I am with you, Mr. President.

[ChipperbackDemocrat]

Mr. President,

When you first announced you were running, I didn't think you could pull it off. I didn't cast my vote for you in the primary election where I live now.

But you did ten special things. Each one led to my vote going to you, and led to tears of joy I shed today.


1. February 2008, you came to my hometown Omaha, Nebraska and you inspired a party ignored in a state ignored to get up and fight. You inspired thousands in my neighborhood in North Omaha to get involved and be heard. So many came out on caucus day that they had to hold it outdoors.
2. You didn't try to spin around the Reverend Wright issue. You met it head on and gave our nation starving for clarity on the race issue, some new needed food for thought.
3. The intelligence in which you spoke out on many issues in the primary. Even with all the rancor, you keep your eyes on "we the people"...and on the responsibility that "me the people" have.
4. Joe Biden. A Vice President who will not be a hat rack. That was a darn good choice and what it told me was, you want competence, not syncopants.
5. Your convention speech. It was a open challenge to our better nature and a challenge to our adversaries. And that led me to the next day...
6. Hundreds of young kids in Obama T-Shirt canvassing my old neighborhood where I grew up knocking on doors. You challenged for that one electoral vote dangling in my old home, and got me off my cynical ass to help knock on the doors of people who knew me when I was little boy. Seeing that you carried that vote made me happy beyond belief.
7. You fought the Rove Republicans without sacrificing your dignity, intelligence and courage. You faced them down by forcing them to come up to you not by coming down to them. Your grace and class earned my vote and my respect.
8. YOU NEVER TALKED DOWN TO ME! When the economic troubles got really ugly in September, you didn't try to softsoap it and force the bumper sticker answer. You did your homework and gave me the straight story. The very things that I want in a leader, you showed in those days. John McCain was grandstanding. Sarah Palin was trying to win a popularity contest. You and Joe Biden were getting down to business. That's the difference.
9. The way you are with Michelle, Malia and Sasha. A man loving his wife and his kids. A man who can take time out from a campaign to make sure he's at his kid's soccer game. To take that phone call from his daughter. The fist bump with your wife. That's a what a real man does. That's who a real man is.
10. Late October -- Hawaii. The final days of a bruising campaign. Yet, you put family above that. Your grandmother dying, you go to be at her side and pay respects. I was in prayful tears watching you do it. I felt sadness for you. At the same time, I felt more convinced than ever that I would be voting for the right person. All I could think as I saw you doing what needed to be done was, "That man is a real man"

On 4 November 2008 around 8:30am, I proudly voted for you. I walked to the polling place bouncing along the sidewalks. I was so excited. I had every piece of ID I could find in my hands. Nothing was going to stop me from casting that vote for you. NOTHING!
Afterwards, I was happy and humble. I was smiling and crying at the same time. I never thought in my life I would be casting a vote for a presidential candidate who looked like me.

Yes we can. Yes we did.

And today, I feel you, I see you...and I hear you.

I am with you, Mister President. :)