Kandy's story

On Sunday I walked a precinct in Everett with Sarah, a community college art teacher. We were reaching out to sporadic or first-time voters, people who need extra encouragement to vote.

The results in our primarily white working class precinct were mixed: several McCain supporters (mostly white men over 40 and a few white women), one woman who said she wouldn't vote for either candidate because "these are the worst choices ever," some Obama supporters (South Asian and African-American).

The last house I approached was rundown. The top step was ornamented with a large flat round container stuffed with cigarette butts. I rang the bell, prepared for the rejection we'd received at a number of working class homes. Eventually a middle-aged man came to the door. He was heavily tattooed and they weren't art tattoos. I asked for Kandy (yes, with a "K"), the person on my list.

I asked Kandy, a 50 year-old blonde who looked like her life hadn't been easy, if she'd voted. To my astonishment, she burst into a smile a mile wide. "This is the first time in my life that I've registered to vote...just so I can vote for Obama!" 

As we were getting ready to drive back to the Labor Temple, Sarah and I decided to double back to Kandy's where I took off my Obama/Gregoire teeshirt and handed it to her. Her excitement at this somewhat sweaty gift was moving and she revealed that she'd completed her ballot since my earlier visit.

I feel as if I was in the presence of a powerful, wonderful force. Kandy and Obama transcended race, class and gender to come together to change the USA.