Danielle PattalochiThis is a featured page

Hello, my name is Danielle Pattalochi

Thanks for stopping by and considering me as a candidate to represent Barack in Denver. I am a passionate supporter of Barack Obama, and a strong fighter for equal opportunities and resources for children. I am a CASA, (court-appointed child advocate) and mostly concerned in life with the issues of poverty, lack of healthcare, abuse and neglect, and education of children.
seattle times article

WHY I'M A DELEGATE FOR OBAMA:
danielle's license plate I don't feel that I am more deserving of going to Denver than anyone else. I just know that it would be an amazing experience. I feel as though I have supported Barack Obama's candidacy from the very beginning. My license plate read "OBAMA08" before the first vote was cast- last August to be exact. I have involved my son, Chance from the beginning and we were even featured in a Seattle Times article on January 15th. Check it out here! I am a proud delegate for Barack Obama because I believe in him. I am proud to be part of his vision. Please enjoy an experience that was the highlight of my spring below. Can you guess which WA state Superdelegate I met?

MORE ABOUT ME
My walk with a Superdelegate: what I regrettably left unsaid.

Sunny days don't come often in Seattle, and especially not in April. Gotta take advantage of them when they do! On this particular day, a sunny Saturday at that, after spending my morning laying in bed watching an episode of Hardball that I had recorded the day before, I decided that politics would not steal my sunny day. Especially since all the good political shows don't come on till Sunday! I decided the most Seattle-like way to take advantage of the unusually warm weather was to hit the path on Greenlake. I had no idea how that path would enrich mine.

So I got my walking shoes on, put the headphones in my IPod, and set out on a walk that would turn out to be the highlight of my year. I parked in my usual spot, a lot just off of Aurora that I don't think I'm suppose to park in. But I do, and that day I did. I walked about a hundred yards before joining the mainstream of Greenlake athletes engaging in their various forms of exercise. I got my music situated. This day I choose "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder to set my mood and inspire my rigorous walk. I got no more than two minutes into my rythym when I was interrupted by a provoking sight: a Washington State Superdelegate. He and another gentleman were passing by me going the opposite direction. I couldn't hear Sir Duke anymore. And my heart was racing, not from my impressive pace. (which wasn't that impressive) What immediately came to my mind was something that I had seen on the Washington State Democrats website a week before: the Superdelegate that just passed me, I remembered, was an UNCOMMITTED Superdelegate! Time stopped in that instant. My mind started scheming and my legs carried me faster. My music interferred so I had to turn it off. Now I knew my real purpose that day: I had to convince the Superdelegate to endorse my man. I had to represent Barack.

Because the S.D. was walking the opposite direction, I figured we'd have to meet up on the opposite side of the lake. Usually this is my motivation to keep going in order to re-see an exceptionally cute dog or baby. But today, I used this Greenlake insider knowledge to stage my impromptu meeting with a man whose mind it was my job to make up. So I walked, and I planned. Kept walking. Kept planning. Walking, planning. And after a half hour of walking and planning all of the things I was going to say, all of the incredibly insightful ideas I was going to plant in this guys mind, I started to worry that maybe he was at the end of his walk and I would never get the chance to enlighten him. Dang. I decided after a while to let the dream die and just enjoy the sun and the adrenaline rush I got at mere thought of the possibilities. I turned Stevie back on, a slower song now, and trudged on. And just when I thought I had missed my opportunity, there he was. No more than 20 yards away. Oh yeah!- I remembered. He was walking slow. That's why it took him so long. And here was my chance. My heart was racing. Partly because of my impressive pace, but mostly because I knew that I had to get the courage to seize a once in a lifetime opportunity: to influence a Superdelegate in the most amazing election of my lifetime. So, here's how it went:

I walked right up to him and put my hand out for a shake. "Mr. Superdelegate?" I said. Only I said his name of course. "Yes.....?" He said, confused probably because he couldn't understand why I, a 32 year old girl, would even know who he, a late 60's or older politician was. I told him my first name, said I'm just a regular person, shook his hand, and asked if I could join him. He seemed reluctant, but amused and after looking to his, around the same age, friend for silent approval, agreed to let me join them. And so I did.

First I asked him if he was enjoying his day and his walk. He said yes and introduced me to his unimportant friend. I shook the friend's hand and then got down to business. "Why do you think I might want to talk to you today?" I asked. He laughed and rightly guessed the election. Bingo, I said. "And who are you supporting?" he asked. I told him I'd give him one clue and let him guess. "My license plates read "OBAMA08" , I declared. And then he knew. And he and his buddy laughed. And in one question, the buddy opened up the floodgate,..."Why Obama?"

I spent the next half hour walking and talking to the Superdelegate and his friend. And answering their questions about what Washington outsiders thought. (Brilliant pun there....) We talked about Barack, we talked about Hillary. I spoke about character and integrity, and one certain candidate's lack of both of those things. They took turns asking me questions about my thoughts, and even, at least pretended, to seem interested in my answers. I highlighted what I consider the most telling snapshot of Hillary's lack of character- when she gave her slimy answer to a journalist's question about Barack being a Muslim. Despicable, I pointed out. We were in agreement about the fact that it's important for all people to vote before the S.D.'s cast their votes. They asked about my thoughts on the candidates' supporters voting tendencies if their preference didn't become the nominee. I revealed that I for one, would not vote in the fall if they (the Supers) did a "snaky" thing and over-turned Barack's pledged delegate lead and handed Hillary the nomination. At one point the S.D.'s friend asked me if I "really thought the country would vote for a black". I was cringing FOR the Superdelegate. I'm no politician, but that phrasing sure sounded out dated and offensive. But I answered the question in the best way I knew how: by pointing out the difference in cultural competency between the older and younger generations.

We talked and walked. And at the end of our conversation the S.D. shook my hand and gave me his word, that if, after all the contests were over, Barack still had the lead in pledged delegates that he would "do the right thing" and cast his vote for Barack Obama. Mission accomplished. Im sure he already had his mind made up long before he ever met me, but I will still give myself credit for persuading him.......

I said a lot that day. And I feel as though all of my hours of watching political shows and faithfully staying current on the info of at least 7 different political websites everyday, paid off. I had lots of information to back up my opinions. But it's been a few days now, and after processing our conversation over and over in my head, I have thought of things I regret not thinking of at the time. Important things. Things every Superdelegate should know. Here they are:

1. I wish I had told the S.D.'s friend that his use of the de-huminizing term "black" showed that perhaps it was HE who may not be ready to vote because of the color of someone's skin. I think sometimes, and especially in this case, we see the world as we are. If not now, then when? And why not now?

2. I wish I had encouraged both of them to read Barack Obama's first book "Dreams From My Father". I read it years ago on an airplane. I choose it instead of InStyle magazine that day in the Denver airport on my way back from Casper Wyoming, where I had grown up and gone back to visit my dad.

3. I wish I would've had the courage to tell them that they need to do what is important for the next generation....not their's. Barack Obama has fresh ideas. He, alone can't do much. He's just one man. But what he can do, and has done, is inspire an entire nation of his millions of supporters to take action in their lives. And THAT will make a difference. It will reverse global warming through millions of individual efforts. It will bridge gaps and encourage communication between cultures here in America and countries around the world...through individual choices people make. Barack Obama brings to our national table a spirit of cooperation. It's infectious. It's invigorating. It's the future.

SAY HELLO!
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