I strained my ankle, so I was looking for a way to help Obama that was a little less strenuous than the canvassing I had tried. Canvassing was fun, but a little tough with my 40-something computer nerd physique.
Luckily, the solution to my problem was as easy as letting my fingers do the walking, and you'll never guess who I got to meet....
Hollywood
I got something more from phone banking than just the satisfaction of helping the Obama campaign. I got to meet a genuine Hollywood celebrity.
On the first night I went to phone bank, there was a special guest at the East Side Detroit Obama office. Forrest Whitaker came by to say a few words of encouragement. It was really exciting. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone with me and the pictures I took didn't turn out very well. I had hoped to have some pictures to illustrate this diary, but it was not to be.
He really got the crowd fired up and ready to go, and we had a great turnout to help with the phone bank. In fact, the crowd was so excited, even after he left, that I had to go outside and make calls from the sidewalk for a bit because the buzz in the room was too loud and distracting.
That first day, and the next couple of weekends, I was making "persuasion" calls into Grosse Pointe. Having grown up there, I know that it's a well-to-do, largely conservative place, but that it also has a mix. After all, my family was from Grosse Pointe, and you can't get much more liberal than us!
The Art of Persuasion
Most of the persuasion calls, though, turned out to be simply leaving messages on answering machines and voice mail. The one woman I actually tried to persuade was convinced that Obama's tax plan would hurt businesses, particularly small businesses. I tried the tack that what businesses need, more than anything else, is customers with money in their pockets, and Obama's plan to help the middle class would actually be a boon to small businesses. She didn't seem convinced, but she did listen to my point. It wasn't until I got off the phone that the campaign official I was working with pointed out to me that Obama's plan to offer a tax break to businesses that offer health care to their employees would have been another good tack to take with her. I wish I'd thought of it while I was talking to her.
She wasn't actually on my list, and that was something else I discovered calling into Grosse Pointe. It was her daughter who was on my list, but her daughter was away at school. There were more than a few cases like that. I thought that phone banking was going to involve talking to a lot of people, but the "not homes", "left messages", and "wrong numbers" greatly outweighed the actual contacts.
Still, between all of those, I still spoke to quite a few people, including numerous supporters. Sure, there were the occasional rude hang ups, McCain supporters, or people who simply refused to state their voting intention, but speaking to a few Obama supporters made it all worthwhile. Especially when I encountered an enthusiastic one who was willing to volunteer with the campaign. And I knew that I was identifying Obama supporters for our get out the vote efforts later.
Beyond Grosse Pointe
Eventually, the persuasion calls were done and I moved on to contacting sporadic voters. These were mostly Obama supporters, although there were still plenty of answering machines. And I was making calls into Detroit and Harper Woods.
The support for Obama I found in Detroit and Harper Woods was overwhelming. Of course, part of that is certainly due to the fact that I was now working with lists of people who were identified as supporters, leaning, or undecided, but the lists are never perfect and there were still occasionally McCain supporters. But I must stress "occasionally". Often I would find only one or two McCain supporters, compared with dozens of Obama supporters.
A Benefit of Volunteering
I've also done some more canvassing, and I'll be spending the rest of the day today hanging door-hangers on people's doors. I have to say, the best part of volunteering, for me, is that it is the cure for the pre-election willies. A lot of people I know are worried about the outcome tomorrow.
I'd be lying to you if I said the thought of President McCain didn't worry me. It scares the hell out of me.
But I don't worry about it, because I don't think about it. I know that I'm helping to get Obama elected, and I know that whatever happens tomorrow, I can rest secure in the knowledge that I did what I could to get the right candidate elected.
Volunteering has given me a great sense of peace and tranquility.
Getting Active
I began this series because I regretted not volunteering in 2006, and because although I saw a lot of diaries on here about doing it, I didn't see any about starting to do it. About what it was like to walk into a campaign office for the first time and ask, "How can I help?"
Let me tell you what it's like: Easy, fun, rewarding.
Let me tell you what it's not like: Intimidating, scary, nerve-racking.
The people who work with the volunteers know that they are dealing with volunteers, they know that the biggest problem with volunteering is burnout. So it is a low-pressure situation, and they are unfailingly kind, gentle, and happy to get whatever help you can offer.
No matter whether that is just a little bit or a lot.
Oh, and there are always people bringing in food to the campaign office. I haven't had to make dinner on any of the days I've volunteered. There is always someone bringing in a tray of lasagna or a crock pot of chili or spaghetti or something. And it's good, too.
I haven't made the most phone calls or registered the most voters. I definitely haven't knocked on the most doors. I'm not setting any records for volunteering. But I feel good about what I've done, and I know I'm helping, in a small way, to move this country in the right direction. I'm not sitting back and hoping that it moves. I'm pushing.
A lot of people who will read this have done as much or more than I have. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you've done and everything you're doing.
But if you haven't gotten involved yet, don't feel bad and don't think that there isn't still time. Today and tomorrow are more important that everything that has come so far. This is when it really counts.
If you're reading this, and you have any time you can give today and tomorrow, then find your local campaign office, and
Get Active! There's still time!
Update:
I should explain that I wrote this diary over a period of several weeks. During that time, my ankle got better, and today I walked 13 streets (gulp!) in Harper Woods. I hung at least a hundred, a hundred and twenty door hangers, maybe more. And boy are my legs tired! And my feet are sore. But it's a good sore. I definitely left everything on the road today. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow!
Go Obama!