The Secret Behind Why Virginia Went for Obama: A True Story

After years of anticipating the advent of responsible, courageous and contagious leadership to come to head the government, I, like many others, was not to be denied. So, come dawn, on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, it's off to Virginia, I go. Not just to be busy, but to take the then Senator Obama across the goal, to victory. So, along with a close friend and a few new ones, we set out to one of the key battleground states, Virginia. Oh, I am driving and the view is wonderful.

I am not big on driving long distances, but when my friend Darrilyn suggested we volunteer to go to Virginia, I jumped at the opportunity rather than spend that historic day waiting for results. The Obama campaign launched a ground operation that was incredible and in Maryland and other states, passenger vans were rented to dispatch canvassers to low voting or voter suppressed areas. We were assigned Richmond. My first reaction was to protest such a long ride until I regained my senses and realized that our mission was to contribute to delivering Virginia to Barack Obama...and so we did.

Here are some pictures that tell the story from the beautiful scenic view to the dedicated team. When we arrived in Richmond, it quickly became apparent that the folk there were unstoppable. We arrived early in the morning to the proud reporting of the few remaining poll workers and stragglers, that long lines of people had been up early in the morning and voting was pretty much done. I photographed and Interviewed some of the poll workers and voters and felt their pride that we soon learned, was reflected throughout Richmond. This was the first time any of these people had been photographed while voting, and the first time their political opinion had been sought. Who are these pollsters, polling anyway?

The voters were diverse. A little girl accompanied her big brother to the polling station; a young couple, who were college students, supported each other to their different polling stations; young African American men took tremendous pride in using their first general election vote in such a major election and an elderly man came by cane, while a disabled Desert Storm veteran, voting for the first time, was serviced in the van.

And Washington, DC celebrated at the Madison Hotel and in the streets, oblivious to these obscure, diverse and proud Richmond voters, who helped to make Virginia possible.

Consider this: Special interest groups vote for the candidate who best represents them and their issues. African American voters, like other "special interest" groups, needed a reason to vote and did so! No big secret there, after all.


The view, en route, was spectacular.









Some young men voted and some for the first time.







Couples voted as sister and brother, girlfriend and boyfriend, husband and wife, all committed to vote.