I was "promoted" over the weekend. I've been doing some phone banking for the campaign, and the local grassroots organizer asked me if I could run a couple of phone banking sessions for her since they're trying to run them every night now, and she's feeling overwhelmed. I'm so proud that my extraordinary talents were recognized.
Actually, I am proud, but not because I think that I've done anything special. All I've done is gotten out there and worked. Now I'm asking you all to do the same thing.
It's not glamorous. Mostly it's boring. But it is a vital part of the ground game. Even if you are tempted to relax because you think Obama has the election in the bag, don't. Get in there and fight for every vote. Fight for every down-ticket candidate. Fight for a landslide to give Obama the mandate he will need.
More after the break on why phone banking is so important, and why you can do it even if you think you can't.
So, what's a phone bank about anyway? Why is it so important to call people?
There are 3 groups of people out there, and the local campaign office wants to treat them each differently.
Obama Supporters.
Make sure they vote. Do they need an absentee ballot? or a ride to the polls? If there's early voting, are they willing to vote early? If they're really pro-Obama, can they spare any time to volunteer.
Undecideds and "leaners."
Contact them repeatedly. Get them literature. Find out what their issues are and persuade them. Work as hard as possible to turn them into an Obama supporter.
McCain or Other Supporters.
Cross them off the list. If they're firmly in the other camp, don't waste time or money on them.
The phone bank is the quickest way of classifying people into these categories. With limited expenditure, the campaign can find out who it needs to spend more time on, and who can be crossed off their list. There are never enough resources to go around, and the phone bank allows the campaign to target its resources to where they will do the most good.
So, for people who don't think they can do this:
If you have read the above, it isn't a high skill job.
There's a lot of frustration involved when you run into a long streak of people who aren't home or won't answer.
There's some social anxiety to get over if you aren't comfortable calling strangers. If you aren't abnormally shy, you'll get over this in about 15 minutes.
That's it. If you do not have a hearing or speech impediment and can dial a phone.
If you are hung up on the fact that you shouldn't call because someone else would be better at persuading the undecided voter, I offer two facts.
One: There aren't that many out there. You may hit one an hour. As long as you stick to simple Obama talking points which should be provided by your captain, you will not chase the person away. Remember, the purpose is to identify so other people can work on persuasion.
Two: If you don't speak to that undecided voter, no one else will. Even with the campaign's success in recruiting volunteers, there are more people to talk to than there is time to call them. You are adding value, not taking someone else's place.
Tonight is the debate. There will be a lot of phone banking going on. Please go to my.barackobama.com and find one near you.
We are winning, and I am confident, but we need all the help we can get.
Yes! We! Can!, but only if we keep working.