I just finished my first canvass shift: it was great!
Max, our local staffer, told us that canvassing and phone calls were the two most effective ways that we could help. After that, I decided to resist my fears, challenge myself, and give canvassing a try.
I showed up at the White River Junction campaign office at 10, after a good breakfast, excited, but tentative. Max trained us on how to talk to voters, and gave us the voter turf lists we needed. After a couple of minutes reviewing the route I was going to walk I was ready to go.
When I started, I was worried that people would yell at me for trying to help my country. I was wrong. I learned very quickly that the people that I encountered were all polite, even when they did not have the time or interest for discussing politics. I had a great conversation with the undecided husband of a school teacher on Senator Obama's education policy. Another woman along the way told me about how she believes that Barack is the only candidate who can truly bring change to Washington.
The weather was actually rather pleasant. The sun was out, and the birds were singing. I dressed in layers and I was so comfortable that I worked all morning without my gloves.
Two hours after leaving the campaign office, I was done. It was quick, it was painless, and I feel like I did something concrete to help add votes for Senator Obama on Tuesday.
We really need canvassers over these last couple of days before the primary. Please consider the impact you could make with just a couple of hours of your time. If you are interested in canvassing, phone calling, or volunteering in other ways, please look for events in your area or contact your local campaign office. If you are in the White River Junction, VT area, you can contact Max at our office at the Hotel Coolidge.
Yes We Can!!!
Yes You Can!!!
We are down to the last few days before the Vermont primary and it is time to turn up our intensity another step. We will be responding in White River Junction with a new series of visibility events leading up to Tuesday.
The first event will be a Honk and Wave tomorrow (Friday, 2/29) at the intersection of Rte. 5 and Rte. 14 in White River Junction. This will take place from 4:45 - 5:45 so that we can focus on travelers during the afternoon rush hour. You can learn more about the event here.
We are also planning an event on Monday, 3/3. That will most likely be a Honk and Wave at the same intersection, but during morning rush hour to target a different group of drivers. I will post more information once we have more concrete plans.
Edit: I can now confirm that there will be a Honk and Wave on Monday 3/3 at 7:45 AM in White River Junction. The event details are here.
We have two more great events coming up tomorrow, Tuesday 2/19 in White River Junction. It would be great to see you at one or both of them!
First, we have a Honk and Wave during PM rush hour, starting at 4 PM. This will be at the corner of Rte. 5 and Rte. 15, near the P&C. Our first Honk and Wave last week was a huge success powered by lots of positive response from drivers. You can find more information about this event here.
At 6PM, there will be an organizational meeting at the Hotel Coolidge. I have heard that Max Lesko, our local staff member will be there, and that Congressman Peter Welch might be there as well. There is more information about that event here.
Yesterday's "Honk and Wave" in White River Junction was a great success! Thanks to everyone who came and everyone who supported us by honking and waving.
Our group of eight Obama supporters spent our lunch hour waving to drivers and pedestrians at the intersection of Rte. 5 and Rte. 14. We don't have an exact count, but I estimate that we probably saw a couple thousand cars during that time. (We have counted between 15-45 cars/minute through that intersection at different times of day.)
The response from the drivers was fantastic. We had dozens of honking supporters, waves, and thumbs up gestures. Some supporters rolled down their windows to talk to us. At the end of our hour, we thanked one honker as we crossed the street. He thanked us for getting out the word and told us to "keep fighting the good fight!"
Jamie (with the "Stop the War" sign below) suggested that we try another of these next week maybe during Tuesday PM rush hour. Keep an eye on the events list for details!
Edit: It's official! We are on for Tuesday afternoon. The event details are here.
I recently found a fantastic endorsement for Senator Obama by Randall Munroe. He writes an online comic strip called XKCD. He is smart and witty, but he typically keeps politics off his web comics site. He feels strongly enough about Senator Obama that he is willing to break that rule:
http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/01/28/obama/
I support Senator Obama for many of the same reasons. Campaign reform, ethics reform, technology policy. I am excited to see that such visible members of my online community are supporting him as well.
In the words of one Obama campaigner, I am fired up and ready to go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHfbKTiUH8U
In the coming weeks and months, I'm going to use this blog to share my own thoughts and observations about the campaign and to link to other resources related to the campaign.
FIRED UP!!!
READY TO GO!!!
