Epilogue from a McCain Maverick

        As some of you know, I have been away from Gather since October 20^th.  From that day to this I have been working as a McCain Maverick volunteer.  When I applied on line to be accepted into this program, I knew that I would be working 12 hour days weeknights and weekends. I has been a wonderful and exhilarating experience even though the outcome of the election was not what I had hoped and worked for. Last night after our small local Republican Headquarters closed with the polls, I attended a "Victory Rally" at a banquet hall for our candidates, their supporters, and volunteers. Having made the rounds and received "pats on my back" for my efforts, I hurried home for the late night vigil to watch the results come in. Exhausted, I fell asleep shortly after Pennsylvania was called for Candidate Obama!

          This morning, I woke not saddened, disappointed or angry as I had expected.  Rather I awoke with a sense of inner peace and self-satisfaction that I had done all I could, as an American, to act upon my beliefs and my values in support of Senator John McCain and Governor Palin. This campaign was not only their journey, it became my journey as well.

          I took my first step by exploring my values about government.  In a paraphrase of those immortal words of John F. Kennedy, I asked my self "what government could do for me" and turned to "what I could do for government."  I started writing myself inside out beginning in July 2007 about my opinions using Gather as my platform.  As I let my fingers walk the keyboard, I explored Gatherland.  I "met" some of the most amazing people.  Some of those people became friends.  Others exposed the worst sides of humanity: insults, ignorance, disrespect, slander, and unbridled partisanship most of which became personal.  Like many of you, I had thought about taking my disgust with me and leave Gather.  Tonight, I am glad I persevered.

          Perhaps, it was disillusionment with those personal attacks on my words and those of my friends who shared my opinions that spurred me on to find an alternate platform for my belief in American democracy. I firmly believe and continue to believe that our right to vote the issues is the greatest gift we, as Americans, share regardless of which candidate we support. With inspiration from Senator McCain and Governor Palin, I decided to step away from my keyboard and "walk my talk."

          And walk, I did! During my 12 hour days, I recruited and mobilized 75 students from four (4) of our local high schools to participate in the Republican "Get Out the Vote" Campaign.  At the outset, I made it clear to these young people that their work had nothing to do with Party affiliation.  Rather, their involvement was all about democracy and exercising the right to vote. These students volunteered to call voters who had not voted and urge them to get to the polls. On November 4^th alone, 3,358 calls were made from our office! There could have been more calls made but our county had not been allocated enough cell phones from the Republican Party in Indianapolis.  Clearly, the Party had not anticipated our youth.  Some students met with me and my McCain Marshall, himself a volunteer, at 5:00 a.m. to receive their assignments as "poll book watchers."  These students sat at the polls from 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to monitor which voters did come to vote.  The names of those who did not vote were "rushed" back to headquarters and called by others. One remarkable young woman organized her friends for a student rally on the steps of our county courthouse.  Approximately 30 students stood on the street corners for an hour and waved McCain / Palin signs while passing drivers honked in support.  Other students participated in door-to-door neighborhood walks to knock on doors and give out campaign literature. As the word spread through the high schools about volunteering for the election of Senator McCain, four (4) young men about to enter the military walked through the door at campaign headquarters to offer their time to help elect their Commander in Chief.  Unbeknownst, to these students, our local State Representative had secured donations from the other candidates to give the volunteers a few dollars at the end of their day to reward their efforts.  No student expected money when they volunteered.  All were surprised and grateful.  Two students refused the money offered.  If these students are our future, our community is in good hands.

          I recruited many adult volunteers as well and could have recruited more had the local Republican Party been more organized and prepared.  I met some amazing patriotic people who gave of their personal time to assist in the "Get Out the Vote" effort. I met members of our community I never knew existed during the 20 years I have lived here. Those that could, came to Headquarters and spent hours calling voters at night and on weekends.  House bound elderly asked to call voters from their home.  One 78 year old bright pink lady who was hard of hearing heeded my call to volunteer and spent four hours calling voters.  She used my personal cell phone because it could amplify the sound permitting her to hear and speak to voters.  A community small business woman volunteered the offices in her granary for us to make voter calls because we were short of cell phone. Parents brought their children. Wives coerced their husbands.  Friends brought other friends.  Two married couples spent their Friday evening "date night" calling voters and chatting among themselves about the comments they had received from those voters who did not welcome the reminder. Church leaders left with bundles of pro-life brochures for their churches representing every denomination in our community.  Restaurateurs donated food for volunteers and gave us a discount on box lunches for poll watchers. If these ordinary community "Joe's" are willing to give of their personal time to support the right to vote, our country is in better shape than Gatheranians gave me to suspect.

          It is true that "all politics are local" and as such office politics are everywhere! I had to fight with the Chairperson of the Republican Party for office space.  She never accepted representatives from the State or us who represented the national effort. She religiously reminded me to unplug the coffee pot. To placate her, I vacuumed the entire office each night before I left.  I bought office supplies for our use when I discovered that she had taped all the drawers in every desk shut with masking tape the day after we invaded her space.  I was bound and determined not let her parochial attitudes effect our efforts! I kept my focus by constantly reminding myself that this small office was part of a bigger idea.  That bigger idea was confirmed when our office was connected by telephone conference with 600 other offices around the nation to hear Governor Palin give her volunteers a "pep talk."  With students, parents, and children gathered around a table all ears listened to a single cell phone to hear Governor Palin encourage and thank campaign supporters. One mom taped the message using her digital camera.  That ought to make a great YouTube video: seven people of all ilk and ages cheering into a cell phone!

          In the final analysis, that was and is the true message of this election year:  people of all ilk and ages cheering the functions of American democracy. I will always be grateful that I gave of my personal time to renew my faith in democracy and in people.  I will support our new President out of respect for the voice of the people who have spoken but I am more committed than ever to hold him to his promises and watch closely as his campaign rhetoric evolves into policies. I have also learned that I will measure President Obama by the values I share with Senator McCain and Governor Palin:  tenacity, honesty, patriotism, optimism, frugality, respect for all opinions, belief in smaller government, elimination of earmarks, disdain for governmental waste, bipartisanship, government reform, respect for State rights, commitment to national security, aide for our veterans, and a sincere desire to help ordinary Joe's like myself and the people of our community. 

          Tomorrow I may return to Gatherland but I will do so renewed by Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin.