My wife made me canvas for Obama; here's what I learned

[heliochrome85]

I came across this, when going through the Christian Science Monitor's website earlier today...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/....html

My wife made me canvas for Obama; here's what I learned This election is not about major policies. It's about hope.

By Jonathan Curley

from the November 3, 2008 edition

Charlotte, N.C. - There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better "ground game" and superior campaign organization.

I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I'm not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election.

Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again.

I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I'm white, 55, I live in the South and I'm definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins.

I am the dreaded swing voter.

So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told.

At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn't the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me.

Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood.

We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, "Who is it?"

"We're from the Obama campaign," we'd answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk.

Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time.

Young people came to the door rubbing sleep from their eyes to find out where they could vote early, to make sure their vote got counted.

We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day's work.

I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things."

It's not about taxes. I'm pretty sure mine are going to go up no matter who is elected.

It's not about foreign policy. I think we'll figure out a way to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan no matter which party controls the White House, mostly because the people who live there don't want us there anymore.

I don't see either of the candidates as having all the answers.

I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.

My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.

Jonathan Curley is a banker. He voted for George H.W. Bush twice and George W. Bush once.

[themadscientist]

I have no problem with hope. I do have a problem with how eaasily many Americans will fall in line behind the first pied piper blowing a sweet tune.

[heliochrome85]

no i understand that. i think though that one cant blame them since its the first music we've heard in a long time (to continue your analogy.) I mean honestly, i want him to win, as selfish as it may sound, in the hopes that it will set a precedent and allow my kids or grandkids to take a shot at the white house. His campaign has inspired millions of previously uninspired voters across this country, and the world. Myself included. Rove-ian ad hominem attacks must end, because in the end, they distract from whats truly important, the future of this country. While im not smitten completely with Obama's policies, McCain's tactics, and rhetoric have turned me off so completely that i can not imagine ever haveing considered him in the first place. Its disgusting.

I think its time for the GOP to undergo a revolution and push out the fringe elements that have destroyed the platform established by diehard republicans such as Goldwater. As said by many before me, "I didn't leave the republican party, the party left me."

[themadscientist]

That is the problem with making decisions based on desperation, they are never informed and have the potential to make the situation worse. I don't think Americans are ready to break the shackles of two party entrenched politics yet. I see this election as having the potential to be the last straw. Obama scares the hell out of me, he inspires people but when the honeymoon is over and he has to actually do something the inspriration will turn to depression.

The advatages of a McCain win IMO are twofold.1. He can hold the machine together long enough during the seminal stages of rising enthusiasm for real change. The country is in too fragile a condition right now to effectively "ghostride the country" with an Obama administration. He can finish up this middle east thing and bring us through the recession in an Eisenhower-like spirit.

2. The four years will be adequate time for people to calm down, drop the zealotous knee-jerk enthusiasm and do some serious soul searching about what they want. Just saying "change" and "hope" all the time tells people nothing about what you are about but you only have to keep it up for a year colorored with emotion. Four years of no election cycle will weed out the flash in the pan candidates and allow consistent competent agents of change to emerge in preparation for 2012'.

If McCain is elected 2012 looks bright for the potential of a competetive third party rising from the chaos of the demise of the Republican and Democratic parties.

[480sx]

Obama scares the hell out of me, he inspires people but when the honeymoon is over and he has to actually do something the inspriration will turn to depression.

Maybe thats what we need though. A depressed angry population. You can do a lot more with anger and depression than you can with apathy.

Idk the guy has a lot of potential IMO. Hes most likely going to be voted in, and really only time will tell if hes up to the task. I can tell you i for one will follow his career closely and with a crap ton of scrutiny. He may be 'The One' but he still has to walk the walk.

[themadscientist]

Depressed people don't make rational decisions. Imagine going through an ugly divorce, the baggage that would bring to your thinking. Now you are ready to marry the first person you go on a date with? Not good, never good. Most of Obama's appeal is that he is not George Bush. That is not enough of a KSA to give him the job.

[480sx]

Depressed people don't make rational decisions.

Neither do people in 'normal mode' from what i have seen. I think people will be angry before they are depressed. If Obama does turn out to make the mess worse, people are going to feel robbed.

[WDRacing]

I hope things are so F'd up we have a revolution. Why, cuz what we have sucks. The only way to get it done right is to start over...aint gonna happen without a revolution.

Like Mike said in another thread, these SOBs have been taking our money and spending it on hookers and blow for long enough.

[ishkabibble]

"ghostride the country"

Love it.

A McCain win won't bring about much change. The respectable McCain of 2000, yes. The Rove-ian McCain of 2008, no. He's sacrificed what he is all about in order to win. Now he's like every other pol.

The Repubs need a few years to lick their wounds and get their act together. Then maybe they can be respectable again. If not, you might see the party split and then they will lose major elections until god knows when.

[themadscientist]

I am hoping both parties fall apart and the moderates from both camps coalesce into a strong third party. The dogmatic lefties and righties left without moderates to smooth the remaining old-school out will bring about their own demise.

I am still rolling over this though.

This ish is happening in OUR world and going unchecked and unpunished.

[heliochrome85]

id like to see that too. but i suspect ill see the statue of liberty be replaced with french flag before i see that.

too many fat cats on the take.

[Cold_Zero]

On Sunday I was over at my buddy Nate's apartment waiting for them to get ready so we go to our Area Reformation services, when an Obama canvasser knocked on the door. They were looking for the woman that lived their prior to Nate. She left some 'information' and then left. Of course there is supposed to be no soliciting in the apartment complex. I was pretty surprised that Nate just let the lady go; I would have talked her ear off. bud

[AZhitman]

A McCain win won't bring about much change. The respectable McCain of 2000, yes. The Rove-ian McCain of 2008, no. He's sacrificed what he is all about in order to win. Now he's like every other pol.

The Repubs need a few years to lick their wounds and get their act together. Then maybe they can be respectable again. If not, you might see the party split and then they will lose major elections until god knows when.

ish and I don't agree about much, but this post is solid.

...My name is "ish's Daddy" and I approve this message....

[heliochrome85]

agreed sir.

if it were not for the religious right hijacking the party, i would have voted republican today....

...Btw, i just sent in my absentee ballot today. Its kinda strange that my first non-primary vote occured outside the united states.

I kept the envelope the ballot came in as a reminder.

[Cold_Zero]

Helio,Do you vote in Allen or Hamilton County?

[heliochrome85]

marion.

[Cold_Zero]

Did you vote for Carson or Campo?

[heliochrome85]

carson. i met the guy, thought he was very good guy. that being said, it effects me as little as humanly possible right now.

[Jesda]

All I got out of that article was that black people vote for black people... except my stepdad who works for a living and can't stand Obama as a result.

[Jesda]

Love it.

A McCain win won't bring about much change. The respectable McCain of 2000, yes. The Rove-ian McCain of 2008, no. He's sacrificed what he is all about in order to win. Now he's like every other pol.

What the heck was respectable about McCain in 2000? All he did was kiss left-wing and mass media butt by voting with the Democrats over and over. And it worked -- everyone forgot about the Keating 5. Now that he's pretending to be conservative he's suddenly evil?

The guy's an empty vessel, like his pretend-foe Barry O.

[ishkabibble]

...My name is "ish's Daddy"

Hey now, I thought we were going to keep that private.

[Bubba1]

ish and I don't agree about much, but this post is solid.

...My name is "ish's Daddy" and I approve this message....

But the real question is did Ish's Mom approve Hitman's message?

[AZhitman]

But the real question is did Ish's Mom approve Hitman's message?

Think she might have been angry with me for being too permissive during young Ish's upbringing.

[JustinStrife]

All I got out of that article was that black people vote for black people... except my stepdad who works for a living and can't stand Obama as a result.

Howard Stern did a piece interviewing black people on the street. He asked them if they agreed with Obama's policies and positions, but was inputting McCain's policies into the question. His last question even brought up Palin as 'Obama's VP choice'. All the people questioned were in total agreement with McCain's policies. I should try and find the link to the audio.

There needs to be some kind of test against stupidity before people are allowed to vote.

[ishkabibble]

There needs to be some kind of test against stupidity before people are allowed to vote.

How would the Repubs win without their support from Middle America?

[Jesda]

Obama is from Illinois (as am I). I guess he's an ignorant straw-chewing redneck farmer.

[ishkabibble]

Obama supports the current batch of Republicans? News to me.

[Jesda]

Obama supports the current batch of Republicans? News to me.

Illinois is in middle America.

It looks a bit like this:

[ishkabibble]

Where did I say all of Middle America? I said their support from Middle America.

I'm from Middle America, too, dontchyaknow.

[Jesda]

Where did I say all of Middle America? I said their support from Middle America.

Your communication needs improvement. You can't expect total comprehension of what you're intending to say if you don't make it clear whether you are suggesting middle America is entirely dominated by Republicans, or if you specifically referring to the Republican-leaning segment of middle America.