I first registered to vote on my 18^th birthday. This was in 1983, the height of the Reagan years. I registered as a Democrat, mainly because my dad was a yellow dog, party line democrat. My first presidential campaign, I volunteered for Jesse Jackson. I felt the system was corrupt and broken and we needed a fresh start. I believed Jesse was the fresh vision we needed. He lost and the Democrats chose yet another Business as Usual candidate, who lost.

There were things I liked about both parties but more that I detested. Mainly the Business as Usual attitude. What's good for business- lesser regulations on labor practices, health issues, environmental issues- was most certainly NOT what was good for the worker. Unions were smashed or lost their influence or even became lapdogs of the Companies. Social services were gutted. Health care, education and mental health care were gutted. The politicians of both parties were gorging on the fruits of the land. I registered Independent, rejecting both parties. I lost my youthful idealism. I lost my hope.

I wandered around the fringe groups in the late 80s and 90s. The system was broken. We needed to tear it down and start over. Once in awhile there was a candidate I could start to believe in, a few in each party. But they got stomped down quickly by Business as Usual. Even Bill Clinton was Business as Usual, passing NAFTA and other Republican policies. I always voted but felt slimy and dirtied, voting for the lesser of two evils in elections.

Then a friend sent me the you tube clip of the Yes, I Can speech. I was floored. Surely this was too good to be true! I borrowed a copy of Audacity of Hope. I read everything I could about this Barack Obama. I watched all the speeches, read the blueprint for change. A strange feeling started inside me. It was...Hope. Hope that we as voters could pull ourselves out of this black hole of wars and economic depression and growing poverty of wealth and spirit.

Many of my family members and friends had also lost hope, even stopped voting. I wanted to volunteer, but what could I do? A friend for Obama asked me- could I email my address book? Yes I Can. Could I open up my house for an informational get-together? Yes I Can. Can regular people doing small things to reach out and help Barack Obama win and create real change? Yes We Can!

Right now, Oregon has a high population of Independent, fed-up voters. We need to reach out to them with Hope and use this last week of registration- ending April 29, 2008- to spread that Hope by encouraging re-registration to put Obama over the top for the Democratic nomination. Can we do this? Can we really win? Can we really turn around this country we love? Yes, We Can!