Election 2012: Victories Beyond the White House

What a night! I am so incredibly happy to have volunteered for President Obama for the last few months; honored to have been a part of this historical election.

These are the historic results of the night (as they're being reported now):

• The U.S. re-elected the first African-American president.
• Three more states passed marriage equality acts (Maine, Maryland, Washington).
• At least 19 women will serve in the U.S. Senate, a record number (20, if ND elects Heidi Heitkamp).
• The first openly lesbian U.S. senator was elected: Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin.
• The first openly bisexual U.S. representative is projected to be elected: Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona.
• Two states legalized recreational use of marijuana (Colorado, Washington).
• This is the first time since 1801-1825 that we have had three two-term presidents in a row.

For the record, I am incredibly thrilled about the marriage equality laws that got passed last night, but I think it's pathetic that we are voting on other people's rights in the 21st century. The fact that the first openly lesbian senator was just elected, but the state that she represents (WI) banned same-sex marriage in 2006, is wrong. Marriage was defined as "one man and one woman" in Arizona in 2008, which means if Sinema is elected to the House, she will also represent a state that wouldn't support her if she fell in love with a woman and wanted to get married.

As for President Obama, I think it is great that as the first African-American to get elected president he got re-elected. I feel like race wasn't really allowed to be talked about in this election, and maybe I' not "allowed" to talk about it now, but I think it's important. I think that it proves to ourselves and the world that we do care about the content of someone's character more than the color of someone's skin. I don't know if it would have been said outright or not if Obama had lost, but I really feel like the far right would have ended up subtly hinting that we need to go back to the "traditional America." They (FOX News) did mention "traditional America" yesterday, when they realized that there are more people of minority races than white people in the U.S. now.

Nineteen or twenty women in the Senate is a record? That's only a fifth of the members! I think it's great that more women are getting elected to Congress, but we need to push that number up. Women make up more than half of this country's population; we need adequate representation in Washington.

I don't have an opinion on recreational marijuana use. It is my view that it should be allowed for medical purposes, but beyond that I don't see a reason for it. Just because I don't see a need for it, however, doesn't mean that I really care one way or another if other people use it.

Overall, this was an incredible campaign (while I am aware that there were problems on both sides, I'm spending today being happy about the win; there's time for criticism later). I was in tears last night when our president was re-elected. I was so overwhelmed. This is the most emotionally invested I have ever been in a political campaign, and it paid off! All the hours spent calling people, talking to people, getting up early, and going to bed late paid off. Listening to President Obama's victory speech last night made me feel delighted, honored, and proud to be an American.

I leave you with my favorite quote from last night's victory speech and a photo:
"I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting."

I got interviewed on my way out of the polls.
Great way to end the campaign!

"Be the change you wish to be in the world." --Gandhi

Sarah Jessica Parker in Cincinnati for President Obama

Sarah Jessica Parker

Over the weekend I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Sarah Jessica Parker, Valerie Jarrett, and Alfre Woodard speak at the downtown Cincinnati Obama for America campaign office! It was so great! Sarah Jessica Parker spoke about how it's important for women to stand together in this election, that this election is the most important election in our lifetimes, and that women always put ourselves last in terms of making sure we're healthy, but now, it's time to vote for President Obama so that we can get the healthcare we need.

SJP

It was absolutely amazing to see SJP talking about the same issues I care about. It was anaintimate setting and I was in the front row after the first couple minutes, so it really felt like we were almost having a conversation. It was great to see that women care about the same issues, no matter where we come from.

SJP listening to Valerie Jarrett

Fired up!

After SJP talked, President Obama's top advisor, Valerie Jarrett spoke. She was so "Fired Up!" She mentioned that she normally travels with the president, but he sent her to go get people voting in the early-vote swing states: Virginia and Ohio. Jarrett got us excited and on board to vote early in Ohio. She ran down President Obama's plan about energy, education, and small businesses. She also used the phrase, "Romney doesn't have a five-point plan, he has a one-point plan." Catchy, and it got the crowd excited, but we've already heard that. I think it's a cheap shot and it's not a good way to get undecided voters on your side. Slamming the other candidate without anything to back it up just makes it look like you don't have anything substantive to say. And I know that the Obama campaign has something substantive to say!

Anyway, getting to hear Valerie Jarrett and Sarah Jessica Parker talk about why President Obama needs to be re-elected was great; then Alfre Woodard took the stage! I'd never heard of her by name, but when I saw her, I immediately recognized her. She's been in a lot of movies. Woodard was such a good speaker! She got the crowd really going. Apparently, most of the crowd knew and loved her even more than SJP! Woodard also gave the reasons that the president is the best man for the job.

SJP and Valerie Jarrett excited by Alfre Woodard's energy!

The rally was great! We had a wonderful time and after it was over, we had a huge group of canvassers hit the streets to knock on some doors. Getting ready for GOTV (Get Out The Vote) is so hectic, but these amazing celebs and VIPs keep us going. They said "thank you" to the volunteers for spending our time on the campaign, but I want to say "thanks" to them. I so appreciate people who have fame using it as an influence for good!

After the rally, I was interviewed by the Cincinnati NBC affiliate, WLWT. They haven't run the story yet, but I'm keeping my eye out. I'm not speaking in these two clips, but you can see me in the reddish-black sweater right in the front! In the first clip from our ABC affiliate, WCPO, I am seen around 1:09 for just a couple of seconds. In the second clip from WKRC, Cincinnati's CBS affiliate, I'm shown about 35 seconds into the clip. I have no idea what I'm doing with my mouth, but that's okay! 

I had brought my Sex and the City DVD with me to get it signed. Since I was right next to the stage, I put the DVD and Sharpie on the stage at one point so I could clap. SJP looked at me and smiled. She knew I wanted to get it signed...and then she left out the back after the rally was over. I was pretty bummed out about that. But I did get to see all three of these amazing women speak about something that I feel extremely passionate about, so I think that constitutes a pretty good day!

Here are some more photos I took at the event! Have a great Monday! Please watch the debate tonight at 9/8c and if you live somewhere you can vote early, please vote!

SJP listening to Valerie Jarrett.

SJP

SJP looking at my camera!

Valerie Jarrett and SJP listening to Alfre Woodard.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Politicians Just Want to Help

I've been working on the Obama campaign for about a month now. It has been one of the most interesting experiences I've ever had! Most of the times when I go into the campaign office, there is such a high level of excitement and hope. The people who work there, myself included, are so sure that President Obama is going to continue to help the people of the United States!

I don't, however, like all parts of the campaign. Some of it is so negative! The campaign ads are infuriating. I can't believe that the Obama campaign put one out earlier this week about Big Bird! The fact that he is spending campaign money on Romney's silly comment instead of telling us what he is going to do to continue to work with the American people is very frustrating to me.

Getting frustrated at the same time you believe so strongly in something makes only one thing look like the solution: getting involved! I don't have a degree in political science or anything related to economics or anything, but I would really like to get more involved in local issues because I would like to help people get what they need and help make the world a better place, and what better place to start than your own community?

Thinking about why I want to get more involved in politics made me think about the reasons the politicians we already have got involved in politics in the first place. Every congressman, congresswoman, judge, president, governor, etc. that I can think of has told us that they got involved because they wanted to help people and lead our communities in the "correct" direction. While we don't all agree on which direction is the "correct" direction, we're all in this for the same reason: to help people. Seeing the campaign ads that tell us what a horrible person the "other guy" in the race is, is incredibly sad to me because if you look at the other person for who they are, he or she is in this for the same reason you are.

Take today to appreciate the people around you for who they are, even if they don't agree with you, especially if they don't agree with you! I have people in my own family and inner circle of friends who are die-hard conservatives. I don't agree with most of their views, but I understand why they have them and why they think those views are valid. There is no reason that I should tell them they're wrong or they should tell me that I'm wrong in my own views. We all have our own views on a bunch of different issues, but at the end of the day, we can all unite in the fact that we want the best for ourselves and our children.

Have a great weekend!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Ohio Women Vote 2012 Summit (Natalie Portman Speaks!)

Union Terminal

The ceiling of Union Terminal.

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending Obama for America's Ohio Women Vote 2012 Summit! It was such a fantastic experience. It was at Union Terminal in Cincinnati. I had never been there, and just fell in love with the architecture! There were about 200 women there--and maybe 10 guys! :) We stood in line for about 30 minutes before we went in to the auditorium and it was so cool to talk with the other women in line. I was next to a woman who drove here all the way from Springfield, Ohio because it was so important to her to be here for this event. She was fantastic! She did her Master's thesis on the abuse of slave women and we got to talking about that for a while...it was really interesting. Another woman I met was a high school senior from Cincinnati who is a super-feminist! She was hilarious and I absolutely loved her knowledge of the feminist movement starting all the way back in the 1700s! She was so passionate and I can't wait to see what she ends up doing with her life. Another woman who was sitting behind me goes to school online and the thing that excites her most about Obama is his commitment to student loans and keeping up Pell grants so she might be able to go to the University of Cincinnati after she gets her Associate's degree. The energy was amazing--everyone was hyped up!

Kate Chapek

Kate Chapek is the Obama Campaign National Women's Vote Director. She was the best MC of this event! She had so much energy and she was fun! My favorite thing she said when talking about what this election means for our country is, "It's not about making history, it's about protecting history." Love it! She also mentioned that statistics show that women trust other women when it comes to deciding who to vote for. When women talk to other women, they don't even realize that the other woman on the other end of the phone is going to be taking in your opinions and will be using that to help shape their own opinion.

The former First Lady of Ohio, Frances Strickland, also spoke. I can honestly say I barely remember what she said. She was kind of monotonous and my mind wandered.

Mary Shelton

This woman, Mary Shelton, is one of the most inspiring women I've ever had the pleasure of hearing speak. She is a campaign volunteer for Obama for America - Ohio and has a developmentally disabled daughter, now 48, who still lives with her. She opened her own small business (this is her website) to help other developmentally disabled people get the care they need, because she realized there are not a lot of people helping that demographic. It's taken off! Her agency is helping people in the Greater Cincinnati Area and they take care of these people who cannot take care of themselves. She said, "The day the Supreme Court deemed the Affordable Care Act constitutional is the day I signed up to volunteer for Obama's campaign." I think the reason she was so amazing to me is that she is a real person with a real story about how Obama has helped her.

Alicia Reece

Alicia Reece (D) is an Ohio representative. She was such a great speaker! Her story is about how her mom and dad started a small business to have their own part of the 'American Dream' and were very successful--until her mom woke up blind in one eye one Christmas morning. They went to the hospital, but the doctors didn't want to diagnose her because her insurance would drop her if she ended up having anything serious. So, she kept trying to live without knowing what was going on with her body. She ended up in a wheelchair and finally got diagnosed with MS. The day she got diagnosed is the day her insurance company said she was no longer covered. Unfortunately, Alicia's mother died in December 2008. Had she still been alive today, the Affordable Care Act would have given her insurance again. Alicia is fighting for Obama because people like her mom can't. We all need to fight for Obama so our loved ones can live to fight another day. Alicia was an absolutely phenomenal speaker and I was so "Fired Up" after her speech! People like her are the reason people like me get up and volunteer!

Natalie Portman

So, of course, the headline speaker of this Summit was Natalie Portman! She was good! I was talking with Lara, a volunteer friend of mine, after the summit and we love the way celebrities use their status and influence to campaign for people. It's amazing, because you know, even if some people don't pay attention to politics but Natalie Portman is their favorite actress, once they get to the polls they might think, "Oh I don't know who to vote for, but I know Natalie is voting for Obama, so I will, too." It was great! She talked about education and about being a woman, and how we've been having some crazy things being said about our bodies by Republicans lately; and how Obama doesn't agree with that at all. I got parts of her speech on video and it was just so great to see one of my favorite actresses ("Black Swan" is one of my favorite movies!) saying things that are so in line with what I believe! It was a very exciting experience. I wish we had gotten some time after her speech to take photos and get autographs with her, but, you know, I still got to hear her speak while I was sitting in the fourth row, and that's pretty cool. :)

These are a couple of sound-bytes of Natalie's speech. Unfortunately, my phone ran out of space at the end of the second video (still had Obama's speech on it!) so I didn't catch the end of her speech, but I thought you all might like these.

I love this photo of her. She is happy about Obama! :) How cool!

So, women: this election is about us. We are the majority in this country; we are going to decide this election. So let's make it about us! Let's put the work in: phone bank, canvass, talk to people, share your opinion! Remember: women trust other women. If you influence three women and then they each influence three women, how far can we go?

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi