Last Friday night I signed up as a Neighborhood Leader for the Obama campaign. I am volunteering to help keep in touch with my neighborhood precinct and get out the vote in November. Today, I knocked on doors and registered folks I met who weren't registered as I went.
I didn't find too many folks home today. But I wanted to walk the precinct and just see what challenges or opportunities I could find. I talked to the workers at my favorite small market about registering voters there. I found churches I didn't know were there--one hispanic church so I plan on going back to talk to the pastor along with looking for someone who speaks Spanish better than I do. Also, an Asian church--I think it was Baptist.
I started using the new online canvassing tool, Neighbor to Neighbor. You can reach it in your my.barackobama account. I generated a list of 25 voters to visit. Tonight I will key in the results--not home, come back later, strong for Obama, etc.
Neighborhood leaders are focussed on undecideds now or solidifying the vote for Obama and we are also helping the democratic candidate for governor.
It was fabulous to be about the Illinois senator's business. I have been studying up on issues, mostly his tax and environmental plans for now. I find myself most drawn to him for environmental reasons along with his promise to help build a country that the middle class can actually live in.
The mean-spirited images we witnessed at the Republican convention of Guliani and Palin dissing community organizers came in my mind part of the way through. I can't even hope to touch what a lot of volunteers are doing but I am incredibly proud to do my part.
By the time November rolls around I will know the geography and my fellow local citizens much better than I do now.
I hope as many people as possible will take a break from blogging here and USE the fantastic knowledge that we have at our fingertips, to support Obama with action. Become a Neighborhood Leader, phone bank, register voters--we just have month to finish that.
Yes we can!