My first week here in Des Moines has been a total blast. Ever since my arrival, there has been a lot of work, and a lot of fun. The people working on this campaign are some of the nicest and most dedicated people I have ever met, and I have only known them for seven days. I am so impressed by the amount of organization here, and I am convinced that this is truly a full-fledged grassroots effort at its most elemental level. Over the past week, my main job as the new intern has been to make calls—lots and lots of calls. These have mostly been focused on a DVD the campaign sent out all over the state which has some biographical info about Senator Obama. We were calling to see if these people had had a chance to watch the DVD and what they thought about it. I’ve really enjoyed this type of work so far. The conversations that this format allow you to get into are wonderful, and I’ve gotten the chance to connect with people on a wide array of issues that the Senator and that this campaign stand for. We talk about the Iraq war, health care, education, labor, and on and on, but on all of these issues I find that they are not simply random ideas that are being floated around; these are issues that people care about, issues on which they want their president to take a strong and proactive stand.
The joy of working on this campaign is that the people working here and the candidate we are working for are all deeply troubled by the tough situations faced by people across this country, and we are all committed to electing a man to the presidency who will be the leader we are looking for. The inspiration and drive are in the air here, so thick you could cut them with a knife. We are of a common purpose, and though the calls can seem to drone along, though there are times that we cannot necessarily see the light at the end of this long tunnel, we continue to stay motivated and to reach for every voter. And one by one, contact by contact, we slowly build the organization that will bring this movement to a head.
The campaign is just beginning for me, and the organization we have on the ground already is incredible. As I get the chance to go to events and make our candidate known, I find that I’m not just there for some visibility and a little coverage. I am affected by the gatherings of regular Iowans making a difference with poverty in the world, or enjoying the second largest art festival in the country, or listening to a live klezmer band in Beaverdale Park for Jazz in July. The people here are not so different from those in my hometown, and that in a way makes it easier to connect with them. I will keep enjoying these events, and though I am only here for a short time, I hope to become a part of this community. In the end, I am reminded that my purpose for being here, electing Barack Obama as the next president of the United States, will come to fruition only with the continued efforts of people like me making a difference, one vote at a time.
