Dialing the phone iz tiring.
I spent the late afternoon/early evening doing phone calling for the local Obama office. It was relatively enjoyable, given that there's really no one who is eager for a stranger to call them about political things. All the call was about was asking about up to three races and who they were voting for. Lots of folks wouldn't even let me get that far. I felt perky enough when I left after about 3 1/2 hours, but whoa. Now I'm tired and unfocused.
So as a counter measure, I will endeavor to lift my mood by sharing some of the amusing antidotes.
One older man was quite cute. He said he was voting for Obama. "Unless they convince me that he was a terrorist as a child." You have to understand he was saying it with a lot of irony. I could imagine him shaking him head at the absurdity of the political hyperbole going on.
There was one woman who was undecided, so I asked if there were any questions I could answer. "Yeah! Why did Obama think that only two months in the Senate was enough experience to run?" And she was really fired up about it. Weirdly, disproportionally upset. While I'm thinking, how about something a little less rhetorical. I gentle suggested that it was my understanding that Obama's been a senator more than 2 months. "Well, now, but he couldn't have been more than two months in when he was making decisions to run!" Again, really agitated. I concluded that this was a situation where no amount of talking points was going to help. So I politely hoped she had a good evening and wrapped up the call.
There was one man where I think it did help. He was leaning toward his Obama - he mentioned that his union recommended Obama, but "I like my guns!" I assured him that Obama respects the second amendment and wasn't going to take away his guns. "Oh, okay."
There was another woman who, as I was asking about the State Senate ticket, said, "I like that one from Alaska!" "Uh," I say diplomatically, "she's part of the presidential ticket." "Oh." So when I got to the presidential question, I said, something along the lines of, "I know you mentioned liking Palin, so does that mean you're voting for McCain?" "Oh no! Not him! I'm voting for Obama!" Yup, really wasn't thinking the conversation was going that direction."
So as a counter measure, I will endeavor to lift my mood by sharing some of the amusing antidotes.
One older man was quite cute. He said he was voting for Obama. "Unless they convince me that he was a terrorist as a child." You have to understand he was saying it with a lot of irony. I could imagine him shaking him head at the absurdity of the political hyperbole going on.
There was one woman who was undecided, so I asked if there were any questions I could answer. "Yeah! Why did Obama think that only two months in the Senate was enough experience to run?" And she was really fired up about it. Weirdly, disproportionally upset. While I'm thinking, how about something a little less rhetorical. I gentle suggested that it was my understanding that Obama's been a senator more than 2 months. "Well, now, but he couldn't have been more than two months in when he was making decisions to run!" Again, really agitated. I concluded that this was a situation where no amount of talking points was going to help. So I politely hoped she had a good evening and wrapped up the call.
There was one man where I think it did help. He was leaning toward his Obama - he mentioned that his union recommended Obama, but "I like my guns!" I assured him that Obama respects the second amendment and wasn't going to take away his guns. "Oh, okay."
There was another woman who, as I was asking about the State Senate ticket, said, "I like that one from Alaska!" "Uh," I say diplomatically, "she's part of the presidential ticket." "Oh." So when I got to the presidential question, I said, something along the lines of, "I know you mentioned liking Palin, so does that mean you're voting for McCain?" "Oh no! Not him! I'm voting for Obama!" Yup, really wasn't thinking the conversation was going that direction."