Colorado has been named by many folks as one of the most important battlegrounds in the presidential campaign, if not the most important. Obama's volunteers in Colorado had the most voter contacts of any state last weekend, even edging out much more populated states. This weekend, we're going head to head with Virginia in a challenge to see who has the most contacts. Will Colorado have a repeat of last weekend, or will Virginia have the edge this weekend? (The staff of the "losing" states will "win" the opportunity to phone bank for an hour to the "winning" state.)
I'm hoping that other folks who are canvassing this weekend will comment on their experiences today. Mine are below the fold.
I did a shift of canvassing in Boulder. It was truly a beautiful day for being out on the streets--73F and mostly sunny, leaves starting to turn. I was paired with another volunteer (who travelled to Texas and Pennsylvania in the primaries to GOTV for Obama and had some interesting stories to tell). We divvied up the addresses--odds and evens, you get these apartments, I'll get those, etc. The area we hit included a lot of rentals, so a lot of turnover. Our task was to gauge support for Obama and Udall, update the database information, register anyone we could find, and try to persuade folks to opt for mail-in ballots. (Colorado will have one of the longest ballots in the country this year, thanks to a too easily amended state constitution and 18 ballot initiatives.)
The people I spoke with were overwhelmingly Obama supporters, even the people who were not listed on my print-out (and whom I was adding to the database). I registered (or reregistered) five people. They were mostly college students, and they seemed very appreciative of the convenience of having someone come to their door, help them fill out the registration form (and check it for accuracy!), and then take it away to be turned in to the county clerk. I also explained to the first-time voters the importance of mailing a copy of their drivers license if they were doing mail-in ballots or taking it with them to the polls. (Yes, that's the way it works here... first time voters have to show photo id.) I also got several folks to fill out requests for mail-in ballots. Lots of newly registered voters, long ballot, could mean long lines--why not have the convenience to sit down at home and figure it all out when it's convenient?
I had some interesting conversations... one college student wanted additional registration forms for his roommates, who were out. He wanted to know how to check to make sure his registration form got in, so I gave him the telephone number and url for the Boulder County Clerk. One guy had recently moved from Texas (and was not the occupant I was seeking, but I got his info nonetheless), and he was very happy to have someone show up at his door, help him register, and give him information about first-time voting in the state.
At one apartment, the guy on my list had moved, but the new occupant was a disgruntled Republican who complained long and loud about Bush. We talked about Iraq (he was a Navy vet), the treatment of veterans, the cost of the war, all the scandals in Washington, etc. He strongly disliked McCain, but he worried that Obama is too much of an idealist. I gave him my spiel about why I'm voting for Obama, and he conceded that he was probably going to end up voting for him. (He's also definitely going to vote for Mark Udall for Senate and complained about Bob Schaffer, Udall's opponent.)
The conversations which bothered me... I ran into two men at a run-down apartment complex who can't because they are felons. (In Colorado, one can't vote while incarcerated or on parole.) With the first, it was unclear whether he was on parole or in the clear, but he was older, seemed really beat down, not all there, not interested... kind of sad. The second guy was on parole (showed me his monitoring anklet) and was really interested in the election. I sincerely hope he gets his act together and can vote in the next election. I know not all may agree, but I don't like voter disenfranchisement.
Anyway, it was another good canvassing experience, and I'm looking forward to doing it again tomorrow. Wondering how canvassing (or phone banking) went for other folks today?
Update: I wanted to add in a couple of links to show you what else is going on in Colorado... I really think Barack Obama has a broad, deep movement in our state, going far outside the normal Denver/Boulder strongholds.
Here's a link to a diary today by worldwidewally: Small town, Colorado....
And here's a link from a story just posted at fivethirtyeight.com by Sean Quinn about his experiences visiting Durango, CO: On the Road: Durango/Cortez, Colorado
Updating to add a couple more fresh canvassing diaries--I really do want to give something uplifting back to the the DK community and keep us focused on the positive and energized:
LeftyEnglish canvassed in St. Louis, MO
and
jovie131 canvassed in Addison Height, Virginia.
Keep up the good work!