I participated in my second phone bank today. Mostly no one answered but there were a few friendly supporters. Last time I was able to convince 2 people who were undecided to vote for Obama and sign up 2 volunteers but none today. I got yelled at a couple times too. It's kind of hard to grit your teeth and say, "Oh I'm sorry I disturbed you, thank you for your time and have a nice day." But I do. In my sweetest voice. Gosh! How hard is it to say, "I don't want to talk to you, goodbye." Next time a telemarketer calls me, I'm going to be nicer.
There's one woman who I keep thinking about. She was around my mother's age and told me she was undecided. When I asked her what issue she was the most concerned about, she started to cry and said,"Jobs. I got laid off a month ago." I didn't know what to say. I felt like an intruder. At this point I wasn't about to go off with a list of reasons why she should vote one or another while this poor woman was crying- ok I am a human being. I just told her I was sorry and that I hope things get better for her. I said I understood how she felt, that I still have hope and not to give up. I'm not sure why she didn't just hang up on me for I would have, but she wanted to talk to me. She told me about how hard it's been for her lately and how stressed out she was. She asked me about my family, where I was from and how old I was. She was surprised, she said, because I sounded so much younger and that the youth in my voice gave her hope. We ended up talking for about 15 minutes because she wanted to know why I was supporting Obama and told me not to read from a script. Of course, I wasn't. At the end of our conversation she told me she would pray for me. She said she was still undecided and would make her decision after watching the debates but because of my phone call, she was leaning a little and she actually thanked me. Obviously I'm glad about the leaning but most of all I'm glad that I was comforting to her. I can't even believe that a total stranger with so many problems of her own would want to pray for me. This makes up for all the mean people who yelled and hung up on me.
(I'll be canvassing for the first time this weekend so if I come to your house, be nice to me. Offer me some m&ms.)
Sunday, October 05, 2008
I've been busy, Phone banking
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7 comments:
I'm so proud of you for working so hard for Obama!
This makes me want to hug you.
Maybe if Obama's supporters are so nice, he will be nice too.
And you should totally stop by my house. It's a bit of a trek, and McCain has officially given up in this state, but there will totally be m&ms and maybe cookies here for you.
:)
It's wonderful that you are doing that.. and if you do it some more, I'd imagine there will be many more personal stories. That seems to be the essence of influencing people's votes is to show them first how it will apply to them personally - then you can get more general and they'll listen to you.
I hope Obama wins, too. Completely.
~*
You are doing good work! You were such a comfort to that woman, you represented Obama well and yourself, beautifully.
If all of us put our beliefs in action as you are doing, we'd all be better for it.
You go girl!!! I have decided not to work in his campaign because I strongly disagree with his FISA vote and his refusal to support gay marriage when he is the product of a couple who would not have been allowed to marry just a few years before they did. I will vote foro him, though and I wish he would come to TX and do a little campaigning for Noreiga who is running agains Cornyn for the senate.
Good for you!!!! I am extremely hopeful about this election but we sure can't take anything for granted - particularly when the other side has the scruples of divorce attorneys.
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