I want to help us win this election. I really do. I know if we don't win, it will be partially my fault. If I do nothing and we lose, and in a couple of years find myself with two little brothers fighting in a war with Iran, one already enlisted, the other drafted because we've stretched ourselves too thin, I fear it will be my partially my fault because I didn't do enough.
I'm not saying this to be cute, or to be popular on this website, I'm saying it because that's how I really feel. I was talking to my dad tonight, a relatively conservative man who lives in western North Carolina. I don't think he likes McCain all that much, although I'm not sure he's going to vote for Obama either. Regardless, I think he's wise and trust his counsel when he says that Gov. Palin will draw a lot of women voters, and there are a lot of people in the South who won't vote for Obama, only because he's a black man.
More after the fold...
But I refuted him, "after all we've been through, would people really gamble the future of this country, electing another George Bush, solely because the other choice, the better choice, is a black man". He told me yes. He's right. If America is going to change, we're going to have to drag it kicking and screaming all the way.
So I've resolved to do more than vote, do more than blog and talk with my friends. I've resolved to knock on doors, to put my face in my community. I figure I can spend at least my Saturdays up to the election knocking on doors, helping spread the word.
I've tried this before though. I've knocked on doors, trying to register voters. I knocked on probably 40-50 doors, and only registered three voters. I'm sure that even those three were a start, but I couldn't help but feel I was doing something wrong.
Now I see this new Neighbor to Neighbor application on MyBarackObama.com. This is right up my alley. Its not an easy drive to Obama headquarters, and this application seems to make canvassing easier. It provides you with a list of people in your neighborhood, a script and even some fliers to distribute. There's even a training video.
Sounds easy right? Not for me. I've never done this before, and chances are if I do this I'll be either doing it alone or doing it with someone even more inexperienced than I.
So I call upon the wisdom of the crowd here at D. K. to give me, and anyone else who wants to be the best they can be, to give me whatever tips and insight you may have. Some questions I might have are:
- Should I stick specifically to the script, or deviate in a way that makes me comfortable?
-What should I wear? Should I dress casually or more professionally?
-There's a checklist of questions I have to answer. Should I mark their information down while they answer, or wait until the conversation is finished?
Those are just a few questions, but I would appreciate anything else my friends here would be willing to contribute. I'm sure I'm not the only person on here who is a little shy when it comes to such things, so I'm sure any help for me would also be a help to others.
I'm going to sit here and listen to my Sam Cooke LP and see what you guys have to say. Thank you in advance!