Fired Up and Ready to Go!

May 5, 2008

By Tracey Cavette
Region 4 Member

The call to fight came on Saturday, April 12, 2008. The International asked for volunteers to go to Pittsburgh to join in the fight to help get Senator Barack Obama elected. We left Flint early on Friday morning heading for Detroit to meet others from all Michigan. Once in Detroit we registered and boarded the bus headed to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania singing “Block by Block for Barack!” and “Purple Power has got his Back”! By the time we made it to Pittsburgh we were definitely FIRED UP AND READY TO GO! And that is just what we did. We hit the ground running block by block for Barack. We knocked on all of Change to Win union members doors and talked to their neighbors about how it was so important to go the polls and vote, from sun up, to sun down. The night before the primary election we went to the Peterson Center Barack Obama Campaign Rally where we stood in line trading buttons from people that came from all over the states like New Hampshire. There was an unbelievable charge of electric contagious energy in the air. After a short wait, Change to Win was escorted into the rally singing “Block by Block for Barack!” and Purple Power has his Back“! It was awesome unity moment, to catch sight of how there really is power in numbers.

At times the college students in the upper bleacher would yell “FIRED UP!” and we’d yell back “AND READY TO GO!” And that was the sentiment in the center that evening as the “Yes We Can” video played. Everyone on one accord, “Change that We Can Believe in!

NFL football player Franco Harris was there. Teresa Heinz and her husband Senator John Kerry spoke briefly. After which the most gracious Michelle Obama spoke and introduced her husband, Senator Barack Obama. Senator Obama gave an wonderful speech as usual. To see his sincerity and witness his committee to the working class of America as he gave SEIU a shout out was a solidifying moment in our own personal decision’s to support Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.

It was a breathtaking day in history to be a part of the Purple Ocean and Change to Win that day. Many volunteers on the floor stood for hours just get close enough to shake the Senators and Michelle’s hand.

The day of the vote we went back to make sure everyone that was supporting Barack got out and voted and asked them to take a friend with them. Many of the people were moved to the realization of how important their right to vote was to them. After we told them how we came all the way from Michigan, because we didn’t have a chance to cast our vote for him. Several of them assured us that they would get out and vote. And those were the areas that were in heat of the battle. Although, Senator Obama didn’t finish first in that primary he picked up 67 delegates only seven less than Hillary Clinton. She picked up 74 delegates.

He is not beat and that was not the end, because CHANGE TO WIN, will meet them in Indiana and North Carolina singing “Block by Block for Barack!”