It’s Election Day

In honor of election day, we’ve long planned on posting this story of a 95 year-old crafter from Virginia, Charles Edwards, a former coal miner and farmer, who traveled for three-and-a-half hours to attend the launch of Barack Obama’s general election campaign early this summer and present the candidate with a special gift–a hand carved maple walking stick. From a press account of this moment,

Edwards spent more than half his life suffering the indignity of discrimination. Speaking after Obama’s speech, Edwards recalled coming off a nightshift in the coal mines of West Virginia and ordering ham and eggs in a restaurant. “The waitress said she did not serve coloureds in the restaurant and told me to eat in the kitchen. I said ‘keep the food’ and walked out,” he said.

That is why he traveled to see Obama, why he was so delighted when he won the Democratic nomination against Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night and why he hopes to see him make it to the White House.
Politicians do not like spontaneity. But Obama showed in Bristol he can handle it. It was Edwards who inadvertently tested him. His daughter stood to say her father was 95 and had traveled a long way to see him. Edwards then rose to his feet, went to the podium and gave Obama his walking stick, which he had made himself, as a present.

Obama was initially unsure. He said how well Edwards looked for his age. He looked at the stick, and described it as beautiful. Still struggling, he mumbled about how it looked like maple. And then he found the poise that may yet see him win. He waved the stick about, dancing about. If members of Congress tried to block his healthcare bill, he would take the stick to them, he shouted. “I’ll whoop em! That’s right. I’ll have that stick,” he said.

When Josh and I first read this story in The Guardian several months ago, we both were moved to tears. After a bit of searching, we found an amateur video of this moment on YouTube.

This Obama Craft Project election day post is dedicated to Charles.

Yes We Can!