By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Rosetta Johnson is ready to take on Asbury Park after returning from Virginia where she worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
Johnson said she and her group registered almost 130,000 new voters in the six weeks she was there.
“Our goal was 113,000,” she said.
On Sat., Aug. 30 from 1 p.m to 3 p.m. Johnson is hosting an invitation-only Obama fund-raiser for about 50 people. The event will take place outside her home at 1222 Monroe Ave. She will also be selling Obama campaign novelties.
Johnson said it was the experience of a lifetime and she came back home eager to continue her work.
“I am going to focus on the southwest,” she said.
In fact she has her own group formed called South West Asbury Park for Obama, which will concentrate on getting people registered.
“A lot of people are not registered to vote,” she said.
“I just want to do my civic duty as a Democrat.
Johnson said she has her own Web page linked to Obama’s site and said she has raised about $500 herself.
On Sept. 13 the group is holding a voter registration drive.
Johnson said she learned valuable lessons during her six weeks in Virginia.
“I think we learned to respect each other, empower people and include everybody in the process so they can make their own decision. It was fair on both sides,” she said. “We registered Democrats, Republicans, anybody who wants to vote.”
Johnson said she plans to keep on working right up until election day Nov. 4.
Her email address is
RJohnsoneason@yahoo.com for those seeking information or to make a donation.
“Now that the convention has started, everybody’s on fire – I’m getting text messages, emails.”
But she admits campaigning is hard work.
“I can’t wait ‘til November 5 so I can sleep,” she said.
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