Asides

A Canvassing “Moment” in North Carolina

A Telling Thoughts Comment

This story below was part of an email I received today. It makes mention of of a rewarding experience had while canvassing in North Carolina on Saturday 26th of September. It was forwarded to me by a retired professional lady, who is a dedicated Obama volunteer. Out of respect for her privacy I will simply call her BB. 

Actually BB often writes to me and is very helpful indeed. As you will see she writes extremely well, however she is reluctant to send a Letter to the Editor, or even place a comment on an article. As you know, canvassing face to face and door to door while dodging the sometimes unwelcoming members of the canine population, can be quite  demanding, challenging and often extremely intimidating. Especially when politics are involved. Yet it’s all the same to the dogs. 

When I read these comments from BB about her experience on this particular day, I felt I should share them with all of you who are out there day in and day out, canvassing, working and donating your own personal, blood sweat and tears for Barack, the campaign and your country.

These are her words  … please enjoy them.

Dear John

“Everyone with whom I spoke today reacted so positively to Barack’s performance in the debate (except the GOP faithful who were as ill-natured as McC).  McC seems to have come across to most viewers as old, grumpy, and rude and condescending to Obama.  It matters not that many pundits gave the edge to McC — “the people have spoken.”  As I rather dimly recall, Nixon’s arguments were judged better than JFK’s by the critics but the contrast in looks and behavior between the two — Nixon, dark, scowling, humorless and JFK youthful, handsome, fluent — led many voters to pick JFK.  Not the best way to choose a president, to be sure, but when one candidate “has it all” (Obama) and the other just limps by contrast  . . . well, what else is there?

The highlight of my day came at a tumble-down place, a very unfriendly dog, and a man who came outside looking as if he had just crawled out of a bear’s den in our mountains and was angry about it.  My companion, another volunteer, refused to get out of the car.  I told him who we were and why we were there.  He told me he had never voted (in his 60s) and had not intended to this time.  But he watched the debate last evening and said, “Obama seems to care about folks like me. I wish I could vote for him.”  His was a long story but a moving one.  When I asked him why he was not voting (fearing that he may be a felon on probation and thus still ineligible to vote), he said he did not know how to register. 

Relief!  I grabbed a voter registration form and we worked through it together.  After he signed it and returned it to me, he began thanking us over and over, and walked alongside the car as I backed out to the main street.  He even agreed to come to HQ and help out (I assured him that his being disabled did not disqualify him, that there is a job for every volunteer).  That episode more than made up for the failures of the day.  My memories of this long campaign will not be of the rude encounters or derogatory remarks but of persons like that man, who remind me that all of us are bound by shattered hopes and dreams — some of us far, far more than others. 

The man spoke so gently of his grandchildren — how he wanted things to be so much better for them than what he has experienced.  That Barack can work such a transformation is reason enough to volunteer long hours for him — indeed it is a privilege for which I am deeply grateful.  A gold star for this day!

And so, John, YES INDEED WE CAN!  We have a peerless leader and thus every reason to hope and dream “things that never were” — and why not! ”

Best Wishes
BB
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PS. Permission was given by BB on my request to publish this information. JH

Go Obama Yes we can

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