site says.

Rebuild the Party is attempting to start a dialogue with young Republicans, requesting their opinions and ideas through a Feedback Forum like this one:
http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/ This tool allows you to submit ideas for the direction of the Republican National Committee and vote on the ideas others have posted. The suggestion currently in the lead? Reach Out to Ron Paul and the Campaign for Freedom.

"The younger generation is overwhelmingly turning away from the social conservative platform perpetuated by what they see as "old, grumpy, white guys" Instead they are turning by the thousands to people such as Ron Paul and his Campaign for Freedom to give them fresh perspective and a new outlook on the way a government should be run."

The Republican National Committee has also launched a new website that they are terming grassroots called Republican For a Reason. While the site is less of a conversation than Rebuild the Party, although it is yet to be fully developed, they have released this video. The video is meant to inspire young Republicans and remind them that the Republican Party is the Party of hope and the Party of ideas.



So where do you think the Republican Party will be in 4 years? 8 years? How did this video affect you?

Friday, November 7, 2008

The Birth of Generation WE!

In 1996, 14.5 million young people came to the polls. In 2000, the number rose to 16.2%. In 2004, 19.4 million young people voted. 

And now... the exciting news: according to new estimates by CIRCLE, 23 million young people cast their ballots in the 2008 General Election!

In the states where both candidates (not to mention the Declare Yourself Street Teams!) did the most campaigning, youth turnout averaged 59%! These numbers are still rising furiously in states with strong absentee voting campaigns, since many of the late returns are being tallied up while you read this!

So, I double dog dare the media to call us the "Slacker Generation" one more time... The Millennials are coming of age and voting by the millions. As 18% of the voting bloc, WE make the difference.


Thursday, November 6, 2008

HOW DID WE DO? Tell us!

The election is over. The results are in.

The youth vote (that means YOU!) was a major determining factor in this election. In fact, experts say that without the youth vote, Barack Obama would have lost the election.

Your vote is your voice. But remember, you can't vote unless you register


Looking forward to 2012, Declare Yourself wants to make the registration process as easy as possible for new voters.  Please help us by taking a SHORT SURVEY (only 6 questions!) on about your voter registration experience!

Congratulations to the estimated 22 million young people who voted on November 4th!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

You(th) Vote

Young voters diverged sharply from the population as a whole, preferring Obama/Biden over McCain/Palin by 68% to 30% in the exit polls. This is by far the highest share of the youth vote obtained by any candidate since exit polls began reporting results by age categories in 1976.

About 21.6-23.9 million younger voters went to the polls yesterday, 2.2 million more than in 2004! Preliminary CIRCLE projections show the turnout for young Americans (ages 18-29) is higher than in 2004, a year of significant increase, and is much higher than it was in 2000 and 1996. Like us here at Declare Yourself, the media is waiting to here the official youth turnout numbers!

Monday, November 3, 2008

More bang for your vote

Who knew voting was such a big deal? Sure, Tuesday's election has been purported as being one of the most groundbreaking elections in U.S. history. But more than just civic participation for your country, casting a vote can score you some free goodies and set you up with some awesome discounts -- and all you need to do is show your "I voted" sticker.

Check out the list below for some of the hot election day deals.

  • Starbucks: Free tall cup of coffee for voters with vote sticker
  • Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: Free scoop of ice cream for everyone from 5pm-8pm on Nov. 4th
  • Krispy Kreme: The donut master will be handing out free, star-shaped goodies to celebrate election day.
  • O!Burger: The West Hollywood organic fast food stop will give you a free order of fries and organic cookies if you purchase a good ole' fashion American burger after heading to the polls.
  • Colorodo Wine Co.: Say "cheers" to democracy. The Pasadena wine shop will be giving voters 50% percent off select wines.
  • Amoeba: Rock out on election day; Amoeba music will be handing out $2-off coupons good toward all merchandise at all of its locations.
  • Tart: Head on over to Tart on Fairfax in Los Angeles to enjoy a free dessert as you watch the election results pour in.
  • Critophe Salon: Like her or not, Sarah Palin's do is in. Visit this Beverly Hill's salon for 50% off coupons, and get your own version of the vice presidential hopeful's hairdo.
  • O'Neill Flagship: Who could forget those pictures of Obama hanging out at the beach that plastered magazine covers last spring? Get your own beach look at O'Neill, and check out the 25% off clothing racks.
  • American Apparel: Get 15% off and free shipping for online orders of $75 or more at American Apparel's online store for taking its voting quiz.

Photos from the Why Wait Street Team!

With only one day left to vote early, the Why Wait Street Team is still working hard!

On forty campuses across America, the street team is circulating handpasses with information on how to vote early!




Great job, team! And remember to vote! Visit declareyourself.com/whywait for information on how to vote early in your county!

24% of Americans Voted Early!

According to a recent Gallup Poll, 24% of Americans have already voted!

Jason Pollock has been traveling across the swing states (thanks to Zune), showing his movie The Youngest Candidate, and helping young people vote early. Here is a piece from his latest blog post:

The tour has been going really well and I know that we are getting students excited to vote in this important election and that is a great thing for America! It has been so exciting to be on the front lines of the election cycle. We have been in MI, OH, TN, NC, FL, and now VA. The battleground states are electrified with election fever and you can feel it wherever you go.

Today is the last day to vote early! If you plan on voting tomorrow, the official election day, you can find your polling place at maps.google.com/vote. Don't forget a picture I.D. and be prepared to wait in line. It will all be worth it when you get that sticker!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Maroon 5 Votes Early

And now a message from Maroon 5!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Voting Early in Gambier, Ohio



This year I got the chance to vote in a super swing state: OHIO! I voted early a few weeks ago, which was awesome! Declare Yourself helped, along with Kenyon College's Student Affairs Office, to plan two WHY WAIT? Early Voting Shuttle Days. Over 100 students took the shuttles to Mt. Vernon (a nearby town) to cast their vote early. We even provided students with the forms that they needed to fill out prior to voting, so the process was super quick. 


Students voted in-person absentee, which means that once election day comes around, their sealed enveloped will be opened up and their ballot will be counted. Also, there were election officials at the early voting locations who made sure that every person's information was correct and that their ballot would be counted! DY also passed out buttons and stickers to Kenyon students throughout the day. Voting early is quick and easy. Why wait in long lines on election day? Vote early and wear your "I Already Voted" sticker with pride!



Emily Wolfe, Why Wait Ambassador
Kenyon College, Gambier, OH



Tour Update!

Our tour with Zune and The Youngest Candidate documentary is almost over...but there are still 5 schools left! If you want to vote early, we can help you! Come to any of these campuses on these dates and check out the movie The Youngest Candidate and talk to representatives on how you can vote early!

Oct. 30th- UVA
Oct. 31st- Virginia Tech
Nov. 1st- Penn State
Nov. 2nd- Michigan State
Nov. 3rd- Univesity of Cincinnati

"On Oct. 27th and 28th our 'Why Wait?' Tour kicked into full gear as we stormed the early voting locations of FL. Pictured here are our fearless Tour Manager and Rock Star Dan Edinberg and one of the stars of 'The Youngest Candidate', Raul De Jesus. We handed out free Declare Yourself and Zune gear to all the early voters to encourage this incredibly important part of our electoral process. Why Wait? Vote Early. Vote Now!:)" Jason Pollock


You can now watch the trailer for The Youngest Candidate! Go to http://theyoungestcandidate.com/ and click "watch the trailer"

Find Your Polling Place!

Google has developed this fabulous voter information gagdet. Just enter your address and you can learn where your polling place is, the hours, your voter registration dedline, etc. Try it!

Hollywood Declares Themselves - Part 2....FIVE MORE FRIENDS!

Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Snoop Dogg, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Justin Timberlake, along with Sacha Baron Cohen as “Borat,” Zach Braff, Colin Farrell, Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johansson, Shia LeBeouf, Tobey Maguire, Ryan Reynolds, and Jason Segal, are featured in a second of a series of public service announcements to encourage American youth to vote in partnership with Google, YouTube, Declare Yourself, and MySpace. Also featured in the PSA are everyday Americans speaking about important issues and reasons to vote. The non-partisan PSA’s, produced by DiCaprio’s Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to vote and participate in the upcoming election.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Brittany Snow makes a Declaration

Declare Yourself has always been about using humor to motivate young people to the polls. Laughter is the best medicine...right? And it cures voter apathy right?

Well either way, we have decided to post this video which is has more of an Indie film feel than our other videos and uses only language from the Declaration of Independence (except the line "I am going to text this to 5 friends...because I'm pretty sure Jefferson didn't have a Sidekicks). If you've been reading this blog then you would know that DY founder Norman Lear owns one of the original 200 copies of the Declaration printed on July 4, 1776 and it has been touring the country regularly since 2000. So this video definitely spoke to us.

Watch it now and post your thoughts! Which person will you be on Nov 4th? With the party crowd...or the loner with the TV? No peer pressure or anything :)

Watch New Videos Now...Why Wait?

Thanks to the millions of you who have voted early and help make this campaign a success! It's now one week until the election so get to your polling place soon!

If you already voted, help us spread these videos around! From Christina Applegate to T.I., Maroon 5 to Har Mar Superstar, these celebs and activists have come out to speak on behalf of Declare Yourself and early voting. Post them on your blog or MySpace, and email them to your friends!


Got your own early voting video? Send it to us! Post it on MySpace TV and send us the link. We want to hear YOUR reasons for voting early! If we post your video we will send you a VOTE shirt and "I Already Voted" stickers!

Christina Applegate on Voting Early!




Peanut Butter Wolf on Voting Early








Watch all the videos here!

"Why Wait?" in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Iowa!

This week, Declare Yourself launched a forty-school handpass campaign, concentrated in four battleground states across America. Our handpasses, designed by the legendary political artist Shepard Fairey, feature state-specific informaiton on how to VOTE EARLY in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Iowa!




We chose these fours states for their close polling numbers, their notorious history of Election Day problems, and their large college student populations. Florida and Ohio are genuine tossups this year, and North Carolina (historically Republican) and Iowa (historically Democratic) are both in play! This election is up for grabs and as they say -- the early bird catches the worm. So regardless of your political party, make like the birds and VOTE EARLY!

Check out these great photos from our Declare Yourself Street Team at Barry University and the University of Miami. Stay tuned for more pics and keep your eye out for us on YOUR campus!



Monday, October 27, 2008

On the Road with Why Wait, Zune, and the Youngest Candidate

Guest Blogger Jason Pollock

On Saturday Oct. 25th we pulled into The University of Central Florida to lay the smack down on students at this awesome university. Thanks to amazing Zune reps, Tristan Gibeau and Jeff Gillin, we were able to have a sneak peak of the film for some lucky video gamers who had assembled to drink energy drinks and destroy each other in cyber space. The video game competition at UCF was a huge draw and we are so grateful to these gamers for giving us their ear.


The film rocked the students and I spoke to all of them about Early Voting and getting involved in the political system in America. Everyone loved the free Declare Yourself and Zune giveaways on one lucky gamer walked away with a FREE ZUNE. The star of my film, Raul De Jesus, was also there and he spoke to the students about his historic run for mayor of Hartford, CT. I took some great pix of everyone so check them out! Thanks again to UCF for the awesome day!:)






Read more about the tou and Jason here! http://www.theyoungestcandidate.com/main/

T.I. : You Can Vote However You Like

American rapper, songwriter, producer, and actor, T.I., is speaking our on behalf of voting early! Check out his video below for Why Wait.

Why Wait? To find out how to vote early, go to www.declareyourself.com/whywait



Probably one of the best political songs I've heard yet! Written and performed by the 7th Grade class of Ron Clark Academy, these students modified T.I.'s hit song "Whatever You Like" to "Vote However You Like."

Friday, October 24, 2008

NEW VIDEO TIME!

We have celebs talking about voting in viral videos all the time. They have a megaphone most of us dont, and when they speak, people listen. But us non-celebs can be just as influential! Like Brad Nizekowski! Check him out in this new video! In the spirit of all those Publishers Clearing House winner videos, we have the Publishers VOTING House winners! You TOO have won ONE VOTE! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NEXT?!?!


Publishers Voting House Winner - Frat Boy

Why Are You Voting?

Declare your reasons for voting on I Beat You! Jessica Alba and Hayden Panettiere will be judging the contest. If you've alread registered, then you better be brushing up on the issues!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tell Your Friends to Vote!

Inspired by the Hollywood Declares Themselves video, the Youth Vote Project created this video. Their goal: to get every high school in America to register every eligible senior before graduation every year.

The Youngest Candidate, Zune, and Declare Yourself in Chapel HIll

Guest Blogger Jason Pollock!

Wednesday Oct 23 - Today in Chapel Hill was awesome! The "Why Wait" campaign of Declare Yourself must be working because the campus was buzzing from EARLY VOTING! The Sneak Peak of "The Youngest Candidate" was great and one lucky audience member walked away with a FREE ZUNE! Many thanks to Niraj Shah who was the Zune rep at the school and helped to put the event together. I took some great pix of the early voting polling place too...


Zune, Declare Yourslf, and "The Youngest Candidate"!

PRESS RELEASE

Zune speaks to young adults about voting. Joint partnership with Declare Yourself and The Youngest Candidate director, Jason Pollock, to visit college campuses and get the word out

REDMOND, WA — October 20, 2008 — Just in time for the presidential election, Zune is encouraging young adults to get out and vote on November 4, 2008 and is partnering with Declare Yourself, the national non-profit campaign to encourage youth to register to vote and get to the polls, and Jason Pollock, director of the new documentary “The Youngest Candidate.”

Declare Yourself has been working diligently the past few months to inspire youth to register to vote and now with only 16 days to go until the election, Zune is teaming up to get those who registered to cast their vote.

Now through the election, Zune is speaking to more than 2 million music fans by featuring an election page, “Declare Yourself! Election ’08,” in the Zune Marketplace online store, and by creating a “Declare Yourself” page in the online music community, Zune Social. Users can visit the “Declare Yourself” page on the Social to get the latest Declare Yourself public service announcements, political podcasts, custom playlists and to preview and download the trailer of “The Youngest Candidate” documentary, Jason Pollock’s film about four teenagers who ran for public office.

In addition, starting today, Zune will be a part of the “Why Wait? Early Voting” tour with both Declare Yourself and Jason Pollock. The tour will travel on the Zune van to 15 college campuses around the United States in an effort to get the youth vote out before and on Election Day. Director Jason Pollock will host a sneak peak screening of his new film, “The Youngest Candidate” at each tour stop and Zune will hand out free 14-day Zune Pass subscriptions, which give fans unlimited access to millions of tracks available on Zune Marketplace, and will conduct a raffle to give a Zune to one of the students who attends the screening. Declare Yourself will be passing out information on early voting on flyers designed by Shepard Fairey. Pollock will also be writing blogs every day about each stop of the tour on his website, http://www.TheYoungestCandidate.com.

Tour stops include:

10/20 - Duke University

10/21 - North Carolina State University

10/22 - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

10/23 - North Carolina A&T State University

10/24 - University of Florida

10/25 - Univ. of Central FL

10/26 - Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival

10/27 - University of South Florida

10/28 - Florida Atlantic University

10/30 - University of Virginia

10/31 - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

11/1 - Pennsylvania State University

11/2 - Michigan State University

11/3 - Ohio University

11/4 - Ohio State University

Zune Marketplace also features political podcasts, downloadable Saturday Night Live political skits and more. To access Zune Marketplace, visit: http://www.zune.net/en-US/entertainment/podcasts. To access the Declare Yourself Social, page visit: http://social.zune.net/member/DeclareYourself and to access the election page on Zune Marketplace visit, http://www.zune.net/DeclareYourself.com.

On the Red Carpet with MySpace

MySpace just released their coverage of the Declare Yourself Hollywood party! Young, hot, and politically active, these stars came out not just for a good time, but to also to encourage their fans to vote on November 4th (or sooner!).

MySpace Impact at the Declare Yourself Gala!


Check out Amber and Dilshad getting ready for the party!

Amber Stevens says get out and vote!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

More Early Voters!

Perez Hilton voted early! Check out his vlog on it!

Natalie Portman and Kirsten Dunst also voted early!

Will you be voting early? Visit www.declareyourself.com/whywait for more information on how to vote early!

Why Wait is a nonpartisan effort to get out the vote before the official election day. Declare Yourself is encouraging people to vote early to avoid long lines, malfunctioning machines, and conflicting school/work schedules. Declare Yourself is in not endorsing or promoting any candidate or party.

Find Your Polling Place!

So you're registered....now what? Two things, get informed and then find your polling place! Google has just released their polling place locater on Google Maps. Click here, then enter your address and the map will show you exactly where your polling place is!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Early Voting....Bring it On!

Oh yea, we went there with that post title.

We've been blogging about Early Voting and its catching on! Okay we cant take all the credit, but we can post this picture of Kirsten Dunst walking out of the early voting polling place in Norwalk, CA.

Why Wait? Vote early! www.DeclareYourself.com/whywait

High School Musical 3 on Voting

An earlier blog post on a high school class president election reminded me of something...HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 COMES OUT THIS WEEKEND!!!! Okay maybe this blogger is a little overexcited for the third installment of a Disney TV movie (on the big screen!) but it's because it's the first time some of the cast will be voting!

During the filming of HSM3, Declare Yourself was invited to visit the set in Utah and talk to the cast about voting and the election. The entire cast couldn't have been nicer! Olesya has been a passionate supporter of Declare Yourself since Sept 2007 and Zac said was excited to vote for the first time. He was originally hesitant to talk about it, since he had never voted before, but that is exactly why we wanted him to talk to our cameras. We are trying to reach out to young people who have NEVER voted before, and to encourage them to vote for the first time in this monumental election. So thank you HSM3 for helping us out!

Check out Zac, Monique, Olesya, and newcomer Matt Prokop in these short and sweet PSAs!

Zac Efron Declares Himself!


Monique Coleman on Voting


Matt Prokop on Voting


Oleysa Rulin on Voting

Monday, October 20, 2008

VOTE EARLY in California!




Angelinos eager to vote early in the General Election have to make the (not so long!) trek out to the County Registrar's office in Norwalk, CA. This morning, my mother and I followed in the footsteps of almost a thousand LA voters and cast our ballots early!

On the ride down the I-5, we talked about the different initiatives at stake, the candidates, and we shared a few laughs over Sarah Palin's guest-appearance on Saturday Night Live!

We pulled up to the Registrar's Office around 8AM and though it had just opened, there was already a crowd -- not to mention the TV cameras from several major news networks -- piling in through the door. In the elevator, we squeezed in alongside a fellow family couple: a father and daughter. They were registered in different precincts and had they waited until November 4th, they would have had to vote at different polling places. At the County Registrar, they could do it together. He, a seasoned voter...she, casting her ballot for the first time.

In California, we vote early by absentee ballot. This means that when you walk into the polling place, you apply for an absentee ballot, your application is processed while you wait, and within minutes, you've got a blank ballot! You don't use an InkaVote machine when voting early at the County Registrar. Instead, you fill in the bubbles that correspond to your votes, SAT-style. You choose your candidate, your judges, and your opinions on the many propositions at stake. When you're done, you seal the ballot in your absentee envelope, drop it in a slot, and PRESTO! You've voted early!

EXCEPT... if you make a mistake. Which I did. I accidentally filled in the wrong bubble on an incredibly important issue. Luckily for me, in-person voters are allowed three "do-overs" if they mess up.

On the way out, I grabbed an "I Voted" sticker -- yes, you do get one! -- and glanced over at the father and daughter we met earlier. They took their time... laughing and joking over the cardboard partitions that separate the voting booths. He could hardly conceal his pride as she sealed her envelope.

Critics often say that early voting diminishes the importance of Election Day. They say that by voting early, we miss out on the collective consciousness of that first Tuesday in November. I have to respectfully disagree. Election day is a random day when custom dictates that American citizens descend upon the polls to vote for the next president. 

In the end, it doesn't matter when you vote, but how you vote. And by that I don't mean your choice of party or your opinion on the propositions...I mean the quality of your voting experience. Go with your friends! Go with your family! Arrange a voting party and carpool to the polls! Make this election meaningful to you

On the way out of the Registrar's Office, I squeezed my mother's hand as we walked to the car.

"Thanks for coming," I said.
"Are you kidding?" she said, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world!"

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Early Voting in Los Angeles County takes place at 12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA.
Weekday Hours: M-F 8AM-5PM, now through November 3rd
Weekend Hours: Sat/Sun October 24th & 26th and November 1st and 2nd, 8AM-4PM

For information on Early Voting in other states, visit DeclareYourself.com/WhyWait

Why Wait? VOTE EARLY!






Hey Guys,
So I'm out in Colorado and just helped organize a march to go vote early! Around 400 students at Colorado College and a bunch of community members from Colorado Springs marched down t0 the county clerk's office and voted today...yay! Lucky for me, Colorado is one of 31 states that allows for no-excuse voting early. This means that even if I was fully able to vote on November 4th, I could still vote early instead! Declare Yourself's newest campaign, Why Wait?, is promoting something so key in this election...voting early! Why would anyone want to wait in line at the polls on November 4th, risk having their vote miscounted, and realize last minute they don't have time to go vote and miss their one chance! Don't procrastinate on this guys, if your state allows you to vote early, do it! Why wait?

Sincerely,
Hope
DY Intern

P.S Check out these pictures from the event...Everyone loves DY!

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama


Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday he'd be casting his vote for Barack Obama come election day.


The endorsement from the secretary of state who served under George W. Bush for five years, crosses party lines and has been highly anticipated.

The Republican general, who is more moderate than many in his party, said he would wait until after the presidential debates and go into the final weeks of the campaign to make his endorsement.

"Both of [the candidates] are distinguished Americans, who are patriotic and dedicated to the welfare of this country." Powell said on Meet the Press. "Either one of them would be a good president."

Powell has spent time with both candidates, but has been particularly engaging in conversations with Obama on foreign policy and domestic issues in recent months.

Leading up to his endorsement of the Democratic senator, Powell cited concern for his own party.

"I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years," he said. " It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it."

Beyond the dismay he feels about the Republican Party, Powell said he believes Obama is ready for the job and displays a fervor requisite of the next president who will need "to fix the reputation that we've left with the rest of the world."

"I watched Mr. Obama, during this seven week period," Powell said. "He displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge, and an approach to looking at problems like [the economic crisis] and picking a vice president that is ready to be president on day one.

Powell praised Obama for exhibiting "intellectual vigor," and giving "us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people."

"He is crossing lines: ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines," Powell said of the candidate, while denouncing the Republican Party's "narrow" campaign tactics.

The endorsement from Powell is a a major success for the Democratic Party as the general is the most prominent Republican to throw his support behind Obama.

McCain said the Powell's endorsement "doesn't come as a surprise," and also noting he has the support of four other former Republican secretaries of state: Kissinger, Baker, Eagleburger and Haig.

"I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage," Powell said in closing. "And for that reason, I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."

MOVIE TO SEE: Frontrunners

Do you remember the your high school class presidental election? I do, and for my school it was pretty much a popularity contest...in fact our class president was also our homecoming king.


But at some high schools there is some serious campaigning going on. In Frontrunners, directed by Caroline Suh, four high school students at Stuyvesant High are campaigning to be their school's class president....and all four have very different methods. An entertaining and symbolic campaign documentary, we follow these four charming candidates as they navigate the electoral process that is said to be one of the most competitice at the high school level.

These teenaged candidates face the same issues as candidates of any age, such as picking the right running mate, shaking as many hands as possible, preparing for televised debates, impressing the pundits and journalistic community, addressing sensitive, reace related issues, and mobilizing an apathetic voter base (we can relate!).
I think my favortite campaign tactic was the lounge that one of the candidates build. The lounge was basically two curtains and lawn chairs set up between lockers in the main hall where the candidate would pour the voter a Perrier and discuss the issues. If you were in high school, what would your candidate have to do to get your vote?

Watch the trailer now!





IN THEATERS OCT 24th

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Rebel Wannabes?

Thanks to Ypulse, I read this great article by Rainee Lyson about how young people today don't have their own protest songs, so they get their political inspiration from rockers of the 60's and 70's.

"Rock music of the 1960s, '70s and '80s reflected the social and political rebellion of the time. Fuelled by the Vietnam War and women's and civil rights movements, the teenagers of the '60s were a generation willing to fight for a better world. Generation Y sees no need to rebel. We have been handed over a world reformed. We lead comfortable lives, and not even the threat to our environment can upset our stability"

Read the whole article here and post your thoughts on our blog! What are some of your favorite protest songs?

Listen to some of Declare Yourself's favorite political songs on Zune! http://social.zune.net/member/DeclareYourself

NEW VIDEO TIME!

How can any of us forget that sad little bill sitting on Capital Hill? I think most of us grew up watching the School House Rock cartoons (Conjunction Junction was my fav) but finally School House Rock has grown up with us! In a parody of the original education cartoons, Declare Yourself now has a two Skool House Rocks videos! These cartoons are a little edgier (and maybe dirtier) than the originals...but hey, you're 18 and over right?

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Vote For ____________

The Gap has a new series of viral videos out, one of which features Declare Yourself founder, Norman Lear! In this campaign, Gap is asking American's what they are voting for. Are you voting for better health care? A college education? lower taxes?


Find more videos like this on AdGabber

We want to know what you are voting for. You can submit a video response to our page on IbeatYou.com or you can post your dream for America on our new Facebook Application. Make your voice heard!

Friday, October 10, 2008

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, Oct 11

Cast members from ABC Family's GREEK will be at Borders Bookstore in San Francisco to do a meet and greet and register voters! If you have any questions about registering, voting, your polling place, etc, DY representatives will be there!
BORDERS
Stonestown Galleria
233 Winston Drive
San Francisco, CA 94132
Phone: 415.731.0665
12-2pm


Saturday, Oct 11
Walk Across America with Bow Wow! Rap artist Bow Wow will be walking around Washington DC registering voters and talking to young people. Meet at the Bowie State University at 12:30pm!
Monday Oct 13
Walk Across America with Bow Wow! Rap artist Bow Wow will be walking around Baltimore, MD registering voters and talking to young people.
Check http://www.bowwow87.com/ for more details.
Tuesday, Oct 14
Walk Across America with Bow Wow! Rap artist Bow Wow will be walking around Boston registering voters and talking to young people. Meet at the Apple Store on Boylston at 10am!
Apple Store
815 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 385-9400
10:00am

Wednesday, Oct 15
The Only You Can Silence Yourself print campaign will be blown up and displayed at W hotels across the USA! Celebrate with us at The W in Los Angeles this Wednesday.
The W Hotel
930 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90024
Phone: (310) 208-8765
7-9pm

Saturday, Oct 18
Cast members from ABC Family's GREEK will be at Borders Bookstore in Los Angeles to do a meet and greet and register voters! If you have any questions about registering, voting, your polling place, etc, DY representatives will be there! An original print of the Declaration of Independence will also be on display. Bring friends and family and participate in the Big Stakes 5 dominos tournament for prizes!
BORDERS Westwood
1360 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-475-3444
12-2pm
EMAIL DECLAREYOURSELF@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

Thursday, October 9, 2008

One Vote DOES Make a Difference!

If you’ve ever wondered if your vote really does matter, check out these facts from some extremely close elections.

1800 – ONE VOTE in the electoral college made Thomas Jefferson President over Aaron Burr.

1845 – ONE VOTE brought Texas into the Union.

1847 – ONE VOTE elected Whig candidate George G. Dunn over Democratic candidate David M. Dobson for the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana.

1948 – 87 VOTES elected Lyndon B. Johnson to the Senate.

1867 – ONE VOTE decided on the purchase of Alaskan territory.

1868 – ONE VOTE prevented President Andrew Johnson from being impeached.

1955 – ONE VOTE elected the mayor of Huron, Ohio.

1916 – ONE VOTE in each California precinct re-elected Woodrow Wilson to the Presidency over Charles E. Hughes.

1960 – ONE VOTE per precinct made John F. Kennedy the President over contender Richard Nixon.

1962 – ONE VOTE per precinct determined the winners for Governor in the states of Maine, Rhode Island, and North Dakota.

1977 – ONE VOTE determined in a recount, decided that Robert Emond won the seat for Vermont State Representative over Sydney Nixon.

1984 – ONE VOTE elected a Monroe County, Florida commissioner.

1999 – ONE VOTE per precinct elected Leslie Byrne to the Virginia Senate.

2000 – 237 VOTES in Florida resulted in the election of George W. Bush to the Presidency.

2002 – 5 VOTES elected Dan Sparks to the Minnesota State Senate.

2004 – 129 VOTES declared Christine Gregoire the Governor of Washington in a third and final hand recount.

Now you REALLY have no excuses! Make your vote count!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Rating the Debate..

We're not rating how the candidates did, becuase we all have our opinions...but how many people watched it?


McCain and Obama's second debate was watched in 42% of American households. This shows that viewership jumped significantly from their first debate, which received a household rating of 35%. The vice presidential debate received a 45% household rating.


These ratings are taken in the 55 top television markets. Several markets in swing states also saw household ratings boosts over the first presidential debate. Milwaukee had the largest jump, moving up 26 spots in Nielsen's ranking of debate viewing in the top 55 markets. Household viewing in Indianapolis and Dayton, Ohio (+21 spots in Nielsen's ranking), Minneapolis (+17 spots), and Cincinnati (+15 spots) also increased significantly from the first to the second McCain/Obama debate.

Guest blogger Kathleen Nacozy
photo: Mark Humphrey, AP

I Beat You!

Thanks to everyone who has been posting their reasons for voting on IBeatYou.com...they're great! Some are hilarious and others are sincere and moving. If you haven't uploaded your video, do it now! Or vote for the one you like!

Here are some of the videos...click here for more!





'Who is the real Sen. Obama?'



The McCain-Palin team launched its latest ad, "Folks", which continues the Republican's campaign theme of questioning Sen. Barack Obama's record.

"The ad highlights Barack Obama's defense of his extreme liberal voting record by accusing others of lying," according to JohnMcCain.com.

"Last Call to Register" Events in CA

The deadline to register to vote in California is fast approaching! Borders customers will have the opportunity to register to vote in the 2008 presidential election in two stores this month at a "Last Call to Register!" event.


SAN FRANCISCO EVENT

Amber Stevens, Jake McDorman and Tiffany Dupont, cast members from the popular ABC Family series “GREEK,” will sign autographs and talk to future voters at Borders in San Francisco on Oct 11th.


Attendees can meet the cast, register to vote, collect information on their polling place, early voting, and the candidates. There will also be tee shirt givaways and free swag!


WHEN:

Saturday, Oct. 11th at noon

WHERE:

Borders
Stonestown Galleria

San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 731-0665


LOS ANGELES EVENT

Spencer Grammer, Scott Michael Foster, Dilshad Vadsaria, Amber Stevens and Paul James from the popular ABC Family series GREEK will sign autographs and talk to future voters at the event on OCt 18th. After registering to vote, attendees can participate in the “Declare Yourself Dominos Tournament” where the winner will receive a prize package that includes a copy of the book “DECLARE YOURSELF: Speak, Connect, Act, Vote” signed by Lear.

Attendees can also view an original copy of the Declaration of Independence that will be on display at the store. This is the last time this year that the Declaration will be available for public viewing.

WHEN:

Saturday, Oct. 18 at Noon
WHERE:

Borders - Westwood
1360 Westwood Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 475-3444


Interested in hanging with the cast and volunteering? Email declareyourself@gmail.com now!