I never thought that campaigning would be so exciting. My name is E.J. Fagan, Providence College class of ’09 from Ramsey, and I’m a volunteer intern for Dennis Shulman’s campaign. I joined up in the middle of May, the day after my last final. From the moment I arrived, I’ve been locked into a high-stakes roller coaster ride that I could never have imagined would happen.
I’ve always been told that voters in my district were apathetic. Campaigns in the 5th aren’t supposed to be propelled by grassroots energy. They’re supposed to garner no media attention, raise no money, and ultimately fail to the well-financed Republicans. We’re proving that wrong at every step.
During the primary, I watched our army of 100+ canvassers go door-to-door to convince their neighbors to vote for Dennis Shulman. I didn’t sleep much at all during the week leading up to the primary, but I was able to function off of adrenaline and excitement. We knocked on thousands of doors, planted thousands of yard signs, and spent every day engaging in good old-fashion retail politics at train stations, bagel shops, and street corners.
Since we won, things have only picked up pace. Our office now buzzes with the presence of more than a dozen full-time interns, and a constant stream of volunteers. Because we believe that Dennis’s message is best spread by real people speaking with their neighbors in their own words, we’re building the best field operation that this district has ever seen. And people are taking notice! On top of the outpouring of interest from local people and media, our hard work culminated this weekend when we were featured in not one but two full-length articles in TIME magazine and The New Yorker - on the same weekend!
E.J. Fagan
Intern, Shulman for Congress
"Blind since his childhood, Dennis Shulman graduated from Brandeis with honors, has a Ph.D. from Harvard, is a nationally recognized psychologist, a published author, and was ordained as a Reform rabbi in 2003. Not exactly an underachieve, but Shulman has set himself the challenge of becoming the first Rabbi ever to serve in Congress – and the first blind congressman since 1935."
"Nationwide political sentiment is not kind to Republicans, right now, and in Shulman Garrett faces an adversary unlike any he has previously bested. Bolstered by voter dissatisfaction and his compelling life story, Shulman has already raised more money by June 30 than the last Democratic candidate amassed over the entire 2006 campaign – and the national party leaders are paying attention."
http://www.time.com/...
"Shulman makes few concessions to his blindness; he uses a device that instantly translates Web sites and e-mail into Braille and audio. And he recognizes that the novelty of his candidacy helps draw attention. There has never been a rabbi in Congress, and its last blind members left office in 1941. Not long ago, Shulman received an encouraging phone call from David Paterson, the governor of New York, who is also visually impaired. "We agreed that there should be a conspiracy by the blind to take over all levels of government," Shulman said.
http://www.newyorker.com/...