Okay, I finally got my butt off the computer and into action. About a month ago I reported on canvassing in this diary. Hope you'll indulge me in another on-the-ground report! I'm sorry that I have no pix, but I can tell you that the rhododendrons and lilacs are in bloom and it's a cloudy but lovely spring day here in the Pacific NW. Our mail-in ballots have dropped and the streets are literally swarming with canvassers.
Results below the fold!
Hubby and I dragged along our 9 year old daughter, shamelessly bribing her with a promise of ice cream afterward. We went to Obama HQ, which was bustling as always, and picked up our turf from the cheerful young staffer. She also connected us with the local organizer in our SW neighborhood, so we'll be calling him and try go out again tomorrow.
Anyway, the turf we got was in the Westmoreland/Brooklyn neighborhood in SE Portland, basically a working class/students/middle class mix of older homes and apartments. Almost all white, but very much mixed income. A lot of couches on the front porches. And some fancier fixed up homes as well.
Lots of folks were not at home, but of the 76 doors we knocked on, 3 were Hillary supporters and 10 were firm and enthusiastic Obama supporters. Several more refused to say who they voted for, or were undecided. Tiny sample size, but I'd guess that the Rasmussen poll out today showing a 51/39 split in Oregon is probably pretty accurate.
The Obama supporters (mostly youngish, mix men and women) were uniformly happy and excited to see me. My favorite: the young man who came to the door talking on the phone (usually the kiss of death for canvassing) and he said "Hey, here's an Obama person now!" Turns out he was on the phone with his mom "and we've been talking about Obama for the last 20 minutes." I assume he was trying to switch her vote, as he was a firm supporter. Anyway I cheered him on and went on my way.
One of the undecided was a 30ish woman who kept saying it was hard not to vote for the first woman president. Yet she didn't like Hillary particularly, feels she is quasi-Republican, the gas tax is dumb, etc. So I just tried to do a soft sell and hopefully left her leaning a bit more toward Obama.
The last voter of the day, alas, was a very anti-Obama Hillary supporter. He launched into a diatribe about how he "knew" that Obama could not possibly win in November and that "winning in all those red states means NOTHING!" When I started trying to counter his "big state" argument, he was quite hostile. I figured I better give up, so politely said "okay, thanks for your time" and turned to go. He said something like "I can tell you've got a closed mind, I can see it in your eyes" (quite bitterly may I say!) so I figured what the hell, turned back and tried to re-engage in the conversation.
I said that absolutely, I agreed with him that the most important thing was to elect a Democrat in November, and that if Hillary was the nominee, I would "totally" support her (but didn't add, I sure as hell won't be out pounding the pavement for her...). "Oh. Well, that's good to hear."
I acknowledged that Ohio and Florida and Pennsylvania are important, but so are Virginia, Wisconsin, etc. I pointed out how Sibelius and McCaskill are supporting Obama and feel he will help for down ticket races in those red states even if he didn't win the state. And that it's hard to know how exactly the electoral math might come out, and there are different ways of looking at it. "Yes, that's right." So, feeling like we'd gotten thru the worst of it and were back on civil terms, I again thanked him for his time and turned to go.
"Have a nice day!" he said as I left--and I felt a lot better! Not kumbayah, by any means, but at least it goes a long way to give a little to the other side and express Democratic unity. (even if it kills me in the light of all HRC has been doing...)
Okay, so we sank gratefully back into the car (yes it is a Prius I must admit) and went and had not only ice cream but a delicious roast beef sandwich. All in all, a great Democratic day.
Now I need to go fill out my ballot and put it in the mail! Yes, we can.