Who won the canvassing weekend? Did Colorado have more voter contacts, or was it Virginia, or did some upstate state like Ohio knock both of us down for size? Really, we all know the real winner this weekend: his first name starts with B, and his last name starts with O.
Thought I'd post another "rah rah canvassing!" diary with more stories behind the doorbell, plus links to today's other canvass-related diaries. More below the fold. I know this is exactly the kind of diary we all need--something to get us pumped up and out there knocking on doors! Or phone banking! Or writing LTEs! You get the idea! :>)
I'd like to start with links to today's other canvassing diaries (the ones I was able to find):
Please. Please. Please. another small update
by Christin--this is on the rec list, and it's an excellent canvassing pep talk! Hotlist it and refer back to it! Christin is in New Jersey.
“Are You the Obama Folks...???
by Prairie Logic--read this for PL's tale of an inspiring encounter with a Republican voting for Obama in N. Virginia (aka NoVA :>) as well as registering an all new voter (woo hoo!).
Action: WI canvassing tips (w/gender differences)
by cityvitalsigns--the tale of a canvasser in WI who learned that it's better to just not mention Palin at all out on the street.
Volunteer Report From the Ground: Pennsylvania
by dansac--an inspiring diary about a weekend canvassing in Bucks County, PA. Busloads of volunteers from Manhattan! Highly organized field office!
Have Clipboard Will Canvass
by Dave the Wave--Dave obviously has canvassing on the brain, as he uses his diary to canvass you.
Obama Canvass Diary - Week 8
by Heidiho610--another tale from canvassing in the Cleveland, Ohio area from a dedicated volunteer.
I was canvassing again in Boulder, Colorado. I didn't register any new voters today (boo hoo), but I helped three people fill out requests for mail-in ballots. (And I left an application for a man who was thinking about it...) Letting people know that Colorado will have one of the longest ballots in the country, and reminding them that we have tons of new voters registered helps convince many people to take the easy, mail-in route...
It was another day of seeing many Obama supporters. I actually talked to the spouse or parent of four other Obama volunteers who were out that day! One surprising comment that I got today a few times: "Why are you here in Boulder, in my neighbhorhood? Why aren't you in Aurora/Broomfield/Pueblo, where you're needed?" Thanks to our dedicated field organizers (and thanks to all of you), I was able to say this: "We are in Aurora, Broomfield, and Pueblo today, and in fact, we're out in many, many cities and towns across the country. You can't see them from your house, but I guarantee that they're out there." Then I told them about how Colorado had the most voter contacts last weekend and that we need to make contact with all of Obama's supporters, all over the state. Yeah, Boulder is an Obama stronghold, but what that means that we have to get out every single supporter here in order to win the state. People are pumped up.
A few interesting stories... one man almost chewed me out for not skipping his house because he has Obama and Udall yard signs out. I explained to him part of my job is also to make sure that the names we have down are correct; it's not just about counting supporters. Canvassing is also about making sure we have names, addresses, and degree of support accurately logged into the computer so we can check them off once early voting comes. One young woman--a CU student--was undecided but leaning Obama, and we chatted about health care coverage and the Democrats vs. Republicans and also Joe Biden's work on the Violence Against Women Act (big deal when I was a CU student myself, oh so many years ago). At one house, the occupant I had listed had moved, and apparently the new resident was a Republican, because she laughed a long and nasty laugh at me (I just walked away), but of course, the kind man at the next house thanked for me being out doing what I was doing and told me to "Keep up the good work!" One Cruella deVille laugh is the closest I've come to a McCain supporter, so I consider myself pretty lucky.
My prize today for my work: an Obama/Biden yard sign. The buttons, bumper stickers, and yard signs are apparently flying out of the Boulder office, so now, they're reserving the signs for people who canvass.
How was the experience for other canvassers today?