Presidential Candidate Rally in Defiance, OH (30 Oct 2008)

Some of my earliest memories are of my mother and father arguing back and forth over whether Gerald Ford or Jimmy Carter would make a better president. I was seven years old, and I remember it well. In particular, I remember our trip to Florida that year at Christmas time. On our trip down from Michigan we made a swing through Plains, Georgia, then President-elect Carter's home town.

Whether by design or not, the President-elect was having a meeting at a local elementary school, if I remember correctly, so my parents drove us over there and we stood outside and waited for the opportunity to personally see the man who had just been elected President of the United States.

How exciting it was to see Jimmy Carter wave to the crowd and be a part of it! It was very formative for me, to see that a man from a little town like mine (I lived in a little farm town called Mayville, MI at the time.) could actually rise to be the most powerful political leader in the world.

So, when we got an invitation to attend a McCain for President rally in nearby Defiance, Ohio today (Oct 30, 2008) I decided (though I have a lot to do) that we had to take the opportunity. We have been doin a lot of things in homeschool about campaigns and the American political process, so the whole trip was filled with teachable moments. From the discussion of campaign finance on the way up to spotting the secret service come out before Sen. McCain arrived.

The current President of the Ohio District of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod lives in Defiance. I called him after the event and he told me that the last presidential candidate to visit Defiance was Dwight David Eisenhower. I heard a number of people around us say, "This is great for Defiance." Indeed, it is. Times are hard around here and a visit from a presidential candidate says loud and clear, "You are important." I think it was really important for the people of this area to hear that, as simple confidence can do a lot for a community.

Thanks to Sen. McCain, Sen. Graham, and Sen. McCain's wife and daugter for coming to northwest Ohio and giving my, I pray, the same sort of memory--and encouragement--that I had as a young boy from a small town.