Today my experience with working for a political campaign has ended. Today is the Democratic primary day here in South Carolina. It’s voting day! About a month or so ago I started doing some volunteer work for the Pete Buttigieg for President campaign. This is some of what I learned:
When you believe in something (a person, or idea, or need for change) you can’t just sit back and let someone else do the work. You can’t be talk without any action. When you want to see things get better you have to put in some effort.
Political campaigns take a lot of money and a massive amount of coordination. I always knew that big money was involved but when you are on the ‘inside’ you realize campaigns become so very much like a business, selling the product (the person, or idea, and the change). I volunteered on the local level but I was tied in through a computer app to the national office, the headquarters for “Pete for President.” Everything happening out of our office had to be entered in to the app called Minivan. I worked as a canvasser and then as a canvassing captain. Lists of names and addresses of area Democrats were printed out, put into folders, then packaged with Pete materials – for canvassers to take out to ‘knock on doors.’ Everyone was quickly trained on how to start up conversations about ‘get out the vote’ and especially about Pete. When they came back in every result was entered into the data bank. How many doors were knocked on? How many answered? Who considered Pete in their top three? Who was still undecided?
Political campaigns run on these numbers. They also survive by donation numbers, and poll numbers. 15% is an important cut off. Below it and it’s a big worry.
For Pete, here in South Carolina, he may not make that percentage. It’s only the second true primary and the state is southern, heavily conservative, poor, and with a large ethnic community. Pete is still trying to tell people who he is. He is new, and young, and has a difficult name. By the way, you say it like this: Boot-edge-edge. Or you can say Boot-a-judge. Pete will continue after today’s primary, and he will move on to Super Tuesday, and that will be a big day for him, and for some of the other candidates.
But my work is done.
I did learn that volunteering for a person, idea, or change that you believe in will help you meet some really wonderful, like-minded people. I think that has been my favorite part of it all! I met some lovely new friends. It’s good to know that others think the way you do, and they too are trying to make a difference.
Campaigning can be grueling. Obviously the candidates themselves keep unbelievable schedules and have to be ‘on’ all the time. But, also the ones who are paid employees of a campaign put in some extremely long hours and have to start something up from scratch and make it work. Chris, our Grand Strand boss, was putting hours in for Pete from early morning to night, seven days a week. When he wasn’t teaching us, he was working the phones, and he daily went out and canvassed (knocked on doors) himself. He had to work with mostly volunteers and that created a need for a lot of patience, and for putting on a smile when sometimes he was disappointed.
I did some phone canvassing too. What I learned? I’m not the only one who never picks up a telephone call anymore! Ha Out of a group of ten calls, maybe 2 were picked up. Of those 2 maybe one of them allowed me a brief minute or two to explain why I was calling. My opinion: telephone canvassing should be a thing of the past!
I have never been a fan of campaign signs stuck out along the roads. Thankfully for this primary few were seen around the area. We had one woman from our group go out and place some on a few busy corners. I have always thought they looked more like litter and not anything to help sway someone to vote for a candidate.
So…. As I have said before in earlier posts, we are living through some strange times, and therefore I felt pushed internally to get involved. I could not sit back and complain (and there has been a lot to complain about lately) and not take some action to improve who we have in elected positions. I wanted to do my part to bring back good, kind leaders who are respectful, and who raise us all up, and keep Working to keep us safe and live in peace together. I wanted to bring back a good representative of the United States. Someone intelligent, fair, even-keeled, young and hopeful. Have I made a difference? Did I help? I don’t know. But, at least I have tried. I certainly have a better understanding of the political campaign system.
Marla’s Musings 