Activism Across America

Environmentalists in Florida must be feeling a little bit used right now. A few weeks ago, they gave a Obama a great photo opportunity, with a speech about how important it is to preserve Florida’s coastlines by keeping the nationwide moratorium on expanded offshore drilling for oil.

Then, with that photo op over and done with, Barack Obama performed his trademark flip flop yesterday, and declared that he is now willing to support expanding offshore drilling in America’s coastal waters.

So, it’s become clear that Florida voters can’t count on Barack Obama to stand up for them against big oil corporations. Who can they count on, then? Try Environment Florida, who is running a campaign against offshore drilling.

Thanks to them for working for Florida when politicians refuse to do so.

Unlike traditional presidential campaigns, which just focus on how great the candidate is, the Barack Obama campaign has organized ways to bring out the greatness of the people who support Obama for President. It’s a form of community service campaigning called ObamaWorks.

Through ObamaWorks, people gather to work on projects to improve their neighborhoods. Last weekend in Missoula, Montana, for example, Barack Obama supporters got together to clean up a stretch of the Clark Fork River.

Now, does making the Clark Fork River clean help elect Barack Obama as President? Not directly, but it does show that Barack Obama’s supporters care about a lot more than just electing Obama President. There’s a great deal of idealism among Obama supporters, and yes, that does reflect well upon Barack Obama himself.

Politics aside, good for the ObamaWorks crew in Missoula for helping to keep Montana’s rivers clean.