Last week, I wrote a diary asking McAdams to beef up his Veteran's Page on his website. I ended up calling the campaign office and spoke to a great field director who agreed to let me start phonebanking for McAdams. So, this military wife and absentee voter whose husband is stationed in California started making calls to Homer, Alaska today. And it rocked! After I got over the nerves.
Don't get me wrong. I wasn't nervous about calling Alaskans. I was just nervous about calling. Me, the person who made thousands of calls for Obama, gets a stomach ache every time I pick up the phone to make calls for a candidate. I don't get it. I know the drill, I know how to talk to people, but every single time I start this process it's like I've never done it before.
I had to remind myself of my own rules:
- Smile. Smiling people sound less intimidating and it's much harder to hang up on a smiling person.
- Take a deep breath. It's hard to talk when you're not breathing properly.
- Speak slowly. Not everyone can understand me when I get into full gear, so slow down!
And, I learned some great things today. First of all, lots of people support McAdams! Second, people in Alaska are busy and we need more people making calls!
This election is going to be won one voter at a time. Canvassing and phone calls are the only way this happens. It's the personal connection that does it. It's why Scott McAdams is traveling across the state meeting people and holding townhalls. The great thing about Scott is that he is very personable and once people listen to him speak, they support him. But he can't shake everyone's hand. It's our job to do it for him.
After watching tonight's Alaska Dispatch Debate, here are new tidbits I plan on using while phonebanking tomorrow:
Lisa Murkowski will vote to raise the retirement age on Social Security.
Lisa Murkowski couldn't make up her mind about taxing 'cadillac' health care plans. At first, she thought it was a bad idea but when the moderator pointed out that most people do pay taxes on their health care plans, she reverted to a non-answer.
When offered the opportunity to ask Scott McAdams a question, Lisa Murkowski asked about her own write-in campaign. She is obviously more concerned about herself that about how Scott McAdams would govern.
Scott supports campaign finance reform. Lisa doesn't like the current system but has no plans to change it or her own campaign financing.
And, my favorite lines of the night:
Scott McAdams:
"I recognize that Lisa isn't as far right as Joe Miller. I also realize that John Birch isn't as far right as Joe Miller."
Lisa Murkowski:
"If we're keeping you from the beer here..." in response to taking a break for intermission.
Anybody else? What did you like from tonight's debate? And are you ready to start phonebanking?
At the very least, please consider helping Scott break his $1 million mark; he said he is over $900,000.
Update - Wow! What a great surprise to wake up to! Maybe I should stay up late watching debates more often :)
At the request of quadmom, here's a link to McAdam's campaign.
And a plug for our facebook page, Military Families for McAdams. We need more folks to talk to Veterans... I spoke to a the wife of a Vietnam Vet yesterday. She was leaning Murkowski... I pushed her to undecided. It's a start.