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Monday, September 27, 2004
Guest Poster: Jeff Seemann
Posted by DavidNYC[As you may already know, Jeff Seemann is a Dean-inspired candidate for Ohio's 16th Congressional District. Jeff is backed by DFA and the DailyKos, and I'm proud to join this group in supporting him. Back in April, when political campaigns rushed to pull their ads and links to DKos, Jeff displayed that all-too-rare virtue of loyalty - what James Carville calls "Stickin'." Since Jeff stuck with us, I'm stickin' with him, and without further ado, I present his guest-post here at the Swing State Project.]
Guest-Posted by Jeff Seemann
I decided to surprise my parents and stop by their place after a long day at the office. The street was lined with cars and a few Bush/Cheney yard signs. One house stood out in particular... the home of my parents, who were hosting a Busy/Cheney house party that night.
My name is Jeff Seemann, and I���m the Democratic candidate for US House in Ohio���s 16th District. 2004 marks the first year I have ever placed my name on a ballot, but this is not my first venture into the political arena.
I founded the Stark County Peace Coalition in February of 2003 as an attempt to stop the eventual war in Iraq. While we were unsuccessful with that goal, we did manage to create an environment where progressive Democrats could feel safe to come out and express their political opinions. Growing up, that environment didn���t even exist in my own home, let alone Canton, Ohio.
You see, I grew up with Republican parents. By midway through Reagan���s first term, they had fully consumed the Republican Kool-Aid. Looking back, I can���t blame them. They both had good jobs, owned their own home, and dad was finishing up his college education with night classes. Everything Reagan told them, they could see in front of their own eyes. Things are much worse for them today, yet they remain rabid Bush supporters.
As an impressionable teenager with Republican parents, I eventually saw what was happening to the rest of the world. I began to empathize. Slowly but surely, I took off the blinders. By the time I got to college, I embraced the label of "black sheep."
It took me a long time to become politically active, but when I walked into Democratic headquarters in early 1992 to become a volunteer, I became a different person. I busted my tail for Bill Clinton in 1996 and wept tears of joy while hugging my girlfriend as he gave his victory speech. I shared that same hug with the same girl, now my wife, in 2000 when Florida was announced as a win for Al Gore. Our 2-year-old daughter, up late as a special treat, didn���t understand why her parents were so happy, but was perfectly willing to bounce around the living room with us.
And then "it" happened. The thrill was gone, and yet another Jeff Seemann was born. I became an angry, frustrated political activist. Out of that anger grew a fighter, someone who would never again accept what was forced upon me.
From the moment they took back Florida on election night, our country has been in decline. Poverty is rising, unemployment is rising, corporate profits are rising, the number of children without health insurance is rising, and the amount of lies we are told is rising. Meanwhile, the number of Representatives that understand what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and live extended periods of time without health insurance is shrinking.
These are some of the many reasons that I am running to become the next Representative of Ohio���s 16th District. We need real representation in Congress. I was not groomed to become a politician. It was not expected of me, but it is something I have to do. I am running because many of the negative experiences I have faced in my life are shared by too many Americans across the country. We lack that basic understanding on Capitol Hill.
I have overcome a Republican upbringing, and I will overcome a Republican government. We have no other choice.
If you want to volunteer with my campaign - especially if you are in Ohio - please contact our Field Director: megan@jeffseemannforcongress. You can also visit our website or give a little.
Thanks,
Jeff
Posted at 03:53 PM in Ohio | Technorati
Comments
Go Jeff, GO!!!
Posted by: bob brigham at September 27, 2004 03:55 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment
GO Jeff! The shout out to Jane Mitakides is great. Please support her, too!
Posted by: stopoutsourcing at September 30, 2004 06:37 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment