October 24 - Twelve days to go. More canvassing. We have to prepare for all the work we would do over the weekend with the rally thrown in. We have to find additional volunteers to cover the office while the regular staff is in Albuquerque and do all the preparation for effective canvassing. I left the office at 1:15 AM; others were still at work.
October 25 - Eleven days to go. Canvassed in the morning. We left for UNM, about 20 miles away, about 2:00. The rally was at an area of soccer fields that I estimate cover about six city blocks. Although the gates were scheduled to open at 7:00, the line was already blocks long by the time we arrived. The field was eventually absolutely jammed. The authorities estimated the crowd at 45,000. By contrast, John McCain held an event at noon that drew an estimated 1600. We, of course, were there to work, not to enjoy the show. My group was assigned to various press tasks, for example, checking off credentials as they arrived. Another important function was the travelling press tent. The travelling press that accompanies the candidate gets food and beer and a big tent with a view of the stage, evidently paid for by the major news organizations for their reporters and photographers. The local and small-time press gets tables in the open with no refreshments. Naturally, the local press wants to wriggle into the travelling press tent to swill beer and push resumes. Two volunteers were assigned to make sure the riff-raff don't get into the travelling press tent. There are platforms for the photographers so that they will have a good view. Naturally, everybody wants to get onto the platforms to share the view. I was assigned to be bouncer: if you don't have a press credential and a camera, you don't go up the stairs. The platforms (called risers) are jealously subdivided into lots for each news organization with blue masking tape. ABC's tripod leg better not encroach onto NBC's lot. The Secret Service was present but not intrusive. The Democratic senator presided. A Native American chaplain
gave the invocation in his language. Several candidates and the governor spoke. George Lopez, a TV star, did an act. ("I might be Secretary of State. I can see Mexico from my front porch!") Finally the candidate. Barack spoke for about 45 minutes. It was mostly a recitation of his policies. The end was stirring, although I must admit I have forgotten just what he said.
Afterwards, my young colleagues proposed going out for food. Fortunately, once we got to the crowded and noisy restaurant, I was able to find another exhausted person to give me a ride back to Los Lunas.
October 26 - Ten days to go. Two shifts of canvassing. I am commonly walking in remote rural areas where there isn't a restroom, let alone any place for lunch. Weldon makes lunch for me! Two sandwiches, hardboiled eggs, veggies and fruit, and chips. I wonder if I can get him to adopt me? One of the other volunteers encountered a furious McCain supporter. The McCain supporter raged that someone had stolen his McCain lawn sign; naturally, this volunteer was the object of his rage. The McCain campaign parked its bus in front of our office that afternoon. The volunteer visited the bus to pick up a McCain campaign sign and drove it out to the McCain supporter. Who knows what good might be harvested from that seed? Albuquerque, by the way, had a domestic violence fundraiser yesterday called "Walk a Mile In Her Shoes". Men walk a mile in high-heeled shoes to raise money from sponsors.
October 27 - Nine days to go. More canvassing. I visited one address to talk to three women residents. An older guy was fiddling out in front. He explained that all of the women were out. The wife's nephew killed his uncle last night so the women were dealing with all the consequences. I felt I was a journeyman canvasser because I went on to ask how the women would vote. A really hard-boiled canvasser would have urged the guy to be sure the women vote early. I endured my first dog-bite - no harm done. The dog was just showing his contempt for me.
I wrote a letter to editor of the local newspaper to respond to an ad that implicitly demanded Catholics to vote against Obama. I hope to get a local volunteer to submit the letter.
October 25 - Eleven days to go. Canvassed in the morning. We left for UNM, about 20 miles away, about 2:00. The rally was at an area of soccer fields that I estimate cover about six city blocks. Although the gates were scheduled to open at 7:00, the line was already blocks long by the time we arrived. The field was eventually absolutely jammed. The authorities estimated the crowd at 45,000. By contrast, John McCain held an event at noon that drew an estimated 1600. We, of course, were there to work, not to enjoy the show. My group was assigned to various press tasks, for example, checking off credentials as they arrived. Another important function was the travelling press tent. The travelling press that accompanies the candidate gets food and beer and a big tent with a view of the stage, evidently paid for by the major news organizations for their reporters and photographers. The local and small-time press gets tables in the open with no refreshments. Naturally, the local press wants to wriggle into the travelling press tent to swill beer and push resumes. Two volunteers were assigned to make sure the riff-raff don't get into the travelling press tent. There are platforms for the photographers so that they will have a good view. Naturally, everybody wants to get onto the platforms to share the view. I was assigned to be bouncer: if you don't have a press credential and a camera, you don't go up the stairs. The platforms (called risers) are jealously subdivided into lots for each news organization with blue masking tape. ABC's tripod leg better not encroach onto NBC's lot. The Secret Service was present but not intrusive. The Democratic senator presided. A Native American chaplain
gave the invocation in his language. Several candidates and the governor spoke. George Lopez, a TV star, did an act. ("I might be Secretary of State. I can see Mexico from my front porch!") Finally the candidate. Barack spoke for about 45 minutes. It was mostly a recitation of his policies. The end was stirring, although I must admit I have forgotten just what he said.Afterwards, my young colleagues proposed going out for food. Fortunately, once we got to the crowded and noisy restaurant, I was able to find another exhausted person to give me a ride back to Los Lunas.
October 26 - Ten days to go. Two shifts of canvassing. I am commonly walking in remote rural areas where there isn't a restroom, let alone any place for lunch. Weldon makes lunch for me! Two sandwiches, hardboiled eggs, veggies and fruit, and chips. I wonder if I can get him to adopt me? One of the other volunteers encountered a furious McCain supporter. The McCain supporter raged that someone had stolen his McCain lawn sign; naturally, this volunteer was the object of his rage. The McCain campaign parked its bus in front of our office that afternoon. The volunteer visited the bus to pick up a McCain campaign sign and drove it out to the McCain supporter. Who knows what good might be harvested from that seed? Albuquerque, by the way, had a domestic violence fundraiser yesterday called "Walk a Mile In Her Shoes". Men walk a mile in high-heeled shoes to raise money from sponsors.
October 27 - Nine days to go. More canvassing. I visited one address to talk to three women residents. An older guy was fiddling out in front. He explained that all of the women were out. The wife's nephew killed his uncle last night so the women were dealing with all the consequences. I felt I was a journeyman canvasser because I went on to ask how the women would vote. A really hard-boiled canvasser would have urged the guy to be sure the women vote early. I endured my first dog-bite - no harm done. The dog was just showing his contempt for me.
I wrote a letter to editor of the local newspaper to respond to an ad that implicitly demanded Catholics to vote against Obama. I hope to get a local volunteer to submit the letter.
posted by Jerry Harrison @ 8:30 AM
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