To be honest, I don’t have any personal feelings about Governor Romney or about any of the prospective candidates. But I think our attitudes toward the poor need some examining. And while I’m sure Mitt was speaking about the poor here at home, the issue of poverty is really a global problem and the poor here in the U.S. are just a small part of it.

He also explains why it’s important to pay attention to the world’s poor, because they hurt the overall growth of their countries’ economies, including our own:

But the cost of poverty goes beyond the direct costs of feeding the poor. To be cold and calculating about it, people who are too poor and too hungry to work represent a major drain on global productivity. And with no money in their pockets, they’re too poor to buy the goods and services produced by the industrialized world. As every capitalist should appreciate, though many apparently don’t, the poor are bad for business.

Read Mark’s full article here, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Last week, only days to go before Florida voters cast their ballots, fellow ONE member Zach Lamb and I attended a State of the Union watch party hosted by the Jacksonville Young Democrats, a group eager to help build support for the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. Since ONE is a nonpartisan organization, I suggested that promoting ONE within the community might be a great opportunity to reach out and partner with the Young Republicans. And so began a fun few days delivering on ONE Vote 2012.

The Young Democrats were kind enough to invite us back two nights later to watch the Republican debate, which took place right here in Jacksonville.

The next day we visited some of the presidential campaign offices in town. We were warmly welcomed everywhere we went. The staff at the office of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., even invited us back to watch the debate with them!

Our first stop the day of the debate was a morning event with Gov. Mitt Romney. The man of the hour himself came right over to Zach and me after his remarks — and seeing the ONE logo on our T-shirts, he told us that we were doing a great job! His words were very encouraging and energized us for the day ahead.

When it came time for the debate, Zach and I decided to take up both the Young Democrats and Gingrich’s team on their offers. We split ways for the night; Zach joined Gingrich’s staff and I joined the Young Democrats.

During the debate, we were pleased to hear Romney speak about how the US should help spread universal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as well as promote sustainable economic success through smart trade policies.

The Young Democrats had a special guest join them for their event: Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She shared brief remarks with the group, carefully studied the questions and answers from the debate, gave multiple television interviews, and even took a minute to speak to me about ONE.

Florida voters will now play their role in the selection of a Republican nominee for president. Whoever the challenger turns out to be, I hope that both parties will continue to agree on their support of life-saving programs for the world’s poorest people.

In my last post, I showed you some of the really cool things that can happen in a day in the life of a ONE Vote organizer. But sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. Such has been the case for my recent exploits down here in the Sunshine State in the build up to the primary. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to complain about being near the beach, but patience is definitely a virtue on the campaign trail.

Thursday, I made the two-hour trek down to Pensacola, Fla., from where I am staying with family in Panama City Beach. As soon as I arrived at what was to be an event with presidential candidate Sen. Rick Santorum, a torrential downpour made the event soggy and unpleasant for someone who forgot their umbrella. But luckily, I had a cool ONE hoodie nearby (shameless ONE Store plug, check them out). To my dismay, the crowd gathered was told that Senator Santorum couldn’t land due to the severe weather threat, and thus I trudged back to my car for what was not looking like a fun ride back. But when life gives you severe weather that makes road conditions hazardous, get FroYo until the storm passes!

Then on Saturday, the big Governor Mitt Romney rally was right here in Panama City, so I made my way out on what was a beautiful, sunny and warm day (I know everyone experiencing real winter is yelling through their computer screens at me).

I came so close to getting a chance to speak with Gov. Romney, edging my way in through the crowds to get to the rope line (which has become an art form after all of these months) — but due to patterns of candidate hand-shaking dynamics (that’s the scientific name, right?) I missed out on speaking to the Governor. I still haven’t mastered the mathematics of when a candidate will move to the other side of the rope line, but I think the variable cute baby was the determining factor of this miss.

It all works out in the end though, because yesterday, I made my way to Speaker Newt Gingrich’s event in Pensacola. Using my crowd-dodging skills, I once again made my way into the path of the Speaker and had a chance to talk to him about ONE and smart investments that save lives and promote American security, the latter being something he had touched on in his remarks, to which I received a nice thumbs up. Awesome!

Being an advocate for the world’s poorest can present challenges, and some days are rainier than others, but the ultimate reward comes when you know your voice was heard!

10. You never know what candidate events will bring. In South Carolina, we sent two ONE members to the Lowcountry Sportsmen Barbecue for Newt Gingrich. We didn’t know what a “lowcountry sportsman” was, but we took a leap of faith and sent Kate and Adrienne out to talk with Speaker Gingrich about extreme poverty-fighting. And it was well worth it, as the ladies had an opportunity to speak with Gingrich directly.

9. Having a little fun along the way. We decided to attend comedian Stephen Colbert-Herman Cain rally. There were thousands of folks in attendance and Stephen Colbert’s grand entrance involved a two marching bands and a full chorus singing “This Little Light of Mine.”

8. Is it socially acceptable for adults to wear matching outfits? Well, when you’re on the ONE Campaign trail it is! For three days, our team traveled in packs, all wearing the same ONE Logo T-shirts.

7. You never know who you will meet on the campaign trail! Jim Duggar, the father of TLC’s show, “19 Kids and Counting” came to South Carolina for Rick Santorum. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty who was out stumping for Mitt Romney. And at a Newt Gingrich event I had the fortune to meet Colonel Michael Steele, Company Commander of the US Army Ranger company portrayed in the book and film Black Hawk Down.

6. Debate-a-palooza! We headed to the CNN Debate in Charleston on Thursday the 19th to see what this installment would bring. I was able to talk to Donna Brazzille about ONE as she put on a white ONE band, and after the debate, ONE supporters ran into Representative Tim Scott at McDonald’s and were able to talk to the congressman about the fight against extreme poverty while he waited for his order!

5. Lending a helping hand (and umbrella)! While life on the campaign trail is busy and hectic, Election Day is a bit slower because there are not as many events and activities. So, we decided to give out coffee to voters as they headed to the polls. At a precinct in Chapin, it started pouring down rain — so, in addition to giving out coffee, we had some extra umbrellas so we were providing some cover for folks as they walked from their cars to the voting station. It made it on the cover of the Washington Post!

4. Sleep Deprivation: Well it turns out there is no makeup in the world that can cover a 4 a.m. wake up call, And three days of 4 a.m. wake up calls make you downright maniacal! Life on the ONE trail starts early, but at least you don’t have to spend a lot of time figuring out what to wear since you wear your ONE T-shirt every day!

3. Halloween in January? You wouldn’t believe the number of grown adults that wear costumes and make very interesting clothing choices out on the campaign trail. I’ve seen pigs dancing in convertibles, what I can only describe as a homemade Mr. America costume, and fake Sarah Palin.

2. Amazing Southern food: Well the cuisine of South Carolina speaks directly to my Kentucky heart! Don’t judge me for having shrimp and grits three times in three days.

1. Watching volunteers get a chance to support ONE with their members of Congress, the media and be on TV all at the same time! The cast of “Morning Joe” were filming live from Charleston in the days leading up to the primary. Latwyla, a ONE volunteer from Columbia, was able to meet the cast of Morning Joe and talk about ONE with the Representative Jim Clyburn.

A day after Governor Nikki Haley endorsed Gov. Mitt Romney on national television, both participated in Congressman Tim Scott’s Townhall series on Saturday in Charleston.

ONE volunteer Caleb attended the townhall Saturday morning, where more than 300 people turned out to hear Gov. Romney speak about the issues leading up to the primaries.

Caleb was able to speak with Gov. Romney, and encouraged him to support foreign aid through these tough economic times, citing how initiatives like PEPFAR and PMI have helped save millions of lives and are fostering future markets for American goods.

Caleb says Gov. Romney was very responsive to these issues, and acknowledged the friendly encounters with all ONE volunteers across Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

We are glad Gov. Romney understands that South Carolinians care about helping to end extreme poverty and disease around the world. As things calm down in South Carolina before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries, we know the candidates are becoming more aware and more receptive to being ONE voice in this humanitarian and national security battle for our global economy.

The ONE delegation on the stage at the Wofford Debate: Zach, Charlie, Caitlin and Hannah.

ONE Members Hannah and Charlie with Presidential Candidate Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and South Carolina ONE Vote Ambassador, Congressman Joe Wilson.

Before the big night on Saturday, candidates were all over the state, and we got a chance to talk with them about prioritizing the cost-effective and life-saving programs that ONE works to advance — it’s in our national security interest and is sound foreign policy.

Our newest ONE Member, Hannah, talks to Texas Governor Rick Perry at the Columbia Veteran’s Day Parade

Hannah, Charlie and Caitlin meet with Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista at their campaign office opening in Greenville.

Charlie with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in Columbia, SC on Tuesday after the debate.

We spoke to Rep. Michele Bachmann in Charleston and then again in Columbia at the Veterans Day parade along with Rep. Joe Wilson, one of our ONE Vote 2012 ambassadors. We also caught up with Gov. Rick Perry at the parade. ONE members also took to the upstate, engaging Gov. Mitt Romney and Speaker Newt Gingrich at events in the lead up to Saturday night at Wofford.

But the main event came when the candidates filed into the debate hall on Wofford’s campus. The debate covered the many complex issues that a would-be president would have to deal with in the foreign policy arena, including US foreign assistance. There was a lot of talk of working to make sure foreign policy dollars are spent wisely, which I think we can all agree on. What troubled me was that there was no clear designation between general foreign assistance, talking about aid to countries like Pakistan, and programs such as PEPFAR and other life-saving programs in other developing countries around the world.

As we look to the next foreign policy debate on Tuesday, November 22 in Washington, DC, let’s push these candidates to recognize the power of smart development assistance as solutions that save millions of lives, build a more stable world, and are a part of a proud American legacy. Let’s encourage the candidates to have a conversation with the American people about all these benefits for less than 1 percent of the US budget.

Take action now by sending a message to the presidential candidates here.

-Charlie Harris, South Carolina Field Organizer, ONE Vote 2012

Mike Gerson shares his story with the College of Charleston

In Columbia, Mr. Gerson spoke to a political science course at the University of South Carolina. The students were highly engaged and discussed the importance of foreign aid for economic development and national security. USC College Republican Chair Sean Bertran was intrigued by how important foreign aid is to both sides of the aisle. “I want to bring more information to College Republicans,” Sean explained. “It’s rare that we find an issue both sides of the aisle can work together on.” Later Wednesday evening, field organizer Charlie facilitated the USC ONE Chapter in making phone calls to Sens. Graham and DeMint’s offices encouraging them to secure funding for foreign aid in the continuing budget discussions.

Dr. Beth Goodier presents Mike Gerson with the Distinguished Communicator of the Year Award

Mike Gerson engages in discussion out the Interfaith Breakfast in Charleston

Princess Zulu shares her story at the ONE Interfaith Breakfast

While in town, Mike Gerson and ONE staff had the opportunity to meet with AAP Board Member Dr. Francis Rushton. While ONE members advocate on behalf of those in the world’s poorest places and the AAP largely focuses on the health of American children, we are both committed to preserving low-cost, high-impact programs that provide life-saving childhood vaccinations. We found that there are many ways we can work together on the ground in South Carolina and are looking forward to future collaborations.

The fun only continued as we traveled down to Charleston where Mike Gerson received the College of Charleston Department of Communication’s “Distinguished Communicator” award. The College of Charleston featured Mike Gerson in a forum event where he had the chance to encourage local students to join the more than 12,000 ONE members in South Carolina already fighting to end extreme poverty and preventable disease in the world’s poorest places, particularly in Africa.

We were able to get a brief meeting in the early evening with GOP candidate Gov. Mitt Romney and his state campaign chair, State Treasurer Curtis Loftis. Both the Governor and Treasurer Loftis were receptive to ONE’s message and understand the importance foreign aid has even during these economically volatile times.

The ONE team then had dinner with several cadets from our newest college chapter, The Citadel. Mr. Gerson and Princess Kasune Zulu, a longtime AIDS activist, author and ONE advocate, were the star features of dinner, though the “shrimp & grits” came in a close second. “It was exciting to hear their stories of positive activism,” ONE Campus Leader Wyatt Lowrey said. The cadets are quite excited to start the ONE Campus Challenge and start engaging candidates as they come through the Lowcountry.

Friday morning culminated our trip with an Interfaith breakfast with Mr. Gerson and Princess Zulu. They shared their stories and inspired the audience of pastors and local political leaders to learn more about ONE and get involved in the engagement process.

We are excited to work with many new leaders and some old friends for ONE Vote 2012 here in the Palmetto State. Michael Gerson and Princess Zulu’s stories inspired everyone who heard them in the state, and we look forward now to a great launch!

-Zach Lamb, ONE member

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.

Once inside, I immediately felt at ease. “ONE is always welcome” a veteran of the campaign trail remarked. “What a great organization you represent” said another. It seemed for a time that the event was being hosted just for us.

With a great view of “The Green,” where hundreds of activists had assembled, the mood inside the room was upbeat but serious. The people of the Granite State take their politics seriously, and as nice a time as we were having we all knew the excitement was only beginning.

In the interest of bipartisanship, the DNC was invited to set up a table in the lobby just a few yards from where the GOP group was mingling. They were enthusiastic and respectful and of course supported ONE’s efforts to make extreme poverty history as a campaign upon which we can all agree.

Show time

With a noticeable chill in the autumn air, the candidates with their supporters, the press with their cameras and notepads and the people of New Hampshire with their thoughtful questions made their way towards the venue. The sun set, the doors opened and those of us lucky enough to have a ticket took our seats.

During the debate

The debate was vigorous and was only interrupted by breaks of 3, 5 and 3 minutes, not one second longer. It was during one of those breaks when I made a dash down to the stage looking for my ONE colleague in the onstage audience. I did not find her in the scrum, but Governors Perry, Huntsman and Romney all stopped what they were doing and made a point of saying hello to ONE. Yes that’s right, during a brief break in a nationally televised debate, ONE was welcome to mingle with the closest consultants and family members and possibly the next President of the United States. I am sure the other candidates wanted to say hello, but could not get close enough in the three minutes we had!

I felt very privileged to have attended such an important event and know in my heart that it was not me that was being welcomed; I was merely representing every ONE member and the world’s poorest billion. As we fight together to end preventable disease, it is good to know that ONE is such a well-regarded group. Being with ONE can open the actual doors to the halls of power and sometimes gets you an invitation to go places you never thought you would go.

-Michael Castaldo, ONE Vote organizer

Former Governor Romney with ONE Volunteers Jake, Salena, Brian, Megan and Louis

Like all Granite Staters, ONE members in New Hampshire enjoy amazing access to the presidential candidates. This gives us the opportunity to let the would-be presidents know that issues affecting global poverty and preventable disease are important to 10,000 ONE members in the state. That message is being shared again and again by volunteers and members from north to south and east to west.

Governor Perry with ONE member Mike

Former Governor Mitt Romney saw ONE volunteer Jason at his town hall meeting in Keene. Later that evening, on the other side of the state in Dover, he met ONE volunteers Jake, Salena, Brian, Megan and Louis. The former governor always makes time for ONE members and we appreciate it.

The Politics and Eggs series, co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, is a “must stop” on the primary circuit. Former Governor Jon Huntsman made the stop to kick off the Labor Day Weekend a little early.

Prior to sitting for breakfast and then sharing his vision for the country, he took time to speak with ONE volunteer Shaun. Governor Huntsman can spot the ONE logo from a distance and he too takes time out to speak with members. Governor Huntsman got to see the logo again later in the weekend when ONE member Mike was able to speak with him and Congressman Charlie Bass at a picnic in Salem.

Former Governor Huntsman with ONE volunteer Shaun

Texas Governor Rick Perry hosted two house parties over the weekend. Like the former governors of Massachusetts and Utah, Governor Perry is greeting ONE members with an appreciation for the efforts we put forth in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. ONE member Tom had a chance to visit with Governor Perry and Congressman Frank Guinta at the party in Manchester. When Governor Perry arrived in Chichester a couple hours later, ONE member Mike was able to further the conversation.

For candidates who are still considering a run, we want them to consider the issues important to ONE members right from the start, so when former Governor Sarah Palin came to Manchester… you guessed it… ONE members were there too! All of the candidates will be seeing ONE members around New Hampshire. We will continue to find out where they stand on the issues related to extreme poverty.

Be sure to connect with other ONE members in New Hampshire on Facebook and Twitter.

-Thomas Leary, ONE Vote 2012 organizer, New Hampshire

As a father I could not be more proud of my wife and sons as they have supported ONE for the last six years. Recently we had the chance to relive a moment from ONE Vote ’08, posing in front of Harvey’s Bakery in downtown Dover, New Hampshire.

Four years ago, we met with Governor Mitt Romney:

And this week with Governor Rick Perry:

Notice any changes? Besides the fact that I have less hair now? Yes, my sons have grown in many ways! More than a foot taller in Sam’s case! While they were growing on the outside they were also growing up learning that their voices can make a difference in the lives of the world’s poorest.

It is a parent’s dream to watch their children mature into thoughtful and caring adults. It is my pleasure to see my sons are well on their way to contributing to the movement to end preventable disease and extreme poverty, ensuring that the next generation in Africa knows their parents.

Please “like” ONE Campaign New Hampshire on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to see who we meet next!

-Mike Castaldo (a.k.a. ONE’s Marine), Dover, New Hampshire

Hat tip to the ’79 Pittsburgh Pirates for popularizing “We are Family”