Real Virginians for Webb

REAL AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRACY
A Grassroots Coalition to Unite America
www.RealAmericansForDemocracy.com
__________________________________________________

PRESS ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 20, 2006

Contact: Eric Byler
Cell Phone: 703-389-4229
Email: Eric.Byler@realvirginiansforwebb.com

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"We decided to take that and run with it. Electoral success in today's politics is about control of the media message, and now that the Internet is a big part of that message, Asian Americans – more than 80 percent of whom are active Internet users – have a unique opportunity to make our voice heard. Going forward, our political clout won't just come from the power of the pocketbook, it will come from the power of new media."

Traditional campaign strategies were also employed. Volunteers translated Webb's message into Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean and Vietnamese, and identified high-traffic ethnic gathering places like festivals, supermarkets, and churches to distribute flyers and engage with voters on a direct and personal basis.

The group also raised money to place ads in Korean and Chinese language newspapers and on Korean language radio and TV, organized in-language phone banking in Vietnamese and Korean, held an "Asian Americans Choose Jim Webb" rally, and initiated a get-out-the-vote rally in Annandale, VA.

On election day, they offered an in-language hotline for free rides to the polling station and voter information for Korean speakers. For the hotline, 90 cab drivers, all recent immigrants from northern Africa, volunteered their service.

The outreach by Real Virginians For Webb connected with more than 200,000 Asian Americans who would not have otherwise been exposed to Webb's message in their own language.

"Without the strong Asian American turnout for Jim Webb, George Allen would be our Senator for the next six years," said Joe Montano, DNC Northern Virginia Regional Field Organizer, and advisor to Real Virginians For Webb.

Real Virginians For Webb Seeks to Build on Success by Launching National Organization

The leaders of Real Virginians For Webb are now forming Real Americans For Democracy, designed to leverage the group's success in Virginia into a national organization. Real Americans for Democracy aims to unite Americans in a call for re-committing to the idea of democracy. During the next two years, it will roll out a model of civic participation through town hall meetings and public forums. The first such event, a bilingual forum on the North Korea nuclear crisis, is planned for December 12th in Annandale, VA. But future events will take place in other states as well.

Byler acknowledges that Real Americans for Democracy is a provocative title. "It's designed to create dialogue," he said. “It’s a reminder of the Macaca insult and also a rejection of the use of prejudice as a political platform. The recent election suggests that the majority of Americans share our view. We'd like to invite others to do the same."

“Only through the involvement of ordinary citizens in the deliberative stage of the democratic process will we have true representation and real accountability in government,” said Park. “Real Americans for Democracy includes ALL Americans who believe in the democratic ideal.”

For more information about Real Americans for Democracy and Real Virginians for Webb,

please visit www.RealAmericansForDemocracy.com

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