[Dialogue] Adventures with the Obama campaign
George Holcombe
geowanda at earthlink.net
Thu Nov 6 12:53:46 EST 2008
You're a brave man, Randy Williams. Having relatives in East Texas
and spent a little time there over the years, they have a very
different understanding of reality, though Bill Moyers and others of
us did spring from that soil. Blessings. Austin did do well for
Obama, and I understand the larger cities in Texas and some of
suburbia turned blue.
George Holcombe
14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
Austin, TX 78728
Home: 512/252-2756
Mobile 512/294-5952
geowanda at earthlink.net
On Nov 6, 2008, at 6:27 AM, R Williams wrote:
> 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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