A Word of Thanks from President Obama (Video)

After the announcement of his elelction victory President Obama made a surprise visit to the campaign office in Chicago to give a heartfelt thank-you to staff and volunteers. President Obama thanked his team and his supporters all around the world "I'm Really Proud of All of You. Thank you. This is your victory". He wasn't just talking to those in Chicago—he was talking to everyone who supported him.

In his speech on Election Night, President Obama said he has "The best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics."

So many times in this election, this campaign was counted out. They said Obama's supporters wouldn't turn out, and we'd never see the kind of voter participation we saw in 2008. They said we'd be buried in money and special-interest influence. And they said that no campaign could overcome the political headwinds we faced.

Last year, a major American newspaper asked, "Is Obama toast?" As recently as two weeks ago, another ran this headline: "Can Obama win?"

Tuesday night, you all answered all of those doubts with a resounding YES WE CAN. By knocking on doors, organizing phone banks, and chipping in a few bucks when you could, you built a campaign that is unparalleled. And you re-elected our president.

You also proved that millions of ordinary people taking ownership of a cause is still the most powerful force in our political process. You showed that grassroots organizing and small donations are not only the right way to win, but also the most effective way.

How we got here must guide where we go. If we're going to accomplish the things America voted for on Tuesday, you've got to be even more involved in getting them done than you were in giving us all the chance.

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Why We Need to Reach American Climate Change Deniers

While there are a growing number of people that accept the facts about our climate, almost one third of Americans are putting the survival of our species at risk. The industrial revolution took 200 years, if we are to survive, the sustainability revolution will need to make substantial changes in one tenth of that time. Time is running out, and unless we can find a way to get through to those who refuse to see the facts, we risk failing to make the needed changes in the time we have available. 

In April, 2012, the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication released a poll that suggested that a solid majority of the US public feels that global warming is real. While almost 70 percent of Americans agreed that climate change is real that still leaves 31 percent who do not.

People are accepting the reality of climate change for a whole host of reasons, but one of the most obvious factors is the undeniable presence of extreme weather. The Yale poll asked people to agree or disagree with the statement, "global warming is affecting the weather in the United States," 69 percent of respondents in the new poll said they agreed.

While it is encouraging that a growing number of people see the veracity of climate change, we need to find ways to reach the 90 million Americans who, to be kind, lack intellectual rigor, (others might simply want to call them stupid). The one thing that many US deniers have in common is their support for the climate denying leadership of the Republican party.

It is easy to understand why so many laugh at the Luddites who ignore climate change. However, this group is no laughing matter as they are preventing us from adopting progressive national and state policies on energy and the environment. 

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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