Canvassing

[malsperanza]

Swing suburbs in eastern Pa.

Number of people on bus: 40
Number of doorbells rung: 1600
Avg number of doorbells rung per capita: 40
Number of doorbells I rang: 6 bazillion
Number of declared Bush voters in my team's sector: 110
Number of declared Kerry voters: 170
Number undecided: 86
Number undecided leaning toward Kerry: Hard to say but probably about 50
Number of registered Republicans who said they were thinking of voting for Kerry: 14
Number of registered Democrats who said they were thinking of voting for Bush: 0

Top issues of Kerry voters or likely Kerry voters: Jobs, the war
Top issues of Bush voters or likely Bush voters: Greed Taxes and, uh... taxes

Apples eaten: 3
Oreos eaten: 3
Coffees drunk: Not hardly enough ... well, 4
Sore feet: 2
Dead moles on sidewalk: 1
Live sheep on the lawn of a Bush supporter in suburban Philadelphia: 27
Hours of fun: 12

Conclusion: We can win Pennsylvania.

We can win Wisconsin, Oregon, Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada. We can win this election.

It's all about who actually votes on the day.

So if you live in or near a swing state, set aside the next couple of Saturdays and sign up with http://www.moveon.org or http://www.acthere.org or http://volunteer.johnkerry.com. You won't be sorry. You will make a difference.

You will make the difference.

You will have fun.

Go.

Do it now.

Comments

[idlerat.livejournal.com]

Oh, go you! And good on ya. I am actually thinking of going down, but then I've done *so much* of this over the years, and I have so much to do -- so what do I do, sit dicking around fandom.

Only 3 oreos--good job. Let me know if you'd like to hook up.

[malsperanza.livejournal.com]

I find that even when I am feeling burned out, if I do a little volunteering (just a little more, just one extra day, just a few more hours) I always feel better afterward. Whatever happens on Nov 2, I want to wake up on Nov 3 and know that I did all I could.

This isn't cold calling, which is always hard. It's Get Out the Vote, which is easier.

I'm planning to go back this Saturday. I must say, ACT is really well-organized & they make it very simple and easy to do. You let them know by website http://www.acthere.org a day or two in advance, and then show up at the Midtwon location (on the #1 line) at 7:30 am (ugh! bleh!) with $25 (to help pay for the bus) and some lunch. They supply everything else and do it well. So hey--c'mon down. It'll be fun. And this time it could really make the difference between life and death. Vote by vote.

Fandom isn't dicking around; fandom is a respite from Everything Else. As Molly Ivins says, "You've got to have fun while you're fightin' for freedom."

[idlerat.livejournal.com]

Molly Ivins: Gramsci for the rest of us.

I worked full time at the Dukakis campaign for a year, which left me feeling permanently burned out as far as national campaigns went. God it was brutal.

Not cold? But didn't you say you knocked up a bunch of Repugs? Doors are better than phones though. Somewhat.

[malsperanza.livejournal.com]

Molly Ivins: Gramsci for the rest of us.

Hee! This is brilliant!

Yes, we did GOPs too, but

a) It's much easier to do if you know they are GOPs in advance. You can plan your approach differently, and if you get a rejection it's over fast: you say thank-you-for-your-time and leave.

b) People in the suburbs are mostly polite. The worst I got was a brisk "None of your business," no worse than what we get on an average day in NYC.

c) There is no greater high on earth than to hear a registered GOP say, "Actually, I'm thinking of voting for Kerry." Pure validation of the whole day's work. I got several of these. Was thrilling.

d) ACT isn't trying to persuade every doorbell to vote for Kerry. We identify those who should not get a call on Nov 2 because it would be a waste of resources on the day; those who are potential Kerry voters and should get a call from a professional Kerry canvasser and/or info in the mail on their identified top issue; registered Dems who need a nudge to vote (e.g., who need to be told that things are looking pretty good and their vote will really count); and those who are strong Kerry supporters who might volunteer on Nov 2 to drive people to polls or man phones. So it's not cold calling at all.

e) Suburbs are pretty! Well, the architecture sucks, but the trees are really nice, and will be on the turn next weekend. Think of it as a daylong leisurely stroll in a pleasant neighborhood, with lots of kids and friendly dogs about. Excellent exercise. My shin muscles are telling me today that I do not get to the gym nearly enough.

f) Unusual and interesting encounters. I had a lovely chat with an elderly, ardent Bush supporter who recognized the ethicity of my surname (which is rare) on my i.d. label and told me all about the Old Country. Which my father's family left in 1890, but wotthehell. Also, the guy with the sheep. I would not have missed the guy with the sheep for any money.

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

I still vote in Penn. even though I don't live there now, and so it is in my capacity as a local voter that I say thank you!!! and also you rock!!! dude!!!

From here all we can do is send in our absentee ballots, cheer on the rest of you, and pray. So -- seriously! -- thanks.

[malsperanza.livejournal.com]

Since you're a US citizen, if you have a cell phone, depending on what service plan you have (free or cheap unlimited weekend minutes?), you might be able to do Get Out the Vote phoning to nearby states (I'm not sure where in Canada you are: Minnesota? Maine? Oregon?) on the crucial weekend of Oct 30-31. Contact http://www.acthere.org and ask them. That will be hugely helpful, and they'll give you a script 'n everything.

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

Oh! wow! thank you! great tip. My partner and I have three phone lines between the two of us (and that's just in the house ... this crazy modern world, eh?) and all of them have cheap calling to the US. We'll hop right on it. We're right across the lake from Buffalo, which is not so helpful, but we could certainly do some good calling Pennsylvania and that's close enough.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

Go you!!

I'm probably going next Saturday (sprog dependent). We can do this!!!

[malsperanza.livejournal.com]

Yay! Go you! Bring sprog! Depending on age and weight, of course. There was a woman on our bus with adorable sprog. She said people enjoyed answering the door because she had the baby with her. Baby was smiling when they got back to the bus. Of course, so were we, but that was partly because of the bizarre Repuglican Sheep Incident.

[chresimos.livejournal.com]

You do a noble thing. On behalf of international folk who must simply sit and chew on their nails, thank you.

:)