It was in 2003 or 2004 not quite sure when but I know were I was the first time I heard the name Barack Obama.

I was driving home on the BQE passing my favorite sign that was hung on a building across from my house “WORST PRESIDENT EVER.” listening to Marty Kaplan of Air America Radio when he was doing a teaser for his next segment before the commercial break. He said “And we will introduce you to Barack Obama who might be the first black President of the United States”  I was like HUH? And WHO?

So after I parked my car under the highway  and turned the engine off I listen to the segment  and I was impressed by what I heard. I was impressed that when he was running for the Senate that white working class people were excited about this guy. That people in rural Illinois was excited about this guy. I was impressed with his views about the country and about the world. And after I finished listening to the segment I said “I gotta learn more about this man”

So I went home and started reading articles on him. I read his legendary speech about being against “dumb wars” and after reading about him I said “Shit. This could be the one”

And thus started my love affair for  PRESIDENT ELECT Barack HUSSEIN Obama.  During that year I kept monitoring the Illinois Senate race while working to elect John Kerry as President. I told friends at work to pay attention to this guy, he’s gonna surprise you one day. I watched eagerly the Democratic convention when he gave the Keynote speech. As he talked about not Blue states nor fucking Red States he was talking about the UNITED STATES. Something I so desperately wanted to hear from ANY candidate. I was so tired of the partisan noise. I was tired of it. This is not the America I loved. Were we are divided into two countries. We fought a Civil war over that shit ov er 150 years ago. America is not two nations but one. And I loved that Obama..Not Bush..nor Kerry but Obama was talking about One nation.

Then Nov 2004 happened. Bush won and I was discouraged and disheartened. I have lived under Republican Presidents before. I remember Nixon. I  was in High school and College during the 12 years of Reagen/Bush I. While I wasn’t happy they were in the White House. I also felt the country was in competent hands. Say what you will about their policies they were smart men. Who knew what they were doing. I just disagreed with them on issues and policy.  But Bush II was different.

While I never liked Reagen nor Bush I I would never say they were bad Presidents. Bush II was an incompetent fuck who when the dust clears and history is written will go down as one of the if not the worst president in US history. That’s why I was discouraged and saddened. How could my country a country I loved so dearly re-elected a man who clearly had no fucking clue. Who was clearly stupid. HOW?

But Kerry lost. Bush voters laughed and mocked me that night. And it was all good to the victor the spoils. But at least I had one positive thing happen that dark night. Obama had won. He won even though he was going up against the joke know as Alan Keyes and what impressed me about Obama is he literally took Keyes seriously as a candidate. When NO ONE took Alan Keyes seriously.

About a month after the election Obama was having a book signing at the Barnes And Nobles in Union Square. I went. I wanted to meet the man in person. I listen to him talk about the nation and his goals. At the Q&A session I told him that when he did run we would ALL be there for him. When I went to get my book signed he thanked me for what I said. I walked away that night dreaming about him running. Maybe in 2012.

 But even with that glimmer of light. I knew the dark days were coming.

So for 4 years I lived in dread. I wept when I saw the President fuck up the FEDERAL govt Response to Katrina. He was playing guitar with John McCain while an America city drowned.  I saw the rising body count in Iraq as it continued to spiral out of control and wondered how did we reward the man who lied us into that war?  I saw the reports about how we were starting to LOSE in Afghanistan..HOW the fuck did that happen I thought? Shit I  thought we won that war. And on and on. The economy slowly deteriorate. And I said my lord When will this end?

I was in Arizona  getting ready to do the border mission. I didn’t really think Obama would run. I was hoping Brian Shcweitzer Gov of Montana would take a shot at it. He really impressed me (And was the ONLY Democrat I would have seriously thought of voting for OVER Obama in the NY primary) but Brian decided not to run. When I hear word that Obama was announcing he would be running for president. While stunned I was pleasantly happy.  Even if he lost it would be good for the nation to get to know this guy. As I told my friends..once you read about him and study him..Your hooked.

So I went to his website and the first thing that got be was how organized it was how it was a recruiting tool how it linked other Obama fans together. I went to an early Obama event in the Lower East side and was shocked by the energy level. The people were motivated but what also got me was the make up of the people. They weren’t only black faces..Dare I say I was one of the handful of black faces that day. No. It was Black White..Asian..hispanic. It was Jan 07 and the people were pumped.

It was then I knew he had a chance. So started the journey in the coffee houses in Brooklyn. We worked tirelessly for him. Even when I had to back out with the deployment I monitored what was going down. I sent my money to Obama every chance I could. Wrote my emails. Spoke with my friends. Desperately trying to get people to take a chance on the man.  

They would ask  me why. And I would tell them. Go to his website..Read his speeches..Read his ideas. See his stances on issues then come talk to me. You will see that his values and goals are the same as mine. I could careless that he was black. What he stood for I STOOD FOR. I  loved that he supported Veterans. I loved that his economic policies focused on the working class instead of the rich. I loved that he understood that in ordered to make America safer we have to START looking at Alternative energy. I loved that his foreign policy was about making America safer by rebuilding our alliances WHILE maintaining a strong military. I loved all of that.

I didn't swallow Fox News bullshit. I read about the man. I wanted others to do so. Read about him unfiltered and you walk away impressed. Some of my friends didn’t they decided to take Scum Hannity’s word on shit. Same Scum Hannity who uses Anti-Semites as a way to smear Obama.

Some  I guess were part of that 10% who felt our country was heading in the right direction. Don’t ask me why but hey they also voted for Bush so it explained a lot.

Bottomline is I voted for Obama the man, his vision and his goal.  Not the color. No one ever asked me before if I voted for the myriad of white candidates before cause of their color. Nor have I ever asked anyone who is white did they vote for whoever they voted for cause that person was white.

America has grown. We all have. And Our nation is better for it.

God bless America!!!!