Do you think canvassing this late is useful?

[geniph]

This late in the political season, with all the bombardment from print and broadcast advertisements, all the signs and stickers and various propaganda for all sides, I think the people who aren't political junkies are sick to death of it. Even the ones who support a candidate are tired of getting called five times a night by various campaigns, they're tired of getting solicited for donations, they're tired of their door being knocked on, they're tired of finding handfuls of literature in their mailbox.

It's hard for us, the more hardcore junkies, to understand it. I'm having a real philosophical dilemma in my own mind between my obligation to volunteer time to canvass and phonebank, and my own deep-seated belief that we're starting to alienate people, rather than convince them of anything. See, I'm on a couple of large email lists that aren't political in nature, and I hear what those folks say. They're SICK of us pestering them.

Does anyone else have their doubts about the efficacy of phonebanking this late in the election season? Does anyone else have a sneaking suspicion that we're starting to alienate people? I've actually heard a few people say that if they get one more phone call, or one more knock on the door, they'll vote against that candidate out of sheer spite.

on edit:
Let me add that I still greatly believe in the value of canvassing, just not this late. I also believe strongly in continuing to canvass your own neighborhood, precinct, etc., and there's no question that a candidate wins many more votes with face-to-face contact. I'm just wondering about hammering our ABC voters with so many phone calls. I don't even have a listed number, yet I myself get maybe three-four calls per night.

My intention is not, EVER, to discourage anyone from getting out the vote, but the phonebanking in particular I think is starting to grate on people.

[skypilot]

1. I kinda do.

I've been phone-banking for the Kerry campaign and most of the people I manage to get on the phone sound really peeved. It's such a relief to have an enthusiastic Kerry supporter answer the phone. Too many people sound as though they don't want to be bothered. I get alot of short answers and hang ups. I'm going to keep on until the election though.

[pdx_prog]

30. Me too......

I have to say though, I haven't run across any nasty bushies....they usually just say they are voting for Bush and leave it at that...

The whole purpose of phoning Dems is because we tend to be lazy....if we can pursuade that extra 5% to vote we can win it!

[skypilot]

32. The first hour is the worst.

After that I kinda hit my stride or something. But that first hour damned near sucks the life and optimism out of me.

[DaveinMD]

2. person to person contact

is the one thing that breaks through all the advertising. It works and has worked in every campaign I've ever worked on.

[iamjoy]

3. It Is How You Do It...

You have to be courteous of their time, so you kind of have to read if they are getting impatient. I think a lot of people really respect you taking the time to be out in the heat (in Florida). It is a personal touch missing from all the ads, etc. I ask undecideds what issues are important and try to respond to that - I used to just rattle off a "canned" phrase about why Kerry was better. I think the personal touch helps.

I have even talked to nice Republicans (voting for Bush) who seem to almost apologize - I know they aren't sorry for Bush, but they know they are not giving me the answer for which I hope.

They aren't as nice on the phone, maybe too weary of telemarketers.

The focus should now be getting out the vote. In other words, we should have already identified our Kerry supporters, and now we need to just make sure they get to the polls.

[PretzelWarrior]

4. NOOOOO....ground game is all-important. if someone says they

don't care....then that's that. don't pressure people and turn them off but if you show up in front of them and discuss the possibility of them voting....it will get positive results.

PLEASE. In our day where phone calls, emails, and TV ads are KING..many people would appreciate having a Kerry volunteer or GET OUT THE VOTE person take the time to personally visit with them.

Please edit your title to say you now SUPPORT canvassing. :)

[geniph]

21. I edited it to make it less negative, anyway.

;-)

The door to door stuff doesn't seem to get as negative a reaction. Maybe people just have a harder time being nasty to one's face. (I'm very unintimidating-looking in person.)

[Kire]

26. canvass for your senate or congressional candidates

or even your local candidates

they could use the help

[geniph]

34. Yes, I agree, and I am

our two candidates for the state House are both personal friends, so they're getting most of my canvassing time. It's most effective when they're actually with us, which they are most of the time.

It's the phonebanking I wonder about.

[sandnsea]

5. Short & sweet, joke about it

Are you being driven nuts by campaign calls? Another campaign call, I know, sorry this election is just so important. I've never been involved in a campaign before, so it's all new to me too. Personalize and keep it quick. And stay on message.

It is definitely a problem, just be respectful and say sorry to bother you if you can tell they're annoyed.

I've found most people understand and there are still those who want to talk about the election.

[WilliamPitt]

6. Ask my mom, Raven, about it

She's been canvassing in New Hampshire, and finds it a very valuable exercise.

[PittLib]

7. Yes - I worked a phone bank ...

and decided to leave a little early, because it was wearing me very thin. Even the staunch Kerry supporters were exasperated with all the calls. I live in a swing state (Pennsylvania) and Pittsburgh alone has at least 7 different groups conducting polls constantly. I want Kerry to win more than anything in the world, I swear ... but this is getting ridiculous. I fear we're going from disenfranchised to willful rejecting out of sheer annoyance. Many people just want their privacy respected. I'm involved - I talk to people I meet and to co-workers and friends and family. I have my yard sign and bumper sticker. I wear my pins proudly. I attended every debate party and rally held in or near my city. I'm starting to believe this has gone beyond necessary right into intrusive.

[athensliberal]

8. gotta agree with you

My wife and I both have done several hours of canvassing and we've found that other than a handful of undecideds, who in my opinion are at this point bound to be much more swayed by what they see "on the teevee", all the Kerry supporters seem to not need any helpful pushes to get them to the polls. And like you said, I worry that some of the middle of the roaders might even start getting annoyed enough to vote against someone out of spite. If they haven't figured out the vast difference between the shrub and Kerry at this point, I think they're VERY likely do vote out of spite.

I wonder of there's been any research done on this and of so, what they've found. Maybe Zogby or Gallup could call people at home and do polls about canvassing...that'd really help. ;>)

[PittLib]

16. just a quick ...

welcome :hi:

[pdx_prog]

31. Welcome!

[newyawker99]

39. Hi athensliberal!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[IIgnoreNobody]

9. I don't think it can really hurt,

and if you pick up even one voter it helps.

[saracat]

10. I have been one of the very few Dems that question the efficacy

of canvassing period. I have gotten in huge confrontations with others about this. Many Dems think that canvassing defines our party. The more shoe leather the more we win. In this day of internet and TV and satellite radio, I just don't believe it. I also don't believe in the mail drops. Most people, including me, just drop them in the garbage. I think pooling your money for a huge media blitz in way more effective. You reach more people than all the canvassing possible. If the media is creative ,you can convince more people as well. But they should buy large blocks of time,ie like the Sinclair problem. You can continue to specifically target your neighbors and friends in your own precincts. That being said, good foot soldier that I am , I have been canvassing and will continue to do so. But I aiso continue to express these thoughts to the Party leadership every chance I get and in a few instances they listened!

[Shoeempress]

11. Here's the weird thing, I'm a registered independent is a swing state,

and I have not received one call from any campaign. Whats up with that?

[GumboYaYa]

12. No, no way, nada...it is the most important thing you can

possibly do right now.

A good ground effort can increase your percentages dramatically. I just came out of a congressional primary where our candidate was running a solid 4th place going into the election. We had the best ground game in the race. Over the last two weeks we called on the volunteer network to hit the streets in large numbers. The presence on the streets and at people's doors in the last weeks converted lots of votes to our candidate. The door-to-door also fed a massive drag and vote effort on election day. Our candidate closed the gap coming from out of nowhere and lost by only about a thousand votes. Canvassing added about 10-15% to our total we figure.

Canvassing these last two weeks may be the difference between President Bush and President Kerry.

[roseBudd]

13. I am doing down and dirty innercity street canvassing only

in SW Ohio. I am strictly trying to increase turnout among likely democratic voters who are unlikley voters. I concentrate on African Americans who do not have suit jobs, ie. no jobs, low paying jobs, selling crack jobs.

I use the TWO-FACED graphic (which everyone loves and wants a copy of BTW) and I simply say Bush is two-faced, he's a punk ass bitch, Nov. 2. I get extremely good reception to this technique. The city of Cincinnati is 43% African American so I have a lot of potential Kerry voters to interact with and they are everywhere I go, since I work downtown and live near campus which is close to lots of low income neighborhoods.

Go to http://somnamblst.tripod.com to download high res files such as TWO-FACED for printing

[roseBudd]

14. If we increase turnout among low income urban people we win

period.

Now get out there and fire up the haters.

George Bush is a punk ass bitch
Crony capitalists all about the rich

[GumboYaYa]

33. LOL, "Punk Ass"...

I just put a "George W. Bush is a Punk Ass Chump" sticker on my scooter. I have gotten some reactions from it.

[roseBudd]

37. Punk ass bitch just rolls off my tongue

I get lots of people agrreing with me.

[PittLib]

15. Now this I agree with ...

this has to be far more effective than phone banking.

[roseBudd]

27. And it is so easy because everyone I talk to is already out on the street

Standing on street corners or waiting for buses.

Life is hard for these people and the crappy Bush economy is their #1 issue. Plus they know the GOP is just a bunch of rich crackers and poor white bigots. Al Sharpton hit it when he said, "we're going to ride that donkey"

Now white people in urban areas get out there and canvass African Americans, we need each other.

[roseBudd]

38. Especially since Kerry Campaign, Dems and MoveOn all have the same lists

Bush is a punk ass bitch
Crony capitalist all about the rich

[Bongo Prophet]

18. Right on Rosebud!

Go where they see the Regime for what they are and motivate / support them.
You doin' the work man!

[Bongo Prophet]

17. I remember hearing Iowans avoiding Orange...

One person on c-span talked about avoiding orange woolcaps that Dean people wore. i remember thinking about that being a really sucky catch 22- they were working so hard to do a great ground job, and the citizenry should embrace them as a sign of the THAW. But they got tired of being marketed to.
I think and hope they are tired of Smirky and Snarly's bullshit Express by now, and are ready for a new brand o' fun!

So it is a danger, and casual converstaional technique would work best by far, so they don't run. Telemarketer style is a sure bet to turn off a good amount of folks...

[geniph]

19. Maybe it's just my own dislike of the telephone

I personally find a person at the door easier to take, so I have less of a problem with the door-to-door canvassing. I go around with my husband, and the two of us together seem to get a pretty good reception from most folks. We offer registration forms to anyone who isn't a registered voter, too (although we do explain to them that they need to take them to the county clerk if they want to vote in the general - it's too late for mail-in registration in my state). The phone calls - I don't know about the phone calls. I really don't.

[qwlauren35]

24. Hmm....

Sounds like YOU should focus on the door-to-door effort. It's hard to do a good job at something you don't like or don't believe in.

Where I live, we have just registered HUNDREDS of people who have never voted in their lives. Yes, I think *THEY* need to be called.

However, I'm not sure any groups are actively making sure that they focus on the newly registered. It wouldn't be that hard... if there was a year 2000 list and a year 2004 list, you could merge & sort them in Excel and identify the newbies in about 5 minutes.

But I'm not sure that's what is happening.

BTW, we get around 3-4 calls a WEEK. My husband ignores them, and lets them go to the answering machine. I get the messages within 24 hours, and if I have free time, I call and check in to volunteer.

But it doesn't bother me. I respect them for it.

[Raven]

20. I've been canvassing almost every weekend for the past 3 months.

Here in NH, people have been very pleasant. If someone does not want to answer their door, they don't. We don't badger them. We are working for a 527 and we do not propagandize. We are doing this to collect information. Our questions take about 1 minute to answer and I have found that once people get going, they tend to talk our ears off! This is person to person, maybe phone calling is different.

[Rambis]

22. 1 converted

a wife didn't know I had already talked to her husband at length and he told me he was voting for Kerry.
She was shocked.

[shrdlu]

23. Keep on dragging 'em out...

...right up until the polls close. Remember that Karl Rove is on the other side and he doesn't give a rat's ass about who is annoyed. Push 'em. Goad 'em. Shame 'em. Get 'em to the polls.

[geniph]

25. But at what point does that backfire?

See, that's my dilemma. The last thing I want to do is annoy someone who's right on the edge (now, granted, I don't see HOW anyone can be on the fence anymore) into either refusing to vote, or voting the other way out of spite.

At what point does voter contact become harassing them?

[grace0418]

28. I know what you mean

My husband came home from work last night and was REALLY annoyed at this guy at his office who can't stop talking about the election. My husband is voting for Kerry but doesn't want to hear about it anymore. I think a lot of people may be like that. Hell, I'm a junkie and I want it to be over (with the right outcome of course).

I like the idea of people canvassing in really underserved areas.

[ollie3]

29. Of course it's effective! But beware of stage fright!

I have done this before. And I also used to have a job with direct sales that involved phone work.

I will share with you something, coming from someone who used to be a sales leader nationally for the firm i worked for: every day you go to work there will be a voice inside of you that resembles stage fright (I am also a musician). You will hear thoughts about negativity, a thousand and one reasons why you shouldn't be doing this. Ultimately, it is a fear of rejection, of getting the door slammed in your face. Cut through the bs, this is what it is!

If you are skilled at it, you will alienate fewer people. It's about that simple. YOu have to have good people skills to survive, and not everyone is cut out for this kind of work. For one, you have to have a thick skin to handle the rejection. You also have to exude some optimism and positive thinking. You also have to be direct, to the point, not phony, and low key almost matter of fact. If you come off as feeling superior to the other, more knowledgeable than the other, up on a pedestal, etc you will fail. I approach it as doing a job and relating to people on an equal playing field with the other.

Yes, people don't like interruptions and they don't like salespeople. You are an interruption by definition. But, if you are engaging enough, have a smile and a direct approach and cut the bs, you can be more effective.

But...above all....remember that there is a reason that companies hire folks and pay them good money to do phone solicitation. It works!

Come on folks, don't let the stage fright give yu thousands of silly reasons not to make the call or knock on the door. It can actually be fun if you get out and do it!

The campaign has been going on for a long time. More so, I might add, for us than for the undecideds! Conventions. Ad buys. Debates. And the election is basically tied.

The election is going to be decided by turnout. If we get all the folks who prefer Kerry to vote, he will win. If only one person per pricinct who prefers Kerry decides to stay home, that could make a one point difference on the state level and could swing the election. So get everyone to the polls, guys and gals, and quit this belly-aching about that voice inside of you that is stage fright.

[geniph]

35. You're right, of course

and you're also right that it requires good people skills - which I do NOT possess. I think the real problem is that I'm not good at it, particularly on the phone. I have horrible phone phobia anyway, and my lack of an ability to make any kind of social conversation doesn't help.

What I can do is write. Maybe I should be focusing on that.

[Bongo Prophet]

36. Good tips there, ollie3, from a pro!

I don't have those skills, and tend to freeze up with too much info in my head. And no patience for lazy fools who don't take the time to educate themselves even a little, but know all the stats of some sports star. Elitest? Maybe.
So I don't do that.
I am more of a hermit, artist and nerd, in Texas. So my work is remote, strategic more than tactical, and with emphasis on supporting fellow travellers.

There are many positions to play, each to their own skill set.

Ollie, please post more tips or your own threads to help those who are doing groundwork! Count me as a fan!