[Dialogue] Adventures with the Obama campaign

Thu Nov 6 09:44:33 EST 2008

Randy

Thanks for the response. My airport encounter response was very measured.
Like you, I am accustomed to people who assume that everybody agrees with
them and they are right. My feisty response was on behalf of all of the
African Americans sharing the line with me. As you know, with Southwest
Airlines, you line up according to number on your ticket. The person in
question said: "I am not sure I want to let a person with an Obama pin in
front of me. If he is elected and my mother dies during his presidency, I
will lose $10,000 more in taxes." I responded the he could probably afford
it (choosing to not mention that he did not know what he was talking about)
which at that time was all in relative civility. It was from that point that
he went into his Rush Limbaugh like rage. I have decided that my gray hair
gives me more permission to take on such bullies rather than merely shut up
and let them go unchallenged. I also had the assurance that he had already
gone through security and therefore probably had no weapons.

Finally, I owe you a long delayed debt of consciousness gratitude. When we
were together in Chicago, Kathryn was commenting on what a great guy you
were. My response was "Are you kidding, that jerk". She challenged me to say
what was wrong with you and as I pondered my position I shockingly realized
that the only thing I could come up with was that you had a strong Texas
accent. My experiences with my Mexican family in the Rio Grande valley
(Hidalgo) seeing how poorly they were treated and how they were not
respected had created a prejudice in me which up to that moment was utterly
unconscious. From that day on I agreed with Kathryn that you actually were a
pretty neat guy. I have told this story (without naming you) in many of my
courses. I figured it was about time I shared it with you.

Cheers 

Carlos R. Zervigon, PMP

Zervigon International, Ltd.

817 Antonine St.

New Orleans, LA  70115  USA

504 894-9868 Mobile: 504 908-0762

carlos at zervigon.com

http://www.zervigon.com

From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net
[mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of R Williams
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 6:27 AM
To: Colleague Dialogue
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Adventures with the Obama campaign

Carlos,

We didn't do well in Texas either, with McCain winning the state 55% to 44%.
In deep east Texas where I live the counties went anywhere from 66% to 78%
for McCain.

Yesterday I was sitting at lunch with four of my neighbors, all of whom
voted for McCain.  One man commented that Obama was a good speaker, but that
he didn't have a sincere bone in his body.  I asked him why he thought Obama
was not sincere.  He said, "Well, he was a community organizer in Chicago."

Unfortunately my response was almost as irrational as his statement.  All
this to say,  those of us who live in such an environment have to anticipate
as best we can what we are going to encounter in conversations, and decide
ahead the attitude from which we will respond in order to keep the
conversation going and as beneficial as possible.  We must learn to talk
through our differences, and to resist the temptation to demonize those with
whom we disagree.  As the man said, we are the UNITED States of America,
which unity must manifest itself at the grassroots first.

Randy

--- On Wed, 11/5/08, Carlos R. Zervigon <carlos at zervigon.com> wrote:

From: Carlos R. Zervigon <carlos at zervigon.com>
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Adventures with the Obama campaign
To: "'Colleague Dialogue'" <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 12:03 PM

Janice that was a heart warmer. While we did not take Louisiana, I have worn
an Obama button for the last six months. I have received some scary
responses and many delightful ones. In the New Orleans airport on the way to
Little Rock through Dallas I ran into an angry Dallas resident who insisted
on the Muslim tag and said that he had better pick a good VP because someone
was going to kill him. I told him that he was over the top, outside of
reality and un-American. I do not believe that he was prepared for a feisty
gray haired guy who looked white. There were many African Americans in line
with us and you could detect anger and intimidation. That ugly experience,
was trumped many times over by the kind of bond that this campaign created
with knowing looks, exited conversations, canvassing my very mixed
neighborhood, etc. Our son Mario , after Katrina was the events coordinator
and finance director for the Florida Democratic Party. Obama was the keynote
speaker for the 2006 state convention. Mario met him on the loading dock as
he arrived and started to explain the logistics to him. Obama said " Wait a
minute, who are you, tell me about yourself. Mario said that among all of
the candidates he was the only one that did not look through the staff. From
that day on his mind was made up. Having been in the civil rights movement
with the Sit-Ins etc., the EI; ICA experience and engaged with public
processes in New Orleans, this is such an exciting moment. Viva Obama!

Carlos R. Zervigon, PMP

Zervigon International, Ltd.

817 Antonine St.

New Orleans, LA  70115  USA

504 894-9868 Mobile: 504 908-0762

carlos at zervigon.com

http://www.zervigon.com

From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net
[mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Janice Ulangca
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 9:50 AM
To: Colleague Dialogue
Subject: [Dialogue] Adventures with the Obama campaign

A Day That Changed History

Anticipation.  Nail-biting suspense.  Hope and worry.  Will it happen, or
won't it?  Sometimes it's a decisive military battle - or the World Series.
Or sometimes an election that might have gone either way.  Would doubts and
old fears and guilt prevail in the privacy of the voting booth?  Oh,
Americans, you are capable of so much in either arrogant cruelty or
life-changing generosity!  Which will it be this time?

Now we know.  There can be a new start, for this nation and for its role in
the world.  Two days ago we did not know - we only hoped.  So I had to
travel about two hours down into Pennsylvania to do what I could on Monday
and election day.  It was part just wanting to be part of history.  But also
- I would always regret it if I hadn't given what I could, to help in this
state that both Obama and  McCain had declared critical to winning.  

The Obama campaign organization was really fine.  There were many ways to
get involved, and effective tools - both on-line and out of campaign
offices.  Encouraging e-mails let you know that your efforts were part of a
bigger strategy that could make a great difference.  And always, always
there was sincere gratitude for everything you did.

What did I do in Pennsylvania?  I said when I was available, then was
nationally assigned to the Wilkes Barre area by the "Border States Team" and
out of the Wilkes Barre office to Kingston, PA, just across the Susquehanna
River.  The two biggest tasks were walking through neighborhoods, delivering
last minute literature to homes with Obama supporters, and phoning Obama
supporters to give a quick message about the importance of their votes.
Excellent neighborhood maps were given to each team of 2 walkers, with
names, ages, and voting location for each previously-identified supporter.. 

People came in by car, bus and plane to regional offices all over
Pennsylvania to help.  In the Kingston office, it was mostly young people
and seniors - though a few people had taken the days off work to help.  New
York City area folks were well represented.  They both inspired, and were
inspired by, the local folks, who as progressive Democrats had usually felt
overwhelmed in this mostly Republican area.  

Snapshots of people:

-- C.J. Kersey, a young social studies teacher in a Kingston high school who
took time off to coordinate that Obama office.  C.J. was aware of everyone
who came in, warmly greeting them, and asking if they were up to door to
door walking or would rather phone.  He held brief training sessions for the
groups of 20 or so walkers for each 4-hour shift.  Through these two days he
was constantly strategizing with the regional office - best practices were
immediately implemented.  A great guy.

-- Helen, my first walking partner Monday afternoon.  A home-health nurse,
she came at 3:30 Monday and Tuesday after work.  From a nearby town, she
knew the area and navigated while I drove.  A delightful redhead.

-- Chris, a local high school senior who had worked with C.J. since the
primaries, going door to door with him.  He was my Tuesday morning walking
partner, and what a fine young man.  He talked about how tough it was during
the primary, when the Democrats in town were so strong for Hillary, and
sometimes hostile to Obama people.  Chris  walked two 4-hour shifts on
Tuesday, while I could only last for one, so I made phone calls the second
shift.  The son of a factory worker, Chris has his heart set on medical
school - and with two fine local colleges, he just might make it.  But he
says he'll always be active in politics.

-- Te (with an accent over the e) - pronounced "Tay" - to rhyme with day.
Animated, competent, probably in her 60s, with her own international
consulting business, from the NY City area.  Between phone calling and
sandwiches Tuesday noon, she mentioned that she was on the NY State Board of
a group called Citizen Action.  She was overjoyed to know that I am a
member.  We talked about the need to bring faith and organizing for justice
together after mentioning my work with the Council of Churches and hers with
her synagogue.

Other sights I remember:  A lady in her 50s wearing an Obama button beside
another button that said "Hillary Sent Me."  Everybody under 50 happily
sitting on the floor as there weren't that many chairs in the 2 good-sized
rooms of the rented campaign office.  A sign over a crockpot on the food
table that said "Minestrone Soup by Bev Williams".   The deeply concerned
look on the tired face of Teresa, the waitress who served me a late dinner
in a Pennsylvania diner as I travelled home. She noticed the Obama button on
my jacket.   "What time do you think we'll know how the election will come
out?  Do you think we might know by 11 tonight?  I hope I can know before I
just have to go to bed.."  Well, Teresa, you knew by 11.

**************************
Janice Ulangca
3413 Stratford Drive
Vestal, NY  13850
607-797-4595
 <mailto:aulangca at stny.rr.com> aulangca at stny.rr.com
***************************

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing list
Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/dialogue_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20081106/9211daaa/attachment-0001.html>