From Chuck C. in Lancaster, PA
Our group of volunteers worked from 7:00 a.m. til after 8:00 p.m. on Election Day 2008, then sat down to watch returns. Volunteers came straggling in from knocking on doors until after dark, and our phone bank was making calls equally late. We watched the early returns at the home of our host family, than moved to the home of another volunteer to watch for another hour or two. Then my wife and I went home to watch President-Elect Obama speak in Grant Park. It's impossible to describe how good a feeling that gave us. A year has passed, and I'm heartened by the progress I see in rebuilding our economy and crafting a health reform bill. I support President Obama as strongly today as I did on Election Night 2008.
From Greg M.:
On November 4th, 2008 I got a call to action to leave the town where I had been volunteering -- Phoenixville -- and spend the day in Coatesville, a priority GOTV city in Chester County. I still get all choked up when I think of one very special exchange I had with an older woman, Esther, in a retirement high-rise. I could not gain access to her building, but I noticed our walk lists also had phone numbers, so I sat in the lobby of her building, calling the residents, staring at my reflection in the drizzle-streaked window, making sure they voted. My hundreds of hours, my vacation time, my energy, my efforts, my everything, were all rewarded by Esther telling me that she voted for "Our man, Barack Obama." And as exciting as it was to go back to Phoenixville and join with the other volunteers to celebrate our victory, nothing compares to that quiet moment on the phone with Esther.
From Betty W.:
November 4, 2008 in some ways seems like a vague dream, but full of unforgettable moments. I remember the intensity, the exhilaration, and the total exhaustion afterward. We had a volunteer office in Penn Hills and the campaign staffers had constantly told us for months that Obama had to carry Pennsylvania to win. In order to carry Pennsylvania, we had to carry Allegheny County, and to carry Allegheny County, we had to carry Penn Hills, (the largest suburb outside the city).After the polls closed, about 12 of us met at Morgan’s restaurant and watched the election results. We were expecting a tight race for PA, and were amazed when it was announced about 9:00 p.m. that we had solidly won the state. By 11:05, Barack Obama had been declared the President-Elect. The next hours were spent on the phone sharing joyous emotions with fellow campaign warriors, family, friends... and most surprisingly, people I had not talked to in ages; they were reaching out to share the intensity of their emotions.The experience of this campaign and election forged bonds and relationships that I will cherish forever.
November 4, 2008 in some ways seems like a vague dream, but full of unforgettable moments. I remember the intensity, the exhilaration, and the total exhaustion afterward. We had a volunteer office in Penn Hills and the campaign staffers had constantly told us for months that Obama had to carry Pennsylvania to win. In order to carry Pennsylvania, we had to carry Allegheny County, and to carry Allegheny County, we had to carry Penn Hills, (the largest suburb outside the city).
After the polls closed, about 12 of us met at Morgan’s restaurant and watched the election results. We were expecting a tight race for PA, and were amazed when it was announced about 9:00 p.m. that we had solidly won the state. By 11:05, Barack Obama had been declared the President-Elect. The next hours were spent on the phone sharing joyous emotions with fellow campaign warriors, family, friends... and most surprisingly, people I had not talked to in ages; they were reaching out to share the intensity of their emotions.
The experience of this campaign and election forged bonds and relationships that I will cherish forever.
