And Then It Was Over...

Originally Posted: 11/13/12

         This past Fall I had the amazing opportunity to work with Organizing for America, the grassroots operation for Barack Obama's re-election campaign, as a Fellow and then Deputy Field Organizer. Interestingly enough, so did Leon. Actually, to my knowledge, our alma mater had 3 people working in the campaign in Virginia, which is incredible. I worked in the City of Norfolk with an amazing team of people I will never forget. I thought I would pop on here to give you all my thoughts on my experiences and what impact these teams actually have. I will leave Leon to tell his own story because his was likely very different from mine based on his home base. 

       First thing first, I have prior campaign experience. Let me give you a little perspective on my mindset going in. When I was just starting high school, a group of friends and I started a Young Dems Club at our school in Salem, VA (never heard of it? Most people haven't... It's in the Roanoke Valley.) and started volunteering with Tim Kaine's Gubernatorial Campaign right out of the gate in January. We did everything. Canvassing, phonebanking, attending events, passing out flyers, hanging door hangers, putting up yard signs, etc. Our first day, we got to shake hands with the Man himself, and his BFF, Mark Warner. It was mind boggling. The part that made me weary going into this campaign was people's utter lack of kindness when faced with differing opinions there. These people were my neighbors, they KNEW who we were. We explicitly stated we were part of the Salem High School Young Dems every time and they still cussed us out, slammed their doors, called us names, and hid from us. Southwestern Virginia is not a Democrat friendly place. I still look back on that time as an amazing experience that I would never replace, but it left me nervous about campaigning in Virginia. Even though I was in a completely different city, in a completely different area, I was nervous and careful going into this.

       I can easily say Norfolk proved me wrong. The people in Norfolk were incredibly kind and respectful. I had a few anomalies of that, but overall it was a much better environment. I started as a Fellow, unpaid staff. I went in because Barack Obama was the best choice for this country, because he is the only person in this ENTIRE country that has ever been able to make me feel proud to be an American. As time went on I was promoted to Deputy Field Organizer, which was a Godsend with all these student loans breathing down my neck. The volunteers were amazing. They just walked in sometimes on lunch breaks or right after work just to try and help. People bringing us food because they knew we were all 20-somethings, mostly from out of state, who did not have the time to run out and get food. People bringing us supplies just because they wanted to. There was one woman (she was incredible). She came in EVERYDAY to make calls for one of the Field Organizers. She was also one of the best dressed people to come in. By that I mean she owned more Barack Swag than any other person I have ever met. I had a volunteer that could knock every door in her neighborhood (hundreds of doors) in a day. She is an amazing person and kept our spirits up and our bellies full throughout my time there. The people of Norfolk are the most important reason that we were able to do what we did there and why Norfolk was the city that tipped Virginia in favor of the President.

       What Barack Obama has been able to do through the use of grassroots organizations throughout the country as a part of his campaign is unprecedented. I have never seen anything like this in the form of a Presidential campaign. It reminded me so much of state level campaigning it was insane to think that it was happening in every city and county in the country. We developed connections with the people, their neighborhoods, their neighbors. We discovered what these people cared about and what we could do for them. We fought misinformation and doubts. Grassroots organizations have so much more of an impact than I could have ever expected. Mitt Romney underestimated Barack Obama's ground game, us. I watched happen over the two months I was working there. People realizing that it is essential that they actually go to the polls, realizing that Romney really had a chance to be President if they didn't. I watched the people around me work long, hard hours passionately because each of them believed that every second could mean a win or loss. I, literally, watched and participated in the changing of the world. Talking to people is more important than putting up a yard sign. That contact is  everything. That is where Mitt Romney lost Virginia in my opinion. He put up a bunch of yard signs, made a bunch of speeches, but he never took the time to listen to people's stories or to really talk to them. 

Region 11 Election Results Watching - Photo Credit Grace Choi 

        On Election Day, once 7pm had come and gone, we sat in a room, about 25 of us, in Chesapeake with staff from the other offices and watched the results. It was nerve wracking. The thought "Did I do enough?" kept playing through my mind. The first big victory came. Tim Kaine would be Virginia's new Senator over George Allen. I thanked a few lucky stars and kept watching. The numbers were so close. Then out of nowhere, my Field Organizer exclaims "We Won!" For a second no one moved. We thought it was too early, only 11:13pm. But then it settled in and the jumping and screaming happened. Barack Obama had won the country, but not Virginia yet. We didn't go to sleep. We waited to see how WE had done. Eventually, every city/county had reported...except Norfolk. It was down to us. What we had done. We were watching the numbers with bated breath. They rolled in and we could not believe it. Norfolk was won. It was won with one hell of a margin. Everything we worked towards had been worth it. This happened at 1:00am. Romney waited another half hour to concede and Obama gave his Victory Speech shortly after 2:00am. 

(Photo Credits: Banez and Melissa) My Team, My Family, Region 11

       That was the best experience of my life. It will be for a long time. We had an impact. More voters turned out than ever before. Almost every precinct grew in numbers and increased their margins. Closing that office a couple days ago was the most bittersweet moments I have ever experienced. Volunteers came in and helped us and we had dinner one last time. Even before that the staff had our 'last lunch' before people started heading home, mostly to other states. It was an incredible experience. To be completely honest, I deeply advise that anyone who has a similar chance should take it. Just do it, don't think about it, don't try to get more than you are given out of it. Just do it. You'll thank me later.