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exciting tales of daring, adventure, and calling strangers on the phone to pester them about voting!
By Kelly | October 28, 2008
I pointed out to Chuck that the vagina-owning portion of society was vastly underrepresented on this blog. And he gave me powers. Political powers.
So, here I am. A woman. Kinda like Sarah Palin, only I have a pretty firm grip on the basics of the English language. Oh, and I know the world’s not just six thousand years old. And I know why we study fruit flies. And, I’m not pure evil. So maybe I’m not like Palin.
I can see a forign country from my house, though. (if I climbed on the roof)
I figured for my first post I would relate some of the more interesting moments of the election season, as an Obama volunteer.
Actually having the chance to travel to PA was amazing. If you’re into politics, and a blue state resident, take the time to hit the streets in a swing state. Words can’t even express how rewarding it is.
I remember one man who just asked questions for an hour. Foreign policy, health care, he wanted to know where Obama stood on everything. I really think, after shaking his hand, and leaving his porch, he had gone from a fence sitter to an Obama supporter.
During the primaries we knocked on a door and an elderly woman answered, she had to be at least 90. She said “oh, you want to speak to my daughter, it’s her house.” Well, it turns out they were both already Obama supporters. And then they called the granddaughter over. She was voting for the first time, and asked for a pin. I realized I was standing there with three generations, the oldest most likely born before women could even vote in the US. It was a very humbling experience.
In Erie my friend and I said “send us to poor people and young people.” What do I know of the worries of the rich? Capital gains taxes? Inheritance tax? I drive a 12 year old economy car! I know what it’s like to worry about paying bills, and not have health insurance. Send me where people have the same worries.
So, they did. We were assigned a local to travel with us (always go in groups, the world can be a dangerous place), who was clearly not comfortable with the neighborhood. Me, I didn’t care. It reminded me of the west side here in Buffalo. Door to door to door, finding one Obama supporter after another. One person asking for a registration form after another. And not just that- people asking for yard signs, pins, and how to get involved. I volunteered for Kerry. I volunteered for Dean. I volunteered for Gore. I have NEVER had someone corner me while walking to ask where they could sign up to help. On several houses we saw home-made signs in the windows, but no one home. We left them handwritten notes of the campaign office address, saying “come on by to help out, or just to get a yard sign!” More than a few took us up on the offer.
More than one African-American asked us for a pin or sign for their child for a memento. One woman said “I never thought I’d see the day. But now, when I say he can grow up to do anything, he believes me.” I admit, after hearing that I cried.
And then, well, there’s the people who just confound you. I’ve called to the south a lot- Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina. Most people are polite. A few were flat out racist, and it’s not tough to hang up on them. But one guy in West Virginia just floored me. “I never thought I’d be voting for a [here he dropped the n-bomb], but goddamnit, that McCain will leave me bankrupt. I can’t live like this for four more years!”
How on earth do you respond to that?
I went with “… um…. well…. uh…. yeah, it’s true, a vote for McCain would be a vote for four more years of the Bush policies. On behalf of Senator Obama I thank you for your support. thankyouforyourtimehaveagooodevening *click*”
And then I thought… McCain doesn’t even have a grip on the racist vote anymore. Wow.
(drunken results watching at my house tuesday!)
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