First in Oklahoma!It was a cold night in Oklahoma City on Sunday (okay, not Vermont cold, but if you’ve ever been to the Oklahoma plains, you know there isn’t a lot to stop the wind!) but that was not going to stop us from making sure Governor Dean’s name was first on the Presidential Primary ballot!
While in the office on Sunday, we discussed the best way to go about this. Should we camp out? Should we just get there extremely early Monday morning? We decide to meet in the wee hours of the morning to secure our spot in front of the State Election Board. However, as any political hack knows, there’s always room to change your mind! So, I called the Field Director, Barton Vaughan, who had been on a plane and in airports for about eight hours that day trying to get home. I think he must have been pretty happy to hear that plans were altered and he had to get out of his warm, cozy bed and spend the night in the cold outside the Capitol!
We got there at about 11:00 PM and drove around, checking all the entrances to make sure there weren’t any other campaign staffers or supporters as dedicated as those on the Oklahoma Dean Team. After that, we were off to see if we could persuade the Capitol Police to let us in the building instead of staying outside! As we thought it might be, the answer was ‘no’, but the security guard was incredibly nice, so that somehow made it easier. So, for the next six hours we camped out in Barton’s vehicle in front of the closest entrance we could find. We alternated watching movies (thank goodness for laptops!) and trying to stay awake by talking or walking outside in the wind! We did, at one sleep deprived moment, decide to clean out Barton’s car. It must have been a sight to see two Dean staffers in a vacant parking lot organizing campaign material in the middle of the night!
Finally, at 5:00AM, they let us in the building. We scurried down the hall and set our things directly in front of the State Election Board door. A few minutes later, a Clark supporter walked in and was extremely surprised to find that another campaign was already there! I don’t think he expected it, but I must say that at that moment, when I knew we secured the first place in line, staying outside all night was worth it. For the next three hours we sat in front of the door and visited with passers by and watched as a multitude of deliveries were made. (Did I mention how hard a marble floor is? The other campaign may have been second, but at least he remembered to bring a chair!)
A little after 8:00 AM, we filed Governor Dean’s candidacy papers. It was an incredible feeling to know that I was some small part of placing on the ballot a name that I so wholeheartedly believe in and support. This movement we’ve all joined truly is changing the way campaigns are conducted, and on February 3rd, 2004, all Oklahomans are going to be able to vote for the candidate who will change the way the United States is run! People have been asking how and why we stayed up all night to make sure the filing happened, and for me, it all comes back to believing in what you’re working for and knowing it makes a difference. I would assume that everyone reading this Blog right now knows precisely the feeling I’m talking about. So thanks, Governor Dean for giving us all that hope again!
For everyone in Oklahoma, make sure to join us on Tuesday, December 9th at the Bricktown Brewery in Oklahoma City for a statewide Presidential Debate Watch Party with special call-in guests! Check your e-mail for more details.
Chilton Ladd Marshall
Oklahoma State Director, Dean for America
The official Dean for Oklahoma website will be up soon. To get involved write to oklahoma@deanforamerica.com.
http://blog.deanforamerica.com
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