This is going to be one of those nonsubstantive, nonanalytical diaries. I know we've seen a great number of personal-experience diaries in the last 24 hours. I hope you'll forgive this one more.
Kos' rallying cry of "Leave it all on the road." took on a whole new meaning for me yesterday. Please join me below the jump for one more "Election Day in the life" diary.
First off, this election meant a great deal to me, as it has to so many of us. I've had a lot of anxiety in the last few months.
As we got closer to the election, as the months turned into weeks and then to days, I moved from donating what little cash I could to summoning up my courage and volunteering. First, I attended an event for the nomination acceptance speech. A week later, I doorknocked.
A couple weeks aafter that I stepped into the Obama/DFL office in Northeast Minneapolis. I unfortunately wasn't able to give as much time as i would have liked. I popped in between four and twelve hours per weekend. I did data entry and called potential volunteers. I provided setup support for the 20 laptops that were brought in to utilize time on a predictive dialer. I committed to taking Election Day off.
Finally Election Day had come. I reported to the office as soon as I had voted. In one day I did GOTV calling, user support and visibility. The visibility was great fun.
At about 6 pm a man came into the office needing a ride to the polls. The staffers looked somewhat concerned...rides were being run out of a different office and had pretty much wound down for the day. The question had an unsure tone to it: "Can anyone give a ride?"
My hand shot up. "I will!" (how could you not? every vote truly is important!) I logged out of the dialer; I picked up my messenger bag. On the way out to my car I tripped. And fell. Hard. I skinned my arm wrist to elbow.
I got up, went inside to wash the dirt out of the abrasion, came back out and got that man to his polling place. It was the first time he'd ever voted.
Then I came back to the office and helped tear down the laptops. Once that was done I hopped a bus to the DFL party in St Paul. I made it there in time. I was there to watch the EV tally flip to 270. Our screams of joy in Minnesota joined those across the country and across the world.
Yes we can. Yes we did.
And I really did leave it all on the road.
Well, in the parking lot.