This Weekend's Canvassing

I want to hear more about your experiences with GOTV efforts this weekend - particularly, canvassing in swing states.

Yesterday a friend and I drove 100+ miles to New Hampshire - my 16-month-old toddler in tow - to help canvass.  Over 200 volunteers showed up at the Salem, NH KE04 office!

I was given a list of addresses in a scary suburban "private community" in Derry, NH.  This was Bush territory, a little slice of white Alabama in New England.  Bush signs outnumbering Kerry signs 10 to 1, NRA bumper stickers, "God Bless Our Freedom," etc.  We quickly learned that the presence of 3 or 4 vehicles parked in the driveway did not necessarily indicate that anyone would be home.

(more below the fold)

Our lists specified about 1/4 of the houses on the streets we covered.  Names, ages, and party affiliation (nearly all "U" for unaffiliated; a handful of Dems; no Repugs) were given.  These were voters not yet identified as Kerry or Bush supporters.  (I assume this means that the reliable Democrats in the neighborhood had already been ID'd, probably by phone.)

I'm afraid I can't report any great enthusiasm for Kerry among this particular demographic.  By about a 3 to 1 margin, the people we found home were for Bush.  Ugh.

Most of the people who came to the door were men aged 40-60.  Among women, elderly people, and people under 40, Kerry had the upper hand.

Bush supporters are surprisingly mean.  Not even my gloriously cute 16-month-old could draw a smile or pleasant comment out of most of them.  Here's one exchange we got drawn into:

50-year-old man: "I wouldn't vote for that Kerry.  He's a liar.  I've got friends who knew him in Vietnam.  He didn't do half what he said he did there."

Me: "I'm sorry you feel that way.  Have a nice day."

Him: "And these liberals are always complaining about the economy.  What are they talking about?  The economy's doing great."

My friend: "Well, I'm a college professor and I can't afford health insurance."

Him: "Well, I'm a high school dropout and I'm doing just fine."

But at the end of the day, we consoled ourselves with these thoughts:

We were in the belly of the beast: a rural/suburban private community in "Live Free or Die" territory.

The strong Democrats weren't on our list.

We believe we converted at least two undecided voters to Kerry, and educated another two Kerry supporters about how to get themselves registered and where to vote.

Every identification of a Bush supporter is helpful to KE04 on Election Day, since the GOTV phone banks know exactly who NOT to waste time calling.

The bulk of the other canvassers returning to the office at the end of the day seemed to have had much better experiences finding enthusiasm for Kerry.

All in all, it was a great feeling to be out with my friend and my little girl on a beautiful fall day, handing out Kerry and Lynch literature, and participating in this crucial election instead of just sitting on my ass reading Kos!  We'll be back next week... and in Daytona Beach for Election Day.

Take the poll...

•  in Maine

  Another weeekend in the 2nd congressional district

  by maineiac on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 05:06:15 AM PDT

•  Hitting the streets in Sarasota today

  I'll be canvassing for K-E, but will try to gauge support for Betty Castor and Jan Schneider while I'm out there.  It will be my first time to do this, so wish me luck!

  Andy
  Sarasota

  by AAbshier on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 05:29:15 AM PDT

  •  Good Luck! n/t

    by kid oakland on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 08:13:38 AM PDT

•  In NH my home state

  Organizing my group for the polls and visibility at the Transfer Station next couple of weekends.  That's the only place where almost everyone goes.
  Our moderator (the guy in charge of the polling place) is very antsy, just got back from the state moderators conference.  Says he won't let us do this or that, he is really concerned about the huge turnout expected.  But we are voting in a new location which is much more accessible, I am glad we are not at the old town hall, which is an ancient building, old court house among other things.
  I need to find out what we can and cannot do, don't want to get him mad, but need to make sure I protect our rights and everyone gets a chance to vote.  The main issue seems to be poll checkers, so we can know who voted and call the ones who haven't.  I am checking with the Democratic party office and have told him that I expect him to let me know what he decides.

  by nhselectwoman on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 05:45:28 AM PDT

•  Bucks County, PA

  Bucks County is a wealthy, generally Republican suburb of Philadelphia (broadly speaking) that voted for Gore.  We were out talking to 'lazy Dems' who haven't voted recently, independents, and female Republicans.  

  Even given this sample there was more support for Kerry and I feel that a few of the undecideds were moved a bit to our side.  One older man was focussed on the nastiness of the campaign and the Mary Cheney episode.  I took the opportunity to refocus him on health care and jobs and left him with a pamphlet.  We'll see...

  by Preston on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 06:03:15 AM PDT

•  ohio

  My wife and I have been canvassing a Reagan-dem suburb of Cleveland. Having a blast, but froze our butts off yesterday.

  I'm certain we turned some undecideds, not so much by the eloquence of our arguments but simply by our enthusiasm and being willing to canvass and listening to them.

  A LOT of people, including undecideds, have actually thanked us for getting involved in the process.

  by jdw on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 06:31:52 AM PDT

•  Wisconsin

  It's so convenient to have the one of the 6 swingingest places to canvass right outside my front door.

  by pHunbalanced on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 07:05:49 AM PDT

•  nice diary, thanks

  I signed up as a Kerry Volunteer....(I think my number was something like 980,000...so, late to the game, but felt good nonetheless)  The online event schedule works like a charm here in CA.   It is really easy to find sompace to phone bank into a swing state...or even sign up to travel to Nevada.

  We called Oregon yesterday...and I plan to call out to Ohio today.

  It's ALL anecdotal, but I got someone who had met Kerry..and a woman who had changed party affilliation from GOP to Democrat to vote for Kerry.  And this was on a list of mostly non-id'd fresh numbers.

  You are doing the hard work!  Keep up the good fight...and have some fun too!
  

  by kid oakland on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 08:12:04 AM PDT

•  Thank you for doing that ...

  ... my constitution isn't strong enough to stomach all the yuck I would run into but I very much appreciate you doing some good work.

  by Bexley Lane on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 08:29:38 AM PDT

  •  no, no...you got it all wrong...

    God, please get involved!!!!! Please!

    I'm a very shy person face-to-face, but everywhere I went to volunteer it was the same thing: they needed canvassers and phone volunteers, so I took canvassing.

    We are working with MoveOn. They give ya a list of new registrants, swing voters or people that don't always vote. This last group is overwhelmingly going JK.

    You walk your list and talk to people. If they say they are for Bush, you say thanks and walk away. If you see Bush yard signs and bumper stickers, you just keep walking. You aren't out to convert anyone, just to make sure JK people vote. We've got numerous JK votes from leaners...not because we 'sold' JK(I'm not a salesman or smooth) but because people admire your effort and just want to have someone listen.

    You gotta dop something. JK has our back, and we need to get his.

    by jdw on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 08:49:51 AM PDT

  •  one more thing..

    Out of the 120+ house we've hit, we met exactly 1 a-hole, and we walked away and had a good laugh.

    by jdw on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 08:51:52 AM PDT

•  OK, OK

  I feel guilty about it, but I don't do stuff on weekends. And I haven't started door-to-door GOTV stuff yet. Worse yet, I live in NC, which is shaping up as a swing state.

  I signed up with MoveOn, got a call from the coordinator in Raleigh and am waiting for a call from the local coordinator for my area.

  by Bill Rehm on Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 09:24:56 AM PDT