Posts with the tag canvassing

A Good Weekend of Canvassing

Jonathan — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:47:50 EDT

Hello everyone!

This past weekend we were canvassing here in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we were canvassing for Senator Feingold. My partner Emeron and I aren't the most experienced canvassers, but we worked well together. I felt like we really made a difference. We definitely cleared up some misconceptions people had about health care reform and found out what was important to them in preparation for Senator Feingold's upcoming re-election bid. The people were generally receptive to us. One kind woman gave us a donation for Senator Feingold's campaign for $100. I have to thank all of the people that worked putting that canvass together especially my friends Katie Norton and Natalie Holzem who made sure things ran smoothly the day of the canvass. I thank all of the people that got out there and knocked on doors as well. In order to appreciate the organizing people do, people need to be hitting the streets.

The canvass on Sunday was also good. My partner Matt and I had a good time. Almost everyone we talked to was in support of President Obama's health care reform. A few people even agreed to call Congressman Kind's office and tell him they support health care reform which is very important. Make sure you are e-mailing or calling your representatives and telling them you are supporting the plan. A lot of people who are opposed to it are calling and making their voices heard. Our voices won the election now they must carry us as we work to pass health care reform. Again I thank the organizers of this canvas especially my friend Andrew Londre. It was another day of making a difference and fighting for the change that we want to see!

I also want to congratulate my friend Alex Stoffregen on being a new community organizer!

Next time I will post my story about why I support health care reform with a public option!

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan Ringdahl

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."-President Obama

OFA in West Chester, PA - phonebanking and canvassing

Bill of Downingtown — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:25:45 EDT

On Sunday, August 9, in West Chester, PA, OFA will do a phone bank and canvass for the President's health care reform principles.

Undoubtedly you have been following the national debate (and the politics). You know the opponents of change are hard at work. We have the numbers of people on our side. We need to do our own hard work to translate those numbers into real pressure on individual members of Congress. We do that through phone banking, canvassing, and tabling.

Please join me and the rest of Chester County OFA in West Chester on Sunday. I’ll probably be canvassing (unless we have rains like last Sunday’s). But others will phone bank. Your choice.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple?source=topnav

OFA in West Chester, PA Training for Canvassing

Bill of Downingtown — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:00:42 EDT

This Sunday, July 19, OFA will canvass for the President's three health care reform principles in West Chester, the county seat of Chester County, PA.

If we have new volunteers who have never canvassed before, we will do a brief training. We will, of course, hand out the printed materials and make sure everyone understands them. But, after that, we will do an exercise called Hassle Lines.

Hassle Lines

The group makes two lines facing each other--like a Virginia Reel. The members of one line take the role of OFA volunteer, knocking on a door. The members of the facing line take a different role, usually a person opening the door who we would like to talk to about health care. We give each line a few moments to get into their roles and then ask that they begin the conversation. We let it run for only 30 seconds or maybe one minute.

President Obama still needs us

George A Sanders — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:30:13 EDT

Have you heard the health care reform bill is coming together? It is by no means a done deal. President Obama needs us to lobby for his 3 principles of reform. We can not control every detail in the plan (and this wouldn't be much of a democracy if we could), but we can help keep it on the track the President laid out. The three principles:

1) REDUCE COSTS

2) GUARANTEE CHOICE (including a public plan option)

3) ENSURE AFFORABLE CARE FOR ALL

Many of us are not as intimately familiar with the legislative process as a lobbyist but the next couple weeks will be critical. To make our impact we need everyone's help. There are 1500 past volunteers in our area that we need to contact next week. Yes, it needs to be next week. Organizing For America wants each of them (and us) to contact all of their congressman to request that they support the health care bill and the reform principles. While lobbyists have made this kind of effort for years, a grassroots organization directed by the President's goals has not. Let's make history together again! We need to fill up our congressmans' voice mail with messages of support for the President's health care reform principles. If you want health care reform. Next week will be the chance to keep it on track and influence the legislation.

"There's going to be a major debate over the next three weeks, and don't be fooled by folks trying to scare you saying we can't change the health care system. We have no choice but to change the health care system because right now it's broken for too many Americans." - Barack Obama

When can you make time in your schedule to help?

This Saturday - Make it Rain!

Andy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:44:05 EDT

Well, not literally, that would totally suck. Rain as in awesome...you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, let's get out there at geting people pledged. What are we having people pledge?

We want people to support their pledge for Mr. Obama's energy, education, and healthcare plans. We want to have New Brunswick residents sign a pledge to talk to people about that support to their friends, family, and their congressman!

There are thousands of these being done across the country.

Meet at Starbucks on George street at 12 pm THIS SATURDAY!

OFA Pledge Project Canvass this weekend + CALL CONGRESS

Chris Savage — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:28:50 EDT

Merilynne Rush has organized a canvass for our area this Saturday, March 21, 2009. Canvassers will meet at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market (315 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 ) at 9:00 a.m. Please consider joining in on this effort to get the message out about President Obama's budget and policies and to encourage our neighbors to join us in supporting him. Please RSVP for the event at HERE where you can learn more details about the event on this page as well.

Hello, hello, hello....Is there anybody out there?

Penny — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:54:49 EDT

Just nod if you can hear me.....Is anyone at home? Forgive the Pink Floyd...but that song always comes to mind when I am searching for events in my area and ways to be involved in my community.

So, I am taking matters into my own hands and if there is any advice out there or a helping hand I will accept gladly. Today I will be trying to find a place for vounteers to gather in my town of Willis, TX in Montgomery County. I am eyeing the community center and with luck, when I call them today they will allow me the space to to start a Pledge Project Canvass. I've watched all the videos, downloaded all the resouces and all I need is people willing to give four hours. So if I find a suitable place to gather, I will attempt to canvass Willis on Saturday the 22nd.

Let me start by saying that I moved to Willis two months ago from Washington DC to be near my family. I was heavily involved in the presidential primaries and general election there. But I was never the organizer, merely the foot soldier. But I do have a lot of experience, canvassing, phone banking and working the polling areas in DC, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. I know it works. I saw it work in Pennsylvania and Virginia and if people had organized a little earlier in West Virginia, Obama would have taken that state too. We took Virginia in as little as three weeks time and they were hard core Republican. That is the power of getting involved, mobilizing canvassers and informing the voters. People were switching parties. IT WORKS. And it can work for Montgomery County.

Obama's stand on issues will benefit all in Montgomery County. And what I have learned since being here is that most don't know the real issues, are getting their news from Fox, and don't even know why they are Republicans. Knowledge is power, but one has to have the facts as they are and not a spin created to pander to their targeted audience and incite fear. No matter the party affiliation they claim, the majority of the folks in my area are low income and without insurance and have no idea what is happening to our environment.

I have heard enough of the really lame racial jokes, but I suppose that is all they have...and then the jokes are so lame, that everyone forces laughter when they are told. I am tired of hearing the N word around here. The racism in this area is just a means of giving the racist a sense of self empowerment and place to focus their fears, but I know that can be turned around. I know that if they are shown the power of their own voice regarding the very issues that dictate the circumstances of their lives, that the knowlegde will replace the feeling of uncertainty and alleviate fears. OK, not all, maybe not most, but you cant blame a girl for trying.

My goal is to show the folks in my area that they are the government and this is their country. They have a say. And I want to help them claim it, by giving them voice, by informing them, by getting them involved. So this blog is my diary. Wish me luck.

This weekend! Save the date!

Andy — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:55:41 EDT

On Saturday the 21st, I will wait for anyone else at Starbuck on George St. in New Brunswick to canvass to support three pillars of the President's plan. I will be there at 12 and wait until 12:15

Energy

Healthcare

Education

There has been push back in Washtington from those who think this is a bad way forward. That is not what the American people want though - the American people want these three key areas addressed. It is the policitians, so entrenched in their habits of doing this, who cannot grasp that this must be the direction forward. For that reason, I am hitting the streets to get people confirmed as supporters of Obama's plan. This will prove that Americans want change, and that these politicians are getting in the way.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

Getting out the Obama Vote

E. Musing — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:40:12 EST

One (1) New Voter Registered
September 21 - K&W Cafeteria (Middle America Dining Haven)-Chapel Hill, NC.

Sitting outside of the K&W cafeteria I greeted diners as they entered and exited. Though I was wearing nothing to indicate my support for Barack Obama, most people assumed I was an Obama supporter. The black Obama supporters gave me a thumbs up and "atta girl" for doing the registration. The white Obama supporters would mention something about hoping that Barack wins. Those who I assumed to be McCainiacs and Palinistas would either give me a rude look, avoid eye contact, roll their eyes or just ignore me. But, in this politically aware community, nearly everyone said they had already registered. I only registered one person, a black female who is a Freshman at NCCU and will vote for the very first time. Two convicted felons stopped by and politely told me they could not vote because "they had a record". Both were young black men clearly sorry that they will miss out on the historic event. I checked to see if they were eligible by asking about parole and probation status explaining that once they had served their time and finished these things they could vote. They were not aware that their voting privileges would be restored and excited to learn this, but unfortunately were still on probation. I urged them to stay out of trouble so they could vote in future elections.

Two (2) Voters Registered
September 28, 2008 - Knock for Barack in rural Durham, NC w ith Daphne and the kids

Boy was it shocking to learn that just a couple of miles away from our house was true rural life...we were deep in the country in no time. We took my sons along who wanted to sell boy scout popcorn. They looked great in their uniforms and we thought they would be a good ice breaker so we let them do their popcorn pitch first at each house. When they were done with their pitch, they returned to the car and Daphne and I completed our canvassing/registration visit. Daphne and I felt very "official" as we were on assignment from the Orange County Democratic Party office, had "official" questions, "official" forms and were taking "official" notes that would be used by the campaign to determine how well Barack was doing and to better target voters

The first person we met was kind to the kids, but a little hostile to us. She didn't want to talk politics at all, she wanted no literature, no conversation, didn't want the office calling her any more...nothing. We asked our questions and thought we could quickly be on our way, but when we got to the issue of "healthcare" she unloaded...healthcare was clearly her hot button issue. Turns out she had been in a fight for health insurance trying to buy it on her own when she was unemployed. She was quoted a premium exceeding $3,000 per month! Her husband was luckily a veteran who was being successfully serviced through the VA, but when she was laid off she no longer had employer funded health benefits and found herself in a world of hurt. After first dismissing us, she spent at least 30 minutes telling us all about her fights with the insurance company, multiple quotes that kept getting higher and much more about the situation before she would let us leave. In the end we could tell she was pleased that we took the time to listen as she was much warmer when we departed. We hope she votes for Barack.

The next interesting person was a 72 year old caucasion female living in a trailer park who had not voted in years. She was welcoming and unregistered. She wants Barack to win. We registered her and she even bought a small amount of popcorn from the boys. She will need a ride to the polls. It was really nice meeting her.

Several other people in this trailer park did not answer their doors. We then went to another trailer park out in this rural area and found that people not answering their doors was a trailer park trend. We could see that many were at home. We got an answer at the unit in the trailer park. There was a big American pick-up truck parked out front. The boys went first and a man answered the door. Daphne and I could not see him, but the boys looked at him shocked as they asked if he wanted to buy popcorn. He said no and started to close the door. Daphne and I were behind the door, which was windowless and could not see him. Based on the expression on the boys' faces we decided not to ask this person about their voter registration or support for Barack. When the door closed the boys told us that the man was wearing only his underwear.

We registered one other voter. She was a Republican who had not voted in years. Her house was on the list because her husband and daughter were registered Democrats. She ordered popcorn, but I don't think she'll vote for Barack. In fact she said that she probably wouldn't vote at all...at least we did our part and registered her taking away a convenient excuse.

At the end of 15 houses we had registered 2 voters. 45 volunteers had come out this day to canvass in Orange and Durham County --a great turnout. Our coordinator shared a great story about Vance County where a team struck gold finding a pocket of over 100 unregistered democrats!

Two (2) Voters Registered One (1)Hostile Confrontation
October 4, 2008 - Knock for Barack with Daphne in Goldsboro, NC

Daphne and I had planned to canvass in Orange County again, but our friend Holly told us that the Durham Obama office was heading down to Eastern NC to try and register a good portion of approximately 500,000 blacks and many others in NC who were not registered. So, Daphne and I decided to join them and took off for Goldsboro. For the journey, Daphne prepared a delicious lunch of homemade meat patties, sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies and bottled water...yummy. (Cooking is one of the amazing talents she has.)

We registered our first voter before we even got to the Obama office. A middle aged black man was walking down the sidewalk and when we asked if he was registered to vote he eagerly came forth to sign up. The Obama Goldsboro headquarters was bustling with activity and high energy. They were clearly pleasantly overwhelmed with the outpouring of support that came from the Durham office. After some confusion, we got our assignments and packet of information and headed out the door. The first houses we stopped at indicated that we were either part of a "shock and awe" canvassing plan to attack Goldsboro with overwhelming force, or part of a confused territory assignment process as they had been visited by Obama canvassers just an hour or so before us. But, like good troopers, we soldiered on. At our third or fourth stop we encountered a hostile Palinista. First we visited his wife who was next door taking care of her mother. Our sheet said they were registered Democrats that we should "convince".

Mrs. "Palinista" was very gracious as she explained that whe was still undecided, but leaning towards McCain and was sure that her elderly mother was too. She said that her husband was also likely going to support McCain, but pointed him out to us if we wanted to talk to him. Mr. "Palinista" and his elderly mother were outside in the street in front of the house next door talking. We approached them and introduced ourselves. Immediately Mr "Palinista" attacked. He yelled that he would in no way vote for Obama and that he had already had us come by and at this moment we were harassing him and he would be calling the cops on us if we did not leave. He stood tall and stuck out his chest. His mother nodded as he yelled. My friend Daphne was ready to thank him and leave, but I wanted to understand why he was so hostile to us. I started by asking, "Sir are you a Christian?". When he said yes. I told him that I was too and asked if we could speak about this for a few minutes as Christians. He calmed and said; "sure." At this point we had a civil conversation where he revealed that he did not think Barack was a strong supporter of veterans and veteran rights. He was a Vietnam vet with a ad and grandfather had also been vets. His mother then chimed in to say that Obama would take away the veteran's pension that she was receiving from her dead husband if he were elected. Mr. Palinista agreed. I was able to share my cousin's Vietnam vet story and he could relate to it and softened, acknowledging that I had some understanding of how tough it was to come back to rejection and ridicule after serving and sacrificing for God and country. He then said that he had seen on TV where Barack refuled to put his hand on the bible take the oath of office. He had a real problem with someone wanting to be president who says he's a Christian, but won't swear on the bible. I told him I'd not heard that and doubted that it was trud. He sahred his feelings that Barack would not be protecting Israel and discussed the biblical significance of Israel and the Middle East. At one point Daphne asked if he thought Barack Obama was the anti-Christ and he said "No that is ridiculous" and then added that according to the bible the anti-Christ will be coming from the east...most likely the Middle East. Mr. Palinista's mother nodded the entire time.

During this conversation I was able to explain Barack's Christianity, position on veterans, Israel, healthcare and more. Finally, I asked Mr. Palinista why he was supporting McCain and pointed out that not all Vietnam vets supported McCain referencing the group Viet Nam Vets Against McCain. H said he didn't like McCain either and was voting for Palin because he felt she was the only one on the two tickets who would actually get something done in Washington. I asked if he ever voted for a Democrat and he admitted that he had not voted for a Democrat in recent years, so I asked why he was still a registered Democrat and suggested that he might want to change his party affiliation and offered to re-register him as a Republican. He explained that he will always be a registered Democrat as it is a family tradition where all through the generations his family members are Democrats and will remain so. I suggested that as Christians we should pray over the outcome of the election and thanked him for his time. We shook hands and he was a whole lot calmer when we left. My friend Daphne was in shock at his change in behavior. Proof that God changes things. We were off to the next street.

On the next street we again encountered people who had already been visited by Obama canvassers. The encounters were interesting underscoring just how private peoples homes are. We had no more introductions to men in underwear, but at one house a male Obama supporter answered and appeared to be in the midst removing heavy facial make-up including eyeshadow, liner and mascara. At another house a white McCain supporting female would only answer our questions through a crack in the door.

Our second voter registration came from an older black female. She was very friendly and acknowledged that she had not voted in years. She was registered as an independent and seemed to be very distrustful of "the system" having too much information about her. (She reminded me of my mother who, when we were growing up in the 60s and 70s, was afraid of people, particular government, knowing too much about her and her preferences for fear that she would be persecuted or targeted by the Klan or other groups for her position on the issues or support of a particular candidate.) This charming woman loved Barack Obama and really wanted him to win, but did not want to go to the polls to vote. She was very lively, independent and a self-proclaimed Christian. She thought that her children voting would be good enough. We conversed about how even one vote can make a difference as we expected the election to be close in NC and I asked her to pray about her decision before deciding not to vote. Daphne and I decided tell her about early voting, where few people would be and she would not have to fight crowds. I then started to complete the voter registration form for her and told her that we would give it to her to mail in. She watched as I completed the form from information obtained from the Democratic party office. I asked her if it was correct as I went along. She was completely shocked that we had so much information about her, including her Independent status. It was at this point that I saw an opening and explained that this information was readily available and not voting would not change that or keep it "secret". I then explained that all we needed was her driver's license to complete her registration and then I could turn in the form for her, she would not have to worry about mailing it in and could go vote any time she wanted, including early. For some reason this persuaded her and she eagerly got her driver's license and we completed the voter registration form.

We finished up our canvassing encountering more houses where people had already been registered by canvassers and returned to the Goldsboro Obama Office. When we got there we looked through all the materials and realized why we had so much overlap...it was not a shock and awe take Goldsboro by overwhelming force strategy afterall. It turns out that the Durham office had prepared packets of canvassing forms for their volunteers and had divided up Goldsboro differently from how the Obama Campaign office had, so our Goldsboro Office territory assignment overlapped some parts of the Durham territory assigned to other canvassers.

Too Many GOTV Volunteers for a Rainy Day
November 4, 2008 Daphne,the boys and me

The big historical day was here. A day to have my sons not just witness history, but participate in making history. It was time to make the last big push to get Barack Obama elected. But, it was raining...not just raining it was pouring and I was fasting and praying which meant I would be irritable and hungry and stressed. Yet, we had a plan and now was not the time to change course we had to get Barack elected. So, Joe and I got the boys up at 4:45 in the morning to go to Sunrise Service at Church...start the day with God, with prayer, with celebration. After church we went back home to recuperate, watch CNN and MSNBC before heading out at Get Out The Vote (GOTV) in Orange County.

Khari, Iyin and I picked up Daphne and we arrived at the Orange County location to receive our assignment only to have a conversation like this... " It seems that everyone has either voted or we have enough volunteers." Great so off to Durham? "Not so fast...Durham also has enough or too many volunteers. Great news! What about Roxboro aren't they usually short staffed? Shouldn't we just go there. "Well....no. You see, all the overflow from Durham and Orange County went to Roxboro so they really don't need more volunteers either" Hmmmm...well where can we go that is within a reasonable driving distance? "We're sending everyone to Vance County...about an hour North." Alright crew let's get our umbrellas together and get going to Henderson.

We drove an hour through pouring rain and arrived at the Vance County Obama office in Henderson, NC, along with plenty of other rain soaked volunteers from Durham and Orange counties, eager to get drenched as we get out the vote. My 11 and 13 year old are not so excited about this little venture, but, they are intrigued by all the other people who were just as crazey as their mom and Ms. Daphne. They were also fascinated by all of the door hangers and other cool literature we have to take with us. We got our assigned territory and instructions for how to get people a ride to the polls and headed out to the rural. The first two houses we stopped found no one home, or not answering the door. The next place we stopped at was some sort of school which had a ton of voters listed...we spoke to the administrator to learn that the Obama office had pick ed up all the voters and they had voted. (We speculated that this was the place where they found the 100 unregistered Democrats on September, 28th.) We had trouble finding a few houses and stopped by the fire station where people are voting to ask for directions. Daphne got out and spoke to a middle aged black man hanging out in the rain to direct voters. Turns out he knew just about everyone in the community by name, but not address, and directed us where we needed to go. A car was leaving the house as we arrived. The house was in extreme disrepair and there were at least 10 cats roaming around. I got out of the car and tramped through the wet to the protective porch awning, without an umbrella, for a quick chat. A white boy of about 14 years old answers the door. He informed me that he was babysitting and that the registered voters had just left to go vote. I then ran over to the house next to his. A black boy of about 11 or 12 yearas answered that door when I said that I am from the Obama office. He was home alone and his parents were working some weird shift. He expected that they would be home any minute and that they would vote when they got home. I left him with the cool door hangers and Vote for Change slate of Democratic candidates. We got lost again and returned to the fire station. Daphne braved the rain to get info. We talked to Mr. Knowlegeable again and learn that the people we are looking for are his relatives and have already voted. Cool. We turn in our list at Obama Headquarters and arrived back in Chapel Hill by 5:15 pm. The boys and I headed to the pediatrician so Khari could get his flu mist (Iyin already had his).

Then we waited...

E. Musing

CHECK IT OUT

Theresa — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:59:57 EST

The picture is from an early canvassing effort in Lafayette. Our efforts helped.

Election Day - Sights and Sounds

Elidyl — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:49:57 EST

Election Day in Chicago and Indiana ...

The day began early with a call from the Obama campaign and a special request to help get out the vote in Indiana. I called my good friend Chris, a native Hoosier from Bloomington, and we headed out to Merrillville to canvass for voters and hang door knockers. A flood of early support, and many volunteers finished up their routes by noon. Nearly all of the people on our canvassing route voted when the polls opened at 6 a.m. One voter in his 80s said he only missed one vote, when he was serving overseas in WWII. He didn't tell us who he supported, but he was happy to see us out talking to voters on election day. It was a gorgeous and beautiful day, warm weather, and plenty of sun.

At the end of our route, at one of our last houses, we met Sonny, an elderly African American man who didn't have a ride to the polls. He had surgery scheduled for the next day and was struggling with cancer. His polling station was 25 minutes away, and we got to hear much of his story. He worked 30 years in the steel mills, fought in Vietnam, missed the primary because he was in the hospital, and is receiving a stem cell treatment for his cancer. He wore a bright yellow Obama tee shirt, and fought valiantly to maintain his strength during the trip. Some of his friends and neighbors worked at the polling station. They rushed out with assistance (we had to cover his Obama tee shirt), and there was a huge outpouring of support for his effort. There were tears, and lots of hugs. Everyone gave us their prayers, and about 30 poll workers applauded as we drove him back to his home. An astounding and courageous moment.

In Chicago, too many impressions and feelings. We joined the gathering of volunteers and supporters in Grant Park. It was all anybody could talk about on the train. "They called Ohio," one person said. "What is the news on Indiana," asked another. It was a carnival atmosphere. At the main event, surrounded by video monitors and people sending text messages that read "wow" and "amazing," everything was happening so quickly. A ripple came over the crowd and we reacted immediately to the news. Was this really happening. Pandemonium and joy, respect and awe, hope and exaltation, and so much more. We have a lot to be thankful for. November 04 was a day for all of us. I have some photos and videos to share from the event (please see below). This is my postcard (and one person's story) from Chicago.

Photos:

Grant Park: Election Day 2008

My Videos:

Canvassing on Election Day in Marietta, Ohio

Llysse Smith Wylle — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:04:25 EST

I canvassed in Marietta, Ohio on Election Day, having voted a couple weeks ago. I somehow doubt I was the most effective of volunteers. I was on foot, so I walked and knocked. I'd never done this before, and seeing as how I hate to be bothered by this sort of thing myself, it made me rather uncomfortable to do it to someone else. However, I did look carefully for no trespassing or no soliciting signs, and I didn't find any at my assigned houses. I left at 10 am and only returned to headquarters by a little after 2.

I was not really surprised by the amount of activity that was going on in the field office. Apparently, that amazing energy is endemic to Obama campaign offices. As I recall, the total number of volunteers I saw posted "on the big board" later in the day was 64. That's rather a lot for a small town like Marietta. The amount of food donated to and by the volunteers was staggering, and it occurred to me that in some ways the funds raised for the campaign were probably higher if you were to factor in all the quiches and ham sandwiches and hummus and pizza and fruit and everything else that must have been donated to all the folks working such long hours to get Obama elected.

Luckily, it was a beautiful day in Southeastern Ohio on November 4, and that heartened me... not just because I was myself outside working, but because I was given to understand that good weather favors democratic turnout, and Ohio was important. I had logged in to the Obama-Biden website to see if there was anything local in West Virginia to volunteer for, but the closest thing I could find was in Ravenswood--too, too far. Plus, I knew Ohio to be one of the most important states. McCain was focusing on Pennsylvania, but he really had little chance of winning it. According to Nate Silver of 538, if McCain lost Ohio, the model showed a 0% chance of his pulling off a win.

With that in mind, I couldn't bear the idea of sitting at home on election day only to hear later that Obama lost by only a few votes if I could have made a difference. (As it turned out, of course, the vote was close in Ohio, but not THAT close.)

At any rate, I rode into town with my husband (who works in Marietta), and presented myself at the field office. There was a short training session, and we were out the door with a list of registered democrats we were to encourage to get out to vote. We should make certain they knew where their polling place was, as apparently these had changed, although how recently I don't know. I get the impression it wasn't too recently, but if these are voters that don't get out to vote too often, I suppose they could be confused. We even had a hotline number to call if they needed a ride to the polls. The lines in our area seemed to be short.

I started my "turf" near the downtown along the river. The neighborhood was a poor one, but pretty in the way things can be in a river city like Marietta. Not long ago the whole area was flooded. Was that three years ago? Most of downtown was under water, so this area would have been, too. There were quite a few empty lots, and I wondered if there had previously been houses there that had been taken down.

In the distance, dogs barked, and I was occasionally showered with the leaves of sugar or silver maples. I couldn't locate the first address; many of the houses here had no numbers. I guessed and knocked several times, but there was no answer. I left the hanger on the door. It showed the polling times and the democratic slate of candidates. Several dogs peered at me warily through curtains.

The next place was a townhouse; an older gentleman politely informed me he had already voted for McCain. I was here to speak with his wife. "She's not well enough to vote," he said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I responded, and left, wishing him a good day. I marked the conversation down on my slip of paper.

I was wearing on Obama shirt with a button of my own I had purchased in Chillicothe at the rally; they'd also given me a "Canvasser" button with the O logo. I had a clipboard and a manila envelope full of collaterals, as well as a little map of the territory, and my script. I suppose I was as official looking as one could get.

The next stop was a garage apartment, decked out for halloween. I knocked the door, and an old man with rheumy eyes opened the door. He wore an oxygen mask, and generally looked to be in poor health.

"Are you the nurse?" he asked in a weak voice.

"No," I said. I gave him my name and explained I was volunteering with the Obama Campaign for Change in Marietta, according to the script. He was not the person I was there to see; I was looking for a woman of approximately my age. I explained who I was there to see and asked if she was available.

"Yes," he said, and asked me in, ushering me past several tiny barking dogs into a tiny room. I carefully stepped over the tubes that hooked him to his oxygen, although it seemed to me the dogs just barrelled across. There were two worn and lopsided armchairs, and he motioned me into one.

"Im waiting for the nurse," he repeated in a shaky, friendly voice. I had rather expected him to call for his daughter--I presumed it was likely his daughter's name I had. However, he seemed a little confused. Poor old guy.

The smell of the house was reminiscent of the my Grandpa Shock's house, when he was ill with parkinson's disease. A WWII hero, he'd lived alone in his little house in Webster Springs for years, visited quite loyally by his sister Columbia. Occasionally, the family would hire people to come in and help him, but this always turned out badly. He had things stolen many times, unable to even get out of his wheelchair on bad days. Grandpa Shock.

I looked into the eyes of the old man in front of me, and he reminded me of my grandpa in some indefinable way. His skin was greyish, and I glanced at his nails, but I couldn't see how cyantotic they might be. I hoped the nurse would come.

I smiled encouragingly. "Do you have a way to get to the polls and vote?" I asked.

He did, he said. He rattled off a rambling list of all the things that would be happening today. He mentioned the nurse again, twice more.

"Oh, my! Sounds like you have a full day!" I remarked. I felt awkward. Maybe I should ask if his daughter was available again.

From the room behind me, the refrigerator kicked on, loudly. I looked back, and there was a woman at a little table pushed up against a wall, sitting at a computer. I raised my voice to ask if she was the person I was looking for, and she said she was.

I smiled again and stood, repeating the introductory remarks of my script in a casual way.

"I can tell you now you're in the wrong house," she said with an edge to her voice. "I'll never vote for a nigger." She pronouced it "nagger," and stood looking at me with crossed arms and challenge on her face.

As I said, she was approximately my age. White, as you may have guessed. She was overweight, and her long, fine hair was straight and dirty blonde, pulled casually back from her face with some plastic contraption that its silkiness would doubtless always have it slipping out of, as it was now. My hair is the same way. Her shirt had a hole in the shoulder; many of mine have holes. There are just other things to spend money on when the holes are small enough.

I was surprised by my lack of reaction, to be honest. Normally such things would have me fuming with outrage, but instead I was just instantly sorry for her. I instantly felt TRUE and DEEP pity. I'm sure it must have shown on my face, and it wasn't what she was expecting either, because her confident, belligerent stance faltered.

"I'm sorry," I said honestly.

She tossed her head, not meeting my eyes, and a lank piece of hair escaped its clasp. "I'm not voting for McCain either. I've been a democrat all my life. I don't have no one to vote for this year. I'm not voting," she asserted.

"It's all right," I said. Her father said he had a little oxygen tank he could take with him in the car.

I cleared my throat. "If you change your mind and decide to vote, the polls close at 7:30, and if you're in line by then, they have to let you." I made sure she knew where her polling place was, and wished her well.

The old man rose to let me out, and his jumble of tubes jumbled, and the dogs all jumped and barked, and the television in the little room blathered on with some sort of talk show. One dog got stepped on as the woman tried to step aside and it yelped and ran in a circle, upsetting some papers. I gave it a pat, wished them a good day, again, and left.

It was sunny outside, but I had the illusion of clouds. She had no intention of voting for Obama, even to help her poor, ailing father, whose greatest concern was apparently when his nurse would come.

Well, I think [health care] should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can't pay their medical bills -- for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies because they're saying that this may be a pre-existing condition and they don't have to pay her treatment--there's something fundamentally wrong about that.

Perhaps I should have argued with her, or pointed out that the healthcare plan could help them. However, I don't think so. My job was to get people who were voting for Obama to the polls, not to try to convince non-supporters. However, it made me sad.

On Greene Street, perhaps an hour or so later, some random hater threw a stone at me from a car. A few minutes beforehand, someone had driven by, screaming "McCain!" I have to think the same vehicle circled back to throw the stone, although I didn't really see it either time. With the screaming, it wasn't really worth my while. With the stone, I have to say I was just a bit stunned, and it took me thrity seconds or so to realize what had happened. That doesn't really sound like a long time, but really it's long enough to drive away and lose yourself in traffic seeing as how I wasn't on the ball enough to be paying attention.

I am presuming the stone came from the same car that screamed at me. They were so close together. And after all, not many people drive along with stones in their cars, so it would have to be sort of premeditated. I would guess they drove off to an alley or whatever and came back to throw it. It seems like it was only a few minutes apart.

In any case, they didn't come close to hitting me, and frankly I wasn't so much scared as flabbergasted. It landed in front of me, and I thought, "Where did that fall from?" not connecting it with the screeching tires and laughter from the passing car. By the time I realized what had happened and thought to look for the car, it was either gone or I just didn't know which one it was amonst the various cars that had passed. (In fact it rather reminded me of the episode of The Andy Griffith Show called "Opie and the Spoiled Kid," in which Barnie is berating a "civilian" for not being able to identify which little kid it was that knocked her off her feet riding his bike on the sidewalk when he himself is knocked down by the same kid. All Barnie can exclaim is "Garsh, it happened so fast!")

I had to walk by McCain headquarters twice--it's located not far from Obama headquarters in the downtown. The forst time was 10-ish when I left, and there didn't seem to be anyone there, although the door was open. (I am presuming there were people working inside.) The second time, there were two old guys standing outside, and they smiled kindly at me. I smiled back.

There was a McCain standee. Strangely, the photo used for this life-sized prop wasn't very flattering. He looked like a sort of hunched up old guy with a vague-ish smile on his face. I've seen heroic-looking photos of JM before. What was with that? It looked to be "official" campaign stuff. Whose fault was that photo? I don't get it. I don't think the collaterals were managed very well.

I had lunch at the field office, and went back out after, this time with a driver, as I was going further afield. My legs ached. I never ran into another racist, or another stone-throwing McCain supporter. Of course, it helps to be with someone, too. And in a car.

I did speak to several other people who were enthusiastic in their support, and received for the most part lots of smiles and waves and beeps of (what I presumed to be) appreciation. I take short beeps to be appreciative. They seem more polite than laying on the horn. Mostly I got smiles and waves and thumbs up.

At one McMansion, however, there were three laborers outside roofing the house. The yard had an Obama sign in it, but the residents were out. Perhaps they were voting, or they could have been at work. There was still literature on the door from the first pass at the house (we were making three passes at each house until we got an "I voted" or an "I'm not a supporter" or a "Moved," for example).

As we were leaving to go to our next area, I smiled at the folks working there and made some comment to the effect that it was a nice day for working outside.

"We're not from around here," one guy said forcefully, giving his pants a yank up, "but we're planning on voting several times on the way home since we registered through ACORN."

"Gosh, you have a fake passport or fake drivers licenses that will pass muster with ALL those election officials for THAT many identities?" I asked pleasantly, and he looked confused. He didn't say anything else. Evidently he was a low information voter.

At the end of the day, I was exhausted, and my husband actually treated me to Las Trancas on the way home. I love Mexican food. When we got home that evening it was already dark. I felt sorry for the chickens, who had spent the entire day locked in the coop. It was for a good cause, ladies. Also, I suspect Robin has been hiding her eggs somewhere, so I don't suppose it will hurt to try keeping her in the coop one day to encourage her to use the nests again.

We tuned in the TV that night, since the I-net has been frustratingly out. NEVER GET WILD BLUE. It was staticky, but as I have mentioned before, we should be able to get a channel (weakly) until February.

Then we watched as the electoral votes rolled in for Obama.

I loved when Ohio was called. I screamed. I squeezed Alan's hand too hard. He gave me a dirty look, and I didn't care. Matt called. I screamed, "I know I justsaw canyoubelieveitohmygodsIwishI couldcheck538!"

I didn't understand why they didn't call it then. I understand that on Fox news, Karl Rove was in the middle of explaining how McCain would have to win Ohio, and was interrupted with the information that Ohio had gone to Obama. Rove, Buch, McCain, Palin: that moment is courtesy of all of those people you don't care about--all those people whose civil liberties you were so anxious to take away. Did you feel your heart drop? That wasn't our aim, I assure you. We were trying to get Senator Obama elected. However, please do think of us in the future, as it may save you further heartache.

And please think of that poor, sick old man on the oxygen tanks in that little garage apartment near the Ohio River. Even if his daughter didn't vote for President-Elect Obama, I hope they still benefit by what he brings to this country... and I hope that in four years she can see that she has someone to vote for after all.

It occurred to me that I encountered the McCain campaign in its fullness in just that one day in Ohio, in microcosm. I encountered the racism your campaign was drumming up, the crazy ACORN charges, the terrorism fears and violence (which I associate with the stone throwing)--it ran the gamut. I also encountered Obama supporters who were excited, who talked about change, who ranged in age from just 18 to retired and poor to rich. Most of the people I spoke to had already voted, but I hope I was able to help remind some to vote that perhaps would not otherwise have bothered.

One lady was so excited nabout voting for Obama that she even took me next door to show me the homemade sign her neighbor had made and put in his yard.

"It's so pretty," she said. And it was. It simply said "Barack Obama." The letters were simple and black, but the background was all the colors of the rainbow.

"He did that himself," she said.

We all did. Yes, we did.

http://www.youtube.com/v/jxmw7-8F1QQ&hl

Alik's experience canvassing in NH

Karine — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:14:47 EST

November 3, 2008

On Sunday, November 2, we - seven Armenians for Obama volunteers from Massachusetts - drove to Plymouth, a small town in the swing state of New Hampshire, to canvass and get out the vote for Barack Obama. It was a 2 hour ride, but the beautiful fall landscape on one hand, and David Sedaris’ audio books on the other, made for a pleasant drive.

Driving into Plymouth, one would not guess that history was about to be written in its quiet streets. But once on Main Street, we felt we were part of an important moment; a father and his young daughter waving signs, a young man stacking yard signs in his van, a group of volunteers on a coffee break. On a bright Sunday morning, people of all ages were out in the streets, working hard for change.

We were greeted by a group of enthusiastic organizers, who, within minutes, trained and dispatched us to various areas of town to knock on doors of undecided voters, to get out the vote for Barack Obama. Our experiences varied; many of the doors knocked did not open, some of us got into lengthy conversations, while others were asked to leave. Most of us ended up speaking to fewer people than we had hoped for, but someone had to go out and knock on these doors, and we did it. In the end, we were there for just one day in a very long campaign, and what our presence meant mattered more than what it achieved.

Sharing her impressions of our trip, my friend Megan Rees wrote to me: “My biggest contribution was showing support for the campaign organizers who have been working tirelessly on our behalf. I wanted to canvass because it's important that we all participate in our democracy.”

Learning Obama has the support of the Armenian-American community surely energized the tireless organizers in Plymouth. They loved the red-blue-orange Obama logo on our T-shirts, so we left a couple with them. They, in turn, gave us giant posters and stacks of stickers. Needless to say, we left with much more than that.

As we left Plymouth and joined the busy highway back home, I felt privileged and confident; privileged to have participated in a movement that ultimately strives for fairness, justice, and truth. And confident that the energy and enthusiasm we witnessed will ensure we elect the leader we deserve. We deserve Barack Obama, and we are going to elect him tomorrow.

Alik Arzoumanian

Cambridge, Massauchusetts

Some thoughts on Election Night

Maura — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:38:43 EST

I'm taking a break from making calls (over 100 made tonight & counting!) to reflect on some of the memories I've collected while working for Barack's Campaign for Change. I'm thinking about the many people I've met and the voices I've heard.

The first time I, went canvassing for Barack the somewhat disheartening day ended on a high note. After knocking on 10 pages worth of doors in an economically depressed area of Virginia Beach, and being met with hostility, suspicion, indifference, and many empty homes, my partner and I were greeted by an entire extended family who came outside to thank us for the work we were doing to change the world.

The man on our list was a young African American soldier who was visiting his parents' home with his wife and two daughters. He came to the door in a Barack T-shirt and stepped outside to speak to us; his mother, father, uncle, wife and two daughters followed. As he updated his address (he had recently been transferred to Northern Virginia) and signed up to volunteer, his father and wife spoke about the campaign and the hope they felt. His pre-teen daughter said she wanted to vote too. As three generations of this family stood around us, I noticed that we were all smiling ear to ear, just beaming at each other. "It's a new day!", his father said as we took turns shaking hands round the circle and said goodbye.

The first night I made calls to voters in my state, after 25 calls that yielded little but wrong numbers and one screaming McCain supporter, I happened on a 93 year old African American woman who had voted early, she said, "because of my age". She wanted to talk and her quavering voice conveyed the emotion she felt. "I have waited so long for this, for this day! I have waited so long to see this happen, wouldn't nothing keep me away."

Tonight, as I made calls to voters in Virginia and Nevada, a 73 year old Caucasian woman stopped me mid-sentence to say "Don't you worry, I voted this morning and I voted for Obama!".

As I canvassed on Sunday, a young Caucasian man with sandy-colored hair in cornrows, a naked torso covered in what looked like home-made tattoos, and a big smile asked for an Obama lawn sign and poster. As he meticulously taped the sign to his mailbox he explained that he couldn't vote, but he wanted to help get the word out. "Barack's gonna change everything up! He's gonna change this world. " (Apparently, as an ex-convict, he had lost his right to vote.)

This is the first time I have felt truly connected to the political process and the first time I have become actively involved beyond voting and giving a small donation. I'm a single mother of a young son and a teacher; my time and my budget are tight. Yet, somehow I managed to scrape up extra time and extra money for Barack Obama's campaign. I have waited so long for this and together we all will change everything up. For the first time I unabashedly believe--we can change this world.

Yes we can,

Maura Alia Badji

Virginia Beach, Virginia

November 4, 2008

Canvassing in Winchester, New Hampshire

Dede Cummings — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:31:07 EST

Canvassing in Winchester, NH – Saturday, October 25, 2008
By Dede Cummings

Yesterday I went canvassing for Obama—I have a regular shift every Saturday in New Hampshire, a very important state to gain for the upcoming election. I view New Hampshire, which is a few miles from my home in Vermont just across the Connecticut River, as a rare beast, a markedly different entity concerning politics, if you will: in the last election, the state favored Kerry by about 20 percentage points. New Hampshire, in the current race, was up for grabs.

So, there I was, canvassing in New Hampshire yesterday: on a new “turf,” as the campaign calls it. They pair you up with someone, always, so I went with a young friend, Josh. A recent college graduate, paired with a mother of a recent college graduate—we were a formidable team, college funding loans notwithstanding.

Since we were in the small, economically-depressed, and spread-out, towns of Southern New Hampshire, we had to drive. Usually I canvass in Keene, which is urban, and we can walk door-to-door. We set out in my beat-up Subaru, campaign materials and our checklist of voters in hand. We were told at the staging area in the old mill town of Ashuelot, to approach the voters with the Senate campaign of Jean Shaheen and the congressional race of Paul Hodes first—I knew something about both candidates. Josh and I decided to take off our Obama buttons, even though that was our reason for being there, since we didn’t want to appear too eager to talk about Obama right away. Our goal, and the Obama campaign’s goal, is to gather information on the voters, and we worked in our questions methodically, but with a plan and a script to use.

Our first house was owned by a retired 79-year-old registered Democrat. Though she was extremely hard of hearing, we discussed Shaheen’s race, and then she wanted to talk about the presidential campaign. She said she liked both presidential candidates but McCain was too old, and, if something should happen to him, she didn’t want “that inexperienced woman” to run the country. Case closed.

We then went to the apartment around the back and we were invited into the kitchen of a mother and child. The child, a boy aged six, promptly yelled that he was “for Obama!” while the mother shushed him. She said she was undecided. Our approach was very low-keyed—we don’t want to be too pushy. I gave her a handout about Obama, which is an excellent piece that talks about who he is and where he came from. She was hesitant, standing there in her sunny kitchen, with her six-year-old son doing karate chops in the air chanting, “I’m voting for Obama.”

As I was getting ready to leave, she and I marked the voting sheet together, while Josh chatted amicably about all the good things that the Obama/Biden ticket would do for the economy, our country, etc. We checked off all the Democrats running for office, Shaheen, Hodes, until we came to the presidential box. She hesitated and she said, “I’m for Obama.”

Dede Cummings is a noted book designer and five-time winner of the New England Book Award for her design and typography. She studied literature at Middlebury College. She is owner and art director of the Brattleboro, Vermont firm, DCDESIGN. She is married with three children, ages 23, 20, and 16. Her hobbies include hiking, writing, running, reading, nordic and backcountry skiing. She lives with her family in a house her husband, Steve Carmichael built himself in West Brattleboro, Vermont.

The Ohio Ground Game Dominates: Canvassing for Change in the Buckeye State

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:48:47 EST

Canvassing is the meat and potatoes of the field effort here, and in that regard the Ohio Campaign for Change has created an incredible machine. Built by Neighborhood Team Leaders, operated by teams, this movement is almost totally run by volunteers. They take responsibility, and they get the job done.

And often "the job" means knocking on a lot of doors. Like a whole lot of doors. Like more than 385,000 doors in one weekend. Ohio took on the Obama field staff in Pennsylvania and avenged the Buckeyes' football loss by besting them by 7000 doors. Other statistics from that week include:

691,858 - Phone calls placed to fellow Ohioans by volunteers across the state last week
463,958 - Number of doors knocked last week
385,684 - Number of doors knocked last weekend
9,712 - Number of volunteers knocking doors last weekend to help beat Pennsylvania

Much of that ground firepower comes from setting up shop in areas that have never seen a field force from a Democratic candidate, ever--like in Dover, where a supporter created her own unstealable version of a yard sign

Unsurprisingly, the press has taken notice of the Campaign for Change's serious ground game advantage. Here is just some of the coverage from over the last couple months, regarding the field effort. Click the link to be taken to the article:

And finally, a recent article from the Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from Delaware, Ohio — John McCain has targeted this wealthy area just north of Columbus as one of 15 counties in Ohio where he needs to drive up his vote tally if he is to beat Barack Obama on Tuesday in this must-win state.

But on Friday night, only nine volunteers manned the 24 phones in the McCain campaign office. The phone bank began operating on a daily basis just two weeks ago. And only five people have shown up on most weekdays since then to canvas local neighborhoods.
Obama's campaign, in contrast, has flooded this Republican bastion with volunteers. Some canvassers first hit the winding streets of nearby subdivisions in March during the Democratic primary, and they have worked almost nonstop ever since in search of supporters.

Ohio is a battleground in the presidential race, and here's the view on the front line: McCain's get-out-the-vote operation has struggled to build momentum, and it appears outgunned by Obama's.

This time, the Democrats have shifted strategies -- and may have the upper hand.

Learning from the Bush effort, Obama has taken his fight directly into suburban and rural GOP strongholds in an effort to curb McCain's potential margins. Obama has 82 offices in the state, nearly twice as many as McCain. Labor unions are backing his effort with more than 12,000 volunteers.

"McCain does not have the kind of ground organization that Obama has, not even close," said Nancy Martorano, associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton.

"I've never seen anything like the Obama ground game," agreed Paul Beck, professor of political science at Ohio State University in Columbus. "It is light-years ahead of what the Democrats did four years ago."

It's not too late to get in on the action. Help get out the vote tomorrow. It's your very last chance to get involved.

A Picture of a Movement: Profiles of Ohio Volunteers

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:18:46 EST

Right now, tens of thousands of volunteers are getting out the vote for Barack Obama, in this final stage of the Election. Their work is crucial--now more than ever--so in honor of them, the Ohio Campaign for Change takes a look at some of the people who make this campaign the powerhouse that it is.

Marion is practically a celebrity in the world of Obama volunteers. She recently had a whole article written about her and her dedication to volunteering in the Dayton Daily News, entitled "Fairborn Grandmother Hits the Streets for Obama." Hers is a special story--she got involved in the campaign shortly after her husband Lanny died from cancer, after losing his job and being left without health insurance. She's featured in two YouTube videos hugging Barack at rallies in the Dayton area, but more importantly, she makes an appearance as a Neighborhood Team Leader in this video from the campaign. She's the one who makes the joke about the conservative politics of Greene County, where she lives:

(It's not too late to be a leader in your neighborhood-- sign up to get out the vote right now).

Many an Ohio Field Organizer sings the praises of his or her best volunteers. Here's some appreciation from Tommy:

Sherill, one of my NTL's, tore something in her foot (doctors think it might be a stressed ligament or something) while canvassing earlier this week. That shift she got something like 85 doors. When she called me this evening, I was expecting her to cancel her shift tomorrow to go door to door, but instead she called to tell me that if she wrapped her foot in an Ace bandage and wore the right shoes, she could walk on the foot. She said that we only had a few days until the election and that she didn’t have time to not be on the doors. And so, with a wrapped foot, she’s going to lead a canvass tomorrow of 12 volunteers. Not a story from today’s work, but worth noting nonetheless.

Here's a picture of Mr. Hanna--as his Field Organizer Seth describes him: "86 years old, fired up and making calls."

Richard in Scioto County recounts a day of activity amongst his volunteers:

Volunteers traveled out to the home of Christina, our Western Scioto Neighborhood Team Leader who already had their maps, clipboards and sign-in sheets prepared. Christina gave an inspiring training, explaining to the students why she supports Obama and then allowing them to share as well. They knocked on doors, and found a stray dog that they promptly named “Scioto.” They took the dog and themselves out to the Scioto County Sorghum Festival, where they helped us sign up supporters at the Democratic Party booth. They and their new dog “Scioto” are now sitting fat and happy, bellies full of sorghum molasses, making phone calls here in the office.

And finally, Graham in Lawrence County swears by his tough guy volunteer, Sparky:

Sparky -- Charles if you look him up in the voter file -- is seen here posing in front of his truck, with the Lawrence County Democratic Headquarters and the Lawrence County Courthouse in the backdrop. Sparky makes sure that everyone in Lawrence County is properly registered to vote and makes sure that people are voting for Sen. Obama. Sparky doesn't understand how we are spending ten BILLION dollars each month in Iraq paving roads, building hospitals, and improving infrastructure in Iraq when there is no hospital in Lawrence County and people worry when they drive over the Ironton-Russell bridge because of its dilapidated condition. Sparky doesn't understand why the people in the upper echelons of society are relishing in the Bush tax cuts when people who depend on fixed incomes are spending a large fraction of it on soaring health care costs. Sparky doesn't understand these things because it is hard to understand that these things are happening in America. What Sparky does understand is that in America, we can do better. Sparky works everyday telling people he talks to in Lawrence County that in order for us to do better as a nation, they need to vote for Sen. Obama and that Sen. Obama is not going to take away his guns. Sparky knows that Sen. Obama is a supporter of the 2nd Amendment as he is. That is why he has two GUN OWNER for Obama stickers on his truck.

Are you a volunteer--a part of the backbone of this campaign? Give us your story in the comments section below.

It's Time to Get Out the Vote

Michael in Ohio — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:56:05 EST

For a volunteer, sometimes canvassing and making phone calls can feel like a strange endeavor. Sometimes people have already made up their minds, or they're undecided but don't want to talk about politics. Why try to talk to people who might rather be left alone?

Because it all leads up to now. Because some people were undecided and curious; they just wanted to hear what someone else had to say. Because that conversation can plant a seed in someone's head. Because now the campaign knows who is on board and who isn't, and it's just a matter of getting out the vote. All the voters Barack needs have been identified--now it's just a matter of getting them to the polls. This video breaks down what Get-Out-the-Vote is all about, and how important it is:

Never been involved before? "Get out the vote" sound like something different or intimidating? Get-out-the-vote is actually even simpler than normal volunteering. All you have to do is remind people to vote! And make sure they have a way to the polls, and encourage them to vote early! As I said before, there's not much convincing--these voters have been identified as Barack supporters. Click HERE to sign up to help out in the last couple days.

Reminding voters, and driving from the office to the polls, and providing food and drink for other volunteers doesn't sound too hard, does it? Sign up now. Maybe you'll be treated to some Get-out-the-vote cookies, like these ones in the Mansfield office!

Do you want to say you were around when history happened? Or do you want to say you were a part of history?

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

Tricia — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:53:46 EST

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Six ways to make people like you

Become genuinely interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener.
Encourage others to talk about themselves.

Win people to your way of thinking

The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
Show respect for the other person's opinions.
Never say, "You're wrong." If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
Begin in a friendly way.
Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
Appeal to the nobler motives. Dramatize your ideas.
Throw down a challenge.

So Long, October; Hello, Mr. November

Michael in Ohio — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:19:25 EDT

Halloween has passed, so October is over! Which means America is just three days away from electing a new President, and hopefully realizing this incredible movement with an Obama White House.

And like all of the last few months, October was full of Obama activity appropriate for the season. A perfect example is the website www.yeswecarve.com, with multiple Barack O'Lanterns on display for Halloween.

Ohio has its own fall customs too, and Barack supporters made sure to infuse their love of the candidate with these traditions. Doug, from the Rural Team, has a report from the Pumpkin Show in Circleville:

One of Central Ohio’s biggest festivals of the year, the Circleville Pumpkin Show enjoyed some great weather and tens of thousands of people. I saw about 15 city blocks packed with people enjoying food, crafts, rides, parades, and bands. The “Greatest Free Show on Earth” awarded first place to the largest pumpkin (over 1300 pounds) and featured every imaginable type of pumpkin fare.
I sampled pumpkin burgers, pumpkin cheese cake, pumpkin cannoli, and, of course, pumpkin pie. Beyond the enthusiasm for the orange, I saw some great enthusiasm for Obama. This young family proudly sports their Obama stickers.
And finally, the Obama pumpkin at the Pickaway Dem booth, that smartly wears a stocking cap to meet the October chill.

Lastly, a couple weeks ago, after the Toledo area knocked an unprecedented 28,883 doors, local Field Organizer Liz carved her own Barack O'Lantern in celebration:

And with all this energy and enthusiasm, plus everyone helping to get out the vote, in a couple days this amazing campaign will prove Barack Obama to be Mr. November--no longer Senator, but President-elect!

Do your part. Get out the vote.

Byrd Park Canvasses for Change events this weekend are cancelled

Christopher Martin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:36:34 EDT

When I checked Friday evening, my.BarackObama.com had pulled the plug on the Neighbor to Neighbor feature that printed walk lists. Without walk lists, we would be pretty much flying blind. Sorry for the short notice, but I had hoped the feature might be available again Saturday morning but it's not.

I wanted to provide a nearby event in the neighborhood this weekend people could go to. As it is, the closest canvass staging area at this point is 222 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA where shifts will be running all day Saturday and Sunday. Call the Richmond Obama HQ for more details. You can also find plenty of things to do in the closing days of the campaign at my.BarackObama.com/actioncenter.

Thanks to all the volunteers who participated in the Byrd Park Canvass for Change. Since it began as a weekly event in August, we've knocked on hundreds of doors and covered much of the area. Sorry we're ending, not with a bang, but a whimper, but thanks for your support.

Donations

Ed — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:15:55 EDT

I am retired, living on Social Security and a small pension from the company I worked for for 14 years. I live from paycheck to paycheck. I have donated a total of $125 over a period of the last two-three months, $25 at each time. My last donation was this AM, and it was $25. When I returned home this afternoon, I had received an e-mail offering a trip to Chicago for election night to be in the front row with Barak if I made another donation today. I have already made one early today, prior to receiving the e-mail, and I hope it is counts toward the chance to be offered a trip to Chicago.

I have been working with the local campaign office, have made nearly 600 phone calls, knocked on countless doors, drove many elderly to the polls to early vote and have just about reached my limit on participation. I have offered to continue driving people to the polls, and may get in a hundred or so phone calls before election day. I have given talks to local civic organizations and the senior activities center encouraging people to vote for Obama, stating that we haven't had a candidate as compassionate, qualified and sincere since John F. Kennedy.

I am retired, 72 years old, a lifelong democrat and a disabled veteran of over 18 years of military service, but I am limited in my activities because of my health, but I will continue to work toward Obama's election doing the best I possibly can, up until the polls close on Tuesday evening, just as I did in the 2000 election and the 2004 election.

Day Five: Getting It in Somersett

Tim — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:38:02 EDT

Today was awesome. We called on approximately 90 people. Our contact rate was very high and we had a lot of positive interaction with NV voters.

We were walking the Somersett area which is much more affluent than the Sparks areas. With the exception of three people, everyone I spoke with had already voted (Nevada has early voting through Friday October 31) for Barack Obama and most had also voted for the Democratic candidate Jill Derby for congress. One guy I caught on the way out of the house; he was heading to the early vote location to vote for Obama!

Two interesting interactions that stand out today. Both involved Republicans and both were inspiring...

Baracking the vote one voter at a time...

Amy — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:43:26 EDT

I was so excited to canvass for Barack today--in my neighborhood! Thanks to fellow canvasser Barry, we knocked on over 80 doors and we made a huge difference--I know we did! Most people we talked to either already voted--or were going to vote--for Barack. There were only two people whe weren't very nice, but, what can you do? All in all, we had a great time canvassing together, and it felt good getting out the vote!

Tomorrow, Dan and I are going to the Biden rally in Jupiter. We'll have to get there early, as a lot of people are expected to be there. And Dan, Barry, and I were told that we'll get a good spot behind Joe Biden at the podium. I'm so excited! :)

Fingers crossed these last few days--and hopefully we can win Florida! Yay!

Campaign Phonebanking in the "Real" Virginia

Lisa from Staunton, VA — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:18:08 EDT

Oct.24

(from the Huffington Post)

Nearly five hundred Democrats gathered at Staunton, Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum, Saturday evening for barbeque and speeches by candidates for office and leaders in the Democratic Party, one of the largest such rallies in Virginia ever and a first for the Shenandoah Valley.

The enthusiastic crowd gathered partially to support local candidates Sam Rasoul (Sixth District), who is challenging Bob Goodlatte, a Republican congressman who has remained unchallenged for the past ten years (according to the Rockbridge Weekly, Rasoul is the first Democratic challenger to receive district side support since 1992); and to see rising star and former governor Mark Warner, who this past week was named keynote speaker for the upcoming Democratic Convention. Warner is running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by long-time Senator John Warner (no relation), whom he lost to in 1996. With a bi-partisan agenda and a business background, Mark Warner turned the state around, gaining one of only two A- ratings by the Pew Charitable trust, which helped Warner declare Virginia "the best managed state in the nation."

Warner, however, had to speak to the crowd by cell phone from the University of Virginia Hospital. Warner had been slated to open the Waynesboro, Virginia, Democratic headquarters and then head to the rally, until he fell victim to teenage speed and muscle. Speaking to Saturday night's crowd, Warner said that, at 53, he should know better than "to play basketball with nineteen year olds."

According to Mitch Stewart, Virginia campaign director for Barack Obama for President, the Dems signed up 200,000 new voters from January 1 to July 31 of this year, 65 percent of them 35 years old or younger.

Virginia has shaped up to be a key battleground state this year and for that reason 44 offices have been opened around the state manned by thousands of volunteers. The consensus among party heads is that if Virginia goes for Obama, there is "no way Obama won't be the next president of the United States." If Virginia does go Democratic, it will be the first time in 44 years.

Obama plans a visit to several cities and town around the state this coming week.

Day Three: Sparks Canvassing

Tim — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:22:58 EDT

As you may know my mother and I have taken off the next several days through the election to come to Reno to get out the vote for Barack Obama. I'm writing a blog post when I can to document our travels, trials, and tribulations.

We mixed it up a bit today and met with Riley at the Victorian Station field office in Sparks to get our marching orders. We took four canvassing packets and head out.

We decided to change our operating methodology at the first location and each take an opposite end of the area. Nice strategy but it works better when both people have the map. Normally it's not a problem because the addresses are all on the voter list and you just follow the street signs. Except there were no street signs here. I managed to locate all of the places but I wasn't exactly efficient.

Weekend Politicking

NTodd — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:35:46 EDT

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

Sunday Reno Canvassing

Tim — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:25:13 EDT

Cavassing today in Reno. We went door to door trying to get people (Obama supporters really) to get out and vote early here in Nevada.

They've got a great early vote system here. You can vote in any of the Scolari's grocery stores and a few other locations. Shop and vote in the same trip!

We knocked on 60+ doors between the two of us and made contact with 20 people. With the exception of one random guy everyone we met was really nice and were all planning on voting for Obama or already had. We even got one woman to volunteer for next weekend! By the way, the campaign is still looking for folks to come out next weekend through the election.

One funny story... I was excited to knock on a door with an Obama sign in the window. A very friendly woman answered and I said, "Saw the Obama signs in the window, just here to make sure you're getting out to vote early." She said, "Those are my husbands signs, I'm not supporting Obama." I smiled and said, "OK then, well please tell your husband to get out and vote early! You can vote whenever you get around to it."

We both shared a laugh and she said goodbye with a "Kudos to you for getting out and volunteering. God bless you." Even the McCain supporters aren't too bad here.

Thanks so much to Liz Brown and her husband for hosting the northern Reno GOTV effort from their home. Very well organized and full of spirit! We're going back to meet up with Liz tomorrow for some more canvassing!

Canvassing in the Rain

Aaron — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:18:24 EDT

I helped canvas in PA this Saturday, the last weekend of canvassing. It was quite the adventure. Five of us packed up in compact car to drive out to our turf. By this time it was raining pretty heavily. I set off with two others; not having brought an umbrella or raincoat splitting up was somewhat impractical. We trooped through the rain, flipping through our soggy list. Despite the terrible weather, the experience was still pretty rewarding. Almost all of our contacts were really receptive and positive and pro-Obama. Most volunteered this right off the bat, which made our job easy and brightened the day up a bit. Many people had already been canvassed several times, and we suspect that was due to labor union activity, which for some reason is not coordinated with the main campaign. I didn't see a lot of McCain campaign activity, although at one house I did encounter McCain campaign materials stuffed in a mailbox/slot, which we have been told is illegal (owned by the federal government). That annoyed me somewhat, they should get their act together.

All in all, despite (because of?) the weather, and being dead of exhaustion (this election is wearing on me; I've become addicted to politico.com and CNN) it was a very positive experience; you get to meet some great people, both fellow canvassers and fellow citizens out there. I plan to attend final GOTV events next weekend (and maybe Monday or Tuesday), and then it will finally be over and we'll hopefully see that our hard work has paid off.

Next time however I'll come with a better canvassing/GOTV kit:

* raincoat

* flashlight

* umbrella

* backback or messenger bag of some sort

* pre-determined walk route

* pre-grouped campaign material packets

New Ann Arbor office, and canvass kickoffs with Gov. Granholm

Josh In Michigan — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:34:13 EDT

With only nine days left until the most important election of our lifetimes, the Obama campaign continues to build momentum in Michigan. Today we'll open yet another new office, in Ann Arbor. State Senator Liz Brater will help open the office, which will work with grassroots Ann Arbor Obama supporters to provide opportunities to participate in campaign events, to volunteer, and to serve as a resource for the community.

Also, Governor Granholm will campaign for Barack across West Michigan today, helping to kick off canvasses in Muskegon Heights, Grand Rapids, and Ionia. If you can't make it to Ann Arbor or any of the three West Michigan offices with Governor Granholm, offices across the state will also be hosting canvass kickoffs and phone banks throughout the day. With the Lions blacked out on local television and the election so close, there's never been a better Sunday to get involved in this historic campaign for change.

Click here to find the nearest Campaign for Change office near you!

New Ann Arbor Office
340 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI

Canvass Kickoffs with Governor Granholm
1:00 pm                      Canvass Kickoff
Muskegon Heights Campaign for Change Office
3355 Merriam St.
Muskegon Heights, MI 49444

2:45 pm                    Canvass Kickoff
Grand Rapids Campaign for Change Office
1433 Wealthy St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

5:30 pm                      Canvass Kickoff
Ionia First Christian Church
130 W. Washington St .
Ionia, MI 48846

Canvassing FTW

Brian — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:22:39 EDT

Yesterday i canvassed for Obama, knocking on 35 doors. Even though most people were not home, it was good getting to know those who were.

The pulse of Missouri

midwest mom — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:33:50 EDT

Needing input from KC or St Louis Obama supporters...what is the climate like in those parts of the state? I live in the SW, a very conservative (although I HATE THAT WORD because I can argue that I am more conservative than any of them-if they knew what that word meant!) part of the state. Canvassing is tough in some neighborhoods....what do you see in the more metro areas?

The Campaign Continues

Harold from Oakland, CA — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:28:08 EDT

I've been 'dark' on the blog for a week. No problems, really, just a lot of work, and coming home exhausted each night.

We continue to get new volunteers through our office daily, and I have been orienting new canvassers on a daily basis. Yesterday, a new volunteer arrived from Arizona - here for four days. She is a post-graduate Fullbright Fellow in real-life, and is heading to Paris in December to work for six months. But now, she is walking the neighborhoods for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

I volunteered to organize a watering station for a marathon this Sunday in Las Cruces. We'll be showing the flag for Obama and slaking thirsts at the 5.8 mile mark. Since it is an out-and-back race, runners will come through our station twice. I've got my volunteer staff, and I'm producing special commerative T-Shirts for the effort.

Some of the voters that I encounter are getting cranky. I don't mean the McCain voters, as about half of them have been cranky from the start - I think many of them feel compelled to vote for McCain because they have 'always voted Republican', and they are really are having to hold their nose this time. I have run into some supporters who are cranky because their doorbells keep on ringing, and their phones too! One woman said to me yesterday "I'm for your guy now, but I won't be much longer if you keep bothering me!". Fortunately, many people are voting early, and we stop bugging them if we know that they have already voted.

One delightful encounter the other day involved calling on a house that had two voters listed, a woman named McNeill, and another named McNeilly. As I was gathering up the data from the nice lady named McNeilly, I asked her to help me clear up the name issue, as it seemed that there was an error in the voter registration for one of them. She said "No, the names were correct. Her sister was named McNeill, and she had the same name until she married Mr. McNeilly!" I asked if they had met in school, where people are sometimes seated alphabetically, but she said no, they had met randomly after the school years. Sweet story, except, of course, there is no Mr. McNeilly on the scene any longer.

The really big push starts up tomorrow or today - soon. As hard as it may seem, the effort level is about to crank up as we head into the last week before the election!

Check out our Neighbor to Neighbor tool!

Josh In Michigan — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:10:37 EDT

Can't make it in to your local Campaign for Change office, but still want to volunteer? Working out of a local office is the best way to get involved, but if you can't make it in, you can use our online Neighbor to Neighbor tool to reach out to undecided voters in around the state by phone or in your neighborhood. Using Neighbor to Neighbor, you can print off walk lists, scripts, and maps to go door to door talking to your neighbors about the change Barack would bring - the most effective form of voter contact.

You can also get names and phone numbers of undecided voters around the state, and make calls from your own home. There are scripts available, so whether you have a few hours or a few days, you can help bring the change Michigan needs without even leaving your home!

It's Time to Get Serious!

Carmen — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:53:07 EDT

To all my friends who have been idly sitting by, watching Barack Obama's poll numbers rise, it is time to ask yourself, "What have I been doing for the Campaign for Change lately? Ask yourself, "Am I getting complacent?"

I have not posted on this blog in roughly a month because I have been knocking on doors in Pennsylvania, canvassing voters. I've also been busy entering voter registration and phone call canvassing data to prepare for getting out the vote.

We are now in the GOTV phase, and it's tme to get serious! Please don't be one of the supporters of Senator Obama who wakes up disheartened, dissilusioned and disappointed on Wednesday, November 5th, saying "If only I had done more..." If you can't give the time, give the money. If you can't give the money, give the time to this campaign. The time is NOW.

We need everybody to "Get up offa that thing" and get to work. Even if you can only donate an hour of your time to enter data, to make calls to a battleground state, to canvass in a battleground state, to knock on doors to persuade voters. We are 13 days away from the most important election of our lifetimes. Do something.

A New Day on the horizon

Gayle — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:32:30 EDT

by RONDA ARMSTRONG

One of the greatest annoyances in life has to be receiving an intrusive, late afternoon/ early evening phone call from a telemarketer during the “sacred hours”. You’re having dinner, going over homework with the children, or engaged in much too rare, highly cherished family time.
Like bloodsucking leeches electronically dispatched from some paranormal command center, they impose on, and contaminate our precious time. They try to disguise the all too obvious desperation in their voices with excessively friendly, hair raising, condescending patois, while attempting to hustle off frivolous goods and services. Have they no shame?
Last Thursday evening I was one of those callers. But I wasn’t soliciting their time to sell them some Disney vacation package, satellite dish, home security system, or cemetery plot. I was trying to sell the idea of change and reform. I was pushing the idea of hope for a better America for our children. I was peddling principles and values that I believe in. Among them: transition assistance for workers vulnerable to dislocation and job loss, tax relief for the middle class instead of the wealthy, high quality after school programs, the promotion of responsible fatherhood, a credit card bill of rights to stop credit card companies from exploiting consumers with unfair practices, strengthening care options for senior citizens, improving our schools and making college more affordable, supporting a womans right to choose, better healthcare, education and housing, and the resurgance of a defunct economy. And, oh yeah, I was hoping that someone would buy into the idea that the time has come for thousands of fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, mothers, wives, sisters ,and daughters who were shipped off to fight a senseless war, to come home.
Last Thursday I was a phone bank volunteer at the Barack Obama headquarters in Solon.

I nervously approached this endeavor expecting it not to be easy, and boy was I right. One woman snapped, ”I’m in the middle of having dinner with my family and you call me with this crap”? ( ouch)
Another woman: I’m putting my children to bed, I don’t have time for this.
A man with a voice that could turn steel to stardust told me,” Don’t ever call my house again”
Of course not all the calls went that way. I talked to people who graciously took my call, and shared their feelings of woe and disenfranchisement and who despite it all, expressed how much they loved and believed in the potential of this great country. They shared my optimistic outlook and enthusiastically embraced Obama and his mission of change. They encouraged me to keep up the good work and praised my effort.
Still, dealing with the cold rejection, naysayers, hang ups and harsh remarks of some made me want to throw in the towel and call it a night. I took the rejection personally and it hurt. They live in the same America I do, so how can they stand things the way they are?
At one point I looked over at my daughter Britt, who was seated next to me. She was so eloquent and poised in her scripted delivery, and despite the occasional setback, she pressed on, undeterred, and at one point, even shocked me with the words, “ I could do this all night long“.
It was from her, that I found the inspiration to continue on.
The next day, at Hopkins airport I met a man from Philadelphia. He had been traveling around the country campaigning for Barack Obama. I shared with him my experience.and he smiled at me sympathetically as he told me that he had been canvassing neighborhoods, going door to door. “ Try getting doors slammed in your face“.
Isn’t this what true crusaders for change, particularly a movement of this magnitude subject themselves to? Aren’t real advocates fearless and vigilante? Don’t they move unflinchingly among opposition and into potentially hostile territory? People who take social action seriously, particularly those of some of our histories most memorable movements, were bold and deliberate. In order to push for the change they so desperately believed in, with a burning passion and unwavering committent, they did whatever it took- protested, marched, picketed , arranged sit ins, boycotts and sometimes, even rioted. Every day they faced the possibility of imprisonment, bombings, dog attacks, public hosing and humiliation, and even death. But they did it because change meant just that much to them. They knew the change they wanted to see in the world started with them.
This campaign hastens to an end - there are literally, days left, and still work to do. Those of us who stand harmonious in this crusade -a quest for a new America- new leadership, the restoration of hope, vibrancy, and integrity must do our part to see that it comes to pass. May we, in the spirit of the great advocates and crusaders of past movements, don ourselves with the full armor of the Obama mission and march boldly, onto the battlefield: knocking on doors, making calls, texting, e-mailing,and rallying our way, undeterred, as we press onward to victory.

The Busy Campaign for Change Office

weebug — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:27:11 EDT

I stopped in to the downtown Suffolk Campaign for Change office today to drop off some odds and ends as I was on my way to the DMV to correct my address on my drivers license, it needed to be straightened out before election day. Anyway, I met Darla! Hi Darla!!! There she was, busy as a bee in the offices. The office was very full of activities, new posters, big photos, food and a great big monitor counting down the minutes until the election. It was very encouraging, especially after the low turn out we had over the week-end for canvassers.

There is a little store in the little "mall" where our office is. I've been buying Obama buttons there but end up giving them away while canvassing. I am down to my last one so I stopped in the store to buy some more and he was out of them! He had several other designs but I didn't like them nearly as much. I bought one but will hold out for the promised arrival of more of the kind he had before. He (I should learn his name) also sells Obama tee-shirts and hats. I ought to buy a hat, I like hats, but I make my own tee-shirts by printing my own designs on iron on transfers paper then I iron them on to plain tee-shirts. I also make refrigerator magnets that parody the the 'Virginia is for Lovers' logo. It has Virginia is for Obama instead.

Also, over the week-end I made a mini-poster in response to Obama's joke about "Contrary to popular belief, I was not born in a manger.....I was instead born on Krypton..."

Of course I also printed each of those designs on tee-shirts.

I wish I had a button maker!

Bus for Change: Canvass Concord, NH

Nicole LaChapelle — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:14:06 EDT

Bus for Change - Canvass in Concord, NH

Join us on the BUS FOR CHANGE! Registrars of Probate Dave Sullivan and John Merrigan with WMASS for Obama '08 are sponsoring a 54 person bus to canvass in Concord, NH on Sunday, October 26th. Bus stops are:
Sheldon Field, Old Ferry Road, Northampton, MA at 9 AM; with people meeting at 8:45 AM
Eric Carle Museum, 125 W Bay Road, Amherst, MA at 9:15 AM; with people meeting at 9:00 AM
Robsham Visitor Center, 300 Massachusetts Ave, Amherst, MA at 9:30 AM; with people meeting at 9:15 AM
On Route 202, Orange, MA, (exact location to be announced) at 10 AM; with people meeting at 9:45 AM
Bagels, coffee and water are being provided for the ride. Canvassers should bring their own lunch. The bus will be leaving Concord at 4:30 PM, arriving back in WMASS between 6:45 PM to 7:30 PM depending on your bus stop.

To reserve your seat on the Concord Bus for Change, please email Nicole LaChapelle at nicollemarie@gmail.com.

Please note: carpools from Northampton and Greenfield to the general Keene area will continue in addition to this bus trip.

71-Year-Old Republican flips for Barack

Zack Soderberg — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:18:51 EDT

On my first canvassing round of the day, I got careless and knocked on the door of a 71-year-old Republican whose ID was 5. I didn't notice the 5 until I had already knocked. Maybe he won't answer, I thought.

If you have done any canvassing you know that a 71-year-old Republican can be a ferocious grouch. After a (very) brief wait, I started to leave. Busted! He came to the door. He looked sort of friendly, so I went into my usual routine.

Ground Game: A Personal Story

davidconnell — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:17:58 EDT

My parents are in their mid-60s, recently retired and living in a small, conservative rust-belt Pennsylvania town. They twice voted for George Bush, Sr., despised Bill Clinton and couldn't stomach a vote for Al Gore -- casting a protest vote for Ralph Nadar instead. (A vote, they regret to this day.)

My father served two tours in Vietnam as a United States Marine, earning Captain's bars and a case of malaria for his trouble. He proudly wears an Eagle, Globe and Anchor on his suit jacket but eschews the false patriotism of the flag lapel pin.

They raised four children, found a way to send them all to the college of their choice and ran their own business for over a decade.

My parents have always had a keen interest in politics, but to my knowledge they have never been directly involved in a political campaign -- until last week.

Last week, my mother, at the age of 67, canvassed for Barack Obama. She did this in a part of the state where, frankly, he doesn't stand a chance of winning. She and two other women knocked on doors of Republicans, Independents and Democrats. They had doors slammed in their face. They were chased by dogs. They spoke to voters who were either for the McCain-Palin ticket or undecided. They handed our their literature and tallied their GOTV sheets dutifully.

I'd love to say this is one of those inspiring Obama canvassing stories where they turned out more voters than they expected, changed some minds or met some inspiring or surprising supporters. The fact is, most of the folks they met were either indifferent or downright hostile to their message. But despite this -- despite the truly discouraging results -- my mother is heading out their again on Tuesday and she's bringing my father, a man with two synthetic knees, with her.

They are going door-to-door for Senator Obama in a place where the struggle for votes is monumental. They are retirees in not-so-great health who could be doing just about anything they want with their time and what they have chosen to do is walk the streets at dusk during a cold Pennsylvania October for Barack Obama.

I asked my mother tonight why she is doing this. Her answer was simple: "I believe in his campaign. I just pray he can win."

With folks like my parents out there, the Obama ground game is secure -- and unbeatable.

If You Can't Join Them, Beat Them: Be Involved in NH From Home

Anne Marie @ NH HQ — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:24:22 EDT

Do you want to be involved in a battleground but don't have the time to drive for change or go into your local office? You can still make a direct impact in New Hampshire, a critical battleground state, by using Neighbor to Neighbor to make calls or get canvass lists right from your home computer.

Our Neighbor to Neighbor tool makes it easy to get in touch with voters in your community. Recently, Jill Biden visited our office in Chicago and used Neighbor to Neighbor to contact voters in a battleground state near her. Check out this short video of her experience:

We need your support now, and Neighbor to Neighbor helps you be involved no matter where you live, on whatever schedule that is convenient for you.

You can make a huge impact in this election. If you can make calls anytime between now and Election Day, sign up now and make a commitment to battle for every vote with us.

Canvassing in Elkhart--- My first campaign.

Matt Heckler — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:53:35 EDT

I recieved a call earlier in the week asking if I would be willing to volunteer to help out the Obama campaign, after having signed up early in the primary season to do so. I was excited to finally get the call, and signed up to go today, Saturday the 18th. We met in the parking lot of All Nations Church in Homewood, IL, and carpooled our way to the Northern Indiana town of Elkhart, where Obama has made several appearances himself. I went with a few very nice people, Jerry, Mary Ellen, Henry, and an aspiring politician and my canvassing partner Mutee.

The entire experience was exciting, I enjoyed every minute of it. Though I was exhausted by the end of it from the walking of several miles in my not-so-perfect shape, it was my first campaigning experience and really got me in the sort of mood to do it much more. It's something I'm looking forward to doing a lot more of, as it really made me feel like I made a difference. Politics and activism are my passions, and this is as good as it gets. The people in Elkhart are very nice at the headquarters as well as the locals, and I feel like we really reached some people. It's funny, I'm an Illinois native but I feel like now I'm invested in Indiana potentially going for Obama. Here's to hoping!

The REAL Reason Why I Canvass for Barack Every Week-End

weebug — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 22:05:32 EDT

I started volunteering for the Suffolk Campaign for Change office for two reasons, because I sooooo believe that Barack Obama is the best choice for our next President and because I was looking for a way to meet people in Suffolk. We moved to Suffolk only about a year ago and since I work from home I don't get much opportunity to meet people. When an Obama canvasser knocked on my door about a month ago and asked me (among other things) if I would like to volunteer I thought, "Heck yeah! I can maybe make a friend or two AND spend some time doing something other than staring at my monitor all day, something that makes a difference in our weary world"!

I was a professional canvasser years ago for Clean Water Action Project and I loved it. I became a field manager within the first year and never lost my enthusiasm for the grass-roots system of trying to make our planet, our country and our communties a better place. "Think Globally, Act Locally" was our motto. I believed that then and I believe it now. Barack and Michelle Obama have reignited that part of my spirit that had slowly dipped into dormancy over the last decade or so, and I am grateful to have found that place in my soul again.

After a month of canvassing for Presidential Hopeful Obama, I've come to think that if everyone spent just a few hours a week volunteering for something they believe in, something they feel will better their community and the lives of others around them, whether it be politics, a free clinic, the arts, their children's PTA, public radio, an animal shelter or an environmental advocacy group, our world will be a much happier, considerate and content place for all. Is that socialist thinking? Some people may think so, but I think it is just being neighborly in a global community. I think it is just being a responsible and caring citizen.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Obama for helping me find that part of my spirit again!

Oh, and yes, I think I am finally starting to make some new friends!

Rene.

Barack on health care, and events in your community

Josh In Michigan — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:43:29 EDT

Help make real the health care change an Obama-Biden administration would bring by visiting your local Campaign for Change office this weekend and talking to folks in your community!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

1:00 pm - Detroit Campaign for Change Headquarters
2875 W. Grand Blvd.
Detroit, MI

1:00 pm - Marquette Campaign for Change Office
121 Washington Street
Marquette, MI

1:00 pm - Traverse City Campaign for Change Office
1105 E. 8th Street
Traverse City, MI

1:00 pm - Flint Campaign for Change Office
877 E. 5th Ave
Flint, MI

1:00 pm - Jackson Campaign for Change Office
634 N Mechanic St.
Jackson, MI

1:00 pm - Lansing Campaign for Change Office
505 N Capitol Ave
Lansing, MI

1:00 pm - Grand Rapids Campaign for Change Office
1433 Wealthy St
Grand Rapids, MI

1:00 pm - Kalamazoo Campaign for Change Office
617 W Portage St.
Kalamazoo, MI

Canvassing tomorrow

Timothy O'Neill — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:03:21 EDT

Tomorrow will be my second day canvassing during the general election campaign. I did do a bit of canvassing in Baltimore before the primary, but that was pretty friendly territory. I first canvassed for the general election last Saturday in Norristown, PA, a Philadelphia suburb. It was exciting seeing how much support Obama has in these white neighborhoods that most years are flooded mainly with signs for the republican candidate. The volunteers I canvassed with were amazing people, and I enjoyed the whole thing immensely.

Also, on Wednesday night I ordered some "dope gear" from the Obama store - about 50 buttons, a yard sign, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Can't wait to get it!! Hope it comes before election day...

No time

Porter Mason — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:55:46 EDT

I have to go to sleep, but just out of curiosity:

If you support Barack Obama, and you're not doing everything you can right now to help elect Barack Obama... why is that?

Yard signs are fine. Buttons and stickers are fine. Blog posts are fine.

But canvassing... that's the stuff that actually gets votes. Canvass.

Does it scare you to talk to strangers? Fair enough.

Isn't four more years of Bush policies a little scarier though?

Only 19 days left

JD from Seal Beach, CA — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:08:52 EDT

This expressed my feelings so well I chose to put it on my blog so I can share it with others. This came off the Westside Grassroots for Obama and written by Mike Bonin. It is something that I have thought this whole campaign but couldn't find the right words. Thanks, Mike

Dear Friends, Four years ago, I slept in. I rooted for Kerry and I voted for him, but I did not lift a finger to help. I did not dial a phone, knock on a door, or donate a dollar. Not this time. With the economy in the toilet, with our troops at risk in foreign wars, and with our constitution in shreds, there is too much at stake. In this election, I have chosen to be active with the activists. I have taken time off from my job to volunteer full-time. I am doing everything I can to help elect Barack Obama. Will you please join me? Can you please help? There are plenty of opportunities to get involved. No effort is too small:

Canvassing Tips

Zack Soderberg — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:40:05 EDT

After the knock/ring, take a step back from the door. Turn slightly so you are not facing the door. The voter needs a chance to check you out. Standing at an angle is less threatening. Try to smile. I know it's tough for introverts. There are times that we must act against our inclinations.

I don't use sun glasses when canvassing. Eye contact is all important.

Even More Canvassing - ¡Si se puede!

Harold from Oakland, CA — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:39:39 EDT

This is the time of the campaign where we try and visit each voter face to face if possible. We often return to the same neighborhoods where we have been before to pick up stragglers.

Today, one outting was to a mostly Hispanic neighborhood, and I was glad to be going with Belinda, who is fluent in Spanish, and as energetic as all get out. She was great, and probably turned out more votes today than I have my whole time here.

That didn't stop me from having a wonderful encounter.

One of my houses listed four residents of the same name, and soon after I rand the bell, a very sweet, mid 70s grandma came to the door. "Buenos dias!" she said. "Oh, oh!" I thought.

"¡No habla Espanol" I offered.

"¡No habla Ingles!" she replied. I wished for Mrs. Arbuckle, my second grade Spanish teacher. Let's see, what was that phrase?

"¡Me yamo Harold Spencer!" That was it, I was done. I pointed to my great picure button of Barack Obama posed with his chin in his hand, like Jack Benny. "¿Obama?" I inquired.

"¡Si, Obama!" She smiled. I smiled more!! I could have kissed her. I guessed at her name and she confirmed it. I started down the list of names on my sheet.

"¿Arturo?" I offered.

"¡Si, Obama!"

"¿Manuela?"

"¡Si, Obama!"

"¿Luis?"

"¡Si, Obama!"

At this point I was done. but I gave her some literature. I Hope Luis or Manuela "habla Ingles"!

It would have been a good time for a couple of choruses of "¡Si se puede!", but I forgot, and "¡Muy bien" and "¡Muchas gracias!" would have to do.

A Sense of History

Jonna — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:55:59 EDT

I was very touched, today, reading Markos' suggestion on "Daily Kos" that we all take a moment to think about what we are about to experience. Given his two books on how to foster a populist movement, and the role of the netroots in its creation, Kos is the perfect spokeman to remind us to step back and appreciate what is about to happen.

Those of us who have been actively crusading in Obama's organization, footsoldiers in that plebian army, we know what is coming. Conservative pundits are beginning to feel the blast of solar energy from what they have too often derided as insignificant, "a few kids organizing other kids." We know better. We know that this is a movement from the bottom up that has energized and mobilized a populace like nothing before.

It's Crunch Time

Gayle — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:57:29 EDT

Friends,

Stand up, step forward and commit to doing everything you can to elect Barack Obama President of the United States. During the next three weeks make one extra phone call, knock on one more door, urge one more person to vote early or recruit one more volunteer. You make the difference.

Reflections on Canvassing

Xavier Lopez-Ayala — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:50:18 EDT

Last week, we posted a video of two friends, Anya & Emily, canvassing in Minneapolis.

Both Anya and Emily have made a personal commitment to volunteer for at least three hours each week to make sure Barack wins Minnesota on November 4th.

Watch the video of the drive back from the canvass, as Emily and Anya share their experiences with each other:

When you get out and talk to voters about Barack, you feel like you're making a difference, because...you are!

Check out Neighbor to Neighbor right now and see how easy it is to print up a list of people to canvass right in your own neighborhood.

This post-debate weekend is the perfect weekend to get out there and talk to your neighbors about the real differences between Barack Obama and John McCain. Getting a real live visit from a real live supporter makes a difference at this crucial time when voters are making up their minds.

And it's also a great time to get your kids involved!

Anya said it best: it's inspiring just to hear how excited other people are about Barack Obama.

More Canvassing

Harold from Oakland, CA — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:01:58 EDT

I got a new canvassing partner yesterday, a woman named Belinda. What is so neat about this volunteer is that she is taking half of her annual vacation to come to Las Cruces to help out. That is real dedication! She's a real cracker jack, and about the only Obama supporter in her South Texas town. And she speaks Spanish!

We're finding our way through the suburbs of Las Cruces, and turning up many Obama supporters. Yesterday, I encountered a man who thanked me profusely for the work we are doing. He was hopeful for a win, but expressed such deep feeling about the wrong path that this country has been traveling.

Last night, at a volunteer meeting, I sat next to a woman who said she was willing to do just about any job but she couldn't do canvassing. As we were wrapping up, I spoke to her in surprising passion about the need for the canvassing, and the profound connections that you can make with complete strangers, and the wonderful stories that they share with you. I related the story of the African-American woman who had taken her mother to a private Obama event last Memorial Day, hoping only to see Obama's motorcade. They were approached by an event organizer and given two tickets of some no-shows, and they ended up meeting Obama on the rope line. It was a transformational meeting for them, and I have trouble telling the story without getting a little emotional myself.

Of course, if they have not done canvassing, most people seem to resist it. We don't want to intrude on people; we fear that they will be angry (some are), or that we will be placed in a difficult position trying to persuade someone. This is all true, of course, but once you have done it a few times, and spoken to supporters AND rational opponents, it becomes a very rewarding experience.

I offered to accompany this woman on her first canvass this weekend, and I think she may do it.

My personal highlight of the day was talking to a young man, who had been playing with several of his young sons in his backyard. He said, "You know, I am not going to vote - I haven't been paying attention and I don't know who to vote for." I sympathized with him, as I could see he had his hands full with his sons, but I told him how important it was for his sons that the country head in a saner direction. I urged him to watch this Wednesday's debate, and I gave him my one-and-only Obama policy guide for families. I think he may vote after all, and that would be great.

Campaigning in PA

Binrondav — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:24:56 EDT

My son and I spent last Sunday going door-to-door in Hazleton, PA. I was born there, and my parents grew up in the area. I spent a good portion of my childhood in this ruggedly rural and industrial spate of coal mining and steel mill towns. Long ago, however, I discovered college (Wesleyan University), New York City and a dream of my own that was far broader than than the expanse of slag heaps that once lined the perimeter of my horizon. Although I have come home many times over the years, this time I came with a purpose. I came to talk with my relatives and their neighbors about voting for Joe Biden and Barack Obama. I brought my eleven year old son with me to make the circle complete - bringing the voice of the future into dialogue with voices of the past.

We were assigned a route that included the home of my maternal grandmother and uncle. The first door we knocked upon opened to a women who knew my great-uncle. She was trying to sell her home because she couldn't afford the mortgage. She worked two jobs but couldn't afford health care. She was worried and scared,and very alone, as her husband died some years ago. We met an elderly lady who was lonely, and scared but thrilled to have company. She would need someone to take her to the polls, she said. She once bought a used car from my grandfather. One man said that he hated politicians, was disappointed by all of them and would never register to vote, but then he did register because all he needed was to be heard and supported. Another man said he was always right wing, is right wing and will always be right wing and wished us better luck elsewhere. A young Latino man lost his job in NJ and had to relocate to PA for work. Recently he discovered NPR and Amy Goodman, and made the determination that he wasn't going to sit this election out. He was proud to show us his new rented home, meticulously decorated in warm vibrant colors that offset the grey exterior of the two family homes lining the dark streets. He introduced us to his wife, kids and mother who flashed shy but welcoming smiles. We met a woman who was registered but angry because her hours were cut back and she couldn't afford her mortgage or health care even with three jobs. But, she noted, she was registered. We met a Republican schoolteacher who decided to vote Obama because she witnessed the crisis of education firsthand as one student after another was denied the ability to even dream of college. She too had lost most of her resources.

When we knocked on my Grandmother's door, she was thrilled that her grandchild and great grandchild were volunteering for the Obama Campaign, even though she had planned to vote for McCain. By the end of lunch we had convinced her to do otherwise simply because we gave her permission to trust something new and different. My uncle, a Vietnam vet, couldn't be swayed. He has never forgotten, and still lives in that pain, and has to vote for McCain because McCain is a vote for a war that still rages in his mind.

At the end of our route my paternal grandmother and her sister came in from McAdoo joined us for coffee, tea and snacks at the Obama headquarters in Hazleton, PA. They have always been Democrats but, wary of difference, were not going to support an Obama ticket. My grandmother, hunched over from osteoarthritis, and her sister, mostly blind, came alive as soon as they sat down at the old wooden table where I completed my canvassing report. It reminded them of the old days when they had organized on behalf of having unions in the mines. That was the legacy of these tired, elderly but still hard-working folks - a proud legacy. They chatted on and on with Lindsay, one of the Obama interns. I could tell then that Obama-Biden was their ticket. Biden, after all, was from Scranton, "one of our own."

Door after door we encountered one story more sad than the other. I felt as guilty as I always have about leaving this home behind. My parents took a leap and didn't quite make it to the other side, but by even trying for a better and more enlarged life they gave me something to work toward. Look at me now . . . a New Yorker, from the Upper West Side. A professional with a family. My son and I knocked on almost forty doors and spoke with about twenty something people. We registered seven new Obama voters and discovered about fifteen new Obama supporters. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to keep taking take care of these people, this part of me.

I guess that is the value of participation, dialogue and knocking on any neighbor's door. We suddenly discover ourselves in the other. We are a part of each other. An election then is no longer about me. It is about us. We are so much stronger when we can all grow together.

Sunday Canvassing

Harold from Oakland, CA — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:01:16 EDT

It was a great weekend of canvassing. There must have been 50 or more canvassing volunteers in the office Saturday morning, and a large number Sunday as well. For many of them, it was their first volunteering of the campaign. Others were old veterans.

My own canvassing was great. I went out Saturday morning with Hill Kemp. We've worked out a good routine, and get our areas canvassed efficiently. I had a second outing on my own, and went to an area about five miles out of town, where large (1 acre+) parcels had been carved out of a large farm. Even though the residents were fairly well off, there was a good supply of Obama supporters. It was often the case that one little cul-de-sac would be almost all McCain, and the next one predominantly Obama.

I ran into a few households where the husband was a McCain supporter, and the wife claimed to be 'undecided'. All politics is very local here. I hope many of them will vote for Obama when they get into that voting booth.

Sunday, I split 3 packets, and worked more in the same area as Saturday. One area was probably majority McCain, but we tried to have good conversations with the McCain supporters. One house in particular was covered with flags and had a sign in the window announcing that their son was in the Army. I feared that my inquiring in this house would likely turn up no new Obama voters, but I went up anyway, and had a nice, respectful, conversation of a mother of a 20 year old soldier in the middle of his first deployment. As I suspected, she was backing McCain, but I asked her about her son, and told her that we all were praying for her son's safe return.

I wonder if the McCain canvassers have respectful conversations with the Obama supporters that they meet? I feel that being respectful now is the prelude to being able to have some of these conversations after the election, when we all need to be able to work together. We have some enormous problems to solve.

My final outing of the weekend was with Hill Kemp again. Sadly, for me, he is heading home Monday morning, but I suspect that his wife will be glad to have him home. We had an amazing outing, and spoke to a huge number of supporters.

Amarillo4Obama mtg Monday, 10/13 @ 6 p.m. (at regular location)

Lisa Caid — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:48:17 EDT

The Amarillo4Obama Grassroots organization will be holding our weekly meeting Monday, October 13, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at our regular location.

Purpose: to discuss our progress and plan for upcoming events (phone banking, canvassing, park rally).

If anyone has any other ideas that they'd like to share with everyone, please email us ASAP so that we can include your ideas on the agenda!

Amarillo4Obama Grassroots Office address is:
6141 Amarillo Boulevard West
Phone number is 331 - 6299

The office is just southwest of the Veterans Hospital a few blocks and across the street from the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center. There is a large red, black, and white for sale sign on the street, and some Obama signs too!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=6141+amarillo+blvd+w+amarillo+tx+&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.020054,78.75&ie=UTF8&ll=35.200841,-101.907152&spn=0.006619,0.009613&t=h&z=17

Thanks for all your support,

Tony & Jane Raphael
373 - 7884
Amarillo4Obama Grassroots Office
Obama/Biden '08

Barack Knocks for Barack in Toledo!

Michael in Ohio — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:56:19 EDT

As any volunteer knows, the Campaign for Change in Ohio holds canvassing sessions every weekend, where supporters go door-to-door to talk to voters about why Barack Obama is their choice for President. This, along with phone calls to voters, is the meat-and-potatoes of the voter outreach field effort, and such neighbor-to-neighbor interaction has been proven to have more of an effect than any other sort of less direct contact. These door-to-door outings are often called "Weekly Walks," or "Knock for Barack." Sometimes canvassing can be tiring and frustrating, but it is the most important thing anyone can do.

But today in Toledo, proving that no one is above anyone in this movement, Barack himself knocked for Barack. Just like any other volunteer, he went door-to-door to bring his platform of change to the people in Lucas County. He carried a walk list, and marked voters on a scale from 1 to 5 depending on their level of support.

He listened to their concerns and spoke to the solutions he would propose as President. Conversations involved the auto industry, the credit crisis, health care, and other day-to-day things on the minds of the people of Toledo.

Barack has clearly developed an affinity for the Buckeye State. He made five stops on Thursday and Friday (Dayton, Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Chillicothe, and Columbus), and is staying in the Toledo area from now until Wednesday to prepare for the debate that night.

But between the cheering rallies and the strategy sessions, there may be nothing Barack does during his stay in Ohio that better sums up the meaning of the grass roots organization that this movement has built than knocking doors in Toledo. It's proof that change comes from the bottom up... and then to the bottom again.

Be a part of that change. Knock doors like Barack.

Snappy Canvassing Answers

Sam Reichgott — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:21:59 EDT

Remember Mad Magazine's Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions?

Well, knocking on doors you have a real opportunity to think on your feet, so I figure you have come up with some good ones.

I'll give you one to start it off, then you add yours in the comments area, ok? Here's mine.

I give my standard "Hi, I'm your neighbor...blah, blah..., have you decided who you're voting for on November 4th?"

She says "Yes...."

I say (smiling) "Is that something you can share with me?"

She says "I shouldn't."

Snappy reply: "It's not like it's a birthday wish!"

Canvassing

sarobinson — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:04:04 EDT

Up until now, I've supported the campaign by donating money. I maxed out for the primary and have put a dent into the general. While money is important to a campaign I also decided to donate my time. Yesterday, I canvassed a community in Fairfax VA together with a young man I met for the first time in the DNC parking lot. The canvassing left me hopeful for an Obama win but equally important it restored my faith in my fellow citizens. People were mostly nice and polite. Even if they were with the other candidate, they were not disrespectful. All in all it was a great experience and I'm signed up to GOTV.

Also, a special "shout out" to my fellow canvassers from DC. and especially David. I couldn't have had a better partner in canvassing and I think we made a great team. Hope you made it to NY okay.

Reflections on Canvassing Experience

Cherri — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:04:04 EDT

Yesterday I was able to travel to Ft. Wayne Indiana to canvass for Senator Obama - finally! I wish I had started doing this sooner - it was an amazing experience, the people I rode with from the south burbs of chicago were friendly and smart and it didn't feel like nearly as much work as my tired body is telling me it was today.

I have never gotten involved in any political campaign to this degree before. I have never had as much at stake personally and I have never had the respect for and faith in a candidate to make change that Sen. Obama has given me. There is something at work in the universe, an energy that comes from being around people who join together to support this campaign that you can just feel. I am a friendly and outgoing person but when it came time to knock on the first door I was so shy... it faded fast and by the end of the day I found myself wishing I had more energy and more daylight.

There were so many people who had misinformation that we were able to correct, one person at a time, but some stood out to me:

The young father who identified himself as a right-of-center moderate who didn't care for McCain but wasn't sure about Obama: He had not had the time to watch the debates. His biggest concerns were the economy and foreign relations/national security. He agreed that we needed diplomacy but was afraid that military force wouldn't be used even if necessary. The misinformation out there is insane. I was able to share Sen. Obama's statements about taking out Bin Laden in Pakistan if necessary and told him where he could find the videos of the debate to see for himself. He had NO idea that Sen Obama was so resolved. I was able to provide him with literature about Sen. Obama's economic plans and direct him to the detailed information available online. I walked away from his porch with such a sense of pride in what I was doing and what this campaign stands for that it gave me even more energy even though I was tired.

The mother who was a big Obama supporter but thought that because she was visually impaired she could not help the campaign: She now says she plans to call her local campaign office so she can make calls for Sen. Obama. The smile on her face when I said that her help was both needed and would be valued made my heart get tight in my chest.

The young mother who said she wished she could help but had to be home to care for her baby: When I told her about barackobama.com and that she could make calls with one hand and hold her baby in her other arm she got very excited and now plans to make calls from home.

The gentleman in his 50's who said he supported Sen. Obama but thought he couldn't vote because he had been convicted of a felony 12 years ago: He didn't know that his right to vote had been restored by recent legislation.

I am going to try to get out and knock more doors before the election, but I realize now why canvassing is the best way to gain support for Sen. Obama - talking directly to people, smiling at their babies, addressing their misinformation, and showing them that disabilities are not an obstacle to making a difference. It resonates with me in a way it didn't before. There is no doubt in my mind now -- Yes We Can... and YES WE WILL.

Saturday Campaignblogging

NTodd — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:56:23 EDT

Yesterday was a perfect introduction to grassroots campaign work. Great autumn weather, a good canvassing partner, and an excellent overview of the tools we use to coordinate voter contact. I learned lots of new terminology like "cut turf" and "voter universe" and other fun things.

The Littleton location is a "coordinated campaign" office and today I worked primarily with the Field Organizer for Jean Shaheen's Senatorial bid. Ostensibly Jim's responsible for activities in that area to get her elected, but since we're trying to take advantage of Obama's potential coattails the canvassing work really ties the two candidates together along with the local Congressional incumbent, Paul Hodes. The Obama FO is now pretty much focusing effort elsewhere in his region and wasn't there today, so Jim and I are trying to figure out my exact role at this office. Hey, there's 22 days left to do that!

Mostly the day was dedicated to canvassing. We had a few folks out there, including a couple of Vermonters walking in Whitefield whose canvass packets we picked up at the posh Mountain View Grand Resort (just happened to be a convenient meeting point). Jim and I went out together, taking areas that were less-convenient and less-walkable, leaving the volunteers with better sections (you do whatever you can to accomodate the most important people in the campaign).

As we set out we guessed it was so nice that many people would be out and about, but we did get some good contacts. No doors slammed in our faces, though there was one older gent who told us he was sick of the visitors and all the TV ads, and adamantly averred that "it was his vote and he had no reservations about it." We marked him down as "refused (to indicate preference)." Oh, then there was the lady who opened her door 45 degrees, pushed it to about 20 degrees when we said we were canvassing for Obama/Shaheen, then when we asked if she'd made up her mind about the election yet, said, "NO!" and closed it forcefully (but not slammingily). And these are the "persuadables"!

Lots of other nice people chatted with us for several minutes. A guy on a tractor who is voting for McCain (doesn't like Obama because of gun control, though we tried to disabuse him of his notions) and Democratic downticket (and he indicated his wife was, too, after she waved and escaped back into the house). His dog Buddy followed us for a half mile down the road, before he started getting his ass kicked by a little Scottie and a Dachsund. Their humans said they'd get him back up the hill.

A woman and her mother who were "just on the way out" but spoke about Obama sounding to much like MLK, McCain being too old, votes don't matter, the bailout, and heating fuel costs (I comiserated)--I bumped into the older lady and her grandson at a convenience store later and joked we were following her until she voted for Obama, and she laughed (she sounded receptive previously). The dude who decided to vote for Obama weeks ago, but is undecided on the Senate race even though he knows John Sununu. Another older man who's not registered which his wife brought up, observing that the first step to change our direction is to do so--everytime he said Obama didn't have enough experience, this "undecided" lady admonished him that Barack has plenty of experience and smarts, and would surround himself with good people.

And a few others. All told, we only got a couple dozen doors knocked given the spread out, rural nature of our turf, but that's 2 more votes according to the usual estimates, no matter what the outcome of the individual contacts was.

Back at the office I met Martha McLeod, current NH House member now running for State Senate. Nice lady who apparently takes controversial stands that makes people either love her or hate her. A Democrat with spine.

So my ankle's sore, my throat hurts (recovering from the flu and a and I'm wicked tired, and it was a wonderful day. I wasn't originally supposed to be starting this weekend, but I was chomping at the bit to get into the field and I'm so glad I did. Now I'm looking forward to more--a bit of baptism by fire is good for the soul.

ntodd

Canvassing: Great Fun, Great Exercise

Sam Reichgott — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:13:35 EDT

I have been out rapping on and rapping at doors for Senator Obama these past couple of weekends, and it's been great.

No, not everyone I meet is a supporter, and not everyone is welcoming. The percentages are about what you would expect in each case. Most people are very pleasant, and it's great to talk with people on both sides and find out what's important to them. For the most part I'm getting a really good response, lots of support for Senator Obama, and I find a couple more people willing to volunteer each time I go out.

One good one from last week.... Husband comes to the door and says "I'm voting for McCain, but I think my wife may be considering Obama." Wife comes to the door, and we all talk for a few minutes, me, my wife Marcy, and Mr. and Mrs. Voter. He brought up some of the easy-to-dispell right wing radio junk, and Marcy and I dispelled it. By the time we left she was still "leaning Obama" and he had moved from "strong McCain" to "undecided." So there's still hope for their marriage!

After today's walk I came home, had dinner, and sat down to watch the Penn State game. I guess I had a good day, because I fell asleep at halftime, didn't wake up until I heard the re-run of Saturday Night Live. So naturally, I'm up late blogging about it.

Keep on walkin' and callin' and maybe we'll all get our Gs back, dog gonnit!

In Virginia, Obama Battles Block by Block

Dave — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:46:30 EDT

Canavas Techniques Explained

NY Times: In Virginia, Obama Battles Block by Block

October 11, 2008

Quotes from the article:

“When we identify sporadic voters, we want to go back to their house until they can’t stand us anymore,” said Mr. McGowan, 23, who oversees the Obama operation in Fairfax County, which is Virginia’s largest. With a smile, he added, “As long as we’re kind and respectful.”

One piece of this effort can be found in a former beauty school here along South Washington Street in the suburbs of the nation’s capital. No cable television is blaring. Mr. McGowan and his team need to know only one piece of strategy: If Mr. Obama wins Virginia, a Democratic feat not achieved in 44 years, he may well win the White House.

“We’re going to have to make sure they (newly registered voters) turn out, or we probably won’t win,” said Steve Hildebrand, a deputy campaign manager for Mr. Obama. “They’ll get extra waves of mail. They’ll get extra phone calls. They will be given a lot of love.”

Ground game strategies on both sides leave little time for random door-knocking. So just like in the last two races for governor in Virginia, won by Democrats, a sophisticated battery of databases has been tapped to find voters who may be inclined to support the candidates. At the national level, Republicans have had better success at the modeling techniques, but the Obama campaign studied the Republican plan to help shape its own system of finding voters who are prone to support Mr. Obama.

Washington Post

Obama Camp Relying Heavily on Ground Effort

October 12, 2008

Quotes from Article:

In training sessions for volunteers and organizers, Ganz offered instruction on how to recruit volunteers and persuade voters. The gist was that volunteers needed to motivate others by speaking about their experiences and reasons for supporting Obama -- their "story" -- instead of just parroting the candidate's biography or message.

As Ganz sees it, this is a "values-based" approach like that of the conservative movement, rallying around core beliefs instead of individual issues. "Democrats lost the language of moral commitment and became very wonky and policy-oriented. One of Obama's big breakthroughs was to bring values back into it -- Democratic values," Ganz said. "The Republicans have been eating our lunch on this for a long time."

But the campaign's technological prowess has obscured somewhat the old-fashioned element that lies at its heart: the power of volunteers working together. That is one reason the organization invested so heavily in field offices -- spending $4.3 million on rent and utilities through August -- so backers could have a real entry to the campaign. Some volunteers say it's because of the way that television and the Internet have fragmented daily life that they have taken such satisfaction in the campaign, and gotten such good results from their face-to-face outreach.

Yale political scientist Donald Green, who co-wrote the book "Get Out the Vote," says research has shown that face-to-face talk increases a voter's chances of turning out by 7 to 10 percent. If a campaign talks to a third of its hoped-for voters, it can expect to see a 3 percent boost at the polls, he said.

In many states, a final statewide training session was held last week for Obama field organizers, to be followed by get-out-the-vote training for team leaders. In Missouri, about 400 neighborhood teams are set up around the state, each with a goal of getting about 4,000 votes in their area. The hope, said Missouri director Buffy Wicks, is as get-out-the-vote efforts intensify in the campaign's final weeks, the teams will have established themselves enough to deliver the backing that Obama will need.

Canvassing the voter who doesn't trust politicians

Daniel Baker — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:44:25 EDT

Every canvasser will encounter voters, often undecided or indifferent, who say they don't trust politicians. Can you blame them? After George W. Bush promised that he would be a "uniter, not a divider," and assured us that he would not spy on U.S. citizens without a warrrant? After Jack Abramoff, Iran-Contra and Watergate? And, yes, these voters also remember William Jefferson's $90,000 freezer and Bill Clinton's promise to stop coddling the "butchers of Beijing." It's no use telling these voters how far superior Obama's health care plan or economic plan would be when they don't believe anything that Obama (or McCain) says.

What do you say to such voters? I always tell them that there is one thing you can trust every politician to do. You can trust him to do whatever it takes to get re-elected. All three voters I've used this line with readily, even enthusiastically, agreed. Then I point out that Obama needs the votes of the poor and middle class to get re-elected. If Obama doesn't come through on turning the economy around or providing health care, he's not going to get those votes and he's not going to get re-elected. So you can count on Obama to fight for these programs, even if you don't believe in his honesty, so long as you believe that he wants to win re-election in 2012.

Fridley Canvassing

Joe Brothers — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:23:04 EDT

Calling all residents of Fridley and surrounding communities. The Obama campaign is starting to canvas Fridley and needs our help. If you can put in one hour or four, your help is needed and tremendously appreciated. Please contact Kyrra Rankkine at 612-388-4514.

Taking Action!

Ryan Kamphuis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:24:00 EDT

I'm Fired Up! I'm ready to go! I've always been volunteering for the DFL, but now that the election is this close, and the polls are so strong in Obama's favor, I'm putting off my homework (and my grades are slipping with it :( But my teachers understand and said they would give me a ton of extra credit for my "political activism" as long as I get all my work done quickly once the election is over!) and getting out and working even more! I'm not gonna let these polls bring me into complacency! I'm not gonna stop working until November 5. I won't settle for anything less than victory!

Really, all this campaigning has made me really see the divide that exists. So many people don't believe in politics. They see a broken system that isn't doing anything for them, it's only doing things for the rich and the well-connected. I've really begun to champion this whenever I doorknock. I tell people that Obama will put the people first. I tell them that he has accepted no donations from special interests, and that his economic plan will help all of us, not just Wall Street. Despite what I say, people are usually still really cynical about Obama, but I think that they see that I truly believe in Obama, and that helps them begin to support him.

What I have also seen while campaigning is an increasingly hostile support base for Mr. McCain. The closer we get to the eletion, the more I have had McCain supporters be openly hostile to me. I have encountered supporters telling me to "F@#K Off" or that "You are just a teenager and have no idea about either candidates. You are just swallowing up bulls*&t propaganda that the Obama campaign is feeding to you." This really makes me angry. what ever happened to respecting one another? What happened to believeing in your candidate, not bashing the other one! It makes me angry how these McCain supporters treat us Obama supporters! In my neighborhood, somebody stole all of the Obama yard signs.

How childish is all of this? We are in the most important election of our time, and here these people are screwing around and distracting us rom the issues! Seeing this increasingly hostile support base is just making me more fired up to win! I want them all to know that Obama represents change from the game that they are playing, change from the politics of the present. He represents a change to the politics of hope, the politics of love, the politics of average Americans. That is why I'm taking action. That is why I hope you take action with me.

But How Do I Know Who To Trust? (How To Respond)

Claude Johnson — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:35:13 EDT

Many undecided voters are claiming that they don't know who to trust.

"One guy says one thing, and the other guy says the opposite," they say.

They ask, "Who am I supposed trust?" Or they say, "I don't trust either one!"

I've been asked this question, or heard that statement many times.

If you've been canvassing, making calls to undecided voters, or just chatting with people at work, you've probably heard it too.

So has Dr. Cara Barker, a blogger for The Huffington Post who is an adjunct professor in psychology at Seattle University, and who "has mentored not only Fortune 500 leaders, but children, teens and adults from all walks of life."

In a recent post entitled Prescription For Dealing With Opposites, she writes:

"How do you know what to trust?" In nine client sessions today, I heard this question eight times. Some were referring to the economic upheaval. Others were distressed over the current political brouhaha. All you need do is turn on the tube, channel surf until you reach one of the political debates, sit back, fasten your seatbelts, and remember to breathe. Because one thing is for certain. You are about to hear two completely different spins on the same subject. It's not too difficult to imagine a universal rising of blood pressure.

Dr. Barker goes on to say, "When we cannot tell fact from fiction, we are in trouble."

She then offers a prescription that includes a 28-day 3-step process.

But, I have news for Dr. Barker. The 2008 Presidential Election is 25 days away. We don't have time for that prescription!!

Instead, here's how I respond to this kind of bewilderment on the part of allegedly undecided voters.

I first explain that the truth is that ~~many~~ most Americans aren’t honest enough with themselves to be able to trust themselves enough to be able to recognize real truth when they see it.

The reason people aren’t honest with themselves is that it’s often too frightening to do that. People don’t want to know what they might find, even inside of themselves.

So they have to blame something external for why they don’t yet have what they don’t have yet, when the real reason is internal.

That’s why people don’t want to go there. (Some people, that is; others are eager to find out and are more likely to appreciate someone who brings out the most in them.)

Then I explain that there's a way to get out of that distrusting loop.

First, realize that the feeling of triumph over adversity feels great because it’s human nature to desire that feeling. That’s why it feels great to accomplish something that you didn’t at first think you could.

In other words, what’s so great about doing something you know you can do? That’s no accomplishment. As Chris Rock says, “That’s what your supposed to do!”

But many people don’t have any “dreams” of this type because they automatically assumed (once) that they couldn’t achieve them anyway, so why bother having them?

These kinds of people look at others who “do” have dreams through a cloud of cynicism or negativity. People who won’t dream can’t stand people who dream, because seeing someone like that smacks them in their own face with their own lack of self-trust due to lack of self-honesty.

But when you ask those people what they love to do, they always have an answer.

And therein is the key to turning around their lack of trust of others by helping them regain their trust in themselves.

Probably, no one has asked them "What do you love?" in a long time. These people haven’t attracted that kind of a question because they haven’t even asked “themselves” that kind of a question.

So, it starts with asking each other, and therefore ourselves, “What do you love to do?” That very thing is the thing that you “didn’t think you could do” but which, if you accomplish it, will give you the biggest reward.

Not only that, but let’s say you don’t accomplish it. You’re guaranteed to have a “helluva great time” along the way, because you loved what you were doing! It’s a winning situation! There’s no down side.

So if you or your friends encounter someone like this while you're canvassing or making calls, please feel free to use this approach or share it with others.

Tell 'em it's the "make history now" technique.

Claude Johnson
www.blackfivesblog.com

Undecided Voters

Harold from Oakland, CA — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:28:41 EDT

I find it interesting that there are undecided voters out there, with less than four weeks to the election, especially since we have been doing this election for pretty much 2 years with real intensity.

We still get some people declaring that they are undecided, and I heard a woman phone banking last night saying things like "So, you're just going to decide when you get into the booth?". That is pretty scarry!

I've been working on a web-site to help undecided voters decide who to vote for for president - just a web-enhanced pro and con list where a user will be reminded of the issues, shown a synopsis of the candidates' positions, and asked to choose their candidate on each issue. It will also have the undecided voter rate the candidates' attributes, and rank the voters' interests among the issues and attributes, so that a weighted ranking can be produced. We'll see how that goes...

I did some more canvassing yesterday, in Las Cruces' West side. This neighborhood was a little worse for the wear, compared with yesterday's neighborhood. However, the voters that were targeted were overwhelmingly for Obama and a straight Democrat ticket. There were many houses for sale, and others vacant with "For Lease" signs in front. There were also a scattering of McCain signs, and a surprising "Women for McCain" yard sign - first I have seen of this concept.

I also called people who had been at a rally last weekend on the campus of New Mexico State University where television ("Desperate Housewives", I'm told) actress Eva Langoria spoke for Obama. We were trying fo find some more volunteers for the canvassing that needs to be done before election day. Almost all of the people I reached were committed to Obama, which is not a surprise, but most of them were too busy, many with full time jobs as well as college, to help out. I did manage to find half a dozen from my list of 80 who will help out, and possible more with whom I left impassioned messages.

It is scarry to see the visiousness of the Republican attacks. We'll see if the un-squashed "Trooper-Gate" report coming out today turns the focus back on Palin's abuses, and the creepy involvement of first-dude in 'governing' Alaska.

Yup, yup, I'm voting for THAT one!

Talking to Voters

Harold from Oakland, CA — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:53:01 EDT

Today was a great day!

I have to admit a letdown, briefly, after the final rush of voter registration ended on Tuesday, followed by the debate in the evening, and some phone calls to mostly grumpy McCain supporters.

Today, I spoke directly with a number of voters, and I just have to tell you the stories:

First up was a man, perhaps in his late seventies, who had been a Republican all of his life, but has been supporting Barack Obama for a year now. He is totally discusted by the way the Republican party has been driven into the ditch by Bush-Cheney-et al.

Second was another Republican who came in for a bumper sticker for his truck. A lot of his friends are listening to right wing talk radio, but he is working on them. He has a son who is an Iraq War veteran, who was injured there, but has gotten very shoddy care when he attempted to get treatment for his war wounds.

Third, while canvassing in an apartment complex, I met a Hispanic woman in her fifties and her mother. Both were big supporters of Obama. They weren't on my canvassing list, but they were great.

Fourth, in the same complex, I met a young Hispanic mother who came to the door with four children, the oldest was 3, and the youngest an infant riding on her hip. She said she was undecided. I asked her to name an area of concern for her that she would like answered, to help her decide. She cited "abortion", and I figured I was in for it, but then she said "I don't like McCains position! There are times when an abortion is necessary, and I don't like him ruling that out!"

Fifth, a second canvassing swing through a residential neighborhood saw strong Obama support. There were some McCain yard signs, and some Obama signs. Nearly all of the houses we called on were strong Obama supporters, where the whole family has been discussing the election together, and invariably, everyone in the family is supporting Obama.

Sixth, one house late in my rounds gave me pause - the driveway held a vehicle with Marine stickers, and I figured I had a McCain supporter for sure. The man at the house was nice, but said he was undecided for President. I asked him what issues were important to him, and we had a good discussion. We discussed his service in the first Gulf War, and Bush's conduct of the current war in Iraq. Within a few minutes, he was first leaning to Obama, and then out of the blue, he asked "Do you have any 'Veterans for Obama' bumper stickers?" I said I thought we did, and I offered to buy him one if he stopped by the Obama headquarters. I wrote him out a "gift certificate" on a scrap of paper telling the volunteer receptionist to give him the sticker (usually $3) and charge me.

When I got back to the office, I found that we had 'Veterans for Obama' buttons, but no stickers. I bought a button AND a sticker, and took them back to the man along with a yard sign. Moments later we were planting the yard sign in his yard and he was preparing to proudly show his support for Obama.

Finally, back at headquarters, I was given a photocopy of an article talking about the primacy of "knocking doors" as a campaigning tool. I couldn't agree more.

Obama-Biden Gain in Latest National and Virginia Presidential Polls

Tom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:59:06 EDT

The latest National and Virginia Presidential Election Polls show Obama making significant gains based on concerns about the economy. There polls show the election is still volatile with a significant number of undecided and uncertain voters. So it is important to focus our canvassing efforts on persuading independent, undecided, and uncertain voters that a vote for Obama-Biden and Democratic legislators is a decisive vote for change and renewal in US economic and foreign policy.

Virginia Polls (10/1 – 10/6) For Obama For McCain Spread

Lowest Poll (Mason-Dixon) 45% 48% McCain +3

Poll Averages (RCP Poll Averages) 49.9% 45.1% Obama +4

CNN/Time 53% 44% Obama +9

Highest Poll (Suffolk Univ) 53% 39% Obama +12

National Polls (10/1 – 10/6) For Obama For McCain Spread

Lowest Poll (Hotline/FD Tracking) 46% 44% Obama +2%

Poll Averages (RCP Poll Averages) 49.6% 44.1% Obama +5.5%

NBC/Wall Street Journal 49% 43% Obama +6

Highest Poll (CNN) 53% 45% Obama +8

It seems to me that Virginia is tracking the National average which is strange for a former republican stronghold and battleground state. The question in my mind is which regions and segments of the voting population are voting for Obama and which are undecided and uncertain that we can focus on to persuade them to vote for Obama-Binden and Change. Can we do it in Virginia?

Regards,

Tom Kuehn

See Extended Post for Tracking Poll Links

What'd you think of Sarah? EEHHHH?

hourglass — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:21:02 EDT

OMG ~ it's been two weeks since my last post? I don't believe it. Time flies when you're working to get your fave candidate elected.

Phonebank training was actually fun ~ my training coach was Genora Reed. I kidded her about her email address... greed@... she was well aware of the false impression it implied. She worked for the Harold Ford campaign in Tennessee! I like him a lot.

Since then I've been dialing my fingers off for the campaign. I went to the field office on a Saturday and there were so many people working the phones, they had to sit on the ground outside, and it was hot! One funny thing happened last week ~ first I should say that when you get a person on the other end, you speak extemporaneously, but when you leave a voicemail message you read from a script. So I'm leaving a message ~ I get all the way to the end ~ and a guy picks up. He asks, "Are you reading from a script?" And I answered, "Yes." And before I could say anything else, he said, "Awesome.... Obama really blows!" and hung up. This is so funny because McCain is always reading from a script. Except, of course, when he's saying "What'd you think of Sarah? EEHHHH? How'd she do? EEHHHH? Wasn't that great? EEHHHH?" That was so creepy! Does anyone else agree with me???

I also did some calling for the Barack website. And on Sunday I went..... CANVASSING. My campaign buddy was David. What an intellect! He had all the numbers and stats in his head... and it really came in handy when we spoke to a couple who wanted to support Nader! We both like Nader, too, but we tried to get them to understand that we have to be realistic. David brought up the idea of 'vote swapping'. I hadn't even heard of it before. What a nifty idea! You contact someone in say, California, who will be voting for Obama and they agree to vote for Nader on your behalf. Obama will win California anyway, so it frees up the voter in Florida to vote for Obama. The couple said they'd think about it.... I hope they really consider doing that.

Voter registration ended today in Fla...... Well, til next time, folks!

~ Evie

Travel to Reno! (I just did)

Nick Davidenko — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:01:33 EDT

Hi SF4Obama,

I just got back from a weekend canvassing in Reno. It was fun and productive, and I highly encourage you to do it! You can sign up here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/nvdfc

The canvassing wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be, and the campaign volunteers and organizers show you exactly what to do. It was an inspiring experience, and now I know it actually makes a big difference. I feel like I personally added 3-5 more votes to the Obama column (multiply that by the number of volunteers and, well, you get the idea).

The next four weekends are going to be crucial! Find a weekend that works for you, and do it. And better yet, find some friends to join you -- it's more than worth it.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/nvdfc

They will provide carpools and housing if you need it.

Go Obama!

Nick

Upcoming Camp Obama Express & Debate Parties!

Beth — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:22:36 EDT

Camp Obama Express

We are having training for all those that are canvassing in PA or phone banking to PA by an Obama Campaign Representative. No conribution needed.

Camp Obama Training: For Canvassing in PA
Date and Time:
October 7th (Tuesday night) 5pm to 7pm

Location:
Morton Memorial Library and Community House
Rhinecliff NY
Library website:
http://morton.rhinecliff.lib.ny.us/
rsvp for training to m.whaley@verizon.net

Debate Parties Tuesday, October 7th:

New Paltz, NY - Please join us Tuesday October 7th at the Gilded Otter in New Paltz, NY for a Presidential Debate Watch Party, 8-11pm (debate begins at 9pm). Happy Hour prices on bar drinks, beer & wine. Learn how you can get involved in this historic Campaign for Change! Hosted by MariAnn & Jonathan Sennett, New Paltz & Vicinity for Obama and Hudson Valley for Obama.

Rhinecliff, NY -$25 at the Rhinecliff Hotel. Bountiful hor d'oeuvres and cash bar. Limited to first 80 people. rsvp for debate party to buckley@buckleypell.com

Saugerties, NY - Come to Saugerties Tuesday night to watch Barack clean McCain's clock.
Where: Stella's Station, Partition Street, Saugerties.
What: Free Buffet( wings, poppers, fries, calamari), other food items available for sale. Cash Bar. 5 TVs, Surround sound, High powered heaters if needed, wonderful friends. This is not a fund raiser! This is a party for everyone supporting Obama and the Democratic ticket in Ulster County and the United States.RSVP to erinralph so I can give the cook(Victor) an idea about food requirements. The bartender(Josh) will have everything you want!

Kingston Debate Watch Party Wed. Oct 15th!
LARRY DELAROSE
THOMAS HOFFAY
MICHAEL MADSEN
Invite you to an
OBAMA DEBATE PARTY

Join us October 15th at
BACK STAGE
PRODUCTIONS
Wall St. Kingston
Party starts at 8pm - Debate starts at 9pm

Talking abortion with an undecided pro-life voter

Daniel Baker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:52:04 EDT

Here are some things I said about abortion with a pro-life voter. I have no evidence how effective (or counterproductive) this approach may be. I'm just describing it as one option to try for canvassers who feel stuck.

Two weeks ago I canvassed a very pleasant young undecided voter. Her most important issues were ending the war in Iraq and ending abortion. Naturally, I talked about the war and foreign policy first before moving on to abortion.

I have always thought that the first step with a pro-lifer is to take their feelings seriously. Only a minority of pro-lifers are faking their concern for fetal life as an excuse for confining women to the role of mothers and housewives. The considerable majority really believe that abortion is the killing - the murder - of a baby. That is the reason that condoms, IUDs and oral contraceptives, all of which are far more vital to women's control of their reproductive lives than abortion, do not generate the same passions.

Random Thoughts of a Door-to-Door Canvasser

Daniel Baker — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:44:55 EDT

Yesterday, Oct. 4, was my fifth week canvassing door to door for the Obama campaign. It has been a richly rewarding experience. One reward is the feeling of being part of history, of making change in America. No matter who wins on Election Day, our political landscape has already been altered by this campaign.

Talking face to face with voters is a lot more fun than I ever expected it would be. Once I got the hang of it, that is. The first time I tried to persuade a voter who was leaning toward McCain, I tried to recite the canned talking points on my walk sheet. Big mistake. I didn't even convince myself, much less the voter. After that, I ditched the talking points and followed the walk sheet's advice: Tell the voter why you are supporting Barack Obama. That led to fruitful conversations. I don't know if I have actually convinced anyone to vote for Obama, but I think I've put the case for Obama forward to several people more convincingly than a barrage of 30-second campaign spots could.

It's wonderful to find Obama supporters at the door, especially in my very conservative hometown. And it can even be interesting to find McCain supporters. I've only encountered one really rude voter. Some of the McCain voters are fearful; you can sense that they're afraid of hearing anything that you might say. Others are bold and secure. I had one extended conversation with a McCain supporter, and while we predictably failed to convince each other, we were able to debate amiably and without partisan bitterness, which is part of the change I am hoping Obama can bring about. We need to bury Rove-ism and bring back spirited but unspiteful, unrancorous debate between our parties.

But one of the best things about canvassing has little to do with politics. It's just getting to know your neighbors. I've encountered old friends who I haven't seen in years or decades. I'm getting to know both the beautiful and the ugly parts of my town better than ever. And I've made new friends at Democratic HQ as well as reconnecting with old ones. I am very glad I've been a part of this.

UPDATE: Yard Signs, Buttons, T-shirts, Rally Signs - Big Local Event on 10/6/08! All Interested Parties Invited!

Lisa Caid — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:59:25 EDT

We will have Obama/Biden yard signs, bumper stickers, all kinds of buttons, tee shirts, rally signs, Roger Waun yard signs, etc. available at the meeting. If you've been unable to pickup an Obama/Biden yard sign, this is your chance!

Reminder: This Monday, October 6, we will have a special guest attending our weekly Amarillo4Obama meeting. Ken Bailey of the DNC and the Barack Obama Campaign will be here to speak with us. He will be sharing a wealth of information to help guide us forward to November 4. We will also be discussing canvassing and phone banking and our upcoming rally. As our meetings get larger each time we meet, we are expecting (and hoping for!) a larger group than usual due to Ken's visit. In anticipation of a larger turnout, we have decided to hold this meeting at the Amarillo United Citizens Forum, located at 903 N Hayden Street, Amarillo. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last approximately one hour. The doors will be open beginning at 6:00 p.m. and light refreshments will be served.

Let's show Ken that Amarillo is truly Obama BLUE by getting every Obama supporter involved!! If you know that you will be attending, an RSVP will be appreciated (just reply to the sent email).

Please help us spread the word - All of the area offices (Amarillo4Obama/Panhandle Young Democrats/Amarillo Area Democrats) now have Obama buttons, tee shirts, bumper stickers, yard signs, and literature.

Thank you,

Anthony (Tony) & Jane Raphael & All the Great Volunteers at Amarillo4Obama/PanhandleYoungDemocrats/AmarilloAreaDemocrats

Tony & Jane 373 - 7884

The Amarillo United Citizens Forum is in the area of Amarillo Blvd West & N Hughes Street, corner of NW 9th Ave & N Hayden Street.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Amarillo+United+Citizen+Forum&fb=1&cid=8168817786121642637&li=lmd&z=14&t=m

Michigan City canvassing

Marion B — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 11:01:33 EDT

This was my first time canvassing -- ever. And it was far easier than I anticipated, since the campaign wisely does not send people where they are not wanted.

We visited 68 houses and talked to 38 people, most of whom were either supporting Obama or leaning in that direction [4 strong McCain supporters, 2 who wouldn't say, and about 4 who were undecided]. We registered four people and were able to assist one octogenarian Democrat with applying for absentee voting. Several people requested yard signs, and several thanked us profusely for stopping by -- even the new mom at one house, and, at another house, a man who works nights and whom we apparently awakened.

The people we met were diverse, and far from the stereotypical "liberal" Obama supporter. We met two veterans of the first Iraq war who are not only strong Obama supporters, but one of whom so liked my "J'adore Barack" pin that he asked if he could have it. He could! We also met single moms and retirees, Sox and Cubs fans, people working several jobs, roofers, and a sheriff's deputy on his way out to hunt.

Very inspiring. I'll be returning to Indiana.

Participation

James — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:01:36 EDT

I am admittedly a latecomer to activism. Prior to this election, the time I call BB (Before Barack), my notion of participation was to write a check. Now, AB (After Barack) I find myself at rallies and calling total strangers at Obama phone banks. However, today (Saturday) I did something that I had not done before, which was to canvass a neighborhood with the hopes of registering voters. This is not novel nor am I trying to imply that I did anything special -- hundreds of thousands of supporters have been doing this for many, many months and I personally thank them all.

What I'd like to share with you, in this post, though is my experience. I went to the designated location, received training, got matched up with a small group and marched out to do my best. A lot of people weren't home (or they didn't answer their doors), but all of the people that we approached and spoke with were nice, polite and appreciative. Many people smiled and waved from their passing cars and one conscientious young man pulled over, got out of his car and asked us to register him. Plus I made a couple of new friends. It was just a few hours, but extremely rewarding and I never felt more connected to the campaign than today.

I bring this all up simply to remind folks that there is only one month left before election day. The poll numbers look good now, but in politics a lot can happen in four weeks (and the time will fly by). Even though voter registration will end soon, there is still a need to continue these outreach efforts to talk about issues and ensure that people actually vote. And from a selfish perspective, for those (like myself) who may not have extended themselves before today there is still time to actively participate and personally connect with the campaign. I must have caught the bug because I printed out a Neighbor-to-Neighbor list that I'm going to work tomorrow. Yes We Can!

Knock for Barack

Ian — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:07:42 EDT

Today my friend Nichole and I went out and canvassed Elba Twp. in Lapeer County, and boy did we get some great responses.

We met a woman that had been taken in by right-wing claims that Barack Obama is a terrorist, or at least associated with them. Once faced with the facts, she was more than willing to discuss her concerns about the future and her ideas on how to fix it, but, as a Native American, she still shows that racial relations in this country have come along way but still need work, as nothing could fully allay her fear that Barack's motives were racially based.

I'll be honest, when she asked me "if he's half white, why does he indentify himself as a black man," I had trouble answering. I brought up his discussions of race in his books and mentioned that this the perception of him as simply "black" is largely a vestige of days gone by, but still not far enough behind us.

Field Blog #1: Barbara from Londonderry

Colin@NH HQ — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:14:10 EDT

Two weeks ago, Barbara from Londonderry responded to an e-mail about volunteer opportunities and ventured into the Derry office to see what she could do to help out. Excitedly, I showed Barbara around the office and told her about our efforts to reach out to undecided voters in her community. Despite my enthusiasm, Barbara was somewhat hesitant about jumping on the phone and talking to people she didn’t know. “What am I supposed to say?” she wondered. “Well, why are you here?” I asked her. After thinking for a second, this is what Barbara shared with me:

I am a grandmother and every time I look at my one year old grandson I know that this is his future. I don't know what I can do, but it makes me want to do something.

“Say that on the phone” I responded, “share with your neighbors why you know this election is so important.” Barbara then got on the phone and spoke with senior citizens in Londonderry about why she knows we need to elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden this November – to put our economy back on track, to save social security, to bring our troops home from Iraq and to ensure a better future for her grandson.

Barbara came back to the office the next day and has come back many times since. It is people like Barbara who are truly making the difference in Londonderry, in New Hampshire, and all across the country.

If YOU donn’t know where your Local Field Office is yet, click HERE. Whether it be calling some of your neighbors, going door to door, helping with data entry or bringing dinner down to the office – there is a way for you to help out. There are only 5 weeks left before New Hampshire voters go to the polls to cast their votes. I hope that you’ll join Barbara and the millions of volunteers across the country who are doing their part to bring the change we need to Washington!

This guest Field blog was written by Emily Rocheleau, Field Organizer for Londonderry and Derry.

Come visit Emily at the Derry office:
Derry
9 East Broadway
Derry, NH 03038
(603) 437-3538

Please call or if you have any questions, email NH@BarackObama.com.

A Trick for Dealing with Dogs

Nada — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:06:33 EDT

I'm a dog person - I volunteer regularly at animal shelters, and was totally overjoyed to see a dog in practically every fourth yard when I went canvassing this weekend. So I didn't realize at first that a lot of canvassers are intimidated by dogs.

Aside from the common sense sorts of things like approaching the dog calmly, letting it sniff your palm/fist (no fingers please), etc., there's a trick I've used to calm down crazed/barking dogs that seems to work about 75% of the time.

First Canvassing Experience - Philly, 9/27

Nada — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:51:02 EDT

I was really surprised at how easy and how interesting canvassing was, and I would recommend it to anyone - with the caveat that there are times when you just need to nod and smile, nod and smile, at some of the things that come out of people's mouths. I'd like to encourage anyone who hasn't tried it to go out and give it a whirl. I hope that my discussion below will give you a sense of the highs and lows, and also the kinds of responses to expect.

There is a lot of latent racism. I would say that I knocked on about 100 doors, talked to about 50 people, and had longish conversations with about 20. Of those 20, 8 were significantly influenced by racism. I even had a woman say that she was going to consider withdrawing her vote from Obama if she heard anyone else "play the race card" and claim that race was a factor in people's votes - she was sick of it. Mildly, I noted that 3 of the 8 undecided voters I had talked to so far were leaning away from Obama because of race. Her reply - "Well, there are always a couple." I could only encourage her to stick to her own trust in Obama, who has refrained from (bent over backwards to avoid) anything that might resemble "playing the race card", whatever his supporters might say.

It's galling, but I had to ask myself, "What's going to make them less racist in the long run - me arguing with them, or them electing Obama president?" Usually my reply was, "Thanks for letting me know how you feel. I understand that it can be a consideration. What other issues are important to you?" However, I did have one good comeback to "He's just going to take care of his own," which was "You know, they said the same thing about JFK and Catholics." (This was a Catholic neighborhood.) What I wanted to say, of course, was "Good God, imagine what it would be like if a president took care of black people! We might see something approaching equality in this country."I was really happy, though, to see how willing people were to talk to me and my canvassing buddy. We had a couple doors slammed in our faces, but mostly we just had to show that we were willing to listen and respect people's opinions, and then we'd get people to open up to us.

There was a lot of concern that Obama will be weak on crime. Now, I can point out the amply demonstrated (1) link between economic welfare and crime until I'm blue in the face, but I think pointing out that Obama is supported by the National Association of Police Organizations, especially the Chicago policeman's union, worked a little better. Also, Obama does have a number of talking points on crime, but they're slightly hidden.

One person asked why Obama wasn't supported by the Bricklayer's Union (he is now - they originally supported Clinton), so I wrote to barackobama.com, asking them to add the BAC endorsement to the labor endorsement page, along with NAPO and the International Firefighter's Union.

I also heard a lot about Obama's lack of experience and purported softness on terrorism. I'm not going to go into length about the responses to those, since I think they're covered amply elsewhere.

Finally, I did encounter one camo-wearning gent who was very concerned with Obama's support for hunters. He was actually great to talk to - he reminded me a lot of my dad. I didn't quite sway him, but I earned a slight ironic grin for, my hi-larious point that for all that Bush-McCain-etc seem to support the Second Amendment for now, they're pretty willing to trash the rest of the Constitution, so how long is any one Amendment going to last in that sort of environment? (Oh man, massive erosion of civil liberties, it is to laugh.)

I also wanted to link to a WikiHow article on being persuasive (I realized that I naturally fall into habits like mirroring - they're very effective) and to mention a "Good Cop-Bad Cop" technique that worked for my buddy and me. One great thing about canvassing in pairs is that whoever isn't talking can simply observe, and judge how well the message is actually harmonizing with the voter's own wavelength. It even provides the opportunity to experiment slightly. Once, for example, my partner was enthusing about CHANGE and HOPE and THE FUTURE, and I saw the eyes of our cynical middle-aged male voter simply glazing over. So I butted in - "[X] here is the optimist, but I take a slightly more pessimistic view of things. There's no way that Obama will be able to eliminate poverty or make the world love the United States. But I know for a fact that politicians can change things, because of the way things have changed in the last eight years. [significant look; nod nod nod] McCain is just going to continue steamrolling down that same path, making things worse and worse. Obama can't make everything better, but ..." etc.

Anyway - good luck with your canvassing! Please give it a try, even if you're a little intimidated. People are really eager to talk about their opinions.

---
1 For example, see Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point (discussion here) or hey, America's Finest News Source.

Join the Oregon AAPI Action Team!

Ramey Ko — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:04:24 EDT

For too long, the Asian American & Pacific Islander vote has been forgotten or ignored. Sen. Obama is committed to real change and giving AAPIs a real voice in this election. Join the Oregon Obama campaign's AAPI Action Team and help organize efforts in the Oregon AAPI community to:

1) Register as many new voters as possible by the Oct. 14th deadline;
2) Reaching out to undecided AAPI voters; &
3) Make sure everyone votes once ballots drop on Oct. 17th.

Sign up today on MyBarackObama.com: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gshcd2

Ramey Ko
www.AsianAmericansforObama.com
Donate
http://Donate.AsianAmericansforObama.com
Join us at BarackObama.com
http://My.AsianAmericansforObama.com/
Join us at Facebook
http://Fans.AsianAmericansforObama.com

Come to Ohio!

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:01:14 EDT

... And if you already live here, GET YOUR FRIENDS HERE.

A huge influx of out-of-state volunteers can make the difference. Share this video with your friends, and then get them to sign up to come to Ohio at http://oh.barackobama.com/cometoohio

The campaign will give you everything you or your friends need: a resources page, a ride board, and free housing. All anyone has to do is sign up.

And did I mention the opportunity to make history? Your friends can tell you that other states are important too, but the fact remains that if Barack wins Ohio, he almost certainly wins the election.

Enough messing around. Let's win this thing.

Canvass In PA

Richie Chevat — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:25:46 EDT

Our first bus trip to PA last Saturday was a huge success. We sent 62 volunteers to Philadelphia where we knocked on 1200 doors, spoke with about 400 voters and registered 40 new voters. Not bad for an afternoon's work. We are going back this coming Saturday, October 4. To reserve your seat, contact caryc@bluewavenj.org

Bluewave is also holding phone banking every night and organizing volunteers for Dennis Shulman and Linda Stender, two important Democratic congressional candidates. Find out more at bluewavenj.org.

Or you can drop in at our new action office at 347 Bloomfield Ave. Montclair, open from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Pitch in and help us take back America.

Congressperson Neal Sponsoring Bus to Canvass NH - Oct 11th

Nicole LaChapelle — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:44:49 EDT

On Saturday, October 11th, our US Congressperson, Richard Neal is sponsoring buses from Springfield and Northampton to Western NH. The Neal campaign's message is below. To secure a seat on the October 11th bus, email Brendan Neal directly at brendanneal@hotmail.com with your name, address, and phone number.

"Dear fellow Obama Supporters-

First of all good morning and I hope everything is going well.

On Saturday, October 11th, Congressman Neal has been asked to head up to New Hampshire to help the Obama campaign. The Neal campaign is organizing people and buses to drive up to Keene, NH. We will be leaving @ 9AM from Springfield and Northampton. What we need you to do is send people our way who are interested in catching a ride. This will allow us to collect data and then use that data to determine the location, time, and feasibility of the buses. We have filled one bus as of this morning with college students and members of SEIU. We will also have at least another 25-30 Neal supporters traveling up there on this day as well.

Congressman Neal is 'billing' this day as Western Massachusetts day in order to pump up some constituents and voters in the area. We would greatly appreciate any assistance in organizing this.

The location of where to pick up volunteers will be determined once we find out where the majority of volunteers are coming from. Right now the important thing is to generate rsvp's and interest. Then we will order the buses.

If this goes well, we will also be doing it the weekend before the election.

Again, I hope everything is going well, and look forward to hearing from you.

Brendan Neal"

Canvassing is fun!

Amy — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:09:56 EDT

Just a shout out to Steve Ralph and Hunter Hektner, to say thank you for canvassing with me! I am so happy I went out and canvassed today. I think we may have swayed a couple of people that were on the fence, which is great!

I can't wait to go out and do it again!

Time is running out for registering voters in Ohio!

Christopher Alvarado — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:07:49 EDT

October 6th is the deadline for new voters to submit voter registrations in order to be able to vote for Barack in 2008. This means that we only have a week and a half to contact as many unregistered voters as possible.

In order to do this, we need (NEED) for your help to walk door-to-door and reach our neighbors. Scott Rosenstein and I will be organizing canvassing events for Tuesday, September 30th, Saturday, October 4th, and Sunday October 5th. As soon as we send out the details, please volunteer for at least one session.

Think of it this way: you have the opportunity to double, triple, quadruple, etc., your vote this November. Every new voter strengthens our ability to change America for the better.

Canvassing w/ Chatchkes - stealing a play from the Pharmaceutical Industry's playbook

Dr. Craig Marshall, MD — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:33:26 EDT

It has been scientifically proven by the pharmaceutical industry: giving people a small "token" or freebie bearing a logo will trigger a recurrent, subconscious, positive reinforcement. It is a tried and true trick that the pharmaceutical industry has been using for years to get doctors to preferrentially prescribe their medicines over their competitors. The chatchkes or "tokens" are usually small items of a nominal cost: pens, paper pads, pencil holders, clocks, refrigerator magnets, giant clips, etc. The studies have all shown that regardless of the value of the item, the frequency of exposure to the logo-bearing item is what determines its power of reinforcement.

To translate this into canvassing for Barack Obama, my fiancee and I decided that we would make refrigerator magnet "chip clips", bearing the inscription "Vote Nov. 4th!"...

On the Road Again: Northbrook, Illinois to Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Christine "No Distractions" O'Bama — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:35:39 EDT

As many of you know, this summer I was trained as a Volunteer Organizer. My current “job” is to call and recruit volunteers from Chicago’s North Shore suburbs to make canvassing trips in the Milwaukee area. I am in charge of organizing trips every other weekend, but there are groups from just about every town in Northern Illinois who make trips every weekend into southern Wisconsin. Last weekend alone, we had over 200 residents of Northern Illinois travel into southern Wisconsin to knock on doors and get out the vote. I was just one of them.

The night before our trip, I baked 3 dozen monster chocolate chip cookies and lugged up a case of bottled water from the basement to pass out to my volunteers. I made sure I got to bed early because I was told by a friend who had canvassed in Oak Creek the Sunday before that the houses were fairly far apart, and that I should expect to do plenty of walking.

The morning of the trip I got up extra early to first organize the day for my own family. My 5-year-old son had a soccer game at 10 a.m., and it was his turn to bring the snack and beverage. I cut up the banana bread I made the day before, and found the juice boxes buried in the back of the fridge. Check. Grace had a soccer game on a new field at 1:30, so I had to find the playfield on GoogleMaps and e-mail it to Dad. Check. I located the kids’ soccer socks, shoes and uniforms that always seem to go missing sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning. Check. I thanked my husband profusely for managing a soccer Saturday on his own. Check. Now I was ready to go!

I left the house at 8 a.m., and drove to the Northbrook Court Mall, our designated meeting spot. It was our best turn-out yet! There were at least a dozen cars in the parking lot when I arrived. (And another dozen would continue to arrive for the next 15 minutes.) We took attendance, passed out cookies and water bottles, and made sure everyone had a ride. We had 65-year-old recent retirees, college students, soccer moms and dads, lawyers, and teachers – all fired up and ready to make a difference. Many had never canvassed in their lives. One man, Bob, a recent retiree, said he did not think he would be very good at canvassing, but that this election was so important, he thought he needed to try. (Bob sent me a note yesterday saying he traveled all the way to Green Bay to see Barack in person and that he wanted me to put him on my list for the next trip to Wisconsin!)

Within 20 minutes, we were off to drive the 60 miles straight up I-94 to Wisconsin!

After a minor traffic snag just 12 miles outside of Oak Creek, we arrived at our “host” Obama office. It was actually the grand opening for the office, and the energy was wild! There were so many volunteers arriving from Illinois that we had to park in the auxiliary parking lot. (I overheard at one point there were at least 125 Illinois volunteers knocking on doors in Oak Creek that day.)

We went inside the building (which is being borrowed or rented from the UAW), and were greeted by half a dozen local volunteers who were assigning and passing out our canvassing packets. We then went upstairs for our training, in groups of 15-20. There were probably five or six training sessions being conducted in different rooms at the same time, and they just filled room after room as new people arrived.

In our room we learned about the community of Oak Creek, which has suffered in this economy like lots of other middle class towns. We learned about the issues that are most important to the people in the area. And we were told about how the campaign generates the lists of doors to knock on. We had plenty of time to ask questions about the task at hand, and our presenter, Tyler, directly answered all of them. In our room, many had canvassed before, but at least a third had not. By the end of the training session, everyone was equally ready to go!

http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk98/CWDonnelly/action=view&current=DSC00208.jpg&track=tag_email_clickthrough

Before we left the training room, I paired up with a threesome from two other Illinois towns (Deerfield and Glenview, both near me in Winnetka). The two from Deerfield (Susie and John) were a mother-son duo. She had recently been let go from her job of 12 years, and wanted to do what she could to help the campaign because she now (fortunately or unfortunately) had the time. Her son is a junior at the University of Illinois, home for the weekend. The other woman (Judy) was a friend of theirs and had been to Wisconsin to canvass just the weekend before. (It is addictive!)

We canvassed for a few hours, splitting our list of addresses in two, so that we could canvass in pairs. By 1:30, everyone was more than ready for lunch. Man, it was a hot day, especially for Wisconsin in September. We ate at the Culver’s in Oak Creek. Butter burgers and soft serve. Mmmmmmm. Mmmmmmmm. ☺

After a bathroom break and some BandAids for some sore sandaled feet, we were off for round two! We canvassed until almost 5:00 and knocked on over 60 doors. Some people were not home, but those we spoke with were very receptive to talking about Barack and the election. Even those supporting Senator McCain were rather gracious in their “thanks, but no thanks.”

When we finished our list, we headed back to the Obama office and filled in our tally sheets, noting how many doors we knocked and how many supporters and potential volunteers we found. By then, there was a band playing outside as part of the grand opening festivities, and some free snacks and cold beverages. (Did I mention it was HOT?!)

I was back on the road by 5:00, and even made it home with enough time to shower and change, sit and chat with my kids over their dinner of mac & cheese, and head out for a dinner in downtown Chicago with my husband, and his college roommate, John, who was celebrating a big “milestone” birthday. As it turned out, John’s wife Kathy, who had never canvassed before, had decided to hook up with the Oak Park, IL Democrats that day and traveled to Kalamazoo, MI to canvass there! She said they had 500 people from Illinois in Kalamazoo that day alone!

Between us, Kathy and I have 2 part-time jobs and 5 children under the age of 10, and yet we were able to dedicate a day to volunteering for the campaign. If we can do it, anyone can.

Click the “Events” button to the right of your screen, pick a date, put it in your calendar, and just do it. We need every boot on the ground. The stakes are just too great to sit this one out.

Big Push to Register Voters on Saturday

Chris Armstrong — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:41:43 EDT

I want to thank everyone for showing up and going door-to-door this weekend. We hit over 200 doors. We are going to have a real big push this Saturday though. The St. Louis City region wants to knock on 50,000 doors so we have to hit 1,000. To do this we will have 3 shifts on Saturday, 10-1 , 1-4, and 4-7. Even if you can make only part of the time please show up. Also we will be having a meeting of all of the volunteers on Thursday. I will give more info on that soon.

173,651

Michael in Ohio — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:58:55 EDT

The Campaign for Change had set a mighty goal for itself this weekend: it aimed to knock on the doors of 118,602 voters--one more than Bush's margin of victory in Ohio in 2004. But volunteers not only met the challenge--they busted through it and kept on going... This weekend, the tireless people of Ohio committed to changing this country knocked on no fewer than

173,651 doors.

That means that 1 out of every 45 registered voters got a knock on their door this weekend from an Obama supporter ready and waiting to talk about Barack's vision for the country. To outline his issues, to clarify misunderstandings, and to express what his presidency could mean personally and to the nation.

But you don't need to drive to a field office or wait for the weekend to get in on the action. Through groundbreaking technology called Neighbor2Neighbor, the campaign now has a simple program to provide you with everything you need to talk to your own neighbors--a list of addresses, flyers, and easy instructions on how to talk to voters. It's all explained in this handy video, from Nicole:

You can use Neighbor2Neighbor by clicking HERE. What's it like going door-to-door, you might ask? Don't take it from the campaign--take it from this first-hand account, recently posted in the blogosphere, from volunteer Heidi, in Northeast Ohio:

I live in a suburb of Cleveland and "white, working class" would probably be the best description. After a brief training we were sent out in pairs with our packets of turf. My canvass partner was a woman in her 60s (I'm 40 years old) and we hit it off right away...
We approached the last house together... and the woman who answered the door was friendly and told us she was undecided. She didn't like John McCain but just didn't know enough about Barack Obama. We started discussing different ways the current economy had affected all of us, her positions on issues, our positions on issues and you could feel the connection forming between the three of us... At the end of conversation she said she felt like she knew a lot more about him and would most likely vote for him.
I felt so happy as I tallied my canvass sheet back at the office. This is what canvassing is about - the informed voter sharing information with the less informed voter, neighbors sharing their stories with other neighbors, and all of us realizing what's at stake in this election.

Such an expansive door-to-door effort this weekend was the perfect way to cap off Heartland Issues Week, since canvassing brought Barack's message to many small towns and rural areas that wouldn't typically get attention from past campaigns. Signs of the overwhelming field presence in the state are everywhere--below is a picture of volunteers at an office opening in tiny Mount Gilead:

Our moment is now... and it's happening everywhere.

Volunteering in Reno, my experience

Eve from Oakland, CA — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:53:57 EDT

I did voter canvassing in Reno this weekend. It was a good experience. We called at homes, with the goals of gauging voter sentiment, winnowing out McCain supporters and incorrect residential data, and when possible, discussing issues and trying to increase support.

The Reno coordinators say they need the help and they are pretty well organized and very hard-working. The only thing lacking is lawn signs, which people kept asking for.

If you live in or near a swing state, and feel ok about knocking on doors, I would encourage you to try this. They can line you up with housing with Obama supporters. (Our host was lovely to us.)

My advice, based on this experience: be respectful and listen to peoples' concerns; don't necessarily walk away in a flash if someone is not enthusiastic - sometimes they want to get stuff off their chest and you may have common ground; carry lots of water if you come to Nevada! and don't be discouraged if people are not home or have moved or are not Obama supporters; this is all important information that makes future efforts more efficient.

118,602

Michael in Ohio — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:16:16 EDT

That's one more than the number of votes by which John Kerry lost Ohio in 2004... and thereby lost the race for President. George Bush went on to give us 4 more years of terrible policies and partisan bullying.

118,602 is also the goal for the number of doors that Campaign for Change aim to knock on this weekend in Ohio. That's right: 118,602 doors. Ohioans are just that committed to make sure their state goes blue this time.

We can't afford a repeat of 2004. Knock some doors. Talk to some voters. Help the campaign go above and beyond 118,602. Join a canvass in your area, right now, by clicking

HERE.

Recap: Drive for Change Day Trip

Sarah Gallagher — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:12:44 EDT

Crowds gathered early at meeting places in cities across California as volunteers set off on the first big Drive for Change of September.

Kicking off at 5AM on Saturday, teams hit the ground Saturday morning and got to work.

Teams started the day registering people to vote, and finished the afternoon talking with supporters and undecided voters.

The best answer I got all day was when I asked a booster what his level of support is. The reply was worthy of the casinos visible from his neighborhood: "I'm all in!" - Cheyney, Volunteer

The teams wrapped up the Drive for Change Day Trip by jumping back on the bus to escape the 90-plus-degree weather and driving back across the Mojave Desert to California.

crazy canvassing experience

Erin K. — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:42:22 EDT

So my friend Diane and I canvassed the local trailer park this afternoon, volunteering for the Obama campaign. Overall, we had a great response; many people leaning towards Obama and a couple of definites. One guy said he's probably going to go with his gut and vote Obama, even though his Baptist church tends to push McCain on them. Anyhow, all was hunky-dory until...

...We knocked on *Jill's door (*name has been changed to protect the not-so-innocent). Jill answered and confirmed her identity, and I heard her call out, "Go Obama" and she raised her hand, so I hi-fived her back. At the same time, Diane was saying, "Thanks for your time." I couldn't figure out what Diane was doing, until I heard numerous shouts from inside the trailer yelling, "No blacks!" Then it dawned on me that Jill had yelled, "No Obama" and raised her hand in a threat... So, as Jill grew more venomous with her gesturing and louder in volume, yelling "bitches", Diane and I made a quick retreat to the road.

Due to my complete naivete, I never really experienced fear. Had I been more street smart like Diane, I probably would have sensed the hostility and made a run for it. I'm still amazed that I gave the lady a high-five. I must truly assume the best of people; and usually, living up here, folks do end up on the good end.

I could let that one trailer end my canvassing days... but when I think about the number of people I've talked to who were thankful to have someone listen to their concerns or who are for the first time thinking more about politics or who are reformed republicans eager for change... I know I'll keep it up.

Cleveland Hts Ward 2 Canvassing event September 18

Susan Weber — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:23:31 EDT

Thursday, September 18 @ 5:30 pm

Meet at the home of Deborah Van Kleef and Jim Miller

3251 Clarendon Rd in Cleveland Hts. OH 44118

No prior experience is needed. If you need canvassing training, or want to be paired with a more experienced canvasser, or have any other questions, we'll cover this before setting out.

The purpose of our canvassing is to connect with voters, provide voter registration materials and show our support for Barack Obama. Ohio is a crucial state in this election -- our work is important.

Questions? Leave me a message here or call Deborah & Jim 216-321-9983

Plymouth MA goes to NH

Janet Alfieri — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:21:39 EDT

Every Saturday, from now until November, there will be carpools leaving from the rest area at Exit 5 off Rte. 3 (McDonald's, Native American totem pole) in Plymouth Mass. to help out with door to door canvassing in NH. All those from the So. Shore or Cape areas who wish to participate are asked to arrive around 7:30 AM. The parking is free for those who wish to leave vehicles there. Please bring money to help defray gas costs for drivers, food, water, pens, clipboard and energy. It is useful to dress in layers.

There will be a training session for everyone. So, if you have never canvassed door to door before, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and will be supplied with a "script" to get you started. Remember, our job as canvassers is mostly to identify Obama supporters and to help those who sincerely are undecided get the information they need from the campaign.

Please sign up on BarackObama.com for any Saturdays you can go and tell your Obama backing friends who want to help the campaign. The event name is "Plymouth Ba-Rocks" and there is one sign-up for each Saturday. Our job, besides ensuring Massachusetts goes for Obama, is to help keep the swing state of NH blue.

Time is short. Please help if you can. Link on flip.

Canvassing is Fun!

Woody — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:09:07 EDT

I did my first ever canvassing for a political campaign today. I had my list, and my partner had his own list. We stopped at one of his Neighbor-to-Neighbor contacts first. It was a bit of an unusual situation -- one house behind another, both with the same address, and the person we were looking for was in the rear house. Of course, we didn't see that house back there, and stopped at the one in front. It was so awesome that those people were very interested in Obama's campaign as well -- they even wanted to be put on a volunteer list.