I get tired of hearing myself bitch and moan, but...
I am one of the most non-religious people I know, but I have a family that isn't and they engage in the little yearly affair Christians like to put on called CHRISTMAS. This means family flying in to visit, spending time with family, cooking meals, decorating your elderly parents' house for Christmas the way they like it (and can no longer do themselves), and a general increase in activity in one's personal life.
Even before the election took place and we knew the joyous outcome, I felt strongly about capitalizing on the grassroots movement we've all created. I want nothing more than to continue to be the change, but does it have to be right now? Can't we wait until after the holidays are over?
I want to participate in community meetings but now is just not a good time, and it probably isn't for a lot of people. Will we have similar community organizing meetings after the first of the year? Will people who jump back in at that point be disregarded or left out?
I'm taking a powder. The holidays are upon us and for me that means a lot of cooking and helping my parents decorate their house. I see that many of you are still busy busy busy, but I think Barack would be ok with me taking some time to just be. Honestly, and if any of you read this too bad, I don't think too many ColoradoANS or Adams County folks give a rat's arse about whether or not I'm participating in the e-mails or any plans of any sort. I guess I never did enough volunteering to suit anyone.
As I said around the time of the acceptance speech--I'll volunteer on my own terms and in my own way.
Everyone, have a wonderful and safe holiday season and I'll check back in January to see what's crack-a-lackin.
Beth
Now begins the work that must be done to turn our nation around.
I've met so many different people on here, and although our connection to each other was primary internet correspondence, we spent several months going through a process together. It was delightful, agonizing, frightening, frustrating, rewarding...but most of all, it was successful.
For any of you who read this before the site is dismantled and we go our separate ways...it was an honor to be part of this process with you. Millions of us working together, contributing what we could in terms of talent, money, and volunteer work. We built our "community" in less than two years. Imagine what we can do for President-elect Barack Hussein Obama in the next four. And imagine what we can do for our nation.
Beth McKinley~~~bigmacsmama@hotmail.com
Bailout, schmailout!
Here's what my 27 year-old college grad sent me (he didn't write it). He later thanked me and the rest of my baby boom generation for taxing him and his generation to the hilt for the rest of their lives.
I've had little success with phone calls, and I've had better success with canvassing, but my neighborhood is tricky (I know, they all are). I decided to try another approach using the neighbor to neighbor tool.
Almost EVERYONE I've spoken to resents getting campaign phone calls or campaign volunteers knocking on their doors, especially in the evening. A few people have been receptive, but mostly not. I've also done some research on how and why people vote the way they do. My conversations and research have revealed a few things: 1) the hesitancy to take a call or talk to a stranger at their doorstep isn't specific to Senator Obama; 2) people are already sick and tired of this election cycle, especially the ads on TV, and they don't want to be bothered by it; 3) they want to vote for someone who is like them or something that is familiar to them; 4) they don't want to be pursued aggressively by campaign staff, regardless of what or who they support; 5) they are fed up with negativity, regardless of who or what they support.
So...I decided to try a different outreach effort. I typed up a flier to distribute to all of my neighbors (see below), attached an Obama/Biden lapel sticker to each flier with a paperclip, then rolled up the flier, and stuffed each flier into a screen door or under a doormat (with most of it visible, of course). This necessitated some in-kind donations from me to the campaign in terms of purchasing the stickers and printing the fliers in color, but it was well worth it.
Several people told me (while I was still walking the neighborhood) they appreciated my friendly and non-judgmental/confrontational/aggressive approach, and respect for their privacy and family time. Some told me they appreciated not having to use cell phone minutes for a campaign call. Most who took the time and effort to talk to me appreciated the sticker, and they said they were impressed with the family story I provided.
I distributed seven voter registration forms and offered to mail them in myself, although everyone told me they felt more comfortable mailing in the forms themselves. Eight people went out of their way to tell me they were already registered to vote and supported Senator Obama. Three people told me they were already registered and were supporting McCain and returned the flier to me. :>) Lastly, I've had a couple of people call me to ask questions about Senator Obama.
This is just another way to approach outreach. I honestly think you get more bang for you buck if you come in the back door with most people and do the soft sell. I've done the same thing in my parents' neighborhood, and some of their neighbors (two oldtimers who have been there forever like my folks) said they were influenced by my parents' choice! They also pledged to keep an eye out to protect my folks' two Obama-Biden yard signs.
Take a look at the flier I distributed. My goal was to give my neighbors privacy while letting them know where to find information about the general election and Senator Obama.
I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!
Bush economic advisors? An OXYMORON to beat all oxymorons!
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I don't make phone calls from home or work for the following reasons: I have a 200 minute cell phone plan and my minutes are exlusively for my son and my parents; I don't call from work for obvious reasons. I will phone bank from the Thornton office.
I've begun to canvass my neighborhood using my walk list, and have inputted information. However, this info doesn't show up on my home page.
I just want to share this because I'm getting pretty sick and tired of people telling me I'm not doing enough to get Senator Obama elected, and I didn't want to share my frustration via e-mail.
Allow me to say this, however. I don't care what the "research" says. Phone calls in the evening do more to alienate people than to bring them on board. When people get home in the evening after a day at work, that's their family time--that's THEIR time. I'm personally opposed to making phone calls. I don't believe they work as well as some claim.
I do think that canvassing neighborhoods, VRDs, and outreach in public areas help. It's the face to face conversation that makes the most difference.
Conservatives are singing the praises of Sarah Palin for the wrong reasons.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/03/rosen.palin/index.html
One of my coworkers, who supported Hillary Clinton during the primaries, has a respectable grasp of the issues, and I asked her if I could blog a recent e-mail exchange. Private information has been deleted.
I felt like posting this because I'm feeling some anxiety because of how easily McCain's VP pick is getting away with HER lack of experience and fiery rhetoric. I can only hope the Obama campaign is waiting to pounce at the right time. I wish they would pounce NOW. I need reassurance before I have an anxiety attack meltdown! You know it's bad for me when I won't watch The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. :>(
