The title of this Diary is the same as an email I sent tonight to my old DFA contact list. I am writing this Diary for two reasons, first, if there is anyone in the KC area who can help, please contact me.
Second, I am looking for ideas on how to get people motivated. Many of these people came to meet-ups and fundraisers for Dean on a regular basis, spouted their hate for Bush often, but when it comes time to put some time into volunteering, the same 12 people respond to an email that goes out to 1200.
Take a look at my email below and please give me suggestions. And if you have any ideas about where to go for volunteers, and how to motivate them, please, please let me know.
From: Eric T. - DFA Volunteer
To: KC Area Progressive Activists
Subj: A personal plea from me, Eric. Please Read
Dear Friends.
This email is a personal plea from me to you. Please take time to read it. This will be the last email you receive from me until after the election.
As many of you know, I was heavily involved in the Dean Campaign. I volunteered many hours each week, hosted monthly meet-ups and helped many of you by making copies, donating t-shirts and bumper stickers and whatever else I could to build and grow the greatest grassroots campaign this country has seen.
In turn, many of you did your part to try to make Dean the next President of the United States. While we were not ultimately successful, I truly believe that we created something positive that was worth the effort, and a Dean loss in the primaries did not mean a loss for the country.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME LUXURY THIS NOVEMBER.
I do not think I have to tell you how critical this election is. As the sign says, "If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention." The number of ways that another 4 years of this administration can screw up this county and the world would be unimaginable, if we had not been seeing it for the last 4 years.
We can win this thing, and I am asking, begging if I have to, for your help.
Groups have been registering new voters at a record pace. In addition, they have been identifying infrequent voters as well, many of them who are more motivated than ever before to vote this year. (None of these people, nor cell phone only users, are polled by the way, so every race is closer than you think). Now we need to make sure that these people get out to the polls.
Simply put, if we can get these people to polls, we will take this side of the state. If we take this side of the state, we take Missouri. If Missouri goes blue, so does the country.
What I need are people who can be Precinct Captains and assistants. I am volunteering with ACT (America Coming Together) and with your help and their organization, we can do this.
First, you must be willing to take off November 2nd and put in a few hours a week until then. You will be given a precinct with names of new and infrequent voters to be identified. This happens door-to-door and over the phone over the next couple of weeks. Then, come election weekend and day the magic happens. This is where you and your team contact all the potential voters and then as they vote on election day, they get checked off. Together, we will ensure every one of them vote that day.
Please call or email me back to let me know your availability. We need to start this right away. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for your help. I thank you. My kids thank you. Heck, the whole world thanks you.
Eric T.
DFA, ACT Volunteer
etinkc(at)mwgc(dot)org
816-665-XXXX,
Thank you for taking the time to comment.