Just a few reports from the field out here in cloudy Columbus, Ohio, doing GOTV canvassing for Mary Jo Kilroy.
You could subtitle this "the fledging of a canvasser". I've finally earned my bona fides.
I actually went out and did two canvassing shifts today.
The first was the morning shift; I went out with a partner in a huge precinct near the Ohio State University campus, heavily D, with many many names. In about 3 hours, I barely completed three blocks of it. The vast majority of them were "nobody home" but I did meet about 10 voters planning to vote, and two that had voted absentee. The mood was all-too-typical grumpy Sunday morning. I did manage to go through about half the door-hangers I was given, though.
The second was the evening shift; I went out by myself this time (something I could not do before). I was assigned a "plum" precinct, suburban single-family houses in nice outer-ring suburbs. The precinct had already been half covered, and the rest looked easy. If only I knew.
...3 and a half hours and at least 5 miles of running around later, I finally managed to complete five blocks -- about 2/3rd -- of the remaining precinct. At first it went easily, with many sympathetic Democrats (I even met the precinct captain!) and most people were home. The latter third turned ugly -- started with one refusing rather brusquely and another Republican threatening to sic his dog on me. With cold closing in, things pitch-dark in the neighborhood, and most people sitting down to dinner (and not answering the door) I completed the last third of the block and wrapped things up.
The Kilroy campaign was overall a joy to work with. They provided plenty of good food and moral support to us canvassers.
And all this...this was just the warmup. Next up: Election Day!