ONE members were active during New Hampshire’s First In The Nation Primary educating candidates and voters on the importance of life-saving programs. ONE Vote Organizer Thomas Leary reports.
The ONE T-shirt had been a common sight on the campaign trail throughout 2011. As the excitement moved on from Iowa to New Hampshire, the candidates kicked it up a notch in the Granite State. Most of the presidential hopefuls were hosting multiple events across the state every day leading up to the primary. ONE members were right there with them every step of the way!
While the days started early and the nights ran long, ONE members only had to think about why we do what we do to find the energy to continue. Knowing that one of the candidates visiting historic theaters or high school gymnasiums could become the next president of the United States meant that we wanted to ensure support for solutions that save millions of lives, create a safe and more stable world and uphold a proud American legacy, all for less than 1 percent of the federal budget.
As a parent, advocating on behalf of your children is natural. Using your voice to make positive changes in their lives grows out of your love for them. Learning how to use your voice to help children that you will never meet can be more of a challenge, however. But by working with a good team, like ONE, anything is possible.
This teamwork was clearly on display at President Barack Obama’s visit to Central High, New Hampshire last Tuesday, which I attended with ONE Field Organizer Tom Leary. Late last week, the White House announced that the president would return to Central High to make good on a promise he made four years ago during the 2008 presidential race.
“Sometimes, when I’m writing a blog post about a public official I’ve met on behalf of ONE, I feel like I’m being a showoff. But I’m not -– I’m being a humblebrag. According to UrbanDictionary.com, it’s a “form of self promotion where the promoter thinks he is, almost subliminally, bragging about himself in the context of a humble statement or complaint.”
Mike and his son Nick with former President Bill Clinton
There are very few people who ever see the vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) in person. Even fewer get to shake his hand. And rarer still are those who have had the privilege of getting a big bear hug from him. But that’s what happened to me on Monday.
My day at New Hampshire’s State house started before 11 a.m. After two hours of waiting for former Senator Rick Santorum to file his paperwork with our Secretary of State and getting a picture with him; the first of VPOTUS’ advance people were on the scene.
Governor John Lynch (D-N.H.) issues a proclamation recognizing World Polio Day in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Rotary members with Governor Lynch as he signs World Polio Day Proclamation
Yesterday, Rotary club presidents and ONE members from around the New Hampshire visited with Governor John Lynch as he signed a proclamation to recognize the day as World Polio Day and those who have worked so hard to eradicate the disease.
The most recent GOP debate took place at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. ONE was invited to join in the pre-debate activities and to the main event, #EconDebate.
Here are my inner thoughts from the debate…
Pre-debate:
Politteratti? What do you call a room crowded with New Hampshire’s most well-known political movers and shakers? They were there: former United States senators, many of New Hampshire’s state senators, and a small army of consultants tested the room’s capacity. Just outside the room was the main lobby of the hotel where WBIN (the local station that teamed up with Bloomberg News and the Washington Post to host the debate and reception) were interviewing many of the VIP’s in attendance. The only reason I made it into the room was because of the high regard in which ONE members are held.
The Republican candidates for president shared the first-in-the-nation spotlight with Democratic leadership last week.
The majority of the 2012 New Hampshire primary activity has been on the Republican side, with a number of candidates working hard to earn the support of as many voters as possible. Recently, the Democrats had a few opportunities to share their vision for the future of our country directly with the people of New Hampshire.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was the keynote speaker at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s midterm convention. Not only does she represent Florida’s 20th Congressional District, she is also the Democratic National Committee chair. She has been very receptive to ONE members in her district and supportive of the student group at Pembroke Pines Charter school in South Florida. She has spoken of the importance of maternal and child health issues and reiterated the need to continue the fight against global poverty.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
