This morning there was a canvas for Mary Jo in my area and so I showed up to join in. Sitting behind a keyboard isn't "all" I can do now is it?
Beautiful Day! Warm and Sunny . . .
My fellow volunteers were an interesting group to meet and get to know, but soon after the appointed time, Ryan Clayton from the campaign handed out the clip boards and materials for our walk and began explaining our goals and methodology.
This was a full "Walk and Talk" . . . meaning you aren't just on a dash to drop off literature which was what I did with the Kerry Campaign in the final weeks before the 2004 election. You knock on each door in your assigned area, introduce yourself, and you engage whoever comes in a welcoming conversation.
"Hi! I'm Dave H and I'm out today meeting neighbors and friends on behalf of Franklin County Commisioner Mary Jo Kilroy who's running for our District's seat in the US Congress . . . the seat currently held by Deborah Pryce . . ."
Wait briefly for any response . . .
First good sign here . . . no doors shut in my face!
"May I ask you three questions?"
"Are those in the house who are of voting age registered to vote in Ohio?"
(yes, no, maybe . . . all answered yes)
"How many voters is that?"
Everyone I talked to today there was at least 2 in the household.)
Now on to the biggie . . .
"Of those voters would you say that they would describe themselves as Republican, Democrat or Independent?"
It's a biggie because you're at a crossroads of sorts here based on the resident's response . . .
The Responses:
1) Republican: I got this answer only once! From a male out working in his yard.
To find out if he even desired further conversation I asked, "Would you say you are a "Party Line" Republican or are you a Republican who also thinks independently?" He said "Party Line" and I said, "Thank you very much. I won't take any more of your time, I can see the yard work awaits. Thanks for speaking with me, sir".
He shook my hand and winked at me with a grin on his face and I turned and walked on.
2) Democrat: I got this answer only once also. From a female with young children behind her in the doorway.
I restated who Mary Jo was to determine her depth of knowledge and she stepped out on the front porch and said, "we vote straight ticket Democrat, but it's so hard to keep up with everything that's going on". Therein began a 15 minute conversation on a variety of topics from social issues to the deficit, the war, the Bush administration and so on.
What fun!
I offered to sign her up for absentee voting, but in our town there's plenty of polling locations, voting machines, and no lines whatsoever . . . she knew where their polling place was and said that both she and her husband will be voting on Election Day this fall. She took the literature and said, "Oh good, now I'll have the website."
2 Votes There!
3) Independent: Everyone else answered Independent!
Two even said something along the lines of, "Well, I've voted Republican more often than not, but I'm going to say Independent this year". And most seemed to genuinely consider their choice of Independent over Republican as an answer to the question.
Frankly, I was a little shocked . . .
I'm in an well established, affluent, traditionally known as Republican suburb of Columbus, Ohio and many of the folks I met were older and I would guess that most of them probably cast a vote for Dwight Eisenhower, but they wouldn't and didn't identify themselves as "Republicans".
Not anymore . . .
Interesting!
All the people (many, many more than just the 2 described above, I'm not going to say exactly how many though we record all this information, but many, many more) who identified themselves as independents were willing to talk.
Mary Jo's name recognition was 100%! Yet, two people did not know that Deborah Pryce was their current Congressperson.
Most of these were lively 5-10 minute conversations, some about Mary Jo and Deborah Pryce, some were about the issues facing our country, but it seems to me that all of them had one underlying theme. Change!
One gentleman seemed to be just making polite conversation until I mentioned the budget deficits created by the Bush Administration and passed by Deborah Pryce and the Republican Congress and my concerns about the National Debt and our kids.
Bingo! Jackpot! He was off on a tear . . . he gave a 3 minute impassioned speech about the dangers of the fiscal recklessness to our national security and the passing on of debt to future generations.
When he finished, I said, "Mary Jo Kilroy has balanced every budget she has ever faced as an elected official. Under her leadership Franklin County earned Bond ratings from Standard and Poors which ranks us in the top 1% of counties in the country and we've been ranked as one of the five best-managed counties in the country by Governing magazine."
He said, "I'm going to check you on that, but you sold me. Give me one of your brochures, please". I handed it to him and we said our good-byes and as he turned to close the door, he stopped reopened it and said, "Can I have another one of those? It's for a guy at the office."
Do you know what a feeling it is to think in some small way you may have just changed your country? I do . . . now.
I had that feeling several times today on my walk.
At one house, I registered three folks (an older couple and their daughter) who will be at their vacation home in England during October and November for Absentee Voting. They invited me in as we did the brief paperwork and I got to meet and talk to everyone in the family.
At another, I registered the lady who came to the door for Absentee Voting. As it turns out, her husband is ill and can no longer sign his name. He voted in the last Presidential elections so he is registered. Then she says, "and my mother (who is 104!) lives with us and she is also registered and would like to vote, but she too can no longer sign her name. How do we get them their ballots? I have power of attorney for both of them, but I'm not sure if that counts as to voting."
Ummmmmmmm? Good Question!
I took her phone number and told her I will follow-up and get the answer for her. She was a very nice person and I thought of the good will of doing this service for her.
Sure, for Mary Jo, but for me too "person to person".
All and all a geat day.
I came away excited that "We can do this!"
We can take back Ohio 15 from Republican rule and that's one step closer to taking back the US House of Representatives from Republican rule and that's the start of Taking Back Our Country from Republican rule!
To do that we need more . . . many, many more people who will get out and walk and talk for change on a Saturday morning or a Sunday afternoon.
If you want to take back your country too and to feel good about the work you are doing,
I hope you'll join with us today!