NOTE - This will be a hit and run diary. I have to canvass in New Hampshire in two hours so I better make this quick.
Yesterday, I canvassed for Obama for America in southern Rockingham County, NH. Originally, I was supposed to go up to Portsmouth but my plans changed.
I worked out of a staging home of a local party activists, David and Elaine AHearn. I had previously canvassed the same area four years ago so I can offer some personal observations comparing these two elections.
Follow me below the fleur-de-Kos for more details:
Yesterday was one of those cold, clear, crisp, slightly blustery classic New England autumn days. It was a perfect day to do my part in help reelect the President.
I had originally agreed to meet at the Newburyport (Mass.) Park and Ride on I-95 with a group coordinated by Jim Stanton of OFA and we would carpool up to one of the larger regional offices in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
I waited for 15 minutes. I was getting worried nobody showed up. I then realized I forgot my cell phone. I didn't want to drive home, so I decided on a lark to drive by the staging house in Kensington that I worked out of four years earlier. I knew I was in the right house because the yard was covered with some large billboard like signs for Obama/Biden, Maggie Hassan for Governor, and Carol Shea Porter for Congress.
I walked in this beautiful New England farmhouse and a lovely kitchen. I met Alex, Evan, and Hopefrom OFA as well as Elaine, the hostess. At the time I was the only volunteer because a van full of students from Northeastern University had just left. They handed me my first neighborhood, Seabrook District 3 and I was off.
If you haven't canvassed for OFA in either 2008 or 2012, I need to give you a little background of how well they have their shit together. Seriously. Pardon the language, but that is how I feel about their operation.
First you received a folder. Inside were turn by turn directions to the starting point. A separate map to the starting point was included as well as a map, marking all of our contact homes. They were mostly sporadics and undecideds as well as a few unregistered voters. New Hampshire actually allows same-day registration (at the polls but not at the town clerk). The first person, I encountered who was on my list rebuffed me with extreme prejudice.
I actually preferred being rebuffed rather than the typical response I received four years ago in other Seabrook precincts which was "I'm all set." Whatever that means. That could mean, I'm not interested, I already am voting for Obama so leave me alone, I'm voting for McCain, or I'm voting for a third candidate. I found it rather passive aggressive,so I had no problem with this guy being rude to me.
I had a list of about 50 homes, but my actual contact response was meh. I had nine supporters and that one man that rebuffed me. The other 40 people were not home, so I left a door knocker reminding them to vote.
When I returned to the staging house in Kensington, the van was back as well as about five other cars, including some from FL and NJ (although those might have been either the OFA employees or they belonged to one of the NU students). Nas and Hope said the new packets weren't ready but asked if any of us wanted to do any visibility. They had built a bunch of placards and wanted us to hold the signs at a main intersection along Route 1 in Hampton Falls.
I must add that when I moved to New England, I thought visibility work was pointless and a waste of potential GOTV resources. It's pretty engrained in the local political culture. That being said, if you are going to do it, you might as well do it right.
Nobody said anything rude which was nice and we slowly got a lot of thumbs ups and honks. The key is to get truck drivers, driving by on Route 1 to blow their horn. We had some truck drivers and even a cop honk for us. We did this for about a half hour until Alex called us back and said the packets were ready.
I went out with a pair of Northeastern students, Marv and TJ. The three of us were able to cover two packets, in Seabrook 5, and Hampton 1. It was a good thing I had partners because one Seabrook neighborhood, nestled between Rt. 1, Route 107, and I-95, had bizarre numbering. It went : 1, 1A, 2, 3, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B,4,3C, and so on. Seriously. It was a pain finding our contacts but our actual in person contacts were going about nine to one in favor of the President.
I did see more Romney/Ryan signs in the area than four years ago. OTOH, I did not see a single Romney canvasser or anyone doing visibility in either Seabrook, Hampton, Hampton Falls, or Kensington. It means nothing because in 2004, there were far more Bush signs than Kerry signs and Kerry carried Rockingham County and NH.
I think it will be close, but I think the GOTV will be the difference, once again for President Obama.
Fired up and ready to GOTV. Another beautiful day in New England.
2:14 PM PT: I knocked on another 40 doors today, all of them in Hampton Falls. My human contact numbers are much lower than four years ago, but I think OFA has refined the GOTV effort. Most of the people on our list were people who had been contacted multiple times. This was a full court press if you will.
I did have one lady, completely frustrated that this was the fourth or fifth visit this week. I explained she could clarify things and express a preference for either the President or Gov. Romney so we would know not to contact her. Naturally, she went passive aggressive and said she had chosen her candidate but declined to identify them.