Walking Home from the Presidential Debate

Last night the AFL-CIO sponsored a Presidential Forum here in Chicago. 15,000 union members and their families watched 7 presidential hopefuls discuss issues important to working families. When I signed up for this internship, I never expected having the opportunity to walk a picket line with two (and counting!) candidates or attending an actual debate. For a political junkie like myself, these added perks have really added to this experience. While I will resist the temptation to offer my own thoughts, insights, and analysis of the debate and the 2008 race, perhaps the most profound experience of the whole evening occurred on the walk home. Walking back to the office after grabbing dinner, several of the organizers and myself passed one of the hotels represented by Local 1. One of the doormen came out of the hotel because a customer was arriving and, noticing all of us in our UNITE-HERE t-shirts, proudly proclaimed "We're UNITE-HERE!" and then gave one of the organizers a fist-five (is that what you call a high-five with fists?). The moment was completely spontaneous and seeing the genuine pride he held from being part of the union completely made my day, presidential debate and all.