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  • [Music]

  • [VO] I was born into a Republican family; I've been a Republican my whole life. So

  • [Jim Heath] I haven't always supported the president until recently.

  • [Woman] What do you think the guys at the fire station would think if they could see this now?

  • [Jim] Being a firefighter from Ohio, uh, we had an issue in Ohio where the governor attacked

  • collective bargaining for police, firemen, and teachers in our state.

  • [Jim] That was a real eye-opener for me.

  • [Jim] "I'll be thinking about you."

  • [Jim] Once I started getting attacked, and I really started to look at what other options

  • were out there, because I really feel like the Republican party just left me. Shortly

  • after that, I was watching a speech by Barack Obama. And it was on jobs. And I just, I said,

  • "This guy was talking to me, was protecting me." And, I hadn't felt that in a while. So,

  • I said right then and there, "This guy's got my vote."

  • [President Obama] Did you always know you wanted to be a firefighter?

  • [Jim] I did.

  • [President Obama] And, how many guys in the station?

  • [Jim] We used to have about 15 to 16, and now we're down to about 12.

  • [President Obama-VO] Is that right? That many cutbacks?

  • [Jim] That many - yeah.

  • [President Obama] You know, it's tough. The first two years I, I came in, right when the

  • recession hit, uh, the Recovery Act provided money to states to keep folks on. The

  • needs are still there - it's not like suddenly, there are fewer fires. It's not like there

  • are fewer kids to teach.

  • [Jim-VO] Having the conversation with him, reinforces the fact that he stands behind

  • [Jim] firefighters, and policemen, and teachers.

  • [President Obama] Thanks, man.

  • [Jim] You got my vote.

  • [President Obama] Tell your guys I said hi.

  • [Jim] I will.

  • [Jim] This just reaffirms to me, that I'm doing the right thing. I'm fighting for the

  • right guy, and I'm on the right side.

  • [Music]

[Music]

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