People Powered Politics. It's our mantra, our raison d'etre, our not-so-secret weapon that will change the world.
But what are People Powered Politics in action? There are many ways to walk the walk - sending a $5 donation to your favorite candidate, writing a letter to the editor, driving your elderly neighbor to their polling place, gathering signatures to put progressive candidates on ballots. For me it means giving whatever limited spare time I have to volunteering on campaigns.
Getting Out The Vote takes persistent hard work. It's not glamorous, but it's the kind of meat and potatoes retail politics that is needed if we intend to take back the house.
Actually I do find that kind of stuff fun and in an effort to convince those of you out there who haven't yet put in a little time for your favorite candidate I thought I'd tell you about my day going door-to-door on behalf of Lois Murphy...
I'm actually a New Yorker, but I spent several weekends in Pennsylvania during 2004 and so I knew that taking a trip out to the suburbs of Philly is not so hard. I work with a group called
ACT NOW, an all volunteer organization that enlists, trains and mobilizes New Yorkers on behalf of progressive candidates and causes in New York and beyond. They're a fantastic group, well organized and smart (check them out). This past Saturday 20 of us got into a rental van to hit the streets of Norristown, PA on behalf of Lois Murphy. Here's how the day went.
7:00a There goes my alarm. Check weather.com to see how hot it's going to be. 95 degrees. ouch! Remember to pack my sun block and an extra pair of underwear.
9:00a I'm on the corner of 7th Ave and 33rd Street. I see a few people that look like they might be waiting for a van (no lattes, but they did give off a Liberal vibe).
9:10a Here's our van. After a few pictures we hit the road.
10:00a We're on the NJ Turnpike. The conversation starts off highbrow with a discussion on global warming (it's already 90), the Bush administration's hostility towards science. Next we move onto the estate tax (there's an accountant in the van). But we soon move onto more important matters like 24 and where to waste quality time on the internet. Overheard in New York, Bert is Evil, Best of Craigslist and stuffonmycat.com.
11:30a We're stuck in traffic. Ick.
1:00p Finally, after a few wrong turns we make it to headquarters, the Norristown Public Library. The Murphy campaign team is there to greet us with water, snacks, clip boards, maps and walk lists. And even better Lois Murphy herself is there to greet us! After some words of thanks it's time to hit the road
1:30p My canvassing partner and I hit the streets. She has the odd numbers and I have the evens. It's Saturday afternoon so not many people are home, but we leave literature and make notes to come back.
1:45p Yea! someone's home. The woman of the house is very nice. She hasn't decided who she's voting for yet, but she's very concerned about Iraq (bring 'em home) and gas prices. Before I leave she asks if I need water.
1:46p - 3:00p The day continues. Not many are home, but those who are are happy to answer my questions and get some information about Lois. Looking at my walk list Norristown is clearly a mixed neighborhood - a pretty even mix of Dems & Reps - but even on the identified Republican doors I find people receptive to hearing about Lois and willing to take the literature we've got.
2:00 My canvassing partner and I take a quick break in the shade. She starts to tell me about the 14 years she spent sailing the world. Wow!
3:00p I'm invited inside by a nice old lady and her little do, who's valiently trying to bark at me, but has lost his voice. I'm treated to a little lecture on how property taxes are killing her. After about 5 minutes I get to make a graceful exit.
3:30p I'm hot. I'm sticky. My water bottle is empty. I hear the ice cream truck. Where is it?
4:00p My partner and I are picked up and taken back to headquarters. Where I get some water and put on my dry underwear.
4:30p Back on the Turnpike heading towards NY. Time to check the baseball scores.
6:15p I'm back in NYC after a long, hot, but very rewarding day.
So there are 98 days until Nov 7th. If you haven't yet volunteered for a campaign, go do it. It's fun, you'll feel good, you'll meet interesting people, you'll turn this country around.
And if you have been volunteering then use the comments section to share your stories.