Like many of us, John Hester's reason for being involved in politics is personal. 
At the June 18 OCDP breakfast, John told the group, "Four years ago I got cancer. I was treated for it, and I’m now perfectly healthy. Two years ago, I took a leave of absence from the ministry to help out my parents. As a result, I am unable to buy health insurance at any price. My astonishment at how low the Republican Party would stoop to prevent people like me from benefitting from healthcare reform galvanized me politically. I know that I need to be involved in politics."
Now a Summer Organizer for Organizing for America (OFA), President Obama's grassroots campaign team, John is ready to enlist the rest of us.
"We want to meet one-on-one with as many voters in this county as we can," he said.
John explained that in 2008, 32,000 Oconee County residents voted in the presidential race.
"Today, if two of you agree to help us in our outreach efforts, that can become a strong base. Suppose that next week, those two people meet with two friends to convince them to join our effort. If each person recruits two new people, then in a matter of 15 weeks, we could recruit every voter in this county."
"We can win because truth is on our side," John said, "The Republican Party keeps showing its true colors. It keeps advocating for policies that benefit corporations and the rich but hurt most of our neighbors."
The steps to engaging Oconee voters: Sign up with OFA. Agree to talk to at least one person a week. Connect your story with their concerns; help them understand how much President Obama has done here in South Carolina to create jobs, reform health care, receive tax cuts, extend loans to small businesses, and more. Check out the full list ... at http://progress.democrats.org
"Obviously I can’t accomplish much by myself," John concluded. "We can’t accomplish enough with just the efforts of the people in this room. This summer, our job is to recruit, train, and equip the teams of people that we will need in order to be successful."
If you are interested in joining the OFA team, please contact John at jhester@summerorganizers.org.