On the Road for Barack Obama by Sandy Frankel,Supervisor of the Town of Brighton

On the Road for Barack Obama



By Sandy Frankel



In what is possibly the most important election of our lifetime, I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines when our country so desperately needs to move in a different direction after eight years of decline under the Bush administration. Our country and our communities are suffering.

We now have a fiscal crisis of massive proportion with an enormous national deficit and debt burden, which future generations will shoulder. We have struggled under the great physical and economic strain of fighting two wars. We have lost respect around the globe.

Change is essential if we are to restore our economic strength and stimulate job growth, create a clean environment and healthy planet for our children and grandchildren, improve educational outcomes so that our students become productive citizens, ensure access to affordable quality health care, and end the war in Iraq.

I felt compelled to be part of the effort to bring about critically needed change, because I believe that Barack Obama and Joe Biden have the best judgment, temperament, and experience to lead our nation in the right direction. They carry the banner forward for hope for a brighter future with a vision, values, and pragmatic plan to recapture the American dream.

I eagerly participated in a video of women who support Obama, in fundraising for the Rochester Women for Obama, in organizing newspaper ads for Rochester's Jewish voters who endorse Obama, and in setting up a phone bank to call voters in swing states. But a road trip for Obama—this was an unexpected challenge and treat.

Ohio, a large swing state where many people remain undecided about the presidential election, was a spot where help was needed. The Obama campaign, which maintained the grassroots energy it has utilized for the last 20 months, has encouraged and empowered local volunteers to organize trips to battleground states. That's why Rochester for Obama targeted Ohio locales in close proximity to western New York for road trips. Volunteers traveled together to do door-to-door canvassing and to make phone calls to undecided voters in Ohio.

It was an easy decision to give up 50 percent of my weekend to travel across state lines in a carpool with friends who shared a passion for CHANGE for America -- the desire to turn the page and move our country forward, in a united, positive and specific way.

We drove 4 hours and 25 minutes on a beautiful, colorful fall day to Warren, Ohio. Our early start and late return meant a very long day with lots of walking and door-knocking in between. I traveled with three other people, two old hands at political campaigning, and one, a high school student who experienced for the first time the hard work that is the foundation of our country’s democratic process. It was uplifting to accompany a young adult on this important journey.

We had the opportunity to meet some wonderful volunteers from across the nation who had come to Ohio to help the campaign, and I even saw friends from the Rochester area who had taken the same route. One surprise was meeting former Rochesterians now living in Ohio who made our experience seem like a family reunion.

We canvassed neighborhoods, rang doorbells, and knocked on doors to talk with people about the election. Most were friendly and open, but a few turned us away. A neighborhood of modest homes on small lots made walking door to door easy, and we connected with many people. Another neighborhood had homes far apart on large lots, so we had to drive from house to house. In both situations, we listened to people’s concerns. In reality, we are all much more alike than we are different, and we share the same concerns about jobs, health care, financial stability, and our children's future.

Face-to-face conversation is the most effective means of campaigning and an opportunity to share information on ideas. I thought it was important to do this in a place where so many people remained undecided as a result of confusing and negative political advertising--especially smear ads of late that try to link a loyal and patriotic American, U.S. Senator Barack Obama, with terrorists. Mudslinging has always been a part of American presidential politics, but this terrible tactic has gone over the line and fortunately is starting to backfire.

During the campaign, Obama has remained calm in the face of these spurious claims, and we have kept our cool as representatives of the national campaign. No matter how frustrating it was to hear people wonder about this inspiring and transformational candidate's patriotism, we remained respectful and focused on the facts.

We have a great two-party tradition in this country, and competitive campaigns demonstrate that our democracy is alive and well. That same spirit of competition accompanied an Ohio State football game, which drew people away from home or glued them to their television sets. But this didn't stop us from connecting with many people in a very upfront and personal way, and that made our weekend worthwhile.

It was fun talking to people we had never met and might never meet again. It was fun traveling with old friends and new, and seeing the light of optimism and hope in the eyes and actions of our young traveling companion. It was exhilarating to share with so many our hopes and dreams for a strong and swift recovery for the nation we all love, and for new leadership and the long awaited change. If I had it to do over again --- I would definitely give up a Saturday to go on the road for Barack Obama.





[Sandra Frankel is the first women and first Democrat ever elected to the position of Supervisor of the Town of Brighton (pop. 35,000), Monroe County, New York. Since1992, she has served as the elected executive and has created positive change for her community. She won the New York State Democratic Primary Election to become the party’s nominee for Lt. Governor in 1998, co-chaired former NYS Comptroller Carl McCall’s 2002 campaign for Governor, and served as co-chair of U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first U.S. Senate campaign in Monroe County. As a friend of Hillary’s, she campaigned in New Hampshire and served as a surrogate in Indiana and New York during the 2008Presidential Primary Election. She also campaigned in Scranton, Ohio for Presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004.]