Obama pays it forward

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/14547

Obama pays it forward
Barack Obama
by Robin Elliot | May 10, 2008 - 3:31pm




I’ve copied and pasted, unedited, inspiring words from an inspired comment I saw today. The Commenter is referring to this post.

I just wanted to say thank you for your article on senator barack obama who is truly a american who stands for change for and from all americans and people in unity. I have listened to him and have responded by becoming a motivational speaker and advocate supporter for the homeless and struggling families. I have found it to be very Important to speak to as many of our youth as possible in a way that will help them feel structure, worth, and know there is a sincere possibility that someone cares. I am a single mother of three and a grandmother of three I live on a fixed income, worked since the age of 13 and I am now 50. I will forever live by the truth of what senator obama said ” all children are our children” and when we learn to stop judging children or their parents we It will forever be a change we can believe in. The inspirational truth of senator obama’s message is a heart and mind choice that will determine action.

when people say action speaks louder than words I can tell my children that it is senator obama’s words that have created action!

But, my bad, I'd nearly forgotten that words don’t matter. Isn't that what Hillary Clinton tells us repeatedly? According to her, it is only actions that are important. You know, the Very Important kind like supporting invasions of Iraq and Iran, those kinds of actions.

Senator Hillary Clinton, February 2008: “I will put forth my experience. Sen. Obama will put forth a speech he made in 2002.”

Re-engaging the American people matters. Communication matters. Words matter. Without them, we'd have one less Commenter motivated to advocate for the homeless, now wouldn't we?

[panader0]

1. Amen

This "inexperienced" man has brought millions more dem voters to the dance. With words.

[KSinTX]

2. Tale from the campaign trail

In the lull between TX and PA primaries, I started noticing that the Obama faithful on the campaign site were getting restless and falling into "Devil's Workshop" territory. So I started thinking (from a purely strategic political view) how to turn all that internal discontent into positive action. So I joined the Obama Supporters Against Hunger and Poverty group and promoted a food drive for specific, politically advantageous areas of Pennsylvania, primarily Pittsburgh's rural outreach. A small group of us figured that if we as a campaign had raised so many millions for campaign promotion, could we not as a grassroots effort do the same but with the outcome to help others?

Well, initially, we had a moderate number of people respond to our Pittsburgh call, but something different from what I'd expected started happening. People started thinking about their own home towns and how some in their own communities had been forgotten and had languished. So while a number donated to the initial Pennsylvania effort (focused mainly on rural areas), actual food drives started sprouting up all over the country. Yes, there was Philly which was the first to start their own food drive. Then Seattle, DC, south Texas, Austin, San Antonio, and Chicago. I started getting emails from people who had merged the food drive with their caucus, with local businesses with lots of things having nothing to do with political advantage in PA, but that spread good will of the Obama campaign far beyond the borders I'd envisioned.

Then a website called Obamaworks.org was brought to our attention and some people joined that effort, while others, such as the Austin delegates, held a canned food drive and worked with a small, local homeless shelter.

Why did we do it? Because in a tough time when people were anxious at not hearing from the central offices of the campaign, we realized "we are the ones we've been waiting for," we are the definition of bottom up democracy. People kept wondering, "Did you ask the campaign?" And we said, "No, this is the definition of grassroots!"



Just words: Yes, We Can!

[babylonsister]

3. Wonderful! You're paying it forward, too. Thank you! nt

[KSinTX]

4. Now THIS gal exemplifies kindness of spirit and paying it forward

To set the stage, this gal was phonebanking in W. Va. Her login name is "eve" and this is how her story begins: The person I was trying to reach wasn't home, apparently at work, so I told his wife who I was and asked if I might speak to her about the election. She said..."everyone in this family is voting for Clinton"...I said I respected her decision but was interested in the basis for her decision.

-snip-

At this point the woman told me that she has a serious illness which is eventually terminal and that her husband has to drive 1 1/2 hours to his job at the post office and that they spend 1/3 of their income on gasoline. Her husband then has to take care of chores when he comes home because she is immobilized. They have asked for a transfer for her husband to their local town which would cut his commute down to 1/2 hour but have not been able to get anyone to do anything for them.

I felt so sorry to hear how tough things were that I asked her if I could get her the phone numbers of her Senators and Representative. I provided those for her and suggested she call them for help and that that's what they're there for.

We hung up but I continued to check out some things for her. I called the mayor's office to find out about local services and called her back with a couple of more phone numbers for home assistance. She was very nice and was happy to take the information.

She mentioned that her husband had called between the time we had spoken and they are thinking now of voting for Barack Obama.

And I told her that I believe we need more community in this country.

I wished her the best of luck for herself and her family and we said good bye.

Tomorrow I will return to making some more calls to West Virginia.

-snip-

To read the entire story:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/9/1940/77825/692/512895