I have made a difficult decision.
After many nights phone-banking, and more recently coordinating phone-banks.
After one trip to New Hampshire to canvass.
After planning to spend GOTV weekend in New Hampshire.
I have decided that I will stop working for the Obama campaign.
My problem is one of divided loyalties. I will stop working for Obama because I will start working full time for Elizabeth Esty, who is running for the CT-103rd State Legislative seat.
More on my thinking below.
For the last 10 years, I have been represented at the state level by Republican Al Adinolfi. Every time I get one of his mailers, it is full of his efforts to lower taxes (read as "gut state spending on education"), and his wonderful record of supporting good suburbs over evil cities. He doesn't eat babies for breakfast, but he's just the kind of Republican who turns me away with every one of his talking points.
I have voted against him every time I could. In 2006, he won by 1,500 votes over a candidate whose name I saw for the first time at the polling place.
This year I will not be voting against Adinolfi. I will be voting for Elizabeth Esty. She knocked on my door, canvassing for herself, and we had a 15 minute conversation, which she followed up with a nice personal note. She is a bright, articulate candidate, who, much like the man at the top of the ticket, thinks carefully about issues in a nuanced way. She is out-working Adinolfi, and she has good name recognition and popularity as a council member in the town that makes up the heart of her district.
As Obama's lead has widened, I have kept thinking of her working hard with few resources. I have kept working for Obama but have felt the pull of the local race.
Two Saturdays ago, I volunteered to canvass for Chris Murphy (CT-05). It turned out to be a joint effort, since part of his district overlaps Esty's. I met her for the second time that day, and was impressed all over again. Last Saturday, with the Murphy campaign canvassing in an area that was not part of her district, I decided to work for her instead. She had recruited lots of high-school students to do literature drops. Her campaign organizer put me and one other experienced volunteer on the phones. I spent 4 hours calling for her, and agreed to add an additional shift this Thursday. (I've been working Monday's and Wednesday's for Obama).
After a lot of soul searching, I hope I am making the right decision. If Obama looses NH, I will own my regrets, and whatever oprobrium is coming to me.
I will be helping drive up Obama's popular vote in CT, and I will be supporting Chris Murphy's campaign as well, but I know that those are not the best uses of my time at the national level. It is not an easy decision, but I think I have to add my efforts full time for the last four days of campaign that I know will be decided by hundreds of votes, and where one more person is a significant addition to their volunteer force. Other people will have to take care of Obama in New Hampshire and elsewhere.
I would feel and act differently if I honestly believed the presidential race were close. I would feel and act differently if I did not believe that Esty had a chance to win. Other people are welcome to disagree with my decision, and I will be interested in the poll and comments response, but I have to act as I see best.