Dear Kossacks,
I have watched with ever-increasing disgust as John McCain has sacrificed his integrity to the Rovian machine. I'm ready for some ACTION. How 'bout you? Yes? Well let's get our ducks in a row ...
I've been sequestered, for the past three months, studying for a major qualifying exam in literature. Sure I've lurked around the liberal blogosphere, but with the exception of a Beckettian take on the Democratic veep selection process (which I justified as an unorthodox study method) and a few cathartic pseudo-diaries, I haven't been able to participate fully in any election year activities. Well, those days are over. I passed the freakin' exam and now I'm hungry to make a difference.
Y'see, I suddenly realized that if I can spend even one day's worth of the intellectual energy I spent cramming the history of Anglophone literature on studying the policies and legislative records of John McCain and Barack Obama, I could become one of the best goddamned phonebankers around. I think each and every one of us can do this. We can become the most over-informed corps of phonebankers in the history of American politics. Why not, right?
With this in mind, I want your help in creating a list of the best resources for preparing for this crucial job. I figure there are many active phonebankers in our kickass community, and your input would be invaluable. In particular, what questions do you frequently field, and what resources have you depended on for answering them?
I'll start with the obvious documents, but please, please help me unearth past diaries/articles (on this site or others) that are part of the phonebanker's basic education.
Party Platforms:
Democratic
and
Republican
Policy Papers:
Democratic
and
Republican
Legislative Records:
Obama's US Senate Accomplishments (Courtesy of the LOC site)
Great graphic organizer of Obama's accomplishments in the Illinois State Senate (courtesy of the NYT)
A great highlights reel of Obama's US Senate Accomplishments (courtesy of droogie6655321, via bleeding blue)
The Basics of Phonebanking: (thank you Elise, via Nonie3234)
How to (Ba)Rock a Phone Bank
How to (Ba)Rock a Phone Bank II
My wishlist:
- I remember reading, somewhere online, a concise comparison of bipartisan work in the Senate by Obama and by McCain. This included an analysis of the number and kind of cosponsors recruited. Does anyone remember where that was?
2) A highlights reel of Obama's time in the US Senate.
- A highlights reel of McCain's recent years in the Senate.
- A handy compilation of McCain's recent policy flipflops (torture, ANWR, etc.)
Do any of these things exist already? Is anyone willing and able to write one? I call this thread an omnibus because I hope to populate it with new and old diaries so that we can create a one-stop shop for the self-teaching phonebanker.
Thank you so much for your help, and if you think this will be a worthwhile resource, please rec this diary so we can get the widest collaboration possible.
Fired Up? Ready to Go!