Saturday 26 April 2008
Canvassing Muncie Indiana,
the 20th century "Middletown"
an industrial city with a state university
--Ball State University (BSU), the Cardinals, named
for the Indiana state bird)--
with serious industrial hard times...
69 Doors Knocked
48 Not Home on a beautiful midwest Saturday
during the middle of the day
21 Contact
Obama supporters 18
"Undecided" 18 (including 3 leaning to Obama)
Other (probable GOP votes) 2
The numbers reflect multiple voters at the Contact doors,
or reported by the persons there.
"Undecided" often reflects Clinton supporters who in midwestern fashion don't want to disappoint the Obama canvassing team. Many of these "undecided" are female.
Huge Obama margin on behalf of young voters (20-somethings, some BSU students, more Muncie younger working class, reflecting the mix of these neighborhoods). Many of these younger Hoosier democrats are militantly for Obama--we encountered no racial issues, just fury at Bush years, which came up repeatedly in listening to them.
One young machinist, laid off this year when a plastics manufacturing plant here moved the work and the jobs to Mexico, spoke with bitter tears leaping to his eyes, held back, of his frustration with the economic situation for skilled blue-collar workers. He says he's "blue-collar" married to a "white-collar" wife (his words), who has a job, but they are worried about their future, wanting to hold onto the one job and raise their young children in the area.
He pointed across the street. The laid-off worker there is losing his home to foreclosure. We canvassed there. The 17-year-old son will register to vote in time for the General Election in November. Obama. Laid-off Dad, Obama.
A former steelworker, retired union representative, down the street. Wife "undecided," probable Clinton. The man "undecided" probable Clinton, given the older AFL-CIO background. They have an RV they bought for retirement travel. They say they can't drive it now because of the price of fuel.
Obama campaign seems well-organized in Muncie. Main office is near the university. We canvassed out of a Teamsters Hall on the East side of Muncie. The city's substantial African-American community, including its civic leaders and some university types, are committed in force to Obama.
The Ball State community seems heavily involved in the Obama campaign. Our team of overall canvassing leaders consisted interestingly of a Ball State student (who had also campaigned in Iowa, now working his home turf), combined with a retired Indiana local political activist. They had not know each other before the Indiana campaign.
The retired, Muncie working class democratic activist, was deeply concerned that his two grandsons, approaching military age, would be committed to Iraq. I spoke with both grandsons; each wants to join the military for career opportunity; neither is interested in going to Iraq, but would do their duty, they say. Sounds to me like the military people we already have there and who don't want to visit again.
Indiana has a hard-working, reasonably well-informed population as we found when we canvassed in what was once considered the archetypal USA town. The democratic primary election here looks like it's probably even, which should work in Obama's strategic advantage. His base is energized and committed. Indiana is ground-zero in the devastation the Bush era has caused the USA.
The Bush-administration governor, Mitch Daniels (Budget Director in W. Bush first admin) is unpopular as he runs for re-election. Dems may regain the governorship and maybe pick up a congressional seat in November.
Our message to the people we met. Hold on, keeping working forward. Help is coming with victory this year.
Venceremos!
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