November 1, 2008
As this historic election loomed closer it became clear that every last vote would count. The Republicans, master of filthy tricks (dirty is too clean a word), would spare nothing and have spared nothing in trying to hold on to power for another four years. I flip-flop (pardon the expression) between elation and depression. One minute I believe that there'll be a landslide - that the polls, showing Barack Obama to be somewhat ahead are wrong. They're surely not counting all the kids with cellphones (you can't poll an unlisted number, right?) who are out there and going to vote. And, I reason, there's deep, deep disappointment and anger in the land that the pollsters are not reading and that this will volcanically erupt on Tuesday in an outpouring of determination to change the country's direction. Halevai!
The next minute anxiety sets in - Fox network and the GOP have so poisoned the atmosphere that people are confused. So confused that too many of them will be fearful of voting for Obama The Unknown and will elect McSame - proving, once again, that you can fool enough people over and over again, actually convincing them to vote against their very own self interests. Not to mention the Republicans' well-known techniques of voter suppression of which they are masters.
A visit to a swing state like Pennsylvania to volunteer for the Obama campaign was meant to elevate the positive side of my outlook. And it did! Seeing the number of volunteers (in person) involved in this historic campaign is exhilarating. Young people have been fired up by the millions. We saw this not only in the volunteers who are predominantly young but in our visits to houses where, time and again, older people might answer the door but would reference their support for Obama to the influence of their children or grandchildren.
One woman who I engaged in discussion, confused by the claims of McCain that Obama would increase her taxes, asked me if I believed what Obama was saying. I told her I wouldn't have driven down from New York to spend my Saturday in a Philadelphia suburb if I thought that he was an impostor. To which she shouted inwards to some interior room behind her - "Christine, who should I vote for?" "Obama!" came the reply from a youthful and exuberant voice. "That's my daughter. She wants me to vote for Obama and I probably will." This theme repeated itself in several of the houses I visited. Young people, I believe, are the vanguard of huge change that's coming to our country. Not imbued with the racism and cynicism of many of their oldsters they look at Obama and see a positive symbol of change, honesty and compassion. When they look at his McCain/Palin they feel they're looking at the past. A past based on anger, division, distortion and selfishness. That bodes well for our country's future and, likewise, our world.
We arrived at the Obama campaign office to find crowds of people signing up for the day's work. This was just one of many offices in and around Philadelphia and throughout the state.
This campaign worker had the presidential race all buttoned up.
Checking out the campaign packets before training.
Mark Dowd, the regional coordinator, trained us. He gave us instructions for the work we'd be doing for the rest of the day.
One of many New Yorkers who came down to Northeast Philadelphia for the Saturday before Election Day.
We came to Philadelphia on the urging of my friend Diane who had been there several times before and who has been working the phone banks up in New York as well. We drove down in two cars, leaving New York around 7:00 a.m. After training by a campaign worker, we drove to our assigned neighborhood and, following the lists supplied in our packet, knocked on the doors of identified Obama supporters. The idea at this late date was to get out the vote on the coming Tuesday. Many people were not home on a Saturday morning - out, I suppose, doing their family chores of shopping and schlepping. But those we did speak to were friendly and receptive. Most stated their intention to vote for Obama. Some wanted their privacy and didn't want to share their choice with strangers at their door. One heavily tattooed man, working on his car in his garage, told me he had had it with Bush and would never vote Republican again. It was an exciting day of meeting different folk with whom we normally do not rub elbows. That was an education indeed and one I highly recommend.
Lunch was at one o'clock at a neighborhood institution, the Mayfair Diner. Just why it was an institution we couldn't really figure out. The food was mediocre (although very inexpensive). But right across Frankford Avenue was a Philadelphia pretzel factory (the city is famous for its soft, twisted pretzels which one slathers with spicy mustard - a non-nutritious but very enjoyable treat). We had several for dessert.
In the afternoon, we headed out again. In the morning, if no one was home, the canvasser would check off "1st pass." So the afternoon campaigners would hit those addresses again for a second attempt at talking to someone at that address. We were impressed at the very high level of organization in evidence. Sometimes, it seemed, they were over-organized. The morning's route had us covering the same addresses as a team of AFT/UFT (the teachers union) campaigners who we met on our streets. But the feeling of camaraderie and good cheer was high as we exchanged chit-chat with the teachers, gathering on the lovely tree-lined streets of our assigned neighborhood.
Jane and Stacey knocking on doors. Our job today was to visit known Obama supporters to guarantee they vote on the coming Tuesday.
The campaign office was located in the Mayfair neighborhood of NE Philly. This famous old diner took the name of the neighborhood. Famous it was, but great, um, not.
Our friend Jane perusing the lunch menu at the Mayfair Diner.
Across from the diner was a pretzel outlet. We had some of those great Philadelphia pretzels, topped with spicy brown mustard. Yum!
Pretzels for dessert after a disappointing lunch at the Mayfair Diner.
After a day's work of knocking on doors in Northeast Philly, we returned to the office with our clipboards and lists. These young people were hanging out on the sidewalk shmoozing.
Driving back to New York through the Holland tunnel.
We headed back to New York Saturday night, tired but excited by the days' work. We were looking forward to dancing in the streets on Tuesday night (keeping our fingers crossed and having faith in the American people to do the right thing). We'd been boosted in our belief that next Tuesday was momentous and would be seen as one of the most important dates in our country's history. Halevai!
As this historic election loomed closer it became clear that every last vote would count. The Republicans, master of filthy tricks (dirty is too clean a word), would spare nothing and have spared nothing in trying to hold on to power for another four years. I flip-flop (pardon the expression) between elation and depression. One minute I believe that there'll be a landslide - that the polls, showing Barack Obama to be somewhat ahead are wrong. They're surely not counting all the kids with cellphones (you can't poll an unlisted number, right?) who are out there and going to vote. And, I reason, there's deep, deep disappointment and anger in the land that the pollsters are not reading and that this will volcanically erupt on Tuesday in an outpouring of determination to change the country's direction. Halevai!
The next minute anxiety sets in - Fox network and the GOP have so poisoned the atmosphere that people are confused. So confused that too many of them will be fearful of voting for Obama The Unknown and will elect McSame - proving, once again, that you can fool enough people over and over again, actually convincing them to vote against their very own self interests. Not to mention the Republicans' well-known techniques of voter suppression of which they are masters.
A visit to a swing state like Pennsylvania to volunteer for the Obama campaign was meant to elevate the positive side of my outlook. And it did! Seeing the number of volunteers (in person) involved in this historic campaign is exhilarating. Young people have been fired up by the millions. We saw this not only in the volunteers who are predominantly young but in our visits to houses where, time and again, older people might answer the door but would reference their support for Obama to the influence of their children or grandchildren.
One woman who I engaged in discussion, confused by the claims of McCain that Obama would increase her taxes, asked me if I believed what Obama was saying. I told her I wouldn't have driven down from New York to spend my Saturday in a Philadelphia suburb if I thought that he was an impostor. To which she shouted inwards to some interior room behind her - "Christine, who should I vote for?" "Obama!" came the reply from a youthful and exuberant voice. "That's my daughter. She wants me to vote for Obama and I probably will." This theme repeated itself in several of the houses I visited. Young people, I believe, are the vanguard of huge change that's coming to our country. Not imbued with the racism and cynicism of many of their oldsters they look at Obama and see a positive symbol of change, honesty and compassion. When they look at his McCain/Palin they feel they're looking at the past. A past based on anger, division, distortion and selfishness. That bodes well for our country's future and, likewise, our world.
We arrived at the Obama campaign office to find crowds of people signing up for the day's work. This was just one of many offices in and around Philadelphia and throughout the state.
This campaign worker had the presidential race all buttoned up.
Checking out the campaign packets before training.
Mark Dowd, the regional coordinator, trained us. He gave us instructions for the work we'd be doing for the rest of the day.
One of many New Yorkers who came down to Northeast Philadelphia for the Saturday before Election Day.We came to Philadelphia on the urging of my friend Diane who had been there several times before and who has been working the phone banks up in New York as well. We drove down in two cars, leaving New York around 7:00 a.m. After training by a campaign worker, we drove to our assigned neighborhood and, following the lists supplied in our packet, knocked on the doors of identified Obama supporters. The idea at this late date was to get out the vote on the coming Tuesday. Many people were not home on a Saturday morning - out, I suppose, doing their family chores of shopping and schlepping. But those we did speak to were friendly and receptive. Most stated their intention to vote for Obama. Some wanted their privacy and didn't want to share their choice with strangers at their door. One heavily tattooed man, working on his car in his garage, told me he had had it with Bush and would never vote Republican again. It was an exciting day of meeting different folk with whom we normally do not rub elbows. That was an education indeed and one I highly recommend.
Lunch was at one o'clock at a neighborhood institution, the Mayfair Diner. Just why it was an institution we couldn't really figure out. The food was mediocre (although very inexpensive). But right across Frankford Avenue was a Philadelphia pretzel factory (the city is famous for its soft, twisted pretzels which one slathers with spicy mustard - a non-nutritious but very enjoyable treat). We had several for dessert.
In the afternoon, we headed out again. In the morning, if no one was home, the canvasser would check off "1st pass." So the afternoon campaigners would hit those addresses again for a second attempt at talking to someone at that address. We were impressed at the very high level of organization in evidence. Sometimes, it seemed, they were over-organized. The morning's route had us covering the same addresses as a team of AFT/UFT (the teachers union) campaigners who we met on our streets. But the feeling of camaraderie and good cheer was high as we exchanged chit-chat with the teachers, gathering on the lovely tree-lined streets of our assigned neighborhood.
Jane and Stacey knocking on doors. Our job today was to visit known Obama supporters to guarantee they vote on the coming Tuesday.
The campaign office was located in the Mayfair neighborhood of NE Philly. This famous old diner took the name of the neighborhood. Famous it was, but great, um, not.
Our friend Jane perusing the lunch menu at the Mayfair Diner.
Across from the diner was a pretzel outlet. We had some of those great Philadelphia pretzels, topped with spicy brown mustard. Yum!
Pretzels for dessert after a disappointing lunch at the Mayfair Diner.
After a day's work of knocking on doors in Northeast Philly, we returned to the office with our clipboards and lists. These young people were hanging out on the sidewalk shmoozing.
Driving back to New York through the Holland tunnel.We headed back to New York Saturday night, tired but excited by the days' work. We were looking forward to dancing in the streets on Tuesday night (keeping our fingers crossed and having faith in the American people to do the right thing). We'd been boosted in our belief that next Tuesday was momentous and would be seen as one of the most important dates in our country's history. Halevai!
5 comments:
I think that Matt is being overly kind to the Mayflower. I would call to "not good". Perhaps a better choice for breakfast. On one of the blocks saw one woman walking by herselffwith her clipboard. So not to duplicate on thr block we were on,I questioned her. A McCainer.
Hi Matt (and Stacey) I know what you mean. I was there a few weeks ago (Chester,Pa) and it was indeed very uplifting. I stayed for a long weekend and was, as you guys were very gratified. GO OBAMA ! ! !
From one of my Philly campaign trips:
A small group of youth passed by me in downtown Philadelphia while I was asking people to register to vote. A young woman screamed at me: "Can you vote?" "Yes," I said. "No, you can't. You're an alien." A little taken aback (although much familiar with racial epithets and abusive language learned from my years of immigrant rights and immigration reform work), I hurled back, "But I have an American passport." The woman and her companions laughed loudly and rather sarcastically, and left.
Thought my friend Matt would like to know.
Dear Weinsteins,
in about 17 hours THE day begins: Hope your activities will generate success. Though I expect, Obama will act "America" first - as the other one would, too - he probably will heal the political relations to Europe. By the side: Obama would be elected president throughout nearly every european country, and in Kenia, too... If one believes in polls, he would gain 60 - 70% of German voters. I cannot explain that.
Now, I just read the us-nationwide polls on cnn.com - the ice is still thin. Some of the battleground-states are not so safe.
Good luck for CHANGE.
Hello Stacey: You look so cool leaning at the car!
Hi Matt, my wife and I spent three very rewarding days in NE Philly last weekend canvassing, in a very (and on the surface scary) inner city neighborhood. The experience was amazingly rewarding and unforgettable, as you found. The level of support and sheer gratitude from folks which I doubt barely or have ever voted before due to apathy, racism or lack of knowledge was overwhelming. The little brochures we handed out, that almost always became instant window signs, were often regarded as real gifts. Talk about the power of hope!
Vern B.
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