Over the last several months I've given at least $500 to the Obama campaign (all I could afford)- and I keep telling myself that I will volunteer, but until now my hesitations about what's involved have kept me from doing so. I'm not particularly at ease with people I haven't met before, and I can get a little worked up over political issues. Palin's interview last night absolutely terrified me - realizing that there is even the possibility that this woman could become president is like noticing I'm standing on the edge of a tall building. Suddenly my absolute number one priority is getting to the Philadelphia office tomorrow to volunteer, but just to allay some of my fears I thought I'd ask some of you veteran volunteers some questions. Please leave your thoughts on any or all of the questions in the comments below - or if not on a specific question, any hints would be welcome. I'd especially appreciate anecdotes on tactics that worked well (or horribly).
- What is your approach when someone you're talking to, on the street or on the phone, says something that you know just isn't true? Like that Obama is a Muslim, or that Palin has more experience than Obama, etc. Do you find that a blunt correction works best, or do you try to be more Socratic? How do you keep from displaying your frustration in these instances?
- What is your approach when someone is completely honest about their racism? Do you still try to make inroads? Do you suggest to them that they shouldn't vote? Do you try to get them to vote based on what would be best for them?
- What do you do when people demonstrate campaign fatigue, when they tell you they're sick of being called or seeing commercials, etc?
- What's the scariest thing that's happened to you while volunteering, and how would you avoid it happening again?
- What's the most meaningful experience you've had so far while volunteering?
- If you've worked in Philadelphia or nearby suburbs, what was your experience there? Did you focus mainly on swaying people in the suburbs to Obama, or on registering people in the less cared for parts of the city to vote, or something else entirely? How well does the office here work? What could be improved about the approach in this city?
Thanks everybody, for your advice!