"I talked to my mother, and I convinced her to vote for Barack." — Marriza in Hot Springs, Arkansas

When David Plouffe talks about the campaign’s "persuasion army," he’s talking about people like Marizza and millions like her who step out of their comfort zone to talk to neighbors, friends, and family members about why they support Barack Obama.

As Marriza explained:

This may not seem like a big accomplishment, but my mother is scary and is the matriarch of a large family. She may even convince others in the family who are currently undecided.

From Robbie in Bowie, Maryland:

My 17 year old daughter will be casting her first vote for Obama and also convinced my Rebublican wife to change parties and vote for Obama as well.

From Michele in Huntington Beach, California:

I convinced my Independent sister in Hawaii to vote for Obama. Now I’m working on my two Republican sisters and Republican mom …

Julia in Richmond, Virginia first reached out to her family during the primary:

I sent out a letter to some family members as well. I started out with my grandparents and uncle, as I knew they were my best bets. The letter just explained some of the reasons as to why I supported Obama. My grandmother wrote back and said that she was actually a John Edwards supporter, but not only would she contribute, she said she would ensure my grandfather did separately as well, making it two new donations! She also said that she was unaware of many of the things listed in my letter, and promised to read up more on the issues and consider voting for him.

And from James in New York:

I am proud to say I got all five members of my family — my parents and three sisters — to vote for Obama in November. Previously my sister has only voted once … No one in my family had a desire to vote this year, so I talked them all into voting for Obama … And one of my sisters told me that she talked a bunch of her friends into voting for the first time, and they are going to be registering soon and supporting Obama.

It’s not always easy, but when it comes to your family and the people you know, Barack has no more effective advocate than you.

Do you have a family member who’s undecided, who’s hesitant to support Barack or is unsure whether or not they’re going to vote at all? Have you had "the talk" with them yet? Let us know in the comments below who you plan to reach out to between now and November, or email us at blog@barackobama.com. Because Barack Obama’s persuasion army is you.

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Right after college, Georgina of Neenah, WI worked as an equal rights investigator on behalf of people facing discrimination and inequality in their daily lives. Now, she is a recent retiree from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, where she worked for the past 20 some years helping people get their lives back on track.

I’ve always been for the underdog. I think that’s always been the philosophy of the Democratic Party, that we help others and go by the golden rule. That’s what I believe. I donate to charities, and I always try to help the people who need it the most.

Born in England, Georgina came to the United States at the age of seven, and she is thankful for the opportunities that America has given her. Today, she sees education as an important issue for restoring America’s promise.

Education is very important… Every time [Barack] talked about education in the debate, people’s approval went up. Here in the Green Bay area, that was a big thing. People want their kids to go beyond them and have opportunities that they didn’t have.

The Obama-Biden vision for a 21st century education begins with demanding more reform and accountability, coupled with the resources needed to carry out that reform; asking parents to take responsibility for their children’s success; and recruiting, retaining, and rewarding an army of new teachers to fill new successful schools that prepare our children for success in college and the workforce.

With the recent crisis on Wall Street, Georgina is very concerned about her retirement plan and wonders about the impact this will have on her and other people’s future in this troubled economy.

I look at my investments, after working all this time and saving money, hoping to go and travel, and you hate to see that be wiped out not only for yourself, but also for other people who have worked so hard. To see these people playing with other people’s money is very frustrating.

To help jumpstart the economy, Barack Obama is proposing substantial tax cuts for ordinary Americans. The Obama-Biden plan cuts income taxes by $1,000 for more than 150 million working families, and eliminates the income tax altogether for senior citizens making less than $50,000.

I feel that Obama is more in touch with what is going on. He’s more about taking care of ordinary people. You are still expected to work hard, but it’s all about getting a helping hand - a help up.

With two grandchildren and a third on the way, Georgina is hopeful about the future as she looks towards Election Day on November 4th.

I’m signed up to work the polls, I’ve got a sign in my yard, and I’ve made some calls. I’m doing what I can.

Do what you can to help Barack by signing up today for our Neighbor to Neighbor online tools. You can make calls to undecided voters our print out information to knock on doors in your own community.

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