So I took a little less than 2 hours away from family/baby time to phonebank for Obama over at the Culver studios. A few things stood out. First of all, phonebanking is easy in an era of cell phones. We were all told to bring cell phones *and chargers*. Everyone sat around in the commissary at tables calling voters in New Mexico to tell them where their polling places are. We had lists: name, age, gender, and polling place. All in teeny-tiny print that the older folks weren't too thrilled with. The crowd was mostly young but included people like the three black women who sat with me. The twenty-something daughter who worked at Fox and had brought her mom and auntie. The mom who was a bit clueless but eager to please her daughter, and the auntie who had been a Republican (!) until this year, but was very excited about a good man like Barack Obama. The voters we spoke to were mostly enthusiastic about voting for Obama. I spoke to one 84 year old white woman (well, guessing by her voice) who said she "wouldn't miss her chance" to vote for Obama and knew exactly where her polling place was.
Also, there was lots of Obama merchandise for sale... on the honor system. And lots of purchases were being made. Plus, they had free food and drinks, including Starbucks, well organized. So we were well watered. And the organizers were effusive in their praise of us volunteers (and relentless in asking us to re-up and come back).
Even more amazing was the attitude of the volunteers. Optimism was for the organizers. Everyone else I talked to was scared of the Republicans stealing this election like they did the last two presidential elections. The level of civic distrust built up by Bush/Rove/Cheney will take years to dissipate.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Phonebanking for Obama
Posted by The Law Talking Guy at 7:34 AM
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8 comments:
...or decades, depending on what happens Tuesday.
Sounds like the organizers knew exactly what they were doing... And that's great that you phonebanked!
As for the "level of civic distrust" I'm sorry to say I agree with you on many levels. Bush v. Gore crushed--crushed!--my faith in the Supreme Court. And the only thing that gives me confidence the Republicans can't steal this election is that the Democrats are still so hopping mad about the Florida debacle. (For the record, I still think Bush stole 2000, but I'll give him 2004--fruit of the poisoned tree though it is.)
The Republicans will find it very difficult to steal the election in so many states by such large margins. Especially since 2006 replaced the Republican government in Ohio (and other states) with a Democratic one.
If they steal this one, people will be in the streets. I will be one of them.
Someone at a party recently said, "What will we all do if he loses?" A few people said, "I'll leave the country" (keep in mind my group of friends are largely academics who study other countries so this is no idle threat). I said, "Man the barricades."
By the way, I spent much of this afternoon knocking on doors to get out the vote here in my little town. At every other address I went to I saw evidence that Obama volunteers had been there recently (within the last day or so). When I got home, there was an Obama door hanger on my door! I think Obama's ground game is reaching saturation!!
But is the ground going to be saturated in NC and VA, depressing turnout? And 538.com shows Florida a dead-even tossup, maybe even possibly McCain country. Could be a nail-biter on some of these.
I will be in the streets if he is elected, and then in year three you have an re-enactment of Huston,TX in 1963.
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