Message from Claire Pimenthal

CAUCUS CORNUCOPIA
Also posted on myspace.com

When my niece was born a little over a year ago, I finally mustered up the strength to quit my job and start my eco-friendly clothing line. I want to make a difference in the world so she can grow up able to go to the beach and swim in the ocean without it being closed for health reasons. Or breathe clean air and not pay $10 a gallon for gas (not sure how exactly it equates to given inflation and everything). Another thing I wanted to do was get involved politically, maybe with some lobbying group, to lobby for environmental, social and economic bills on her behalf more than for my own well-being. What we decide now not only affects ourselves, but more importantly, it affects the future of my baby niece, and the rest of the children's future. I just wasn't sure quite how to do it.

So when the beautiful actress Kelly Hu invited me to join her on the campaign trail during the Nevada caucus, I jumped at the chance of a lifetime. The timing could not have been better. Instead of simply lobbying, why not be a part of history and help an inspiring, innovative candidate get voted into office? One who is not going to be the usual political conformist influenced with the "Old Guard" ways, not be afraid to stand up for what is right, and has the clear voice of the people? On Thursday, January 17th, I anxiously jumped in Kelly's Toyota Prius (yaaay, hybrid!) with her Jackawawa dog named Mu Shu, and headed out from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for a couple of historical days with suitcases of clothes and shoes enough for a week between the two of us. I only packed red, white and blue clothes and shoes, with a hint of black and raw, unbleached off-wht/creme organic cotton (eco-friendly, yaaay!).

That evening when we arrived, we met up with two other members from the APIA, Catherine and Teresa. We had dinner in Las Vegas' Chinatown. The waiter asked about our Obama buttons and what we did, and proceeded to inform us that he was an Obama supporter himself. In fact he had his own Obama poster in the restaurant kitchen!

Friday, January 18, 2008 was a cold day in Las Vegas. Our hotel room lacked the usual "Hollywood" lighting we were used to (ha, ha), so I might have walked out looking like a drag queen. No matter, even more that people may notice and pay attention. If I had to dress up as Uncle Sam I would! With platforms, of course. But I digress.

That morning, Kelly and I arrived to one of the Obama campaign offices that the APIA (Asian Pacific Islander Americans) affiliated with (APIA for Obama). Armed with campaign literature, precinct and caucus information, a 4-page list of supporters' residences, and our on-the-road mascot Mu Shu in her light blue and pink doggie hoodie, we set out with a mission. We drove around in circles within the neighborhood assigned to us, and by the end of the afternoon, completed our list of 86 houses! Thank goodness for GPS! Two Asian girls on the road in a town they don't know is dangerous. :-)

Afterwards, everyone congregated at the University of Las Vegas for the Obama rally. It was a sight to see - people from all walks of life, in age, race, and gender. I tell you this is an understatement! Kelly went up and down the over-a-mile-long line randomly interviewing people. Two old men who were about 70 years of age planned to vote for the first time in their lives. Their reason? They were doing it for their grandchildren. I immediately sympathized with them and thought of my niece.

It didn't take that long to get out of the line, through security (they told us to leave the cell phones and cameras ON, must be some new equipment), and into the UNLV student plaza. The music was blaring, bleachers set up for media and VIPs, and the supporters en masse towards the center by the stage. You could feel the excitement in the air! As Obama was introduced and stepped onto the stage, the crowd went wild - and like a crazy high school groupie, I yelled and screamed my heart out along with them. My frustration with paying $3.50 +/- per gallon of gas, with earning six-figures and not being able to afford a house by myself in LA, and with developing sinusitis and not being able to smell well anymore (dang smog) all came out in one fell swoop, made me mad at the status quo , and my voice was at the loudest as it has ever been (and for those of you who know me, I am *loud*).

Hearing Obama speak was an incredible, life-altering experience. Now I truly know what it must have been like back in the day to watch an inspiring Kennedy and Martin Luther King speak. Obama helped me focus on my goals in life and casted all my doubts away. Every few sentences he'd finish, I would add a (loud) comment or two like, "Yeah!", "All right!", "THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!", short of chanting, "Amen!". Not only was it a political experience, it was an emotional and spiritual experience. I felt he related to me, spoke my language, and understood my desire for change. I don't usually get involved and understand the political mumbo jumbo. Kind of like having a lawyer read aloud a contract to me with fancy words I'm not supposed to understand so that I may be tricked in agreeing into something I don't agree in. In addition, some think that Obama's lack of experience is a detriment (read on for a specific incident/confrontation). I strongly say it's an *advantage*! He's not jaded and influenced by corporations and special interest groups. He's truly for the people, by the people.

The next day was caucus day in Nevada, Saturday, January 19th, 2008. In my Prada platform shoes and red-white-and-blue garb (armor?), I worked it with gorgeous-and-persistent Kelly up and down the caucus line, put Obama stickers on Obama supporters, carried a clipboard of voter regisration forms and stuffed pens in my tight Hudsons, helped some figure out which precinct they belonged to, and converted 3 undecideds into Obama supporters. My camera was lost/stolen (AGAIN for the second time in 5 months), so sorry I couldn't capture all the excitement. And believe me there *was* excitement and drama!

During the caucus, the Hillary staff played DIRTY - locking the doors too early and not letting anyone in. The chairman had to break the chains and the lock, then called the cops. As I served as doorstopper with an Edwards volunteer opposite of me to the other door, I watched her deal with the law enforcement over the phone in her 5'10"-5'11", Queen Latifah-ish-but-blonde glory. I was just amazed she yanked a thick metal chain with a heavy lock off the door, this superwoman of justice! Good for her, and for all of us!

To add to the boiling cauldron, my friend Rob who was the precinct captain at another location told me that the Hillary staff didn't give any of the ballot cards to the Obama and Edwards supporters, only to HIllary supporters, so come caucus time, they had to run to the front to get ballots so their votes would count. Sooo *evil*! Also a couple of old senior citizen HIllary voters attacked me and my uncle while we were separated. An old man was accusing me "You people are idealists!!! He barely has experience!", to which my reply was "Oh it's actually an advantage. He's not jaded and corrupted by the political games. But to each his own." I wanted to add, "I'm doing this for my niece. Are YOU doing it for your grandchildren???", but I didn't want to make a positive experience a negative one like he wanted to. In turn, an old lady hit my uncle pretty hard on his Obama button, "Why are you supporting him?!?", to which he replied "No speaky English," so she'd go away, ha ha!

If you were there to look at the crowd, all of the Hillary voters were mostly white and 90% senior citizens. For Obama, there were young people (college kids/twenty-somethings, etc.), older people (my uncle at 60 yrs old and a couple of 70-yr-old asian guys voting for the FIRST time in their lives), pregnant women, single parents and couples with children (some guy brought his 14-yr-old son to chk out the caucus, another brought her baby), and of different races (mexicans, asians, whites and blacks, I even helped a guy from Ethipoia since his English was not-so-great). That goes to show you something. Hillary supporters were bitter, instigators and negative; while Obama supporters were humble, hopeful, and positive. Kerry announced his endorsement for Obama, while Oprah was one of the first to do so.

The caucus itself looked like chaos. I wish I had taken a picture, but I lost my camera in the crowd of mostly Hillary supporters (clipped it on my jean's belt loop and when I reached down for it later, it was gone!!!). Seemed like an age-old process of voting. I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but there were at least a couple of good things. Like come counting time, the voters are there to witness it happen. And if there is a minority group for a candidate that's not enough and has to disperse and choose another candidate, you can talk to them and convert them to go to your side. It was like having a big party of mini-debates, just without the cocktails and usually in a public setting such as a school or civic center.

Unfortunately, Hillary won by a small margin. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes to Kelly, and I thanked her for helping me experience such a historical, political, emotional and spiritual event. My uncle then took me to Best Buy so I can get another camera (less sales tax in Nevada than Cali). We still had our Obama buttons and stickers plastered all over our chest and arms. The young ones who were the sales team we encountered in Best Buy were for Obama ("Obama, woo hoo!"). I told them I wish that they had made it to the caucus. Most of the people I know in Las Vegas had to work that day and missed it as well. If you lumped them altogether, I bet they could have made a difference. They were busy trying to make a living to pay the bills, and a shame since one of Obama's plan is to raise minimum wage a lot more often to be comparable with inflation. I felt so frustrated; I wanted to cry!

I'm supporting Obama for the future of my baby niece (up to $4000 in college tuition credit as long as the kids put time into community service volunteering for hospitals, etc.). I don't want a President who is going to pay favors back to corporations and special interest groups who donated to her campaign. I don't want my niece to pay $10/gallon of gas or something when she grows up. I don't want her to breathe dirty air, and have her ask me what it was like going to the beach and swim in the ocean. I want a President who has a plan for alternative energy and more effective use of resources, who has plan to fix social security I've been giving thousands of dollars from my paycheck to, and also has a sincere foreign policy plan (his name is actually an advantage, perhaps those crazy countries in that part of the world will think twice before doing anything...?). Obama is a Christian raised by a single mother, whose half sister is half-white, half-Indonesian (from his mom's second marriage). He comes from a multi-racial family and wasn't born into a political family with a silver spoon in his mouth like the rest of the candidates, so he understands the poeple’s needs and language. Was gonna go for HIllary first, but I don't feel she empathizes with my needs. Obama doesn't speak with all that political mumbo-jumbo talk that they want you to hear. I heard his speech at the rally and it was like he knew what my needs from the government are. He reminded me of Kennedy and Martin Luther King all rolled into one. And the bottom line is, we all need to vote for someone who is for the people, by the people, not for corporations and special interest groups. Someone who not only we believe in, but who, in turn, believes in US.

The California primary is in a couple of wks, so pls spread the message and vote for the Obama and the change that is long overdue! Do it for the yourselves, and for the children. I am.