My Bus Tour Diary
There are a lot of reasons why I am a Democrat. I studied economics in college, so I support policies that work for all of us, not just those at the top. I care about gender equality, and know that I shouldn’t be held back from opportunities because I’m a woman. I have family in Lebanon and Syria, which is why I know firsthand that our country needs a leader with the right temperament and judgment to be Commander-in-Chief. And with less than four weeks until Election Day, I am doing everything I can to make sure we elect Democrats from the White House to the state house who will fight for progress in our country.
A week ago, I helped kick off the DNC’s Forward Together bus tour and have traveled with fellow Democrats to Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa— with many more states to go! We’re stopping at rallies, phone banks, roundtables, and local businesses to talk to people about what’s at stake in 2016.
There are a few people I’ve met along the way who shared their story with me — stories that solidify why I’m voting for Democrats in November.
In Hammond, Indiana, I had the privilege to meet a woman named Linda. Linda told me she took off a half day of work to phone bank with us. She gave me a warm hug, thanked me for what we’re doing, and told me, “the best is yet to come.” She’s proud to be phone banking until Election Day, encouraging her neighbors and friends to vote for candidates who fight for working families. Linda is why I am a Democrat.
Later in the week our bus tour rolled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I met Ann. Ann’s passion lies with down-ballot races — she volunteers every day to ensure that Wisconsinites learn that Democrats running for local offices are just as important to elect as the top of the ticket. She’s passionate about this election because she has seen firsthand what Republican policies have done to her state’s education system and infrastructure. Ann is why I am a Democrat.
In Chicago we parked our bus in front of Trump Tower, where elected officials and local candidates denounced Trump’s sexist actions and divisive rhetoric. We were joined by union members who proudly stand with the Democratic candidates who have fought alongside them for decades. Union workers remember who went to bat for them during the Great Recession and who wanted to take the bat to them, and they’re ready to organize and vote for their future. That’s why I’m a Democrat.
We have a long road ahead, but one thing is for sure:
We’re going to keep fighting for people like Linda and Ann.
We’re going to fight for the 18-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student who can’t wait to cast her first vote for the first woman president. We’re going to fight for the Michigan State Board of Education candidate who is tired of Republicans cutting school funding. We’re going to fight for the mother in Indiana who doesn’t want her son to grow up thinking the way Trump talks about women is okay.
And we’re going to do it by registering voters, spreading the word about Democrats up and down the ballot, and telling Americans across the country that Love Trumps Hate.
