Tuesday, October 14, 2008

What Is In The Box

The portrait of Senator Obama arrived today. Dawn wrapped it so nicely I could not resit waiting to open it. Chris lost the coin toss so she went over to the laundromat to dump off both of our over stuffed bags. When she came back Kim was there along with some other Volunteers for the unvieling.

As I was hanging it up a guy with a blonde pony tail drove by in a white pick up truck.
"Right on!" he yelled as he was cruizing by. He parked and came in immediately with one of his construction buddies to volunteer. Sometimes even I am surprised by the kind of people who support Obama. Like the hunter who came in and offered to make venison stew for all of us. Or the 40 year republican guy who couldn't take McCain's "dirty smear tatics."

I was training one of the volunteers in making persuasion calls. Her name is Mary. I was telling her about how you did'nt need to be a policy wonk. I told just tell people why you are supporting Obama.

"Well." she said. "I'm 19 years old and my father just died and left me with nothing. I'm living on my own and waiting on tables. I'd like to go to school but I just can't afford it. I can't even afford to go to a community college. My mother is even worse off than me. I think Barack is gonna change all that."

I hear a story like that every day. Like Don who came in to phone bank with us. He has had four brain surgeries. There is a quarter sized welt on his head in each spot where they went in. He got a virus inside his head, became gravely ill and was fired by his company. His insurance provider which he had paid into for 20 years refused to cover him. He sued and won. He said he would come in and help as much as possible before Monday. On Monday he is scheduled for his 5th surgury.
"I might not be able to come anymore after that. I just hope I get to vote."

There was also Helen Gula whom I met canvassing. She is a proud Obama supporter surrounded by McPalin people. She told me that before her husband died she has said to him.
"Joe, you are all I got. If you die I got nothing." They had both immigrated from Checkoslovakia. He told her that it wasn't true, that she would be allright. He was a veteran from World War Two and when he did die she was right. She had nothing. It was her good fortune that a man from the VA took an interest in her case and won her benifits. She knew him from her church. Now she gets $700 a month.
"Thank god the house is paid for." She says. Currently her montly heating bill is $437 a month and still she pays taxes.


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