Thursday, October 25, 2012

A Headspinner of a Day!

The day started with the woman who came to clean my room asking if I was "the Obama lady". Turns out that she moved here from Minnesota, and she and her then thirteen year old son knocked on every single door in their small town for Obama in 2008! 

A nice young guy who works at the hotel and has been very supportive, including letting us have our debate-watching party in the lobby (and then taking us out for "fireball" shots at a local bar, but that's a story best left to when I manage to get my photos downloaded from my phone), agreed this morning to work seven shifts during GOTV, making me a minor star since we're struggling to get enough volunteers.

Then there was the 85 year old woman I talked to on the phone who said there was no choice but Obama, because "that other guy" wants to take us backwards. 

BUT, there was also the middle aged guy with two dogs who stalked and harassed my friend Grady. He followed him down the block, stood by his car, shouted at him from the curb when he was talking to voters. . . Things like: you want to bring an abortion clinic to town; this is my town; you're supporting that socialist; get out of town. WITH TWO DOGS. Grady called the police after consulting with the campaign. And the police said that they were tied up with a Halloween celebration, so it would take a while. And never got back to him!

AND, there was the Obama campaign field officer in a nearby county who had a gun pulled on her at someone's house, pointed at her, while the guy shouted "get the fuck off my property."

AND, the staunch Democrat I talked to on the phone today, when asked if he'd be willing to work a shift for Get Out The Vote, told me that he and his wife knocked on doors for Obama in 2008, and said never again. Some people were terrible to them.

Then, at the very end of the day, four delightful young volunteers hung out in the campaign office, eager to be part of re-electing the President, one of them not old enough to vote yet.

My cynicism is fighting with my optimism. Time for bed.

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