When I arrived at the party, I was greeted warmly by the host Bobby Damsky, a Clinton supporter who led me to meet some of the others who were Obama supporters, they thanked me for coming. There was a table laden with food and Obama pins, Obama bumper stickers, a sign-up sheet. I signed in my name, but I did not take an Obama pin or sticker. I was wearing an orange pin given to me that said "Hillary supports Obama so do I!!" as that was as far as I had come for the moment. As more folks arrived I met fellow Hillary supporters. I met the organizer Kevin Xu from the Obama campaign who I had talked on the phone with previously. The turnout was approx half Hillary supporters and half Obama ones, about 15 folks with an incredible cultural mix of backgrounds and ages.This was the first time I had ever been to an event organized by the Obama campaign and it did feel different, while I presented myself as cool and collected, I had butterflies in my stomach and was feeling both a whirl of emotions as well as grounded logical thoughts that I was here for the sole purpose of unity. The Obama supporters were very nice and you know when it came down to it, they were really no different than me in our shared Democratic ideals and beliefs, our party's policies and goals.We all talked with one another, searching for common ground, trying to bond, discussing our experiences and finding that despite the stories out there of discord and division between Clinton and Obama supporters being presented in the media and being exploited by the Republican party, that unity is not beyond our reach, but more like we have the power to make it happen and should make it happen. Before Hillary's speech we went around the room introducing ourselves and our opinions about the convention and the election and I must say the Obama supporters took great effort to understand us Hillary folks and to appreciate our sentiments and concerns.As Hillary began her speech the room fell quiet. There I sat on the couch sandwiched between two Obama supporters, while engaging wide-eyed at the TV screen watching Hillary magnificently give the speech of her lifetime, the woman I wanted to be President of the United States, that I had personally invested so much time to her campaign, that I felt was the one. The respect there however came from everyone, and by the time she finished, we were all Democrats gathered together in one place, unified and whole ready to elect Barack Obama our next President. It was felt that everything we are fighting for as Democrats was for a greater good, it was not to satisfy our favorite candidate or each of us on our own but to merge ourselves into a complete picture of unification. It happened in that room, it happened for us and it can happen for others going thru the process. We had become a delegation of unifiers more willing to take on the needs of helping this country to get back on its feet again.A Hillary supporter came up to me to say goodbye and as she left she squeezed my hand and said she was so glad I was there, that she was coming round and she thanked me.When it was time to go, I walked past the table with the Obama pins and stickers, and alas it was empty, I actually felt a bit disappointed, but the campaign organizer turned around and said here you go Leigh, I think these are yours, I saved the last ones for you.I was support staff for the Hillary Clinton HQ in Charlotte. I was a community volunteer working with the Political Director for the region, assisting the campaign staff with tasks and focusing on organizing advance logistics, local strategy, forums, meet and greets and I hosted a party at my home entitled the "Hillary I know House Party" with close friends of Hillary's who were the speakers. I housed for 5 weeks the Field Organizer of the office in my home and I worked tirelessly for Hillary's campaign during the Primary season and would especially like to point out the wonderful team effort that I was privileged to be part.
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