Dear Mr. Obama

Hello, my name is redacted.

I have been a fan of yours since you were the junior Senator from Illinois.  I’m a Washingtonian originally from Kentucky.  When I moved to the district in 2004 I rented a flat at the Meridian on Mass avenue, one of the original two new highrises built in the chinatown/gallery place redevelopment.  Residents were buzzing around telling one another that Barack Obama got an apartment upstairs, and we were very proud.  The Meridian had its share of other celebrities, the Wizards team doctor, Shamiqua Holtzclaw, and a couple rappers nobody really heard of; but day the white knight of the Democratic party moved in upstairs, we were in the tank.

We didn’t really see you much because you guys were currently getting served by the republicans on the hill.  Nsa wiretaps, gitmo, cia leaks, they were running away with the country in the name of national security.  The golden days of Bill were gone and Washington was sad and locked down tight.  Barriers of all sorts went around all kinds of buildings, it seemed like any office that was property of the people was off limits via armed guards and blast walls.  Security is undoubetly important, but it almost gave the appearance of marshal law.  We assumed the Bush family would be in for two terms since they had that really effective nationalist approach of keeping people scared.  Kerry was no candidate, and Edwards is an ambulance chaser.

On election night 2004 my friends and I were at the 9:30 club at the Rock the Vote party.  The crowd was full of ambitious progressive young dems hoping to get the worst president ever out of office.  Big tubs of campaign on ice were waiting in the hallway for the moment Ohio would turn blue on the bigscreen.  We fell silent around 2 am when it turned solid red.  A few people actually cried.  It was a tough loss to take, and going home felt like the walk of shame.  Loud republican motorcades were all over the city late that night and It was hard to sleep.

Over the course of the next few days the buzz was that you were suiting up to run in the primary next time around, and that gave us hope.  Hope that somebody would fix the mess and vacate bush policy.  Hope the next president would actually be “OF” the people and “FOR” the people.  Not a rich businessman or a chump that married any heiress.  We wanted a guy who went to the gym at Wash Sports Center Chinatown, and ran his ass off on those stair climbing machines.  If I had went to the gym more often instead of watching daily show reruns I could have worked out with Barack Obama.  You really did a good job of acting normal despite everybody in the gym is looking at you.  No SS troops to keep people from saying hello, when people approached you always said “hello.”  That’s one of the reasons I’m such a fan, you always spoke to me and one once loaned me a quarter at the Gatorade machine because I was short.  Definitely in the tank.

I stopped going to that gym but have told the story many times.  Currently I am a student at the University of Kentucky, I had to leave Washington for a couple years but am moving back when I graduate.  I know most people are having a hard time finding work due to the current economic situation, but if Washington is under democratic control things will improve. I would like to do PR for candidates, maybe become someones press secretary.  Perhaps you could direct me to someone that needs help and actually pays.

You have a big week ahead of you.  You have ran a very honest and sincere campaign and have done a better than average job of explaining what the plan is.  People follow you when you talk, perhaps its the law prof in you, but it works.  This morning on the way to class some people found a chickenshit redneck display of social ignorance, it was a dummy with an Obama mask hanging from a tree.  The school president got all hot and bothered over it and is offering a personal apology to you and your family.  He would really like to tell you in person if the situation warranted.  Frankly I think a speaking engagement at the university would be a wise idea, you haven’t came to Kentucky a single time since you announced your run.  I understand our 8 votes usually turn red weeks before a presidential election, but this place is greatly misunderstood and we have lots of swing voters.  Our voters will vote for a yellow dog democrat if you prop him up, just not usually for a presidential election.  However it could still earn you an extra slate of voters, and send a big “F-you” to the morons that hung up the dummy.

I wish you luck and pray for a fair election.  Please repair the extensive damage done in the past eight years.  You do realize you will have two wars, possible cold war, deficit, bad economy, and shitty traffic around the beltway to deal with before your term would even start.  Don’t forget you are the white knight, and we have very high hopes.  Madeye Moody says “Constant Vigilance” and thats good advice for anybody.  If you win it will show real progress in America, the kind that makes us proud to be Americans again.

Come to Kentucky, I owe you a quarter

Redacted