GOTV is hard work, both physically and mentally. You are asked to walk through oftentimes unfamiliar neighborhoods, trying to connect with perfect strangers. There are barking dogs, apathetic people, skeptics, and every once in a while a slammed door courtesy of a worked up tea partier. What's more, there are demands of being on your feet for hours in the sun, wind or rain. And when you meet someone ready to listen you must -- and there's no better way to put it -- make the sell. The direct ask is difficult for many. Rejection can be hard. However, we must overcome. The WI Senate District 8 recall election between Alberta Darling and Sandy Pasch is too important, too close, and your work is too necessary to leave it to others. Be a difference maker. Work GOTV.
Everyone from WI that cares about the direction Walker is taking our state needs to help get out the vote in one of the recall districts. Here in SD8 there are a number ways to help : the Pasch campaign and We Are Wisconsin are both running regular canvasses. But if grassroots is more your style, join us! We will be working key Milwaukee wards Aug 6-9. The election may be decided by Milwaukee turnout, and will definitely be won or lost on the ground. Work GOTV! Here's why:
- This Election Matters.
For months, Scott Walker and his lapdog legislators have been launching an assault on Wisconsin values. They are dismantling worker’s rights, defunding public education, giving massive tax breaks to their corporate masters, disenfranchising voters, pushing through the most hyper-partisan redistricting plan our state has ever seen, pitting working people against one another, and making draconian cuts to BadgerCare, FoodShare, and every other program that helps those in need.
We stood up and fought back. We packed the rotunda and Capitol Square. 14 brave Democratic Senators left the state to delay passage of Walker’s union-busting agenda. We launched recall efforts across the state, and tens of thousands of Wisconsinites signed petitions to fight against the Republican attack on the middle class. We made our voice heard. But they didn’t listen. They continued to ram through their corporate agenda, through whatever legal or illegal means the Fitzgerald brothers could conjure up. Through it all, we kept fighting. We forced 6 recall elections to remove Republicans from office. It is impossible to overstate the importance of these elections. If we don’t win at least 3 of these races, Scott Walker and the Republicans will continue to push through their corporate agenda – and who knows what they will think of next. If we don’t take back the Senate, we will not have any momentum going into the attempted Walker recall. The world is watching. Let’s show them what democracy looks like.
Polls have shown that the recall elections, including Darling / Pasch, are tight. There is a good chance the the SD8 election will be pivotal. Sandy Pasch is a great candidate with a record of fighting for the middle class. She is working tirelessly to return Senate District 8 to the people. She can win, but it will all come down to turnout. If all we do is mobilize the base in this Republican leaning district, we will likely lose. But, if we also connect with infrequent and new voters and get them to the polls, we will win. Mobilizing voters is labor intensive. We need people.
- GOTV works.
It is well known that face-to-face conversation is the most effective method of persuasion. We have analyzed recent targeted GOTV operations of The Playground Legends, a grassroots community organizing group we have volunteered with, in two recent elections. On April 5th TPL supported JoAnne Kloppenburg for state Supreme Court and in the July 12th recall primary TPL supported Sandy Pasch. We worked wards in the City of Milwaukee, ward 150 on April 5th and ward 260 on July 12th. Our analysis suggests that for these low-turnout elections each person-day of work was worth about eight extra votes for our candidate. This may not seem like all that much for a full days work. But consider that by the time it's over at least $2.5 million will have been spent trying to sway less than 25,000 swing votes. That comes out to at least $100 / vote. So, if you'd like, you can view your GOTV work as an $800 contribution.
- Our best advantage is people. Let's use it.
Our side will never outspend theirs. They have the money to buy more TV and radio ads, glossy literature and billboards. But as we saw in Madison in February, we have motivated people. We can realize this edge most dramatically by mobilizing a massive GOTV operation. The closer we get to election day, the power of money to get votes decreases while the power of work grows. On election day even a very large contribution has little value. But 100 additional people ready to work is huge.
- These are your elections.
If you live in Wisconsin, no matter where you live, the recall elections are yours. Most WI voters cannot vote in the recalls. And, of course, no one can vote in more than one. Every Wisconsinite, however, has the same at stake. To the residents of SD8, the consequences of a Pasch victory are the same as a Shelly Moore win in SD10. Each Democratic win gets us one seat closer to taking back the Senate and stopping Walker. The GOP Senators have shown that they are simply Walker's rubber stamp. These elections will determine if he gets to continue to force his far-right ideology down our throats. So, wherever you live in WI, find the nearest recall election and get to work.
- GOTV work is not charity, it is your responsibility.
Sandy Pasch is a great representative and has been a wonderful candidate. The work we will do to help Sandy win, however, is not for her. It is for us, our children, our friends and the future of Wisconsin.