Student Volunteers Make Difference in Congressional Race
Senator Tom McClintock announced victory three weeks after Election Day over contender Charlie Brown for California's 4th district Congressional seat.
"It is appropriate that the tally should be completed on the eve of Thanksgiving Day." McClintock stated on his blog Wednesday.
The election results stands at: McClintock 185,615 and Brown at 183,840. This lead of 1,775 votes is a margin of victory that puts the race well outside the possibility of a recount changing the outcome.
Senator McClintock, supported by Rep. Ron Paul for his tax and spending fighting, is well known to Californians. He ran for Governor of the Golden State during the 2003 Grey Davis recall. As the only prolife candidate, he came in third at 13.5%.
A nationally watched race, the fourth district of California is one of the largest Republican registered majorities of any district in the state. But pre-election poles warned Republicans that the race would be a close one.
Volunteers flocked to the Eureka St. headquarters in Roseville before the election. Entire Homeschooling families like local resident, Kent & Florence Cusick's spent shifts on the phone banks, walked prec incts and transported signs.
Cusick, who works as a medical supply salesman, respects McClintock's consistent fiscal responsibility. "I want to keep as much money in my household income as I can so I can spend it as my wife and I see fit to run our household.” He told the Post. "I don't believe we should depend on the government for those things"
Cusick estimates the family put in 10-15 days on the campaign, saying: "it's important to teach the younger generation the importance of how the political process works."
Besides local families, Generation Joshua members joined on the last four days. Gen J., founded by Michael Farris of Patrick Henry College, trains youth in the political process, then supplies hands on experience.
Students like 15 year old Sam Albert, made an estimated 500 calls a day. When a voter asked a question, Albert asked Senator McClintock personally and then called the voter back. Sam said he learned a lot about "McClintock, Prop. 8 and Charlie Brown, and how people react to the questions you ask them, or when to explain things to them that they didn't know."
Another student told the Post that the experience taught him how important it is to be nice to people - even election callers.
Karen England of Capitol Resource Institute called the students "Critical to the campaign."
"I've never been in a campaign office that buzzed from 8:30 in the morning right up until eight o'clock at night like that, nonstop." England told the Post. "We were running out of phones."
Tom McClintock concurred in his wait-and-see speech Election Night:
"I want to thank every one of you for all of your hard work." All the volunteers who made 50,000 phone calls in the last week, all the young people from the homeschool network from the Joshua Project, who have been out here working tirelessly walking precincts in the driving rain, this is the kind of close race where you can actually see the difference you've made."
The Porterville Post congratulates Congressman Tom McClintock for a race well run.
I would be glad to hear your questions or comments regarding this column. regina@portervillepost.com
