Annette John-Hall: Out in force for the president

The line started dozens deep over the weekend.

By Saturday, it had swelled to hundreds of students, who had camped out overnight, hoping to get a golden free ticket and prime bleacher seating for President Obama's visit to Arcadia University.

Proof that the president still can connect to the ones who got him there.

Sure, they came yesterday to listen to him make a final push for health care. But in the end, it was even clearer that the president has been listening to them.

All these months, it seemed President Obama had stood alone. Approval ratings sinking. Democrats waffling. Republicans obstructing. Tea partyers hollering. And his swarms of supporters seemingly nowhere to be found.

But yesterday, it was loud and clear that his constituents hadn't given up on him, despite the news reports and Dick Cheney proclaiming him a "lame-duck president" after only one year. And despite 50 or so protesters outside, one wearing a red, white, and blue hat with tea bags dangling from it and another with a mocking sign that read, "Audacity of a dope."

But, for once, they weren't the loudest. The president's cheering supporters were sounding off in real time, tweeting, texting, Facebooking, and preserving the moment with their hi-def cameras. The technology that elected him in full force.

"I'll tell you one thing," said Leslie Banks. "The president reads his e-mail."

Banks may sound familiar if you're a lover of vampire novels. The University City resident writes paranormal fiction under the pseudonym L.A. Banks, but that's not all.

She pens romances under Leslie Esdaile, crime thrillers under Leslie Esdaile Banks, and a soul-food series under Leslie A. Banks.

In all, Banks, 50, has authored 42 books.

So you know she must have a way with words.

In February, Banks received a form letter from Independence Blue Cross telling her that her premium would be raised from $301 to $659 a month for herself, and from $167 to $249 for her 19-year-old daughter, Helena, a sophomore at Temple.

And if that weren't bad enough, "they told me if I wanted to keep my $301-a-month premium, my deductible would go from $500 to $5,000," she says.

Alarmed that her premiums were arbitrarily hiked and with no warning, she fired off an e-mail to the president via whitehouse.gov. She was on more of a rampage than any of the vampires, werewolves, and demons she writes about.

"I'm a divorced, single mom who's self-employed and trying to put my daughter through college," she said. "And my health-insurance premiums are three-quarters of my mortgage payment? C'mon, now!"

Banks' plight illustrates the unsustainable costs of our current system that the president has spent the better part of a year trying to explain. And shows why people who have insurance, all those Americans who are happy with their health insurance for now, should be paying attention.

If the system is left unchecked, President Obama told the Arcadia students, they would be the ones left uninsured because of the "punishing" costs of health care.

"Some of the highest insurance rates are hurting young people. You may think you're invincible now, but when you get 48, you realize that things start breaking down a little bit," he said, chuckling.

For her part, Banks copied her e-mail to Gov. Rendell, Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, and U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah. And hit "send."

"I figured nobody would call me."

But, apparently, somebody was paying attention.

Last Friday, she got a call - from the White House. Would she be willing to tell her story during the president's visit? And, by the way, would she introduce the president?

"After I picked myself up off the floor," Banks said, "I said, 'Of course!' "

Which is how she came to be on stage with the commander-in-chief, the man for whom her daughter had cast her first-ever vote.

"My baby gets to see her vote in action," Banks said. "That was one of the most gratifying things about it."

After shaking the president's hand, her daughter proclaimed the experience "better than seeing Beyoncé!" and stood firm in her hope - like so many young people who waited with their comforters, blankets, and Snuggies - that her president would get the job done.

For her mother, security seemed within reach again. Behind the curtain before the rally, Obama "thanked me for agreeing to introduce him, and I thanked him for rising to the challenge," Banks said.

And then he said, " 'We're going to get you some help, Leslie.' "

A distressed citizen and a persevering president exchanging a human kind of renewable energy.

Invigorated, Banks vowed to stay with him for the long haul.

"It's ride or die with Obama."

President's backers turn out in force to support health overhaul. Annette John-Hall, B4.