So I’m listening to Joe Beats (www.joeybeats.com) as I drive down the Garden State Parkway to the April 26th Debate Party in Camden, New Jersey. I’m running late because I was adamant about uploading my latest grassroots video, Jersey plays for keeps (Link ), before leaving the house. I stressed about interrupting the group’s flow by sauntering late and got myself a bit lost. I called Kirsten and she skillfully directed me to her home. As I drove down Kirsten's street I found her on the front lawn waving me over with the ease of an air traffic controller guiding a first time pilot. Kirsten introduced me to her son, Christopher, and another local supporter, Rebecca. A comfortable couch and welcoming chairs surrounded a low coffee table filled with snacks. I was relieved to find that in spite of my tardiness, there was still a place for me at the table.
I fully admit to being another politically apathetic citizen prior to discovering Senator Obama. As we sat around munching away, I realized that another reason I love America is that it is a country where the goal is to always make room at the table.
Kirsten’s DVR recorded the debate while we shared our individual journeys to the grassroots effort and swapped gripes about our list serves full of emails that are often far removed from our Commander’s Intent. Many of these emails remind me of that line in Raiders of the Lost Ark where this guy asks Indy, “Why is it you seek the Ark of the Covenant? Is it for his glory, or yours?”Were we all on a battlefield together and our Commander ordered us to capture the flag atop a hill, we would have no need for superfluous communication because we would all be unified in that mad dash towards the flag. We would also have no time or energy to sacrifice on negatively infectious communication. We would not need to be micro-managed because we all know we are trying to capture that flag. This clear Commander's Intent "capture the flag" puts EVERYTHING in perspective and washes away the salty thorns.
At Selma, Senator Obama told us to get Cousin Pookey to vote. "Get Cousin Pookey to Vote" is our Commander's Intent. So before committing any superfluous emails to cyberspace or any negative sentiments about the competition or fellow supporters to the blogosphere, ask yourself, "Will this help get Cousin Pookey to vote?" If you even slightly suspect that said sentiments will not help get Cousin Pookey to vote, please print your sentiments out, read them aloud to yourself, post them on a cork-board somewhere, and go for a run.
Cousin Pookey is vital to our success. I know because I was a Cousin Pookey. I voted in every general election since I was old enough to, but have never voted in the primaries or any other election. I am however proud to say I have also never voted for American Idol. One of the reasons I got interested in the grassroots effort was the discovery that the powers-that-be have literally been banking on Cousin Pookeys choosing not to bother voting.
I have developed this habit of giving away free shirts to guys on basketball courts & in barbershops (www.atthatdrop.com/shirts). Last week I gave this 18-year-old playing hookey on a basketball court one of my shirts that say Barack on the front. He asked me, “What’s Barack?” That evening he sent me an email thanking me because he had googled Barack & was now bragging to his friends and family about Senator Obama. So this is the thing – Barack Obama has set a place at the table for Cousin Pookey.
When we finally got around to watching the DVR of the debate, it was clear that none of the other candidates were concerned with our country’s Cousin Pookeys. Still, I appreciated the camaraderie in the air amongst most of the candidates; particularly Obama, Clinton, & Edwards. It showed that the Democrats are becoming kinda cool. And this is vital. This is why we must be respectful of both the Clinton and Edwards camps. After we win the primaries, we are all going to be rather busy insuring that each registered voter from either camp can find him or herself a place at our table…
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