early reflections of my first campaign

i have never felt exhaustion such as this. i hurt in places i didn’t even know existed and i’m going to spend most of this weekend sleeping. next week, i’m on the phone with obama for america to find my next destination (or make my next destination). between naps this weekend, i have no doubt i will be reflecting a great deal on the events and experience of the past week, in my first campaign adventure, and more is sure to follow.

first and foremost, i’ve seen the absolute worst and the absolute best in people. i met hundreds of people, from all types of backgrounds: race, socio-economic, religious, gender, sexual orientation, political. i met and spoke with racists and hard right gop’s. i met and spoke with elderly african americans whose faith in this movement still moves me to tears. i met young people, old people (including a bitch who left me in texas), middle-aged people, children, and even dogs who believe in obama and what he can do for america.

i worked long and crazy hours side-by-side with a most wonderful group of campaigners (many of which are in the photo above. oh, and by the way, we had all been up for at least 24 hours when that photo was taken). fortunately for me, most of them actually live in los angeles so we’ll keep on a keepin’ on by meeting for pow-wow phone banking sessions, future campaign spots (hopefully evansville, indiana), happy hours, and maybe one or two not so happy hours.

rachel was the first person i saw when i arrived at headquarters. she was a constant and reliable resource and possesses more energy than any human being i know. her darling brother, russell, a jewelry hunter, was always cracking jokes while crunching the numbers that kept us all happy. lauren’s wisdom, patience, and love far surpasses that of a woman who celebrated her 23rd birthday in the midst of the madness. joe was always ready to fix any problem, no matter how far the drive, and introduced me to andrew sullivan. gail left me in texas. shayne is the reason i did this and i’ll never let him forget it. dan and his cutie patootie chicago accent is taking a break from the campaign (he’s been going and going and going). aaron is going to remember me for the rest of his life for a gift that, “made [his] month”. harlen helped me find answers to so many questions i had hoped to find while on this journey. sassy kathryn is a force to be reckoned with and i hope she stays on the campaign before returning to tv. victoria’s patience has inspired me to try to be better at it. maya’s signs and terrific humor kept me rallying when the need for a nap reared its ugly head. liz was my co-pilot in the big church van and shared my awe with the caucus at precinct 331. nick the economist, and already my friend, will most certainly be my sidekick in future campaigns. brookey, please stay in my life forever. and karsh. karsh has my poster and my unwavering admiration for the way he handled and drove the campaign in galveston; never given a dime by the campaign and selflessly donating his money, time, energy, and leadership, karsh was the heart of galveston for obama. thank you all for making this the most incredible adventure of my life. i will never forget you.

i’ve said it a dozen times already and i’ll likely say it a dozen more, i could not have been happier in galveston. it is home to the most wonderful, generous, kind, friendly, and happy people i have ever met in my life. though riddled with poverty and pockets of bigotry, the island is full of people who still see the world through rose-colored glasses (like me). they have inspired me with their devotion, hope, and kindness. they keep me believing, even after the disappointing results this week, that yes we can!