Jeanie in Spokane has not just crossed political lines to vote for a candidate -- she’s changed her whole political philosophy.
"I have always voted in the past," she explained. "Always Republican. I believed that what was wrong with America was too much dependence on government. I believed our taxes were too high and that social programs had raised generation after generation of people who were destined to be dependent and not to stand up for themselves. I thought just voting Republican would be enough to ‘empower people.’"
But then I grew up. I realized I was more progressive all along. As the Right became more radical, I took a step back. And the Democratic Party has stepped up to the plate and become something of great stature.
Jeanie encountered Barack a few months before the primaries and was excited by his message of hope and his approach to the war in Iraq.
We as a people are in a somewhat dysfunctional society right now. And it holds us back. Barack’s message of “Hope! Change! Choice!” – those are real words to me. They mean something, You can change it all with one election.
As an emergency room nurse, Jeanie is most concerned about healthcare in this election.
Working in the ER… there is nowhere else the healthcare crisis is so apparent. The system is a mess. People can’t afford their prescriptions, so they stay sick and keep coming back to the ER. And they don’t have emergencies. They just can’t go anywhere else without insurance. The bottom line is that we have to fix it.
At 52 years old with four grown children and seven grandchildren, Jeanie has thrown herself full-force into the campaign. She’s volunteered, donated, and is currently organizing a massive grassroots event in Washington, DC.
I met a lot of supporters in Spokane, and we wanted to get even more people together, so I planned an event. And it’s so easy to do! And then I decided I wanted to do something different, something big. We’re planning this huge grassroots event now. We’ve reached out to people in North Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida… all coming together in DC. It’s going to be so exciting! When I first planned the event, I posted it on MyBo and went to work. That evening I had 14 pages of email about it!
A watercolor painter in her spare time, Jeanie even painted a watercolor of Barack that she hopes to auction to help support the event. Jeanie is excited about her upcoming event and for the future volunteer efforts she plans to do for Obama.
I am voting for Barack Obama because he seems to understand all of the issues we face, and yet he is able to rise up above the pettiness that plagues American politics. He seems to bring out the best in us.
Voices for Change is a series featuring profiles of Barack Obama's grassroots supporters from across the nation. The people who make up this movement come from all different backgrounds, but they share a common goal of helping bring about fundamental change in Washington.
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