As canvassing operations commence in earnest over the next few weeks, every volunteer willing to spend a day or two–preferrably weekends–going door-to-door in key neighborhoods, either persuading voters or reminding them to go to the polls would be greatly appreciated.
There are already hundreds of Obama volunteers working in New Hampshire, a state that as you surely know, is crucial to our campaign. You might think that your assistance is not needed, or would be superfluous. That is simply not true. Despite New Hampshire’s recent Democratic leanings, there are many obstacles remaining in this state. Comprised a fiercely antitax and ancestrally conservative Republican base, as well as a large number of Clinton holdouts unwilling to declare support for our nominee, New Hampshire is essentially a toss-up proposition.
If you cannot make it there, you should consider buying Obama merchandise from his online store, and selling it at a higher price in a nearby Obama-friendly neighborhood. You can contribute your profit as a donation to the campaign. Selling buttons and bumper stickers on a street corner on the Cape, I have raised about $1,000 over the past week. Money, is after all, as important as votes in a presidential campaign. Phonebanking from home is also a valuable pursuit, of course.
The challenges are certainly great. Only with drive and energy can we overcome them. You don’t want to wake up the morning of November 5 contemplating four more years of Bush-McCain policy. Now is the time to act.
Canvassing is fun and enjoyable, and one of the best ways to bring voters over to our side. I’ve gone twice to Manchester, and have had great conversations with undecided voters. They seem very willing, and often eager to talk, and they don’t have enough information about either McCain or Obama. They are very accustomed to having canvassers approach them.
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p>I’m also running a phonebank back here in Boston. The Obama effort needs a lot of help to make sure NH goes solidly blue. If you don’t like either canvassing or phonebanking, there’s a big need for data entry. You really can plug in to this campaign. Don’t be kicking yourself on November 5 for not doing all you could!