It was March. I was halfway through my training to run some marathon or other that coming May. I had set out to run part of the course that morning, As I approached where the start would be, I saw a crowd of hundreds of runners. My panic rose as I realized the event was today--in March--not two months off on the same date in May. I had to run unprepared. Grabbing my number from the table and pinning it on as the starting gun went off, I tried in vain to explain the situation . . . .
I snapped awake. The "unprepared" nightmare again. Another time I had been unprepared for a trial I had suddenly learned was scheduled for later in the morning.
THEN THE DREAM COMES TRUE
This morning I was parking the car outside Krankies coffee house in Winston-Salem when my cell phone rang. I answered, the voice asked "Who is this? I was trying to reach Elisabeth Motsinger. This is Travis Fain from the Winston-Salem Journal and I heard she is running for Congress."
Panic time. I did not even pinch myself to test for wakefulness. I told the reporter he had reached my cell phone, but that I would I would give Elisabeth the message as soon as I saw her.
I then went on into Krankies to the meeting with Elisabeth and campaign manager Carissa Joines to continue preparing for the official announcement and media conference intended for January 17, yet a week away. Our web site was not ready, just a placeholder page. We had no Facebook or Twitter pages. I had just that morning put the (almost) finishing touches on an ActBlue secure donation page. Clearly we were not ready to go public--but the beans had been spilled as the cat had sprung forth from the bean bag.
FROM PANIC TO ACTION
After a quick synchronized panic attack, we regrouped. Elisabeth called back Travis Fain, introduced him to campaign manager Carissa Joines, and I followed with more information. Apparently, Jerry Williamson, a blogger from Watauga County had somehow discovered that we had filed to get a candidate number from the Federal Election Commission. He published the finding in WataugaWatch this morning. Fain picked up the story from the blog, confirmed it with us and published it on the Journalnow Facebook page a few hours later.
THE SUPPORT ROLLS IN
Within a couple of hours, Carissa, Elisabeth and I had gotten the basics together, all the while answering phone calls from friends and supporters of Elisabeth as a two-term school board member. The news was going viral, shared on Facebook and elsewhere by dozens of individuals. By 10:00 in the evening, the online donation page recorded 11 separate donations. Elisabeth received messages from across the district from numerous people wanting to throw fundraiser and "meet the candidate" events in their communities.
Clearly, Elisabeth has enjoyed a strong groundswell of support from across the 5th District and the state for her campaign to win the seat now held by conservative Republican Virginia Foxx. After the panic, the reality has set in: Elisabeth can win the primary and, if anyone can, Elisabeth's supporters can and will turn the 5th District from red to blue in November. But to go the distance, we must go from a quartet of planners to a much larger volunteer force and do it quickly.
If you have some time to invest in a better tomorrow for the 5th District, some space to donate or rent, or can support Elisabeth in other ways, please contact us at connect@nc5th.us. Due to the large outpouring of interest, it may take us awhile to get back in touch. But in touch we will be, because Elisabeth knows the seat belongs to you, the real people of the 5th District, not to any officeholder or big corporate special interest, not to any pollster or any party.
-- John Motsinger
DISCLOSURE: I am currently Legal and Compliance Director/Acting Treasurer of the committee Elisabeth Motsinger for Congress. Contributions and gifts to Elisabeth Motsinger for Congress are not tax deductible. This blog post was my own and not authorized by the candidate.
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