I am the One Millionth Obama Campaign Donor.

[ellisonz]

Not to start a mad dash to discredit who I am and what I stand for (please don't):

But I thought it was pretty cool (bragging rights): http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGgx87

I found out yesterday morning the second time they called (computer glitch).

:bounce:

:toast: to People Power!

[Drum]

1. Wow. nt

[Labors of Hercules]

92. Nice Mug!

(I mean your picture) :yourock:

[ClassWarrior]

2. What'd you win? A new Prez?

Congrats!

:toast:

NGU.

[ellisonz]

7. Nothin' but a blog post.

I could have gone for a coffee mug ;)

[VenusRising]

3. Congratulations!!

:toast:

[TexasObserver]

4. I'm singing to you: "You're ONE ... in a million!!

[Tatiana]

5. Congratulations! Way to go! n/t

[Perky]

6. So cool

[rox63]

8. Congrats!!!

:toast:

[Ravy]

9. Congratulations!!!!

glad it was a DUer. It was also nice of them to acknowledge it with such a nice article!

[ellisonz]

23. Sam Graham-Felsen is a pretty cool guy.

Took all the GDP out of my comments.

I even screwed up his name when they called! lol.

The really nice thing is that my grandparents have something nice new and shiny, even if my grandfather is a Republican. :D

[Ravy]

61. Maybe this will change him *grin*. Again, Congrats..

[AtomicKitten]

10. Your awesomeness abounds.

Well done!

[Renew Deal]

11. Wow, a DUer!

I never would have thunk it. Congrats!!! :bounce:

[Cha]

From Hawai'i!

:bounce: :toast: :bounce:

[KamaAina]

149. How appropriate

considering Sen. Obama is the first presidential candidate with, as we say, "Hawai'i ties". In the madhouse that was the caucus room last week, some present-day students from his alma mater Punahou School were there, wearing T-shirts that read "Barry for Pres"! (in high school he was known as "Barry").

[ellisonz]

151. "Barry for Pres"

:kick:

[DUyellow]

12. that's cool

[democrattotheend]

13. Awesome, congrats!

Saw that on the blog this morning...did not realize it was a fellow DUer. Congratulations!

[Flabbergasted]

14. Wow, and from one of our own.

[cali]

15. LOL!!

That is so cool, Zach. Congratulations.

[VolcanoJen]

16. OMG!!!

That is the COOLEST thing I have ever heard!!!

A DUer was the millionth donor! Damn, what wonderful news!

Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS ellisonz!

YES WE CAN

:bounce: :toast: :bounce:

[jefferson_dem]

17. That's awesome!

I thought you were joshing us.

Congrats!

[Lucinda]

18. That's pretty darn cool!

:D

[JimGinPA]

19. Good Work

K&R

[Egnever]

20. How cool for you!

Great timing!

[flpoljunkie]

21. That is awesome! Just read the writeup on barackobama.com. Congratulations!

[sellitman]

22. Better late than never. WTF took you so long?

:toast:

[ctaylors6]

24. If you haven't already, print that obama webpage on nice printer and save/frame it. Really cool!!

[ellisonz]

33. It'll be a pretty cool thing if I ever have kids and grandkids!

:scared:

[grantcart]

25. very cool

[Scurrilous]

26. Congrats!

:thumbsup:

[sandnsea]

27. OMG, how cool is that!!!

You really articulated your support well too. And your $90,000 in debt?? Holy christ. My first house cost $16,000!!! I don't know how you young people are going to manage. :scared:

[ellisonz]

There are a lot of people in a similar situation, be it college loans or medical bills.

I'm young. I can work. I can write. And I can always move back home and save. I'm really hoping for a cap on student loan interest rates at 4.5% and more debt relief programs for those in public service. That'd help me a lot more than national service (great for those just going in). I've got my health. And it's better than being Nickle and Dimed:evilfrown:

[casus belli]

28. It was 999,996 when I donated. Sooooo close. ;) Gratz! n/t

[ellisonz]

47. Same for me. The first call didn't say it, just said they were calling people near 1 mil.

The second one explained there was a computer glitch and that when they went back I had gotten lucky. It really was a spur of the moment donation. I'd been meaning to do it for a couple weeks and Tuesday was payday.

In your face:o

:)

[1776Forever]

29. Awesome! I send you a big hug from Florida! Good luck!!!

Congratulations and best of luck in your future from an old hippie!

GObama!!!

:hi: :yourock: :hi:

[onehandle]

30. Pretty darn cool. nt

[gateley]

31. I can't believe how exciting that is!!

And your comments were GREAT. I know Obama is proud to have you on is team. And to take your money. :7 :hi:

[jenmito]

32. WOW! I was watching the numbers rise. Congratulations!

:yourock:

[Alhena]

34. Amazing - way to go!!

[TexasLady]

35. Excellent!

[Vinca]

36. That's really neat! They ought to send you tickets to the inauguration! nt

[tridim]

37. "Do you want to wait around for a free oven mitt?"

Just kidding, that's so cool! :)

[Arugula Latte]

38. No freakin' way!!

That's so cool! Congrats! :toast:

[BuyingThyme]

39. kcik

[tekisui]

40. Good Timing!

[NoBorders]

Awesome!

[Shine]

41. Wow, I thought you were just trying to get attention. Well done.

even if it was just luck. ;)

:yourock:

[Bucky]

42. I'm sorry, but you lack the experience to be the 1millionth donor. You need to wait your turn...

... to be the one millionth donor. We need a one millionth donor who's ready on day one to donate to Obama. Were you "ready on day one?" Obviously not, since about 999,999 people apparently got in line to donate ahead of you. That alone should disqualify you to be the one millionth donor.

Also, your dollars don't count.






















Plus, you're not black enough.




















And Republicans are whispering that you donated Muslim dollars.

[MethuenProgressive]

43. Sucker.

:hi:

[cali]

49. tut tut

play nice.

[MethuenProgressive]

52. Hey, I had the waving smiley guy in the post!

:hi:
OK, I'll even rec this thread!

[yourguide]

108. why

do you have to bring this down too? This guy is excited he was a part of a milestone for the candidate he supports. are you really that mean and bitter?

[TheDonkey]

44. 1,000,000 !!!

[jgraz]

45. Congrats -- I think that at least deserves a call from the candidate

If not a shout-out during the Inaugural Address. :)

[Apollo11]

64. Me too. It would have been a very cool thing to do.

You deserve a phone call from Barack and a special signed OBAMA 08 T-shirt.

Obama's campaign should be highlighting this historic milestone! B-)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

46. That's Awesome For You! Congrats!!!!!

:toast:

[RoadRage]

48. Dude.. that's awesome! From the 324,953rd donor..

I just made that number up.. it doesn't sound nearly as good as "one millionth"... but I started donating last spring, so i'm probably around there. ;)

Way to go.. i wonder who will be the 2,000,000th.. how great would it be to get that high!

[Cha]

50. It had to be you!

All you've done to help out in Hawai'i and on our Board(not to take away from anyone else)..It's pretty darn exciting all right!

And that it was done from Hawai'i is spectacular spectacular, ellisonz! B-)

Thank you, ellisonz!!

[ellisonz]

56. Mostly luck.

And I would definitely agree there are a lot more people who have done more volunteer work than I did. I think to a significant extent I was jaded from 2004 when I went full out for Dean and canvassed multiple times (including across state lines), made the phone calls and wrote letters, and went to rallies.

I've mostly been working on my family and friends which is effective too.

Mahalo sistah!:hi:

[Cha]

59. Nothing wrong with a little bit of Luck,

brah! Aloha and Mahalo! :hi:

[ellisonz]

62. Nope. Now if I can only win the lotto...

:rofl:

[bigbrother05]

51. ...

:toast:

[MethuenProgressive]

53. rec #24! woo hoo!

Good luck to your candidate, ellisonz!
:hi:

[tammywammy]

54. Very cool! That's awesome!

:toast:

[lisainmilo]

55. Congrats!

:woohoo:

[Raine]

57. WOW!!

That's so COOL!!! :bounce:

[Yael]

58. WOW!! Congrats!

Excellent writeup -- loved your comments to them.

K&R!!

[Hoof Hearted]

60. Congrats! How fun for you. Let us know if you get special privlidges :-)

That would be cool :)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

63. I'm more impressed by the first gal/guy who donated.

Crystal ball shit.

[ellisonz]

65. Probably was Michelle Obama.

Malia and Sasha are a little young to be making political donations.:P

[Big Blue Marble]

66. What a neat accomplishment.

Congratulations. Your comments on Obama's web site are very well said. I am very proud
that the millionth person is a DU'er. Now that is awesome.:woohoo:

Gobama!:bounce:

[ContinentalOp]

67. Haha, that's cool! Did balloons fall all around your computer?

:P

[Mudcat]

68. Congrats!!!

[Bread and Circus]

69. Very Cool, I'm jealous.

[ellisonz]

72. Better luck next million.

I was trying more to be one of the first million just to rub it (I'm petty) in my stepmothers Edwards loving face than to be the millionth. No joke.

:toast:

[BeyondGeography]

70. Cool beans, Zach!

I saw you up on the blog ealier not knowing it was you...fantastic. A DU'er puts him over the top!

:toast:

[ellisonz]

133. A GD:P Obama poster to boot.

Hope-flavored Kool Aid:toast:

[Kittycat]

71. K&R - Congrats to you.

How cool to have that little bit of history to always remember :D

[Fox Mulder]

73. Hey...that's really awesome!

And it happened to a DUer! Congrats man! :bounce: :beer:

[tandot]

74. Boy, will you be interviewed by the national media?

Maybe you'll be famous :hi:

1,000,000 :toast:


Good luck to your candidate!

[ellisonz]

77. I did one and it didn't get published.

I really couldn't care less about the fame or the talking heads.

Plus I'm actually kind of shy. I'll just live up the bragging rights to friends, family, and DU.

President Obama :toast:

[City Lights]

75. Conrats, Zach!

That is so cool! :party: :toast: :bounce:

[hisownpetard]

76. Awesome! Good for you.

:headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

[BigAnth]

78. What took you so long?????

[ellisonz]

79. Tight $

[BigAnth]

135. Not trying to give you a hard time.....

Just some good-natured ribbing. Thanks for your support of the Obama campaign. It's all about regular people giving what they can, when they can.

[ellisonz]

140. I'd also acknowledge that after being an active Dean supporter.

I was a little wary of getting involved.

[babylonsister]

80. Rec'd #40!

:yourock: :yourock:

[ellisonz]

82. No.

:yourock: :yourock:

[lisa58]

81. good timing

[Kadie]

83. Cool!

:bounce:

[THUNDER HANDS]

84. I'm going to shoot for the two millionth

[ellisonz]

90. Dude, totally.

Maybe in July. But I've got to warn you, I've got a birthday that month.:rofl:

[Voice for Peace]

85. Something to tell your grandchildren.

You should make a video and become famous.

[Stephanie]

86. Congratulations to you!

I think you should go buy a Lotto ticket!

[blogslut]

87. congrats to you!

I bet it feels great! :)

[blayne]

88. very cool

[Pab Sungenis]

89. Congratulations

and good on ya.

Just one of the ever increasing crowd.

[whatchamacallit]

91. Awesome!

Congratz

[Owl]

93. Awesome, congrats!

[ProSense]

94. Your story is on the front page

Our One Millionth Donor

Very cool (front page or not)!


Congratulations!

[stop the bleeding]

95. Cool thread

:toast:

[calimary]

96. Wow!

Impressive!

Congratulations! How cool that they called you and celebrated you like this!!!

:toast: :applause: :woohoo: :headbang:

[harun]

97. That's awesome (n/t)

[jefferson_dem]

98. On the homepage! Now you're really famous, zach!

[ellisonz]

110. I think my family/friends would describe it as infamous.

[gristy]

99. What's the chance of that?

So cool!!!

[parkeradison]

100. One millionth Obama supporter

Congratulations! But, at the rate he's going we'll soon have our two millionth.

[Lisa0825]

101. That is too cool! Congrats!!!

:yourock:

[ekwhite]

102. Congratulations Zach!

:patriot:

One million donors - quite an amazing number.
:wow:

[Blondiegrrl]

103. Wow, that's amazing. Congratulations!

Great pic of you, too. :toast:

[minnesota_liberal]

104. If I hadn't contributed, you'd only be 999,999th

You're welcome!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

105. Now that's something to celebrate. . .

and 1,000,000+ contributors says a hell of a lot about the real "people movement" Obama is building compared to Hillary's selling out to lobbyists and corporate interests. Who do you think she's beholden to? It sure ain't us!

[ellisonz]

106. I did one local TV station (KITV) and I'm doing another KHNL in a bit.

I also spoke with a reporter from the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

:hippie:

[mopinko]

107. that's so cool.

congrats.

[ellisonz]

109. Thanks mopinko.

I think it's actually making me more humble. Local TV Newsx(

[psychopomp]

111. What took you so long? (j/k)

Sorry to hear about that gargantuan debt--but hey, you're in Hawaii, I could think of worse places to be deep in the hole. :)

Good luck with that and congrats on getting a bit of recognition for your support for our next President!

[Danger Mouse]

112. glad to hear it was a DU'er! well done!

[ellisonz]

113. LOL. They showed the missing keys on my laptop on the local news.

:spray:

The camera adds 10 pounds.:donut:

[orleans]

114. hey zachary!

it's you!


so...how much did you donate?

[ellisonz]

116. I wear glasses.

x(

[orleans]

117. but you didn't answer my question...how much did you donate?

i'm just curious. and omg! that pic really came out BIG when i copied it here, didn't it? sorry. i thought it would stay the same size as was on obama's website.

[ellisonz]

118. $25.

"Cheapest publicity I've ever seen" - Honolulu Star Bulletin Reporter.

[orleans]

122. lol. that's great (and not that cheap for a kid in college) n/t

[ellisonz]

123. Now I just have to get the rest of my family to cough up some dough.

:evilgrin:

[racaulk]

115. Wow, very cool! Congratulations!

:thumbsup:

:toast:

[ellisonz]

120. Thank you.

:hi:

[meow mix]

119. grats!! very cool!

figures it would be Du'er :rofl:

[ellisonz]

121. I know.

They showed me using my laptop on the local news and I have a 5 year old torn DU bumper sticker on the back of it on top. I'm still waiting for my new DU one from when I donated in January, what the hell:rofl:

[Hissyspit]

124. Cool. n/t

[Jennifer C]

125. Congratulations!

That is awesome :7

[Eurobabe]

126. Very kewl! Hat off to YOU!

:toast:

:grouphug:

[Barack_America]

127. Fantastic! I left a comment for you on the blog.

Congrats!

[ellisonz]

128. Now they're going to think I represent "everything" on DU.

Oh well. It was inevitable. :rofl:

Reporters and Clinton staffers will be combing the DU archives.:P

Thanks.

[Barack_America]

129. ?

Who are they? And if "they" think that one person can represent all that is DU, they're either not very bright or have never been to DU.

I wouldn't worry. ;)

[ellisonz]

130. I kid. I kid.

I edited the above so it would make sense.

I'm not worried, but this is silly season. :hi:

[ellisonz]

131. Local TV News made me into a human interest story.

http://www.kitv.com/video/15445590/index.html

Props for editing.

[Califooyah Operative]

132. Awesome! nt

[ellisonz]

134. Honolulu Advertiser Blog Coverage

One in a million

Zachary Ellison, a student at Kapiolani Community College, was drawn into Obamamania today after being identified as the one millionth donor to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Ellison said he knows others were vying for the distinction but said his $25 online donation Wednesday night was not calculated for fame.

"I might as well put my money where my mouth is," he said. "So I donated 25 bucks and it was kind of the luck of the draw."

Ellison grew up in California, where he is a registered voter, so he did not participate in the Hawai'i Democratic caucuses last week. He is a history major at Reed College in Portland, Ore., but has spent two semesters at KCC and is staying with his parents in Kaimukï.

So why Obama?

Ellison cited global warming, the number of people without health insurance, and the mortgage-lending crisis that has led to home foreclosures as issues that are important to him.

"I think Barack is really one of the last, best hopes we have to right the direction the country, and in fact, this whole world is going," Ellison said.

http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com/capitolnotebook2008.php

[SharonRB]

136. Congrats!

I finally donated a few days ago.

[Skinner]

137. That's pretty cool.

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought "That can't possibly be true." I was wrong. Very cool. :thumbsup:

[ellisonz]

139. Thank you Skinner!

:thumbsup:

[Omaha Steve]

138. Yes WOW a DUer!!!!

K&R!

[ellisonz]

141. Honolulu Star Bulletin Coverage

This is in the paper:

Isle donation becomes the millionth for Obama

Isle donation becomes the millionth for Obama
UH student is millionth donor to Obama's campaign
A University of Hawaii student carrying $90,000 worth of college loans became the millionth donor to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama yesterday.

Obama's campaign headquarters called to congratulate Zachary Ellison, 21, who chipped in $25.

"It made me feel proud and excited," Ellison said. "It was a pretty cool thing, but a lot of people are working harder than me."

art

Zachary Ellison:

He is interested in Obama's plans to help fund college tuition

By Richard Borreca
[e-mail]

Sen. Barack Obama got some help from his home state as Hawaii resident Zachary Ellison became the millionth person to donate to the Illinois Democrat's presidential campaign.

Ellison, a 21-year old University of Hawaii student, was surfing the Obama Web site Wednesday and noticed that the counter for donations was nearing 1 million.

After sending in a $25 donation, Ellison was called yesterday by the national Obama campaign to thank him for the donation and tell him he was the millionth person to donate.

"It made me feel proud and excited," Ellison said. "It was a pretty cool thing, but a lot of people are working harder than me.

"I guess I'm one of those weird young people who actually believes in politics. I've made political donations before. I gave to Gov. Howard Dean four years ago while I was in high school," Ellison said.

The former California resident said he had moved to Hawaii to help his father and stepmother and to save money. He works at a grocery story to help pay the bills.

After attending Reed College in Oregon, Ellison has taken out $90,000 in student loans, so he is interested in Obama's plans to help fund college tuition in return for volunteering in service projects.

"I think he is the right man at the right time," Ellison said.

The campaign for Hillary Clinton, who is battling Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, says the New York senator has raised more than $35 million this month.

http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/29/news/story04.html

[snooper2]

142. That Rocks!

congrats!

[Capn Sunshine]

143. well, now I have to try to be the two millionth

I was trying to time it, but it worked out for you Ellison. Couldn't have gone to a nicer DUer IMO

[ellisonz]

144. You're going to have to fight Magic Rat for it.

He's magic, and fights like a rat. :evilgrin:

I'm a native Californian, Pasadena High Bulldogs Represent!

Thank you.
:party:

[akbacchus_BC]

145. ellisonz, that is awesome, congratulations!

[fight4my3sons]

146. that's cool!

are they giving you one of those limited edition shirts I saw advertised on the site? (the one in a million one)

[ellisonz]

147. I haven't gotten anything to my knowledge.

It's entirely possible something is in the mail and I just don't know it yet;)

[Pawel K]

148. Awesome. Congratulations.

[jackson_dem]

150. Congrats

Win, lose, or draw the biggest legacy of Obama's campaign will be to expand the participation of average folk in the campaign and you are a small but historic part of that legacy. Obama is continuing the Democratic tradition started by Andrew Jackson of expanding the pool of folks involved in the process. :patriot:

[ellisonz]

152. My Clarification/Addition to the Obama Blog Post. "Hey, 2nd whole day on the front page!"

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/zacharyellison

The Path to Massive Student Loan Debt
By Zachary Ellison - Mar 1st, 2008 at 1:44 am EST
Also listed in: UH Students for Barack Obama | Obama Ohana | Hawaii for Obama!

I thought I'd offer some elaboration on how someone gets massive college loan debt. I was hardly a straight A student in college but rather a solid B-A student who took challenging courses and did student newspaper, concert band, and marching band along with other extracurricular activities. I was an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor at a very diverse, semi-urban high school in the Los Angeles area.

Out of high school I got accepted to several University of California campuses including Berkeley in the spring. The average cost to attend UC-Berkeley per year according to their website is $25,308 to live on campus with board, transportation, books, and necessities, and about an estimated $4,000 less to live on campus. I chose instead a highly regarded private liberal arts college in the Pacific Northwest instead because I liked the small class sizes and the greater opportunity to interact frequently with professors. I was offered a $10,000 grant to defray what was then an overall cost of approximately $36,000. None of the UC’s offered me any substantial financial aid beyond non-subsidized student loans. So the cost was roughly similar and I thought I would be getting more bang for my buck.

The only problem was that I was from California and my father and stepmother had acquired several residences over more than 30 years of professional life as middle management for an oil company and as an occupational therapist. They both are from non-privileged backgrounds and pulled their way up by their own bootstraps. They have multiple mortgages, but the property values and thus the rental incomes that form the bulk of their retirement savings increased exponentially over the course of the last 10-15 years. My second year in college I was offered no grants and only non-subsidized federal loans. Tuition and living expenses increased significantly and so soon I was looking at needing to borrow $40,000 dollars per year to remain at my chosen college.

Today, I’m on leave for one year to earn some money to begin to cushion the fall and to help my parents during my younger brothers first year at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. I’m taking classes at Kapiolani Community College, which is technically a satellite campus of the University of Hawaii System. I’m gathering my thoughts, maturing, and preparing to complete my senior history thesis and enter the workforce as a journalist, history grad student, or political worker. We’ve paid the interest and some of debt off over the last three years. But with approximately $90,000 dollars in student loan debt at about 6.5% it will not be easy and like the Obama’s I will probably be paying my loans off into my late 30’s unless I somehow hit an economic jackpot.

So that’s how you get massive student loan debt. Too illustrate how this is fast becoming a significant problem for many of the brightest young college graduates I would refer you to the following USA Today articles:

"In debt before you start"

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2006-06-11-debt-cover-usat_x.htm

"Students suffocate under tens of thousands in loans"

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/general/2006-02-22-student-loans-usat_x.htm

[Cha]

154. You're giving us lots

of positive PR, dude! :hi:

[ellisonz]

156. It's all about messaging.

:hi:

[ellisonz]

153. MSNBC - Per KITV

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23411660/

The AP has also put it on RSS feed via the Honolulu Star Bulletin:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600ap_hi_obama_millionth_donor.html?source=rss

:rofl:

[Scurrilous]

155. Kick

:kick:

[ellisonz]

157. The Hindustan Times

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=f8d76d33-06cf-40b7-a849-9fea570ba233&MatchID1=4652&TeamID1=1&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1170&MatchID2=4666&TeamID3=10&TeamID4=3&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1174&PrimaryID=4652&Headline=Taking+the+cyberworld+by+storm

woot!

:rofl:

[Cha]

158. I'm so proud of your

luck, brah!

<snips>

"There is a new Internet rock star: Barack Obama, the Democrat who would be the first black president of the United States if he rams through the political fortress of Hillary Clinton and then his Republican foe later this year.

The man has taken America by storm and created the biggest buzz ever on the web, unlike any other presidential candidate. He leads Clinton hands down on the net, which is where the young voter lives.

Obama has many more fans and supporters on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace than Clinton. Last week his website barackobama.com received its millionth donor when a Hawaii student swimming under a $90,000 debt decided to give money to Obama’s campaign that has rocketed through the Democrat primaries. Clinton’s political fate could be firmly sealed if the common man following Obama on the Net comes out and votes in his favour on Tuesday in the U.S. states of Ohio and Texas.

“When I announced my candidacy a little over a year ago, I knew we wouldn’t be able to compete unless hundreds of thousands of ordinary people got involved and took a personal stake in this campaign. As of today, over one million people have donated — an extraordinary outpouring that has exceeded everybody’s expectations,” Obama wrote on his website after Zachary Ellison clocked in as the millionth donor.

[ellisonz]

159. Thanks sistah!

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Seneca

[meow mix]

160. ty, kick

nice work!