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Weekend Politicking

By NTodd - Oct 27th, 2008 at 1:35 pm EDT

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Tags: canvassing, NH

So much for writing a cohesive post about campaigning. Just the usual highlights:

Dunno if I've said it before--I think maybe in a Paxcast or PaxLive--but on average 12 doors knocked means 1 vote, no matter what the outcome. My canvass teamsknocked 80 doors and got 23 IDs (16 for O, 7 for M). Overall our teeny office knocked ~600 doors (best canvass day yet) with ~300 IDs (150 O, rest split between U and M).

Saturday we crossed paths with 2 sets of Jehovah's Witnesses--a couple of older ladies, one dad and his young daughter. I was telling R, my partner that day, about the voter "universes" we use to cut turf and one of the ladies overheard. She said they were also going door-to-door to speak of "universes" but really the word they use is "kingdom." Yes, I said, as I took yet another copy of Watchtower, which we kept seeing in door handles as we did our own lit drops.

An 8yo kid walking around the neighborhood asked what we were doing--we said asking people to vote for Barack Obama and Jeanne Shaheen. He took some lit home. Later we bumped into him in front of his house as he was riding a mini motocross bike and he asked if we'd ever met Jeanne Shaheen. Sadly, no, since I couldn't go to the campaign event in Littleton last Sunday.

I met a real live PUMA! Husband refused to tell us his leanings--very common here, not sure about outside NH--but wife said she voted for Hillary in the primary and was writing her in next week. She didn't look too crazy, but I suspect her gardening hat covered up some horns or something.

One door, 4 contacts, all voted for McCain already. Owners of a convenience store I frequent just down the hill. Nice chat, though some amazing dissonance: tired of all the fighting, we're all Americans, etc, yet voted for the ticket that calls us anti-American. Congratulations to them for the birth of twin granddaughers--President Obama will make sure they are healthy and have a bettter country to grow up in.

Sunday J and I ran the gamut. Literally asked by one refusal, "don't you guys have anything better to do on a Sunday?" Shit, man, we're doing this before the Pats game starts! Ran into a number of young voters whose parents/grandparents were our targets--all Obama, very stoked. Healthcare a big issue for them, one even mentioned the historic aspect of a black man winning.

Congressman Paul Hodes dropped by the office before an event down the road, left his very sweet dog Mango with us. He likes Cheezits. Mango, I mean, not Rep Hodes. Hodes is leading his opponent 51-25 (24% undecided because nobody knows Republican Jennifer Horn, as my canvassing results bear out). Everything looks good for Obama and the Dems in NH next week.

I don't understand the refusals any more than I understand undecideds. I don't think people are stupid, though perhaps a bit too insular and disengaged from the democratic process overall--what is this Republic if not a place where you don't just vote, but also engage in discourse in the public square? Still, I guess having 18 bajillion strangers descend on your home demanding answers might be a little off-putting. Personally I enjoy chatting with people on either side of the door.

Was interrupted doing data entry by local character Charles Buckley, a long-time criminal defense lawyer, naval combat veteran, and former presidential candidate (won 0.21% of the vote in the NH Democratic primary back in 2000). Interesting fellow.

Drove home with Venus bright and low in the sky, just above the mountains with the remaining orange glow of sunset, Jupiter above to the left. Beautiful end to a lovely, tiring weekend. Somehow, it gives me hope...

ntodd

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