Fast times, good times, and times to come- a week in the life

Obama:
Tonight, we celebrate a tremendous victory. Our candidate of hope, our candidate of change, and our candidate of a more progressive future for this country has scored an incredible win in the state of South Carolina, defeating Democratic Rival Hillary Clinton by nearly a 2-1 margin. John Edwards finished third in this, his birth state. Senator Obama's continued focus on positive issues and his desire to heal a country badly beaten by seven years of divisive politics resonated with the voters of the Palmetto State, and his willingness to move aside and brush off continued misinformation campaigns threatening his patriotism, vision for the country, and devotion to an equitable future illustrate once more just how much this special leader means to our future. We now role on to Super Duper Tuesday with hopes of the momentum of tonight's huge accomplishment carrying through to the 05 February electoral players, which include 22 states and the American Samoa. Here in Northwestern New Mexico, we're doing our party to create victory for Senator Obama, with Gallup for Obama calling and knocking on the doors of hundreds of Democratcs. A staffer from the natonal campaign arrived in Gallup on Thursday charged with turning out vote for the Senator on Caucus Day. We're stoked to have her on our team, and she will bring much needed support in terms of organization, materials, and motivation. Also, Senator Obama will travel to New Mexico on Friday, speaking in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. I hope and plan to attend both events!

Church Rock Steel Drum and Native American Flute Band Invited to Perform at the National Museum of the American Indian:
We recently received exciting news that the Church Rock Elementary School Steel Drum and Native American Flute Band has been invited to perform at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.! Under the tutelage of first-year band director Randy Markham, the young people of the ensemble have made incredible strides over the past four months. In addition to performing for parents and the Church Rock community at the school and Chapter House, the group also made appearances at an inter-tribal conference in Albuquerque and will travel to Santa Fe on February 7^th to play in front of the New Mexico Public Education Department. CRE Steel Drum Band members represent everything we try to foster in our students- discipline, open-mindedness, and a strong sense of culture.

A trip to Washington, D.C. to play at NMAI, we think, would be unforgettable and have a profound impact in the lives of our young people. In addition to performing at one of the most stories museums in our country, CRE students would have the opportunity to observe and study the U.S. political system in an incredibly up-close and personal manner, leaving them with a real and inspiring perspective of how the process works, as well as ways in which they can become more deeply involved. To be sure, such an experience could develop into a formative influence in their future academic plans and inspire them to reach for things they never before thought possible.

Good Times on Local Access T.V.

On Wednesday evening, I joined Teach For America New Mexico's Executve Director and a fellow Corps Member to take part in a discussion on a local access T.V. show called 'This Week in Gallup' regarding TFA, its mission in Gallup, and progress it has made to date. We enjoyed a good talk and represented our organization and schools well. I also made a plug for Earl's, a famous local restaurant, as well as discussing my background and what go me in to teaching. Prior to the show, we engaged with the host, a charming woman who has lived in NM all her life, in a chat on the state of the Democratic primary race. She claimed that Obama simply has too many of the 'same old people' on his team and did not have the 'juice' to get things done in Washington. Clearly, I took her to task on both counts. She was a wonderful lady, and we enjoyed the opportunity to promote TFA and our thoughts on Gallup on her program.

Sleep Deprivation Takes Hold:
I'm freakin' tired!

Bloc Party:
Bloc Party is a British band I've gotten quite into lately. Take a look, if you get a chance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC25rvSFxIk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52jWkrfjakk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdkmhquF60o

There's much more folks. Know, however, that I enjoy the constant, oft frantic nature of my life here. I find fortune in the opportunity to participate in, and contribute to a number of important causes. You each have played a large role in giving me the chance to do so. Thank you.

Fired up and on the go in Gallup,

--Daniel

A Weekend to Remember

My recent trip to Washington, D.C. provides numerous lessons, memories, and challenges that will stay with me well into the future. I experienced the rush, joy, and exhaustion of a campaign run the right way. I learned what it means to be at the heart of a campaign team, and to bear the burden of carrying the hopes and ambitions of a team that has poured its heart out working for you. Some say burden has a bad connotation, but this need not be, and I used the burden I felt as a candidate to drive my efforts during the campaign. I became more familiar with the thrills of a debate, the wonderment of learning the hopes, talents, and challenging questions of the voters with whom I spoke, and, more than anything, gained an enhanced understanding of what it means to be called to serve and the mentality once must take to public service. Indeed, as I sit here in a corner booth at the airport in Denver, I reflect upon a series of days that will inform both my immediate future plans, as well as those longer-term hopes, goals, and motivations that I hope and expect will empower me to make a meaningful difference in my community and in our world.

Thursday- let the games begin!

After a morning of returning to the campus of George Washington University, my alma mater, to hold interviews with seniors as an alumni recruiter for Teach For America, I cabbed across a snowy Washington, D.C. to meet with Front-Line Leaders Academy staff and head to the headquarters of People For The American Way, a progressive political advocacy organization dedicated to creating a more just, equitable society by empowering leaders from across the country to inspire progressive change in their communities, whether as elected officials, community organizers, or other modes of activism. After arriving at PFAW, I was taken to a library room in which I was to tape my ‘stump speech’ for the weekend’s FLLA election. Stump speeches reveal to voters a candidate’s central message and outlines exactly why they are the best person to serve in the position for which they are running. Having tinkered with the text of my speech on the way to D.C., I was unsure of how it would come out, however my focus was fluidity and ingenuity. After a couple of takes, I found the groove and delivered what I felt to be a clear and compelling campaign into what I was all about as a candidate and exactly why I believed I could best represent their interests as the PFAW’s 2008 Youth Ambassador.

Upon returning to our hosting hotel, I immediately returned to my room to prepare for the conference’s opening reception, at which the four candidates for PFAW’s Youth Ambassador position would be formally introduced to voters and campaign activities would officially begin. The reception was held at the headquarters of the National Educators Association. As a first-year teacher, I felt at home in the friendly confines of the NEA as a series of enthusiastic and articulate speakers kicked off conference activities. In an atrium with roughly two hundred fellows from one of FLLA’s sister programs, Young People For, which is also under the broad PFAW umbrella, I enjoyed going around the room, introducing myself to the young leaders in attendance and learning as much as I could about the passionate ways in which they were working to affect positive change in their communities.

Amongst them, many stand out in my mind. John Scott currently attends school at Lincoln University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a member of a group called ‘Lincoln People For’, which is working at a grassroots level to e power individuals near the university to improve their living conditions. I learned about Maya Torralba, an activist, educator, and, perhaps most importantly, mother, who is currently campaigning to become the next state representative from Oklahoma’s 56 Legislative District. Maya and I had a wonderful discussion. She has spent significant time in Navajo Nation (including in Church Rock, New Mexico, where I teach, and was actually familiar with my school!), as well as on other Native American reservations across the Southwest and in her native Oklahoma. Maya inspired me with her passion and driven approach to service. She would also become a better friend as the weekend progressed.

After an evening of meeting new and interesting people, getting the message out about our campaign and its main message, ‘deeply rooted’, my team and I took a slow, cold stroll back to our hotel and called it a night. Day one on the trail had gone well. We retired to our beds hopeful and fired up for day two, which would prove to be the most significant of the campaign.

Day two was big. We woke up early, headed over to the NEA and began setting up campaign posters. Breakfast time was great, as I circulated the room and met dozens of fellows from all over the country, including a lively and diverse group from the Lone Star State. They talked to me about education, immigration, and human rights, as well as the incredibly impressive projects they lead in their communities to promote those issues. I was becoming enchanted by the multitude of backgrounds of YP4 fellows and feeling increasingly inspired by the change young people like them and those in my own fellowship program, FLLA, can create.

Sitting through sessions, I felt squirmish. I knew that the day’s, indeed the campaign’s, most critical event would be the coming debate, which was to be held at 7:00 that evening. We’d held a mock debate at our previous conference in Denver, at which I’d felt comfortable and excited. That, however, had been in front of, oh, twenty or so individuals, not 250+! I felt confident that things would go well, but I knew the campaign would, to a large extent, ride on my showing, and so, naturally, there existed some angst.

At around 5:40, my campaign manager, quite brilliantly, I think, told me to just go find a quiet place and rest. The day had been exhausting, speaking with folks at every turn and doing my best to convey our message accurately and inspiringly. I laid down for about twenty minutes and then got back to it. At 7, we huddled into the auditorium, and by 7:15, the four candidates were on-stage. I, luckily, obtained a stylish, retro yellow-checkered sports coat to sport during the discussion and proudly headed on state feeling quite classy. Others may have had other thoughts, but I thought it a quality coat.

The debate began with opening statements. I’d prepared a statement that was around one minute, which I thought to be limit. I was a bit worried that I’d rush in order to get the whole thing in, and when the moderator stated that we’d have two minutes, I must say I felt relieved. As I eased into my piece, beginning with a complaint about how our program advisors had prepared us for many things but never for having to use the restroom during a debate(!), I began to felt more at ease. I talked about my work as a teacher and the cause of educational equity representing this country’s most critical issue. I encouraged audience members to take their commitment to progressing education for all children in our country to the next level. I conveyed to them all that my time in the classroom has done for me, as well as why and how it left me extremely prepared and eager to be their ambassador to People For The American Way. By the end of my introduction, I was fully into the swing of things and eager to get the debate going.

The questions that followed came from the moderator, my fellow candidates, and, finally, members of the audience. I discussed questions of how I, as a white male, could identify with, and represent the interest of, minority and discriminated communities, as well as whether or not I’d ever experienced discrimination myself. I talked about the ‘fierce urgency of now’ in terms of tackling the key issues progressive face, including environmental security, civil and human rights, economic opportunity, and worked to link it all back to our campaign’s underlying message of education as a silver bullet. Indeed, after the debate, many folks expressed satisfaction that I’d relayed so many things effectively back to education. This was the goal in the debate. It must also be a goal of progressive activists.

I closed with a call to action (as political communication Joel Silberman, a friend and mentor, always advises). I told folks to go back to their communities, colleges, families and friends, and listen, learn, inspire, and make change. I stated once more that all of us, despite our different issues and backgrounds share a deep commitment to progressive values, particularly the cause of creating a just and equitable society. I asked for their support and thanked them for their participation in what was a hearty discussion.

Leaving the debate was a rush. I held many discussions with YP4 Fellows who wanted to follow up on the debate’s topics. I chatted with a young lady who said her vote had come down to myself and one other candidate and that, if I could answer her question correctly, she’d have my support. After an extended and honest interaction, she walked away with confidence that I’d serve her well as ambassador. This was a true thrill.

I then debriefed with my campaign team. We went over the highs and lows of the debate and made plans for the rest of the evening. Talking tactics was rad. I felt fully enmeshed in a political contest, and, most importantly, felt totally comfortable in, and excited by, my role as candidate. We had work to do, and we moved quickly to do it.

The next stop, after a brief foray to Burger King for, quixotically, a veggie burger (your guess is as good as mine, though, it was quite tasty), I made my way to the YP4 Fellow’s hotel to attend a dance party. It was great to just let loose with these awesome young people for a while, and, while I discussed the campaign with many folks, we also just had a good time dancing! Indeed, two other candidates in myself had quite the go of it on the dance floor, providing a few memorable pictures for the YP4 Summit photographer!

My team had planned a rally that night in one of the fellow’s hotel rooms, and they were busy handing out flier to it. Around 10:35, I made my way upstairs and, for the next hour and a half, engaged in more wonderful conversations, learning the stories of a student senator from the University of Cincinatti, an inner-city tutor from New York City, who will go on to teach after graduation, a former FLLA fellow who has started a wonderful organization called Hip Hop CAN, the mission of which is to give members of the hip hop community more of a say in political issues. As was the tale of the tape this weekend, I was riveted by these and other individuals’ stories and enjoyed so deeply our time talking. After the rally, and quite near the midnight hour, my team and I again made our way back to the hotel. It had been a long, wonderful day. We were tired but excited but an incredible and successful day on the trail.

Saturday was all about getting out the vote. Polls were to be open from 8-3, and there were a few intermissions between fellows’ sessions when they’d be able to cast their ballots. We worked during all of these, quite frantically I’d say, to ensure that all our supporters made their voice known, as well as talking to undecideds to try to swing them our way. When three o’clock came, all candidates and candidates’ teams took their first deep breath in, well, I don’t know, 45 hours, or so. These types of breaths feel good- very good. We’d run a great campaign. Indeed, we’d run our hearts out, as had each of the other teams. We were anxious for results and, in a few short hours we’d have them,

Initially, an announcement came that, after counting the ballots, results had been unexpectedly close and the possibility of a run-off was being discussed amongst program coordinators. Last year’s election had been lopsided, and, apparently, the notion of what to do in case of a close race had not been decided beforehand. This idea was instantly denounced in my mind and those of my teammates. We wanted to know the results, straight up. A few hours later, during the intermission of our evening’s entertainment, a political comedy show put on by a group called ‘Laughing Liberally’ (hilarious!), Andrew Gillum, one of FLLA’s top coordinators and advisers, called the four candidates to the stage for the announcement. I felt strangely calm as I made my way ahead and joined the other three. The announcement came quickly- boom, not me. Disappointed, I clapped and applauded one of my fellow candidates, Julianna Bradley (a separate blog posting would be necessary to justly convey the dynamism of this special young person), who’d won the contest. We were then joined by all of our fellow fellows for pictures and recognition. I felt proud- proud that my team had run such a good campaign and that all campaigns had made their cases in such a positive, non-divisive way, about which some had worried. I felt honored that my team believed in me so much and worked so tirelessly and passionately on my behalf. I felt excited about my development as a candidate, particularly as regards conveying my ideas through public speaking and relating to voters on a one-to-one level. I felt hopeful for the future, after having learned the stories of well over one hundred fellows and becoming familiar with the incredible work they are doing to make their communities better. I felt blessed to have had the opportunity to meet dozens of new friends, with whom, in future, I look very much forward to staying in touch and working.

After the decision was announced, I joined other fellows, as well as many from last year’s class, for official pictures and a debrief. I was hurting- there’s no doubt. When you give yourself so fully to, and work so hard for, something, and then don’t get it, your heart sinks and your world rocks. Two days after the fact, I can reflect that this is both good and healthy, as well as focus on the myriad positive take-away I, well, take away from this conference. Back at the time, however, this was not easy. To compound matters, Obama had lost, and I, simply, felt shaken. I was ready to get out of there, to go back to the hotel, and then walk just walk the streets for a bit to forget about things. I joined one of teammates and did just that. We shared a silent stroll back to the hotel, not quite wanting to delve into anything ‘campaign’. We changed quickly and parted ways, he going to join college chums, and me to wander the streets of Dupont for a bit before doing the same.

I came to a coffee shop and decided I wanted a paper and discussion. I sat myself down at a corner café run by a delightful Moroccan woman. I was delighted by her charm and quickly decided I’d come to the right place. I opened my Washington Post but didn’t get too far. In addition to the friendly host, I began chatting with a young woman sitting next to me. She had an accent I couldn’t trace and was reading a book on the impact of the media in conveying the image of Islam in the United States- interesting stuff. We chatted about many things, including her and my reasons for being in D.C. I briefed her on the conference. She turned out to be from Nepal and had moved from there to attend Wesleyan College in Georgia. Baffled, I asked how and why one made it all the way from Nepal to Georgia. She told me her story, and I left enchanted. I was already feeling better.

Joining with good friends is nice. I arrived at a bar a few blocks away and came together with several of my best friends from college, whom I’d not seen since graduation and the dawn of my TFA experience. I also came together with the now infamous Lukasz Bugaj, whose diatribe and paper regarding the impending dangers of bird flu leave me shaken to the core and avoiding just about any flying organism I can (again, thanks, Bugaj). We all talked, sharing our experiences since graduation. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is doing well, which brings an indescribable sense of relief and happiness to me. This is a feeling I experienced when I returned to Michigan for winter break and, at a New Year’s party, found high school friends well on their way to good friends. Caring for others is great and knowing they’re well even greater.

After a late night and no small amount of soul searching, I was ready to embrace graduation. Sunday morning came quickly, but I still managed a run, changed quickly, and made my way back to the NEA. It was good to see the fellows’ friendly faced and, upon entering our graduation room, I could tell something special was in store. We received addresses from each of our dear advisors, trainers, and other folks who’ve supported us over the last seven months. I feel an incredible bond to these people and know I’ve entered a family a part of which I will remain forever. I accepted my certificate with pride and felt as though I’d completed my training well.

As I look ahead and think about my future as both a public servant and a candidate for elected office, I know that I am now armed with the tools and the confidence to do well. I understand that everything one does, both as a candidate and an elected official, must come back to a basic mission. For me, this mission is simple. It is to create a society in which every person has a real and fair opportunity to her or his full potential. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life and memory we will celebrate tomorrow (or today, depending on the time I post this blog entry), spoke of the inter-related structure of reality. He said, ‘I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the inter-related structure of reality.’ We all have talents. We all have dreams. Each of us deserves every opportunity to optimize these talents and realize these dreams. As a public servant, this mission will remain deeply rooted in the forefront of my mind.

Back in the Saddle and Preparing for Lightning...

...not real lightning, of course, but this is a big week for me! Next Wednesday, I'll travel to D.C. for the fourth of four Front-Line Leaders Academy conferences at which my campaign team and I will put more than two months of hard work and planning into play and try to help me become the 2008 People For The American Way's Youth Ambassador, a driving force in the progressive movement. The Youth Ambassador's duties consist of playing a role in People For The American Way-sponsored youth progressive, political leadership training programs' programming and recruiting efforts. In this sense, as YA, I would have a real impact in deciding the type of issues that the progressive movement takes as its main causes, as well as the type of young people that take the driver's seat and moves it into the next generation. I take these tasks extremely seriously. This generation, my generation, faces a great deal of challenges, but it possesses more in the way of talent, drive, and passion to overcome them. The movement to optimize these three critical assets represents one of critical importance. Feeling myself a leader, I believe I would do an extremely good job of ensuring that our strengths reach their potential and create the type of change both our country and world so desperately need.

Also, in D.C., I'll have the priviledge of returning to my old stomping grounds in Foggy Bottom to meet with several senior leaders at George Washington University to speak with them about a possible future with Teach For America. A program that has given me so much in terms of perspective, discipline, and passion for moving forward into a policy making position would go a long way, I'm sure, in the lives of my friends now at GW, working to decide what to do with their immediate future. It's interesting to think that, just a bit over a year ago, I was them- on my way to graduation, positioning myself to get into the best graduate school program as possible and setting up for a job on the Hill. While I do not know how long I'll serve as a TFA Corps Member, I know that the experience I've had thus far (or during the first week of teaching, for that matter) will steer and drive my efforts and vision in any position into which I move in future. I think that the same would be true for the GW seniors with whom I'll have the opportunity to speak next Thursday morning. It will be good to be back on campus.

Back in Gallup, it has been refreshing and healthy to get back to work. After over two weeks of a much-needed vacation, during which I experienced a brother who has, quite frankly, grown into one of the most impressive young people I've ever met (with a height and voice to match a young man- holy cow, I feel old!); played more ping-pong than any human being has business doing during, well, pretty much any increment of which you can conceive; became perhaps painfully aware of the looming and potentially devastating risks of the H5N1 Virus ((a.k.a. avian bird flu) thanks, Bugaj); and traveled to Iowa to campaign for Barack Obama, candidate for president and a great hero of mine, in what will undoubtedly be one of the most inspiring and unforgettable experiences of my life, I can say that, yes, there are many good things about both being away from the 'hard' of teaching, as it allows one to step back and take a broader look at what they are doing, want to do, and where they should head next, and then returning to school to get back with the students and colleagues I've come to know, appreciate, and, in a way, love.

Gallup's cold- real cold. Speaking with a colleague on Wednesday, I lamented about a weather report of which I'd learned that placed Gallup's immediate pre-dawn temperature at 5-yeah, in New Mexico- when she chuckled and informed me that the thermometer at her home, outside the city had reached a balmy 12 below-yeah, in New Mexico. Now, I know you winter experts in the Midwest and Northeast may think of the Southwest as something a safe-haven, a temperately temperatured oasis, in which the cold finds no friend and scarcely lays down to rest, however, to put it frankly, you're incorrect. Gallup's cold- real cold (and I think the fact that hitting my frozen finger on any solid object during my morning run would likely cause it to break cleanly from my hand is a sign that I should move such activities indoors- the gym is $35/month- I'm open to suggestions from the reading audience on this one).

Finally, I can't conclude without putting in a word on the presidential election. Barack unexpectedly dropped the contest in New Hampshire. Kudos to Hillary. She ran a very good race, hung in there, and won. A tip of the cap goes her way, for sure. I was bummed, subdued, and feeling not all too good listening to my daily overload of NPR, which featured no shortage of commentary on how and why pollsters got it so wrong. Two points here- first, Obama's post-election speech, in a way that only this man from Illinois can, snapped me instantly out of my mallaise and spurred me to action. 'Yes, we can', he said, and he's right! That is exactly what his candidacy is about- belief in the impossible, belief in a new way of doing things. Obama's vision towards and mission for the future, to put it simply, is to create a world in which everyone has an accurate belief that everything is possible, that they can achieve anything they dare to dream. For those who say this is not enough of a message to run for, and win, the office of the President of the United State of America, I simply reply that I disagree because the irrepressible hope of the human spirit, when unchained, can accomplish all it sets out to, and we will need nothing short of this to overcome the immense challenges of our time (including bird flu- damn you, Bugaj! It's really on my mind!).

Secondly, this contest is far from over. We go to Nevaga, South Carolina, and we'll have a real competition and, more importantly, debate, on our hands. Most critically, what the early results of this nomination season tells us is that there does still exist fluidity in the U.S. political system. The system needs vast restructuring to allow for more accountability through serious and comprehensive ethics and campaign finance reform, however, there just may be enough fluidity to give the tall, slim senator from Illinois, whose mantra is hope, and whose guilty pleasure since quitting smoking is, apparently, watching Sportscenter (nice!), a chance to win the Democratic Party's nomination and, later, the presidency. I plan to do my part to ensure that his message of hope finds a home in the Oval Office next January.

Fired up, and very much on the go in Gallup,

--Daniel

P.S. A tip of the cap also is in order for New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who bowed out of the Democratic presidential race yesterday, but who, for the first time, gave the Land of Enchantment a serious contender for this country's top political post. For his efforts, Big Bill will recieve an eager, oft-contentious, and heavily-tasked state legislature, which will convene its 30 day session on 15 January. Stay tuned for more highlights from Santa Fe.

Dispatches from Iowa- A Trip to Remember

Below, you'll find thoughts, commentary, and general reflections from my recent trip to Iowa to campaign for Barack Obama for his presidential run. This was one of the most inspiring and empowering experiences of my life. I hope you enjoy these observations!

Dispatches from Iowa:
Reflections from the Road

It’s 3:00 a.m. We’re at a truck stop in Davenport, Iowa. The passengers are tired, weary, but happy to have a warm break from the dreary, chilly environs of our Greyhound bus. My seatmate, a young man possibly a year or two older than me, who exudes a distant concernedness but calm, caring disposition, has kindly shared a blanket with me for the last couple of hours. Without it, things would have been a lot colder and unpleasant.

Earlier, my bus from Kalamazoo had made a stop at the Greyhound station in Downtown Chicago. The hub was packed. Folks coming and going from and to points east, west, south, and north. I love travel centers such as this. Everyone possesses a story, and I nearly go crazy with excitement trying to surmise the background and future of each traveler I encounter. There did exist some discontent in the lobby, as snowy conditions across the Midwest and Northeast made travel conditions difficult and, in some places, impossible. I overheard a gentleman say that he’d be in the station until 9:30 the following morning- yipes! Poor fellow. Hopefully, the weather clears and sends him on his way quickly and safely.

On road trips like this, especially at night, when the smooth sound of tire on pavement and displaced air are all that one can hear, my mind reaches a state of calm, and I’m given cause to reflect on those things happening in my life which are of greatest importance. I’m faced, now, with a crucial decision, into which I’ll not go in this entry, but one that could alter the course of my more immediate future in a way I’d not anticipated. It represents an opportunity to take steps toward the future I’ve had in mind for myself since 2004, but it also would require me to regress from an effort for which I feel great passion, responsibility, and to which I feel a sense of duty. It seems as though, if things go ahead as I hope and anticipate, I will come to a crossroad that will require a life-changing decision and force me to really do some soul-searching about the direction in which I need and want to take my life now. I’m confident that, if and when the time comes, I’ll make the right decision, thanks in large part to the good and honest friends I have at my side to give me their insight. More will come on this scenario in coming weeks. For now, I’ve contented myself to let the open road to take my mind away.

It’s 3:30 a.m. We’re driving now. It’s cold, but I like it. I feel awake, lively, and ready for the adventure that awaits me in Des Moines. I feel empowered to make a difference, and it inspired me because in this country, where politics has become a money game, it feels good to believe that down-home, person-to-person conversations can have a real impact on the outcome of an electoral contest. I wonder how many of my co-passengers know or care about Caucus Night. For many, the economic realities and hurdles of the world have made politics an afterthought. When you’re fighting to put food on the table and pay bills for your family, things such as caucuses, candidates, and elections often get relegated to the lower-end of the priority totem pole. And this is just what is wrong with politics in this country. And this is just what Senator Obama can and will change about politics in this country.

Once upon a time, people in the United States believed in their government as a mechanism through which they could improve their own lives. They felt confident that, at the end of the day, lawmakers of vastly different ideological persuasions were committed to honest debate and finding ground to create sensical policy solutions for the constituents they served. Examples of such policy and compromise include FDR’s ‘New Deal’, which created what economist Paul Krugman has called the ‘Great Compression’ of the U.S.’ financial setting. The ‘Great Compression’ was a tightening of the economic divide between rich and poor in this country. New Deal programs not only ensured that all U.S. citizens had retirement money to look forward to, but it also lowered unemployment, created Medicare for seniors, and, were it not for a series of unfortunate events, including FDR’s death in 1946, would have run very close to creating universal healthcare in this country.

At first, the New Deal was a decidedly partisan agenda. Republicans harked at the type of ‘welfare state’ such a series of initiatives would create. However, seeing the program’s popularity in the eyes of Democratic and Republican voters alike, President Eisenhower, himself a stalwart conservative, attested in the mid-fifties that FDR’s New Deal was here to stay and the battle for Republicans would be to shape it in a more conservative manner in order to slow its progress. While this perspective would cause most liberal Democrats to sneer, a recognition by policymakers of truly popular, sensical programs and then a willingness to let them stand, represents something that we simply to do not very often anymore. We see our president vetoing extended funding for an extremely popular children’s health insurance program despite public approval ratings upwards of 70%. We see the Administration and hawkish lawmakers unabashedly continuing to fund the war on drugs to the tune of $50 billion a year, relegating the bulk of their funding to aerial and manual eradication of drug-producing crops abroad, as well as contributing to the perpetuation of an out-of-control police state at home that is overcrowding our prisons and discriminately and disproportionately sending young persons of color to the penitentiary. Finally, we have a war in Iraq that continues to go awry, and, despite public disapproval of this effort, the Administration and conservative allies in Congress continued to pump hundreds of billions of dollar into it, instead of providing that money for investment in education, health care, and alternative energy sources, the real keys for creating a better, safer, more sustainable future for our country.

I wonder, from my bus seat, what would happen if we had a president who understood all this, who knew that politics as usual needs to come to an end, who truly believe that the game could be played a different way. My heart feels with warmth and excitement because I know that, in Barack Obama, we have such a candidate.

I’m so thrilled to be doing this. Alive with passion at the hope and change Senator Barack Obama can bring this country, a hope and change that could not be needed more, I feel my quest to Iowa for caucus season to be something of a romantic odyssey to the heartland of U.S. presidential politics. My first purchase in the Hawkeye state- a Des Moines Register, what else?! The first section, of course, is riddled with political analysis, boating perspectives, opinions, and forecasting on each candidate, each scenario, and what Thursday’s outcome might mean for the contestants.

One of the main stories takes a look at the Democratic campaigns’ dueling views on a recent Des Moines Register poll. The poll put Senator Obama ahead by seven points, outside of the statistical margin of error. What was more noteworthy, however, was the poll’s finding that 40% of those who will caucus Democratic this year are self-identified independents. Since earlier polling has shown Senator Obama with a sharp edge among independent voters, staff in the Clinton and Edwards camps were hard at work trying to discredit the Register’s finding. While the poll director herself said that she was surprised by the high percentage of folks who identified themselves as independent voters, she argued that her approach to the poll was sounded and not unlike those she had used in the past. Whatever the case, there exists a feeling in the air indicating that independent, formerly apathetic, and young voters are beginning to coalesce around this exciting Senator from Illinois. He brings an empowering, progressive message, and his campaign encourages many who have never before participated actively in politics to emerge from the woodwork and do their part to create a better future for this county.

Whether canvassing, phone-calling, or babysitting, over the next 40 hours, I will work like the dickens to ensure that the country I love has the leadership and progressive vision necessary to propel us into a better, safer, more sustainable future.

Obama- A True Believer
(Senator Hits Stride as Campaign Enters Final Stage)

Barack Obama’s Iowa Campaign Headquarters is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Walking in, one is immediately overwhelmed by a steady buzz of voices, frantic typing, and an ecstasy of movement. Persons saunter quickly between desks, out doors, between reporters, and others simply appear to move in order to continue moving!

Staying longer, a few more things become apparent. First, this office is young, very young. The vast majority of staffers are, incredibly, under the age of twenty-five. When Barack Obama talks about winning a brighter day for this country’s young generation, he means it, and he plans to do it by literally giving members of this cadre the keys to the car in terms of shaping policy, running campaigns, and deciding on how government works in the United States. As a young political activist myself, I find this approach extremely empowering and was immediately inspired by the excitement of the ‘young’ room at Obama headquarters.

However, whereas some establishment political figures would chastise giving so much say to young, ‘inexperienced’ leaders, Obama has chosen the best and brightest to do his bidding. Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Northwestern, Georgetown and other top-notch universities represent the former academic homes of Obama’s youthful squad. Intelligence, passion, drive, good humor, and focus are all on charming and motivating display in downtown Des Moines. I felt it, and felt comfortable in it, from the start.

A second thing on display in the Obama headquarters in Des Moines is an obsessive attention to detail. What the campaign team lacks in age, it makes up for many times over in drive. Countless staffers and interns pour over computerized data, scouring the lists for a caucuser who’s not been contacted, a leaning, but indefinite supporter whom, with a bit more urging, might caucus for the Senator from Illinois, or an Iowan who might identify Obama as her or his second choice. This office is alive with action and has no time to spare. It is, in every sense, a professional outfit. Watching and actively assisting persons of my generation carry on such an impressive initiative is a dream come true.

Thirdly, the geographic makeup of the campaign team is as vast as Obama’s support is wide. California, Missouri, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Virginia- these states and many more all boast daughters and sons helping out in the Senator’s efforts. Some have been here for several days, others weeks. Many have put their personal, academic, and professional lives on hold to contribute to the movement in Iowa. Even older folks, some in their 60s and 70s vigorously make phone calls and hit the trail to win supporters to Obama’s side. Even at this level, many have come across the country to help his team!

Day Two- Caucus Day

At Obama headquarters on 2:05 on Caucus Day, a man, right in front of me, is talking with the Senator. To my right, the state Chairman of the Democratic Party here in Iowa, has arrived. This is nuts!

Five hours remain until we make history. For everyone who says that we cannot, we will. For everyone who equates hope and change with naiveté and political miscalculation, we will show that hope is not only possible and change is not only necessary, but that these qualities represent our surest roadmap to a brighter future. While we cannot predict what will happen in a few hours time, judging by last night’s rally with Senator Obama at Hoover High School on Des Moines’ north side, the fire is in the air to usher in an Obama victory, even a statement win, tonight.

The Event:
Last night’s event was pure magic. We arrived at Hoover High, home of the Huskies, around 8:15. Doors were scheduled to open at 9:00, and I was charged with the task of helping with sign-in. The objective of our sign-in efforts were to, first, get an exact headcount of how many folks attended Senator Obama’s speech, which was to serve as one of his last before the Iowa Caucus, but also how many of these attendees were surefire Obama supporters. By the time 10:00 rolled around, not only had we packed the gym, but over 1,000 people had shown! Two things on this- a: it was freezing b: the event was late!

A hoarse but passionate Barack Obama took the stage and gave his powerful sermon on the power of hope and the necessity of change. The crowd came to life when he explained how, at every turn, when faced with the most difficult of circumstances, people in the United States have stood up to make the necessary change simply by wanting to make it happen. This undeniable will, he claimed and stressed, represents our most powerful asset, as well as the one that has been most tragically muted during the Bush Administration’s tenure. With Obama’s belief and charisma, we can recapture our will.

As I watched the event come to an end, and a tired but jovial Barack embrace his wonderful and wonderfully dynamic wife, Michelle, I knew that something had caught here in Iowa, that the tides of Senator Obama’s campaign were fully turning and that the dream of his candidacy being a success is at hand. Our future rests here in Iowa. As we win here, voters in early primary states see that we can win elsewhere. Supporters across the country will come out of the woodwork and stand solidly for change on their election day. New Hampshire, South Carolina, and then Nevada, and the various contests of Super Tuesday all stand within our grasp if we simply make the choice to believe. We can and must decide that our future belongs to us, and the one, the only one who can empower us with the future we so deserve is Senator Barack Obama.

(I just helped a volunteer speak on the phone with a Spanish-speaking Obama supporter- good to see my speaking abilities are helping out. She said her Spanish has suffered she learned Arabic, a nice illustration of a typical dilemma faced by young Obama supporters.)

Obama Makes History
Iowa Caucus Goers Demand Hope, Change

Tonight, we made history. Senator Obama told us so as he addressed a revved up crowd of supporters after scoring an unexpectedly, to many unbelievably, strong victory over John Edwards (+8) and Hillary Clinton (+9). With a field plan of unprecedented tenacity and grassroots organization, the Senator garnered a whopping 38% of the caucus support and sent a resounding message to the country (especially voters in New Hampshire) that, not only can he win electoral contests against the once seemingly inevitable Clinton, but that people, Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike are voicing their demand for our country to unite around a common vision of hope. Gone are the days of division, the senator said. Here are the days of unity, of people all across the country forgetting what makes us different and remembering what makes us all similar, that is, our belief that by coming together and insisting that we see the best in one another, we can change the shape of our country’s future, as well as that of the world.

I think that the thing that will stick in my mind more than anything else from this night, perhaps the most positively memorable night of my life, is parading with dozens of other screaming, wildly joyous Obama supporters from campaign headquarters to the victory party several blocks away. The temperature was low, but the Iowa winter cold could do little to stop our enthusiasm as we walked the several walks between the office and Des Hyvee Hall. I remember looking into many of the cars who honked their signs of support at us as we walked and seeing African American men pumping their fists, smiling wildly as we passed by, signs in hand, chanting and marching for the senator. In his victory speech, Senator Obama mentioned Selma and the courageous young women and men who ‘braved firehoses’ and other horrendous atrocities to win new liberties and freedoms during the Civil Rights Movement. We know that the achievements of these brave activists were vast. We also know that the challenges still facing us in terms of discrimination and racial oppression are, unfortunately, greater still. I hear from a 45-year-old African American woman caucus gore who I picked up and dropped off to caucus this evening (Ms. Myles, by the way, actually became a county delegate at her caucus and will represent the Hiatt Middle School precinct at the Iowa Democratic County Conventions after not planning on attending the caucuses at all!) that, despite her college degree from Drake University and experience working in high-level positions on the East Coast, she continues to struggle finding a job that matches her credentials here in Iowa. Why? Moreover, she is constantly conscious of her physical appearance. Her hair is graying, and she prefers to hide this process by dying her blond hair, however, she has found this look overly risqué for conservative Des Moines employers. Why do people continue to segregate and divide themselves because of color? What is it about society that forces people to seek out division, instead of commonality, amongst one another? I contend that we need leadership that can remind and convince us of the good within every single person. We need a leader that brings out the best in each person and gives them cause to believe that we can produce anything we want, even the brightest of futures. I am not alone in this supposition, as Iowa caucus goers powerfully displayed tonight, making history and sending Senator Obama strongly on to New Hampshire.

Where do we go from here? What do the powerful events of January 3rd, 2008, teach us? I contend that this day will go down in history. This will be remembered as the day when the first time in U.S. political history that an entirely grassroots campaign, entirely not beholden to federal lobbyists and special interests, decidedly focused on hope and an empowerment of all persons scored a victory that could set it on an unstoppable track to the presidency. As the Senator boldly reminded us in his unearthly speech, we have made history, and we have done it because we decided to do it. We decided to call upon the best in us, forget the worse, and come together to fight for a better future. When I looked into the eyes and faces of the young African American men driving in downtown Des Moines after Obama this evening, was a belief, a true belief that, for the first time, someone of a similar background to their own, who has struggled with the wretchedness of racial identity, proved, through an outpouring of passion and, honesty, and good, solid hard work, that someone like them can ascend to the highest levels of power and influence in this country.

Tonight, we won in Iowa. We made history. But the road has just begun. We take this hope, this passion, and this faith on into New Hampshire. We will win there because people in this country know that Senator Obama represents the best of what we have to offer- an unrelenting faith in, and hope for a better tomorrow.