State Chairs Message January 26, 2009

Contents

Chair’s Message

 

(This message was delivered by Chairman Holland at the annual Legislative Gala on January 24, 2009)

I first met Barack Obama at the bottom of the escalator at the Washington Hilton almost exactly a year ago.  This was in his pre-Secret Service agent days, so it was just Obama and one aide and we were able to talk without interruptions that come with agents and large crowds around.  It was clear to me that this man was going to become president some day, probably sooner than later.  When you’re face to face with him there’s a leadership and a confidence that is unmistakable.  His vision goes far beyond the normal person’s ability to see what needs to be done.

After the 2004 presidential campaign, we talked about how the Rocky Mountain states would be battlegrounds – in part because the evangelical right agenda of the Republican Party did not sit well with the more libertarian history of westerners.  In 2008 the Rocky Mountain west was indeed an important cornerstone of the party’s success nationwide, and we foresee the mountain west becoming a much deeper shade of purple over the coming decade.

In Utah, as you know, Obama took three counties, including Salt Lake County.  One Saturday, a few weeks before the election, as I was walking several precincts in Sandy – a traditional Republican stronghold – I counted 37 Obama signs.  I saw just one McCain sign. 

Change was and is indeed in the air, and the Democratic Party in Utah now has the momentum to take all our hopes and put them into action.

It’s been especially thrilling to see how contagious the youth involvement has been, excited by a Democratic field that included not just Obama but Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson.  My son is 22, so I’ve watched this first-hand.  I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime, even when I was 22.  They realize that they have to be involved, and they’ve found a leader they believe in.

Obama’s campaign, his election and his inauguration have stirred us all to want to do more and be more – not just as Democrats but as Americans, responding to our new President’s call to service – so we can really be the change our country and communities need. 

My pledge is to continue to help generate the winds of change in Utah to make Democrats even more successful.  I’m waking up these days with an optimism about the future I haven’t had in a long time; that we can make a difference, that we’re not battling a head wind, but finally we have the wind at our backs.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Wayne Holland, Jr.

Chair, Utah State Democratic Committee