I did something I hate on Saturday for Obama

[LittleClarkie]

I phonebanked.

I hate phonebanking.

I feel like a fucking telemarketer when I phonebank.

But that's what they needed, and I've done it before, so there I was, waiting for the predictive dialer to find someone at home, and then there I'd go.

Some of the people on the phone were nice. In fact many of them were.

But you know you're bothering people who'd rather you'd go away. You get hung up on, you get sworn at.

I had one guy start ranting at me about how people shouldn't come from other countries and try to get elected and why didn't Obama swear on the Bible when he was elected and I have a right to say what I think and I don't care what you people think of me for it..... No periods. No breaths. I've never heard anything like that. I must have said "Yes, thank you, good bye" about three times before I got him off the line. Ieee!

Then there was the guy who must have kept me on the line for several minutes because he was talking about the 2nd Amendment and he's already looked up Obama's record and Hillary's and wasn't going to vote democratic but he still wanted to talk to me anyway in this slow deliberate voice... meanwhile I'm searching desperately through the campaign blue book trying to find a stance on gun control.

There was some enthusiastic support, which helped. But dang.

The best people were my fellow phonebankers. Quite a diverse group of young, old, white and black. It was nice.

Oh, and if anybody lives in the Milwaukee area, the Obama HQ could use a laser printer. Desperately.

I think I'll try to go back next Saturday and phonebank some more, if I can successfully drag myself over there again. If nothing else, I'll donate again. $100 so far.

[rug]

1. Was that you, you little prick? I don't have TIVO!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Good for you!

I hate it too...so much, that I refuse to do it...

I mean, I hate it when people call ME...

So how can I do it to them? I can't.

But I do respect your having done it...

:patriot:

[Coexist]

3. You ROCK!

I wish I had a heart to give you. I phonebanked today, too.
From Florida to Virginia.

Its not fun (well, sometimes it is) but it helps, and I'll keep doing it 'til November.

:woohoo:

[Maddy McCall]

4. I hate making cold calls for elections.

Cheers to you for your hard work on behalf of your candidate.

:toast:

[Diane R]

5. I hate it, too, but I also phone banked for Obama in Washington last week.

[Jane Austin]

And a heart

for you, too!

[Avalux]

6. Good for you! I'll do it here in San Antonio as well, even though I hate it.

And I bet you did it for Clark, just as I did. :hi:

[LittleClarkie]

12. I wish I could say I had. Becoming active and aware has been a slow process for me.

Clark got me started, to be sure, but I only got really involved during the Kerry campaign. It was my first time ever doing that much for any campaign.

I helped out again in 2006, though it hurt my heart and reminded me too much of 2004.

So far since 2004 I've phonebanked, lit dropped and canvassed. I'm probably the only person in the area who actually knows where the wards begin and end, and what district I'm in.

[Jane Austin]

7. Here's a heart to thank you for phonebanking!

[Moh96]

8. Trust me I hate it too, but I did it all

I kept calling people in LA all day, and trust me nothing I hate more than telemarketers
but had to do it for him
I was worried about the low turnout

[Laurab]

9. Good for you, and thank you!

Isn't there a way you can do it from home? I looked at it on his website, but didn't sign up because I thought I'd be terrible at it.

[globalvillage]

10. Me, too, LC.

Except I love it. I talked to some really nice people Saturday and Sunday. The accents were different, but the Louisiana people and the Maine folks were great, and a lot of them were really glad I called to remind them of their primary/caucus. One guy would not let me off the phone, he just wanted to talk about how much we need change, and how he likes the Clintons, but we have to elect Obama. Several had me look up their polling locations and caucus times. One guy said that he was putting his shoes on as soon as he could get me off the phone. LOL.

Calling again tomorrow.

Yes, we can.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/phonebankmap

[IndyOp]

13. Wow! Could you record yourself making the calls and post an MP3 - you must

have "that certain something" that elicits positive responses. I did some calling in 2006 -- and left a lot of messages on answering machines and had 2 quite positive interactions.

:hi:

[LittleClarkie]

14. I prefer being able to leave messages on machines

But the expensive system they had at the Union Headquarters looks for someone who says "Hello" before it connects you.

[IndyOp]

15. Uh-oh -- I interpret that delay between when I say hello and when I get response

as being indicative of a sales call and I hung up on someone Saturday because I thought it was a sales call. If I get an immediate reply I am much more likely to stay on the line just to be polite.

I didn't know that campaigns had the new speed-dial systems.

[LittleClarkie]

17. I'm wondering if the union bought it or something because

they were Kerry HQ in 2004 (one of them, anyway) and we used the same system then.

Yeah, that would explain the hang ups I get once in a while. It is indeed an indication that a telemarketer type person is calling you. I do the same thing. But it's also a decent way to maximize actually talking to a human being instead of a machine.

[jkshaw]

11. Clarkie, thanks for phone banking

I've done it myself and hated it, wondered if I did any good at all, felt pitifully happy when I got a person on the line who appeared friendly -- happened seldom enough. I mean a person who was friendly.

[wellstone dem]

16. I hate it too, but I do it every year

and when anyone calls, I am polite. I'm even politer (?) to the republicans because I figure it takes more of their time and slows them down.

[sniffa]

18. Thank you so much

As outgoing as I am (very) I am not a phone person. With that strike against me I also hate when anyone calls me for anything (though I was called once for a poll, and happily took that, I never have been phone banked by a candidate) not by my initiation. So, I feel that I wouldn't be a help, so to speak.