I'm sitting here surrounded by laptops, walk lists, tally sheets, and volunteers who started today before 8:00 a.m. We are doing the critical last step of our big OFA canvass day - entering the data and adding up our results.
Today started off great with a canvass kickoff led by Barbara Boxer herself. The place was packed, and seriously fired up. And I have been hearing stories all day from elsewhere in California, and around the country, as OFA and DCCC work to reach out to the voters we need to turn out in November.
I wrote on Thursday about how OFA had big plans to hit 200,000 doors this weekend. Now we will collect the data to see if we hit the numbers. Because the relentless pursuit of hard numbers is how field campaigns win.
But behind every number is a voter, and a story -- and an organizer. And here's our chance to tell our stories about today. So if you canvassed, or helped set up a staging location, or talking to an organizer at your door, tell us what happened. Post your pictures.
Here's my story from today, just posted on the OFA California blog:
Today volunteers poured into the Oakland office, ready to hit the streets for Vote 2010, Senator Boxer and Jerry Brown.
First in the door was Maurice, who had just finished college and was here for his very first canvass. He had never volunteered for a campaign before, but he came an hour early because he knows how important this election is. He was followed by folks from all over the East Bay and San Francisco. Two Latino volunteer organizers who had just trained with OFA last weekend arrived to lead a walk in Fruitvale, home to many of Oakland's Latino first time 2008 voters. Some veterans of the 2008 campaign showed up ready to fight again for the President and his agenda.
After grabbing coffee, signing out walk packets, and getting briefed about how to reach out to first time 2008 voters, the canvass teams were ready.
All that was missing was a proper sendoff.
Fortunately, Senator Boxer herself was there to rally the troops.
She fired up the room by reminding us why this election matters:
This election is about many things, but first and foremost it is about jobs, jobs, jobs. . .California should be the hub of the new clean energy economy.
She made it clear we can't turn back. We are in "a fight for the heart and soul of our country," she said. "Every generation's got to do it again."
So, how about you? Can you put up your story in a comment? Or post a photo? I'd love to see how the day looks across the country.
I am a volunteer with Organizing for America California. This is my personal blog, when I write here I speak for myself. My diaries and all the words in them are my own.