John McCain was in Defiance, Ohio Thursday. A city of about 17,000 that sits 55 miles southwest of Toledo and only 45 miles east of Fort Wayne, Indiana. One would think being so close to two larger cities in two red states that are starting to lean Obama, McCain would draw a huge crowd. No such thing. Not only did McCain’s new pal Joe not show up for the rally, neither did many others. In fact, only 6,000 were on hand to see John McCain and out of those were 4,000 elementary, middle, and high school children, and their teachers. The entire Defiance School District of 2,500 attended along with at least three surrounding schools districts in the area busing their schoolchildren and teachers to fill the remaining seats.

Last week when John McCain was in New Mexico, he almost drew 1000 people. The beginning of October Michelle Obama was in Boulder Colorado, 9,700 people showed up to hear her speak and no one had to bus any children in to fill the seats. When Barack Obama was in Denver on Sunday, he had over 100,000 people show up to hear him speak, a couple hours later he arrived in Ft. Collins Colorado to 50,000 people waiting to greet him. People drive from all over Colorado and neighboring states to listen to both Barack and Michelle Obama and Joe Biden. The Obama’s will be appearing together in Pueblo Colorado on Saturday, that’s about two hours or so from north Denver suburbs but I know many from the north will be making the trek south.

You know John and I feel since you always refer to me as your friend that I may call you John; it does not help matters when your staff is throwing real supporters of yours out of your rallies because of the way they look, because they “might,” protest. Especially in Iowa, at a University, with the college kids whose votes you need.  Yes, there were a few who had protested at another one of your rally’s but the rest were honest to goodness supporters. Too bad, most had already cast their votes. Perhaps that is why only a couple thousand adults showed up in Ohio.

I have to tell you, today I voted for Barack, and I cried. After I wrote this, I remembered that there was a wonderful video during the primaries, and I really did not feel the intensity of it until I voted in the general...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBVKsartJFs

 At the U of A Student Union, I was just a few blocks from where I was when I heard that Dr. King was assasinated, and less then that far away from where I was when I heard that Bobby Kennedy was assasinated. The lifelong friend I was with on both of those days (and actually on the day we got the news about JFK), has since died of breast cancer. We had our children, passed middle age, and I wish she, and my Nana, who took me to my first civil rights march in Oakland, could be here now, and go with me to the polls.

There, at the Union, I was right on the Mall where I helped plant 444 crosses for Arizonans killed the Viet Nam war, including several classmates. Then again today, while walking back to work, I passed a corner where two ROTC students in uniform had tried to take a box of black armbands from me, destined for my department faculty for that Viet Nam moritorium day observance. One of our linebackers, "Bad Brad" who was in my English class, appeared suddenly, put his massive hand on my shoulder, and asked "Do you have a problem with my little friend here?' Brad was as tall as a tree, well over 300 pounds, and very black. Needless to say, these two little bullies scurried back into whatever rat-hole they had crawled out of to shove me up against the wall.

I moved back here in 2000. I work for right on the UofA campus. I am so blessed to be able to vote for Barack in a place where I was such an young college student activist, and to walk by these places that are connected to that past. I know Barack is not the perfect progressive candidate, but I believe that he can bring us together, and heal many of the ancient wounds.

The odd thing is, that McCain missed all of these years of the American Experience. I had friends and family members on the ground and at risk during the entire Viet Nam war, and prayed for there safe return every day. But two, two-year, tours were the max. John was in the hell-whole when Dr. King and Bobby were assasinated. He missed, through no fault of his own, the terrible shootings at Kent State, the Democratic Convention Riots, watergate and the impeachment hearings - he has failed to connect, and possibly this has a lot to do with it...

I also realized, when he seemed so unpreturbed by the horrible crowd behavior at the Palin rallys that he missed the horrible Wallace campaign, and all of the ugliness of those years. He just doesn't get it, because he missed the experience. Anyhow, I started this to tell you how I cried, and how much it meant for me to vote for Barack Obama, and his vision.

I have been off-line since just after the primaries, unless I go by a café, or stay late at work...and I can't deal with the negativity of the dem HQ crowds here, as I am more like my candidate in terms of knowing that inclusion and reaching out are only harder when all this division has become entrenched.

Every few decades, it seems as though we check into recovery with a democratic slate, and everything gets balanced back, we DO redistribute and life gets better... Presidents FDR, Kennedy, Clinton...and then we (yes we, red or blue) always seem to forget and go back to that addiction to power and greed, until we get so sick, and so divided -- and have to go back to rehab again.... Having watched this silly cycle for more than half a century I pray that we can cross back to being a great nation again, and finally kick the colonial attitude and all this false pride that just gets us in trouble.

Just to rekindle the hope, and keep us all energized over the next few days, one of my favorite campaign videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBk32JsV9l8

Barack, YES WE CAN! And we all need to, and will take up our part in rebuilding this great nation...