[Dialogue] Adventures with the Obama campaign

Thu Nov 6 10:50:06 EST 2008

Carlos,

When in Chicago my friends and family back home said I sounded like a "yankee."  I was a man without a country.  You oughta hear my Texas accent now.  Not worry.  I have it on good authority that, thanks to Sarah Palin, parochial accents are back in!

Randy

--- On Thu, 11/6/08, 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: Thursday, November 6, 2008, 8:44 AM

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
aulangca at stny.rr.com
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