This is Our Time, This is Our Moment

It has been hard for me to find the words to write today. So many emotions have overtaken me in the last 24 hours. Yesterday as I worked in a get out the vote office, there was confidence that this time would be different. Then I felt fear, do we have enough volunteers are we knocking on enough doors, is something going wrong at the polls. Exhaustion as I wondered if the day would ever be over.

Then as we were packing up the office and the very first polls closed, I was afraid to watch the television. Could something go wrong?.

Then as I was driving to the Pickerington Campaign for Change office, I heard on the radio NPR calling Pennsylvania for Obama. For the first time I felt absolute joy. I jumped up and down in my car seat. My cell phone rang. A volunteer who was behind me in her car saw me jumping asking me what happened, "why are you jumping up and down?" I told her, I heard her scream of joy.

I arrived at the office. About 50 of us that had worked together for months, making calls, knocking on doors, organizing, meeting, and so many things had gathered. A room full of people that didn't know each other 2 months ago. People of all ages, races, different neighborhoods, different jobs, we sat there together in the dark our eyes glued to the images coming in from MSNBC. People all with so much hope, yet still there was this twinge of fear, or was it disbelief.

Then they called Ohio for Obama. The room erupted. We were all on our feet, screaming yelling, hugging each other, and crying. What we all had worked for was happening. Next, dozens of us were outside all on our cell phones, calling our loved ones, our friends, our family, sharing the incredible moment.

We then watched and waited to see the election called nationally for Barack. More cheers, more hugs, more handshakes. We watched McCain's speech. Then Barack came out in Chicago. The room was silent once again as we listened to every word. Tears flowed, smiles were broad. Such incredible happiness of being part of history.

Barack Obama not only won an election. He did indeed lead a movement. He brought not only our group in Pickerington together for a common purpose, but he did this in towns, villages and neighborhoods throughout this country. He got us to believe again. He got us to hope.

I will never forget the people that I worked with the last few months. The young campaign staffers, who's drive and determination kept us all going, and working harder, sometimes more then we planned on doing. The ladies who were in that office every day doing whatever was needed. Making calls, cleaning, feeding us, keeping our spirits up. The hundreds of people I walked neighborhoods with, knocked on doors with, made phone calls beside.

The people that spent their Tuesday, to do whatever it took on election day. The people that walked 2 or 3 shifts for hours knocking on doors. The others that stood at the polls watching and counting and informing, including a 17 year old senior in high school who started her day at 6 am at our meeting place and spent the majority of the next 13 hours at a polling location.

We believed that this election was going to be different. We believed that we could do something to bring the change our country needed. We believed that if we worked hard enough, we could be part of electing Barack Obama President of the United States. What we believed came to be.

Thank you Barack Obama. Thank you to my new friends and neighbors. Thank you to my loved ones and family who put up with me not being around much the last few months. Thank you Ohio and thank you America.

Way 2 Go, Moveon.org

Moveon.org has a reputation fairly or not for being the "pit bull" of the left. They have been known for their more controversial commercials and position pieces over the last several elections.

This election I am noticing something different. For one they have closed their 527 and not running as controversial ads that I have seen.

But whats more important is they are having a very positive and visible impact on this campaign.

They are bringing out the volunteers in big numbers to help get the all important grass roots efforts accomplished.

I personally have received a number of calls from them, and this weekend moveon recruited volunteers were very evident at the campaign office I have been helping out at, in Pickerington Ohio.

Keep up the good work moveon.org.

Lincoln Chafee in Pickerington

I had the opportunity to attend a Town Hall sponsored by the Pickerington Ohio Campaign for Change with former Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Senator Chafee was a Republican Senator then turned Independent and is now a supporter of Barack Obama. Senator Chafee was introduced by a former Republican county chairman in Michigan that now is an Obama supporter living in Pickerington.

Chafee spoke about his conservative values in regards to fiscal policies, involving our troops in quagmires, and environmental policies. He pointed at that with the support of McCain and the far right wing of the Republican party these conservative values have been lost.

The Senator talked of his disappointments in the Bush administration, primarily Bush's campaign promises of working across the isle and having a non arrogant foreign policy. When the reality is Bush has done quite the opposite and McCain has made it clear he would be even more arrogant on foreign policy.

Chafee said that being an independent now he had the opportunity to choose a candidate in this election based on the men themselves not just based on party loyalty. He said he researched, read both of Barack Obama's books, read the policies of both and found that for him the clear choice for our country's future was Barack Obama.

He spoke of how the world is waiting for Americans to choose a man like Barack Obama, to show them that the years of the Bush administration were not what America is about but in fact the real America is one of reaching out and diplomacy and moral values and actions around the world.

A rather emotional moment occurred when a couple that are immigrants from Liberia expressed their thanks to Senator Chafee for his support and his voice to help stop the genocide in their home country.

Pickerington Obama Office Packed House for Debate

I watched the debate at the Pickerington Obama Headquarters tonight with a packed house of supporters. All the chairs will filled as were our stomachs with all the food brought in by the supporters for the night. Also in attendance was Karl K. Stalter who is the candidate for Fairfield County Commissioner as well as the Campaign Manager, Media Consultant and Finance Director for the Neuhardt for Congress Campaign.

There were a lot of laughs at many of McCain's factually challenged statements, as well as cheers at some of Obama's great points made throughout the debate. Overall this group left with a lot of smiles on their faces and with even more energy to hit the streets this weekend for Obama.

OH 07: My Day with Sharen Neuhardt

I had the opportunity to get away from my keyboard and get out into the world of the real campaigns Sunday as I was invited by Sharen Neuhardt to travel with her for a day on the campaign trail. Sharen who is the Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 7th district has been a workhouse traveling hundreds of miles every week through out her very long district that encompasses at least part or all of Clark, Fairfield, Franklin, Fayette, Pickaway, Greene, Ross and Perry Counties. The district is 2848 square miles and over 110 miles from end to end.

Sunday which was a light day for her schedule began at 9 am at her home in Greene County, traveling over to Powell ohio, northwest of Columbus to attend the Teamsters local 413 Family Picnic at the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay.



Though I was not yet with Sharen at this stop its my understanding she had to opportunity to introduce herself and talk to a number of the union members and their families.

The next stop was in Northwest Fairfield County to meet up with two more members of her staff and to pick me up at a local restaurant in Pickerington. A bit of small world irony here as we all got a chuckle at what else was at the same restaurant.


We then began our hour and a half trip to the town of Corning in Perry County. Along the way I had the opportunity to get to know Sharen. I was impressed on her grip and understanding of the issues and the needs of her district. This is no small task considering her district encompasses everything from the military families and workers in Fairborne who work at the Wright Patterson Air force Base, affluent families in suburbs of major cities such as the residents of Beavercreek near Dayton and Pickerington near Columbus, to small rural towns in Appalachia that had their hey day in the coal mining boom.

I asked Sharen why with her comfortable career as an attorney why she would decide to put in all this work, travel and sleep deprivation to run for Congress. She had an answer I respect. Because she got mad. She watched what was going on in this country and how things were going in Congress and she felt she had the ability to do something about it now, rather then let these problems be passed on to her children's generation as they were passed on unsolved to ours.

We discussed how the 7th district has been represented by a Republican since 1932 and though the Hobson put most of his attention on the western part of the district, the central and eastern parts, such as Circleville, Lancaster and New Lexington had little attention during his tenor.

Along our drive through the hills of Perry county we took notes of towns like Shawnee that were clearly once bustling towns in the past now decaying and show the poverty that is now evident in an area that has lost its primary industry, coal. We arrived at the Perry County Democratic Club Picnic and Forum at a community park in Corning Ohio around 3:15pm



After listening to one of the local residents giving a historical presentation about Perry County Democratic Politics in the 1960's the candidates and a representative of the Obama campaign had the opportunity to speak for a few moments.

Sharen spoke to the group about the importance of electing Democrats from Barrack Obama and to Congress and to local races, such as Sheriff and County Clerk. She talked about how Steve Austria her Republican opponent was the "hand picked" one to be appointed to Congress in the 7th district by the Republican party. But Sharen said that we changed that kind of politics in 1776. She also pointed out on the issues that effect Perry County that "We do not ever get anything done unless we change the people in office."

From Corning we then traveled over to U.S. 33 up through Lancaster and arrived at the Violet Township Bicentennial Picnic in Pickerington Ohio.



Here I watched Sharen as she moved through the crowd listening and talking to citizens in attendance at the event. She introduced her self and listened to and discussed issues that concerned the people she talked to. Sharen told me she had talked to a woman who ran the Pickerington Food Bank, and what was surprising to me is that in what is seen as a fairly affluent area, the food bank is serving more and more people every day. She spoke of some elderly citizens that asked for less items in assistance from the Food Bank as they were concerned that there would be enough for the children and families also having need to use the services. She also stated that some were coming to the food bank less often due to the inability to afford the gas to get there.

Also at this event I had the opportunity to speak with some of Sharen's very talented staff. There are media and logistic challenges because of the shape and size of the 7th District but a unique challenge this year was attracting volunteers. The good news is there are legions of volunteers working with the Obama campaign the bad news is that leaves few to work on the down ticket races. However, the assistance and cooperation between the campaigns is helping a great deal.

I arrived back at my car at about 7pm and was exhausted. I can't imagine doing this every day as they do.

A few points of observation in summary. Sharen is an impressive hard working candidate. She has an understanding and can relate to the most affluent in Pickerington, to the union workers of the teamsters, to the struggling unemployed in Appalachia. One thing for sure, no matter how this race turns out, it will not be because Sharen didn't give her all.

It is imperative that all of us not only work for Barrack Obama but for our congressional candidates as well. To achieve the change and progress we all hope for and this country needs, it will take more then any President it will take people like Sharen Neuhardt in Congress. So fellow bloggers and readers, write away, but also get away from that keyboard and hit the streets for our candidates.

OH 07:Neuhardt visits Pickerington Obama Office

Today at the grand opening for Barack Obama's Ohio Campaign for Change headquarters in Pickerington,Sharen Neuhardt stopped by to meet the staff and volunteers and to speak.

Was great to meet Sharen face to face and listen to her experiences with Congress Woman Stephanie Tubbs Jones at a Cleveland Fundraiser last Monday night. She expressed the need to change and the possiblities of winning the 7th District.

Sharen is one of us and not a career politican. She is a accomplished attorney and lives on a farm in Green County. We need people like her in Congress to truly represent the people of her district rather then the corporate and right wing special interests that are bankrolling her opponets campaign.

Pickerington for Obama Office Opens

Tonight the Pickerington for Obama Campaign Headquarters opened in the northwest Fairfield County suburb near Columbus. An enthusiastic group of local supporters helped Shawn from the Obama staff opened the doors and started getting the place ready for the next few months of intense work in this area.

The "every state, every county, every community" strategy is evident not only by the opening of this office but the incredible organization and plans for the campaign ahead.

The office is located at 155 E Columbus, Suite 190 in olde towne Pickerington. It will have signage up soon. All Obama supporters are welcome to stop in, say hello, meet Shawn and the volunteers in the area and find out how to get involved.

Obama Campaign Kicks off Pickerington Area Campaign

I saw first hand the 50 state strategy in person tonight. The Obama campaign is clearly not conceding any state or any county in this campaign. A kickoff event was held tonight in Pickerington formerly expected to be a Republican stronghold. 75 volunteers showed up to meet the Obama staffer, Christian Lund who will be working the northwest Fairfield County area for Obama through the election.

He along with Beth Hughes a volunteer with the campaign laid out the strategy not only for the entire campaign but for the Pickerington area specifically. They will of course be doing voter registration drives, door to door canvasing and phone banks, but what may surprise some is they will be opening an office in Pickerington.

It was discussed that though Kerry lost Fairfield County by 20,000 plus votes in 2004 that after the last primary the ratio of registered Republicans to Democrats is now 50/50.

The importance of Ohio was discussed, and that if Obama can win the same states Kerry won in 2004 plus Ohio, he will win the election.

If you live in the Pickerington area and would like to be involved with the campaign locally go to mybarackobama.com and join the Pickerington for Obama group. Feel free to email me on this site for additional information.