my 2+ weeks of volunteering for the Duckworth Campaign

[LSK]

Let me start this off with saying that the most involvement I ever had with a political campaign was hanging up Bill Clinton flyer's on bulletin boards at my community college in 1992. That was about all I have done except for voting and posting on websites such as DU and in yahoo message boards. Also this year I have started to donate money online to the DNC. But that was it.

That all changed on October 23, 2006. I had been thinking about doing something for the Duckworth campaign, who was the Democratic candidate in my district, IL 6th, a notoriously red district that was the home to Henry Hyde for many years. This year we had a chance because he was retiring. In March we had a pretty bloody primary between the 2004 Dem candidate Christine Cegelis and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, who some feel was handpicked by Rahm Emanuel and Dick Durbin. At the time Cegelis was clearly the anti-war candidate and was the favorite of the grassroots. Cegelis lost in a close primary and Duckworth was the candidate. Those of you that follow the IL section know that I favored Cegelis during that time.

So fast forward several months and the election is coming and I really would like my district to turn blue. I knew this was going to be a huge election and I wanted to do something. On October 23, I caught the last debate between Tammy Duckworth and Peter Roskam the Republican candidate. Tammy had been getting hammered by BS RNCC ads in the weeks up to then and something in the debate got me pissed off. So right after the debate was over, I said, thats it, I'm going down to the Duckworth campaign headquarters and I'm giving them a check of $200. So having found their location from the internet, I proceeded to do just that. So I walked into the headquarters and proceeded to write the check. Then they asked me if I wanted to help out. Next I was introduced to an organizer and the next thing I know I am trying out phone banking. I really did not like phone banking. I never really liked talking on the phone much anyways and something about calling people bugged me. So I went and asked the organizer if there was something else I could do. I said I was good with computers. So they set me up with bar coding scanning phone banking data into their online computer system (SAGE system if anyone is familiar with it). So for the next 2 hours I was scanning information for the Duckworth Campaign.

I returned the next night for some more. One of the volunteers said I was pretty good with it. So I spent another 3 hours the 2nd night doing data entry. And the same the next night. I could not make it the next night, but on Friday, I was off work and I showed up at Duckworth HQ in the afternoon, this time with my laptop because everything they did was online based (SAGE system). That afternoon they were all furiously printing out maps and driving directions because they had a large GOTV canvassing effort that weekend with kids being bussed in from area colleges to canvas for Tammy. So I spent a large part of a Friday printing out google maps for weekend canvassers.

I couldn't make it the next day but on Sunday Oct 29 I showed up around 10am and I got recruited to drive some canvassers from one of the busses to their canvassing area. I returned to the office after dropping off the canvassers and Tammy was speaking to more canvassers and volunteers in a GOTV rally. And then Dick Durbin showed up and gave a little speech too.



After the speeches, I got to enjoy one of the perks of working on the campaign, I got to meet Tammy and take my picture with Senator Dick Durbin:



Soon they left and it was back to more data entry and waiting to go pick up the canvassers. After picking up the canvassers, they had pizza for everyone and then it was back to doing more data entry till 10pm. The next night the internet was down at the Duckworth office, so I got to do some data entry at home. When I returned again on Wednesday night, I got sent to a different location where we were putting tons of walk sheets in folders for the planned 4 day massive GOTV canvassing effort planned for the weekend. So I spent an evening stuffing folders.

For the weekend, the Duckworth campaign was using 10 field offices to manage their major GOTV effort. I was assigned to the office of Rob Bisceglie who was running for State Rep in my district. This was also 5 min from my house. So Friday night we brought 40 something canvassing kits over to that office and got ready for the weekend. Saturday morning the campaign bussed in kids from colleges again and we got some at our office. Once again I was needed to drive canvassers. We also had lots of volunteers come in to canvas and we had to send people to other locations.

Sunday we were doing the same thing all over again. This time I went out and canvassed with the kids that I drove. It was 2 students from Northwestern. We canvassed a pretty well off area full of McMansions. We might have gotten 2 or 3 voters, we got more to talk information and only had 2 negatives. One was obviously a Republican and the other was turned off because of all the Robo-calls the GOP had been doing in the area.

The Monday before the election the plan was to hang door hangers. I covered my whole district in the morning and then I got to attend a Duckworth rally with Durbin and Obama in the afternoon:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=150x13834

On election day, I drove some volunteers to another area because we got a ton of them and I canvassed all day with an intern who worked in Obama's office in DC. As the voting ended, I got to run paperwork to a poll watcher. So I was busy right until the end. Then I spent a little time at the victory party for Tammy. Most people were huddled around TVs watching the returns come in nationwide. I couldn't stay too long as I had to work the next day. Unfortunately, Tammy did not win. She lost by some 6000 votes I think. Fortunately the Dems got both houses.

In conclusion, I am really glad that I gave so much time working for the campaign. Even thou we lost the battle (Tammy) we won the war and reclaimed Congress. I feel even better about it because I got off my ass and actually worked for it. I really wanted to walk the walk and not just be a keyboard warrior and I am really glad I did. My only regret is that I did not do more earlier. I am ready to get involved in the future and I feel that I can make a difference. I feel like I have some control and can somehow make things happen now. All I had to do was show up. They will put you to work. I hope this post can influence others to work on campaigns.

They are right, all politics is local.

[Syrinx]

1. great work!

Maybe Ms. Duckworth will try again in two years. I hope so.

[provis99]

2. volunteer work can really be intoxicating

in a good way, of course. I had a similar experience of just stopping by the local candidate's office to pick up some position pamphlets, and let them talk me into a five-week course of work. Working with enthusiastic volunteers was really the high point, though having the opportunity to show up at a small town debate and tell the opponent what a tool he was (politely, of course) added to the pleasure.

[Suich]

3. I'm going to bed but I have it bookmarked

and shall read it tomorrow!

:hi:

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

4. Great job LSK..

We Chicago area and Illinois DU'ers really need to have a meetup.

I know this time of year isn't really convenient for a lot of people, but maybe we can plan something for a Saturday or Sunday in February or March.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Thanks You For Your Post and Hard Work, LSK

I volunteered to work in the "northern sector". As I had done in other campaigns, I called the main office and was directed to the local office...and, thanks to my "great pipes", was immediately put on the phones ot canvass and do follow ups. I did that for nearly a week as much of that part of the district still hadn't been organized...but it didn't take long. We soon compiled voter profiles and targeted the people who we knew we'd need to get to the polls on election day...then it was onto the streets.

The last two weekends of the campaign, I did the door-to-door thing...passing out tons of literabure and talking to anyone and everyone I could about the importance of the election, Tammy's qualifications, her stands on ALL issues (not just Iraq), and only if the person had a question about the opposition would I say anything else. It was here I learned how pervasive their GOTV operation had already been but the group I worked with, though undermanned, felt very optimistic as we got a lot of positive feedback.

The last weekend of the campaign was hell...thanks to the rovo-calls. It started slowly during the week with a trickle of people calling...wondering why we kept calling them, when we knew we didn't. At first we went to main HQs to find out if someone else was doing this, but soon it became apparent where the calls were coming from...especially as the weekend approached and thousands of homes were called repeatedly. Our phones were jammed with people all but screaming at us to "cut it out" and "I'll never vote for your Democrat" and some even nastier things.

All our phones were ringing off the hooks that made it impossible for us to do any outbound calling...many of us pulled out our cellphones and used those but it greatly hampered our final outcalls to arrange rides, contact poll workers and even order food. Nonetheless, we soldiered on and felt very optimistic going into the election. Polls were showing us slightly ahead or within a point or two...and I don't think many of us slept much those last three days.

I didn't go to the final gathering in Lombard...I was just too wiped out and wanted to watch the results at home. I'm not one for parties or gatherings or large crowds anyway...and while disappointed by the results and the dirty tricks, I was energized by the whole process as we did make tremendous ground in getting a Democratic party message out to areas that had never really heard them before and laid the groundwork for taking the seat in 2 years. Everyone I worked with was totally dedicated and if we got the call tomorrow to start up again, we'd be there in a heartbeat.

This race reminded me of the one I worked in the 8th district in 2002...Melissa Bean ran against Phil Crane and almost beat him. We kept our groups together following that election and in 2004 got an early start, knew the turf and were far more effective in not only reaching and canvassing many new voters, but kept in touch with those who showed a positive interest...eventually getting those people to the polls. Many feel this made the difference as Bean not only beat Crane in the rematch and was the first Democrat elected in this formerly red, now purple, area...in a district gerrymandered to protect Crane. This year while we began working with Bean's people again, we weren't as excited as in the past...and there was a larger operation already in place. Since many of us lived close to the 6th, we felt our efforts were better used in that campaign. A couple went to work with Dan Seals in the 10th...also not too far away.

Oh well...sorry for spewing so much...I spend too much time on this thing lately. I need to get back to a real life.

Again...thanks to all who fought the good fight in the Duckworth and Seals campaigns. Here's a toast and hope we're all back working in two years and this time we'll have two new Democratic districts to cheer about.

:toast:

Cheers...

[bigtree]

6. great work!

thanks for the memories

[LSK]

7. morning kick

[Suich]

8. OK...I read it!

You done good, LSK! I thought Ms. Duckworth might pull it out, especially after some of the negative ads against her...oh well. I bet she gave Roskam more than a few anxious moments!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: