I posted a diary on September 27th about the trend toward Obama that I was seeing in Virginia....just from the people I know about. There's a trend I'm seeing...as I'm sure other states are seeing...toward a new direction for our country. Here's what I said:
I was born in the beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia and have lived there for most of my life. Now that I live in California, I miss my family and friends, and I miss being in Virginia at election time.
Living in California, I feel that my vote doesn't matter nearly as much as it would in Virginia, but I try to do what I can to talk about Barack Obama with friends and family who still live there.
Forgive me as I post stories that I posted in that first diary. Why did I feel the need to re-post? I have more good news.
I don't really talk to any of the conservative side of the family about politics because they stubbornly repeat the "talking points" ad nauseum and there's no convincing them of anything else. It usually ends up in a big THING and I don't get to see them that often, so I try to play nice.
So what a surprise, when my brother, who lives in Virginia, brought up the election in a phone conversation a month or so ago! He said, "I wanted to let you know that I will NOT be voting McCain/Palin this year." When I regained consciousness, he explained that he hadn't been excited about McCain in the first place, but the addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket had pushed my little bro over the edge. He and his wife will vote Obama this year.
My sister lives in Virginia, also, and when I told her about our brother's voting news, she told me about a retired military man who lives at the end of her street. He decorates his yard with American flags for Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, etc. He decorates his yard before election day with Republican candidate signs. This year, she says, he doesn't have a single sign in his yard. But he has an Obama sticker on his car. Everyone who has driven by his house all these years must certainly notice that he isn't backing a Republican this year.
I also included this article from the Charlottesville Daily Progress. It's about a 101 year-old woman who registered and voted for the first time in her life.
At 101, Sarah E. Williams might just be the oldest new voter in Virginia.
Williams, of Albemarle County, has lived through 25 presidential elections — from William Howard Taft in 1908 to George W. Bush in 2004 — but had never once voted in her century-long life.
Williams registered to vote Friday afternoon at the Albemarle County Registrar’s Office and cast an early ballot for Democrat Barack Obama
Here's my favorite part of the article:
As for Williams, after she cast her vote for Obama on Friday, her granddaughter placed on Williams’ trench coat an American flag sticker that said: "I made freedom count. I voted."
"I’m so proud of you, Grandma," said Renee Neverson, a graduate student in Washington. "I’m going to tell my children about this one day. It’s amazing that I get to witness my grandmother going through this. I am so blessed."
As Wilson pushed her mother’s wheelchair out of the Albemarle County government building and into the parking lot, she reflected on how much things have changed in Virginia for a 101-year-old black woman.
"To be real frank about it, African Americans couldn’t vote legally in Virginia until [the ’60s]," she said. "I never pushed the issue of my mother voting. But I just feel that this year, it’s going to be a tight race. Every vote is going to count."
So, I saved the miraculous news for last. My son-in-law's father has never registered to vote in his life. We spent a week at the beach during the summer with them (the whole extended family) We were all at the beach and Wayne was glued to the tv, obsessed with Scott McClellan's testimony in the Congress. He bent our ears for a couple of days about that. We all told him that he had no room to complain if he wasn't registered to vote, so....you guessed it! He registered to vote and will be casting the first ballot in his 56 years of life for Barack Obama! Kudos to Wayne!
In closing, I wanted to post this web address. I found it today when I was searching for other first time voter stories. It was just too big to include in this diary. The site has comments from first time voters on what concerns them most. I'm sure there are a few partisan posts as well, but I thought it might help volunteers who canvas to prepare for the comments they might hear.
Everyone is interested in this election, but I think we can take this country to the blue side. Keep up the great work everyone. Thanks for your dedication.
If you're from another state, and have a story like this, we'd love to hear it!