All Politics Are Local

Introducing our new Democratic Headquarters!

This is where it will all happen, all the conversations and connections with neighbors to get out the democratic vote in November. We have the entire first floor, where there are windows on every side for the light to shine in. There hasn't been an office to represent our end of the county for many years. This is our year to fill state and federal offices with people who will represent, and act on behalf of, all Americans.

The office was cleaned and readied for Sunday's grand opening by volunteers, and it will be staffed with people who donate their time. I worked for two and a half hours today, and since I was the first one on the schedule it was my job to unlock the doors and set out the flags.

Signs for the candidates fill the windows and cover the walls. The counter in the front room holds literature, buttons, and bumper stickers. I walked through the sunlit rooms and imagined all the activity that this office will see in the next ten weeks. Meetings. Phone banks. Conversations with people we know and people we have yet to meet.

We may not be able to meet personally with Barack Obama or candidates for Congress, but we can support their campaigns, spread their message, and get out the vote. We will be able to meet with local candidates, whose campaigns rely on the work of volunteers. And, most importantly, we will chat with neighbors about the issues that impact our lives and the hopes we have for the future.

We cannot go back and undo all that has gone wrong. We can go forward, get involved, and elect people who will take our country in the right direction.