The Viery First Time

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:57:41 +0000

In 2004, for “The Very First Time” in my life, I felt an investment in the political process because I did not want another four years of a man I despised; a man who had destroyed our Nation’s respectful and credible standing in the World. I had always been an unaffiliated voter; however, I had voted as a democrat in 2004. The night of the general election, I watched the news media declare Bush the projected winner. I knew then it was going to be the longest four years of my life. If I had looked inside a crystal ball, I could not have predicted how bad that bad was going to be. The accumulation of those years has been the near downfall of the life Americans once enjoyed. From that night, my extreme dissatisfaction with the reelection of Bush troubled me nearly every day. It was so upsetting that I started counting down the months until he would be forced to leave the White House; even my son, only eight-years-old at the time, would ask me periodically “how much longer;” referring to when Bush would be gone.

It was approximately two years ago, I saw a man, a man who was discussing ideas about his vision for a better America that I had strong feelings about for at least a decade. This man completely had my attention and my thought was, “I wish that man would run for President.”? I knew nothing at all about the man I was introduced to for “The Very First Time” when Oprah was interviewing him about a book he wrote. That’s it! ?I didn’t even catch the whole interview, and I don’t believe I even learned his name. Although I didn’t know anything about him, I wanted to know more.

I wondered who he was and if he was anyone who could run for President; not because of the color of his skin, but because I didn’t know what the perquisites were for applying for the office of President of the United States. I didn’t know he was a Senator from Illinois. I didn’t know he was highly educated. I didn’t know he was a son to a single mother, I knew nothing, but what I did know was he had to become mine and the Nation’s President. Time past; and as the months went by, the memory of my introduction to this man faded. So when he announced he was putting his name in the democratic campaign for presidency, I recognized him immediately. I don’t know how I knew it was him, but I knew. I paid attention then. I found out his name, and as others may have thought, I thought he had an interesting name; Obama. I don’t think I heard his first name; just “Senator Obama.” I love unique, so hearing his name intrigued me even more. There that man stood, I knew his name and I felt that something greater than me had heard my wish; and from that day, I was committed to make my wish come true!

I had no idea how I was going to accomplish what I had committed myself to do. Therefore, first on my list was to go from, “I didn’t even know where to begin,” to figuring it out. How I originally began my political endeavor is unclear. This actually bothers me sometimes because people ask me questions about how I got involved in the Obama Campaign. I believe the Internet was my first stop since nothing else makes since to me. I don’t remember the Google search or even if I found Obama in that way, but eventually I landed at his Web Site. Once I became one of his “tribe” of supporters on Obama’s website http://www.barackobama.com, I was hooked and ready to do anything that was asked of me.

My first involvement with Obama’s campaign was during the primaries. Now I, the lowly, scared to talk to strangers me, did my first ever canvass just prior to the Primary Elections in Oregon. I drove to the first location and I sat in the car for 10 minutes convincing myself that I could overcome my fear of talking to strangers for the greater good of our Country. The “greater good” won out, and I knocked on my first door. I was fortunate that who I spoke with, were kind and respectful, which gave me the courage to knock on that second door. Still, even today I find it hard to believe, but I have continued to knock on doors, I’ve have attended a public outdoor event and talked to over a hundred strangers, and slowly I began to overcome my biggest fear of all; phone banking.

Prior to the Primary Election in Oregon, I learned in order to vote for a specific party in the primaries, you needed to register to vote as the party you will be voting for. However, this is not the case for the general election. When I discovered this I immediately changed my registration from unaffiliated to Democratic. Also, I had moved since I had changed my registration so again, I filled out another registration card to make sure I received my ballot in the mail for the Primaries.

The 2008 Democratic Primaries were such an exciting event that it felt more like I was watching a basketball game that had gone into its second overtime. For “The Very First Time” from what I remember, Oregon was a State that mattered. The night of the Primaries I was glued to the TV to see Obama win our State. Yet, I was disappointed that my county had voted for Hillary (nothing against Hillary, love her). I realized that the majority of the voters of my country lived in rural areas; therefore, people in those areas were more inclined to vote for Hillary. Nevertheless, from that night I was more determined than ever.

Since the Primaries ended, my television is rarely off unless I am sleeping, and most of the time when the TV is on, it is turned to a media channel. I have become a political junky. I continue to be committed to our Democratic Candidate through all of the attacks against him such as the smears of his character, the loosely connected unscrupulous people, and the ups and downs of the polls, through the bad days and through the good. My commitment to getting Obama elected stems from “The Very First Time” I heard him speak on the Oprah show. From that moment, I have seen how he has stayed firmly committed to his vision and message for all Americans in our Country. Obama truly cares about citizens and chooses not to involve himself into the usual Political dogma that his predecessors and opponent have continued to participate in.

As President, I know with my very being, Obama’s vision will regain the respect and credibility around the world once again. This respect shall come about through Obama’s ability to lead our Country out of these despicable times that we were badly escorted into over the last eight years. Obama has a plan, his mission has not changed. It takes an intelligent, motivated and determined individual to make wise decisions to repair the devastation that will be left for the new President to restore. I know the man?who is ready now to take the challenge on; his name is Barack Obama.?He is the only one who is up to the immense responsibility and the challenges that he will be faced with the moment he walks into the Oval Office to begin his role as President of the United States.

I had a thought recently; a very important wish of mine had been granted to me and will eventually benefit both me and our great Nation. Now once again, I began thinking maybe, just maybe, I could make another wish. This wish would be a more selfish one, but I still wanted to wish it. I decided I would wish it anyway. So, here is my next wish:

I wish a very big wish to be in the White House when Obama walks in on January 20th, 2009, so I can shake his hand and thank him for making the biggest decision he ever made in his life; to announce his candidacy for President of the United States. I want him to know that decision fulfilled the wish I made over two years ago when I was introduced to him for “The Very First Time.”?

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The Viery First Time