Day 1, December 27, 2007

Today I drove up to Iowa. It was probably the most boring drive of my life considering the only city I passed through was Peoria. However, there was a certain level of anxiety and excitement as I drove through the heartland of America. I was on a one way street to one of the institutions of politics and on my ride there I felt an exhilirating thrill of freedom and liberty. Indeed, while I was passing through open fields blanketed by the white snow for as far as I can see, I took some time to question what I was doing. Why was I driving up all the way to a snowstorm in Iowa? What pulled me to leave my friends and family during the holidays? In other words, what the hell was I thinking driving eleven hours to a place I had never been to and a place where I had no idea what I was about to do?

At this moment, I reflected on several things, but nothing seemed to comfort me more than the words of our late President, John F. Kennedy who remarkably noted "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." Fred has certainly taken this advice to heart completely in my mind not because he has never had any personal ambition to be President, but rather because he feels he is the right candidate at the right time. Therefore, I come here to help Fred on his quest to become the next President of the United States because I believe he is the only person in the race that can restore dignity, honesty, and strength to the office that has lost credibility not only around the world, but more importantly in the eyes of the American public.

I may not be able to see the smiles on peoples faces when they meet Fred for the first time. I may not be able to see the trust he engenders every day by visiting people on his bus tour. But I do realize that every little thing I do to help Fred is something that I can do for the betterment of my country. So, with the hope that Fred will win the Iowa Caucus and my determination to help him in whatever way I can, I have taken off for Des Moines, Iowa. This should be even more fun than Mansouri's mom was last night.