May
Grassroots Phonebankers: Calling Kentucky
In the face of what has become a massive, yearlong 50 state (plus) primary, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that what often moves voters are quiet, one on one conversations — at their doorstep or on the phone. Ealier today one of our many grassroots phonebankers, "New to This" in Cold Spring, New York, wrote about her own experiences calling voters in Kentucky:
I have been making calls to Kentucky and am pretty excited about the enthusiasm I am hearing on the other end of the line. The main places I have been calling into are Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort.
Louisville is really key to narrowing the gap in this state since it is home to roughly 40% of all Democrats living in KY. People are so excited in Louisville — a man there told me he thinks Obama can take the city. Our campaigners there have been working hard, and many people from neighboring Indiana are going across the river on a daily basis to help out.
Lexington and Frankfort seemed to be going well. I had one young woman I spoke to explain to me why she was for Obama. She really like his health care plan, and said, "He really cares about people like me."
She explained to me that she is 25 years old and has not been able to get adequate medical care — to the point that she is missing teeth. She said many of her friends of the same age would not be voting; they are not even registered. She keeps trying to explain to them how important it is. I asked her if she would like to volunteer to help out on the campaign. "Could I?" she asked. I looked up the local HQ and gave her the phone and address.
I explained that in a way she already was a part of the campaign just because she was trying to get people to register — and I explained about Vote for Change. I told her we need self starters like herself.
"It would be my honor," she said.
I know it sounds corny but conversations like this one really touch me. It reminds me of how important reaching out to every voter is, and how encouraging people to speak up is an integral part of this campaign.
The polls in Kentucky open in less than 24 hours. No matter where you are, you can help right now by making calls to undecided voters in Kentucky. The Kentucky calling campaign runs until 9:00 PM EDT tonight.
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