The couple that hosted the phone bank had never hosted such an event before and seemed very excited about participating. They were an interesting couple. The woman had attended Berkeley in the 1960s, and related how exciting those times were. From listening to her, I take that she didn't have a good impression of Ronald Reagan when he was governor of the state and was dealing with the students. The couple supported Bobby Kennedy in 1968 and volunteered for McGovern and Representative Pete McCloskey, the liberal Republican respresenting Menlo Park. In the neighborhood that they live in, they mentioned how it was brave it is to support a liberal of either party, as many of their neighbors did not like either McGovern or McCloskey. They gushed at how proud they were of Obama's election, and I asked if it had special meaning for people of their generation that lived through the Civil Rights era. They agreed, as many people of their generation weren't sure that they'd live to see the first African American elected as President.

Like many of the people who volunteered that day, this man had volunteered in 2008 to help get Obama elected. It seemed that the 2008 elections was a special time for many people, as Obama made people feel empowered, that their efforts could make real change. He volunteered to do the phone bank because he felt that health care reform is important for this country. Many of the people were motivated to get involved by the anger they felt at some of the signs they saw last August when the Tea Party people were in the town hall meetings protesting to politicians about the health care bill. I know that I was really angered at signs comparing Obama to Hitler and it motivated me to attend a health care vigil later that September. This man was very efficient, as he called probably the most people of the group.

Overall, we probably called around 300 people that day. It was exhausting, but exhilarating to know we were doing something good for our country. In the beginning I was a bit nervous in the first couple of calls, so I relied more on reading the script that was provided to give a broad overview of what to say. Many of the callers were very knowleadgable about the health care debate, so they didn't need to read the script. It was the first sunny day after a couple of weeks of rain, so we left messages on their machines. Most of the people that I did get a chance to talk to are very strong supporters of health care reform. I talked to a veteran who just had surgery and was grateful for the government for providing for health care for him, but he said he would be in trouble if he didn't have that government support. Another person was mad at some of the racist signs and comments that he's seen and heard at some of these rallies against the health care reform bill.

The lady in this picture is from the country that Obama's father is from. She said that Kenyans are proud of Barak Obama and she volunteered to show her support of Obama's presidency and his policies. This lady did not have internet access, so I suggested that she go to a local public library. Most libraries provide free internet computers for its patrons, which has been a great community service for many of the citizens in this area. Like everyone else that day, she campaigned for Obama in 2008, and greatly respects his intelligence and eloquence. This lady brought a friend who was Persian. The Persian lady had heard a speech by Obama in 2006 and she was inspired to support Obama because she heard things from Obama that she didn't hear from any other politician.

It was nice to hear these stories. Since I attended a health care vigil and rally and now volunteered for the phone bank, the thing that I most enjoyed about these events is just talking to these people and seeing the passion that they have for health care reform and for Barak Obama. In the 2008 primaries, I was a Hillary supporter, and didn't really start supporting Obama until after the Democratic convention. I like Obama, but didn't have the passion for him that his supporters have. Listening to these people gave me a sense in what these people see in Obama. I think Obama inspires people in the same way that King and the Kennedy brothers inspired people in the 1960s, and that Reagan inspired in conservatives in the 1980s. I think that's what the best leaders do: they inspire us to believe in ourselves and get involved in issues that are important to us. Kennedy said in his inaugural "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country", and he's right. In Everyday Citizen, I've been inspired by the countless bloggers who have gotten involved to fight for single payer health care, for housing for the poor in Dallas, for women's rights in fundamentalist Muslim countries, for the poor and marginalized in Kansas. Jim Hightower wrote something in the December 2009 issue of the Progressive magazine that really inspired me. He wrote:

"So now is our time. We must be the ones to hold Obama's Administration to such boldness, pushing it toward progressive principles, policies, and possibilities. We must stand up and speak out on every move the insiders make; we must propose and propel progressive ideas and ideals; and we must certainly expose and vigorously oppose any capitulations he may be pressured to make to the corporate powers.

If his Presidency is to be worthy of the enormous effort that so many put into it, worthy of the deep potential of this political moment in American history, you and I have to step up.

From the start, I've felt that the most significant thing about the 'Obama' Phenomenom was not Obama, but the phenomenom- the fact that millions of ordinary Americans (especially young people) were not merely enthusiastic but were engaged, organizing and mobilizing, taking possession of their democracy, and doing the grunt work that is the essence of self-government.

The right-wing tried to mock this outpouring as just so much 'Obamamania' but they badly misjudged its depth and determination. People really do want change- not as a policy buzzword, but as a fundamental matter of national direction and policy. In fact, for some time, folks have been shouting: CHANGE! Get our troops and America's reputation out of Iraq, provide good health care for all, rein in greed-headed CEOs and corporate lobbyists, end 'tinkle down' economics, reinvest in America's infrastructure, rebuild middle class opportunities, deal with global climate change, stop torture, get serious about green energy, restore our stolen liberties, stop polluters... and generally reinstate the common good as America's governing ethic.

As Obama himself often said on the campaign trail, he is not that change. We are. Through him, we opened the White House door to the possiblility of change on Election Day. Now, we must see it through."