No, not Republican red - Ohio State red. Yesterday the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers and I setup a voter registration table late in the second half, just outside Ohio Stadium, waiting for the coming sea of fans. I wasn't disappointed...
Earlier in the day, in the hour before game time, I had setup my table on a major pedestrian thoroughfare north of the stadium, with less than stellar results. Oddly, people on their way to an exciting football game don't feel much like filling out government forms.
Another inhibiting factor: this particular street seemed full of older folks coming to the game from surrounding suburbs, which produced a significant contingent of McCain supporters. The reactions of McCain supporters to my obviously partisan table ranged from frowns and furrowed brows to snide remarks to one young thug who defiantly flung one of my "Buckeyes for Obama" buttons into the street. A sign of frustration over recent events, perhaps?
At any rate, the game started and traffic dwindled so I seized the opportunity to relocate my station to a friendlier venue. I found a spot at the South-East corner of the stadium, which is where most students pass on their way back to the dorms. Sure enough, toward the end of the third quarter, the students began to emerge en masse and by the end of the game I faced a veritable tidal wave. A happy, friendly, pro-Obama, red football jersey wearing tidal wave.
Fortunately for me, my friend and fellow kossack jmknapp helped hold down the fort and took the following action shots of the inundation:
When all the shouting was over, we had gathered just under 30 new or changed voter registrations and we had sold $150 worth of Obama-belia. Moreover, we established beyond the shadow of a doubt something that most people already know to be true: Obama supporters are generally happier, friendlier people.