I'll be honest--I'm having an awful day today. The usual news and analysis I include in this series just isn't happening. So, sorry about that.
I did run across a good article at nonsequiteuse, though, about the many different ways to volunteer for a campaign. The article is timely given Wendy Davis' announcement last week that she is indeed running for governor. We're a little ways off from her campaign fully getting off the ground, but how exactly we are going to be involved in getting Wendy elected is worth thinking about, because all of us has a role to play.
If you're like me, the idea of working on a campaign is more than a little off-putting. I'm a rather introverted person who does not like leaving my bubble very often. Barack Obama was the first candidate who made me want to get involved in a political campaign. I initially tried my hand at phone-banking, and I realized quickly that it wasn't for me. The field director then transferred me to data entry, which is where I spent many, many evenings doing mundane--but important nevertheless--work. The thing to remember about campaigns is that there is something for most everybody. You don't have to call people, nor do you have to knock on doors if you don't want to. The important thing is that you are involved and doing something.
nonsequiteuse lists fifteen major ways to get involved on a campaign. Follow me below the fold for the list, but first...
bastrop, nomandates, and I are the admins of a new group (created by bastrop) that I would like to plug. The group is called Turning Texas: Election Digest, and--as the name indicates--we intend the group to be the clearinghouse for all diaries related to Texas elections, from the governor's race to state and local elections. As we begin the fight to turn Texas into a battleground state, it will serve us well to have a central location for all of our state's election information. Please follow the group to keep abreast of all news regarding Texas elections.
Texas Matters is a Monday evening series focusing on Texas political news while sharing information and strategies with the aim of taking back our state.
Now, the many different ways to make yourself useful on a campaign. There are the obvious ones, like block-walking and phone-banking, which are first and second on the list.
1. Block Walk
I encourage you to try this even if you think you can’t talk to people. You can go with a partner and see how it is done. You aren’t knocking on just any door; you are given a list of addresses in a neighborhood for people who are likely voters. Primarily, you knock, no one answers, and you leave a door hanger. You get exercise, soak up a little Vitamin D, and help get the candidate’s name in front of voters. A win for everyone.
2. Phone Bank
If I can do it, you can do it. Smile when you talk, because it really does help. For every 10 numbers you dial, you might reach one person, so get busy and don’t fret over making that first call. Find out if you are supposed to leave voice messages or not before you start. Sometimes, those are the most fun of all. Campaigns will provide scripts, but don’t be afraid to modify them (for style, not substance) to make them sound more like you. If you start off sounding friendly and identifying yourself as a volunteer, only one in a million people will be nasty to you. Just think of that as payback for the times you’ve hung up rudely on a phone solicitor. Most will be either friendly OR honest about wanting to get off the phone. Once in a while, you have a great chat with an older person (because that’s who has land lines) who will reinforce your faith in humanity and democracy with their passion for your candidate or issue.
Campaigns host phone banks because they work. Try it before you say it isn’t for you.
But, of course, block-walking and phone-banking aren't for everybody. I know that, as excited as I am about Wendy, I probably won't be doing very much of it. But there are several other ways to do your part. A campaign, after all, is a machine with many working parts. You just have to figure out what kind of "part" you are.
For example, you could enter data. There are organizers who look down on data entry--I know because I've met them before. But the reality is that data entry is a vital part of any campaign, and people who are well-versed in whatever system the campaign is using are very necessary.
When volunteers return from phone-banking, and when donations come in, someone has to log them into the computer. If you think data entry is your thing, please make a commitment for the long haul. Campaign staff can train you, but to make the most of the time they spend training you, you need to show up on a regular basis. And, accuracy is very, very important. Take your time and get it right. The campaign uses this information to plan future block-walks and phone banks, and relies upon it for mandatory financial reports.
Other ways to get involved include, but are not limited to:
- Delivering yard signs.
- Cleaning the campaign office. Because anybody who has ever worked on a campaign knows how messy it can get--and how important cleaning is.
- Hosting a meet-and-greet. You can invite some friends over and have a house party to talk informally about the candidate. Simple conversations with friends and neighbors over food and coffee--this is the stuff of which any successful campaign is made.
- Collecting and donating office supplies to the campaign.
- Bringing food. As somebody who has spent quite a bit of time in a campaign office, I can't stress this one enough.
- Working polling locations on Election Day and asking people to vote for your candidate.
- Giving money to or raising money for the campaign.
As you can see, even if you're not spending your days or evenings in a campaign office, you can be a part of a campaign. If the thought of phone-banking still terrifies you after you give it a try, find another way to contribute. And, of course, here's something that is even more up our alley here on Daily Kos:
13. Get busy on the internet
There’s a famous campaign saying you should know: signs don’t vote. Aside from being obviously true, inasmuch as signs lack opposable thumbs or rights under the constitution—so far, that is—it means that you should never assume that the quantity of signs you see equals the number of votes a candidate will get.
Internet comments don’t vote, either, nor do Facebook posts, tweets, or even hilarious .gifs. Still, all of those things play a role.
Play nice. Speak truth. Be brief. Comment first on an article about your candidate, and say something positive without resorting to mudslinging about the other candidate. That helps get the message out, and makes the people who comment after you look like jerks.
In this day and age, social media matters and can actually play a huge role in a campaign. We need to make the most out of it.
So there are some things to think about as we gear up to put Wendy in the Governor's Mansion. It's going to take effort from all of us. Many of us are busy and won't be able to put in the amount of time others of us are able to, but everybody can do something. This race is too important--for Texas and for the country--for any of us to sit on our hands.
Texas Diary Round-Up (10/1/2013 - 10/7/2013)
swrussel: A Question for Bubba (10/1/2013)
ValleyForger: Ted Cruz is taking down the Tea Party (10/2/2013)
Egberto Willies: Governor of most uninsured state says Obamacare 'a criminal act' (10/2/2013)
skip945: TX-10, Gov't Shutdown, and my wedding (10/3/2013)
PracticalPat: An Open Letter to Republicans from a Texan (10/3/2013)
poopdogcomedy: TX-Gov: Pro-Life Extremists Waste No Time Attacking Wendy Davis (D) (10/3/2013)
kos: Wendy Davis for Texas governor (10/3/2013)
anotherdemocrat: I was at the Austin party for Wendy Davis' announcement (10/3/2013)
PoliticsJunky: Wendy Davis is in (and She Can Win!) (10/3/2013)
Fake Irishman: Medicaid subsidy gaps, (explained Bollywood style!) (10/4/2013)
Egberto Willies: Wendy Davis Announces For Texas Governor – Enthusiasm Very High (VIDEO) (10/4/2013)
PracticalPat: Suggestion re:Shutdown: Add money ticker to time ticker (10/4/2013)
BlackSheep1: Rep. Randy Neugebauer Wrote Me Today (10/4/2013)
pipsorcle: TX-19: Democratic Candidate Neal Marchbanks Responds to Rep. Randy Neugebauer's Rant on Park Ranger (10/5/2013)
DarkSyde: Your one stop Obamacare shop (10/6/2013)
bastrop: Turning Texas: A Wendy Davis Primer (10/6/2013)
Mark27: Red State Senate Races: Geographic Paths to Victory (10/6/2013)
bastrop: The End of Hot in Austin, Texas is a Blessing. (photo heavy) (10/6/2013)
Vladislaw: Wendy Davis - Livestreamed (10/6/2013)
Fake Irishman: Shutdown stupid statement contest: Texas congressional delegation division (10/6/2013)
hannah: R. Ted Cruz, the man who came to dinner (10/7/2013)
swrussel: Earth to Washington: WTF? (10/7/2013)
poopdogcomedy: TX-Gov: Check Out Wendy Davis' (D) "A Texas Story" Video (10/7/2013)
Got more Texas news stories or action alerts? Share them in the comments!