Election Canvassing....

[dodgersteve182]

Has anyone participating in this type of activity before? Being bussed to another state and canvassing for 2 days. Good experience or bad? Should I have any concerns?
My conscience is speaking out telling me that I should join the cause. I would hate to see a loss in this state and spend the next four years wondering if I could have made a real difference. Also it is the week after we get back from NYC and I'm sure I will be somewhat tired. Just pondering what is the right thing for me to do.
thanks!

[minimetoo26]

Are you talking Nevada? Then ask for Vegas! I'm thinking Arizona's a goner and everywhere else is too far for the bus...

[Bob78164]

Has anyone participating in this type of activity before? Being bussed to another state and canvassing for 2 days. Good experience or bad? Should I have any concerns?
My conscience is speaking out telling me that I should join the cause. I would hate to see a loss in this state and spend the next four years wondering if I could have made a real difference. Also it is the week after we get back from NYC and I'm sure I will be somewhat tired. Just pondering what is the right thing for me to do.
thanks!

Before I started law school, I spent a few months paying the rent by doing door-to-door canvassing. That was a job. This is a cause.

If you've got the time, go for it. You won't regret doing it. You might regret not. --Bob

[SportsFan68]

Depends on what you mean by "participating." I'm very active here in Colorado, (a swing state! ) and I've been doing a LOT with folks who have come here from other states to help out. We have four people from four different states (AZ, NJ, CA, MN) doing a fabulous job of organizing and getting the locals out to canvass and work phone banks. I believe that they have located every Obama voter in our area. Of course, it's a relatively rural area. The offices in Denver, Adams, Jefferson, and Arapahoe counties are much bigger and busier, and I bet they can say the same thing. They're helping the local ticket too. Besides, McCain may have an October surprise in the brush, as SSS says.

And two weeks ago, I got a call from somebody named Eric in California who is coming here to stay with his son and canvass or phone bank and help get out the vote right up through election day. He's a retired econ prof. I got him lined out with the right organizer.

If you draw Colorado, I think you should come. As Elway proved over and over, no lead is safe. Come on out.

[ToLiveIsToFly]

I've never done electoral canvassing, but I did door-to-door fundraising canvassing for more than fifteen years. I've got lots of friends who've done both, and they all tell me the experience is similar. I was good at it, and I think it was because I was able to communicate 3 things at the same time: "I'm here because I think this stuff is important enough for me to be here", "I'm going to ask you to do a lot because we need some people to do a lot and if we didn't ask, it would never happen" and "But I'm not going to think ill of you if you don't want to". The first two are key to having success, the third is the key to not hating yourself or the people you're talking to (and thus not having them hate you).

You'll meet a few people who are incredibly supportive and glad to see you there. You'll meet a bunch of people who are somewhere between on-the-fence and supportive and have a million things they'd rather be doing than talking to you. You'll meet some people who disagree with you and still respect you for being out there, and you'll meet a very few who disagree with you and resent you for being out there.

I did do GOTV calling during the 2006 elections, and I found that the closer it got to election day, the more times people had already been contacted, the less happy they were to hear from one more person urging them to get out and vote. But all the studies show that personal contacts (as opposed to robocalls) absolutely do increase turnout, even if the people act like they don't want to hear it. It's like your mom telling you to eat your spinach - you don't want to hear it, but the more times she tells you the more likely you are to actually eat it.

[SportsFan68]

But all the studies show that personal contacts (as opposed to robocalls) absolutely do increase turnout, even if the people act like they don't want to hear it.

My organization will never do robocalls again. The backlash was horrific. And it cost money we could have spent on something that works.

Fly's right -- personal contact works. The out of staters do the organizing (which they're very good at), the locals do the phone calling and canvassing (and even if they're not very good at it like Fly is, they're still effective).

[peacock2121]

Sting has this guy who comes and helps out here.

He has dropped a hammer on the tile floor and chipped the tile. He has worn his knee pads from tiling while eating lunch and scratched the wood underneath the island in my kitchen. He has stained the carpet in both bedrooms. They guy makes me crazy and he is socially awkward.

I now have to admire him. He and his wife got bused to Pa. yesterday to go door to door for Obama.

[TheCalvinator24]

Sting has this guy who comes and helps out here.

He has dropped a hammer on the tile floor and chipped the tile. He has worn his knee pads from tiling while eating lunch and scratched the wood underneath the island in my kitchen. He has stained the carpet in both bedrooms. They guy makes me crazy and he is socially awkward.

I now have to admire him. He and his wife got bused to Pa. yesterday to go door to door for Obama.

So, the fact that he's willing to volunteer for Obama outweighs the fact that he's an inconsiderate jerk?

[Hello, Mini!]

Sting has this guy who comes and helps out here.

He has dropped a hammer on the tile floor and chipped the tile. He has worn his knee pads from tiling while eating lunch and scratched the wood underneath the island in my kitchen. He has stained the carpet in both bedrooms. They guy makes me crazy and he is socially awkward.

I now have to admire him. He and his wife got bused to Pa. yesterday to go door to door for Obama.

So, the fact that he's willing to volunteer for Obama outweighs the fact that he's an inconsiderate jerk?

Women come to expect "inconsiderate jerk" as the default, and are pleased at the slightest gestures in any other direction....

[National Apathy Party]

You fools!

I wouldn't walk across the street for either of those bozos....

[Hello, Mini!]

You fools!

I wouldn't walk across the street for either of those bozos....

Yeah, well, you're still an inconsiderate jerk then....

[5LD]

There is something admirable in someone, that gets involved in the organization of a candidate they believe in and volunteers their time.

I think volunteering on any level with any organization is to be commended and I know too few people who do it for five minutes let alone get bussed to another state.

Go do it. Enjoy the mo. Be a part.
I have been doing some stuff here in Ohio and the volunteers are great. Most of people you talk to will be great as well. Their lists are GOOD - very accurate. You will be talking mostly to people who are independents. Door slams save you time. ENJOY!

[dodgersteve182]

Thanks! Great spirit here, I feel that i have more faith in the outcome because of the commitment to voting with your consciences you have all displayed here. Just trying to find a partner to go with me since they are working in teams of two as well as sharing the lodging in a hotel the same way. Unfortunately, I was sick all of last week and am about 90% back to normal (whatever that is?) today and NYC trip is next week. So if I am not jeopardizing my health, I will go gung ho on trying to pull this thing off. Las Vegas weather will be a factor too. I know dramamine will help with the bus rides.

Steve

[peacock2121]

Sting has this guy who comes and helps out here.

He has dropped a hammer on the tile floor and chipped the tile. He has worn his knee pads from tiling while eating lunch and scratched the wood underneath the island in my kitchen. He has stained the carpet in both bedrooms. They guy makes me crazy and he is socially awkward.

I now have to admire him. He and his wife got bused to Pa. yesterday to go door to door for Obama.

So, the fact that he's willing to volunteer for Obama outweighs the fact that he's an inconsiderate jerk?

Interesting that that is how you interpreted what I said.

If he were doing it for McCain I would admire him as well. I would disagree with him and admire him for his actions.

That he is not being selfish and self-centered and is spending 2 days of his life working for something beyond his pocketbook is admirable. That he is doing more than I am doing is admirable. That he is willing to be that uncomfortable and put himself in front of strangers for what he believes in is admirable. That doing that is so contrary to who I hold him to be is eye opening.