Lately, I haven't spent as much time around here as I used to. Instead of 6-8 hours/day, I am lucky to get even a single hour of blogging time on a given day.
The reason is not because "Daily Kos has jumped the shark", because "this site is a fucking train wreck" or because there is something "the f**k wrong with the site." Nor is my absence due to some solidarity with the many high-profile names who have chosen to GBCW, TTFN, or get banned over recent months.
Instead, I have devoted myself to grassroots organizing in real life.
I know; it sounds like a crazy foreign notion to many a blogger. However, there is much good that can come from non-pixel political activity.
My point is not to diminish the effectiveness or impact of the blogged word to change hearts and minds, but to remind those who have not much tried other forms of outreach just how incredible face-to-face interactions can also be. When I hosted a gathering of Kossacks at my house a few days ago, I heard several people mention just how much the IRL effect changes how we view one another. And this is amongst self-proclaimed DFH types who dwell enough at the GOS to learn about such a minimally-promoted event.
Now, imagine the effect on such discussion with those who are further apart in the political spectrum. When we have the good fortune of being able to smile, gesticulate, use vocal inflection, and look into the other person's eyes, we gain a ton of credibility with people that is lost on a blog. Right now one of the big aspects of the great divide in our nation is the dehumanizing the opposition. I am as guilty of it as the next guy. Teabaggers make Neanderthals downright erudite. But I digress....
When we actually take the time to engage the opposition, which all too seldom happens on a site like this where most of the members are like-minded (for the most part). Don't think for a second that talking with the other side does not work. It does. More people registered Republican are exasperated by the intransigence of their Party's elected officials that you realize. When we engage them on a practical level, we get to those common ground places that are far too rare in D.C.
For years, my profile has mentioned canvassing, and the fact that I am a fool for it.
World traveler, canvassing fool & docu-comedian who somewhat tirelessly works to save the planet.
The reason I have done so much of this work, and written so much about it, is that it has been repeatedly proven to be effective. VERY effective.
For every twelve voters who you talk to at their doors, one voter goes and votes who would not otherwise have voted.
Going door to door was my intro to voter outreach during historic Clinton era Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and then the year 2000 election campaign on behalf of Al Gore, Maria Cantwell, and Jay Inlsee. I was very effective at both voter outreach as well as fundraising. The group with which I worked used me as the hired gun of sorts, to go into rich (read: conservative) turf to break thru the staid resistance to being canvassed so many wealthy people have.
I have also gone to many Independent and Republican doors on behalf of then-candidate Obama, Congressman Jerry McNerney, & Congressional candidate Charlie Brown.
Little did I know until recently that knocking on doors was not the only form of canvassing. Sure, we have all seen a table in front of a grocery store at which someone in registering voters or getting petitions signed. But even more dynamic is the new mobile canvass unit on the streets that can walk with the modern human who never seems to have much time for anything.
One downside of the door-to-door method is the invasive surprise knock that rarely comes at the right time for people comfy in the confines of their own homes. What the street canvass does is enable & empower the passers-by to speak when they feel up to the task. All too often this is rarely if ever, but over time people come to realize that the causes advocated by the folks they pass by are good ones.
Our job as frontline activists is to appeal to the greater sensibilities of people who actually care about the issues we represent. Unlike the times I have spent working doing persuasion for votes, this type of outreach entails getting support from supporters instead of trying to debate issues at length.
Here is a tiny take on this work from the interwebs-
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
While many organizations recognize the importance of paid canvassers, usually they are not paid a living wage. Job security may also be limited by short canvass cycles, often taking place before elections or in months with uncomfortable weather. Some organizations, such as the AFL-CIO, may have year-round, permanent canvassing offices. Depending on the difficulty of the required tasks and the level of pay, these positions often have a high turnover rate. Some employees of advocacy groups and political campaigns may be required to canvass as part of their larger job requirements, in order to supplement canvassing staff. However, some individuals do work full-time as canvassers.
Although the pay is hardly lucrative, my organization does offer lots of perks not given by most (if any) other groups. We are provided medical, dental & vision care, 401k, paid vacation & sick leave, and more. There is even a weekly commuter check issued to mitigate the cost of using public transit.
It just so happens that the group for whom I work is atop the wiki of "ENGOs". It is not surprising, since it has been called the most powerful NGO in the world. For much of my blogging career I have borrowed their banners to bring flare to my tip jars when writing about env'al issues. Little did I know that they do a ton of other great work, including forensic science and using the FOIA to expose the nefarious dealings of the Reich wing.
In case you haven't yet guessed already, the group for whom I have been busting my butt all year, is the leading independent env'al group in the world, Greenpeace. By raising tens of thousands of dollars and growing their local membership by hundreds of members, I feel like I have made real change, albeit on a smaller local level. I manage a small staff of young, hopeful activists, and train them on how to be more effective organizers & fundraisers.
After just a few weeks in my new role, my boss gave me some psychic income (as monetary rewards are not the main reason people work in the non-profit world) with this piece talking about my efforts for our group-
Mauro was effusive with his praise of my work in this recent nod in our national internal newsletter. The only mistake was that the URL of my site includes the word "the" at the front.
http://thelaughingplanet.com
Feel free to click the above link and watch a video or 2.
The work of a canvasser is all-too-often undervalued. I post this today not just to let people know about my scarcity of late, but to help dispel some myths and diminish some resentments folks have toward my peers around the globe. Fueling such flames, this week there was a hit piece about canvassing by the lame SF Weakly newspaper
http://www.sfweekly.com/...
Here is my comment posted on their site-
BREAKING!
Broad brush journalist uses broad brush.
This hit piece takes great pains to trash an entire profession & poison the well for the uninformed potential donors for years to come. By not mentioning that not all groups use this same business model, people can ratchet up their avarice to eleven, using their excess cash for plastic junk from China, or a 2nd daily Frappucino.
For the record, Greenpeace canvassers are employed by ONLY Greenpeace, are not commission-based fundraisers, and can say EXACTLY how much of the donation goes to the group (that number is 84%).
Congrats to SF Weakly for making a hard job harder for some of the most dedicated young organizers on the face of the Earth.
Often people have profoundly delusional reasons for either hating canvassers or the group for whom they work. It amazes me to learn some of the twisted tales some believe to be true. When it comes to giving money to charity, people will cling to the flimsiest reed to avoid parting with their money. I plan to write a more nuanced letter to the editor in time for publishing in next week's edition.
Luckily, in the Bay Area most people are well-informed and do not fall into the trap of self-serving ignorance the link above sets. People who canvass are not usually annoying profiteers who solely want money. The work itself requires a profound amount of patience, energy, and awareness. No two days are ever the same, and the effectiveness of a productive day cannot be overstated.
Instead of choosing to join the rat race selling widgets or flipping burgers, many able-minded people of all ages actually choose to help a non-profit grow its ranks instead of going to work in a field that will surely compensate its employees with greater monetary reward. The person who you see with that clipboard or binder may be one of the smartest and most passionate people you will meet on any given day. The only way to find out is to speak with them for a few moments.
In the interest of finally posting this draft diary that has been in the works for months, I will resist the urge to wax poetic ad nauseum about the type of activism that has consumed most of my year.
For those of you who have wondered why I have been more scarce in 2011 than in previous years, here is your answer. To others who have seen these people on the streets asking for your time, see if you can't oblige them next chance you get. It is harder work than you may realize, and a friendly exchange goes a long way to getting your spirits up to help make it through another day.