My GOTV Efforts Don't Target Progressives.
I figure they'll vote and vote for whoever is the alternative to the asshole Republican running for the same office. They don't need my input, since they're already informed and interested. If they're pissed off and not going to vote, then nothing I say will do a damned bit of good.
My target audience consists of people who aren't planning to vote because they don't have enough information and have little idea what their vote means. I knock on doors in my precinct (see the link in my signature line) and talk to people. All kinds of people. I don't just go to the addresses on the party's list. I go to every address where someone will talk to me.
The first thing I say is, "There's an election on November 4. Are you planning to vote?
If they're not registered, I either give them a registration form or, if it's almost election day, I tell them that they can register at the polling place and I tell them what ID they'll need to do that.
If they say yes, they're planning to vote, I say thanks and tell them that I'm talking to people about the DFL endorsed candidates. Are you interested in learning more about the candidates? If they say No, I thank them again and move on. They're probably Republicans, anyhow. If they say yes, I ask them what the issues are they think are really important. When they respond, I check my mental list of the positions of the candidates and respond with a positive position from an actual candidate that addresses their issue.
If they say no, they aren't planning to vote, again, I ask them what issues they are dissatisfied with in government, both local, state, and national. When they tell me what their issue is, I check my mental list and respond with something that is relevant to their concerns and talk with them about what a specific candidate or candidates will try to do to fix the situation.
Every person I talk to is different and has different issues of concern. Before I ever start door-knocking, I've studied the positions of each candidate and know them well. I've met all of the candidates in person, either at the endorsing conventions or otherwise. If I've had questions, I've asked them about those questions. I know where each candidate stands on most issues. I have at least one candidate and a response to address any concern I encounter when talking to people in my precinct.
I'll talk with someone as long as they'll talk with me. Sometimes it's a minute. Sometimes it's 15 minutes.
Before I leave, I ask them again if they'll please go to the polling place on November 4 and vote. In most cases, even those who said no say yes. I'm sure a few are saying that just to get rid of me, but not most. In many cases, the person remembers me from the last election and tells me that they did go and vote.
Progressives I meet almost always tell me they'll be voting and that they'll be voting for Democrats. They're not my target audience. My target is all of those many people who aren't planning to vote. They're the ones I want to talk to. I get some of them to change their minds and vote. That's what I'm trying to do. It works.
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but there are many good people who don't, because they aren't politically involved and/or have a lot on their mind and work a lot of hours. It's chaotic and hard to get the energy to do anything more than what they can do.
I'm worried sick that Tom Foley will beat Dan Malloy in our Gov. race. Foley is one shifty-eyed creep. His ads make him look faintly annoyed with having to speak to anyone outside his Greenwich crowd. How anybody can vote for him (except his "own"
is beyond me...
