One vote at a time
My sister has been in Florida this past month working for the Obama campaign as a bilingual field organizer. She's actually one of the few paid workers there, though she's been working 14-hour days all October with literally zero days off. And no, I asked, and she's not getting paid by the hour.
She talked to me this evening on the phone, and told me this story before signing off to go collapse for a few hours. I'll try to recreate what she told me; it's not exact, but the basics are at least all there:
I was out canvassing with one of our new volunteers in an old Cuban neighborhood. It was one of those places where you ring the bell at the gate, and the person has to come across the yard to get to you. We chatted as an older Cuban woman came across the yard up to us, but it turned out she was voting for McCain. I was about to say goodbye and go on to the next house, because this is the type of voter you usually can't persuade, but the girl I was with asked her, "Can I ask you your reasons?"
"Well, my driver made me promise I'd vote for McCain," she replied, and I suddenly realized the cause might not be as lost as I thought. She asked if it was true that Obama was a communist, and were able to tell her no--one of the main strategies the Republicans have been using here is to paint Obama as basically the same as Fidel. To my surprise, I've been defending the free-market economy more than I ever thought I would. "No, really, he's a great defender of free enterprise..."
We talked for a bit more, and she told us her story, how she had left Cuba many years ago, and had been unable to ever return and see the family she left behind. "When I left, one of my relatives told me, 'Cry now, because you'll never see your native country again.'"
Up until that point, the discussion had been very academic, but the emotion of her story really got to me, and my eyes started to well up with tears. She looked at me more closely, and asked, "What's wrong with your eye?"
Soon after I got here, I got an eye infection, and it was pretty red. "I have an eye infection," I told her.
"You should go see a doctor," she replied.
"That's one reason I'm voting for Obama--I don't have any health insurance!"
"No health insurance! Wow."
"So I'm voting for Obama for health insurance, and you should vote for him because maybe it'll mean you'll get to go visit your home again," I said, trying to get my emotions back in control.
She shook her head, smiling a little. "No, I'll see my home when I'm free of this body." We knew how old she was from the report we had with us, and she looked pretty frail. "I'll see my family again and we'll all be free."
We talked a little more, and she admitted she was worried about her Social Security.
"Tell you what," she finally said. "My driver doesn't have to know who I voted for. I'll vote for Obama for your health insurance and my Social Security."
If Obama wins Florida, it will be because of stories like this one, played out across the state. Good luck tomorrow, sis. And take a well-deserved break come Wednesday.
She talked to me this evening on the phone, and told me this story before signing off to go collapse for a few hours. I'll try to recreate what she told me; it's not exact, but the basics are at least all there:
I was out canvassing with one of our new volunteers in an old Cuban neighborhood. It was one of those places where you ring the bell at the gate, and the person has to come across the yard to get to you. We chatted as an older Cuban woman came across the yard up to us, but it turned out she was voting for McCain. I was about to say goodbye and go on to the next house, because this is the type of voter you usually can't persuade, but the girl I was with asked her, "Can I ask you your reasons?"
"Well, my driver made me promise I'd vote for McCain," she replied, and I suddenly realized the cause might not be as lost as I thought. She asked if it was true that Obama was a communist, and were able to tell her no--one of the main strategies the Republicans have been using here is to paint Obama as basically the same as Fidel. To my surprise, I've been defending the free-market economy more than I ever thought I would. "No, really, he's a great defender of free enterprise..."
We talked for a bit more, and she told us her story, how she had left Cuba many years ago, and had been unable to ever return and see the family she left behind. "When I left, one of my relatives told me, 'Cry now, because you'll never see your native country again.'"
Up until that point, the discussion had been very academic, but the emotion of her story really got to me, and my eyes started to well up with tears. She looked at me more closely, and asked, "What's wrong with your eye?"
Soon after I got here, I got an eye infection, and it was pretty red. "I have an eye infection," I told her.
"You should go see a doctor," she replied.
"That's one reason I'm voting for Obama--I don't have any health insurance!"
"No health insurance! Wow."
"So I'm voting for Obama for health insurance, and you should vote for him because maybe it'll mean you'll get to go visit your home again," I said, trying to get my emotions back in control.
She shook her head, smiling a little. "No, I'll see my home when I'm free of this body." We knew how old she was from the report we had with us, and she looked pretty frail. "I'll see my family again and we'll all be free."
We talked a little more, and she admitted she was worried about her Social Security.
"Tell you what," she finally said. "My driver doesn't have to know who I voted for. I'll vote for Obama for your health insurance and my Social Security."
If Obama wins Florida, it will be because of stories like this one, played out across the state. Good luck tomorrow, sis. And take a well-deserved break come Wednesday.