Sure, we want as many of you to vote as possible, but it's not just about numbers. We want you to be passionate and informed voters! But sometimes it can be difficult to be passionate about something you find boring....so let's mix it up and get creative!
Along with TakePart.com and the movie Chicago 10, Declare Yourself is hosting a mash up contest! We want to know what you want in a president, or why voting is important to you, and we want you to express it creatively. Go to http://eyespot.com/promotion/chicago10 and watch the trailers for Chicago 10. You can take clips from these trailers and mash them up with your own video, pictures, music to Speak Your Peace. The winner will have their mashup included on the Chicago 10 DVD! Start now!
Here is an example of a mashup that has already been submitted:
Friday, February 29, 2008
Mix N' Mash the Issues!
Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour
Declare Yourself is all about reaching out to young people across America...so we are taking a road trip and coming to a city near you! DY has joined the Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour which kicks of today in Denver, CO. We need volunteers to help us out at the event by wearing our shirts, passing out free stuff and registering concert goers to vote. As a volunteer you will receive free pass to the conert, a DY tee shirt, and early admittance. See below for the dates and email dyintern@declareyourself.com if you are interested!Can't make the Taste of Chaos Tour? Dont't worry, we will also be on Warped Tour this summer! Join our Street Team right now and see what other events you can sign up for. Through our steet team you can earn points by posting flyers, inviting friends, or posting links to our website from you social network sites. Those points can be exchanged for music, tickets, and clothing. Sign up now!
TASTE OF CHAOS DATES
2/29 Denver, CO Fillmore
3/1 Kansas City, MO Memorial Hall
3/2 Milwaukee, WI The Eagles Ballroom
3/4 St Paul, MN Roy Wilkins Auditorium
3/5 St. Louis, MO Family Arena
3/7 Dayton, OH Hara Arena
3/8 Detroit, MI Cobo Arena
3/10 Rochester, NY Armory
3/11 Chicago, IL Aragon
3/13 Norfolk, VA Ted Constant Convocation Center
3/14 Camden, NJ The Susquehanna Bank Center
3/15 Asbury Park, NJ Convention Center
3/17 Fairfax, VA Patriot Center
3/18 Portland, ME Cumberland County Civic Center
3/20 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
3/21 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena
3/22 Albany, NY Armory
3/24 Duluth, GA Gwinnett Center
3/25 Tampa, FL USF Sundome
3/26 Miami, FL Bayfront Park
3/28 Orlando, FL UCF Arena
3/29 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum
4/1 Grand Prairie, TX Nokia Theatre
4/3 Oklahoma City, OK Fairgrounds Arena
4/4 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Amphitheatre
4/5 San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum
4/6 El Paso, TX County Coliseum
4/9 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com / Glendale Arena
4/10 Long Beach, CA Long Beach Arena
4/12 San Jose, CA Event Center
4/13 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
4/15 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater
Thursday, February 28, 2008
OK Texas, It's Finally Your Turn!
Usually by the time late primaries roll around, both parties have their unofficial candidates and it’s easy to feel like there’s no point in voting. This is definitely NOT the case in this primary season. With Mike Huckabee hanging on to his campaign, the republicans can’t officially back John McCain. Tuesday’s primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island could solidify McCain’s lead enough to finally give the republicans their candidate.
But the real primary to watch is on the democratic side. Clinton, once seen as the heir apparent to the democratic nomination, has lost 10 primaries in a row. Clinton is now behind Obama in both pledged delegates and superdelegates. Even Clinton supporters admit that she has to do well in both Ohio and Texas if she wants to win the nomination. So it could all come down to Texas. With 228 democratic delegate votes at stake in Texas, Clinton is doing everything in her power to win on Tuesday. In February alone Clinton has raised $35 million, much of which is going right back into her Texas campaign.
Is Clinton’s increased fundraising and spending and constant campaign visits enough to conquer the great state of Texas on Tuesday? Only you can decide! So here’s what you need to know to take part in Texas’ crucial primary: Early voting has already begun. If you are a registered voter in Texas you can show up TODAY and cast your ballot. But if you’re dying to sport the “I Voted” sticker on Tuesday, then contact your local County Clerk’s Office to find out where your polling place is and GO VOTE! Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on March 4.
The youth voter turnout in primaries so far has been way bigger than in 2004. But is everything really always bigger in Texas? Do you think Texas youth turnout will be bigger than 2004? What about Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island?
Fight for Your Ultimate Right!
Declare Yourself has teamed up with Spike TV and UFC to promote voter awareness! UFC stars, including Chuck Liddell, shot a PSA as part of their "Fight for Your Ultimate Right," campaign to encourage the millions of UFC fans to get out and vote in November. You can view the video below or at www.spike.com!
Fight For Your Ultimate Right - VOTE
Friday, February 15, 2008
Sharing the Love...
Although Valentine's Day was yesterday, there is definitely some love being displayed in this presidential election in the form of endorsements. Former Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney announced his endorsement of John McCain this morning. Although he prided himself on being very conservative and often acused McCain of being too liberal, Romney chose to side with him anyway instead of the more conservative candidate, Mike Huckabee. Perhaps to provide a vision of a more united Republican Party? What do you think? Also, according to CNN, Former President Bush is said to announce his endorsement of John McCain next week in Texas. President Bush has had some disagreements inthe past with a faction of social conservatices in Texas during his time as governor, do you think this will in any way hurt McCain? Wrie your thoughts in the comments box!
So where is the love from the youth vote? Well, it's not in Texas! Historically, Texas has the lowest youth turnout of the entire state, but will that change this year? Obama and Clinton are neck and neck, but because it is traditionally a Red State, so young will democratic voters turn out in the record numbers we have seen previously this year? And although McCain has a far lead on Huckabee, every vote is important so ya'all should get out and vote!! What do you think the youth turnout in Texas will look like this year?Wednesday, February 13, 2008
What's So Super about Superdelegates?
Don't let my lame title fool you, the role of superdelegates in an election (particularly this one) is actual quite interesting. Senator Barack Obama is currently beating Senator Hillary Clinton by a mere 42 delegates. Although Obama leads in both total delegates and the popular vote, Clinton has been far more successful in gathering pledges from super delegates.
So here is the low down on super delegates. Of the 4,049 total delegates in a primary election, 796 are called superdelegates. They consist of 270 members of congress, 32 governors, 20 distinguished leaders (like Al Gore and Bill Clinton), and 313 DNC members. The remaining spots can be filled by active democrats who apply for them. The power these super delegates have is that they are not bound to the primary results in their state and they can change their vote at any time before the national convention. This means they can be schmoozed by the Obama and Clinton campaigns...and oh have they!
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Kids are Alright...no really, they are!
In this great post on Future Majority, blogger Mike Connelly writes of Neil Young and his attempt to revive the passion of the 60's revolution via music today. As the post says, although most popular mucisians today are not encouraging a political revolution, they are in no way silent on the matter. Mark Ristaino of Music for America says, "the truth is that today’s young musicians are speaking out just as loudly and powerfully as the musicians of 30 years ago...Musicians today understand that it takes more than singing a song to create real change." 
Louisiana Brings out the Youth Vote!
Friday, February 8, 2008
The First Children
Even though the candidates are speaking directly to young Americans (i.e.: YOU) in ways we haven’t seen before, many have enlisted their number one supporters – their children – in getting out the word about their campaign to their generation.
The most active kids of the campaign (based on sheer numbers alone) are the Romney brothers, who ran a blog during their father’s campaign and joined him out on the trail. Though he is no longer running, it seems to have been updated since the announcement and may include more postings as the campaign goes on. You can check out their blog here.
Another active potential first child was Cate Edwards, daughter of former Democratic candidate John Edwards. Cate’s bio on his website states that she even campaigned for him during his last election as she finished up her last year in college.
John McCain’s daughter, Meghan, also runs a blog about her
father’s campaign, mixing in pop culture references and a biting wit.
Sarah Huckabee, Mike’s daughter, has done the rounds of interviews, and even serves as the director of field operations on her father’s campaign.
And, let’s not forget about the most famous potential first child of all, the one that has already been a first daughter – Chelsea Clinton. Notoriously tight lipped, Chelsea has been getting very active in her mother’s campaign, which has drawn criticism from some news outlets.
One front-runner we have neglected to mention is Barack Obama, who has two young daughters. They’re still years away from stumping for their father.
So, are all their efforts working? Have you connected with a potential first child? Did you learn more about a candidate through their child(ren)?
Delegate Schmelegate
As if the delegate system used by the Democratic and Republican parties wasn’t confusing enough, the Democratic party throws another wrench into the nomination system: superdelegates. It isn’t just the delegates pledged after a primary or caucus that affect a candidate’s delegate count, it is also the number of superdelegates pledged before the Democratic National Convention (held this summer in Denver) that can help a candidate reach the magic number.
What is a superdelegate you ask? Yahoo! so graciously decided to post a story on their homepage answering that very question! You can find the article here, which explains what a superdelegate is, who can be a superdelegate, and why they exist in the first place.
Proof YOUR Vote Counts!
Ever worried that your vote didn’t count? Or perhaps you didn’t vote at all because you didn’t think one vote would make a difference? Well, in New Mexico, the Democratic ballots are being combed through again as a result of Senator Clinton leading Senator Obama by a margin of only 1,100 votes! That’s not a whole lot when you look at the big picture: almost 140,000 votes were cast that day, and 17,000 provisional ballots still need to be counted. The Democratic race is quite close right now, and depending on which media source you use, the candidates are neck-to-neck in the delegate race. New Mexico offers the victor up to 26 delegates (as they are awarded proportionally), which could give either Clinton or Obama a comfortable lead going into the upcoming Primaries and Caucuses. So, there you have it – proof YOUR vote counts!
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Thursday, February 7, 2008
Mitt Moves On
"If this were only about me, I'd go on. But it's never been only about me. I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, in this time of war I feel I have to now stand aside for our party and for our country."
In a surprising turn of events, Mitt Romney uttered those words just a short while ago in front of supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., thus ending his campaign for the Republican nomination.
Having taken a huge majority of the youth vote in some of the Super Tuesday states that he won (Massachusetts, Utah), what are your thoughts about the end of his campaign?
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Super Tuesday Results: Barack Obama
Delegates Won: 775 (838 total)
States Won: Alabama; Alaska; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Georgia; Idaho; Illinois; Kansas; Minnesota; Missouri; North Dakota; Utah
Taking tons of smaller states, Barack Obama leads Senator Clinton in the delegate race – but only by 4 delegates! If you didn’t think this was a close race before, think again. Also food for thought is the Missouri race -- if you noticed, Obama took 35 delegates of 70 in the Show Me state, which is exactly half. The reason why they both walked away with the same amount of delegates is because only 9,997 votes separated the 2 candidates, with Obama just barely edging out Clinton.
Super Tuesday Results: John McCain
Delegates Won: 627 (720 total)
States Won: Arizona; California; Connecticut; Delaware; Illinois; Missouri; New Jersey; New York; Oklahoma
Getting ever closer to the Republican nomination is John McCain, who walked away with tons of delegates in the Republican winner-takes-all Primaries. In the delegate race, 464 delegates separate McCain from his closest rival, Mitt Romney.
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Super Tuesday Results: Mike Huckabee
Delegates Won: 154 (194 total)
States Won: Alabama; Arkansas; Georgia; Tennessee
Considered to be out of the “two-man” Republican race, the former Arkansas governor stepped up to the plate last night, carrying victories in several important southern states, and also taking the West Virginia Republican Convention.
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Super Tuesday Results: Hillary Clinton
Delegates Won: 786 (834 total)
States Won: Arizona; Arkansas; California; Massachusetts; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; Oklahoma; Tennessee
As of 2:00PM PST, with 98% of the precincts reporting in New Mexico, Clinton only leads by 210 votes!
Though she took most of the larger states, the delegates were almost split down the middle between the two candidates.
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That Magic Number
Just like in the General Election, it isn’t the popular vote in the Primaries and Caucuses that determines who becomes the Democratic and Republican nominees for President. Rather, it is a delegate system that determines the nominee. It is a very complicated system (and you can read more in depth about it here). Interestingly enough, a candidate can win a state but receive less delegates than the candidate that placed 2nd. Candidates that reach the “magic number” of delegates attain the nomination for their party. What are those numbers, you ask?
For the Democrats, it is 2,025.
For the Republicans, it is 1,191.
The delegate system is what makes certain states bigger “prizes” than others, as they offer larger number of delegates, and the Republicans often have “winner-takes-all” Primaries/Caucuses which only adds more tension to the race. For more on the delegates won by each candidate yesterday, stay tuned…individual posts will be coming at ya shortly…
Stepping It Up
Despite hazardous weather conditions across the country, a ticker-tape parade in New York City, and reports of difficulties at the polls, young voters (i.e.: YOU) made their voices heard in record numbers! Though data for all 22 states is not yet available, the numbers published so far are extremely encouraging. In several states, youth voter turnout doubled, tripled, even QUADRUPLED! And in New York, while voter turnout among older voters actually decreased, young voters stayed strong and consistent at 12%.
What do You Think?
The Will.I.Am / Obama speech MashUp is receiving a HUGE online response with almost 2 million views.
What do you think of the video?
What are your thoughts on celebrity endorsements?
Yes We Can Obama Song by Will.I.Am
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Declare Yourself is a strict nonpartisan organization and does not endorse any candidate. Candidates are mentioned only to report election news and stimulate a discussion with readers.
Super Tuesday, Abridged
Whew! Super Tuesday has left Declare Yourself exhausted! Record breaking traffic, increased registrations, and 20+ Democratic and Republican contests yesterday made for one busy evening! We’re working on bringing you comprehensive Super Tuesday information, including who won what, how many delegates they walked away with, and what this means for the race to the nomination.
For those of you out there keeping track of the Primaries, here’s a handy list of who won what. Note that the delegate numbers may have changed since they were checked. Head to CNN for the latest numbers.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
1 Down, 21 To Go...
Of the 22 states holding their Primaries/Caucuses today, Georgia was the first to close its polls. At 7:00 PM EST, the official closing time, it was announced by several media outlets that Senator Barack Obama would take the win for the Democrats based on exit polling. The delegates given to each candidate has yet to be determined. The Republican race in Georgia at this point is too close to call without any of the precincts reporting. No word yet on the power of the youth vote in this race, but as more data becomes available, we’ll update the post!
To keep up with the results from past Primaries/Caucuses, head over to Declare Yourself’s website, where you’ll find our brand spankin’ new Primary Guide! For your benefit, we have compiled information on delegates and provide answers to your most burning questions.
Sean Kingston's Declares Himself!
Through music of course! World famous recording artist Sean Kingston recorded his cover of Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen" on the eve of his 18th (duh) birthday! The single was released today and you can download it for FREE from iTunes. Check out the video below of Sean in the studio, registering to vote, and hangining out with DY founder Norman Lear!
Sean Kingston Recording "I'm 18"
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Stop The Presses!
This just in to Declare Yourself’s west coast headquarters: the first victory of Super Tuesday has been recorded! And the delegates go to…
Mike Huckabee!
West Virginia Republicans held their Caucus earlier this morning, and the former Arkansas governor walked away with 52% of the convention delegates, followed closely by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney at 47%. Senator John McCain fell sharply behind the rest of the candidates, only getting 1%. With Huckabee's victory come the spoils: 18 delegates.
DY has its eyes and ears tuned in for more results, so as the polls close, we’ll be here updating YOU!
What Are You Waiting For?
We love getting traffic and luring in new readers as much as the next blog, but come on, guys! It’s Super Tuesday! What are you doing reading a blog, when you could be out VOTING?! Make your voice heard!
If, for some reason, you are still not registered to vote, go to Declare Yourself’s website to complete your registration online in less than 5 minutes. It’s that simple.
Oh, and once you’re done registering to vote and/or voting, make sure you come back to the blog – we miss you when you’re not around...
Monday, February 4, 2008
Super Tuesday Reminder!
Want to vote tomorrow? Don’t know when to be at the polls? Have no fear! Declare Yourself has handled all the dirty work for you and here you’ll find times for 21 of the 22 states that have Primaries and Caucuses tomorrow. Sorry to all you Colorado residents – that information is hidden very well. If you have any information about when the polls open and close in that state, leave a comment or email us at declareyourself@gmail.com!
Alabama: 7 am through 7 pm
Alaska (Democratic Caucus): 6 pm
Alaska (Republican Caucus): 4:30 pm through 8:30 pm
Arizona: 6 am through 7 pm
Arkansas: 7:30 am through 7:30 pm
California: 7 am through 8 pm
Connecticut: 6 am through 8 pm
Delaware: 7 am through 8 pm
Georgia: 7 am through 7 pm
Idaho (Democratic Caucus): 7 pm
Illinois: 6 am through 7 pm
Kansas (Democratic Caucus): 6 pm
Massachusetts: 7 am through 8 pm
Minnesota: 7 pm
Missouri: 6 am through 7 pm
New Jersey: 6 am through 8 pm
New Mexico (Democratic Caucus): 12 pm through 7 pm
New York: 12 pm through 9 pm (in all counties excluding New York City and the following counties: Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Erie – polls are open there from 6 am through 9 pm)
North Dakota (Democratic Caucus): 2 pm through 8 pm
North Dakota (Republican Caucus): 6:30 pm through 8 pm
Oklahoma: 7 am through 7 pm
Tennessee: 7 am through 7 pm
Utah: 7 am through 8 pm
Friday, February 1, 2008
TGIF!!
T-Minus 4 Days
That sweet smell in the air is the smell of Americans voting. We're only 4 days away from Super Tuesday, a day when 22 states have a chance to pick their party's nominee for President of the United States of America. Sounds important, right? It is! Make sure you remember to go out and vote on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH! This post will tell you if your state is one of many holding their Primary that day.
If you need to know where your polling place is located, head over to this helpful website, http://vote411.org/pollingplacebystate.php, where you will be able to find out where you are supposed to vote on election day!
Didn't make the deadline in time? You still have plenty of time before the General Election to get your form in. REGISTER NOW!
California Dreamin'
Crowds gathered along Hollywood Boulevard to gawk. Celebrities filled the seats, some dressed in their Sunday (or Saturday...) best. And the (potential) nominees took the stage at the Kodak Theater. No, it wasn’t the greatest show on Earth being taped (we’re of course referring to the Oscars). Rather, it was the CNN/Politico/LA Times-sponsored Democratic debate, which was held in the heart of 
Hollywood, California last night, right down the road from DY Headquarters. Coming head-to-head were Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the first time following the withdrawl of Senator John Edwards earlier in the week. In stark contrast to their earlier meetings, the Senators were amiable and fondly greeted each other before and after the debate.
Just one night before, the Republican candidates met at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library out in the Simi Valley. Not seated in front of the giant jet
plane was Rudy Giuliani, who only hours before announced that he would no longer seek the Republican nomination, opting instead to endorse Senator John McCain. Though all four candidates still in the running were present, McCain and Governor Mitt Romney seemed to garner the most air time.
If you didn’t have a chance to watch, you can catch yourself up on where the candidates stand by checking out the transcripts from the Democratic and Republican debates. CNN also has clips available to watch online.
Don’t forget to tune into the MTV/MySpace “Super Dialogue” this weekend, when Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Barack Obama, and Ron Paul will be on tap to talk to YOU, the young voter, about what issues you find most pressing. McCain and Romney have been invited, but have not yet confirmed their involvement. Find out more about the dialogues by clicking below:
Declare Yourself is the official registration partner for the event, so make sure the spirit moves you and REGISTER TO VOTE! MySpace Picture Dem. Picture Repub. Picture
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