Libby Crimmings, as you may know is the ONE Campaign’s Regional Field Director in Iowa and Minnesota. She’s done fantastic work around ONE Vote ’08 this election season, and wanted to reflect and share a few thoughts with us:

I came into work yesterday and hardly knew what to do with myself. The unbelievable feeling that the elections are over finally sank in. It seems like the elections have been 90% of what I have thought and talked about for the past year and a half. Now what?! After the initial shock I realized this is only the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

For almost two years thousands of ONE members have been attending almost every political rally, town hall, meet and greet, and other events such as straw polls or steak fries, raising awareness and asking the presidential candidates tough questions about their commitment to the world’s poor. I remember quite a few early events where members drove hours to a town hall event in a small town in Iowa, where it would be a presidential candidate, a pot of coffee and about 5 people. Those were early days where ONE members got a lot of face time with the candidates. Toward the end the events were huge rallies with thousands of people, less face time but more people to talk to about ONE! Somewhere along the line the candidates started wearing bands, recognizing ONE members, pointing them out in crowds, and sometimes letting them speak!

One of the most amazing accomplishments, among others, was the “On the Record Challenge” where 11 of the candidates during the primaries sat down with ONE and made commitments to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world. This was, in no small way, achieved because of the millions of ONE members who signed petitions, wrote letters and showed up to those town hall events all across the country.

As I sit here and take a walk down ONE Vote 08’s memory lane I want to thank everyone across the country for being a member, for your support, for volunteering, and for your relentless commitment to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease. You are an inspiration to me and millions of others and because of your hard work the president elect has made solid commitments for his presidency, which ONE will be there to make sure he follows through on his word.

Even though this chapter is closing, keep in mind the next one now begins. The question is, what will it say? It’s up to you.

It is up to all of us to make sure President-Elect Obama keeps his commitments to make fighting global poverty a priority. We have come a long way in this uphill battle, and we should celebrate our accomplishments but never take our eyes off of the horizon for a brighter future.

Thank you ONE members,

Libby Crimmings