Two weeks ago I went to the Southern Fairfax office in northern Virginia to canvass for the Obama campaign. This Saturday I went back and had another positive experience. Here’s what I learned:
First, I was struck by the number of friends and acquaintances who mentioned to me after my first (solo) canvassing experience that they would like to join me for the next one. This time I went with a friend, who in turn brought a friend of his. The lesson to me was that taking a small action yourself for the campaign can either activate people’s guilt (which was what got me out in the first place) or help them overcome their shyness. You help set off a ripple effect, not only in terms of your volunteer efforts but within your own community.
Second, I was surprised by how willing people were to talk about the elections with a stranger. Saturday was a rainy day in northern Virginia, and I found more people at home than on my previous trip. It also seems that since the conventions, and especially the debate, people are more engaged in watching the campaigns.
I had three positive conversations with undecided voters about, respectively, immigration, the economy, and veterans’ issues. It’s a rush to start talking with someone and realize that they’re actually listening to you; I attempted to shape what I said according to my sense of the person, but in all cases I underlined the theme that Democrats want to solve problems while Republicans use high-blown rhetoric to ignore problems. That message seemed to resonate.
I’m not the best canvasser, but once I was out there I found calm and confidence. I know what I believe, and when you speak from the heart you’re bound to make an impact. The campaign recognizes this too; as an organizer said, “You don’t have to be an expert on all of Barack’s policy positions. Just be an expert on why you support him.”
Third, I’ve been thinking about how the internet works so smoothly as a tool for the Obama campaign that its effects become almost invisible. The internet merely facilitates what’s in reality an ancient process: talking to people in our communities about how we will select leaders.
One of the most powerful experiences I’ve had this year was attending a MoveOn “Online-to-Offline Organizing” session at NOI’s “unconference” in the spring here in DC. Some of the principles the speaker outlined there are alive and well in the Obama campaign’s use of the internet: online tools make it easy and convenient to do the face-to-face work. The asks are simple, the goals clearly presented. The campaign helps you understand how your (minimal and often frustrating) efforts fit into a larger, important picture. And that keeps enthusiasm strong.
I signed up to volunteer online. Printouts from sophisticated databases online helped me navigate neighborhoods quickly and efficiently. And now the internet allows me to share my experience with others simply and directly, with the ultimate goal being to encourage them to talk to people in their communities.
But all that only serves to make the process of forging human connections easier. The internet can be a destination for sure, but it’s most effective as a tool.
As for my sense of Obama’s chances in Virginia, based on my very limited experience I’d say there’s real cause for optimism. Polls lately have indicated a toss-up, and in the neighborhoods I walked through I saw a definite McCain presence, but on the whole I talked to many more Obama supporters and saw perhaps a 55%-45% split in terms of yard signs, advantage Obama.
The head of the Southern Fairfax office probably put it best, though: “Virginia’s not a ’swing state.’ It’s not ‘our turn’ to win in Virginia this year. We have to take it.”
And that’s why the ground game is so critical. If you live in or near a battleground state and you support Obama, I’d encourage you to get out there and hit the streets. It’s a positive experience and it’s what will win this election.