Preface:
I'm an NYC resident that's been heading down to PA's Buck County to canvass.
Just like these guys (Neither one is me):
My gravitation toward Obama started with reading "The Audacity of Hope" several months ago.
After Hillary went negative I became a full on Obamaniac.
You can read my other diaries for those details. But let me tell you about last night....
I ducked out of work early and left NYC to arrive at the Levittown Obama HQ around 6:00 pm.
I’d been down there almost every weekend since the Texas primary so last weekend I took a break.
I quickly found Rachel Levin who I the Field Director for lower Bucks. (and sweetheart of a human being .. shown on left)
I told her I was in PA for 5 days from now until Tuesday (taking days off for the GOTV) and asked her for marching orders.. She handed me 2 "red" tickets for the Obama rally at Independence Hall and said to get down there and come back bright and early in the am energized for the PA end game. ( and knock wood the Primary end game.) I was not the only one that had come down to the Levittown HQ to finish this thing in PA. Eight people from San Antonio TX had come down with the same thing in mind. (Here’s Brittany and Gerard, two Alamobamans)
They were headed to the rally as well.
Upon arriving with a buddy of mine, Andrew, we found that the Park was divided first by Market Street, into ticket and non ticket zones. South of Market was "no ticket". The North end was further divided into red and blue sections. Blue ticket holders being the closest to the stage. We arrived about 7:15 and already the place was packed. Both the sides north :
and south
of Market Street
It was a very festive atmosphere. Kids were dancing and twirling large cardboard Obama signs.
There were lots of Kids running around with painted faces, buttons, and signs.
They reminded me of my nephew Max.
Small groups were grabbing whatever free turf they could find in the backs of each cordoned off section.
Music blasted over the sound system.
Finally, after an hour or so wait, the O-man took the stage..... and declared our independence.
He broke down the race into a simple truth.
EITHER
You believe that our political system is static and unchangeable; that our media, and the corporations that own them, control the debate and always will; that the American people will always be duped by the smears of the 527s and FOX news.
OR....
You believe that we, the people, control our politics. That, in fact we can change the game entirely.
It is a simple choice of politics as usual, or a whole new game.
I did not "see" much of the speech. Here was my vantage point throughout :
But I didn’t really need to. I was so glad, and proud, that so many children got to witness this historic moment first hand on the shoulders of their fathers and mothers. Because this is why we get involved in politics. Because these children will inherit the world we leave them. We need to raise them up and show them the path toward our collective happiness lies in building and nurturing our connections to each other and the living things around us.
Obama’s words echoing through the people around me, whom I had come to consider friends, really did energize me; but at the same time felt a bit foreboding. I mean, the gauntlet has been thrown. We really are changing the game.... And I don’t think any of us really knows what powers are now aligning against us.
The MSM makes a fortune off the Red vs. Blue mud fights, and scurrilous <fill-in-the-blank>-gates. It’s great infotainment. Lobbyists are a billion dollar industry unto themselves, not to mention the corporations they represent.
For a moment, when you take stock of the task at hand, you might feel a tinge of doubt.... But don’t. The alternative, continuing with politics as usual, has gotten us (and will get us) nowhere. As scary, and daunting, as it may seem, we fix this thing NOW. It is going to take all of us, every day, working from now until November to make this happen. We can’t count on the old political machines, or the MSM. (The revolution will not be televised but it will be blogged) We need to get out door-to-door, phone call by phone call, handshake by handshake, email by email, and make people believe in this new politics.
So what are you waiting for.. You’ve been emancipated......get out there.
http://my.barackobama.com/...
PS: The image most burnt in my mind from last night that did not make it to the memory card of my camera is this one.
Walking up Market Street toward the 30th Street train station in the midst of the impromptu Obama parade that marched along chanting OBAMA and YES WE CAN a black Nisan Mirano (I think not entirely sure of make) passed. They were turning off market onto 11th I believe. In the passenger seat was an elderly black woman in her 80s. A young man was driving who I presumed to be her son, as his hand stretch across and rested on her shoulder. Our eyes locked for second and I noticed her tears of joy. I can’t imagine what it’s like for an old black woman who’s probably seen her share of bigotry and struggle against racism and intolerance. To watch as almost 40,000 blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, and just about every other race and creed paraded by chanting the name of a black man.. A black man for president.
Had my camera been out, I would not have had the gall to shove it against her window and capture that look of joy, to interfere with that moment... but I wish you could have seen it.
Well good night.... Lots of canvassing to do tomorrow....