Part II of my series on Richmond... (Isn't that how it's supposed to go?)
After my weekend in Richmond (Pls see my other blog entry on the subject,
Hope is alive and well in Richmond, IN), I also wrote a letter to the paper, the Richmond Palladium-Item - that was invited to the Obama campaign office official opening, but who didn't make it - writing about my experience campaigning. I wrote it from the angle of complimenting the city - with the hope that it might actually be published! Bring from out of state (Ohio), I thought that a good angle to try.
Not sure yet if it's been published, but here's what I wrote:
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Thank you for your hospitality, Richmond!
I'm a Hoosier - through and through. I was born in New Albany (a city
founded by my ancestors) and have lived in Frankfort, Terre Haute,
Carmel, Bloomington and Indianapolis. Hoosier hospitality means a lot to
me!
I voted in my first election when I was 18 and a freshman at Indiana
University. The nominees were already decided but I voted anyway -
excited to take part in the process.
This year is different.
This past weekend, I worked again on the Barack Obama presidential
campaign here in Richmond - where my parents live. I've been a supporter
since last year and a campaign volunteer since February. Obama has shown
great leadership ability and runs an incredible grassroots organization
that inspired me to get up and take action. Taking an active role in the
political process is exciting - much like 1996 when I worked on Frank
O'Bannon's first gubernatorial campaign. Volunteering has been an
incredible experience - thanks primarily to the hospitality of the
cities to which I've traveled which include Pittsburgh, PA; Columbus,
OH; West Lafayette and Richmond.
Richmond is filled with wonderful, hard-working and hospitable people.
These include the members of the Local 135 Teamsters Union; the folks at
IU-East; the employees of the UPS Store; and local business owners -
among many others - including (and especially) all the folks in Richmond
who opened their doors to us. They often offered refreshments and
regardless of preferred candidate, were happy to discuss the issues
important to us all. These face-to-face discussions are the necessary
first steps in working together to solve this country's challenges.
So thank you Richmond for your hospitality. Your friendly nature serves
as a great reminder as to why I'm so proud to be a Hoosier.
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Since I was told that the city is full of Republicans and Clinton supporters, I also took the opportunity to respond to an Opinion piece on a Clinton campaign volunteer by adding my own comments on volunteering for Obama. Every little bit of visibility helps, right? Anyway - here's what I wrote to that:
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: Campaign volunteers - Obama for America
I couldn't agree more about the joys of volunteering! Working on the Obama campaign has been wonderful because I've had a chance to talk to so many different people from all walks of life about what's important to us as Americans. We've been working out of the Teamsters office on Main street here in Richmond to the delight of many who like making phone calls to prospective supporters and also to those who enjoy canvassing neighborhoods - going door to door to talk to folks on a face to face basis. That's one reason why I chose to support Senator Barack Obama - because of his amazing grassroots organizational ability.
I'm especially excited about the 50-state voter registration program he plans to kick off in the next couple of weeks. There are so many people who are new to the political process - so many first time voters and we're not just talking about 18-year olds. People of all ages are getting involved thanks to his inspiration and leadership. I look forward to calling him president especially knowing that I played a small role in getting him there.
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So that's the end of my writings about Richmond. I just hope that some of the folks there see it and see at least one person's view of why Barack Obama is such a great candidate. Richmond is a wonderful little city with a lot going for it. It has a lot of work to do - like all other cities who have fallen on tough times, but the people are decent and hard-working, so they'll get it done.
Thanks again, Richmond.