I'd appreciate you reading this all the way through - reccing and spreading.
I'm a pretty strong Obama supporter - have been since before the announcement. I donated (first time), phone-banked (not first time) and until this weekend - hadn't canvassed. IL didn't really need it and I missed out on both WI and OH for a variety of reasons. I didn't make it though and I felt bad. I've been working on NC voters the whole time - since I'm from there (and cast an absentee ballot there).
So then there was IN. I volunteered to go for the weekend and on Friday - I just didn't want to leave. My windshield wipers had broken in the snow and they still weren't fixed. I had a flat tire (and a hell of a time getting it fixed). So here's what happened:
I go to the mechanic to get the windshield wipers fixed. They see my Obama rally sign and ask where they can get one - I gave it away. So then, all of the mechanics were working on my car - they did the labor for free.
I didn't make it Friday night because it was too late - so I left early Saturday morning (when I was supposed to start). At 6am, outside my house in Hyde Park, a man asked me for my phone - which was in my house as I packed my car. When I told him that, he yelled at me, called me a racist, and started coming at me when a University of Chicago cop pulled up. He left.
In Lafayette, IN, I got breakfast at Chick-Fil-A. As I pulled out, a man in a pickup truck, with a shotgun rack and shotgun, called me a n*****-lover and told me if I didn't get out of town now, he'd make sure Obama didn't get my vote.
This was all before canvassing. While canvassing, things went okay. We got kicked out of an apartment complex, a couple of doors slammed, etc. One Black lady answered the door, told me she hated black people and asked me if I did. Later in that conversation, she asked me if I was there to tell her to support Barack just because they were both black. Later that day, I phone-banked and I had phones slammed and a gentleman call me gay and then put me on speaker phone asking why I would support a terrorist, etc. I also, however, had some enthusiastic folks and undecided people who really needed to have their say and questions answered.
Obviously this sucked - but ya know what? We got 40 of 100 people to say they would vote and supported Obama (compared to 5 non-supporters and 4 undecided - the rest weren't home). Sunday, more Obama supporters (except some "Hillary supporters" that I think were suspicious of me and assumed I was a Hillary person doing recon).
But here's the kicker. I knocked on the door of this one lady in the apartment complex and she answered. Before I said anything, she apologized and said she didn't speak English. I don't really know Spanish (learned some in grade school and middle school but I've forgotten most of it). I handed her the Obama flyer - about his plan to help Hoosier families.
She looked at me. She kissed it. She grinned and she said, "Si, se peude."
We may lose by 12 (SUSA) or 6 (Norfolk). We won't, even though Joe Andrews says so, win Indiana. But damnit if we didn't give that lady something to be happy about.
I'm off to Gary, IN to knock on more doors. If you can - donate (we're almost to 1.5 individual donors), phonebank (from home - it's easy as all get out and MOST people aren't rude - the ones that are, you can simply say I'm sorry and hang up) or canvass. Please help - please.