It's a tight race in Virginia.We just spent a few days there, visiting my elderly parents-in-law in Fairfax county in northern Virginia.While taking long walks around the neighborhood when my in-laws take their usual afternoon nap, I noted roughly equal Obama-Biden and the opposition yard signs.Even with the wind behind their back in Fairfax county - election results in the recent past favored Democratic candidates and the current U.S. senate race has Mark Warner leading by 30 points - grassroots volunteers are working for Barack as if their lives depended on it. It's phenomenal. Picture this scenario 76 times (at BarackObama.com, I counted 76 campaign offices in Virginia!), and it makes us dare to hope for a win in this proud state.I wish I could say that I volunteered so many hours, but that's not so. We live so far away in Oregon, and in this Virginia visit, my husband and I wanted to spend time with family, and help around the house that has now become too much for them to clean and maintain.We did stop by the nearest Obama campaign office in Fairfax City. The place is just throbbing with enthusiasm and positive energy.Here are some pictures that we took.Registering voters outside the office, there's Michelle (bless her heart, she's only 14 years old!), David and Coach Mo.Clear and focused, Obama volunteers in action.Posters and Signs, Creative and DelightfulDelicious Goodies!
That's me in the green shirt.
And since it's less than half an hour away from my dear parents-in-law's home, we rode the Vienna Metro to catch a glimpse of Barack's future house. Picture him, Michelle and their lovely daughters living here.The White House will be, at last, The People's House!
Ernie Barrington: WHY OBAMA WILL BE PRESIDENT
Austin Mitchell, the political scientist, once said of the New Zealand electorate: those who live in the hills vote National, and those in the valleys or on the flat vote Labour. In the United States, those who live near the sea, or the Great Lakes, or are within a day's drive of either, tend to vote Democrat - the rest Republican.
Neither generalisation stands too much scrutiny, yet there is some wisdom in the American idea. The western seaboard of the US (California, Washington and Oregon) and the eastern seaboard (Delaware through to Maine in the north) are largely Democratic. Around the Great Lakes, most of the adjoining states are Democratic or tending Democratic.
The exception to this idea is Florida and Alaska, South Carolina and Georgia, which have seaboards but tend Republican. Most inland states are also Republican.
What is pivotal in this 2008 election is that some of these Republican strongholds are being strongly challenged by the Obama campaign. Although at least one Gallup Poll showed Obama hitting 50 per cent to McCain's 42 per cent, for some time the national polls have shown the Democrats only marginally ahead of the Republicans - about 48 per cent to 46 per cent - give or take a percentage or two. Accordingly the media have been calling this a very close election - just as they did in the Democratic primaries.
What matters is who wins the greatest number of electoral college votes. Each state is assigned a number of electoral college votes - roughly consistent with the population in the state - and it is winner take all in each state election, with 270 electoral college votes needed to win. And this is where John McCain and the Republicans are in trouble.
Rather than the national polls, what matters are the trends in each of the states: ie, an average of all the polls taken over a period of time. If these are examined, Obama has about 260 which look fairly strong while McCain has 176. The Democrats also have 46 which are "lean", ie, they are marginal at the moment but could be carried in the election. McCain has 64 which look "lean". (pollster.com).
If all of these "lean" states went McCain's way, he would still come up short - whereas Obama needs only 10 of these states to win.
Then there are about 102 that look "toss-ups": states like Nevada, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire and even Florida. If there was a swing to the Democrats on November 4, then these states would easily give the election to Obama.
The critical states which need to be won by Obama are Ohio (20 votes), Pennsylvania (21 votes), Indiana (11 votes), Virginia (13 votes) and North Carolina (15 votes). Colorado (9 votes), where the Democrats held their convention, is Republican but looking competitive. Obama is leading the polls in all these states except Indiana. It is no coincidence that Obama is spending a lot of time in these states. If this trend continues and carries through to the election then Obama will win easily.
Yet the press in the US will continue to promote the national polls and call the election close. They have a vested interest in the advertising revenue they garner from a close election. When Obama won 11 states in a row after "Super Tuesday", it was fairly clear he had an unassailable lead over Clinton, yet the headlines, aided and abetted by Clinton's team, maintained it was too close to call.
Some other factors in this election are the superior organisation set up by the Obama team, his ability to raise funds through the internet and the unpopularity of the current Republican President.* Ernie Barrington is retired and formerly taught at the University of Auckland.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=1501161&objectid=10531010&pnum=2
A warm bright day. Luminous blue sky over glistening blue sea unfurling wave after perfect wave upon the shore. The steady, sound of the surf calms that constant chatter of the mind, no doubt. As I walk down the street, I wave at a group of five older women sitting, watching the sea, obviously enjoying each other’s company. A solitary man stands still facing the ocean, far from the others on the beach. I wonder if he’s talking to God. My husband has been to the beaches of Ghana, and he tells me of finding individuals on the farthest point of the beach, facing the ocean, talking loudly, gesturing earnestly; he finds out later that they were conversing and sharing their souls’ lament to God. A boy in his early teens, rollerblading joyfully on the sidewalk, gives me a thumbs up, then quickly points to my “Women For Obama” button, to let me know what the winning sign was for.
Oregon Belongs to Barack
Oregon is favored to seal 7 electoral votes for Barack come November 4th. Recently, the Lincoln County Democrats had a booth at the fairgrounds where enthusiasm and support for our most inspiring candidate was evident – demand for Obama stickers and buttons far exceeded the ample supply, and Barack’s “tall, handsome presence” generated numerous photograph requests, which were granted for free. Named for Abraham Lincoln, this county of rounded hills, narrow, winding coastal valleys, and plains broken at many points by rugged headlands rising abruptly from the Pacific Ocean, went for Obama during Oregon’s May 20th primary. County population is 46,200 with over 92% white, .5%, yes that’s .5%, African American (AA). I live in the coastal city of Depoe Bay, where the six acre harbor is the world’s smallest according to Guinness World Records, population is 1,355 with only one AA resident, who happens to be our mayor, and who also happens to be the only AA mayor in the whole state of Oregon.
Below are pictures taken by Stan, Rennie, Jan and me. Enjoy!
Lincoln County Fair Poster
Lincoln County Democrats Booth
Three Month-Old Baby, Dad & Barack
Stan, Keeping Hope Close
Jezabel Loves Obama
Jen and Son For Obama
Newport Sophomores Too Young to Vote for Barack
Rennie, Who Has Concerns About FISA, But Will Never Vote for the Opposition
Stan from Newport, Barack, and Cecilia (Maria) from Depoe Bay
Depoe Bay Harbor
Pacific Ocean
Wow, it's June 3rd, exactly five months from January 3rd - the day Barack won the Iowa caucuses. The primary campaign has come full circle.
I feel fortunate that I was able to phonebank for South Dakota today.
These are the sweetest words I heard over the phone:
"I voted for Barack."
"We both voted for Barack Obama" (The call was for Chandra and the guy who picked up the phone was nice enough to engage in a conversation about Sen. Obama and share whom they voted for.)
"I'll vote today for Obama."
On March 21, 2008, Sen. Barack Obama came to my state of Oregon, where he held several events. I was at his "Stand For Change" town hall meeting at the Salem Armory, and I took some pictures, which am sharing below, giving credit to those taken by others. Barack was absolutely at his best, and we Oregonians will do our best for him to win. Oregon matters in the primary for the first time in 40 years! To watch the complete Salem townhall with Barack, copy & paste this url on your browser - http://www.cctvsalem.org/Waiting for Hope outside the armory!Megan, a Kaizer elementary school teacher, waits in line.
Young Farmworkers Union Endorse Obama! Yo Estoy Con La Union silkscreened on the back of their red shirts. They're mostly high school students from Woodburn, Oregon.
Salem Volunteer Group Administrator David Pearl (white Obama shirt), his son Itai & Marion County DNC members.
Even the geese up in the sky love Barack!
The stage is now ready inside the armory!
From right, Wilma Rogers, 84, her daughter Emily Rogers, 55, & Melinda Cowdery,54 - from coastal Lincoln City, Oregon.(Photo by Amy Hsuan/The Oregonian)
Obama Girl & Obama Kid!
Here Comes Barack Obama!Salem Is For Change!(Photo by Thomas Patterson/Statesman Journal)
Change We Can Believe In
Photos by LeTigre/Flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/letiger/tags/21st/page3/
We're among millions of voices calling for change, giving one of countless standing ovations for the next president.On upper right, 5th row from stage, that's Lincoln City councilman Randy Butts (tall guy, pale blue sweater with black pattern). I'm standing left of him, proudly wearing a "Women For Obama" button from my field organizer when I was volunteering in Iowa.
Photo by DesertCat/DailyKos http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/21/211557/224/180/481880For videos of Sen. Obama's townhall meeting in Salem, including question & answer videos on race, immigrant college education, North Korea, differences with Sen. Clinton, go to http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/ELECTION03/80321057 Below are a couple of great blogs on the senator's Salem visit. The first one includes his full text answers on questions from the crowd."I met Barack Obama today. Today was the 10th anniversary of our marriage, and rather than go out to a fancy restaurant for dinner, we decided to take our kids to witness history in the making. My family (Husband, Daughter-16, Daughter-14) and I attended the event in Salem, OR today, arriving at about 8:30A for the announced 11:30 doors open time.""The wind blew a cold 40 degrees, and it threatened to rain. We watched the TSA screeners arrive, along with bomb-sniffing dogs that were taken up and down the now long line into the Salem Armory. From the front of the line, a cheer rose as the gates were finally opened at 11:30A, as promised.The TSA searched us thoroughly. I was even wanded. Into the Armory we went, searching out the closest seats we could. We ended up several rows back, but within 50 feet of the stage. Finally, Earl Blumenauer, our beloved bow-tie wearing US Representative came out to introduce Obama. Earl gave a very nice speech, the details of which I can't recall due to what came next."To read more, go to http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/22/04155/3116/67/481985"Today I had a chance to see Sen. Obama at a stop he made in Salem, OR. Part of a few stops in various towns, Sen. Obama delivered a fairly basic stump speech, followed by about twenty five minutes of questions and answers. Unlike the "town hall" meetings of Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush during the last cycle, Sen. Obama's campaign did not invite only party members, did not have anybody sign loyalty oaths, did not kick anybody out for wearing shirts with "unacceptable" political themes, etc. Nope. It was an open engagement, in which Sen. Obama, after the de rigueur stumping, proceeded to call folks to a refurbished diplomatic discourse, to trust and believe in themselves as agents of change, and to recognition that the people can truly make a difference. I've watched plenty of stump speeches, I've written about them, and I study them as part of my work. This was indeed a stump speech, but Sen. Obama sounded forthright and honest, and perhaps most importantly, he struck me as truly, fully, behind the philosophy of political change he espoused."To read more, go to http://www.woodmoorvillage.org/2008/03/barack-obama-in.html
Obama Statement on the Filipino People Power Day and the Filipino Veterans Equity Act
Chicago, IL -- Twenty-two years after the People Power Revolution in the Philippines, we remember and commemorate the Filipino people who used the democratic, non-violent method of "people power" to overthrow the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and end the martial law regime that ruled the Philippines for fourteen years. On this anniversary, I urge my colleagues in Congress to honor the Filipino veterans who bravely fought with American troops in World War II. Approximately 250,000 Filipino troops joined American forces to fight in World War II, but too many of these heroes are still being denied benefits. The time has come for Congress to honor the Filipino veterans of World War II by finally enacting the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007. I applaud Chairman Akaka's leadership on this issue and will continue to urge my colleagues to provide the benefits and recognition these veterans deserve. Today, let us join Filipinos in America to honor the sacrifices and determination of the Filipino people in the tireless fight for democracy and freedom. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 25, 2008Obama Press Office, 312-819-2423
January 3, 2008
History will be made.
Today is The Day that Senator Barack Obama will win the Iowa caucuses.
"Dharma raksati, raksitah"
(He who protects dharma is himself protected by dharma.)
Dec 22, 2007. Thirteen days to go until the Iowa caucuses, counting this day. I'm back in Oregon for a few days now after volunteering in Iowa. There's still much work to do.Thanks to everybody for all your effort to help Barack win, and have a safe and fun trip to those who are planning to volunteer in Iowa and the early states.Graham (my field organizer in Fairfield), if you get to read this, know that we appreciate all your hard work and we're rooting for you. I was hoping for the details and behind-the-scene scoop with Michelle Obama's visit to Fairfield Dec 20, but was happy with your three-word email "Michelle was fantastic." I did get to see Michelle in Seattle last summer and she's right as rain fantastic.
In the caucus poster below, Barack tells usIT'S TIME TO UNITE AMERICA"I'm asking you to believe, not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington - I'm asking you to believe in yours."It's going to be rough sailing, but Barack will make it, if we all move together as one.One last picture. I waved this sign at Cedar Rapids, Iowa during the Oprah-Obama rally. That was a blast!With hope in my heart, I wish you all the best.Happy Holidays!
Dec 17, 2007. Seventeen days to the Iowa caucuses. We will fight to the finish. My volunteer days are over, we go home tomorrow, but the work continues. One of those who encouraged me to proceed to Iowa was Matt Sutton. When I had a panic attack, he emailed "You'd have the time of your life, nothing to be afraid of."
My daughter, Kalyanii wrote the blog below. On our way to Waterloo, we stopped by a Kum & Go Store in Ames, and there for everybody to see was the local newspaper The Tribune with a nice picture of Barack on the headline with the news that he is leading 9 points in a recent poll (Dec 15) at 33, with HRC and Edwards tied at 24. So you can imagine ecstasy and electricity in the air. Some of us have heard the "Fired Up" story several times, but it was a first for Kalyanii, and she was just blown away by the story and the reaction of the crowd.
At the end of the program, I climbed a chair to take pictures, but was unsuccessful. The media with their formidable video equipment charged forward despite repeated "You all have to go back, you're not allowed here."Kalyanii exchanged a few words with Barack -- My Mom came from Oregon, and my son and I came all the way from Washington to see you. As he shook her hand, Barack asked " ... where in Washington?" As you recall, Barack's mother went to school in Mercer Island in Seattle area.
****************
I'm Maria's daughter and am writing about our time in Waterloo. Mom, Karun (my son), and I drove to Waterloo on Saturday to see Barack. It was supposed to take 2.5 hours, but it took us 4 hours since it was so icy in some parts! We braved it out amidst overturned vehicles and vehicles in ditches to hear his speech and let Karun do a hi-five with him.
There were 500+ energetic people that clapped and cheered, as well as asked very good questions about what he will do about various issues such as immigration, health care, and veteran's benefits when he gets elected President. I thought his answers were well thought and well spoken, as well as from the heart. I also liked the fact that he acknowledged that all of the candidates had good policies but made himself stand out by saying how he would go about implementing them.
I feel that he is honest when saying that he will start a new kind of politics that isn't underhanded and insulting to the intelligence of Americans, such as slandering his opponent's character instead of concentrating on the important topics at hand.
Karun was behaving pretty well for being stuck in a car for 4 hours (he's 3 yrs old!) but he was tired by the time we got there and really wanted to run around and take pictures. After the speech, I rushed up front while holding Karun and pushed to the front so that Karun could meet Barack. He was having a little tantrum since he tried (but wasn't allowed) to go run under the rope (Secret Service gave him some looks and approached me when I had to go under the rope to run after him, but after I got him, I dodged back under the rope to the "safe" side so they left me alone!).
Finally Karun got to do a high-five with Barack and was quite shy. Barack was very gracious and warm-hearted! He chuckled when he saw that Karun was wearing an oversized Barack t-shirt with a Barack button pinned to it.
In fact, photographers took a bunch of pictures of Karun while he marched to the bathroom with Mom (he was potty trained before he turned 3!) in full Barack gear. Maybe his picture will turn up in the local paper or on Barack's website : )
Anywayz, time to go and Mom, I just have to say I love you and you are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a great blog.
Love, Kalyanii and Karun
Obama Part II
I completely forgot to talk about my "conversation" with Barack! Really it was only a few lines, but after he gave Karun a high-five, he went on to shake the next person's hand and I said "My mom came all the way from Washington to see you!" Then he turned his head and smiled and said "Oh really? What part of Washington?" Then I had to correct myself and say "Oh, Mom came from Oregon to see you! I came from Washington, Bremerton, Washington." Then Karun started running away since he wanted to be with Lola (my mom) and I said "You're doing a great job!" and then ran after Karun before he got lost in the crowd.
My mom and grandma took me to see Barack Obama so I can make history!!!
Dec 8, 2007. 10th day of volunteering in Fairfield, Iowa.Today, I came to the office to find my field organizer printing and sorting campaign materials in fast forward mode. He said 10 volunteers are coming from Peoria, Illinois to canvass. So I helped him sort out maps and directions, sign-in sheets, volunteer sign-up forms, caucus brochures, and Michelle Obama's Dec 11 event flyers. The last time I canvassed, it really helped to place all the materials in a bag, so we scrounged around for 10 grocery bags, one for each canvasser. I thought we sure can use nicer bags, but that's wishful thinking.Then the Illinois volunteers came in, bright-eyed and smiling. Mind you, it was very cold, the streets were icy, and they've driven over three hours.Here's a picture of Graham, giving instructions to a couple of the volunteers. They came earlier than the rest because they had to drive back sooner for previous commitments.The rest of the volunteers came, Graham objected to me taking pictures - "There's no time for that" - but not before I took this one.The young man (he's barely out of his teens)with the leather jacket is Jos Muzuma, one of the Muzuma Twins. I love love their music, which I'm playing right now. I remember the campaign using their instrumental piece called "Generation Obama" or was that "President Obama." Just in case you want to listen to some of their unique music, and friend them, here's a link to their MySpace.comhttp://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=39135738What else happened yesterday? I'll write about it, but beware this is my recollection and opinion, thus it's subjective, even biased.
I do not pretend to be a writer or a photographer, but I wrote notes and took pictures to share with everybody here in my blog.Well, five of us were carpooling to Cedar Rapids for the Oprah-Obama event, but after several phone calls and weather checks, they decided not to go. "It's too risky." So much for the rally, Graham already printed me a long list of phone calls for the evening, and I would have been happy to do phone banking. My secret wish though is to go to the rally. The phone rings, and one of the local supporters asks if by chance we have extra tickets, since he heard about people cancelling due to treacherous weather. As we talked, I asked him if I can carpool with him and his wife, and without preamble, he said yes. He had met Barack, he hasn't watched Oprah. He said "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." And "Don't worry, I've been driving since I was 14. This is a once in a lifetime event, we don't want to miss. We'd drive back if the roads get too dangerous." I was so scared and almost told them I had changed my mind, when I saw that their van had no back seat, no seatbelt, instead there was a futon mattress for me to sit on with my legs stretched out. They got pillows for me to lean on. It was a two-hour drive, and the windshield iced, but we made it to Cellular Center. We were there over a couple hours early, but the lobby was already packed. The energy was electric. Little girls all dressed up were chanting "I-O-W-A Barack Obama All The Way". And now and then somebody would lead the chant "Fired Up, Ready to Go". I chatted with a lady, who said she was host to a volunteer from Oregon, his name is Kevin. We were able to get one of the best seats on the preferred seating section. They -Eric and Kathy- were puzzled that I wanted to leave very early; seeing the crowds streaming in (9,575 of all colors and ages, there were babies and toddlers) they said they were glad we did that. They were meditators, so they meditated while waiting for the program to begin. They were concerned that it's starting late. I told them that Barack et al are coming from a previous rally in Des Moines. We waited, appreciating the singers who had us swaying and dancing on our seats and the students who presented a caucus skit that had us laughing, and informed. As it turned out, Kathy has never caucused although she's lived in Iowa for 25 years as an adult. When somebody passed out supporter cards, I encouraged her to sign up which she happily did. Then after a while, Kathy said "Oprah is in the building, I can feel her."When Michelle came out, the audience gasped because of her model looks and stylish dress and boots. There were loud, loud cheers for her. She introduced Oprah who came out to thunderous cheers. She seemed humbled by the crowd. Nobody can ever question that the audience loves Oprah. I thought the building might collapse because of the loud noise that won't stop. How she spoke about Barack was very persuasive, dignified and compelling - you probably have seen this on youtube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaQ3w_QSqEwOprah is credible and people trust her because her words come straight from the heart. She is a class act. She's genuine and real, just like our candidate. There were a few people who were curious about Oprah, and came out convinced the lady is just fine.Oprah brought the crowds in to get to listen to Barack. For those undecided people: If Oprah can't convince someone to caucus or vote for Barack, nothing will.When Barack came out, again I thought the building would break down due to the loud cheering and screaming. He said "Thank you, Honey" to Michelle -that's when he was acknowledging the two strong women with him. His speech was great, very powerful as you must have now seen on youtube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTDTXdCVyLY&feature=userIn person, it was radioactive, yes definitely radioactive. I saw Oprah wipe her tears at some point during his speech. Both Barack and Oprah had some of the audience, including me. crying, because what they say is touching and true. They inspire hope. They empower. They uplift. They connected fully with the audience. He looks younger, very handsome. Kathy said that Barack (paraphrase) is at the zenith of his spiritual and intellectual powers, and like Oprah said, he is The One to lead the U.S. and the world at this moment in history. I agree.We brought extra clothing and food in case we got stranded in Cedar Rapids, but we made it back. It took us over two hours to get out of the parking garage. We watched people go to their cars, chanting O-O-O Obama, still high energy from the rally. We talked and waited, until it was our turn to drive out. On the way home, we saw at least three cars that had fallen into the ditch, and one accident. We hope there were no serious injuries.I'm glad I decided to go. I feel blessed to witness this moment in history.
Dec 6, 2007. Day 8 of volunteering in Fairfield, Iowa.Michelle Obama is coming to Sigourney and Fairfield! The other day, Gita installed a huge Obama sign in Sigourney and we hope Michelle would be pleased to notice that. Graham is trying to find a place for Michelle's event in Fairfield. In Sigourney, it will take place in the public library. Some rural areas have no email access, but making phone calls to invite supporters to meet and hear Michelle speak is such a pleasant task! Comments were very positive about the future First Lady.At mid-afternoon today, Fairfield turned into a winter wonderland. I took this picture standing outside our campaign office.We're having a mock caucus in the evening, will people show up in this weather? Last time, 31 showed up for the mock caucus. Tonight, undaunted by the snowy streets, 19 came. Twelve came on time, the rest who were late weren't included in the viability calculations. Below are some of the attendees.Graham explained the caucus process in a clear, fun way.The tally sheet behind Nina and Bob shows that Superman won and was allotted the most number of delegates. Woe to the other candidates- Batman, Spiderman, Catwoman and Wonderwoman-Superman rules.A blue ticket for the triple O (Oprah and Michelle and Barack Obama) rally in Cedar Rapids--proudly earned by attending the mock caucus!
There was lively socializing after the mock caucus. In one conversation, Veronica, that's Dr. Butler, Fairfield's own supervolunteer, regaled us with the story about her red Fired Up Tshirt at the JJ Dinner. It so happened that she was on the same table with Tim Russert, who told her longingly how his son wouldl love that shirt, so Veronica, having a mother's heart of gold, gave her shirt to him, to give to his son, of course. You might recall that the next day, Barack was with Tim Russert on television. That was some interview, Barack was just fantastic.
Now, it's time to bundle up and head home after a fun mock caucus. Sandra obliged me by posing for a picture before going home. She's ready to caucus for Barack!
Barack firing up the crowds at Grinnell College!
Barack The Caucus!
Fired-Up college students ready to caucus for Barack on Jan 3.
Hawkeyes for Obama!Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.
Below, that's Graham, Patty, Dory and Tommy. Having attended a mock caucus the other week, Tommy gets a green ticket to Oprah-Obama rally on Dec 8. That's preferred seating which is earned also by volunteering for 4 hours.
Coastal Oregon *heart* Barack Obama.
The independent Depoe Bay newspaper supports Barack! Just ask senior editor Larry Steidle. Note
that Larry is now wise to the nature of those national polls. He knows it's NOT THE POLLS,
it's WE THE PEOPLE who will cast our votes for our best candidate.
Senator Obama, don't forget to visit Oregon, especially Depoe Bay in coastal Oregon, after you win the nomination.
We're ALL working really hard to spread the word in every way we can to get you and your beautiful family to the White House.
