Who wants to join me in making 500 PHONE CALLS for Barack from Sat-Tues??

[polichick]

I've been working with our local team since February, but really want to spend these last four days talking to voters all around the country ~ I'm going to make at least 500 calls, getting numbers from bo.com for voters in battleground states.

Anyone else game?? We could check in with updates and stories ~ and keep each other inspired!

(If not 500, how about 250 or 125 calls? ~ or, if we're really on a roll, maybe we'll get to 1000!)


YES, WE CAN DU!

[SoxFan]

1. I hand addressed 300 postcards

And tomorrow, I'm lit dropping with a friend who is running for the NH legislature.

[polichick]

3. That's great! I did a bunch of lit dropping during the primaries - good exercise.

[lady raven]

2. I'll join you! n/t

[polichick]

5. Yay!! We'll have to see what states they have numbers for tomorrow...

...but I'd love to make some calls to FL, my home state and VA, where my husband and I spend a lot of time. (Not that I'm tired of PA voters! I'll call more of them too.)

[CADEMOCRAT7]

4. I will join you. I want to make calls.

I will do the best I can from home. Lets coordinate a little here. Any pointers ? What have you learned ? When do you want to do a check in ? What states do you want to target ? Should we here on DU concentrate on one state all together ? I can get one or two more people on board on my side. Maybe more. Lets get a plan and I will do my part. YES WE CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[polichick]

6. Excellent!!

So far I've only made calls from our local Obama office, but I did look at the bo.com site today to see how the call center works and several states came up. I'm hoping to speak with voters in FL & VA because I have connections with those states, but who knows which states they'll have tomorrow.

I'll probably start around noon, and figured we could check in whenever we feel like taking a break or are finished for the day ~ whenever really. It'll be fun to read about other posters phone experiences!

[CADEMOCRAT7]

7. I will check out bo.com tomorrow and find where best my energy is needed.

I was just telling someone this morning that we should call VA and FL. I am sending you support and enthusiasm. OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA !!!!

[polichick]

8. Right back at ya CADEMOCRAT7 - it'll be fun!!! :)

[polichick]

9. Kicking in case others want to join us!

[endelfam]

10. I'll join you....

I'm here in Texas. I've done calling on the website this week to Missouri. Let me know if you want to focus on a particular state. I'll probably be going in to a phone site near my house on election day. Other than that I'll be making calls off the BO website.

Having a couple of people do this will keep up my motivation.

[polichick]

12. Great!! I haven't called from the bo site yet, but I'm hoping there will be...

...several states to cover ~ it would be interesting to talk to voters from different parts of the country.

Do they assign a bunch of numbers from one state, or how does it work?

[joop]

11. I'm hosting a call party tomorrow--will report back how we did!

[polichick]

13. What a wonderful idea - yes, please check in!!

[joop]

21. OVER 200 CALLS MADE!

Woo hoo! also, no one came to the run but my sister but I still made her run 6 of the 8.5! I got a decent workout and a bunch of love out for Barack. Great day.

[polichick]

24. AWESOME!! Good idea to have a run for Barack too!

[skooooo]

14. I'll help, just send me a PM...nt

[polichick]

15. Cool!! Can't wait to add up all the calls on Tuesday!

[polichick]

16. Well, I've made my first 25 calls to FL using the bo.com call center...

So far, lots of out-of-service numbers ~ I hope that means most voters have been called already and we're at the bottom of the barrel!

On to the next 25...

[CADEMOCRAT7]

17. VA is going blue is the feed back I am getting from calling.

I am calling VA. Obama support is strong there. I asked if Colin Powell's endorsement made a big difference, and the response is a definite "YES".
Keep up the good work ! YES WE CAN !

[polichick]

18. Wow - that's terrific! Good idea mentioning Colin Powell!!

I'm still getting a lot of out-of-service numbers in Florida, but also so very excited supporters. They are mostly waiting until election day to vote, some of them because their job lets them take time to vote that day.

YES WE CAN!

[Willo]

19. My VA calls = Enthusiastically Barack or voice mail

just a small contributional thread kick :)

[polichick]

20. Great - thanks! I've done 100 FL calls so far. The most fun have been the ones...

...who have already voted ~ you can hear the excitement in their voices!

[my3boyz]

26. What part of VA were you calling for? nt

[Willo]

28. I honestly don't recall all the areas

I remember Fairfax and 703 area code but the list appears to be random.

After the initial screen I just click next for a name and a number.

[Willo]

22. 50 calls made

Two wouldn't reveal who they are supporting.

A few interesting calls:

-An 80+ yr old woman was straight to the point: "I'm voting for Barack and I'm not interested in hearing anything more"

-One feisty woman says to me: "You know who I'm voting for." I told her I didn't but she insisted so I chuckled and said, "Honestly Ma'am I don't, I'm hoping you're supporting Obama. Then I hear another woman in the background chanting "O-bam-a", "O-bam-a" in a singsong voice. The feisty woman and I laugh together and she says "That's my sister". I say, "Tell her I hear her" She says, "my whole family is voting for Obama."

-One woman said she is voting for McCain(I say she's undecided and leaning Obama). Her husband is a republican who is voting for Obama. Her young son is first-time voting for Obama and she doesn't want to influence him. She said it was a difficult choice for her. (She didn't seem comfortable with her decision.) She said she would have voted for Powell in a heartbeat. We talked for quite a bit. I told her "I wish that, I as a stranger on the phone, had the perfect words that neither your husband, your son or Colin Powell had to convince you." We laughed. At her request, I promised confidence, so she opened up and we discussed her concerns. I gave my best arguments, information and websites to check. She said (and seemed) torn. I told her that this was such an important election she was correct to thoughtfully consider her vote. That if years from now -- not knowing the future, she would be comfortable, that she made the best decision she could based on what she knew today -- that is the best any of us can do. I told her I was concerned about pressuring her. She said I wasn't and she was happy we were talking.
We chatted some more. We ended with her saying she would probably get in the booth and vote for Obama at the last minute.
I put her on the undecided list. Hopefully, she'll get another call, from the right person at the right time. :)

While I don't believe in all the so-called "undecideds", that call changed my perception somewhat.

I'll have more time tomorrow. Hopefully can do 4x this.

[polichick]

23. Great stories! It's really nice when you have a chance to talk for a while...

The most fun calls I had were the ones where the whole family voted already, all for Obama, and now they were celebrating. One woman told me her family had an enormous election night party planned. Several thanked me for doing the work, that was sweet.

I'd planned to do 125 calls each of these last four days and I made it today, though it did take longer than I expected. The campaign really believes these calls help so it's worth it.

For me, the best part of it all has been the community of "Obama peeps" I've met since starting to work in Feb. ~ now when I walk around town I see them everywhere!!

[bmartello]

25. I'm in!

whole day tomorrow at HQ in Berkeley!

[polichick]

27. YAY - thanks! :)