I shook the hand of the Governor on Sunday

[LittleClarkie]

and told Bryan Kennedy "Good Luck" and "Please beat Sensenbrenner.

I was at a campaign event. I went to make sure that the Gov. would know that there are actual Dems in Sensenbrenner's district. Luckily, we filled the place and put on a good show. It used to be said that we could meet in a phone booth in this county.

Not any more.

My Governor is making stem cell research a big campaign issue, to the point of almost going "neener, neener" at his pro-life opponent on the issue. His campaign had us send postcards to the guy, plus the President because he was in town, saying "Welcome to Wisconsin, the home of stem cell research."

I am now officially psyched for the fall. My back seat is starting to look like it did in 2004, with yard signs and literature and such. And I'm making plans to drop by Dem HQ, which just opened, whenever possible to give them a hand, just as I did for the Kerry campaign.

Which gave me flashbacks, sadly. I'm just hoping this campaign doesn't make me cry again. It will be my second. Yeah, I'm that new at this game.

And you? Let's here it. Campaign checkin!

[ewagner]

1. Involved

in a couple of local campaigns and also doing volunteer work for the local party...I used my car and trailer to haul equipment to the new office and now I'll be "working" the office for some hours...

Keeping up on the blogs for the local party.....

:hi:

[LittleClarkie]

6. Good idea

I should visit my local party website more often.

(thanks for PMing me the link to your blog, btw. I'll definitely pay them a visit)

[patrice]

2. Knocking on doors cheers me up.

I do that on Sunday, for a Dem running for state house, instead of going to church.

Yesterday a Republican head-of-household chatted me up about ABORTION (!!!). I gave him the lit of course and said he should call my candidate, because of what is going on in the two parties, this is a time that he *will* be listened to.

But he wanted to talk anyway, so I said it's an issue that Dems think is best decided by the families, their doctors, and their priests or ministers. And on the state and national levels we should just talk about and work on those things that we agree about, such as reducing the number of abortions.

I finished by saying my candidate would love to hear his thoughts on stem cell research. A light came on in his face and he said he hadn't thought of that connection and it was a good idea.

A couple of other places I stopped at: people wanted! to talk.

Knocking on doors feels sooooo good!

BTW, may candidate, Missy Taylor, was one of the early Dean's Dozens.

[LittleClarkie]

3. I've never done that. I've phone banked though.

I did work the Dem booth at the State Fair, and for the most part that was positive. The only exception was a Dem let me know she was a border enforcement person and not happy with the party for not supporting tougher illegal immigration policies. I wonder how many like her are out there.

[patrice]

4. Situations like your experience are always an opportunity to do

something for the good guys. It's tricky getting it right (so I get nervous), but if you know enough about what is going on, and care more about caring for people than fighting with them, you can create an experience that, though it may not change them over-night, they ARE different than if they had not talked to you, or if it had been a negative experience.

P.S. I'm learning some things from Jerry Springer on the Radio on AAR.

[LittleClarkie]

5. That's why I'm going to read up on the Dems I plan to campaign for

and on the issues that they put front and center.

One thing the Gov is not doing is putting border issues front and center, which is probably good. He's talking about balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, stem cells and the environment so far.

So I'll start there.

As for the candidate against Sensenbrenner, I have his literature, and I'll also bone up on Sensenbrenner's mistakes.

What I wanna know is how do you say no when ALL the local campaigns come knocking on your door for time and money, even the ones in neighboring cities. I'm getting somewhat intimidated.

[patrice]

7. Yeah, I've been wondering about that too.

If you go toooo far, tive too much time/money, you burn out. And you're no good to anyone.

Also, with what seems to be high tide for "cross-over" candidates from the other party, I worry about giving to someone who doesn't really represent progressive values.

But, I'm fortunate to have been around, from the start, what was Dean for America and is now Democracy for America and have worked up close and personal with those people. So I have Missy Taylor out of that group who is in a different state house district than mine, but I believe in crossing any kind of lines to help those I think will make a difference.

I hope you make the candidates you are considering working for *talk* *to* *you* to help you decide. They REALLY NEED to be in contact better and care enough about us to listen, don't you think?

[LittleClarkie]

8. Maybe I'll make it the ones I've met personally

That would be three so far.

The thing about Wisconsin is we're very purple, so the politicians tend to be purple as well. So I'm not sure how much they represent me. That's one of the things I'll have to look at as well, I suppose.