I went on a non campaign-directed walk today.
I am an active volunteer for the Obama campaign in the western piedmont of North Carolina. While canvassing in town, I met an African American lady who was in town visiting but who actually lived out in a rural area near me.
I called her up and went by her house after work today because I thought there might be voter reg. opportunities in her neighborhood. Out of curiosity, I have been through the area before. This is at the end of a road that ends at the river. It's the Yadkin river. I thought there might be a little hamlet of African American voters who, potentially, weren't registered.
She couldn't go out with me because of her health, but I went to an area that she suggested. (Either I misunderstood her or she didn't have a good handle on her neighbors.) I knocked on about five of the trailers mixed with the (very) modest homes.
I met only "working class" whites who told me that I was in "the wrong place".
The guy who said this then said," I've never voted." "It's against my religion." I mentioned that Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in voting. He just made a face. One young lady in her early 20's told me with a very polite smile, "I'm voting for McCain." Fair enough. I thanked her and wished her a pleasant evening. Another, middle aged, lady with several bird cages in the windows said she could not understand how I could support someone who "is friends with that man who bombed the pentagon." I said, "He's not his friend." She said, "I think you're deluded." (I have to admit that I was impressed with the word selection.) She actually had a New England accent (my wife is from Boston). How she found her way to the middle of nowhere in North Carolina, I'll never know. One lady peeked out at me and wouldn't come to the door. There was another house I was afraid to go to. A big, angry looking, unchained dog came out to meet me, and a bow hunting target was in the raw, red clay front yard.
I visited just these five houses and decided that I had a representative sample of the area. I came on home and caught the end of dinner with the wife and kids.
I'm going out tomorrow on an "official" walk to preselected houses. I'm sure I'll do better.
Anyway, we don't have this won yet.