I've been reading dKos for just over 4 years now, and I have to admit it's become something of a compulsion. When I'm waiting for anything, --a red light, a computer-intensive task at work, just about anything-- I pull up the Great Orange Satan on my iPhone and look for the latest good news or outrage.
I've come to care deeply about all sorts of aspects of how our nation is governed and its leaders elected that I never paid attention to four years ago. I can't even listen to NPR's political coverage any more without yelling to my car radio that that was just a RW talking point, or why didn't you bring up that important part that your listeners deserve to know?
But I rarely talk about politics to coworkers or anyone else other than my wife and close friends. Why?
I think it's because I'm afraid to fail. How can I get across all the outrage without raving like a lunatic? How can I explain the subtle but important ways that events have been spun into a false narrative without requiring 30 minutes to bring someone up to speed on all the ways that they have been lied to? A fellow ultimate frisbee player even offered to exchange emails debating the merits of the candidates with an open mind, and he's leaning for McCain, but I haven't taken him up on it... yet.
I'm also a shy engineer. I don't enjoy parties and making small talk with strangers is.... ugh. I envy people people who enjoy striking up a conversation with any stranger and can put anyone at ease, but I'm not one of them. And I really resent people coming to my door to sell something. So I'm not a prime candidate to do canvassing...
But the more I read, the more I want to do something about it, so I read more (as if that will help) until I know I have to do something different.
So today I attended a democratic meeting/rally with our local candidates, including Hank Eng for our congressional district and Mark Udall for Senate. For those who don't know, CD-6 is quite a red district in the suburbs South of Denver. And Highlands Ranch is an 80,000 102,000 person, unincorporated housing development right in the middle of it. In 2000, we didn't didn't even field a Democratic candidate for congress. So it was great to see about 200 people come out in Highlands Ranch for this (Mark Udall speaking):
At the Obama table I picked up a sticker, and our friendly local Obama volunteer coordinator asked if I wanted to join in canvassing today. After considerable hemming and hawing, I agreed. Later she gave me a nice packet with the canvassing map, a script, and the list of names and addresses, some instructions, and a bunch of registration/mail-in-ballot applications. What have I gotten myself into? But I plucked up my courage and went for it I ran into a bunch of (mostly polite) McCain supporters, a lot of not-homes, and it was starting to rain.
But then I got to a house with a whole friendly family who wanted to vote for Obama. There was a republican husband turned Obamican, a nice mother, two voting-age kids and one of their friends. They invited me inside and we sat around their kitchen table. I offered to sign them up for mail-in ballots and they enthusiastically agreed. A couple of the kids weren't sure they were registered, and weren't really sure they were going to, so they were very relieved to find out that I could help them out with that. And the mail-in ballot sign-up was also a big hit. They wanted to know if I could get them yard signs for their corner lot, so they could show their support despite their republican neighbors. I asked if anyone wanted to volunteer and the mom was interested, so I gave her the number of the Obama coordinator. Sweet. Two extra Obama votes and a new Obama volunteer.
More paydirt with the next house, with another for-sure Obama voter, who was happy to get a mail-in ballot form. It was starting to rain again, hard, and she offered an umbrella, which I gladly accepted, since that was the only way I was going to be able to keep going through this:
Now the McCain folks didn't bother me. I was amused when a couple said that they were on the fence before, but now that Palin was on McCain's team, they were all in. For McCain. (Really!) Feet wet, but happy, I returned to the temporary Obama Highlands Ranch headquarters with 5 filled out mail-in ballot applications, a bunch of data for the database, and a new volunteer. A better canvasser certainly could have done more than I did to get more information on people's opinions of the issues. And if I were better at this I might have found more opportunities to make some persuasive points in Obama's favor, but I know today I helped elect Obama infinitely more than if I kept flipping from blog to blog today.
And if I can do it, you can too.