I know, you or a friend tried phone-banking in the past and got your heart and soul ripped out. You listened to the rants of rude and crazy people who should probably be locked-up in a basement somewhere and said never again. Been there, done that.
But, guess what? It doesn't bother me at all! In fact, I actually rather enjoy it. What no one probably ever told you is that your time was NOT wasted! Far from it.
Why? I know it seems counter-intuitive, but I understand that I have just collected important information for the campaign. I have identified independent and/or undecided voters with whom we no longer need be bothered. Databases can be updated, records corrected, and the information can be used to direct resources to other more friendly voters. Nobody will need to canvass, call, or mail literature to these people again which will save your candidate time and money for other things now and in the future.
So I encourage, implore, and beg you to try again. Just smile, punch in the data, and realize that the nut-job on the other end of the phone just gave you exactly the information you were looking for. Job well done! Whether you realize it or not, you are in fact performing an extremely important service. So, go forth with good cheer, knowing it is this kind of effort that makes the difference between winning and losing elections.
The good news is that as the election gets closer, most GOTV involves contacting likely Democratic voters which, thanks entirely to your hard work, becomes a lot more efficient and much more fun. Bank on it.
