Thank You Mr. President

I got the call just before 5pm on a Saturday afternoon; Bill Clinton would be coming to Arlington the next day at 9:30am. Bill would be arriving at Vandergrift Park and we would need to register at Hillary.com to be included. Anxiously, I arrived early the next morning and was thankful it was a clear day, although a bit of a chill was in the air. I immediately saw several people I knew and; as I am running for Congress in the 24th District, I began to shake hands and pass out my name cards. I saw Kyle and his family, Shirley and John, Jeff, George and Ann, the Medranos from Dallas, Danny and many familiar faces from events and days long past.

I was shaking hands and talking to as many voters as I could when I heard, ”Mr. Love, come with me there is a special section for candidates and office holders”. There in front of the barricade was a white pickup truck with a podium and Sergio Deleon talking on a cell phone. I was introduced to Chelsea Clinton’s Stanford University roommate and candidates and office holders from all over the area. We were facing the parking lot and waited with anticipation that only expectation of a President could bring.

About 10am, a motorcade arrived and Bill Clinton looking healthy and, with a measured stride, took his place next to Sergio at the podium. After the introduction, Bill began to speak with the vision and clarity that had convinced so many of us in the 1990’s to vote for our shared vision of the future. I heard my name mentioned as one of the candidates and I was honored to be the representative for my party in the 24th Congressional District.

As I shared Bill’s vision for a bright new tomorrow with Universal Healthcare, better education, and stability at home and in the world; I thought of long ago, the day I first met Bill in Austin on the McGovern campaign in 1972. I had volunteered to block walk and drive people to the polls and met him briefly. Bill had looked so different then from now. Now I saw the wisdom and experience from battles fought and won over 36 years of public service. This I contrasted with the last seven years of on-the-job training and disaster after disaster to the presidency of George W. Bush. We would have that same choice and repeat that same mistake with John McCain. The American Dream was fully illuminated in the crystal clear eyes of the former President.

As I shook his hands after the speech, which both invigorated and filled me with hope and nostalgia, I made my decision that it should be Hillary and Bill once again to lead America to prosperity and the fulfillment of a “Bridge to Tomorrow” and not a “Bridge to Nowhere” that we have had for the last seven long years under George W. Bush.

So I say, thank you Mr. President, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Tom Love for Texas 24

http://www.tomlovefortexas.com/