Wow, that was a tussle. I just got off the phone with a voter here in South Dakota, and she threw a lot of objections at me. Let's get to the good stuff, shall we? :-D
UPDATE: Thank you for all the compliments. But please take this to heart and realize you can make a difference too! Get on those phones and get the conversation started with people. THIS is another big difference that Netroots action can make.
"Well, I was leaning towards Barack, but now I don't know, I'm back to John McCain. He hasn't really given me any specifics lately. He says all these nice things, but there's no substance there"
"Alright ma'am, would you like to discuss foreign policy or domestic policy?"
"Well how is he going to get us out of this Iraq mess?"
"Barack has actually made a very specific proposal that we need to withdraw 1-2 brigades/month over the next several months and turn control of the military over to the Iraqis. These are the guidelines set out in by the Iraq Study Group. He believes that this is a civil war without a military solution from American troops."
"Well I agree we screwed up there, but I have some real concerns about his patriotism. He's said some things and done some things I really don't like."
"Such as?"
"Well he didn't place his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance and he doesn't wear that lapel pin."
"I completely understand your concerns, ma'am, but Barack does put his hand over his heart during the pledge. That picture of him supposedly not doing that was part of a right wing smear. And as far as the flag pin, Barack did wear one following 9/11, but decided to take it off when he ran for the United States Senate. He doesn't believe that patriotism is determined by a flag pin, but rather by your beliefs in the core values of this country. I personally believe that we've had the most unpatriotic administration in this country's history. Between the Patriot Act, Guantanamo, warrantless wire tapping, and torture, we have violated the basic tenets of this country."
"But George W. Bush isn't on the ballot."
"But John McCain is! He supports continuing torture, continuing the Patriot Act, and most importantly continuing the disaster that is Iraq. We don't need 4 more years of that, do we?"
"Well I suppose not."
"Did you hear about the recent GI Bill that was proposed in Congress?"
"I did not"
"[Explanation of Webb's GI Bill] Obama voted for that ma'am, and McCain voted against it. [Editor's note: McCain actually didn't vote on the bill. The error was mine during the conversation.] While I respect John McCain and his years of service to this country, I just don't understand his decision-making process in that regard."
"Hmm. Well you know, I think that's because people in Congress only care about their own interests. You sound like a person who believes in doing the right thing, but if that were you in Congress, you would probably compromise too."
"I certainly agree with that sentiment ma'am. John McCain has been in the Senate for decades now, and Barack has only been there a few years, not long enough to be tainted by the culture of corruption in Washington. He's also not accepting any money from federal lobbyists, and his campaign is funded by the American people, which means he's accountable only to them."
"Well I just don't know if he'll do what he says he'll do."
"I also understand that sentiment ma'am. Politicians have been telling a lot of people for a long time a lot of what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. Have you heard about the gas tax debate?"
"I think so. Fill me in."
"[Explanation of gas tax debate] This is why I like Barack. He trusts that the American people are smart enough to figure out when they're being pandered to. You know this was a Washington gimmick. I know this is a Washington gimmick, and HE knows it's a Washington gimmick, and yet he tells us the truth, even when it might not be politically popular. This goes back to the beginning of our conversation about Iraq. He told the truth then, specifically when it wasn't the politically popular thing to do."
"I see. This has been a good conversation, and I want to let you know I've changed my mind, and I'll be voting for him in the election. Thank you very much for answering my questions."
"You're welcome, ma'am. Have a great night"
Fist-pumping and wahoo-ing ensues
Now go make some calls!
"Voter by voter, block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state we can rebuild this country, and we can change the world"
YES WE CAN